The National Register.
London, England, 1822-07-21 00:00:00

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T!JE NATIONAL REGISTER

considered a bighear, a sort of vegetable vampire, never could
prealuce any &net on his mind. Ills alajesty'e ministers would
persuade the country that th y had the power to cast a spell upon
the seasons. Ile did not suppose: the Citancellor of the Exchequer
or the First Lord of the Treasury were cuturors. but they had
spoken on the subject of this upera!) und an: e as if they had power
over " mountain and dell," the seasons nod the productions of
the earth. With all the pride of proguosticators they explained
the cuts ca of distress, and recommended the country to wait With
eatience for those happy and i.anial hours, Cum every thing Lle.
lig; itful was to atise out of scarcity. We haul prayeia for fine
weather, plenty, and drought, but none for famine, by which the
agricolturats,according to the new species of argument, were to be
hennaed. At so late a period of the session, it would be childish
to argue that distress was otcasioned by over production. From
the tune of the bank restr:ction to the end of the war, when they
prepared to return to cash payments, high prices of grab conti-
nued, and fell front the moarent they returned to Ilene and cash
payments. He was prepared to prove that depreciation in the
currency occasioned all the distress which was the subject of to
mall complaint. Both bread and meat were cheaper in 1745, a
time of war, than ten years after, during time of pc cc. The
American war, which was the most onerous of any to this
country. made no reduction in agricultural prices. Bread was
cheaper In 1;80 than in 1775, when the war broke out. From
1814 the price of wheat hart risen every year. Cath payments in
1814 occasioned a failure in many country banks, and from all
the circilinstatees attending the previous issue cf hank paper, it
was obvious that the agricultural interest was promoted whilst
there was a suspension of cash payments. In 1819 Mr. Peel% bill
operated in a manner ruinous to the landed interest. The Bank
had previousl; bought up all the gold in circulation, not only iu
England but in many parts of Europe, and that wily circumstance
led to the pre,ent (listless among the agriculturists of France,
and other parts of the Continent. The loss of gold was a serious
injury, and to obtain it again the land proprietors wete compelled
to part with their produce on the lowest terms. The noble Earl
contendedtrietuiiuctthpa.atsamclitann
iglco, in the currency soon after the bank res-
was the real coax of the resent dis-
tress. Another view was to be taken of the melancholy landscape
lie was obliged to draw, namely, the misfortunes of Ireland. Ile
did not allude to the miway o. famine, arising out of the failure
of the potatoe crops. Long previous to that calamity Ireland
was in many parts reduced to a state of distress bordering upon
total ruin. The resistance made by the unfortunate aieeple of
Ireland to tax-gatherers and tithe collectors induced his Ms jeety's
Government to apply to Parliament kw the Insurrection Act.—
Ile might ask what occasioned a state of insurrection ? The
envier would he, a knowledge on the part of the people in the
disturbed districts,
_that they could not by possibility pay aloe-
-1110116 taxes imposed upon them during the circulation of a paper
currency. The noble Lords who conducted the affairs of Go-
vernment were bound to IN hew the evils; at present the subject
of complaint had been occasioned by other causes than those he
had stated ; but it would be difficult to prove the whole did cot
piercer:Ll front a changed depreciated con ency. if they meant to
give relief to the country, they must retrace their steps. It was
mil ossible to go on without bringing the standard to the state it
was in whin the country was not suffering under distress, which
unhappily now was the fact. The whole produce of the land
was not worth the price of cultivation. Men, three years ago.
worth thousands yearly, had been reduced so low that they could
not pay the interest of their mortgages. The present system, if
continued, would go to the extent of confiscating the greaser part
of the landlord's capital. The measure bethre the House might
and some relief, but it would not do justice to the landholder.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL spoke in answer to all the argu•
menta of the noble Earl, and, after a lung discussion, the bill
was read a third time. Adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17.
