The Sun.
London, England, 1823-03-13 00:00:00

lIIETROPOLITAN LITERARY INSTITUTION.

A Meeting of the Proprietors of this Institution took place
at one o'clock yesterday, at their temporary Establishment,
No. 11, New Bridge-street—Sir NV ht. PAXTON in the Chair.

Atr..lvotraros, the Honorary Secretary, having read the
minutes of the last fleeting, laid the Report of the Committee
before the Proprietors," when it .appeared that they were in
treaty, for the purpose of taking
a house well calculated for the
purposes of the Institution ; that they had opened a temporary
suit of Rooins at NO, 11, in New Bridge.stiTet, where the
Papers anti otherperiodical Publications Were regularly taken
in, and Reading anti conversation_ towns open to all Sub.
scribers, from 8 &clock in the morning until it/o'clock at night.

Mr. litismr.n, in a very nem,. speeds expatiated upon the
probable utility of the new institution, :and argued that, from
lts vicinitytwabietoGaudYyliilig
flose to l‘ied
pitttiandithe Temple,*it would becom
an inmie-
cal Oentleinen, and- Civilians
especially ; ha thought even the publleetionof a fharilal
ticable and desirable. ile conchtdid by moving that the Re-
port now read be confirtned by the Meeting,
Mr. (putout) remarked, that he, iii common with many
other Gentlemen upon:the Committee, had thought that the
consideration of By-Laws should be delayed until the list of
Subscribers was coMpleted, as it would scarcely be jost that the
few should legislate for the many.
',yes& t se:
hint
H rumsun .
Mr. JENNINGS, the Honorary Secretary, could not but avail
alluded. was the proposed pub,
observations upon a particular subject that had been referred
himself of the opportunity that
ter).l tinerh ofe
cOcet ittol eni
whichewthl
eo
inudd
lication of a journal of the new 3letropolitan Instittition.
thought establishments of this kind were a sort of literary fici,
and that every thing that could disseminate to others, or draw
to themselves mental advantages and improvements, sliotild
be sought ruler, and, if possible by any Means acquired ;
therefore, thought 'that either a monthly or quarterly-joutruil
should be published simultaneously with the establishment ofthe .
aMmeirognPth"lnyt"pitbinlisctaitutiotni7 alltsfPUlitrllZgliht herittlier quarterlyindinetl
to . works
were at this tune rather out of taste with the
Upon the subject' of gratuitous lectures, which hind been
slightly touched upon, lie thought that gentleman who
came forward so handsomely to give their gratultoui as.
shamus, in the cause of science anti literature, bad not
been encouraged as they deserved. lie thought there
were other ways of encouragemit encouragement than that of- peru.
Mary nature; and as he saw several tieniterneti near him
who were.perfeetly colupeteut to lecture upon. various branches
of the arts umiseiences,,he trusted some Of them 'night be in.
duced to signify their inclination of so doing in writing to him-
self, and he should even in that event propome the tromediate
repayment of the interest of the capital of the share-holders in
the best possible manner, namely, by an eNtension or mental
information, through the gratuitous agency of those literary
gentlemen, who should signify their willingness so, to contribute
o the hiforniaticin of the irlmprietors.
The liott. Secretary then moved, that it be referred to the
Committee, to consider of the proplety of connecting the pub-.
lication of a Journal with the Institution.
. After some conversation and euStehaary thanks, the itlettimr
adjourned.

• WEST IN 1)1A TRADE.

Yesterday a. most respectable Aleetitig, coh-*;
sisting of upwards of 300 Merchants, Planters 4 ezt. wait- Ind& it
the City pt London Tevern„ for,tho pnrpgaanf)netitioninn.liar.:
liarnenr against the adoption of a measure prayed for by Ow
East India ( s-niperty--tittmely,' the eipiltlliefforlof lto tics upon
all Siigais imported into the United Kingdom,---Ctrairt.ts
Ews,..Esq. in the Chair. . .
