The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-05 00:00:00

'foe** a statement as
_to suck an important matter up
evidence of inch description? Should net the House
panseletfore -it took for granted any such statement,
the more particularly when it found this important
fact :mentioned in the Speech front the Throne,
sanely, that the exports of British produce during
the last year had far exceeded those of any former
year ? It was rather extraordinary, with such a gratify-
ing statement in his Majesty's Speech, to find an amend-
ment proposed, which declares, that all the productive
interests of the country are labouring under severe de-
premien. The House should therefore hesitate before it
adopted such a proposition.—(Cheers.)—But it might be
raid that this was no proof of the prosperity of the coun-
try ; and perhaps it would be added, that all theie exports
were sold at a loss, and that no return was made for them.
Was it to be supposed that, year after year, from the year
1818—for that was the period from which the distress
was dated—was it to be imagined that, year after, from
that time, the manufacturers of this country had conti-
nued manufacturing and exporting at a positive loss?__
(Hear, hear.)—Was it probable that such a thing could
have occurred? But then it was asserted, that let the
amount of our foreign exports be what they might, our
house market was depressed ; and that while an increase
/tad taken place in our exports to foreign countries, a great
and corresponding decline had taken place in our home
consumption. He (Mr. Peel) would at once meet and
deny that assertion.—(Hear, hear.)—No corresponding
decline in our home consumption had taken place at all,
to he put is contradistinction to the increase in our foreign
(reports. The allegation was, that the distress existed
universally throughout England, Ireland, and Scotland.
He held in his hand returns to disprove to a great extent
the truth of this assertion. He was compelled to refer to
scatters of detail to furnish arguments to induce the House
to payee before it adopted the proposition of the Hon.
Jtaronet. He was prepared to show, from documents in his
possession, that there had not been the falling off that had
keen stated is the internal consumption of the country.
He had been furnished with comparative statements of the
amount of tons carried, and of the tonnage duties received,
upon the priacipal canals, for a certain number of years,
and the important fact which they established should be well
weighed by the House before it pledged itself to the opinion
of the lieu. Baronet, so contradictory as it was to the
statement made front the Throne. These statements ex-
hibited a comparative increase year after year in the
amount of business done on the principal canals. He
would take a cypher es the foundation of his respective
statements, which would furnish no indication of the
comparative business of one canal compared with that of
another; but which would actually chew at the same
lime the general increase of business done on those canals,
roving an increase is the internal consumption of the
country- These returns commenced with the year 1820—
that year when the Bill which he (Mr. Peel) would never
diselaim. Clough so much obloquy had been thrown upon
it—he meant the Bill for regulating the metallic standard,
took effect He had expressly desired that they should be
made out from that year, for he well remembered that when
that Bill came into operation, prophecies without number
were propounded, the commercial transactions and con-
cerns of this country were so complicated and so multiplied,
that any attempt to carry sash a measure into effect would
tend to cramp and depress the energies of the country.
He was ready to take his stand by what had occurred
in ear foreign trade ; but he would fortify himself by
proofs of an increase also in our home consumption.
The returns which he had procured were from the Forth
and Clyde Canals, from the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal,
from the G, and Junction Canal, from the Kennet and
Avon. and from the Berkeley and Gloucester Canals. In
the year MO, the amount of tons carried on the Forth
and Clyde Canal was 3.290 ; in the year 1821, 4,026 ; in
ISM 4,480 ; in 1393, 4,874 ; in 1824, 4,874 ; in
182.5, 5,804 ; in 1828, 5,752 ; in 1827, 5,818 ; and in
1828, (the last year to which the accounts were made up)
3.970 Thus, in the year 1818, the amount of tons was
8,970, while the average of the sight preceding years was
4 843. giving as increase in the year 1628 to the amount
of 1,000 tons upon this canal. Upon all the other canals
a similar progressive increase had taken place in their busi-
ness, from the year 1819 till the year 1828. On the
Duke of Bridgewater's Canal, in the year ending the Ist of
January,lB3o, the average amount of tonnage was 1,588,
while, in the year 1829, the average was 1,115 ; so that it
appeared that the average amount of tonnage on that canal
for the last year exceeded that of the former year by nearly
600 tens. It might here be said that though the tonnage
had increased the tonnage duties had not, Now he had
expressly inquired as to the amount of duties received, and
this was the result. Upon the Grand Junction Canal,
the average amount of the tonnage duties received for
the eight preceding years was 8,608/., last year
V.* average had risen to 9,000/. On the Grand Trunk
Canal, the average of the eight preceding years wasBooll.,
last year it had risen to 14,049/. Upon the Kennet and
Avon the average for the same period was 1,899/., last
year it amounted to 2,190/. The average amount of ton.
