The National Register.
London, England, 1817-03-17 00:00:00

THURSDAY, St SIKH 13.

On the second reading ut the Arundel and Portsmouth
Canal Bill, it was opposed by Lord G. Cavendish and Mr.
flask isson, anti supported by Sir C. Burrell, Sir J. Yorke, Mr.
Ruse and others, and ultimately read a second time without
a division.
Mr. CALVERT presented a petition from Lambeth with
about Ino9 signatures, praying reform and retrenchment.
Mr. Itnuseettasa rose, pursuant to notice, and brought for-
ward his promised motion, for enquiry iuto the unstressed
stare of our trade and manufactures. He drew a most
atlikting picture of the state of the country, and detailed
the progress of the present universal distress, which he main.
lv attributed to the injudicious principles that have too long
indipenced our commercial system' and to the immense taxa.
tihn 'by Which the country is burdened. The vessels em-
pbuyed tsreummerce during the year just concluded, were,
hp said, uut so many by near 5000 as the year before. In
our staple manofacture, only one-third of the cloth dressers
were wholly eroployed. Of 81,900 persons brought up to the
Iran trade, 27,500 were now parish paupers. The cotton
weevers in Lancashire numbered half a million ; in 1800 they
corised I.;s. a week; its 0305, 10s. lid.; in 1506, 6s. 74.1.; in
Ist:, ti:. -1:!.; and at this period only Js. fp. per week !
?nese poor people had, by degrees, disposed of all their
little property of furniture and clothes, and were now abso-
lutely reduced to subsist upon nothing more than half a
pound of. oatmeal per day, with a little salt and water.
There were also great numbers of watch makers, and 18,099
tailors new out of employ. The lion. Gentleman concluded
with moving Muir resolutions, which in substance declared
that the state or trade demanded the serious attention of the
House, and that the pressure of taxation and defective
14rolgn policy of Ministers, were the causes of our present
difficulties.
The Hint. F. ROUINSON replied to Mr. Brougham; and
althougb be agreed with utany of his leading facts, yet he
contended that the Learned Gentle:utiles motion was more
intended to condemn :Ministers than to produce 'benefit to
the country. He moved the ether orders of the day.
Mr. 11.SKIAG wished a great deal of our nrachinery hat)
weer existed, but it was now impossible to prevent it. The
cause (door distress was, that by a the paper currency all
property hail been depreciated, which had affected all classes
in the couutre, and this was naturally succeeded by a stag-
nation of trade.
Mr. iteiL said no evidence had been produced to show
that Mr. •trougliam's statements were trim; he had said a
peat deal upon forcing a trade with Spanish America and in
favour of st commercial treaty with France, but neither were
at this moment practicable. Mr. Rose was convinced that
in a short time prosperity would be restored to all classes.
Mr. C. GRANT said, the groped resolutions were intended
to produce through the country regret fur the past, and hope-
lessness for the future. The destruction of the house market
by the depression of agriculture, was the main cause of our
distress. A few years ago, the agricultural produce of the
country sold for 210 millions annually; now scarcely half
that stunt was obtained.
Mr. 'f sionNTON said, there were many parts of one foreign
co: mere.. which required revisal.
Lord CesILEREAUH repeated the assertion of Mr. Robins.
suat,that the aim of the Learned Geutleman was to wound
the Government, rather than to mend the situation of the,
,omits'. .His Lordship did not deny that considerable dis--
teess existed, but he was well assured that the state of the
late try was improving. In all launches of our export trade,
Mere was nu appearance of a decline; butt our home con-
sumption of manufactures haul certainly been diminished, in
consequiente of the great falling off in Goversinient demand.
Nothing could he more cruel than to add to the pressure. of
distress foreboding predictions of its continuance, and to take
away cram suffering the prospect of ameliaratioul. There
might soon lie a demand for the labour and industry of the
entuntrv, its great nearly as formet ly. Wages would in ruin-
stwienee rise; but lie aid not think they would rise so high
as tormerly, nor did he believe that such a rise weuld be de-
sirable.
• After Mr. Bstoeciftam had replied, the }rouse divided -
For the resolutions, 63—Against them, liti—Majority, 55-
-Adjutant:lL
tutsnot 11.
EsTDIATEs.
The house basing resolved itself into a C uwnittce of Stip-
ply,
Sir G. WARRENDER rose to propose, that certain.sums on
account be granted to his Majesty for defraying the ordinary
,expenses of the navy.
After a conversation of rouse length, io which Admiral
Hope, Mr. Ctirwen, Sir C. Pole, Mr. Lyttl:ton, Se. took
part, the resoltitien was put :mil carried, for granlioo the slum
.of 1,1 io,-.salsl. to his Majesty for the ordinary service ut the
navy, toe AIN hum months, trout the Ist Jarittary, 1817.
• A resolution then passed foe 142,001. for the transport
service.
'The Howie resumed, and the report of the resolution was
ordered to be received on Moms hay.
sr.nrriovs ,tSSENIIILIES BILL.

