The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-20 00:00:00

HILL COOLIES.

?his shouid prove i 0 Hon. _Members how cautious they
~hould be i❑ erduring petitions to be printed which
were not to come ender the consideration of the House.
STEAM NAVIGATION.

Sir T. COCHRANE wished to ask the Right
lion. Gentleman opposite, the President of the Board
of Trade, when he intended to proceed with the Bill re-
lative to Steam Navigation ?
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that there were
great many difficulties in that measure which had
necessarily led to its delay ; but he was in hopes of
proceeding with it shortly.

STA D'E DUTIES.
Mr. HUTT presented a petition from Hull in favour
of the motion he was about to make relative to the
Stade Duties.

The HON. MEMBER then rose to bring forward the
motion of which he had given notice, namely, " That it
is the opinion of this House that the tolls now levied
upon British ships and cargoes in the river Elbe, by
:he authority of the King of Hanover, under the name
of Stade Duties, are of doubtful legality, oppressive in
amount, and highly vexatious in the mode of ex-
action ; and that it is therefore incumbent upon her
INl,jesty's Government to take the steps necessary for
procuring relief from imposts so injurious to the general
interests of the country." This subject was one of con-
siderable importance, and so much expectation existed
,is to the result of the debate upon it that
ee confessed he wished it had been introduced by some
Gentleman who was more in the habit of addressing
the House. But he trusted he should have the good
fortune to secure from House that degree of atten-
tion for the statement which it would be his duty to sub-
mit, that a subject of such vastimportance to every person
connected with our manufactures and commerce merited.
It was also a subject of importance as regarded our in-
fluence among foreign nations, without which neither
our trade nor our manufactures would long maintain
their superiority. He complained that the King of
Hanover had been in the habit of levying on Bri-
t.sh ships and cargoes navigating the Elbe cer-
tain dues and charges to which he was not
either by law or by treaty entitled, and that he was
compelling the payment of his unjust demands by many
circumstances of oppression, and in a mariner highly
derogatory to our national honour. It was not his in-
tention to deny that the King of Hanover had a
right to levy the tolls. Unhappily for the interests
of commerce, be (Mr. H.) was compelled to admit
that he had a right to levy those tolls, but he was push-
ing that right to a most extravagant and illegal excess,
and was compelling obedience to his mandates in a man-
ner which neither our national interest or national honour
would allow us tosanction. It was not his intention to make
any personal attack on the reigning King of Hanover.
The character and political opinions of that Prince were
in no way necessarily mixed up with this subject—nay
more, he would say he had little doubt that the King of
Hanover, in exacting those tolls, was merely exercising
his undoubted rights, inasmuch as he was only continuing
a practice that had been handed down to him
by his immediate predecessor. The circumstances
under which the Hanoverian family obtained a right to
levy a toll at Stade formed a necessary part of his state-
ment, and they were full of instruction to foreign
nations. The Stade duties were of sonic antiquity ;
they grew up among the early Emperors of
Germany, under their sanction. In 1648 the town w
Stade, tog th rr with other territories, was ceded to
the King of Sweden. The King of Sweden exercised
the customary privilege of collecting a toll at
Stade upon all ships and cargoes proceeding up
the Elbe, the 11a7 of Hanover being alone exempted.
In consequence of some disputes which arose in the col-
ection of these tolls between Sweden and Hanover, a Con-
vention WaS a ppoint,d for the purpose of settling the mat-
ter between them. That Convention assembled in 1691.
A treaty was drawn up with the sanction of both
parties, which, after reciting the exemption of Hanover,
-.vent on in a clear and explicit manner to lay down the
mode in which other ships and cargoes should pay
the duty. In 1G92 a tariff was drawn up with the
sanction of those two States, which was afterwards
incorporated in the treaty, and the two documents
were in the course of the same year signed officially.
