The National Register.
London, England, 1815-02-19 00:00:00

SPANISII Amrnic.i.

Sir 3. NrwPora wished to know whether the Sir J. Downie, who
received pay in July last as being connected with the Commissariat,
was the individual who was going out to Spanish America to crush
the efforts of the people in that pint of the •worl,l to secure hotepends
ence, was the same individual who fonglit tinder General Miranda
in support of that cause which he was now going to oppose ; and it
so, whether he was still in the receipt ill British pay ?
The Cir ANcrt.i.ou of the Excitv‘ir un did no*, as we understood,
say that Sir J. Downie was the individual who fought with General
:Miranda on the Spanish Main; and replied, thatit waujd appeiir,
from returns made to the House, whether Air J. Downie was still
in the receipt of pay from the Commissariat : he was brother to the
(Hiker who tell in the recent, action oa Lake Champlain.

BANK RESTRICTIONS.
Ur. VANSITTAAT brought up A Bill for cotititilling the Mittk Re-
•trictiun,' Act for a time to be limited.: Read a fiat time, atid
to be read a second time.

CORN L.4IFS.

Mr. Itontxsos moved, that the House resolve itself into a Comte
miner on the subject of the Corn taws, and that the Reports uf the
last Ses.con and toe Session before be referred to the scone.
Mr. W, !i3t 'TN, previous to the SOaker leaving the Chair, expressed
his opinion that must certainly the House ought tu_learn what were the
financial plans of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and that, to pro-
, coed now to say what regulations of the Corn Laws ought to be intro-
duced, would be premature ; fur if the Property Tax tniti•usiser Taxes
or) agrictiliure were to be take,. off, such alteratiotv worth) wake a wee),
cOntiderable difference in their opinions of what ought to tta the licuit.
elnlVernge. It was true that they had the assurance of le.' inters that
the Property Tax, which was such • stigro aou our systm ff, once—e
an engine of oppression and a bodge of 11;.”rry, was uc la t toes
itt the creut ulvtber plaus king agreed t_ but beior .• I.oeze

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with'such a question as the\ .ing
know whit financial measures would be acquiesced in, as the two
subjects were so intimately connected.

Mr. VA WSITTA RT said, that it certainly never was intended to press
the [louse to decide immediately on the Resolutions that were about to
be proposed ; they would be proposed, and reported pro forma, if agreed
tu, and then printed ; and the report some days hence would be taken
into further consideration, when, his financial measares having been
laid before the !louse, they would be in full possession of the whole
question.

The House having resolved itself into a Committee,
Mr. Rontsrsost repeated what the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
said, respecting the course to be pursued in discussing his Resolutions,
observing, that nothing was farther from his intention than to press his
propcsitions without the House having full and fair opportunity to re-
flect on them, and to discuss them, and that he should have stated as
much on a former evening when the subject was mentioned, had he
been present. Mich time had elapsed since the propriety of altering
the Corn Laws and introducing regulations for the protection of the
trade was agitated, and the advantage resulting from the delay which
had taken place, was, that the House and the country had enjoyed the
opportunity to enter into a full and satisfactory examinat►on of the sub-
ject. People of all classes and opinions had become better informed,
and many of the prejudices that had existed were removed. The ques-
tion was a most important one, and he had never disguised from himself
that the choice of ditculties only was left to them. There would be a
certainty of evils either from adopting or rejecting his propositions;
but as time had removed many of those erroneous notions that had im-
pressed the minds of many, there was some hope that the more prudent
and safe policy might be adopted. It had been said, and in that Howe
too, that the only object of those who deemed a protecting average ne-
cessary was to keep up the price of corn, rents, and the like; hut no
earthly power would have induced him to bring forward any measures
founded ►n such mean and paltry views. The object of his Resolutions
was—to do good• to all. (Hear !)
The first question that presented itself was, whether for the protection
of the emit grower they ought to act on a principle of restriction. Tu
act on a principle of restriction jn the regulation of our commercial and
domestic economy, was by no means new ; it had been repeatedly
done, and was intimately ioterwoven in our system. They were to
determine in this case between a free and restricted importation of
corn. During the wa, in consequence of the difficulties of importation,
the corn grower had, with immense expense and labour, made an in-
creased quantity of land capable of producing wheat to enable him► to
meet the increaser{ demands of the country. To allow the foreign
grower, without any restrictions imposed on him, to conic to the Bri-
tish market, would effect the English grower, snit have the effect of
making him abandon the cultivation of his land for wheat ; so that
there would be a considerable falling off in the quantities produced iu
England, and in the event of a scaacity at home, and difficulties or
barren crops abroad, we should be exposed to double wants. Ireland
being essentially agricultural, andlorrning a part of ihe kingdom, her
interests ought not to be forgotten, and what would become or her if
she were driven into an unequal competition ?—(hear) Without arguil,g
farther the general principle of the policy of restrictive measures, lie
would shortly detail his plan as embodied" in the Resolutions,' deeming
it impossible fur this country to rely with safety on foreign importa-
tion. He proposed to fix the average price at 80s. per quarter; that
when wheat was at 30s. in our market, foreign corn was to be imported
tor home consumptiAt; that foreign corn was to be subject to any duty
either on importation or exportation. The question then would be
whether any restrictive measures ought to be adopted ; and if ea, whe-
ther the pretesting price ought to be 80s. As he now only proposed
his Resolutions that they might be printed, not intending to press the
House on the present occasion to a definitive vote, i.e hoped the House
would excuse him for not going into a macs of detail on the present oc-
casion ; bur, on his conscience, lie believed that the measure which he II
should propose would be one of general good. (Hear ! hear !)

