The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-04-26 00:00:00

MERCHANTS' PETITION.

TO TRW RONOVRAIILS TRIR 1101.11 IE Or comtlinN• or 711..
URITtO KILAGOOR or GREAT lIIIIITAIE •SD IRtI.A'%D

The Humble Petition of the usidersigiuml Slerebauts of t 4
City of Loudon,

.N[R[TN,

'neat foreign commerce is eminently c.milarive to the
wealth and prosperity of a coaddry, by ctoddlog t to
the momissodsties for the produchoo of which the tail, eh. •
awateompital, and Indust' y of other c••reutnrs are twat I it u-
Wed, ■ud in export in payment limos articles for %Lids as
own sitertioh is better adapted.
• That freedom from restraint is calcubiltd to give tt•r
most extension to foreign trade, and the best d'iyrtmo ta
the capital and iiiduairy of the country.
That the maxim of basing hi the cheapest market, cod
selling iu the dearest, which regu lat. a every ur•rri.ani too
his individual dealings, is strictly applicable•, ea the best
rule for the trade of the whole Nation.

That a policy, founded ori these principles, would refl.. r
the commerce of the world an interchange of mutual at.
taite., Milli diffuse an increase of wealth and enjoy
among the inbabitatits of each State.

. -
That onfortimately a policy the very reverse of this has
been, and is, more or less, adopted mod acted upon by toe
Government of this and of terry other euuulry, rack tryie.g
to exclude the production's of either count. les, with the
specious and well-meant design of encouraging it* owu pot/.
ductiuus ; thus Inflicting nu the hulk of its subjects, *Ms
are consumers, the necessity of submitting lo p.ivatioses to
the quantity ur quality of commodities ; and olio. rteot,,,loe
what ought to be the source of mutual bent tit total of
harmony among Stales, • constantly recurriug occiasiou of
jealousy and hostility.
That the prevailing prejudices in favour of the proirrt,ee
ur ictive system, may be 'reseed to use erroneous suppo-
sition that
•111109 • diminution or ilistosisnernrest of our ow., 1110
lions to the same exteut ; whereas it may be' ele,.rly Aiwa,
that although the particular description of prodeet.o.n
which could out stand •goionst uuresir.simal foreign comp--
mum would be discuursged, yet as so importation could ha
eisollnlled fur silly length of 1110 e, without a co:1,41101111:4,
exportation, direct ur isidireet, there would be a.. eucoureo,...
men', for the purpose of that exportation, of some tab r
production to which our situation might be boater con. d :
thus affording at least an equal, and probably a ;realer, u 1,61
certainly a wore bustle-sal esuployincut to our vivo espy.'
and labour.

That of the numerous protective and prohibitory their.'
of our commercial code, it may be proved, that while •II
operate as a very heavy tax sits the community at large, s. ry
few are of any ultimate bens fit 111 the classes its who* to.
Your they were originally iumituted, and moue to UK 1. strut
of the loss occasioned by them to other classes.
That among the other evils of the restrictive or protec-
tive system, not the Intel is, that the artificial protection of
one bench ul industry, or source of production against
foreign competition, is set up as a ground of clams by
other branches for similar protection; so that if the rea-
soning upon which these restrictive or prohibitory regula-
tions are founded, were followed out consistently, it would
not stop short of excluding us from all foreign rummerc.e,
whatsoever. And the same train of argument, which, with
corresponding prohibitions and protective duties, should
exclude us from foreiga trade, might be brought forward to
justify the re.enactmeut of restrictions upon the interchange
of productions (unconnected with public revenue) among
tbt kitigilunis composing tbre Union, or &mull the counties
of the same kingdoms.

That en investigation of the effects of the restrictive sr.
tem, at Ibis time, is peculiarly called fur, as it may, in the
opinion of your petitioners, lead t.. a strong presumption,
that the distress which now so generally prevail', is run-
siderably aggravated by that system ; and that sonic vet,. f
may be obtained by t►e earliest practicable remursl of stir
of the restraints as may be sbrsu to be must I...igniting to
the capital and industry of the commouity, mot mu ue attired.
ed with no compensating beueSt to the public Seymour.
That a declaration against the asiti-coinmerclitl principlis
of our restrictive system is of the more impurtaisce at the
present juncture, inasmuch as in several instances of reretlt
occtirreuce, the merchauts and manufacturers in Cirrien
States have assailed their respective Goveriewitsits nit!. app.
cations for further protective or prohibitory duties ai.d n.
'viaticum, urging the example and and, yof tin. rotatory,
against which they are almost exclusively diierte•t, s,
sanction fur the policy of such measures. And cm
the reasoning upon which our repirici tens have been it. tend_
ed is wort► toy thing, it will apply ma behalf cat the segitt.a.
toms of Amelia States ag..iust us. 'Flory ise.ist
impel iurity in capital and MIR Ismery, an se .1. imissu their
comparative eacmpti•m from tart won, said smith myn.it Points•
dation.