Almost all articles of Commerce were rated at 1-16th
per cent., according to the real value as it appeared by
the invoices of the goods. To this were added various
provisions for the protection of Commerce, and the
King of Sweden, as Lord of the Stade, bound himself
not to alter or increase the duties. In 1715 the Stade
was ceded to George the First, as part of his electoral
dominions, in consideration of the sum of 150,000/.
paid by the British nation, and of certain acts of
hostility committed against Sweden. The sacrifices
were a good deal complained of at the time, hut the
Minister of the day justified himself by stating the
great importance of obtaining the Stade for the promo-
tion of the British trade. Of course the Elector of Hanover
took possession of the country bound by all its obliga-
tions, and amongst them the Stade duties, against which
he did not protest. Under these circumstances the
power of levying the dues at the "Stade was transferred
to the Hanoverian family. In 1736 George 11. in
consideration of his obligations to the British nation,
modified in a great degree the manner in which the
tolls were to be paid by British and Irish vessels ; and
again in 1740 he went further, and gave Up his right
to levy the toll, but which continued only for a time.
In 1804 the French took possession of the North of
Germany, and then the duties at the Stade
ceased. In 1814, the French were driven out
of possession, and the duties were restored
under circumstances of very considerable aggravation.
One of the first objects to which their attention had
been directed, had been the intercommunication

Mr . MACKINNON begged to ask the Nob s'
Lord whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Go-
vernment to allow the importation of Hill Coolies intu
the Mauritius and the West India Islands, or whether
he had any objection to the production of the des-
patches addressed to the Governors of the West India

Islands.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he had no objection to the
production of the instructions sent out ; they were
ready ; and if the Holt. Member moved for them, he
could obtain the information he desired.
PETITION OF WILLIAM. JOSEPH, AND
JOHN WORKMAN.
An Hort.. MEMBER wished to ask the Hon. Member
for Finsbury if it was his intention to call the attention
ofthe House during the evening to the petition of WO-
nat.% Joseph, and John Workman, according to the no-
tice .he had given.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said that he intended to
postpone the consideration of the notice of motion which
he had given.
PORTUGUESE CLAIMS.
Lord SANDON wished to ask the Noble Lord the
Secretary for the Foreign Department if there was any
intelligence from Portugal which might show that the
case of the Portuguese claimants would be settled at an
early period?
Lord PALMERSTON said that he had lately
appointed a Gentleman to become a Member of the
Commission who had to decide on the subject, but that
Gentleman had decli r tithe office, and he had not yet
been able to2appoint any one to replace him.
Lord SANDON said he hoped that the Commis-
sioner in question might soon be appointed, and that the
interests of the claimants might not he trifled with.
Lord PALMERSTON said that the first appoint-
ment he had made was a bona fide one.
Lord SANDON wished that the Noble Lord might
fig a time within wh
•
ich he could complete the com-

mission.
Lo rd PALMERSTON said that it ..-as ;tnpossible
for him to fix a day for the purpose, but he could assure
the Noh.ie Lord that he was in earnest on the subject.

—(A hit* th.)
PO,STPONEMENT OF MOTION.
Mr. GOLTLBURN said that it appeared that the
Hon. Member' for Finsbury did not intend to bring
forward his motion regarding the petition of William,
Joseph, and Joho Workman, presented on the 13th
March last, althlugh that petition had been ordered
to be printed with ihe Votes of the House. The petition
contained serious ch arges against Magistrates and other
parties in Sussex, and be (Mr.Goulburne) thought that

between the several States by means of the navigable
rivers ; and the grounds had then been laid
down of the great principles which for the
future were to regulate the question of river
navigation, and on which all future negotiations on that
subject were to be based. The principles were of the
most salutary character, and were expressed in language
as clear as legislation had ever employed. They had b en
received throughout Europe with the greatest feelings of
satisfaction, more particularly had they been received
with the utmost satisfaction throughout Germany. The
enrglitened men of that country thought with delight that
the noble rivers of the Fatherland were about to
be made the medium of commercial intercourse,
and consequently civilization. They hoped the
time had at length arrived when these magnificent

streams should no longer be closed at the will o

every petty arbitrary power which might choose to
exeicise its authority. But this pleasieg dream
was fated to be disappointed. The Congress of Vienna
bad decided on the general principle, but the details
were left to be regulated by a Convention of repre-
sentatives from the States more immediately con-
cerned in the river navigation. This Conven•
tion met at Dresden, in the year 1819, and consisted
of representatives from Austria, Prussia, Saxony,
Hanover, Denmark, Mecklenburgh, and Hamburgh.
