The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-03-04 00:00:00

that same Bill to remain defleient, assigning as a
souse, the inadequacy of the Howe to discuss these
subjects in any other form but as a com-
mittee of trade. After all these admissions, will
the Right Houourable Gentleman inform the
petitioners they may return to their home. ; the
House cars give theta no redress, since there hap-
'l, peas to be in his Bill for the regulation of trade
t souse slight meution of duties, winch mast of
coarse alter the nature of the bill, and make it a
tunnels bill? Why not rather point out some other
way, in which the forms of the House, in the pre-
cision of the !tight Honourable Gentleman, might
sanction the petitioners in their constitutional my-
deavour to obtain redress? The fact is simply
this, the Right Honourable Gentleman is deter-
mined to strain the analogy, for the purpose of
supporting his favourite measure. I will tell him,
he might us well deprive, by Act of Parliament,
any private Gentleman of his tatiste, and prohibit
lien from making any Petition to Parliament for
its recovery, by ailegiug, that the Bill having en-
a: el a so a clause relative to certain duties to be
1-1:v•al frets the stamps on the deed of its con-
v. :,:ince, had assumed the nature and form of a
Biii tor raising duties, and of course was not
sulr;. et to a Petition during the session in which
it ass enacted. This was a shallow artifice, iod__,
to avoid the constitutional forms of Parlimalib,
He should recollect that that great Statesman,
Mr Pitt, whom he and his friends so much ad-
mired said affected to imitate, harlon various oc-
casions gone actually out of the usual way, in
order to let all matters, connected at all with trade,
some uudet the consideration of a Cornmittee.of
Trade. They would have done well to imitate
• him at least in this deference for the corn-
Uercial interests of the country. This Petition,
which comes forward so respectably sic by
is
thirty thousand • names, compleinieg, uot;
only the manufacturing inhabitants of rd,
Presto:r, and Bolton, but those also of the second
great t! swrcial town, Liverpool, had been re-
duced to extremity by the deficiency of trade,
should Le a warning to Ilitirsters lest the next leti
tron uttered to this House be signed by 300,000
distremed manufacturers. Yet the Right Hon.
Gentleman continues to observe to the House,
" IA e are studying to preserve the forms—no—
the usage of the. House—which cannot there-
fore hear you, whatever inpy be your distress."
k . Let -Olean' I say, be heard, and let also a special
*litre he inside to prevent it becoming a precedent
44 father. Yet 1 can adduce the convoy tax as
one wherein this House departed from the principle
loud down by the Right Hon Gentlemen. We went
into a Committee of Trade on that question, under
the direction and *Auction of Mr. Pitt. .1 believe
the forms of the House are the perfection of e is-
deem for the preservation of the order of debate ;
yet we should yield to the pressure of circum-
starter*, and not oppose the pretence of an -usage
- • . to the cries and impplii azione of indigence and suf-
fering. We owe it as a duty to our etantre, if we
I can administer no real relief, to chew at least some
. liartialit; to our fellow-eountremen in distress:—
To rehire their Petition is to deprive them of all
Imp" sad no eloquence of the Right Honourable
a or his friends. can possibly heal the af-
-6,'
' Pieties of the unhappy petitioners."
The CII4IIOELIMIL of the Exenzettea defended
the relit laid down as consistent with the practice
of the House tor a century past. The Bill was
not for supporting so much the Orders issued in
Couueil, they existed in force by the King's pre-
.
rogative and authority, as the raising duties;
(Hear ! Hear! front the ition)--.that is, said
lie, to give ellect to the Ordersl'i of Council by levy-
ing these duties.—/Hear .1 again from Opposition.)
ide felt respect for the petitioners, but also felt it
his duty to oppose their application, especially as he
was conscious he acted uuder the respectable saac-
tton of the opinion given from the Chair.
Mr. PONIIONBY" I really pity the Right Hen.
Gentleman—Not a step that he takes that does not
lead him into fresh difficulties. Ile told us for-
inerly—•• duties, oh, duties were no part of the effi-
cient remiss for introducing the bill. Now duties
are every thing. If then Revenue is not his object,
and the orders are in full three, by Royal au-
thority, why bring the matter before Parlia-
ment ? is it to display to the House his
wisdom and eloquence—to the country, those
triumphs in debate which have- so constantly
`arced the Right lion. Gentleman and his friends
t in every stage of the Bill ? Let us apply his prin-
ciple to another topic. In case of a war being pro-
claimed by His Majesty, the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer would, by his new principle, be empower-
ed, with confidence enough, to tell us, when he de-
manded the supplies, "You need not proceed to
a discussion of the necessity of the war—grant
the supplies—here is thearnount necessary." If
wine stupid obstinate Member should happen
to be of a different opinion, and start *nine objee-
hero on this head, the .Chancellor would, straitway
answer him—" The ear, 'tie in vain to talk about
now—it exists by the Royal authority alune--'tie a
i. were prerogative measure, and you have only to
OA the supplies." time one might even be bold
e.roit to enter into a discussion of its merits, and
say, it is note proper suliect of investigation, why
is it brought before the House? This may be said
with equal Justine of the alieteure now before the
house. The Petitioners allege it will injure the re-
chimes of the country. Is not this a fit *abject of
d suwion ? The representativesof the people, the
2,liiiistersoftliecouatry, should neverset up • mean
qvibbling defence against time complaint of a great
mercantile town. 1 hope Parliament will never
enact this bill without considering the' eireum-
rtauces of this l'aitioii. I never can believe
it, entre. I see it. I think yet too well of the
sepreeentation of this 4•ountry.—The Ministry
say, 4, By ,this Bill we are only carrying into
effect the Orders of Council." The nation cry
out, " Tins is our riiiii."—Ministers reply, " Soy
not a syllable ; for we have anticipated all oppo-
sition, by bringing it on is the shape of a money
Trill." I have hosed of a pamphlet called Wee in
• Visptite, but this, Sir, seems tube tax in dis,vise.
How foul stud rum orthy this ennthict in the first
inirtifter of Finance? I should warrely have e•-
peeled such a low trick from the very lowest murder
of that pr.:Amnon to which he hail formerly the
bouour to belong. Such a conduct *mild be a
disgrace to a pettifogeipg Attorney. 'He flies
(sea investigation to prerogative, and then to tax-