Several Gentlemen having been added to the Standing Corn-
Mittee of West India Planter and Merchants, - •• • •
• Mr. Ett. Lta addressed the Meeting• in restrly.the 'following
words :---Gentlemen, the purposefor which I felt it my duty tomtit .
this meeting is,.to submit to your consideration 4 petition to the
!louse of .Commons against a proposition of which Notice has been
given for the equalization of the Duties upon East and West India
Sugar. The petition wao presented poratiant .to the instructions
of your Standing Committee ; it. WAS after.wards_ revised., by that
Committee, and, by their instxuetiona I now submit it to youfar
your signatures and approbotion,• Gentlemen, the avowetLas
jeer of the proposition of which notice has been given,- and the
infalible consequence of it will be, to. put an and to the growth
of St; ar our, Wean India Colonies, .autl to, transfer AO the
East' India, Company the ,eupplying of the . markets of the
United Kingdom. At the tune when; the renewal of the East
Intlia.Oompnny's'Cliarter WWI under diamiseion, it was -claim-
ed on. behalf of the West India Colooies.,-"That such an ad.
dition should be made to the. duty Upon. all aug.tr and coffee
imported front the East Indies after the opening of the.trade,
as shalt be equivalent to the facilities which will be afforded
to importatien by such opening, and be sufbeient to pro.
serve to the West India Planters substantially die same pro.
to ctiort against the competition of East India Sager and Coffee
in the new state of things as was afforded to them during the
existence of the Company's monopoly;" end tin.asiatranee Was
given, on the part of the Government, That the. Government
had thoughs.it right to leave this point, with many other or.
moments,. tatiskeettled separately in the next,Sesslon; but
that they, felt the negessity of bringing forward a measure the
the purpose of protecting_the Colontes against the competition
which would be created-by the opening of the 'trade;- and of
placing the two interests of (East and %Vest India) on.,the sante
tooting towards each other ntt they had hitherto stood 4WartlS
each other t.And:tbat an: additional duty, would with, that View
be uecessary‘". This itasurante was. matte •by a Noble Lord
(Ceatlereitgit) then at the head of Yoreign .Atfeits, and I
state it now to show the extent of. the claim made by the
West India Colonies, and to thew that the duty then • im-
posed upon East India Sugar waa imposed for the purpose of
affording to West India Sugar that protection which his -Ms-
jesty's Government considered it deserving of. • Bow far that
duty has proved to be a protection, is to he seen by the returns
of the importation of Sager by tbe East India Company,since
that In 11113 the quantity of Sugar icaported.hy:the
Lust IntliaCompany wa5.13,000 cwt. but in.! 021„their Minolta-
tions increased ,to 114,000 cgf.' Sugar haring Undergone a
process similar to claying has been introduced by the East India
company, and a yrOtraion against it was subsequently grant-
id, by the imposition of; the duty imposed
.upen 'Test India
Cloyed Sugar. Sugar front Java and China has alio been intro-
dueed., and a protection aguindt thafwa4 afforded by imposing
upon it the samealutyrimposed upon all foreign Sugars imported
front foreign countries. Such is the gate:of raw allording
protection to West India Sugar—protection still hurt of, that
which was promised by Ilia 11l ajesty'v Government-namely, a
protection subsfnrrtially eqgivalent .to that affbnied- to the co-
loniee during the existence of the Et* India Comntany mono.
poly.- It liagainit this law' that the East India Conspitny in.
tend' to Maktun attack, for the Purtiose.which I have already
stated. It would be a waste of ume for nu to pint out to 'I
you, who so convers. ant with IVest India trade, the ruin.
Otis consequences of this propolition, it carried into eifect; not
only' to the West India Colonies,, but to all the important
British - interests connected with them. It %vmilt' be equally.
a waste of time if 'l' were to' state to you the argumettni ut
favour of .014 piotection' which • might td -be"afibided the
West. India Colonies; arguments, which must tie, obvious to
all. I shall therefore, without detaining. you longer, read the
Fetition.which I have- been instructed to submit to your con-
sideration.

The following petition was then read :
" To the Honourable the Commons of, the United Kint;tiom
of Oreat Britain and Ireland in Parliament asserntiltd.