'There had been no document published officially
by that Convention, but a full account of the proceedings
had been published by a learned German lawyer, who
had access to all the documents, and he hoped the House
would permit him to refer to that publication.
The object of the Convention of Dresden was
to carry into effect the principles laid down by the Con-
gress of Vienna. Hamburg had declared in accordance
with those principles, at the very first sitting of the Con-
vention,her willingness to give up all taxation on the nar-
gation of the Elbe. On the 9th June, however, the
Minister representing the State of Hanover astonished
the meeting or the States by claiming for
the Stade duties an exemption from the considera-
tion of the meeting, on the plea that these duties were a
sea tax, end did not fall within the sphcre of the inquiry.
The President of' the Assembly protested against this
objection, yet, whenever the subject of the Stade
duties was brought forward, this miserable quibble
was resorted to, and although it was afterwards
given up—(Here the impatience of the House became
so great that the Speaker was obliged to interfere for
the restoration of order.) The Honourable Member
continued—He was afraid that these were dry
and uninteresting details.—(Loud cheers.) He wished
it had been in his power to have rendered this subject
otherwise ; but it WPS necessary in the making of any
statement on this subject to explain the whole ques-
tion, and he therefore trusted the House would extend
its indulgence to him for a short time.—(Cheers.)
Denmark and Hamburg protested against the with-
drawal of documents of so much importance, and at last.
a resolution was come to which constituted the 13th
article of the Convention of Dresden, by which the Stade
duties remained untouched. Having said this much he
thought he should have very little dfficulty in proving
the justice of the charges ne had been making
against the Crown of Hanover. Up to the year 1829
the tariff for the purpose of protecting the Navigation
of the Swedish rivers was a secret, tariff.
The answer of the Court of Hangver was—" You
don't know what it is, and we don't intend to tell you."
Last year, however, the Noble Lord obtained a
copy of the document, and it appeared that it had
no resemblance whatever to the tariff submitted to
the Convention of Dresden—it bore no resemblance
to that establishment in 1692, or if it bore any,
it was that of a hideous caricature. In the first
place, it was ten times the amount.—(Hear, hear.)
In the second place all the provisions and regulations
for the protection of commerce had been struck out.
In the third place there was so much ambiguity in the
wording, and so large a discretion left to the colleeting
officers, that the Stade tariff might might be made to sanc-
tion any abuses or exactions. To give an instance, it up.
peered that go9ds shipped as " bales," were liable to pay
double the amount of duty, as if they had been entered
under another denomination. Enghsh horses, of which
a large number were exported, were liable to a duty
sixteen times the amount of that imposed on horses of
aoy other country. In short, the whole system was
one of usurpation and injustice. These were not
merely his opinions, but they were those of the autho-
rities at Denmark and Hamburg, whose ititeres:s
were averse to the continuance of these duties.
He would read to the House the statement of the
Twisters of Denmark, when their attention had horn
turned to the subject in the year 1833. The Hon.
Member here read the document in utstion, in cinch

It Weis ,telti'd, that , E:C taxt's IC V ied il i i ewe., re 'W, Pim. tun -•. as et the bead sit fi,, Fei tem. Office- 1'
were unjust and oppressive ,and were little better than wes am gether a csesien, a mere jingle, be winch to put '
a renewal of the club law of former times. The re- money into the pockets of the Kiee of Hanover out of
marks of the Hamburg Commissioners were the same, i those of the British merchants. They had not trifled with
with the exception that they put forward' another objet- `Mexico, nor were they about to trifle with China,
yet the friendly communications were to be carried on
tion to the se stem, which was, that the vagueness of
becked by some seventy-fours and a few frigates. Let the
the terms which regulated those taxes left the entire
Nehie Lord take the sense reurse in this mm—let him
cemmeree of the Eibe to ?le discretion of the Custom-
pureue a little It cndly C"1141! ,I.,;erti ;on with a seventy tour
house officers. He weited also read to the House a list of
lying along the guard-ship. and the matter would be ami-
wasthose taxes, and h,• fund amongst the number that there
cably and speedily set led. If the Hen. Gentleman pressed
a tax of 21. 15e. on each ship. Each article was
,
also taxed to the amount frequently of five pet cent inits his motion, he would feel bound to vote with him.
