The Sun.
London, England, 1824-03-23 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

A person from the office of the Secretary for Ireland appear-
ed at the Bar, and presented certain papers connected with the
" Returns of First Fruits in Ireland." •
General GASCOY NI: 'presented a petition from the Church-
wardens and Select Vestry of the parish of Liverpool, against
the Bill for providing further accommodation for the Judges at
the Lancaster Assizes.
laid on the table.
After a few words from Lord STANLEY, the petition was
Mr. S. RICE presented a petition from certain Noblemen
and Gentlemen, resident in Ireland, praying for an Act to in-
corporate them into a Joint Stock Company for draining lands
In Ireland ; and another petition for leave to bring in a Bill for
the former purpose.—Leave was given, and the Bill incor-
porating the Mining Company brought in.—Read a first and
second time.
111 r. GRENFE LL obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the
construction of Wet Docks in the parish of St. Botolph, Ald-
gate ; and afterwards brought in the Bill, which was read a
first time.
Mr. H. SUMNER' brdught in the Hammersmith and the
St. Catherine Suspension Bridges Bills; which were read a
first time.
-- -

.....
Sir E. I&NATCHBULL presented a petition from an indi-
vidual at Greenwich, complaining, that whereas he had ob-
tained a Bill, and had some time since purchased a certain
quantity of land, for the purpose of laying down the necessary
mains and pipes for lighting the town of Greenwich with Gas,
he now discovered that a Bill had been brought before the
House, and was in progress, to authorize a certain Company,
to be called the Greenwich this Company, to effect the same
purposes. The petitioner, therefore, represented the hardship
of his case, if such Bill should be allowed to pass.
Mr. H. SUMNER, Mr. Alderman SMITH, and Mr. DENI-
SON, having offered some observations on the subject, the peti-
tion was laid on the table.

Mr. FIOLME SUMNER presented a petition from certain
Owners of Lands on the banks of the Thames, praying for
leave to present a petition for permission to build certain Docks,
south of the Thames, and below London-bridge.
Mr. W. SMITH moved for leave to bring in a Bill for the
making a tunnel under the bed of the Thames, from St. John's,
Wapping, to Rotherhithe, on the opposite shore.—Leave
granted.
Sir E. KNATCHBULL presented four petitions from the
County of Kent, against the Greenwich Gas Bill.
Sir JOHN NENVPORT brought up a petition, praying for
leave to present a petition for the Incorporation of a Company
to be called the " Royal Irish Mining Company."—Leave
given.
Sir W. GUISE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to autho-
rize the erection of a Playhouse in the town of Cheltenham.
Colonel DAVIES presented a petition from the Worcester
Imperial Gas Company against the Worcester Oil Gas Com-
pany Bill.
Sir H. PARNELL presented a Report from the Commis-
sioners of the Holyhead Roads.—Ordered to be printed.
Lord STANLEY presented a petition from the boot and
shoemakers of (we believe) Lancaster, against the hide and
skins' Bill.—Ordered to lie on the table ; as were two petitions
presented by the same Noble Lord, from Rochdale and Old.
ham, against Negro Slavery.

EXCISE LICENCES.
Petitions were presented against the Duty on Exciie Licences
from the Licensed Victuallers of Iturnsey, by Mr. FLrrtl246 ;
from those of Northwich (in Cheshire), by Mr. DAVICKTORT ;
from those of Worcester, by Lord DtvAtunits,r ; and froM
those of Liverpool, by General GAscoYiin. In presenting the
petition from the Licensed Victuallers of Liverpool, General

GASCoYNE took the opportunity of asking the Chancellor of
the Exchequer whether his Majesty's Ministers were ready with
any measure on this subject ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER repeated what
he had said on a former occasion, in reply to another Hon.
Member, that the subject was under consideration, and that
in a short time he would be ready to state the result to the
House.—The petitions were laid on the table.
Lord ALTHORP presented two petitions from (we did not
hear the names of the places), against Slavery.—Ordered to lie
on the table.
On the motion of General GASCOYNE, there was ordered to
be laid before the House, a return of the number of prisoners
and causes tried in the County of Lancaster for the last seven
years, distinguishing the Hundreds to which each belonged :
also an account of the sums of money paid in each year to the
Under Sheriff, as the expellees of the Judges' lodgings, from
the earliest period to the present time, as far as the same could
be made out. _

IRISH LINEN BOUNTIES.
Mr. A. ELLIS presented a petition from Tipperary, against
the repeal of the Bounties on Irish Linens. He would take this
opportunity of asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer a ques-
tion on this subject. He wished to know, whether it was the
intention of the Right Hon. Gentleman to press the gradual re-
peal of those bounties in the manner he had already proposed.
He himself, though a friend to those principles of free trade on
which the Right Hon. Gentleman had professed to act, could
not, nevertheless, look with indifference upon the effect which
they were likely to produce in their application to Ireland in
this instance. It should be recollected that the parties who
would be most affected by the measure were without .capital,
and the slightest check would ruin their trade altogether. He
would suggest, that if the bounties were to be reduced, it should
be by a tenth in each year for the next ten years (as we under-
stood the Hon. Member.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that he
would he ready to sacrifice for a short time the rigid principles
upon which it was intended to act, if he thought that in the
present instance it would be productive of the good which the
Hon. Member had alluded to ; but without going into the
question at present, he did not think that the suspension of the
repeal of the bounties, or the repeal of them in the gradual
manner which the Hon. Member had suggested, would be pro-
ductive of the results he had anticipated. If it appeared that
the parties in the south of Ireland embarked in the trade (of
coarse linen) only for the sake of the bounty, lie believed the
Hon. Member himself would not advocate the support of a
trade on such a principle. Under all these circumstances he
saw no reason to depart from the plan he had originally pro-
posed, which was, that the bounties should. remain as they
were until January, 1825, and that afterwards they should be
reduced by one-fifth in each year for the next five years; at
the end of which time they should cease altogether.
Mr. E. ELLIS said it was hard on the people of the south of
Ireland, who had enjoyed the advantages of those bounties only
for a year or two, while those on the north had enjoyed them
for the last 30 years,
Sir J. NEWPORT and Mr. C. H. HUTCHINSON deprecated
the sudden reduction of the bounties. The latter Hon. Mem-
ber added, that by the repeal whole families of industrious
peasants, who were at present engaged in this trade, and com-
paratively contented and happy in having such employment,
would be again thrown upon the world altogether destitute of
the means of support.
Sir R. FERGUSSON hoped that the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer would persevere in carrying into effect the plan which
he had propounded.
Mr. CALCRA FT admitted that the system of bounties was
bad in principle, but he thought that it ought to be continued
for a definite period with regard to Ireland, because it pro-
moted the employment of a large portion of the population of
that country.
Mr. V. FITZGERALD expressed a similar opinion.
The petition was ordered to lie on the table.
DUTY ON WINE.

