The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-02-10 00:00:00

was repairing to Aix-le-Chapete from Paris to gret
the benefit of the bells. but that o• passing from
Brussels on his way ionic with some impound in-
formation for the British Government, which had
unexpectedly come to his knowledge, he had been
thrown into prison at Ghent. where he was de-
mended, and was about to be given op to the_Frencli
to undergo trial for theleopposed
forgery of • letter of credit given him by a book
in Scotland on a hank in Paris. The Petitioner
'proved the House to interfere, and deinind his per-
ton of the French Governistent.
Mr. DENMAN moved that the Petition be
printed.—Ordered.
Mr. Alderman WOOD gave notice of a motion
for Monday next for a Committee relative to Lon-
don Bridge.
On the motion of Mr. Wawa, the Report of
the Lordi;' Committee on Commerce was referred to
the Select Committee of the House ou the State of
of Foreign Tiede.
Sir J. NeWroRT moves for accounts of Station-
ery supplied by the Patentee for the Government
departments in Ireland for the last seven years,
distinguishing the accounts for each.—Ordered.
CRIMINAL INFORMATIONS.
Mr. G. BENNETT moved for an account of the
Information. filled by the Attorney-General during
the last year for Sedition and Blasphemy. Also an
account of the number of Convictions.
The CHANCELLOR of the ExcHequeß moved,
that the House, on its rising, du adjourn to Mon-
day.—Ordered.
Mr. CURTIS moved for returns of the American
flour and corn contracted for by the British
Government doting the last two years, and speci-
fying the prices.—Ordered.
QUEEN'S ANNUITY BILL.
The Order of the Day for the second reading
of the Queen's Annuity Bill was then read.
The CHANCELLOR of the Excncneractea said,
that it might have been desirable, perhaps, to
postpone the second reading. till Monday, on ac-
count of the indisposition of his Noble Friend ; but
us there did not appear to he any objection to the
principle of the Bill, it would be as well, perhaps,
to let the Bill go to a second reading. If there
were any objection felt to this, the only question
would be upon the principle of making any provi-
sion at all. if there were no objection to the prin-
ciple, the Committee would be the stage most
proper for fixing the amount of the annuity.
The 13111 was then read a second time, and or-
dered to lie committed on Monday.
Mr. Clex taw* wished to put • question Natty of
his Majesty's Ministers who felt able to reply to it.
One of his constituents in the City had fitted out
a vessel, and was loading her with gunpowder and
naval stores for the Neapolitan patriots; but hoe-
ing received a letter that morning from the Medi-
terranean, lie learned, that the British Commander
in that sea intercepted all warlike stores destined
fur Naples. Such being the case, his constituent
had of course stopped the execution of the colonic'.
He wished to know fools the Right Hon. Gentle-
man opposite if soy orders had been issued which
were likely to have warranted the adoption of such
regulations by the British Naval Commander is the
Mediterranean ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCWEQUEII. rrh it
difficult to answer positively • question which re-
lated to nothing connected with his own depart-
ment ; hut, from the nature of the Orders io
Council issued with respect to our relations with
Naples, he felt josified in believing that the ru-
mour referred to by the Honourable Gentleman
was wholly without foontlation.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. DENISON expressed his satisfaction at
the explanation given by the ILght Honourable
Gentleman.

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.
On the motion for the House resolving itself into
a Committee—
Mr. GORDON wished fur some explanation upon
the expenditure of the New Post-office.
Mr. I.ttsuttenTote wished to know the nature of
the Honourable Gentleman's inquiries before hst
could undertake to answer him.

Mr. GORDON wished to know what steps were
shout to he taken by the Honourable Member. If
any additions were to be made to the 280,000/.
which had bren so u.elessly thrown away upon the
project of erecting a New Post-office?
Mr. LUSIIINGTON said, that there had been two
objects in view in granting the money: building a
New Post-office, and improving the City. The
latter had been obtained, though perhaps at s larger
expense than was desirable. Au application bad
been made for a new giant, but he had done all
that lay in les power to prevent
Col. DAVI ES said, that the only discoverable im-
provement made, had been the pulling down of
houses.

Mr. Wit.t.tsims recommended the lion. Gentle-
man to take a walk, and look at the ground, and
he would cottfe►s* that there had been uo imp►ove-
tnent mode—no avenue from the City had been
cleared. The houses had been pulled down, and
posts and rails pat up in don. places.
Colonel DAVIES wished to know what use was
to he made of the ground—whether the tumors
were to he rebuilt, or the leases to be let?
Mr. LIMITNGTON promiwed that the nuisance
should be removed.

Mr. WI i.LlAstscalled the attention of the House
to the great number of orders winch occurred on
several days towards the close of lost Se►aiou---ou
one to the amount of 57 in one Joy. lie thought
that a Committee should be appointed to consider
of* plan for obviating this defect.
Mr. HVIMISSON reminded the lion. Gentleman
that the Session of twit year was a peculiar one,
which (lid not commence till April.
Colonel DAVIES said, that the red complained of
was still greater in the 5e1.1.1011 before the lust.
Mr. Csi.casirr wondered at. Ike Right Hon.
Gentleman Telt-mil the grievance to the late corn-
tnettrtntreet of the !Irwin°, when he Inuit know as
well as I •elf (.lr. Calerari) that the same thing
i!ad occurred in almost every Session since either
of them had bee') to Pailjament.
ne !louse then resulted itself into a
1

COMMITTEE OF WAYS AND MEANS.

