The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(LAST NIGHT).
MUICKETT'S -DIVORCE BILL.
Counsel were heard and witnesses examined in support
of this Bill, which was read a second time, and ordered to
be committed on Monday.
Earl GOWER presented two petifons from the Staf-
fordshire Potteries, against the payment of labourers' wages
in goods.
MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Sir ALIXANDER. GRANT, and several other Members,
were instructed to inform their Lordships, that in pur-
suance of their request, they had given leave for Sir Ed-
ward East, a Member of their House, to be examined be-
fore the Committee on the Affairs of the East India Com-
p,ny. The Hon. Member was also directed to present to
their Lordships a Copy of the sth Repart of the Co.mnis-
sioners directed to inquire into the Affairs of the East India
Company, dated in July, 1812.
Lord STANLEY brought up the Salford Lighting and
Watching Bill.
Admiral SOTHERON and Mr. CorteErr brought up
t.vo Private Bills.
Mr. Hall brought up the Accounts of the Penitentiary
fur the last year.

IRISH POOR LAWS.
The Earl of DARNLEY gave notice, that on Tuesday
next he should bring before their Lordships his views on
the Poor Laws of Ireland.
The Marquis Of I3UTE presented a petition from Car-
diff against the duty on sea-borne coal.
The Duke of MONTROSE presented a petition from
Dumbarton, praying for a free trade to India.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition
from the East India Merchants of the city of London,
against the removal of the East India Company's Charter.
The petitioners stated that it was important for the mercan-
tile interests of this country that the Government of !ndia
should have no controul over the export trade. The
Ni,ble Maiquis also presented petitions from Lynn,
Greenock, and Bury, to the same effect. On the motien
of the Noble Marquis all the petitions were referred to the
East India Committee.
Several Bills were read a third time and passed.
The Exchequer Bills' Bill was rsad a second time,
together with several private Bills.
'Ark Lordships adjourned at Half-past Five till Mon-
day nex►.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(LAST NIGHT.)
RYE ELECTION.

Lord J. RUSSELL presented a petition from certain
voters of the barony of Rye, alleging that the present
Member hail been unduly elected.—Ordered to be taken
into consideration.

THE AVON AND GLOUCESTERSHIRE RAIL-

WAY BILL.

Mr. CHARLES Ii:)UNDAS moved the second readinz
of the Avon and Gloucestershire Railway Bill, which led
to a long disewsion, in which Mr. Hart Davis, Mr.
Bright, Mr. Protheroe, Mr. Gordon, Sir T. Lethbridge,
Sir T. Fremantle, Sir W. Guise, Mr. Eitcourt, and Mr.
Monek took a part.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House
divided, when there appeared—
For the second reading 37
Against it

Majority against the second reading 7
DISTRESS.

