The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-26 00:00:00

ALIEN ACT.

The Earl of DARNLEY said that it was a molter of notoriety
that a Minister of the Crown had declared in another place that
there was no intention, on the part of his Majesty's Ministers, to
renew the Alien Act; and it would be a matter of satisfaction to
their Lordships to hear a similar declaration from the Noble Earl
at the head of the Treasury. His Lordship congratulated the
Howe on the early termination of an Act so disgraceful and so
useless as the Alien Act.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL begged to remind the Noble Earl,
that it was not usual for Government to make any announcement
respecting a Bill which was about to expire, except when some
other measure connected with it was intended to be proposed to
Parliament. It was true that a flight lion. Friend of his had. no
bringing in a Bill for registering foreigners, informed the House of
Commons that there was no imention, on the part of his Majesty's
Ministers, of applying to Parliaments to renew the Alien Act.
LOCAL PAYMENTS HILL.

The Marquis ofLANSDOWN moved their Lordships to re-
sult. into a committee upon the Bill to enforce the payment of
notes wherever they might be issued.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that as far as he was informed
upon the subject, he agreed entirely with the principle of the Bill
which had been brought to by the Noble Marquis ; because he
thought it desirable that banks should pay their notes, not only
where they were issued, but at all their branches ; but he had heard
of so many objections made to the Dill, and as his Lordship be-
lieved there were were some difficulties in the way of attaining the de-
sired object, that the would submit to the consideration of the Noble
Alarquis, whether it would he right to legislate upon the subject
whilst the Committee had measures before them upon which no
report had u yet been mute. His Lordship did not look forward
with any sanguine hope to aiming in one Session to a final or satis-
tenors conelosion respecting those important measures. It would
therctote, in his opinion, b • better to reserve the whole subject for
another Session. The Bill which had passed their Lotdabips was
undergoing considerable alterations in the other }lmmo( Paella.
anent. where it was then under discussion. Within a short
period there was strong proof in Ireland of the advantagea arising
out ul the establishment of Joint-stock Banking Companies. In
that country there was scarcely a bank but those of the Bank of
Ireland and Joint-stock Banks and their branches, all of which
_ _

were farmed under Acts of Parli:..nent ; and in this country a gnat
many bankers had expressed their willingness to be formed
into Joint.stock Companies. Hi. Lordship did not think it
prudent to go farther until the Bill which was before the other
/louse of Parliament should he passed ; antrifter'the punting of
that measure, there would be a good opportunity, during the
recess of making an experiment, and of ascertaining ha efficacy.
His Lordship hoped he would cot be misunderstood as objecting
to the principle of the bill which was then before their Lordships.
and if the Noble ltlarquis wouhl consent to its postponement, he
hoped nn such opinion would go abroad. His objec: was to give
the subject full considersticn, and not to come to any conclusion
withoutatufficient information and deliberation ; and bin honlship
aka wished to say that he had no reason to alter the opinion which
hr had already declared on the subject.
The Earl of LAUDER PA LE said, that although the Noble
• Earl had not discovered any reason fur sliming his opinion, there
certainly appeared no reasons as yet to confirm that opinion with
impel to Ireland. The fact was. the; the Bank of Ireland had
Issued its notes payable in Dublin only, but the Provincial Bank
could rat issue notes in Dublin, nor within twenty miles of it, as
they were precluded from such a privilege by the charter of the
Bank of Ireland, and that bank had acted so cautiously as to make
its notes payable in Dublin only. The Provincial Bank had to
iny their notes at their branches. The Provincial flanks had,
whenever they got the Bank of Ireland notes. to send them up to
Dublin fur payment: but whenever the Bank of Ireland got the
notes of the Pmvincial Bank, she insisted upon gold. That bank
was therefore subject to great inconvenience, and it would not be
right to throw any fresh difliptlty in their way now, that they were
only commencing their operations. At present the Provincial
. Bank and its branches were obliged to furnish gold to the Bank of
Ireland, and care should be taken not to give the Bank of Ireland
any additional advantage. They had already the power of estate.
hefting At anches in Athlone or Belfast, or in the most remote parts
of Ireland, and could throw great difficulties in the way of any
other banks.
The Earl of LIMERICK could hot avoid saying • few words
upon a subject of so much importance to Ireland. and he felt him.
s-lf bound to express his satistattion at what had hider from the
Noble Earl at the head of the Treasury. Not being on the Com.
mitt', to inquire into the Currency. lie could not give any opinion
on the subject.bat he hoped there was no intention of passing the bill
for the suppression of small notes until next Session. He was glad
that he had taken an early opportunity of calling their bordello's'
attention to that Bill, as far as it was likely to affect Ireland. Ile
was the tiro to raise his voice against it, and he was now rejoiced to
ptiCtiVll that there was not the same determination to persevere in
it during the present Session of Parliament; and he trusted that by
the next tinsion of Parliament the mischievous tendency of the