The first Resolution, that the Committee were of opinion wheat, &c.
ought to be imported, &c. free of all duty whatever,
Mr. PHILLIPS opposed the plan, and Mr. Writ-rear/ supported it
at smut length ; Sir F. FLOOD supported, Mr. BA utivo opposed, and
Mr. BLAND agreed to the policy of the Resolution.

After some further desultory debate, the Resolutions were read pro
forma, and ordered to be re-committed on Monday, and to be taken
into further aousideration on Wednesday nest.—Adjourned at one
•'cluck.

In the early part of the forenoon of Wednesday, the Committee
of Mr. J. Burdett's friends again attempted to estai,lish the right
of farmed voted, which was re•ieted, as it had previously been, by
the High Bailiff, who declared they were illegal, and refused to re-
ceive them.

FEB. 19.

A conversation then took place between Mr. Wood (the brother
of Mr. Alderman Wood) and the High Bailiff, relative to the
presence of a military force in the Borough, di►ring the Election.
The. High Bailiff stated, that lie had, in pursuance of orders from
the Secretary of State, given directions for the removal of the mili-
tary from the Borough, bill that, subsequently, part of the 13tIt
Regiment, returned from Spain, having received its route, whilst
quaitered on the coast, for Clapham, Camberwell, Lambeth, and
the adjacent villages, bad accidentally arrived in the Borongli, whilst
the Election was in progress, unknown to the Government, and con-
trary to its intentions and directions. Immediately he beard at the
circumstance, lie reported it to the Secretary of State, and, he be-
lieved, these troops were then removed.
Mr. Wood expressed himself satisfied with the explanation, and
said, if the circumstance of the presence of the military wa‘ indeed
purely accidental, the protest of the friends of Mr. J. Burdett on
that score would of course be withdrawn.

Some further explanation on this point took place, which was, we
thought. considered satisfactory to the friends of Mr. Burdett.
Mr. Kemn►ish stated that the friends of Mr. Bo►den, f►udim„ that
their utmost endeavours to promote his interests were not likely to
be ultimately successful, had resolved to withdraw their poll clerks
from the hustings the next morning, not wishing to disturb the peace
of the Borough unnecessarily ; but the electors forming the Corn!
mittee did not hold themselves responsible ter the condoct of any
other electors, who, by polling one vote an limn-, might keep the
pull open for fora teen days.
Mr. BoHand (who was the legal adviser of the High Bailiff in his
official capacity, said, that a discretionary power was vested in the
returning Officer, by which he could close the poll at any period
he thonght tit, for the exercise of which atithori!y he was account-
able to Parliament. In counties and extensive districts, it was
sometimes necessary to kept the poll open till the latest period
allowed by the Constitution, to give the electors fair opportunities
to come forward, manv of whom might not know of the election
until it bad considerably advanced, and they might then have to
travel a considerable distance to give their votes. The case was
different in the Borough. the electors lived in'a small compass, and
could express their opinions without any procrastination; and iu
the event of there appearing a disposition to create any unnecessary
delay, it was in the power of the High Bailie to return that Caud►-
date who had a majority of votes.
The High Bailiff perfectly coincided in opinion with Mr. Bol-
land, and felt it his duty to close the poll. He then came to the
front of the hustings, and declared the numbers to be,
For Mr. Barclay 1633
Mr. J. Burdett 4Ol

Majority• •• • 123'2

Mr. Walker then► stated that _the friends of Mr. Burdett did not
think further cxertions were likely to prove availing whilst a mill•
tary force was in the neighbourhood, in direct opposition to the
principles of the Constitution; they had therefore determined to
bring the contest to a conclution. _ _

Mr. Rarelay and Mr. Kenunish severally addressed the meeting,
but from the uproar which prevailed they were rendered inaudible ;
when the business of the day concluded.
Friday, at twelve o'clock, the friends of Mr. J. Burdett retired
from the Minding% leiving Mr. Barclay and their opponents await-
ing the arrival of the High Bailiff; to declare him the sticcrs4lll eau-
didate. Mr. Barclay will be chaired in the course of the ensuing
week.

- NATIONAL REGISTER.
--
at respecting the Corn Laws, they ougl.t to II SOUTIIWARIC ELECT/ON.