The CHANCIII.I.Oft of ►l►e EXCHBQU i a a.ut, ►hut
Ulnae of the war dime' hied beets ruotiourd iiuwu
to 18iG, auto deem lb. Mouse had granted Own '
fur live ►ucceadiag yeuta, which period would ter-
min de about ul; iis this year. It ,was his purpose
to prOpPS, xbe reuewal of time duties. as animal

unties feir'ilie next yeir, especially those whirl► fell
on foreign spirits. He took that occasion of re-
marking that the neva! and. preventive services had
at length got the mastery of smuggling iii such a
degree as prevented the smuggler front gaining
ground. This would be proved by the accounts,
which chewed au increase upou the last two years
in the consumption of foreign spirits. Those spirits
were the most proper objects of taxation, not only
with a view to the prottctiou of British agriculture
and commerce. but Ismail'se of the interests of
founds : the taxes ought to be ai high as possible
on all such commodities. He concluded by mov-
ing, that the duty of is. per bushel on malt he eon-
' bussed front the ensuing July through the follow-
ing year.
Mr. CREEYEY expressed his determination
to oppose any vote of the public money until
those distresses which had been so loudly corn•
!phoned of in that House were relieved.—
It wee his design to move as au amendment
that the Chairman should report porgies, to
the House. They could not forget what had
passed in the House last night on the Petitions
relative to tigricullurul and commercial distress,
especially on the Petition from that great ins-
iinhicturing town, Birmingham. 'The emitter-
satton on that Petition had produced opinions
never before heard in *bat House. A county
Member had proposed as a remedy for these
distresses an attack on the funded property.
The fundliolder had been called iii that House a
devouring monster of consumption. Au Hun.
county Member, on his side of the House, had
hailed this expression, and signified his anxiety to
be at him (ihe fundholder).—(Laughter.)—The
Right Hun. Gentleman laughed; but what would
Mr. Pitt have said, had he been Oise, to hear of
such a proposal ? To what a condition must our
distresses have brought the country, when people
were ready to go to war with each other fur their
property; yet eight after night they were going
quietly on with Committees of Supplies iind %Ns
and Means, without ■ny retrenchment being
thought of. He would not agree to a vote fur one
farthing; he would divide the House upon every.
motion, except lie got some pledge or opinion from
Ministers as to a reductiOil of the public burdens.
He hoped things were not grown so bad with the
country aa to make it necessary to go to war with
each other for the little property there was remaining.
Now the monster he had to eolnpliiie of, and to
call the attention of the House to, was the useless
number of placeruen in that House. These Gen-
tlemen had very plausible names, " Under Lords
of the Treasury," " Puisne Lords of the Ad-
miralty, Ordnance," and so forth. In his opinion,
they were sham Lords; and it wee quite impossible
that we can have any retrenchment while they are
amongst us. Ile would not he understood to
be opposed to Ministers. He thought they were a
most useful set of men as lung as they performed
their duty ; but when there was a set of men in
the House who receive the public money without
discharging any office, then lie said they were no-
thing but pensioners. If there were only two or
three of this description ill the House. be should
say nothing about; but when there was a whole
pock, it was quite impossible to break in on them.
Was it to be endured, that in times like these, we
should put up with such • state of things ? There
was another class of men in that House, he meant
the independent Members: these were Gentlemen
whose families subsisted on the taxes.—( Laughing.)
—Does any sue deny the fact ? He was quite sure
that no man connected with the Treasury could be
ignorant, that every day applications were made at
the Treasury for what they called their property.
—(A levh.)—There were two descriptions of
persons in that House, the seventy-two placemen
to whom he alluded, and those where families
were supported ; and when he took into cotoidera-
lion the wonderful influence which this system
must give to the Administration, lie seas quite
astonished they were able on his side of the
House to make so good a stolid for the people.
—(Hear.)—These were considerations to which
the House should attend before they went into
a Committee of Supply. And if the Right
llo-
nourable Member for Kn•rasborougb (Air. 'Tierney),
whom he did not then see in his place, would, with
his great talents. submit a motion on the subject
to the House. it might be attended with the mo.t
beneficial results to the country. Now the state-
ments which lie had mode were most undoubtedly
true, •nd it was quite monstrous at this time, when
the nation was borne down with the greatest dis-
tress when even the higher orders began in talk or
an attack on the bondholder— (hear, hear)—to
deny that there never was a period when an econo-
mical reform was so imperiously called for ; and
he wits quite stile that, if the Right Honutirable
Member to whom he alluded would either bring
forward or sanction some proceeding of that
sort, great advantages might result even be-
fore this Session had advanced very far. He
hid not' the least inelissatiou to hold out a de-
lusion to the people. Nothing in his opinion could
be more culpable than to hold out false hopes, but
lie really thought that a diminution of 4,000,000/.
in the offices of state might take place. and that this
sum might be reduced from the taxes. If this
were done it could milord a happy prospect of re-
trenchment, and would produce what was most
desirable—an union with the people, when they
saw ■ disposition on the pert of the House to sym-
pathise and relieve their distresses. It was not ne-
cessary for him to say more; he clone down to
that House with a determiliation to oppose the
Speaker leaving the Chair; lie did not suppose that
a resolution of this kind world have been sub-
mitted to the House, but he should consider it
. his duty to oppose the granting • single shilling
until the House should be fairly dealt *Wt.—
( lieer, hear.)
The CNANCII.I.OI of the EKCIIEQUER stated.
that the Speech from the Throne most undoubt-
edly have induced the House to suppose that a
considerable rto'uetion would take place in the
pubhe expenditure. Ile was happy to shoe that
that hope would lie in a great measure realised.
Ile could not state that that would be the mooed
mentioned by the Hon. Gerd. opposite, 4,000,000/.
-nor could lie state what the precise reduction
/would iw, but lie thought about 1,000,00f11. and
that this scat was as much as, taking a reasonable
view of the establishments of the country, could be
effected. r Bet the Hou. Gentleman had alluded to
woollier lubjeci, the wiseouolgement of the re-