The Sun.
London, England, 1801-04-02 00:00:00

the fads alluded to in the Communication just made
tt) this House, I shall not anticipate the opinion of
the Committee—many of the faits, I pregame, have
• arisen since I held any situation in which I could
hear.of their existence ; :Jut it is not a matter of
surprize to me, to be told, that the disaffe&ed Per-
sons in this Country' should endeavour to excite
popular discontent, on the circumstances by which
we are surrounded. It cannot be a surprize to Me,
because I know it to be an inherent spirit of Jaco.
binism, to ally itself with every disaster—to press
into its service every evil—to wed itself to every
'misfortune of the Country it inhabits, and,to make
them the forerunners of its state, this as the
History of Jacobinism throughout Europe, from the
moment of its first appearance to the present hour,
without a single exception ; and the truth of that
' History has been exhibited in the fate of every
Country in Europe, which has not iced on the
spirit of precaution of this Country ; and the mis.
chief has been felt to a certain degree even in this
Country ; for it has been frequently endeavoured to
turn public misfortune to the clestruetion hf the Pub.'
lie,.but in which the patience of t4le mass ofthe People
has been equal to their good,sense ; they hire seen the
drift of the wicked artifice, and they have treated
it with becoming scorn, and which I have had oc.
casiOn frequently to admire white in His Majesty's
Service, and to continue to do so since I went out
of that. Service...Am I :then to. be told, that when
• I Tendered to the irittue. of my Countrymen that
homage which was due to it, and which was prompt-
ed by my heart, -I was sincere indeed, taut that I
think now the spirit of the People of this Country
is „changed ?—Sir, the ,Hon. Gentleman will find
there is no.change in the mass of the PeOple, nor in
my opinion of that mass—it is sound, virtuous,
and loyal ; but he will find, I say, that on .the very
,Meeting of Parliament before • Christmas ; con-
vened, as it was, on the subjea of the Scarcity,
the Speech delivered from the Throne, expressed
the just indignation of the Sovereign against the
conduit of those .who wished to lead the People to
criminality or disorder, and which, indeed must
tend to the destrudion of every Country. wherein
such a- spirit predominates. There is, therefore,
Sir., nothing inconsistent in the sentiments I ut-
teietl-then, and the feeling I have at this.-moment;
a.feCling in which l ain persuaded this iibuse,. arid
I 'trust, the mass of this Country concurs; nor can
I express any doubt of their loyalty , and virtue.
I.say therefore, Sir, it does become us never to
neglect those cautionary measures which have been
fognd so salutary, when any attempts have been
made to surprize the Public from that tranquillity
which is the safeguard of their happiness ; or to
deceive or force them out of the possession of those
blessings which the wisdom of Parliament, and
their own good sense have enabled them to preserve
in so trying and so long a confliel.—Sir, I beg
pardon for thus occupying the attention of
the House so long, on a Motion in which
there is no apparent difference of opinion ;
but these sentiments pressed upon my mind so
much, and some things which were uttered on the
other side reciuired to be answered, so that I could
not, consistently with the duty I owe to my Sove-
reign, my. Country, and myself, forbear saying
what I have now submitted to the House." •
The Question Was rho put and carried. •
The CHAS Fcr.I...LOR of the EXCHEQUER, then
moved " That the said Committee be a private .
Committee.-

The CHANCt LLOR of the Excuzzast then
moved,•
Tut the Conimittee shall.consist of Twenty-one Mcm-•
bers.

That the Members of the said Committee shall beehosen
by ballot.
'hut the Members of the House do to.morrow bring lists,
written upon a roll of paper,- containing the names of the
persons for whom they vote to be Members of the-said Com-
Mittee, which lists to be put ui glasses, placed on the table,.
by each Men4ber as he is called in the Order of Counties,
&c. ; and

That the Papers this day laid before the House by order of
His MAJEsty be kept by the Clerk oldie House, sealed up
As they r.ow are, till after the Committee is chosen.

Tlidse Motions were severally put and agreed to.
The third reading of the Bill for :he encourage.
anent of the Growth of Potatoes being read over,
Sir Wm. ELFORD, Mr. MARK-HAM, and Mr. EL.
Liso N each said a few words against the Bill.
PULTE.NEY shortly defended it.

Mr. OSBORNE said, " I rise, Sir, to trespass
on the indulgence of the House for a very short
time, to state, as concisely as I am able, my ob.
jeCtions to the Bill before you. With the greatest
submission to the Honourable Mover of the Bill,
for whom I have the highest respeCt, I cannot
see it in any 'other light than as a sheet of
blank paper : it appears to me to contain no one
effeetive clause or provision whatever; and if it be
calculated to have any effeEt at all, in my opinion,
it tends rather to discourage than to promote the
°Ned it has in view. The Preamble, Sir, states,
that it is expedient during the present Scarcity, to re-
move obstructions to the raising of Potatoes, and that
it is necessary to establish by authority ofParliament,
proper rogulatiOns to extend the immediate culti-
vation of that nutritious food. From this I beg
leave to "dissent ; I contend that no obstruCtions
now exist, and that the interference of -the Legisla.
ture is in no way necessary. But grant that it be,
for the sake of argument, ler the Legislature then
interfere with died, for otherwise, every one will
agree with me, that it had better not interfere at all.
Let us see whether, it does interfere with effect in
the present instance. What does the Bill enaCt. ?
Nothing--it contains no one Clause whatever, that,
either toforccs the adoption, of the system recom-
mended, or that enables persons acing ander the
Bill, to pursue that system with more facility
than heretofore.—The Bill is nothing more nor
less than a recommendation of a 'particular mode of
Agriculture, and is therefore nugatory, But, Sir,
I think, that it will, if passed into a Law, do more
harm than good, and for this reason, Farmers will
rot like to have their agricultural arrangements
placed (as they will conceive) under the inspection
and dire&ion of Parish Off,cers, and Justices of the
Peace ; the very idea of this will disgust theta,
and will make them re,jett a measure they would
otherwise he very willing to adopt.
q The measure itself, Sir, of planting. Potatoes on
intenckd for wheat, as Auggested by an
lion, friend of mine, a Member
,ot this .Housc4
from all I have been 4ble to learn 4 is an extremely