IRISH INSURRECTION Brae:den, and others
Ceara the Commons, brought up the [nth Insurrection Bill,
which, on the motion of the Earl of laverpooi, was read die
firA time, and the second rending fixed Mr Friday.
The Ale lloases Licensing Bill was read a third time and
passed.
The Scotch Juries' Bill, after some amendments propoeed by
the End of Lauderdale had been negatived, passed !enough a
committee, and wit, reported.
Earl GROoVENOR rose Cur the purpose of moving an ad.
duo to his alajeety on the sun ject of the Greek hostage, cruelly
butchered by the 'I inks. The Lords were aware of a hat had
recently taken p!ace in the island of Scio, and the dreadful cruel-
ties. por (rated upon an mute:aiding people. All die brutal fury
of the "wits haul been let loose (men wretched victims, who had
been guilty of no crime. The Greek hostages taken by the Turks
were confined it a braces in Scio, while others were removed to
Constantinople. When it appeared that hoLtilitica was not likely
to be commenced by Russia, the fatal moment was chosen to
slaughter the unfortunate hostages. It was said that the British
minister, as well as the ministers of other countries at Corotar•
unople, had given a pledge that those cruelties should not occur.
That report had not been contradicted, and it was reasonable to
suppose there had been a complete forfeiture of that pledge. He
was not prepand to say the bloody and cruel act of the furkish
Government was a cause of war, but he contended that it ought
to induce every Government in Europe. to withdraw from such
detestable persons. Governments acme( upon the to; disaat
holy alliance, had interfered in the :Eon of lady, consenting to
a ark». renitaire upon the frontiers of Spain, and meddling in
the drums made Oy men to obtain free governments. It was
hard then if they could not interfere for the protection of the
Greeks, a much injured Christian people, bending under the
must intolerable yoke that ever diegieced btlfliTillg humanity.—
If it were true that the goverment of this country had shown
partiality to the Turks, it would be a lasting sigma on the
British nation. l'he noble Earl had heard that a Turkish frigate
had been supplied with warlike stores in this country. If that
moon wits grounded in truth, nothing could be more perlideoua
These was no man of humanity who did not feel anxious for the
cause of the Greeks. The struggle in which they were engaged
must end in success and extermination. Every friend to civiN •
zation and public morals trust wish to see a free government
in that delightful country. which once was the States of
Greece. The ncb'e Earl concluded by moving, that •• An
humble address be presented to his Majesty, praying lie would
be graciously pleased to order that there be laid before the house
copies of despatches rece.ietl from the British minister at Con-
eta.itinople gelatine to the execution of the Greek hostages."
The Eat7l of LIVERPOOL said, it was impossible, in the
discharge of his they, not to oppose die motion. in the case
before the house. an act of cruelty and injustice had been com-
mitted by the Government of Turkey on their own subjects. An
aer of cruelty could net be prevented by the interference of
a British minister, undonbtedly representation would be tins&
at all times with that view. Lord leerangtend would have been
the last man to omit such interference ; he intet feted, but not on
the ground of right—humanity alone was his guide. IL was too
true that scenes had taken place horrible to humanity, but the
noble Lord might rest assured the cruelty was not an on one Side.
Vali respect to the island of Seto, the first horrors were commit-
ted by the Greeks. Ile did not say that, however, to palliate the
conduct of the Turks. The noble Lord had mentioned that a
Turkish frigate teal been supplied with ammunition in tills
cout.try ; nothing taunt be inure unfounded than that report.—
There was, however,' a vessel in our ports with had been a
Turkish frigate. She wee sent by tbePacha of Egypt anterior ta
the insurrection in the Mono. She was partly laden with met'.
cnandize and curiosities for the British museum. The vessel
was allowed to be repaired in our ports, but anus and ammuni-
tion were positively refuted. With respect to the Tusks and the
Greeks, this country had stood perfectly neuter.
Lord HOLLAND said, if the British minister had given a
plcfge that the Waage. ihutdd be protectet4 Parliament had a