""The Petition of the Planters Mei-Claims, and others
interested; in the BWI ritish est 'ndia Colonies,
44 u NIB T.Y Sit wE ti—That your peth ioners tre, Proprie-
tors of Plantations or Settlements
in the British W.i.‘st India Co.
Ludes, or .gents representing 'those Colonic*, or Alerchants
trading thereto., or, us Al or toNcees,, .Annuitants, Legatees, or
otherwise, are interested therein. •
" That your petitioners havtaleurned, that A petition has been
presented-to your Honourable House, purporting to be the pea.
tion of Merchants, Agents, Shipowners, suet otherrinterest ell in
the trade to the East Indies, anti resident in London, which,
upon. grottas therein allegvi, prays, that certain measures
which havebeen recently adopted by the Legislature may be
followed by an equalization of the duty: on Sugars imported
from the East and West Indio, and a just olaisitication of the
qualities of East India Sugars. •
" That, to a just classificatim of the qualities of East India
Sugar, for the purpose of proportioning the duty Payable, upon
the importation thereof, to its degree of refinement, in confor-
mity with the principle adopted by the British Legislature, with
respect to British Plantation Sugar, your vetitionevi, tar from
objecting, beg to express their ready assent; and add their
prayer to that already before your Honourable House, that
whatever is wanting clearly to ascertain the facts upon which
such elasification may be made, and justly to fls the duties pay.
able upon each class, tray be forthwith enacted. g •
" But that the other prayer of the petitioners engaged in the
Eruit India Trade, that there should he an'equilisation of the
Duty on Sugars imported from the East anti Vest .Indies, asks
ter a direct violation of that protection to their produce at the
markets of the Mother Country which the Colonies claim, as
being subjected to every restriction which she -has finintl it for
her commercial utivantageor for the advancement of .Iter naval
pottier at any time to impose upon them—a protection Which,
in every essential point, has been invariably afforded to them,
and which halt been reengniaed as their right by repeated' Acts
and proceedings of the Legislature, after full anti deliberate
discussion.

4' That tile pretention now advanced, that your-Honourable
House, by passing the Acts 3 tie°. IV. cr44, and sgi, • has re..
Moved the restrictions which confined the Trade of the British
West India Colonies to, the Mother Corintry,` and that the
tangs of the world is now -afforded to theni for the sale of their
produce and the purehase of their suppliesi* cannot, in the just
estimation of your Honourable House, be fur a moment ail,
mined to cancel the claim of the Colonies to the protection
granted to their produce tit the Horne Market.
"rhat the Act of the 3 tie°. IV. cap. 44. far from having
been sought fur by the Colonies, was on their behalf deprecot-
ett; if it were afterwards to lie understood as impairing their
rights under the Colonial System; and h petition in that sense
was presented to your Honourable House. They were well
aware how little under their circumstances that Art could 4111i1
for their relief; and it was a mealtime adopted by the Legisla-
ture in consistency witivotho. laws respecting British shipping.
That the other Act which has been cited, that of if Geo. IV.
• c. 44. permits indeed an intercourse, carefully guarded and
limited, betwixt the British Colonies and the United States of
America, in the shipping of the latter, a licence hymn:kiln* at
different times permitted under the' trong necessity of the. case,
which, thus groonth-d, limited, and guareltd, is indeed an
illustration' and proof of that system of Monopoly in respect
to shipping, to which it fonhs an insulated. lard iridispensahle
exceptem.
• That your Honourable house will not hesitate to acknow.
ledge the wide and striking -distinction betwixt Colonies which
are strictly centincti in all their imports and exports (with the
tangle exception above stated) to British shipping, and which
:cannot import any supplies which shall interfere with or sup.
plant British fisheries, -or it single article of Britishmanufac-
Jure, and Dependencies of the Empire, not Colonies, which
neither ever were, nor ever can be, subjected to colonial regu-
lotions, which are open • to every source of supply,- and` have
.access to every market in the shipping of all the world.
