The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-03-19 00:00:00

LOCAL TAXATION.

Sir JOHN NEWPORT presented a petition from the inhabi-
tants of Dublin, complaining of the abuse of local taxation.—Or-
dered to lie on the table and be printed.

TITHE. BILL,
Sir JOHN NEWPORT presented a petition from the land-
holders of Ratheonnark, in the county Of Cork, against the Tithe
Bill—Ordered to lie on the table.
BOUNTIES. ON LINEN.

Mr. SPRINO RIC 1; said be was about to lay before the Ilouse
a petition on a subject of the utmost importance to Ireland, be-
cause it was, more than any other, calculated to tranquillize, while
it gave employment to the country—he alluded to the linen ma-
nufacture, and stated, that in the county of (ark no less than
40,000 had been engaged in this branch of trade; but in consequence
of recent tionmstancte, that numbh was already greatly reduced,
and a considerable diminution had taken piece in the weekly pay.'
mcnt of wages; the quantity fur which. 13 pence had been received
now only brought eight-pence. This, occurring as it did at the
season for sowing Sax, was calculated to produce the gret
chief to the manufacture, and consequently to the labouring,
classes. The question had been referred to a Committee above
stairs, and it had decided that the bounties on linen should
not be taken off, because of the melancholy effects such a proceeding
mum produce, and because the linen trade was in • great measure
dependent on (those bounties. Ile hoped, therefore, that the
House would not do what was calculated to involve in ruin
two of the provinces of Ireland. The Petitioners only prayed fthat
the I louse would consider the subject, and allow sufficient time to
prepare for the charge. Ile concluded dry presenting a petition
from the Chamber of Commerce of the city of Limerick, praying
that the bounties on linen might not at present be taken off.
Colonel FRENCH pledged himself for the truth of the state.
meat of the Hon. Member Sir hinierkk, as far as they related to
the parts of Ireland with which be was acquainted. Ile (Colonel
Frer.ch) knew that it would be destruction to the linen manufacture
if the bounties were now taken off, and most injurious to the coon-
' try, if one of the most effective means of tranquillizing and employ-
ing the people were withdrawn.
Sit 11. PARNELL, was sorry to differ from his Honourable
Friends; he understood, Ind bulieved, that the persona why were

