The National Register.
London, England, 1822-03-04 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
MONDAY. TED. 25.
The Lord Chancellor attended the House and disposed of ju•
dirial business.
AGRICOLT U RAT. PET ITIONII,—InTd ROLLE reensted-ii
petition signed at a meeting of landholders, in the county of
Devon, praying for relief under the pressure of agricultural dis-
tresses. A second pttition annexed to the first, as a sort of rider,
prayed for parliamentary reform.
he noble Lord intimated that he did not agree with those
who expressed an opinion that reform in parliament was. necessary.
He went with the petitioners in calling upon parliament to pro-
vide a remedy for the distresses of the farmer and landholder;
but rpm' the other part which related to reform, he expressed his
dissent. The nub'e Lonl was persuaded that the prayer for re-
form was not sanctioned by the majority of landholders. He
concluded by moving the pentium be laid on the table.
The Duke of SOMERSET presented a petition from tht, land-
ldders of Holheach, in the county of Lincoln, complaining of
agricultural distress. and praying for a reduction of taxation as
the only means of relief.
Lord Viscount MELVILLE presented a petition from Wig.
wan (Scotland), for relief under agricultural distresses—Read
and laid on the tahle.
The annual accounts relating to the Orphans' Fund were
presented at the bar by a person from the Chamber of London.
—Adjourned.
Tursnay. TER. It.
The LORD CHANCELLOR attended the House at half-
past three o'clock.
Lord STAN HOPE presented a petit;on from the owners and
occupiers of land in Kent, complaining of agricultural distress,
and praying relief.
The petition was read and laid on the table.
AGRICULTURE.

The Earl of LIVERPOOL rose on the order of the day, to
open the discussion noon the operation of agricultural distresses.
lie commenced by observing. that every respect was due to the
riumemias yetitioners tin the subject of these distresses, but at the
same time Parliament was to consider the subject without refer-
ence to the opinion of others. Tire motion he had to make was
fur infortuation.—Their Lordships were aware the subject had
been taken up in the other House of Parliament, and it was
thought mane benefit might accrue from taking a view of the
state of the ceuntiy, before they had to discuss the measures to
be hrougirt hi ties House. He should therefore trouble the
House v ith a few observatiori•• on the suite of the country, in
order that they might agree uron the points which were to be
the subject of censteleration. Thc imerhal state of the country
must have attracted the attention of every one, and it must strike
most mere that theincrease of popnlation was great in every part
of the country. From the year 1801 to :Sill there had been an
increase of poini:ation of from 10.942,646 to 12,596,81!1, making
an increase 1/1 the proportion of 14 per cent. Again, between
181 l and 1821, there was an increase from the above 12 millions
and a half, to h 4.379,677, being equal to i and Billiards per cent.
With respect to the agricultural districts, the increase had been
at great as among the manufacturing part of the community.—
'The next point to which attention was naturally dircted, was the
thaw oftl.e revenue in the course of last year the revenue of
• of the come -e had exceeded that of the preceding seat 10,0040eu1.
sterling. T iere never had been a revenue cohleeied with less
sneer. In the collection ef 7,009,0itu1. in the Excise there hal
li.,•en a i.erwieoce or no more titan itS,oool It was a revenue
celected wadi ease. Tire institution of saving banks had con-
thinned muds to the revenue. In the last year the sevineis of
these banks inc. eased front Milord. to 1,200,01.01. With TCS-
-11/4..1 to foreign commerce, a con hderable aslvientige hail arisen in
tire course of the last y.'ar. The pen.e-s which would be laid
before the !louse, wool i show an increase to the amount of two
or three millions. In the manuraertites of cotton. iron, and
other articles, there was a considerable degree of industry. The
noble I. ird then Ravened to agriculture, and observed, that the
first question wits, whether people bad not been led se ay by a
false opinion of the state of the country. He could hot believe
there was the I,iightest foundation for saying the distresses of this
country were to he ascribed to taxation. lie said this because on
looking nit other countries joe found the sante character of tlis.
trofis. Tiiey is d upon the table of the House, the evidence laid
last yen: before w committee of the House of Commons, and
pa.Ccularly the testimony of Mr. 'heels, who appeared before
the commuter. and being asked 'Amt was the state of the growers
of corn in the north of Etr.npe, he &Thom] that the Nate of agri-
culture. as N e :;aneral subject of complaint. He heerd com-
piaints in hi, leiude Germany, and Poland. lie linind the sane
complaints in France 'and the Netherlands. The famiere
bitterly tf low prices. The fill of prices was one thirds
This was the evidenee.of a gentleman of great ability who had
visited the etwitinent to ()Loin in'Ormation. They frail also the
opinimi of the Dishinfies of France. in their address of Novenaaa
list to the R ',Jig. and the answer of the Monarch. Ihe Chamber
alluded to existing distress in three•fourtlas of F.aoce, Arising
Ilona tuirictilture. The Xfag in his answer adoti.tel that &Area,
a .'td stated drat Ire had Liken nicaeJrcs to rcioaly the saute. but
aide*. that nssixigniatior could preaent the effect of supezabun-
dente.. . Hanes ea and other parte the statue tlifilexiliaes whit:tied.
le uoukl no.uoulit he sail this distress anise in E,i'L:d frets
taxt.tain; bap in eiwiixerhand, where there was no national deb',

....ana;ng •ituly. iiiFttem %vita a.l great as in au., .:ouotry ui
Euxup.e....,llte 1.,D*J1.2 Lora conte:".le:' itiqui l'!;c:
e cgwiettn.rrl A.barei; was I;_llPtite throtwliont Europe.—
Ilavir.g dircetal. their atiention to this part of the subj.:et, he
ratite ton cwsialeration of the ;.11.—The state:arta th.it taxation
6 eras the cause of th-e evil was ncw. It had never blorc beer
crrted as the (Anse./ distre• Re It
• fly the petit oar*, that egticulture and menu.... awes were le a
thriving cotalitiov euriug the late war. since the t..nnival
ut the war, one ti•aath of the taxation had be.tt taken IC to
property tax a .s talon They had a 14111:.:1
tondituted to f.:3 pct cent. of the t.bole aniout4 et' tat --
.Make allowance for wa aejieeciation of the euirency. Cie
allowance wudd he C.tind to b. t o .iralente 13 N.....,Ver lit
the re.hiction tf fixation wits ,nr.,:lered, it had operated a- a
r.:liet belotal at y evil of orMeti the c 'wary 'tight note t..ttui la a.
It they back. tbey might be able to sec real cot:lpar...
;tabu of e h:.2.docuum:Lis 1...4141mA