Mr. T. WILSON presented a petition from certain dealers
in wine in the City of London, praying for the reduction of the
duty of imported wines. The Hon. Member said, that in con-
sequence of some remarks which had fallen from the Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer last year, the persons connected with
the Wine Trade had expected that the Right Honourable
Gentlemen would this season have proposed the reduction of
the duties on Foreign Wines. He could assure the Honour-
able Gentleman that very great anxiety was felt on the subject
throughout the country.
Mr. WARRE was of opinion, that a reduction of the Duty
en Wide would have the effect of increasing the revenue. He
wished the subject to be referred to the Committee on Foreign
Trade, for consideration.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was sorry to
hear that persons connected with the Wine Trade had expe-
rienced any inconvenience from the impression they had taken
up, that he was, during the present session, to call the attention
of Parliament to the subject of Duties on Wine; but he must
say, that they had gratuitously brought that inconvenience
on themselves. Nothing had ever fallen from his lips in
that House, or in any communication that he had had with
persons concerned in the Wine Trade, which could lead any
body to suppose that he intended to bring the question of
the Wine Duties forward this session as a matter of course.—
There was one occasion on which the subject was mentioned in
that House last year, and he then certainly did not disguise the
opinion which he was sure he entertained in common with every
person who had read the returns upon the table—namely, that
the revenue which was derived from the Duty on Wine was by
no means commensurate with that duty.—(Hear !)—He 'was
also of opinion, that the consumption of wine had decreased
since the duty had been augmented. This certainly furnished
a prima facie case for the reduction of the duty ; but whilst
he admitted that, he thought that he was justified in reserv-
ing to himself any expression of opinion as to what might or
might not be a fit time for making the reduction. Though in
time a reduction of the duty would be beneficial to the revenue,
yet it must at first be attended with considerable loss, be-
cause the increase of consumption would not immediately be
large enough to supply the loss occasioned bT the decrease
of duty, and also because Government would have to make a
considerable remission of duty on the stock in hand. He
thought it would not be unreasonable On his part if, at the pre-
sent moment, when Government was dealing with other large
branches of revenue, and was making considerable sacrifices,
he abstained from committing himself on matters of this kind,
on which it was impossible to express a decided opinion with-
out exciting all sorts of expectations, and throwing every thing
into uttera nd thecon fusio—il
endeavoured to show what ought to be the policy for Govern-
mentLegislaturear)—He
toI had on a former occasion
pursue ; but it was impossible
that Government could do every thing at once.—( Hear, hear !)
Ile therefore hoped that lie should be excused from saying
any thing farther on the subject alluded to in the petition.
WALLACE observed, that the Committee on foreign
trade had quite enough to do without taking into consideration
fie subject of the wins duties.—The petition was then ordered
to lie on the table.

Mr. T. WILSON presented a Petition from the Dealers in
Wool in the City of London, praying that the same indul-
gencies which had been granted to the silk manufacturers might
be extended to them.

Mr. B. COOPER said a few words in support of the pe,
tition.

Mr. T. WILSON then piesented a similar Petition from
the Mayor and Corporation of the Company of the Staple of
England. The Hon. Member observed, that the Petitioners
were not very troublesome to the House, this being the first
petition which they had presented since 1789.
Mr. T. WILSON presented a Petition from the Manufac-
turers of Tallow Candles in the City of London, praying for
the repeal of the duty on tallow.
Mr. F. BUXTON presented a Petition, signed by 7,000 of
the Inhabitants of the Parish of Bethnal-green, against the
measures which had been proposed by the Chancellor respect-
ing the silk trade. The Honourable Member stated, that the
Petitioners expressed their gratitude to the Right Honourable
Gentleman for having postponed the day of their destruction
till 1326, and prayed that lie would be pleased further to post-
pone it till 1829.
Mr. 11. DAVIS presented a petition from certain persons in-
terested in the silk-trade in Bristol, praying that Parliament
would be pleased to grant a remission of the duty on the stock
of silk goods on hand.
Sir J. ASTLEY presented a petition from Robert Gour-
lay, complaining of the present system of Poor Laws.
Mr. FITZGIBBON presented a petition from the Weavers
of Cashel, praying fOr the continuance of the bounties on
Irish linen. _

- THE ASSESSED TAXES.
Sir EAST presented a petition from the Inhabitants
of Winchester, praying for the repeal of the assessed taxes.
A MEMBLII, whose name we could not learn, spoke in sup.