real value. Again, a commission of 64 per cent, tens to ' Sur F. TRENCH had heard with much pleasure the
be paid to the collecting officer. There were besides statement of the Noble Lord, and if the Hon. Member had
otion.
f
taxes for certificates, and taxes for vessels returning. faith
w his ~ He was perfectly sure that the King of
were the ingenious devices resorted to for the pm:-
aith in the premises of the Noble Lord, he would with-
Suchd all,lloVer %As anxious to do perfect justice to England, nor
pose of putting money into the handl of the Government.
He believed that from these sources the Kin of Hanover eas he at all to be compared to the Dey of Algiers or ty-
g
could not obtain less than 70.0001. or 80,000/ per annum, , rants of such a stamp.
Mr. HUTT replied, He had carefully abstained from
which were levied almost exclusively on British vessels. I
1 alluding to the present occupant of the Hanoverian throne
For the slightest irregularity, and Which no care or pro_"
deuce could avoid, the ships of this c: untry were thrown the Crown of Ha-
into the hands of the King of Hanoves's officers, and the , _he had constantly used the words
foyer," thereby avoiding as far as possible any personal
gal-
owner subjected to confiscation and penalty, as rapacity or lesion. It was a tar rester question than either a Whig
cr Tory one—it was a question vital to the commerce of
:,:price might suggest. To give the House some idea of i
the extent of robberies, of which otherwise they would l this country. He was glad that the House was unanimously
have no conception, the Hon. Member said he would state 1 with him on this question—for no one gentleman had risen
two or three cases. In the list of lading of one ship there ,in his place and d fended the arbitrary manlier in which
these duties were levied. It was with much doubt whether
was the emir of words, which could not affect the Stade
duties to the extent of eight shillings, but for this triflin he was doing right, but with the intention of doing so,
g
that he acceded to the wish of the Noble Lord. ( Irnme-
error
Hanover thenot leers than 0501. ems were oblig
In another case of ato the Ki
steam ng of
drately upon this declaration upwards of thirty Members
vessel p'ying between Hull and Hanover, on an eccusation on the Tory Benches rose and left the House, amidst the
derisive cheers of the elinieterialists..) He trusted that
from the King's officers that it bad not stopped so soon as
the Noble Lord would expedite the negotiation as much
they directed, a heavy fine was inflicted, and the Captain
as phssible, and grant relief' to the oppressed merchant.
having sent a protest to the British Consul-General, on
e
the next voyage the vessel was detained, and a larger fine Inc, pr vious question was then put and agreed to.
imposed. In a t hit d instance, for a trivial oversight, a ship Lord TE IGN el OUT H then rose to move that the
was detained 14 days. Was it wonderful, when British
petition of Benjanen Mills be referred to a Select Com-
merchants were ee mercilessly fleeced, they should besiege mittee. That gentleman had served as an assessor of
the offices of the Board of Trade and For ei
taxes for thirty-one years at, during the war, a salary of
As fm as he knew, neither remonstrance nor petition 500/., and 300/ during the peace. Upon the consolidation
of
offices in 1839, he was removed with a pension, upon
had had any effect. The merchants of this country had
a very much reduced scale, the principle of which the
obtained neither reparation nor redress. He did not mean
Noble Lord contended was not either just or reasonable-.
his observations to apply particularly to the present Go.