measure would be RCM and that it would be put down altogether.
He could not omit expreening his gratitude to the people of Scot.
land for the part which they had taken In opposing those measures.
A Noble Lord had said thnt the Scotch wished to form a
cordon nanitaire, to protect their. front any interference with
their banking system ; end he hoped there would be another
cordon unitaire, to protect the Irish banks from the hardships
which they were suffering from the system of the Book of Ireland.
That most astute Corporation had cautiously framed their notes
in such a way as to make them payable in Dublin only, rid they
made use of the Provincisl Batik as a cat's.paw. in priicuring
gold for them. lie hoped some Bill would be brought in this Sen.
Rion to prevent Koch a hardship. It was a notorious tact, that the
Bank of Ireland notes had sold at a disc islet in the remote parts of
Ireland, whilst a premium of eightpence in the pound was given
for the oaten of the Provincial Bank, because gold could be had for
the Provincial Bank notes, whilst those of the Bank of Ireland
should he sent to Dublin to obtain payment.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN said it was not his intention to
refer to the subject of small notes, which wan then before the Cunt.
mittee of their lennlnhips. nor did he wish to give any opinion on
the a object; but lie would imitate the Noble Earl opposite. and
reserve his opinion for a future occasion. It was his intention to
make some verbal alterations in the Bill, to meet the objections
which had been made; but, ender all the circumstances, he would
not persevere in pressing the quest int) at that state of the Session,
particularly uhe hoped, by postponing it. to obtain the powerful
aid of the Noble Earl. As it was intended to return to a sound
circulation, it would be a necessary preparation to such a course to
enforce the payment of notes wherever they might be Issued.
Without such a measure, the country would have a vicious circula-
tion, and It would be necessary to adopt.it in England u well an in
Scotland and in Ireland. Without it there could be no return to a
metallic currency. Small notes could not be extinguished whilst
banks were allowed to issue notes where they were not payable in
gold. He wished to remind their Lordships of the state in which
Ireland would be left, unless such a Bill as that which he had in.
troduced should be passed. The Bank of Ireland would continue
its practice of making Its notes payable in Dublin only, and in their
own defence the other buks would follow its example. ,The Bank
of Ireland never established branches until forced to it by tEecompeti.
lion of the Provincial Bank,end unless parliament interfered tltellank
of Ireland would be iaii in possession of its monopoly. That bank
might narrow its circulation and put the whole country at its mercy;
and.under those eireurastancesorould env person say thattheProvin.
cial Bank would not be justified in altering the loyal of their circu-
lation. They might establish branches at Kinsale or Donegal. and
tnake their notes payable there or at • y other remote part of the
country. His Lordship could not blame that bank for adapting
such a course, when they were driven to it. They might, under
the present law, make their notes payable at Worcester or any other
Part of England. except within the limits prescribed by the charter
of the Bank of England. It was • great object to prepare Ireland
for a more salutary system. The ptesent was a state of things
which ought not to continue. The whole banking system should
he put on a footing to ensure a facility of convening notes loco
gold. The state of banking business was rendered quite anoms.
loos by the present state of the law. There would be one law for
Scotland and another foss England. He did not think it would be
practicable to come to a satisfactory conclusion respecting Scotland
during the present Session of Parliament, but if the present law
continued, the Scotch Banks would inundate the North of England
with their notes ; they would indulge this country with the bents.
fits of s Scotch circulation. A great mass of notes, payable only at
Edinhurgh, would spread over the north of this country, which
would completely prevent the operation of the intended plan to
establish a metallic currency. lie was quite sure the Noble Earl
would take all those circumstances into his consideration, and, as
there was no probability of his attaining the object which be had
in view this Session, he would consent to defer his Bill until next
Session,and he therefore moved that the Bill be committed that day
three months.

