The Sun.
London, England, 1808-06-10 00:00:00

MAHONV'S PETITION.

Sir Jou N rose pursuant to his notice, to
call the attention of the House to the breach of the.
Articles of Union, on the detention of some Irish
•Stuffs brought to Liverpool from.Cork,.the property
of Messrs. Maheny, of that. City, with the inten-
tion of being exported'to Buenos Ayres. A duty of
two-pence halfpenny per yard, amounting to 20 per
cent. value, was demanded on these. Stuffs by the
'Culleaor of Liverpool, without any allowance of
drawback, and when appeal was made to the Com-
missioners of the Customs, they confirmed the
charge. It was contended that the Schedule. of the
Union allowed nu drawback such as that demanded.
But there was a specific provision in the bth article
of Union, allowing reciprocally the free ekportatitg2:
through either country, of the prothicq or tuattUfac-
tare of the other, on the same terms as native pro-
duce. kis objed now was, by bringing the HQUSU.
to a ,Resolution declaratory of the impropriety of
this proceeding, to prevent the recurrence of such
violations of the pro Visions of the Union, which,
though of small moment at first, might, in process
of time, come to great reciprocal injuries and great
dissentions. In Ireland no such charge was imposed
on the eiiportation of British goo& •

Mr. Iltisz aeCounted for the error committed in
this case .froin the reference made by the Colleelor
of Liverpool, in the first instance, and the Com-
Missioners of Taxes and their Counsel afterwards,
to the Schedule of the Ad of Union, and not to the
body of the said Aa, in the 6th Article of which
the proper provision in this case
.was made. He
wished the case had been referred to the Treasury,
where the proper remedy would have been applied.
fie put it to the Ifonourable Baronet un-
der these circnnistanees, he should not wave 1)6 mo-
tion, to give. an opportunity for proper inquiry and
provision on the part of the Government.
Sir J. NEWEORT thoughtl it still right to refer the
Petition to a Committee of the House, which would
cptisider what remedy .was necessary, in a ptifiiic
view, and' what compensation Wai due to the mer,
chants in Ireland, Mesrs.'Maliony, en the tiround
of being dtptived of their tnor4et. •

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought
the Collecto'r of Liverpool and the Commissioners of
CustOms warranted in the stria adherence they had
tnailifested to the Schedule of the Union duties -=
13ut in conformity with the spirit of the Article's of
Union, he thought it right to make a. more clear
provision on the point referred to. With this view,
he suggested the propriety of consulting the Attorney
and Solicitor General ; and, upon their advice, to
introduce a Declaratory At, to remedy the defici-
ency complained of.
Mr. G. PONSONBY did not like the precedent of a
declaratory Ad, interfering with the Articles of
Union,.which would be rendered less sacred by such
interference. He wished fur some measure,
amounting to an instru&ion to the Officers of the
Customs, to prevent the recurrence of the evil here
,complained of. He thought the sufferers, Messrs.
Mahony, were entitled to compensation for their
loss, and wished the Board of Treasury to consider
of the means of making that compensation.
Lord H. PETTY enforced the argument of Mr.
Ponsonby ; but insisted on the justice and propriety
of making a compensation for the injury suffered by
Messrs. Mahony, by the .breach of the Articles of
Union in the case before the House. The influ-
ence of this compensation would be to prevent the
recurrence of the mischief, and to satisfy the
House and the Irish Nation that it could- not recur.

. Sir GEORGE HILL thought there was no real in.
jury in -the case, but only a tnisconstruttiou, for
which there was some ground. He was unwilling
to• create ,misunderstanding between the two Coun-
tries by over-rating the injury done.
Mr. GEATTAN wished for some' proceeding
amounting to a general instWtion to the Coiledors
of the various Ports of Great Britain. -

Sir JOIIN.NEWPORT insisted still on the propriety
of a general instruaion, and an indemnity to the
particular sufferers He thought it better that a
private compensation should be made, than that the
sufferers should seek their remedy by a suit at law,
as they were entitled to do. He withdrew his Mo-
tion. ,