," That the British West India Colonies have moreover to
plead that they have (the- old Cohmies more especiallyy beeit
planted and settled by BritiAh subjects; 'and that ,the cati.tal em-
barkeil in them (a capital not less than It* millions 'is British
capital—that they ate portions of British agrkculrure anti in-
dustrytlevoted to the production of articles neeilfr:i in the eon-
Sumption of the Mother Conntry, and Which tic does not and
cannot tilltirate at hone-,; anti that such intimate union
betwixt theta and dui 14r:1ether Country, that ofvlistever they have
acquired, or, de'sotittire, 'has--beetti• anti is titrettis MA invert.
ably returned ter The. Mother Conlin', a•-f.i lidded to-her, wealth
and Vesouicei., T- - • • • •
" That your petiti.onero, calling to taind that these Colonies

~. . . ~...,, „ „ -,,,:l ii. 14 7i- :.
/114,Ypbpo.v4ablis,heci. wider tit,fit 1 ofoutoy oil of Oprne-
-Iment, which lidiebeeri "fratrult techiredlY'for theft Chironlo- ' '
.
`Mello and exien&lett—sittitt /hey that? ,been (proroitt float; itery •
alvautagasus ,to- fi-reat IA it OA OW therhave, fpr,ainwst •'-
two c9t:tulFl) reXtcnil, „f, protection at her. Markets,' Nair
claim. to4nich iis"tiete4 till ritivt; toiefori'ealledin eriiestiefiLL '-
-will not= idertibt, Abet .1 yotir Alitrinotrsible,•Houros will AittoTVOinsfs' ..•
eonsistePtillistitthe,ank99otdgefl aitti3OYOrilleinftiev.9l tfie ~
lllS9til 1 al*,,holniAii giot.auteOrOtee#AM mlO be wit/Argon
}vilout tolegOitte onnitenitation'tdthese who may loolnjureihy. ,
'suds 4 change of pplloy,i f_,,,,".' ~-"i; ii i_ .. ..
':
~' ' ' ''
4 a -
1 "..That your powwnora,, rem „nauses, which 11uk*e on otncr
1 occasions been loafed to our .11ori.'liditse, haVelten fortiOtite '
time plat labourind.:Urtiliii.'greiOdisteess, and dtrivlng It ' wthsy
scanty, if any; return from thoipProPottle* ifs the Q 91094;
that they have endured, their th,sktr.siss patiently ; tinaltaken kit
their attachment to the Mother Cdontry, and .their loyisi °be-
dience to her t.46Vernment ;, that they.have.folt a Cat C4141W0 in
her continned=,protectionioonl. have looked, forward witli
.{top
.
to, sock focheoge qf circuntstaoces,, asp rotOt again affbrif tit 'tk,,
articles, of their production a riOnOttetitig.. prim Rut" tilt sr
. 4
tinder a saltation 'so depeiSaad.P.thttoOottottalt AO their proftlum
St the ,home tnecria* Irolso. away. stfitu; ,foo43,lnA,Atiell,
:tr.eif
eLiSe will, diltlet4t_ . • dppexat,, analt their ruin *ban.. -''' •
I'ltat' 'tittle' P OfreiO titt ' init, Under' the oxisting Ltno%
enjoy- a monopoly: oPthe British ..Market for the grew so4lts.
li,, gar. The.. protecting ~tluty. io, gradually Ititnivioc4, 4' tos2
averitge
,price may exceed altare remuneratton to the British
Planter, until It is wholly 'aoh'e, a wit, and, the, DtltielAn.:Xsit
'
and West India Sugar sn i that *casts, bccaTtx , VtitiAligtll.;'4*o •
Oita, thus, the BrittahClonsumor.lutelds protect-len prOol:‘d
by the very same Law. Which protects the pi-Willaliter. .e. ''
1 ''. That there is; in foot, lio ;pi-naafi,* apprehending a /01e;:l
for Seim oppressiielipon tits British conswtier,, as the I.ll#o.`tt
Colonies produce at greet sorpluS, beyond Brittih consunipttor. ;
while the increased prothicoon of 'ffubti;' Braid; and. the Rash
Indies,
_amply Tiede • theisel markets or ,Buropsi.whioh. are .nut
supplied bl. Colonies, of their own. lois the glut tiutylevieO.
