The National Register.
London, England, 1811-03-24 00:00:00

Tilt NATIONAL R.

On the question being put for the Speaker's. leaving the
C.lair, •
Lord FOLKSTONE rose, and stated several objections to the
measure now proposed. The Committee on Commercial Cre-
dit was very different at present from those proposed in 1793.
Then only four out of fifteen were commercial men ; but now,
independent of the greater number of commercial m u on the
Connalittee, almost all the others were more or 1: u connected
with or dependent on the Minister.
'Sir Jolty NEWPORT said, that the market of South .Amerlea,
,instead of increasing must diminish, from the convulsions ane
agitations now prevailing in that country. The present Bill, in-
stead of diminishing the evil, would ultimately augment it ; for
it would Five rise to still greater speculations than the pact.—
What was the House about to do It was about to Involve the
country in deeper distress, and to visit the faults of those who
save indulged in extravagant speculation on these who have not.
It was better at once that the manufacturer should return to '
tilling the ground, than continue in so hopeless a pursuit.
The House then divided,—For going into the Committee
103; against it 16; Majority 87.
Mr. Wst. Snsi rH a4tal what would be the amour 4 interest
gni Exchequer Bills ?
Mr. l'eack:vA t. replied, the usual interest of three-pence- •
halfp..iinv per day.
The lio..zse then resumed—the Report was brought up
and received, And o'dered to be taken into consideration.
The other Orders were then disposed of.—Adjourned.

• TUESDAY, MARcti 19.
sirJonN &sic LAIR moved fora Return of Bills of Exchange,
from 1/310 t,) 1811 ; for CopfeS of Papers respecting Gokl Coin
and 13111,i0n, for three years past; and for a Copy of an Order
lis,tird by the Bank of England, dated the 18th Ins Pant, fixing the
current value of stamped dollars, 1n future, at five shillings and
sixpence ; and also, Coides of the Communications which hairpassed between th:Bantt of England atnl the Privy (..:ouncil on
this subject.—These motionrwere agreed to.

18;

in the mean ture, rapidly increased, This Keit: -et did
not, however, at all sin-prise him ;it wus that state of • &Lige
which he had uniformly anticipated, and openly predicted, not.
withstanding the statements of the Right Lion. Oen:lt:mak op-
posite.(Mr. Foster,) and the inferences be, at that time, wished
to impress upon the Howe. That Right Hon. Gent. had then
calculated upon resources which, as he (Sir J. Newport)
would fail, and which had so failed him s--the Wine Duties; the
Currant and Raisins' Duties, the Windows' Duties; the •fax on
Lemons, and those on Receipts, most of these, all of thesi‘, had
fallen off. The result of the whole was vhis,—that, whereas +be
estimated produce had been stated at 3313,0001. the actuallpro-
dtice was not more than 20 0001. Taking the average produce
during three years still there was a defect of 1,700,0001. These
evils were chiefly to be attributed to an over-taxation, and to
official expences: one had decreased the consumption ofartichi,
and the other had almost swallowed tap the remnant of I, ish
revenue. What could, howevesi account for the decline of the
Inland Duties on leather, which amounted co 524 MO. in 17991
though the amount of the like duties was but 4e,0001 in Islol
The Hon. Bart, concluded with moving certain Rrstlilltiolli to
the effect of his observations ; in sellich he stated that the
Funded Dt bt of Ireland, which ad trebled within three years,
was, this time, 89,7`t9
Mr. FOST,x It (rising. In replyto Sir J. Newport) remarke.civ hat
*there were no papers bef.,r,: the Douse which tended to throw
light upon the resolutiong moved by the lion. P,aronet. When,
indeed, he (Sir .1 Newp.srt) was staring the produce of thy re-
venue of Ireland, he had forgot to mention that of the Lottery—
and the Re-payments to Government. He had also, if he tuii-
took him not, omitted other resources. Still the situ :Mon of
Ireland was, he would admit, full of importance, and re (;nirieg
alt examination which they could allot to it, as well as alt the
assistance that could be extended to it.
Mr.llANltts thought, that few matters of greater hnporttnce
than the present could be submitted to the cognizance of the
House, and therefore the postponement of it w a latter pitied
in the Session was inexpedient. If it were to be at all
postponed, as early a day as pusiible should be fixed far the
discussion.

Sir JOHN Ntsvro at. would not consent to withdraw his n•c-
tion but on the principles that he would follow up such conces-
sion with a motion that a Select Commitue should be appointed
to enquire into the public exvenditure of Ireland.
A motion to that effect being handed to the Speaker, aid he
proposed the previous question,
The SPEAK/It observed, that no debate could lake place
'after the question was proposed from the Chair.—Motion with-
drawn.
Auer some further observations, the question was loudly cal-
led for, and. the House divided.

The numbers were, in favour of the motion 44; against it 71 ;
Majority against it 27.
REPEAL OF THE LAW RESPECTING PRINTERS.
On the re-admission of strangers to the Gallery,
Mr. 11. MARTIN rose, in pursuance of his notice, to incite for
leave to bring in a Bill to alter and repeal certain parts of the
Act passed in the ::9th year of his present IVlajesty, imposing
heavy penalties on Printers, for offences therein sp .cified, which
was attended with particular hardstrips.-rThe Act was passed
at a time whoa the public mind was excited, 'and when the; fu
ture consequences which might ensue from such a measure were
not taken Into consideration. In bringing forward leis motion,
it was requisite that he should deccrine tnc nature of the griev.
:Ince of which he comp' tined. To do this was lint difficult, as
he was possessed of information respecting various inetancps in
which persons became amenable to the law, op occasiofts to
which lie was convinced it was never the intentip4 of the Legis.
'attire the Act should apply. in one case, inforipations ‘were
laid before a Magistrate to recover penalties f 4 no less a sum
than I t,sO,(IX)I. In order to shrw the li-,use the Mintier in 'Which
persons were entrapped into an offence against the Act, be would
state the f.cts attending this case. It might he in ,he recothilion
of every Gentleman in the House, that 'sortie time bark a ptrson •
went a7)out to different Printers and Booksellers. staging, tlia4
wanted sonic title pages printed to the Efeivir Edition of Cicero,
to which, of course, the name of the Printer could not ne at•
t ached, as it would at once be conceivt d, were such a step taken,
that the work was spurious, and the desired 4itd,Oamely, tt.) pre-
serve the character of the work, would not he answered. Many
persons foil into the snare, whit.. others more cautious, 'fortu-
nately avoided it. Informations were, however, laid before
Magistrate for the fall amount of the penalties against those who
had unwittingly offended, when the informer conlessedthlit he
hid formed the scheme for no other purpose than to gain the.
p ll:titles. What ws the consequence the Magistrates having
no power of mitigating, or re mining altogether the tines; «as
obliged,fra his, pert-et conviction of the innocence of tile men
Who were charged with the off.etace, to discharge the complailit.