The National Register.
London, England, 1816-05-05 00:00:00

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Mr. W EST EkN thought that the Committee hail not Mien the
luiliject that extended investigation w hick it deserved. • Utley ,
li .il not examined one wool-grower—hut they had received
the I videnci- of wool-staplers, and others, who were interested
lii permitting the laws to remain us they were at present.
Mr. linotentsi asked, what did the Report disclose? A
fart which no person had ever denied ; namely, that the agri-
cultural distress was not occasioned by the low privy, 01' %%001,
But, who had ever said it was so occasioned? %Vim hail es er
dreamt of such an assertion ? On the contrary, those who con-
sidered the agricultural qiiestion had uniformly ittreed in stat-
ing, that were it not for the high prier which wool brought
during the last ten years, the agricultural dist reo-es would has e
been ten times greater than they were. But then there was
another consideretion—Wasthis high price likely to continue?
Orders for clothing 100 or 150.000 men were now executing in
the Yorkshire market, and certainly influenced the. pike
When those orders were finished, could any person suppose
that the high price, by which whole districts had been literally
kept alive, wider the pressure of geneial agricultural distress,
would continue so favourable to those counties as they hail pre-
viously been ? Or were they not rather to believe, that, by and
by, the price of that article would fall, in proportion as every
other species of produce was reduced in %alms? Important
as this branch of the subject was, they had not investigated it
at all. They had not, in the course of their impartial consider-
ation of this subject, examined a single wool-grower—the whole
evidence was that of wool-staplers and woollen manufacturers.—
This was acting in a manner wholly ex-part,!. His reason fur
stating his sentiments at the present moment was, because,
from the manner in which the Report was drawn up, he felt a
strong disposition to prevent its being laid on the table: in
(seder, if the forms of the House would permit, to have it re-
fereed back to the Committee,to euablc them to discharge inure
filly the duty that had been confided to them.
Mr. CALCRAFT considered the present discussion irregular,
because the merits of the Report sere not vet before the
House. His Learned Friend (Mr. Broagliam) had held ex-
traordinary language, as to the conduct of the Committee, and
had laid down extraordinary rules for the guidance of Com-
mittees in general.—He said, a Committee ought to examine, I
no matter whether such an examination appeared to be neces-
sary
or not, every part of every subject referred to them. He,
on the contrary, would maintain, that there was a discretion
given to every Committee, to investigate a subject as tar as, in
their own judgments, they might deem necessarry, and they
were not bound to proceed an inch further. lie was con-
vinced, when the. House saw the Report, and the evidence on
which it was founded, which his Learned Friend treated as if
it were. no evidence, they would be of opinion, that the Com-
mittee had encouraged It just and fair investigation of the sub-
ject, and had gone as far as the necessity of the case scemud.to
require. Before he, went into that Committee, he felt strongly
against the agitation of the question at all ; and what was dis-
closed, in the course of the inquiry, rendered his opinion, that
this was the worst moment that could possibly be selected for
disturbing the system by which tne woollen trade was regu- ,
hated, still more decided.
Lord Mitroo concurred in a great part of what had fallen
from the Hon. Gentleman who had las: spoken.
Mr. BROoKE coincided in the opinion of the Committee.
No necessity existed fur altering the laws relating to the wool-
len trade.
Mr. THOMPSON applauded the conduct of the Committee in
making a speedy report, which would tend to allay the agita-.
lion created throughout the country, by the consideration of
the question.
Tbefeltassciatiot of the EXcHSQUER considered the present
discussion as extremely . premature. It was an extraordinary
course of proceeding to debate on the contents of a Report, of
-which, not having been . received, the House could _know
nothing.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM (Wended the course adopted. by the
Committee. On the first day of their meeting, it was dis-
tinctly stated, that the wool-growers should come forward
to shew she necessity of an alteration in the law, but: ot oue
of them appeared. It was then suggested -by Gentlemen who
sow found -fault with the proceedings cf the Committee, that
the wool-staplers would be the best evidence. They were
accordingly called in and examined ; and nothing was yet
offered, in contravention of their evidence. It was, therefore,
an attempt te impose on the House, to ambit, that no evidence
was before the Committee.
Sir J. riVWPoRT said, that no evidence, on the part of the
-agriculturalists, NA ?Le examined.
Lori SIYNI.EY said, the Committeewas in existence before
Easter; and, conseqnently, it was in the power of the agricul-
turaliste to adduce any evidence they might think propel-. It
was not a question with respect merely to agriculture, but one
of general policy—and the Committee felt it to be their duty
to enquireliew far, by an alteration in the woollen laws, the
country cenid be benefited. They found, so far from the
growers of wool suffering any distress under the presentsystem,
that they-.ere all perfectly satisfied with their price., which
-were higher uow than they had been for many years. No case
laving bean made out, to shew that the agrienlturalistv had a
right to complain of Me present prices of wool, the Committee
thought it was most prudent not to meddle with the existing
Laws, and to close their proceedings as soon as possible : lest by
an injudicious interfezenen they might seriously injure the
-woollen trade.
Mr. Finuastv was of opinion that the Committee acted
Aproperly iu closing their proceedings as men as possible.
The Report was then brought up, and the Resolution was
;seed as follows:—
"Resolved—That-it is the npinias of this Committee, found-
td on the examination of evidence relative to the prices-of
British wool, that no part of the agricultural distresses arise
from the inadequacy of those prices—and therefore it is not
expedient to make any alteratiou in the laws relating to the
woollen trade."
On the question "that this Report be laidwn the table,"
Mr. TR ORN7/01,4 said, when lie was appointed on the Coot-
s, he was anxious to place a small additional duty on the
rtation of foreign wool ; but the evidence which had been
ax, 'tied entirely altered his view on the subject.
ax.
h ...y. Lewis said, he had, in the Committee, preposeelea
duty ot 3d. per lb. on.foreign wool imported. This being dis-
tinctly negatived, he eonceis ed it was lately useless fur him to
nose any proposition of a stuffier nieure.
Mr. KIRK GH all said,the Report appeared to him to he of '
NO
little value, that he- doubted whether it was worth the
usual expense of printing.—lt consisted of a truism, and a sea
squinty. First, it set forth, that the agricultui al diattes..e,,
were not occasioned by the prices of 'wool—no person hutting
seer said Cny were—it being aereen en ell hands, that they ,
afforded retit„ft tiosttad of doing iroary; and then an inferencit_
was draw% Allah was any thing.ranseuthano 'reinitiate de.'
auction—namelpi,that, beta'. ,e,..at Iheii.-es,,,,nt tirtrit, elk' penile
of went "reps—Whew, there was, then-tumor° aexessitystor
Mokitignwielseretiou in the moollati laws. 'l'le legi.4.te wader 1
he prelS of-ditficulties WM ntranteill<Wltielt wet the uuky..