Oti the Arttel,. \viten .consooted iti Grcat Britain,' which cliteliy
eotistitutes'the priee'pold by Our consttlitiFt fettlliti utmost dit:-
Terence' tru the: d uty luvied upon ~ tioloni alttiugr, Obi: that ' al.;)11
the Easto exceeds by a,more.trtil a one pcimyi per pound.
That your Petitioners do not pretend to estimate, 'and. will '
not attempt to depretiate, -the advantages which Groat Britain
: may, in'tho course or, ointeo derivo.tioni the Depentiencies.of
the Empire in the East lialies—but to thaw the cultivation of
Sugar," for the eonsumptitin of 'Oreat Britain, lea new Object,
without necoss•tn which they have prospered; and which, whiles.
the consumption of all the rest of the world ix open to them,
they nay well leave' to the lio4aession of the British Colonies,
so long as these can supply the Home Market amply, and at a
reasonable rate. That many other articles may be presented
to the industry and edventure of the Natives of India, advauto-
lgeous to theinselveS and to Great Britainl and which may still
eave to the British Colonies tbe:means.or.prosperity wider tl:e •
"tabli4led,BP.ogetainn ql. tho.. Mother Country. •
That whatsoever he the speculations cobeerning.theadvan-
tages wlikh the East Indian trade may cootAto on Great 'Britain&
yoor Petitioner& humbly represent, that, whether your Irtio..
If °use may look to the trade ot the West India Colo:tits in its ri*.
section with the export of British inanufacutreo-- with the Ceti,,
Bunn employment of a oust Motive of British,shipping t wit 4 ,
its importance as a part of the capital ,of the Empire, and as a
portion of the industry of Britiitt Subieetet with its returns
to the Revenue, and to the wealth lot, tht Mother Country;
with its resource as a Commercial Marine., always at hanO,
all our own, the sure and tried 'means of our naval great-
ness ; when it is considertd, too, that the. rakish's. C•Olanitts on
which,, these great advantages depend, sre identified with our
intereits; controulled, far every useful purpose by our Com-
mercial 1 and capable by their insular position of defence,
At all times,- by a mutt exertion. of that Naval. Power of which
they are the ropio support—with these considerations in your
view, you -will not, ut your wisdom, think it fit that such a
cotnmerce and such resources shouhl be sacritickoltpartyoro.
cortah)•speetilations whatsoever, .. .
‘.‘ I our. Petitioners way that your Honourable Houie will
not, by any measures which you may adopt respecting,tho'
duties on Sugar imported feum various partsof the East ludioot
entertain the (location of either taking away, or diminishing,
that protection by means of duty,- which the Legislature has
granted.toSugors imported front the. West India Color/lea in
Ureat Britain." .

eir. Li MURAT tuoved, that this, petition might be adopted
by the ineetiog, and left us long at junetible at That Tavern for
signatures t• and that the tietitlemen present tnight theri uifix
their signaturtra.,,, lie knew that a paper, of this kind, agreed to
in a large assembly, was open to much critieisin ; but as it bad
beenrevSseil.by the Stantliiig Committee, he thought it better-
that the company simuld,adopt it than that they AtIQUI4I cuter
into the consideration of any other, although the erguments in
favour sit the 11'est India Colonies might not he urged se strums,:
ly in this petition as in anthers and that whatever additional
arguments might be noise in the course of this day's discussion,
ehould be suggested to the Gentleman who was to present
the pstitiop to die !Souse of Commons. Indeed it was impos.
undo to state In that petition all the arguments which could by
urged lo suppoit of the claim of the "Went India Colonies; be-
lie WWI convinced the more that Claim wits diecussod, the
more it was examined, the more it would be round to be -
ent with jnstice, anti the promotion' of the bet.intereeta of the
Mother Country. lie therefbre :conelutied that the, petition
which had been just read should be adopted by the tueetmg.