Ale KENNEDY hoped the petitioners would obtain the object
they had in view. It was most important that the benefits arising
from it should be extended to Scotland.
Laid on the table.
Colonel DAVIES wished to know from the Right Hon. the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the order of business for
to-morrow (this day).
The CHANCELLOR of fhe EXCHEQUER thought that it
would be better tint to bring up the Report of the Committee of
Supply.
IFIPRF.SSAIENT OF SEAMEN.
Mr, HUME said that he had been requested to present the peti--
tion which he noir held in his hand, Oct which was given to him
on his way to the House. It ran limn a person of the name of
Gergge William Butler, respecting the impressment of seamen ;
and 4tated that many persons had teen impressed, sent out to
fndia, and thus banished from their memo), by force for upwards
of thirty years. Petitioner further complained of the caprice rela-
tive to the clothing of seamen; of the power of inflicting punish-
ment given to boys who were midshipmen ; and also of the unfair
distribution of prin.money.
Alr. SYKES sad, that he ahonli soon present a petition on this
subject from the town which he had the honour to represent.
Sir R. WILSON observed, that he knew the person by shorn
the present petition was presented, and knew him to be a tespect.
able person, of very good character.
Ordered to lie on theta iutd be printed.
SILK TRADE.
BARING said, that be held in his hand a petition from va.
rious persons connected with the silk trade in the city of London,
praying that they might be heard by Counsel against the repeal of-
the duties no silg. The petitioners stated, that if die Intention of
the Chariallor of the Exchequer were carried into a law, it would
be attended•with the most disastrous consequences to their branch
of manufacture. lie (31r. Baring) thought that if the House did
pot accede to their prayer to be heard by Course!, it would be an act
of the grossest injustice, because it was the only way in which their
ease could be stated to the House, which, he geld. had never yet been
non& Tawas no question then between two indulgences give°
to ends, the question was between two restrictions. He himself had
but little infonnatioa on the subject, but if the object of thepetition
which he had the honour to present was attained—if the parties in-
terested were heard by Counsel at the bar, their statement would be
made, and their arguments would be conducted by a Learned Gen.
Henan who was elected for the occasion, who, in addition to the
circumstance of his being a good lawyer, was also at one period of
hit life a silk manufacturer, and who therefore possessed a know-
ledge in the details and intricacies of the trade to which he could
not pretend. There was not a man in England who could cent-
enumerate more correct knowledge upon every part of the subject
than the Learned Eientleman be had alluded to. One thing was
clear% that if a duty was laid GC any particular branch of the trade—
if it were laid, for instance, upon the thrower of the silk, that ar-
tist could not be on an equality with the other persons employed
in tbeisame trade. He hoped. at all events, the prayer of the peti-
tioners would be complied with ; he hoped he would be CUflefell to
lily the petition which he had brought up upon the bible, and that
the Right Honourable Gentleman and the House would name the
most convenient time fur the discussion. lie knew the House
might, if it pleased, not pursue this course. He knew it was in the
breast of the House to reject the petition entirely ; but he would
not hesitate to say, that:this mode of proceeding would be most un-
just and ungracious, and he trusted the (louse would not, fur their
own sake, place themselves in the pmlicament which they did last
session, when they rejected the petition of these very individuals,
and drove them to the House of Lords, where they were treated
with kindness and conciliation.
Air. ELLICK did not rise to oppose the proposition of his lion.
Friend, as statod in the petition which he introduced. lie would
not at present trespass upots the House by giving any opinion on
the subject. He was so far satisfied with the measures adopted
by his Majesty's Ministers, that he would not agree with the pro-
position of but lion. Friend, that the manufacturers of England
could not compete with those of France; some of the parties them.-
selves with whom he had communicated had expressed their hopes
that this competition could not be entered into. These individuals
to whom he alluded, had also stated they were not parties to the
resolutions entered into at a Meeting in the City of London on Sa-
turday last. As to the question of receiving the petition, he thought
an opportunity should be given to the petitioners to ascertain whether
their apprehensions were well-grounded or not, and be trusted his
Majesty's Ministers would look again at the ev ila complained of bythe
trade, and would specify some particular time tor the discussion of
that which was the effect most doubted—he meant the competing with
the French silk trade. In his opinion the most dangerous results
were to be expected by those who were engaged In the business at
Coventry. lie would not at present enter into any details upon the
subject. Ile would reserve himulf until the humans came before
the Committee, and he hoped such alterations, if necaury, Would
be carried into effect as !ould be beneficial to all parties.
Sir J. MACXINTObII lamented his delay in not delivering
his sentiments upon this subject before. His conduct would not be
consistent with propriety—would not be consistent With decency, if
he did not affirm that Ministers were too slow in admitting
and acting upon the principles of a free trade. He would, there-
fore, be condemning-himself, and the friends with whom he acted,
if he did not in the most especial manner complain of the Ministers
as being too slow in their recurring to sound, libentl, and self.
evident principles. His complaint was that his Majesty's
Ministers were not sufficiently hasty in recurring to those man-
, ciples which he had ever impressed upon them, and the truth
' of which the experience of his whole life had justiged. He had.
from year to year, from day to day, inculcated those principles, of
the value and solidity of which, he was convinced, as he was of
the fatal consequences which had been ever found to result trout a
deviation from them. With these feelings upon the subject, he
would feel himself disserc.eed if he merely listened to the sentiments
uttered by the lion. Member who had presented the petition. In
his opinion he would not be acting consistently, if he did Mt de
close the surprise with which he had heard part of the arguments
used by the lion. Member for Taunton. lie most, with all the
respect which he entertained for him. maintain that his assertions
against his Majesty's Ministers were at variance with themselves.
In the one case he blames them for the hasty measures they have
brought forward respecting a free trade. In doing so, he must,
of course, be understood to commend them for coolly, cautiously,
wisely, and prudently abstaining front any system which tended to
scw, either in the silk or any other manufacture. This part of
toe Hon. Member's argument was at variance with the charge he
made against Ministers, of their wish to retain the protectity duties
instead of removing them immediately from the manufacturer.
One of these charges might by possibility be true; it was im-
possible they could both be true. As to the authority of the
Learned Gentleman who was appointed to state the arguments of
the petitioners before the House, he did not know his Learned
Friend Mr. Harrison was engaged in the silk trade—he did not
know hint in that character; he acknowledged him loused and
skilled in law; and when he and the members of the milk trade came
forward and stated that a loss of nuoney would fall upon the public
by following the measures proposed by Government, and that a
great saving would be the consequence of the plans proposed by
Mr. Harrison, he would readily admit that this statement would
be mote satisfactory to the committee of the silk-weaves than it