The Earl of ROSSLYN could not see any great danger of
Scotch notes overflowing this country, sednat the wish and interest
of the people. Previously to the year 1717, small notes constituted
the entire circulation of Scotland, and there was no inconveni.
enee felt by this country from them. There was no probability of
this country being overrun with Scotch paper. His Lordship could
not see how it was to take place.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, if there were a general paper
circulation in England, no,harm could arise from admitting a simi-
lar currency in other parts of the empire ; but it'it were abolished in
this country, and at the same time maintained in Scotland, the con.
sequence would be, a constaut influx of paper money from that
country into this. The suppression of small notes in Englant!, it
was tree, would not be effected for three years: but after that pe-
riod it was evident that danger might arise. With respect to Ire-
land, without saying a word about what might be the conclusions
of the Committee, it appeared to hint that the Noble Lord had
jumped to his conclusions ; he had advanced too rapidly in his ar-
gument. He did not think that the Bank of Ireland should be
obliged to ply only at the head-quarter, while the Provincial Bank
was obliged to pay everywhere t if no exception could be made in
favour of the branches of the Provincial Bank in Ireland, it was
because they had no head-quarters there. It was extremely ludi-
crous, that while the Banks of England and of Ireland were fight.
ing the same battle, the one to prevent the establishment of banks
issuing notes within 50 Irish miles of itself, and the other to hinder
them within what was considered an equivalent distance, 6.i Eng-
lish miles, the Provincial Bank of Ireland had its head-quarters
in London. The effect of making all country notes in Ireland
payable at the place of issue, would be to depreciate the notes of the
Bank of Ireland : the law ought to .he equal everywhere. The
question was full of difficulties, and under all the circumstances he
thought the wisest course to adopt would be, to postpone it for the
preaent.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE understood the Noble Lord
(Lord Liverpool) to be of opinion that it might be advisable to
pass an Act to prevent the intrusion of Scotch notes; but it ap-
peared to him that such a thing would be much more effectually
done by the people, if it was for their interest, than by any Inter-
ference of the Legislature. If bank-notes were at a discount, they
would not easily find their way into England. He would relate an
anecdote to their Lordships, which would illustrate his reasoning.
A man, who wanted some horses for purposes which he believed the
Noble Lord on the Il'oolssck would recognize by the mime of
"black jobs," came from Scotland to Newcastle, provided with
small notes, to make his purchases, but found that they would not
be taken unless he endorsed them himself. It was not likely, then,
that the Scotch notes would ever mix with the circulation of Eng-
land.

The LORD CHANCELLOR begged leave to disclaim any
acquaintance with black jobs. Ile begged also to remind their
Lordships that the point under considetation was one of great
difficulty : the question in fact was, how to prevent no:es which
were of a Scotch nature from travelling south.
The Earl of LIMERICK explained.
After a few words from the Earl of CARNARYON, the motion
was agreed to.
The East India Juries' Bill was read a third time, alter a few
observations from the Marquis of LA NSDOWN, in which he ex-
pressed his cordial assent to the measure.
The Bill to regulate the amendment of Writs of Mandamus in
Ireland was also read a third time.

14-renal Bills then passed through Committees, and the House
adjourned at Seven o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, TUEIDAY, Arm 25.

lIIRSIINGBAM AND LIVERPOOL CANAL BILL.

Lord CLIVE brought up the Report of the Committee on the
Bill, and moved that it should be then taken into consideration.
Mr. CALCRAFT objected to taking the Report into considera-
tion, and took several further objection% upon points of order.
After a snort conversation, in which Lord Clive, .Me. Calcraft.
Mr. Littleton, and the Speaker took a part, the consideration of
the Report was deferred until to.roorro (this day).
Mr. CALCRAFT presented a petition from Mary Johnson
against the said Bill, which..

—After a few words from Lord CLIP E, was ordered to lie on
the table.

Mr. CALCRAFT then moved that the 311 notes of Evidence
taken before the Committee be laid before the Hnuae.—Agreed to.

NEW CORN EXCIIANOE.

.....
Mr. BLACKBURN brought up the Report on the New Corn
Exchange Bill —The Bill was then read a third time and poised.
WESTMINSTER GAM. BILLS.
Mr. HOBIIOUSE brought up the Report of the Westminster
Gaol Bill, which was read a third time and pained.
NEW LONDON.BRIDGL

Mr. A Iderniou;*6ls6l:n;;libinitliiieponOttbe New Lon-
don-bridge

SCOTCH BANKING SYSTEM.
Sir JAMES MACKENZIE presented petitinnot from the pa.
rishes of Fern and Roach!), against any alteration in the banktug
system of STtl!nd. _ _

Mr. DOW NIE presented ■ similar petition from a parish in the
county of Perth.
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.
Sir ROBERT SHAW presented a petition from the Protestant
Dissenters of the denomination of Baptists of the city of Dublin,
praying for the abolition of Negro Slavery in the West Indies.
SimiSar petitions were presented by Mr. Banites, from Stour-
bridge ; by Mr. Ilyng, from certain Dissenters of Clapham, in
Surrey ; by Lord Folkestone. rnm Folkestone, and from Walton.