That nothing would sure tend to counteract the eons-
mereial hostility of foreign Sinter, than the &dupl of a
ruore enlightened and more cuuctiono.y policy u the part
of this CollUil y.
. .

That although, as a matter of mere it roa♦
sometimes answer to hold out the tcmo►al ur i -
hibitions, or high duties, as depending upon co. Del.lo
cuucrssivas by other States nu our favour, t 1.1... out
that we should maintain our rvstncttuu., triter.. Ow
desired coucessions on their part cannot be 4.614k5be4. Our
restrictions would nut he the less pr.-judiri.s: ty our 'tau
capital and industry, '...ecante oth,rGurrrum.uts pr d
is preserving impolitic regulistions
That, upon Ilse whole, the must liberal wools' prose is be
the mostyulitic course un such occasions. _

independent of the direct bertha to he ileri•i J by
this country on every occasion of such sou ..r r.147‘14-
hos, a great iacidental object would be gained. by the re.
cognitior of a sound prise,* or steadied, to r bieta slrwlti
segues. armagements might be referred; earl by the salutary
indent* which a promalgatiou of such joist views by the
Legislature sod by the ratios at large could nut fail to have
on the policy of other States.
That in *has declaring, as your Petitioners do, their con.
victims of the impolicy and injustice of the restrietire'syv.
tent, and in desiring every practicable relenting, of it, they
have in view only such parts of it as are ROI seonecterl, or
are only sabordindely su, with the public revt rue. As Log
us the necessity for the present ain•itiit of revenue subtisis,
your Petitioners cannot expect so 'sopa:lmila branch of it as
the Customs to he given up, our to be materially diminished,
Euless some substitute, lees obketionabk, he suggested.
Bet it is against every restrictive resistant's' of trade, 04,4
essential to the revenue, against all duties merely protective
from furesga competitions, and against the excess of such
duties es are partly fur the purism( of reverse, and partly
foe that of prulettiou, that the prayer of the pretreat WU
IWO is respectfully submitted to the wisdom sal Parhaireat
Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray, that yutis
imarable House will be pkased to take the sabieet
lots consideration, and to adopt such measures as
may be calculated to give greater freeshur to fuf•ii`q
commerce, ash thereby to iscluse t e rnouieerer
the Stade.

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IMPERIAL PARLIAzEivr.

HOUSE OF LORDS, TVLIDAY, APRIL 25.

The House mrt st three o'clock. sod iminetlivtely
proceeded to the swearing in ut Members. It int:
j•Jurned at four.
A enomdrruble number of Peers took the oaths.
sm•wig whom were the following :
Their Royal Hisdurersea the Duke,. of York mod Dlstature-
ter the Duke of tinvellton ; the Illartinuics %V.-11e•hry,
and Stafford the Elea of •••••• n,
1.-v.v.-nor, Pembroke. C... •!‘ f 411. al 4 utt,. o•hitn ;
I yeti* I 1.• trod,
. .

lirsyhrooks, D5......5. S.onens, awl
Archbishop of Yoshi; the eashops ut Litiritaus sod Peter-
piiruogh.

HOUSE OF COM3IONS. TUZPDAY, Aram IS.

The SPBAK ER entered the House at two o'clock.
*,,tl when forty Member* were present. took the
Chair.

The Clerk then called over the countire in alpha-
Letical order. and the Members or Nlrtnber premort
of each, e• r Idled on, advanced to the table and
took the maths in babe%

The following were among the Niemfivrs sworn
Mr. R. Cooper, Mr. M. Dawson, Mr. C Harvey, Mr T.
Williams, Mr. S. Wortley, Lord George B,resfurd. Sir
lieresford, Mr. H. Pears., Mr. Calcrafi, Mr 11. GooOruro,
Mr. l'ym, Mr. Brrigden, Mr. Bent, Mr. Syne, Mr. S. C. Whit-
bread, Mr. Ramsbollum, Lord Francis Osborne, Look Stan-
ley, Mr. T. P. Courttney, Hon. W. Lamb. Right Hon. G.
Canning, Lord Binning, Mr. Lashlngion, Mr. Ruben Smith,
Lard Rorkosvage, bird GranvllleSuwarsTr, Sir W. Scot t, Sir
F. Robinson. Sir T. Ashton Sonar, Mr. Seymour, Mr.
l!rusigham. Mr. Phillips, Mr. Jolliffe, Right Hun. C. Long.
Hon. H. Howatil, Right Hon. W. W. Pule, Mr. Itorisforr,
:Ne Marquis of Tavistork, Lord G. Russell, Sir T. Baring,
Air D. (Aber., hurl Stopford, Mr. Rubarts.
There were several Menthe's present besides
those sworn; amongst *limn We were gratified to
site Mr. Tierney, looking, extremely well.
The /louse adjourned shortly after lour o'clock
t. h le-morrow.

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