•
Ali. TIERNEY would make a few observations on thesuldnt
before the House. lie thought the House and the mown were
much indebted to the Honourable Member for Taunton, for the
line of conduct he had pursued. He would add his appruhatioa.
to the address of the Mops Moither, toe preventing the seclusion
41i. thoaaitrdiridrair who were viola deeply interested in the debate.
He mats here compile' of the dilamilty b *hid, bis airostior
placed hlSitSse, bap this statement of his opinions it world at Sea
appear ha wee reefillimid to the. freedom of trade. This would be
an erroneous opinion. There was not a man anywhere more tensile.
for the freeue,u of trade than he was, Of this feeling be hail jinn
a stronger and more convincing proofthan he could by any autism.
Lion, He had come to the House in a, state of indisposition, alto
given his support to the measurer' proposed by the Chaficellur of the
Exchequer, and Ito felt gratitude fur the liberol, open, manly, avid
noble sentiments expressed by the Right Hon. Gentleman—senti-
ments widely different from these he lied been in the habit of leer_
lag. H.: never heardt.entimems which gave him more astlsfeetiob,
end he supported them without reference to piety fettling. Ile had
supported' them—he would dose again. He thought, at the time
to which he 'Heeled, these restrictions would be removed Mum.
diately—that no time was to intervene ; fur Ids part he did not see
with what eafety measures could be broupht forward if they went
nut eeually binding on all parties ; and he was obliged to confess,
he felt disaapointed when he heard the result of that discretion,
in which, from the &direness on account of ill health of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, • Right Hon. Friesen! tMr. Huskisson;
had taken his pan in the d*betadati. !Units* admit his disap-
pointment at reaming that the time for removing the restrietiobs
wes enlarged to tiro years and a half. Before he was informed if
this enlargement of the time, he thought the Right ifoootre.
able Gentleman bad fought the battle as well as he could:—
that all parties had agreed to the enlarged period—that all Mt-
ferencea were composed ; but he was surprised, from the stream,
that the parties had come to no arrangement at all. The silk me-
nutitcturna, so far from agreeing to the measure, say, that if the
duty and hammy arc now taken off, there know it is utterly impost:-
ble for them to compete with the French manufacturets. This was
the present state of the strait, and the question was, who is right,
and who wrong ? As to the matter before the House, he did not
think it inconsistent with the principles of • free trade—he did
not think it would be acting fairly or prudently to reject the prayer
of the petition ; the House should he disposed to hear it, slid see if
the apprehensions of the petitioners were well or ill-founded. H.l
would not enter into a detail of the circumstances', but to 'Would
merely sae if the general principles of the aicreenient were carried
into effect. Measurer were intended to be earned ipso .irect respect
ing the silk trade, eitherio the shape of large drat/becks or large
bountiea These measures were given up foe a while, thee wee,
not to be acted upon at present. He had asked what oiler had
been made frost one party to the miter, and It was told hie,
that a time of two years and a ;half war to 'Same betrre
these regulations were lo be carrie4 arena effiret. The one pa:.,-
IA, for this time before the dude; an taken or, and :s
given ; and then the other party, to whom, for the purposes
of avoiding disputes, this time is given, sae, &Oa and
neYedl-
we will not be able to compete with the Preneb,inth-w• woods; a-)
the consequences of this conviction is, that a damp is thrown opt e
the trade, and then no restrictions are to be laid on a trade whit..
is not flourishing. Or they will 'come, if circumstance* render
necessary, and say, if the trade is flourishing, apply your at-
tention to other trades—we do not want you—let well alone—v t
are flourishing without your assistance. He trusted the HOILA
would not stop short in its advances to the pririciples of a bet
trade. They would derive itneneetion front the expeettemeof hot
Session, when there were at haat 3,o4.ooeontlemen bowingthem irdo
she gallery; but when the petition of these fespeetabieleendmre
OW rejected, they went to the House of lards and met with more
conciliatory treatment. As to the other importent point of diem,
sion, growing out of the Chancellor of the Exchequer advanertg
his pntwiples•of free trade, there was ant a more cordial friend c r
supporter to.the measure in the House than he was. He in trot',
looked upon the measure as the first inroad Miele upon a moat
vicious system of monopoly and restriction, which cramped the
energy of trade and commeme; yet he was not sure if it was tllit.t
certain good could be produced by the extent of the time to tea
years and a half; and, upon the whole, him would not feel disposed
to ask for the remission of these cluhei and drawbacks, but. he
would rather go to the repeal of others which would contribme
more materially to our strength. Taking off taxes, he world admit,
