The Sun.
London, England, 1822-02-19 00:00:00

PAR', I ,AME T,

DOUSE OF LORDS, MONDAY, FEB. 18.

BANK ADVANCES.

Mr. BEST, from the Bank of England, pre-
sented Copies of the Applications made by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer and the First Lord
of the Treasury to the Bank for Advances to Go-
vernment.--Laid on the table.

Lord SUFFIELD took the oaths and his seat.

NORFOLK PETITION.

Lord SUFFIELD held in his hands a Petition
from the Owners and Occupiers of Land of, the
County of Norfolk, complaining of Agricultural
Distress, urging the necessity of a reduction of
taxation, and concluding with a prayer for a Re-
form in Parliament. He was too conscious of
Visiriabirity to do justice to the subject, not to
regret that circumstances should have prevented
the Noble Earl who sat in the Chair at the Nor-
folk Meeting (the-Earl of Albemarle) from pre-
senting to their Lordships .the Petition-of that
Meeting. He felt at the same.time the high ho-
nour which had• devolved upon 'him ; and it was
no small matter of congratulation to him, that on
the first occasion of his opening his lips in that
House, on the first day of his taking his seat, he
should. stand forward as the- Representative of
the great county of Norfolk—a county once
opulent and powerful, but now sunk in distress.
He should enter at large into the causes of that
distress ; it was one in which the whole country
participated, and which had produced a general
reduction of property, with the exception of one
class, the Ministers of the Crown and other pub-
lic functionaries, whose salaries having expe-
rienced no change, whilst every thing around them
decreased in value, had virtually increased, a fact
which he felt no disposition to turn into a charge
against the individuals who enjoyed those salaries.
The meeting at which the present Petition had
been adopted had been called by the High She-
riff, at the request of certain Members of the
Yeomanry, who had thus used a constitutional
right—a right of such importance, that if they
were to abandon it, they would deserve all the
calamities which its- loss would inflict. That
meeting, as to the number, the property, and the
character of the individuals of -whom it was com-
posed, was one of the most respectable that had
ever been holden. It consisted of men of all
parties, and they had all united in one opinion,
that the great cause of distress was excessive
taxation, and that the most effective remedy
would he retrenchment. The Noble Lord then
took a short view of the measures proposed in
the .other House, and doubted that they would
prove satisfactory. He was one of those who be-
lieved that it was not in the power of his Ma-
jesty's Ministers, however willing, to grant the
only relief that was wanted. They could not
possibly sweep off a large mass of taxation, and
keep their places. As to the prayer for Parlia-
mentary Reform with which the Petition con-
cluded, he would fairly state that it had not been
adopted Itithout some difference of opinion. But
he was astonished that it should not have been
greater, for he was certain that it was not more
than five per cent. out of the numbers present.
He was amongst those who considered some kind
of Parliamentary reform necessary to the welfare
of the State, and whatever difference of opinion
might exist on the subject, was not with respect
to the necessity of reform, but to the time at
which it ought to be commenced. He wished
that the people should be more fully and fairly
represented than they were at pr,esent. -At the
same time, he disapproved from his heart of any
thing like tumultuous assemblies to call for Re-
form. These tumultuous meetings only served
to defeat the object of the friends of reform, by
affording pretences to curtail their liberties. He
then contended that the people who had met at
Manchester only thought of attending a legal
meeting, and had no hostile intention against Go-
vernment. He had travelled in those districts,
and from the information which he had collected,
was sure that the people had had no improper
object in view. It was only since the outrage at
Manchester, and •in consequence of the proceed-
ings by which it had been followed, that he had
become convinced of the necessity of Parliamen-
tary Reform. He then alluded to the dismissal
of a Gallant Officer from the army as another
proof of the propriety of some alteration in the
constitution•of Parliament. He had no doubt
that the advice given to his Majesty in both
these cases by his Ministers, was conscientiously
given on the information which they had receiv-
ed at the time, but he complained that on such
brittle ground they had too hastily and rashly
ventured to advise. He concluded by moving
that the Petition be read and laid on the table.

Lord CALTHORPE'vvas able, from his connec-
tion with the county, to confirm all the allega-
tions contained in the Petition, as to the extent
of the distress described, and the respectability
of the meeting. He was also able, from his own
obse•rvation, to state that the public feeling of
the county of Suffolk was in favour of Retrench-
ment, and of some degree of Parliamentary Re-
form. A meeting had been held a fortnight
since in that county, unexampled, in numbers
and respectability,.and had expressed a most
distinct and unanimous opinion as to the neces-
sity of retrenchment. That unanimity had been
interrupted by what he considered an unseason-
able resolution in favour of Parliamentary Re-
form, which, however, had -been carried by a
great majority of voices. Whether it'expressed
the sense Of the great proprietors of land could
not be fully ascertained at the time, because it
had been carried by the acclamations of the
people. lie agreed with the Noble Baron who