vernment, but to every successive Government which had The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
swayed the destinies of this country during the last 25 the present question has been, on more than one occasion,
years; they had one and all exhibited a degree of derelic-
before the House, and therefore iiis reply would be very
tion of duty the most reprehensible. So long as the
brief. He did not thiuk his Noble Friend was aware of
the exact circumstances of the case. According man old
King of England was King of Hanover, there might
Superannuation Act certain deductions were made from
have been a delicacy in meddling with the pecuniary rights
the salaries and emoluments of parties holding official si-
of the Sovereign; but that difficulty no longer existed ;
that excuse, a bad one at the best, could not now be tuations, and on these deductions superannuations were
pleaded in extension. Was the evil to last for ever? What granted en the retirement of the parties. In the case of
answer were they going to make to the British merchants these surveyors and assessors of taxes, the Treasury took
chose petitions now lay upon their table. He wished to be nothing from their emoluments, but made a deduction
informed what answer was to be made to those complaints of I merely from their salaries, and it was then intimated to
British merchants who loudly complained that the King of ;thorn that it was to the deductions from their salaries alone
Hanover was plundering their property—that that flag they mustlook for the superannuated allowances they were
which in former times had been respected throughout the to receive. That was the short statement of the case, and
world, was no protection to them on his shores. He said he trusted the House would not think it right to interfere
the Noble Lord was bound to come forward and vindicate in such a matter. If they once undertook to revise the de-
the conduct of the King of Hanover, or, on the other hand, cisions of the Treasury in these cases of retired allowances, •
proceed-he was bound to put a stop to those disgraceful they would create much discontent and dissatisfaction, and
ings, and redress those complaints which had arisen. He parties would be induced to look to the House of Com-
wished to be informed had the King of Hanover right and moos for redress whenever they thought themselves
justice on his side when he acted in this manner? If be aggrieved, rather than to the persons whose duty it was to
had not, he called upon the Noble Lord to prevent him. , apportion these allowances. He should, for these reasons,
If it was contended that he had, he ( Mr. H.) would wish oppose the motion of the Noble Lord.
to have explained upon what that right was founded. The Mr. FRESH FIELD supported the motion. It ap-
ared that th e amount oo
King of Hanover had no inherent right to levy a toll upon Phs gentleman was nowt recetheivin superannuated
50/.all a-year,wance
the Elbe ; if he had, it must rest upon some clear and
general foundation which could easily be produced in eve-
and no one would say that, after serving the country for so
dunce. Surely the Noble Lord would not rely upon the
long a series of years, that was an adequate compensation.
treaty of 1692;n0r would the Noble Lord adduce as a rea-
lie believed no persons more richly deserved their salaries
son fur the continuance of these duties that they had beets than these servants of the public who had devoted the best
levied for a long period of years. Could he for a moment years of their life to its service, and it was holding out
argue that the King of Hanover was to be entitled to very little inducement to them if they were turned off in
take advantage of his own wrong. Perhaps it would be their old age with so small a pittance.
argued that he derived his title from the Congress of Mr. HUME hoped no Committee would he appointed
in the present case. He thought the Treasury had acted
Vienna, but the Congress expressly laid it down that the
German rivers along their whole course should be free—
with perfect fairness, hut, if they opened up the question
that commerce should be protected and encouraged—that
of too small retiring allowances he should insist on open-
duties should not be raised without the consent of all the ing the question of too large superannuations, and insist
,on their being reduced. He feared there was too niuch.
States ; yet the establishment formed by the King of
inebriation to be over liberal instead of being too niggardly.
Hanover at the Stade was in direct contravention of every
one of the regulations laid down by that Congress. Neither Lord TEIGNMOUTH replied. He had heard nothing
by the act of the Congress of Vie nna, nor by the treaty of in the statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman which
of Hanover any authority to impose
1792, had the King would juetiev him in withdrawing the motion, and therefore
those duties, which was a system of robbery and wrong, and he should tree the sense of the House upon it.
in no assignable respect different from the depredations Strangers were ordered to withdraw.
which used to be committed by the Dey of
The House then divided, when the numbers were—
Algiers, except that they had not yet roused For the motion
the whole of the civilised world to resistance. Against it
. •
He appealed to the House in the name of common justice Majority in favour of the motion,,. 25
and in the name of thousands whose welfare was at stake, On our return to the gallery we found
to interpose its power to put an end to the evils to which Mr. WODE HOUSE stating he wished to ask a clues.