if any thing, was good, bet he would take off first those taxes whico
were generally desired—he would net begin with those on silk, whot a
would benefit the wroth h y alone,andwoulel not bees tended to benetir.
consequences to all ; his fear was, that when the two years arid h.. I
had elapsed, thesis inanufacaurers would raise a clamour against the
Government, by means of the thousands of persons employed
this trade. Ile agreed with the Member for Taunts-at, that this •
mold be no doubt of the principle, that if there appeared sit!.
ficient evidence to warrant it, the petitioners should be betted at
the bar of the House by counsel; and nothing was more consuns • t
to the principles of free trade, than by attending to pertirular -
te r c sss to promote those of the public at laige. He hoped, there-
fore, the Chancellor of the Exclimmee would not refuse to hear t!•e
petitioners at some time that may appear convenient.
The CHANCELI.OR of the EXCHEQUER said, after the
observations which had been made, be could not refrain front ma: -
Mg a few observations : tor his pert he acknowledged with feeling!:
of gratitude the readiness strewed by the House to second has
views, and adept those measures which he had laid down. The
Right lion. Gentlemen who had just sat down, had thought mot- r
to pay hint some compliments at the expense oh' his predecease,,
which lie must assure the Right Hun. lientieutan he had not the
least intention of accepting ; it was painful to him to receive COW -
pliments at the expense of any aerat.r.., particularly so at thes-
pense of the Right Hon. lard who preceded hint and of wheel
he was bound by a sense of justice, and a feeling it/justice, to sae ,
that there was not in the country an individual more anxious tor
the principles of q free trade—there was no person tress host t:e
to its principles than die Noble Lord t and it it was not his lot !o
bring forward and state in that House these opinions, he shot d
not be upen to censure, because neither circumstances nor the situa-
tion of the country seemed to him to be such es to admit or suit. r
the bringing fanned there measures. Upon the question
ately before the House, he would beg to make a few observatior
He approved of the principle of the tinniest: he did not go the
length of time doctrine laid down by the How. Member for Knit.- •
borough—not because his own mind was decided and matte up,
and not to be shaken by any arguments he would not thereft r••
hear others—he would be disposed to hear them pones, to twee,
tain what apprehensions they may have. He did not mean :a
carry this argument to the length of admitting to the other party a
power of postponement ; that would be at once ountrary to stew .1
principles and to the ultimate interests of the parties themsein
and leaving the discussion of it to than; and if this investigate .n
were left to the parties' interested in it, and with whom he had h, id
communications, the Hon. Member opposite would not letve to
reproach Ministers with being hasty, for the difficulties thrown to
the way by there parties could never be reeoneikd or saddle.:,
Some sought a postponement of seven years, others of five. othea
again of a still greater twit:at and in the combination of
dissatisfaction various intervals of delay were called for ; toi
that if the discussion or arrangements of the mode were I. .t
to the parties, the business would not be concluded till dooms.
day. Ile would tan go the length of the Learned Noun, r
opposite, to deprive the parties who complained of the privilege of
stating the cane. This was, he believed he admitted, right of the
parties who thought themselves aggrieved ; and though he was
almost certain his opinion on the matter was too long tanned. a .1
formed upon too solid reasons to be altered or 'feral by any sae.
menu of Mr. Harrison, he did think the petitioners should bas
hcr.rd as they desired, more especially when they incurred exper-e,,
though this, wilted, was matter for their own consideration ter
these reasons he did not think it just to refuse hearing them ter
Counsel, either as it turned upon the argument or affivtoi the infs.
reef of the party, or the right and consideration of the changes a
be made. He saw no meson why the petitioners shoitid be :erten-
a hearing, and therefore he had r.o objection to it.
Mr. WII ITMORE said he had communications on that very
day with a most intelligent manufacturer from Henchmen, who
cured him that the tradesmen there were perfectly wished with i.et
measures at present adopted by Government, and they looked tot.
ward with as notch confidence as lie did himself for those rarebits
which were to follow.

Mr. HINE Ea, there was one fact which had just been enm
municated to him, aad which he thought imporrant to hive know,
The erecting of silk manufacturers on Saturday was not general 7
was got up for a purpose; it was attended but by few persons,
speetable, he rulmitted ; but if their feelings were known
city, it would be found that live nut of m 5: would not agree
them. There was something like a fercri.h scrautiun thniugh
city, owing to an idea that got abrad, th..; Crum the iut_rcour