M. LIDDELL presented a petition unanimously agreed
to at a county meeting in Northumberland, complaining
of distress, &c. The Hon. Member, after dwelling on the
various points of the petition, stated that it was his duty
to lay before the House the real circumstances of/that
county, without extenuation or aggravation. He was the
inure anxious to do so because a belief had been expressed
that the northern counties were in some degree exempt
from the general pressure. This was in part true and was
owing to two causes. First the important trade of the
coal districts was now going on in a satisfactory manner,
though even there profits were extremely low, yet the
mining population was maintained in employment, and
wages remained at their usual average. Secondly, the ad-
ministration of the poor laws had always been properly
conducted by an able and active bench of Magistrates, ac-
cording to the true and original spirit of their humane
laws, and the parish rates were never resorted to for the
purpose of swelling wages, or of contributing to such
abuses as were justly complained of in some other parts of
England. Yet in spite of these advantages he lamented
to say that exemption from distress was the exception,
but not the rule. Go beyond the verge of the coal dis-
trict (and even there pressure was felt), go among the
agrienlterists of the north, the stock farmers and wool
growers of the Highlands, the lead- miners of the west, and
the eliipowners of the east, anti their condition too fully
bore out the statements of. this petition. From informa-
tion he bad received from a quarter of authority, he feared
the case of the lead-miners was almost Impelese, and to
judge from experience, that of the ship-owners scarcely ap-
peared more favourable. He had in his possession a peti-
tion from North Shields, which he should reserve for an
opportunity which would shortly be • afforded for dis-
cussion by the Honourable Member for Hull, reite-
rating their complaints, which it bad been his pain-
ful duty frequently to urge upon the attention of the
House, which as often the House had neglected. Now,
though he gave Government credit for their measures of
retrenchment and economy, yet he felt persuaded that a
great evil had been inflicted on the country through the
medium of the currency, and through the same medium
he alone could expect any import relief. The Act of 1828
had &priced the county of Northumberland of a small
paper circulation, from which it derived the greatest be-
nefit, without any degree of danger or mistrust. That
Act, which declared that a currency on one side of a river
was secure and beneficial, while on the other it was in-
jurious and hazardous, still permitted the small note cur-
rency in a neighbouring town or district, where owing to
the situation of that town it was perpetually violated in
actual practice. Not less than 40,0001. or 50,0001. an-
nually in small notes are paid into the Berwick bank,
from which these sums are regularly transferred back to
the parent banks in Edinburgh. Could any man pretend
to say this currency could be suppressed without great de-
triment t o that district? It could not be replaced hy sove-
reigns, and it could not be by Si. notes. He believed it
might lie proved, that so far from the issue of 5/. notes
being extended since the Act of 1828, the quantity of them
in local currency had been diminish il. Then put the
ease to Northumberland. Take the river Tyne instead of the
`Tweed, and here th-! evil had been actually done ; an ex-
tensive circulation of small paper had already been sup-
pressed, the county languished for the want of it,
and remained like Tantalus, hearing of paper on one side,
end of gold on the other, and seeing very little of either,
It was not Isis intention to enter into the question of cur-
rency upon the presenting of this petition, knowing how
little consonant such
.a practice would be to the feelings
of the House; but he knew it was the fashion for some
Hon. Members to talk of it as a waled question, to regard
it as a thing gone by, and which must not again be dis-
wised. Against that doctrine he would protest; and he
could not conclude without glancing at two points well
worthy of consideration.—(The Hon. Member here read
an extract from a recent publication, which states broadly,
upon the authority of Mr. Jacob, that there is reason to
believe that a diminution of three-fourths, in the supply of
the precious metals, has taken place on the average of ten
years, up to 1820, as compared with the average of the
preceNug ten years.)—lf this were true, the exchangeable
value of the precious metals all over the world would be
quadrupled, and that at a time when, fr,om the activity of
cornmerce, in a time of almost universal peace, the demand
would be immensely increased. Ile knew not how accu-
rate the data might be from which this information was
derived, but he could not conceive a more interesting
subject fur inquiry, since, if the facts were established, the
phenomenon of the universal depression of prices all over
the world would Ise satisfactorily accounted for, and the
iimpessibility of our maintaining our present standard of value
almost demonstrated. The other circumstances worthy of
inquiry appeared to him, whether a better system of bank-
ing might not be established in the kingdom, calculated to
command the entire and uninterrupted confidence of the
public, and when confidence was once obtained, whether
Additional facilities might not be given to a more extended
cisme of paper, such paper being really and bona fide the
representative of capital. With these sentiments Ile con-
sidered himself pledged to support every reasonable motion
for inquiry, and every practicable suggestion for economy,
,and concluded by moving for leave to bring up the petition.
Mr. BELL observed that this was not a proper oppor-
tants' y to inquire into the causes of the distress, but, in
his opinion, they might thank the policy of free
trade for all that they had suffered,—The petition was or-
dered to be printed.
Mr. LIDDELL also presented a petition from the Oce
copiers of Land in the district of Norham, complaining of
distress, which -had compelled them to expend their ca-
pital and praying for the repeal of the Act which pro-
hibited the circulation of small notes under 51.—T0 be
printed.

Mr. ARKWRIGFIT presented a petition from the
eastern part of Sussex, on the subject of distress.
Air. H. DAVIS presented a petition fion► the Direc-

tors of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, against a re-
newal of the East India Company's Charter.—To be printed.
Sir J. NEWPORT inoved for certain returns re-
lating to Tontines and Life Annuities, in 1774 and se-
veral subsequent years.—Ordered accordingly.
Colonel LYGON presented a petition from the Farmers
of a' hundred in Worcester, praying for a reduction of
taxes, as the only means of relieving them from their pre-
sent distrese.