he had alluded. He felt grateful to the Noble Lord for
tion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer respecting the pe-
the field which he had laid open for enterprise, but he titian of the merchants and bankers of Manchester. He
must tell him, if he had permitted these things to continue wished to know whether he meant to refer this petition to
the Committee or not. If so, did he do it with a view to '
without any effort on his part, especially after the result
provide a remedy for the evils of which the petition tom-
faith
of the last dehate on this subject, he had neither kept
plained. If he did not mean to refer it, on what grounds 11
with the just expectations of the people, nor his own
well-founded reputation,—( Hear, hear.) The Hon. was it excluded—and, lastly, whether in that case such a
Member concluded by making the motion of which he had petition ought to be excluded from the consideration of the
given notice. Committee, which be understood was about to be specially
Mr. HAWES seconded the motion. He was most
appointed for entering into the consideration of the prin-
ciples on which the paper currency of the country was re-
glad that it had been brought forward, inasmuch as it
would have the effect of turning the attention of the gulated.
House to the subject. With regard to the river Elbe he The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
than
the Hon Member for Hull had made out his case. he thought it was unnecessary for him to say more the
that it was always his intention to refer the. petition to
Ile believed they had the power of relieving the trade of
this country mom the obstructions under which it at pre-
the Committee.
sent laboured. There never was a time in which the fu-
Sir EDWARD SUGDEN then rose and said, that
reign policy of the country, as connected with trade, oc-
having gone out of the House for a few moments on the
eupied so much attention as at present. He was happy to
last division, on his return he found his motion on the
confirm the opinion of his Noble Friend, that the mercan- 'paper had lapsed.
tile interests g,nerally were thankful to the Noble Lord now to bring it forward.
for the protection they had received from him, and he Mr. HU.VIE objected to the request of the Hon. Mom-
hoped the Noble Lord would not disappoint the expec--
her being acceded to, as it was contrary to the regulations
tions of that body on whose prosperity depended that of of time House.
the country.
be-
Lord PALMERSTON said, undoubtedly the question He hoped the House would permit hid,
Sir E. SUG DEN did not vote on the last division.
cause he did not understand the question ; he therefore
to which his Hon. Friend had drawn the attention of the went to the library, and returned with as much celerity as
House was one of great importance to the commerce of possible, and therefore hoped no other Member titan the
the country, and, so far, he entirely agreed with the view Hon. Member for Kilkenny would object to his request.
he had taken of it ;on the other hand, he was afraid The SPEAKER intimated that he had called -over the
the question was not quite so simple as his Hon. Friend name of the Hon. Member twice, and therefore, consist-
might think it appeared to be, because it was complicated ently with the rules of the House, the lion. Member could
with old treaties, and the transfer of territory—with the treaty not bring on his motion.
of Vienna, and that conference of pleuipotentiaries which S:r ROBERT PEEL approved of the regulation ee-
took place immediately after it. He could assure his Hon. nerally, but thought there were cases which should be ex-
Friend that he had not at all neglectee to attend to the cepted from its strict observance, and that this was one ef
subject since the discussion in the House, but had earnestly them.
pressed the Government of Hanover to come to an arrange-
The ATTOR N EY-GENERAL thought that acted'
meet which would place these tolls on a more rational ing to the request of the Hon. Member would establish a
footing, and one more consistent with the interests of com bad precedent.
matte. It was only within the last month that an answer Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL hoped if the Hon. Member
had been received from the Hanoverian Government to a were allowed to bring on his motion, it would not be until
representation that had been made to them by the British after the Orders of the Day.
The conversation then dropped
Minister. That answer was now under the consideration
of the Government, and they were proceeding to deter-
BANKING COMMITTEE,
mine what steps should be taken. It being, therefore, a The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved that the following Gentlemen should constitute the
subject of conimunication between the two Governments, it
would be premature in the House to come to the resolution Banking= Committee :—Mr. Chancellor of the Exehe-
proposed, and he would, therefore, take the liberty of rug_
quer, Sir R+ bent Peel, Mr. Hume, Mr. Labouchere, Mm'.