stage duties upon the river Avon for the same period was
1447/. ; last year if hid amounted to 1,7061. The ave-
rage amount upon the Berkeley and Gloucester Caaal for
the seven yeas preceding 1628, was 1,0691. It had ine-
neztsed in 1828 to 2,235/. ; and last year to 2,3601.—
Here on this canal the average was more than doubled in
alot course of two years. These facts should induce the
Mesas to pause before it sanctioned the statement that uni-
versal distress prevailed throughout the country.—(Hear,
Lear.)—These facts applied to England ; but let the
Howse recellect that if any part of England, Scotland, or
Ireland, should be proved not to have been subject to the
depression spoken of, the statement of the Hon. Baronet
must fall to the ground. Now, with regard to Ireland,
as Honourable Gentleman said that great distress pre-
vailed in the city of Dublin. He (Mr. Peel) was ready to
admit that distress did exist in the liberties of that city, but
as long as he had been acquainted with Ireland he never
knew a period when the manufacturers in that part of
Dahlia were not in distress,—so much so, that scarcely
a year pasted without appeals being made on their behalf
to the charity of the public. No doubt distress prevailed
iu Iteland, and God grant that saute measure might he
devised to remedy it; but was there any proof before the
House that the agricultural interest of Ireland were suf-
(vial under universal distress and depression? Could it
be said that universal distress existed amongst the agricul-
turists of Scotland ? He (Mr. Peel) doubted that such
was the feet, and before the House asserted it, I,e would
call upon it to employ due precaution in forming its opi-
nion. He would maintain that the address, in answer to
the Speech from the Throne, gave a truer description of
the state of the country than the amendment proposed by
the Hon. Bart. It was perfectly consistent, on the part of
his Majesty's Ministers, while they feitsiocere sympathy for
the distress which slid exist, to be extremely cautious as to
the adoption of rash experiments with a view to its ;nevi*.
eaco_(Hear.)—The distress which did exist had cri.gi-
aced in causes over which Government had no controul ;
and it should be borne in mind, that it was not exclusively
confined to the dominions of his Majesty, The agricultu-
tal interests had also experienced similar depression in
America, and in other countries. In France, for inetance,
the distress had been ha many places as severe as in any
part of this country. In pails of the United States, the
distress had been equally ae great as with us. In Russia,
At this moment, a proclamation had (men issued for lower-
ing the rate of interest, with a view to remedy the agri-
cultural distress prevailing there ; therefore the causes
which bad operated to produce this distress were not 449;fr
fined to this country. Great weight was certainly due to
the effects produced by unfavourable seasons. He believed
that the expense incurred by the agricultural interest, both
in cultivating the coil, and collecting the harvest, had li
never been so great as the last two years, owing to the
extreme wetness of the masons. That was sufficient ta I
account in aotne degree for the depression experienced by
.the agricultural interest ; and besides be did not think that
due weight had been assigned to the effect of the import'.
Cons from Ireland. That was a cause beyond remedy or
control. Ireland was fairly entitled to a free access to the
markets of this country, and nontan would be mad enough
to propose to restrict the importation from that country.
Ile held in his hand an account of the amount of
importations from Ireland into the port of Liverpool
during the last year, and lie would state it to the tionse.
Darla( the last year there lied been imported into Live-
pool from Ireland, 49,000 oxeo, Is,ooo calve', 19,000
pigs, 111,000 sheep, 1,300 lambs; earl the total value of
.agricultural produce thus imported amounted v.:1,270,0001.,
exclusive of cont.—(Hear, hear.)—lt was hopt-zsible to
deny that such immense importations from Ireland bad
the effect, of depressing the ,agricultural interests of this
country. The same argument applied to Scotland. The
Crown, he therefore, conceived, was quite justified in en-
treating the House to use extreme caution Le/fore it should
attempt to remedy, fey legislative interference, the dress
that existed. They (the Ministry) had been taunted as if
they were influenced by a 'vete/ of false pride, as if
they were so determined to adhere to declarations foi merly
made respecting tLe currency, as blindly to elcse their eyes
to the real distresses of the country. It was said, that
they were afraid to expose themselves to the charge of in..
condeoncy, ;and this followed. cleee upon the charge
which had been made against tin= from the same quarter
last Session, when they were accused 4 departing from
those principles to which they stood pledged, in bringing
forward a measure which they had uniformly opposed. It
was then said, that they were actuated by a corrupt de-
sire to maintain themselves in office, and the echo of that