Mr. cAItRINCI TUX said, he felt geetit pleasure in seconding
this petition, which, as the Chairman bad said upon a fornier
occasion, was it petition upon a *object titan which 4 more inn.
portent kid nut been discussed since the abolition of the
Slave Trade. If it were viewed in a commercial point us
matter at rivalry between East anti West India dugitri it
was pf . sisal, importance to those whose property was in the
West India Colonies ; hut, net hail. been well stated, the
arguments in support' of this proposition involved the steely
of the \Vest India Island* ; because it cannot be expects
eel that those hostile to West Indian interests:would continii,
themstivem to the commercial part of the question. ',this was
not a question which would be treatid ari a eommetcial °tied. a
Committee were granted, but the great question of mitts cipatiou
would be opened by granting that Committee. He saw nothing
!. thingermia in the appointment a Colltrilittee it were merely
for the purpose of considering the ditties upon certain deserips
dons of Sitgar-; but this proposition did not %top there ; it Went
farther, and -prayed for on equalization of duty upon t asl'and
India Sugar. 14e should oppose such a preposition, ljist.
catt,e it wt.nt to familiarise the mitt& of the public tat etrituteips
tion, and, famtlitaise their minds to the opinion that :Falkland
! could do without the Welt India Coloniete if he did riot
sess a single shilling the West Indies, be would merely say,
as u country gentleman, that the interestinfliegland and of the
West Indies were rouged together; end.that Engitilid, in minus
twining. West India interests, was but confirming her then mist
ettseimal inn.rests. They were called upon now to her
away with
all which had been done for centuries; to say all thst been
done by their ancestors, was bail; anti to rash into the untried
field of speculation-. -.,peculation lat ion involv ingru in to theinseives, arid
bankruptcy to .t great portion of the best interests Of the nation:
Not having the means of obtaining the neeessayMform.stion
upori this subject, he did not know upon what ground. to tr.,:ad
but he hoped, that in the House ar Commoos the twwertUl
limdtd interest of England would rise, and soon the atteticpt
to familiarise the public: mind to the inevitable ruin the
West Indies; awl he hoped, that the ,diecussititi upon,
• proposition would not be treated in a commercial Pont ot.
view, like a tltiky upon soap, but that it' would 'be taken on
the broad groundse-Are we, or ore we not' to Abe/Won' the
Colonies to ruin I, 'They were idled that' the adoption of- this
pioposition Would be advantageous to the. Mother Olen-
, try, anti that rthe East India mereharion.could Sufiar
' better WO Cheaper' than the West Initiate. Ile itnetv' tout
the West Indians could not ceitupttOwitb:thitn t and be hi Pett
that, those (lentlemen_ in the., How of Oorarnomt ''svho sup-
ported the West Iridia interests would. argue the queetion upon
that "round. lie acne to this meeting, net- clattd ttphopti,
but depressed_ by melanetioly'; and he would give tlyss,yttrY
tensions to .prescience, if this question:Or a COllllll'42* WOO
he appointed) did, not take a greater 'stretch than the considisser
don of the anustint of-duty anti lies s hoped:shot liontisettett
ww.thl see the drift of the prpposition whaeht AisltolnesiigkaP
send no very a-latent day, WO)1144
productive-of tile.--swd n our
tuifinti Colonies. • '
The Itetttion.wis then put, told tuntkeegatslylatiopted. • - ,
' On the metiowor Mr. Mates; 1141,4 , die -thanks; ot tine:neer*
sits;wee voted to the Chairman Is i his indefatigably estettiolok
• tct promote the in tereste of the !Writ, intlitt P.lssritycst
Ettini returned th... ..",Inte"filtd '*44o,l,tut tr$V"1111 if they
had been louse satiable tutu they w sure ttlett hilfm to by
sever.-paid , and that wash as
,they,,ist Tr, way*, IA
it it the services the reit India Y. ,
The itliseting woe-then .4feettlitid; and sevens' Gentltnieis
affix-SA tiseir signature:rem the _Petition. •