i
gesting to the Hon. Member the propriety of postponing it
I Goulbuin Mr. lark Philip:, Mr. O'Connell, Sir James
until it was seen whether they could not by negotiation Graham, Mr, Clay, Mr Giseorne, Sir John Rae Reid'
with the Government of Hanover place the matter on a s Mr. Oswald, Mr, Charles Wood, Mr. Bickford, Mr John
s-
-,
tisfactory footing. He did not think it would be expedient Parker, Mr, Pattison, Mr. Retries, Mr. Ellice, Mr. Set
,
to enter into a discussion apse the right of Hanover to levy geant Jackson, Mr. Hector, Mr. Grote Sir Thomas Ere'
tolls under existin circumstances; but he WAS bean to mantle, Mr John Abel Smith, Mr. Strutt, Mr. Matthias
gd
admit that the tariff under which these tolls were !.vied, Wood, Mr. Morrison.
was not a tariff which Hanover was entitled to enforce, and Sir R PEEL said he ems starry to find so numerous
it was upon that footing that these negotiations had hither. a Committee propose;, as the investigation would be a
to been based. But this was a question in which Eng- protracted one, and he thought that a smaller one
land was not alone concerned. Negotiations had been would be found to be more efficient, and as some
also going on between Hamburgh and Denmark with Ha. branches of the inquiry were sufficiently distinct to
nover on this very subject. He would not, therefore, go be submitted to a separate Committee such as that which
itsto;the grounds on which his Hon. Friend had rested his must form a main branch of the inquiry, namely, whether
motion; but the latter part of it was now altogether urine or not the functions of a Bank of Issue, arid one of Der'
cessery, because Government was actively employed in sit were incompatible with each other. He thought,
taking measures to relieve the commerce of the country separate Committees, composed of a limited number of
from those vexatious restrictions of which the petitioners members,vvho would devote themselves to the investige-
complained. Her Majesty's Government were deeply im- thin, would be better than one composed of twenty-five or
pressed with:the importance of the commercial interests twenty six members, At the same time he would not un-
of this country, because every man must see, even upon &mate the farce of the argument, that these questions
a superficial view, that our political power and were intimately connected, and that therefore it would be
p
existence as an independent country must depend on those politic to have them investigated by the same Committee.
~omroevieolyzd
to
o f to
the
the
addl,ie hacking
Et tm
xe
Cnames
t i Committee.
E
uf
E Sirß
a l Is:
resources which commerce efforded.—( Hear ) Upon title Mr. HUME objected Cr) the suggestion of the Right
or upon every other matter in which the commerce of the I,H,
aorrrnl.leel Baronet,
CHANCELLOR
andrioinAeAtiN,r
.cand l i
country was concerned, not only would time Government do
its utmost to procure every commercial facility, but they
would be obliged to Hon. Gentlemen to bring forward any sented generally to the observations of the R:ght Hon•
case of commercial restriction that fell under their notice, Baronet as to the inconvenience of a numerous Commit"
so as to assist and strengthen the Government in the exe- tee, tut on the whole he had thought it would be better,
cation of their measures ; because it would then be seen by
on this important subject, to have such a number as would
foreign powers that the Executive Government in the corn-
represent the various interests affected by it. He trusted
munications it had with them were not only expressing their that, having paid great attention to the formation of the
own sentiments, but were resp.nding to the feelings of the Committee, the House would not think it advisable to
country in protecting its commerce and increasing the ex-
alter the list.
tent of its commercial relations.—( Cheers.)
Mr. HUME would not wish to press his motion after
Mr. AARON CHAPMAN was willing to believe the what the Right Hon. Gentleman had said.
Goiernment were desirous of removing all restrictions from The motion was then put and negatived without i'
commerce ; but he could assure the House there was not division.
Mr. RAIKES CURRIE thought that the character °f
the smallest return made to this country for those charges
which were imposed on vessels navigating the Elbe.— the lion. Member for Bridpo7t—the searching nature °
(Hear.) The commerce of this country ought not to be the questions he was in the habit of putting —his extensile°
emiN,xi uepmdiadbnyearttorrenthampered by such an oppressive and odious tax. He experience of mercantile transactions, wnile at the sate,
should support the motion of his Hon. Fsiend.
chtßioimnrlit:pta'hooserrt t
twbiza7iistnil
Sir WALTER JAMES
nowmgu ethi adewithdrawniooitlf.srotohma themthat
peculiarly(2om ittp qualifiediie would
before he proposed his motion, ought to have moved for
which the Heuse had been occasionally
o ft the
words II
en r.