'nip solicitor G.:seer:ll moved the third readin-g of the, Bill
for the I lure effectually prevontion of seditious
Sig \I. W. Itim,Ky obberved, that Ise could not sutter this
question to go to a vote, without expressi,l% his ohjcetions to
The I lon. Bart. wiId•OVPI. the usual grounds of ohjee-
tons to this measure, an 10111' proposed, as an amendment,
in lean e rust the word ' eow,' and insert after the words Lit
read a third time" the words " this day it mouths."

,RV.C, I STER.

Sir J. C. flwrt.t.Ev declared his conviel ion that the dis-
turbances ill Sinuersctshire had arise in a :Treat measure
front the dissemination of mischievous aid wicked principles.
M. W. Small contended, that the remedy provided by
this bill went far beyond the necessity of the case. The Hun.
Member read
.soine extracts from a ;mem called Witt Tyler,
and also from the Quarterly Review, in which the same
writer advances coutradintorY opinions.

Mr. C. W. WYNN was surprised that the Hon. Gent. had
thought tit to amuse the Home with a criticism on two Roo.
nymons stinks. Whether the article in the Quarterly Re-
s iew, and the poem, were the productions nt. the same author,
he did not know hut what had they to do with the question
He had heard, that the poem was written seller' the author
W 44 very y 01111: ; and should he be bound all Lis life to hold
the same. opinions?
Mr, W. Sstrrit said, he did not wish any m.:n to be blamed
for a 'change of opinions : what he complained of was, that a
man, after he had changed his °pi ll itt s4itld use the most
violent and scurrilous Istrigruage arittst those who now en•
tertained the same opinions. (Hear, hear.)

Lord W. RUSSELL cool I not reft..ti from rxpressinz his
astonishment, that his j.lon. Friend How him (\lr. Sllitn)
should say, that the arguments of Lishouott I.a ble ti iewt
W. Smith) did not bear upon tlie question. That honour-
able friend had very properly arped from the state of the
country, and front the grounds wash the promoters of the
bill had advanced.

Mr. FINLAY said, that the meetings in different parts of
the country had produced great misthief ; and might, if suf-
fered to be assembled as before, bi extremely dangerous to
the peace of the community. It wan better, he thought, that
a part of our lib.r-ties should be stilt-uttered for a time, in
order that we might guard the whde ; and he would rather
trust his Majesty's Ministers with his suspension than those
who were endeavouring to set the ciantry in a thine.
Sir S. Roseil.T.V expected to have heard some gentleman on
the other side state the grounds imtn which they meant to
support the bill ; but he found they were content to have it
passed in a house much thinner than any in which a measure
of such importance might to be disclosed. He should not,
however, be deterred by this eiremrstance from stating his
opinions. The Hon. and Learned Jiember then went over
the usual objections to the Bill, and concluded by observing,
that we had parted with enough of eur liberties already; and
there never was a time when those liberties were more valu-
able or more necessary.
Mr BATHURST supported the
Mr. Pobsorene said, part of the bill he approved, and part
of It he disapproved, particularly the power given to one sin-
gle magistrate to enforce the penal parts of the law.
Mr. Sergeant BEST supported this measure, and Mr. Cal-
craft opposed it.
Mr. P. Monne: protested against the bill on the part of the
whole nation.

Mr. CANNING, in a most brilliant display of eloquence and
sofind reasoning. supported the third reading.
Mr. linocGis AM repeated the arguments so often advanced,
and concluded by giving the motion his decided negation.
Lord COCHRANE (OW smith coughing and universal cries of
question. He was sorry to see so much impatience to come
to a decision On so important a subject. The passing of this
bill was the last stab given Co the constitntion. He would
prefer undisguised despotism to the condition of this country,
deprived of the bulwark of its freedom, and exposed to the
petty vexations of magistrates ; and would think Algiers a
.good exchange for England. (Cries of question).
After some remarks by Mr. Finlay and Mr. Bennett, the
honse diVided, when the numbers were.—For the third read-
ing, 179—Against it, 44—Majority, las.
When we were re-admitted to the gallery, we found Sir J.
Newport making some observations on a clause moved by the
Attorney General, that none of the provisions of the act should
extend to Ireland. He thought that it should at least extend
to Ireland, so as to put down secret societies, sod of course
Otitege clubs.
After sonic conversation between the Right Hon. Bart.
Lord Castlereagh, and the Attorney General, the clause was
agreed to.
Mr. Pi:mum try proposed two amendments ; one for ren-
dering the presence of two magistrates necessary to break np
assemblit s; and :mother to substitute the subversion of the
constitution for " constitution and government," which were
both negatived without a division.
The bill was then passed.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
house adjourned at one o'clock.