The Sun.
London, England, 1822-04-30 00:00:00

SUN.

made, on such an occasion,. in a free country like this. He
did not believe that the Noble Lord near him, nor his col-
leagues, nor the House; knew how intense was theerisery under
which the agricultural labourer groaned where the distress was
most severely felt ; but he should not do that Noble Lord jus-
tice if he were not to add that he did not believe any man—
not even his Honourable Colleague, felt more anxious to afford
relief to the sufferers, if he could see his way to do this without
injury to the general interests of the country. The Hon. Mem-
ber for Aberdeen was accustomed to taunt those who sat on
that side of the House with their inconsistent conduct, as he
describA it to be. He (11r. Wodehouse) had been taunted
with his having voted last year, first against reducing the army
by 10,000 men, and then against taking 5,000 from its numbers:
He looked back on the votes which he had given on those oc-
casions with much satisfaction, and regretted the reduction
which had taken place. If the effect of this. redUction were
properly explained to the public—if it were seen. dial, men
who had been twenty years in the service of their ccnintry,were
sent out again to rot in places were they ought not to have
been.- called upon to . serve any more, he thought the Public
would be inclined to say a fig for suclfwistionrand constitu-
tional retrenchment. When Gentlemen were so fond of taisrit2-
ing others with inconsistencies, he must remind them of theirs.
After calling fbr the reduction of the Army; when the first
question of the present Session was brought forward, that re-
lating to Ireland, the first words uttered were, " Why not
proclaim martial law?"—(hear, hear !)—To him it appeared
that there was no small inconsistency in declaring against a
standing army, and then, on the first appearance of disturb-
ances, to call,for martial law.
Mr. HENISON approved of all that had fallen froth, his
lion. Friend (the Meniber for Norfolk), and considered that the
reduction of taxes could alone afford relief. With respect to
what had been said by his Noble Friend ( Lord .King) to which
allusion had been made; he could state, that he had pronounced
no unqualified panegyric. on Mr. Cobbett. As nearly as he
could recollect, his Lordship had said that he had in his eye a
writer, to whom, whatever people might say of his sentiments,
the public was under great obligations for the clearness with
which he had expressed his opinions, which were very often
right. Whatever he (Mr. Denison) might think of that writer
generally, he agreed with him that it was impossible for the
country to bear the taxes under which it now labouxed, and pay
them in the present currentY,
Mr. RENNET concurred with the last. Speaker in what
he had said as to the words used by Lord King. But if that
Noble Lord had pronounced an unqualified panegyric on Mr.
Cobbett, wily should he not do so if he thought proper ? lie
had as good a light to give his opinion as the Hon. Gentleman
opposite had to give his. He thought his opinion was quite as
good, and he regarded it as worth more than that of the Hon.
Gentleman. The acuteness of his Lordship ( who was the li-
neal descendant of Mr. Locke), and the attention he had paid
to public affaira,. gave his ideas. a degree of weight and im-
portance of which he might justly be proud. Had.• Lord, King
been in the House of Conunons, he would not have presented
them with such a strain of curious contradictions, both in prin-
ciple and in practice, as they were favonied with daily and
hourly by the Hon. Gentleman. The /10n. Gentleniao on this
Occasion had picked up Some newspaper statement, and oh this ,
had come down to, attack the character of Lord King, while
he justified the Magistrates who had refused to sanction the
Meeting at which this Petition was voted. The Hon. Gentle-
man had given them to understand that in one instance he
meant to change his course, and when the question on the Salt
Tax was next brought forward he expected to see him opposed
to Ministers. Ile hoped he would change his course in another
instance, and not again come to that House on a mere statement
from a newspaper, to vilify the character of a Nobleman in a
manner which nobody could listen to but with equal disgust
and surprise.
11r. WODtHOUSE said Lord litng had described Mr.
Cobbett to be the most able writer which the present or any
other times had produced. That person had been staying in
Norfolk some time.

The SPEAKER reminded the Hon. Gentleman that he'
must confine himself to explanation.
Mr. WODEHOUSE sat down, but again rose on the ques-
tion that the Petition should be received Mi. Cobtrett, he
said, had been staying in Norfolk a considerable time, repre-
senting himself to be the farmer's friend. Last year the same
person passed himself oft' for the labourer's friend, and descrihk
ed the farmers to be the greatest brutes. breathing, who cared
not about starving their labourers, so, that their awn profits re-
mained untouched. If such a man were to be held up to. ad-.
miration by a Peer of the realm, Who could' contemplate it
without trembling for the consequences ? He meant not to
vilify Lord King, but he was not dispoded to qualify any of
the words that he had used.-.'
Mr. NIA BERLY said it would be well if the lion. Gentle-
man stood as well with his constituents as Lord King did with
those who had formed the meeting which be had addressed, for
what he had said called forth shouts of applause from ail pre-.
sent. He contended, the lion. Gentlnman had acted incon,
sistently in voting for the supplies which had been called fur
by the Government, anti then refusing them the ways and
means necessary to meet them.—The Petition was then read,
and ordered to be printed.
Mr. COKE presented a Petition on the same subject from
the Hundreds of North Ervingharn.—Ordered to be printed.
PETITION ROM YORKSHIRE.

Mr. SYKES presented a Petition from certain Agricultur-
ists in the Hundreds of Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire,
complaining of distress, praying for the imposition of a large
permanent duty on the importation of foreign grain, and call-
ing for a redtteiion of the public burdens. The Hon. Member
said, he differed from the Petitioners as to the propriety of lm-
posing a large permanent duty on importing grain, but agreed
with the other parts of the Petition.—. The Petition was ordered
to lie on the Table.

SUSSE PETITIONS.
Lord G. CAVENDISh preSented two Petitions from the
owners and occupiers of land in the county of tiussex, signed
by persons of respectability. Ile expressed a hope that the
Noble Lord would take a more enlarged view of this subject
than had been taken of it by Ministers in the early part of the
Session. lie hoped the measures to be proposed would not be
founded on that flimsy report which had been produced from
the Agricultural Committee, but trusted that something more
adequate was about to be brought forward. lie was of bpi_
nion, that unless a previous reduction of the public burdens
took place, no other remedy could be produced that would
prove sutlicient.—The Petition was ordered to be printed. •
PETITION FROM NORTIIU3INERLAND.

Mr. BEAUMONT presented a Petition from certain occu-
piers and owners of land in the district of North Durham, in
the county of Northumberland, on the subject of agricultural
distress.—Ordered to be printed.
. .
.. LEATHER TAX.

Mr. GRIFFITHS presented a Petition from the Boroughs
of Ruthyn and Denbigh, praying for the repeal of the Leather
Tax—Ordered to life on the table.
31r. MAXWELL presented a Petition from certain Farmers
and others in'the county of Renfrew, on the subject of agricul,
tural distress.—Ordeked to be printed.