mystified d- l'firg e 'nub rybe es
or withtab 0
the production of papers, and then the House would have
Hon. Members ; he should therefore propose that be
ceen what those negotiations were to which the Noble
Lord, the Secretary of State, had referred ; but still be
i NEassußreodf tthheat nEXCHEQUER
one
else
should
wid°ljll;,3
did not think his Hon. Colleague had done wrong in pur_ added to the Committee.
suing the manly course he had—(Laughter, and hear,
Thej
eCc t, tHse O
he C
were CHANCELLOR
hear)—and if the motion was pressed to a division he not object,
should vote in its favour. What he mainly relied on was Pro
SPiors(Rd.. PEEL said there were two other name,' t° bee
the Treaty of Vienna, and the Conventions which followed
roposed. He put it to the Right lion Ge I le ae that the
they Treaty. These charges were most oppressive, and P
they were exacted in the most oppressive manner. With- House would be placed in an awkward situation, m
if, havljr,'
out meaning any disrespect to the Noble Lord opposite rejected two Hon. Gentlemen, they should now aPPia°-!
(Lord Palmerston) be must say his opinion was that if the the Hon. Member for Bridport, and articular) y cone
Noble Duke, who was a Member of the other House, had ing the great merits of Sir H. ParnPell, and the attention
been at the bead of Foreign Affairs, this matter would have lie had paid to this subject.
of the
been settled long ago.—( Hear, and latighter.) Mr. W ODE HOUSE thought the Chancellor
tee
Mr. L ABOUCH F, RE hoped the Hon. 'Member for Exchequere was in rather a melting mood when the °3
Hull would withdraw his motion• otherwise if pressed to a of Mr. Warburton was proposed.
division their conduct might be misconstrued , and the ob. Mr. HAWES supported the motion.
~ Id
ject which they all had in view would be frustrated. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER eer
—( Hear, hear, hear.) The Government of Hanover not object to the motion, if no other name were to be 2---eede.
had admitted that the Stade duties, as they Mr. SHAW was surprised that, after having eive,%h m
were at present collected, were utterly indefensi- question full consideration, the Right Hon. GetetAc'eaf
ble. lie fully concurred with his Honourable Friend should now give way. I had
the Member for Hull in the object of his motion, and if Sir R. PEEL would not give his vote at all. It; ate
to to vote upon it ay or no, he should feel obliged coma down ready to support the Right Hon: Gentie—,:t:
to vote in favour of it ; but as it would be most inexpe- in resitting the motion. If it were proposed
drew, under the eiremenstences, to enter into adi - Mr W- b • ti •other that would be adi e
icemen et- uron :• m seme nettle,
of the question, he hoped iris Hon. Fiend would withdraw rent question. 'Out when the Right Hon. Ger demon ,
,a
it. But if he refused to do so, he (Mr. L • I prepared give • • he (S. R. Peel) would not gl'et
abouchere), in , to wet, Sir .
his 00-
, order to avoid • i giving an opinion upon it, would feel it his waY• Tee Right Hon. Gentleman ought to know
duty to move the previous question. The Hon. Member !mind —( Cheers )
mould.
for Hull could best Consult the ititerez,ts of his constitu- '
hlr. SMITH O'BRIEN thought the 'ors, 'we,'
_„.,e.
C to sue-mute Mr. Warburton for some othere nh.oni,
eras, which he had so abl, ate...rated oo that, as well as b
should be glad to see '-ee Henry Parnell on the '-'
on former occasiens, if he witedrew the motien, and trusted He
to those premises which had been given by the Government. mittee. would
to subs'
fre,
Mr. tfUelE said, eiestev,r course the Hon. Member "I he CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER if any
sugeeet that ihe motion should be withdi awe. ands, Mr.
took, he bed dorm much good by the mooting of the clues-
timber of the Committee was net inclined to atteno
Mr-
tort, Even the Government admitted that the commerce
es
of the country was plundered, end had been plundered for Werbtet et' mime neigh: be substituted.
a great number of years, aye, even when the Duke of The moeuti was then withdrawn.
m....e5e4