The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-30 00:00:00

RETIREMENT OF NAVAL OFFICERS.

The RIGHT HONOURABLE BARONET said, in answer
to a question from Sir Charles Napier, that he under-
stood that unless a certain number of officers applied to be in-
cluded in the regulation, the Admiralty would have the power
to deal with it accordingly. He did think it would be desira-
ble, when the House should go into a Committee of Supply, to
take up the navy estimates first, and he would have no objec-
tion to such a course.
COURTS OF LAW.

Captain POLHILL moved for a return of the number of
the writs of summons issued out at, the high courts of law,
namely, the Queen's Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Ex-
chequer, of pleas between the 10th day of November, 1843,
and the 10th day of May, 1846 ; and also, the numbers issued
out of the same courts in the parallel six months of the five
preceding years; also, the Bills filed in the Courts of Equity
during the same periods of time, distinguishing each year.

Agreed to.
Lord G. BE NTINCK said he would wish to a ask a question
of the Right Honourable Baronet, which at first, might seem
to impugn the truth of a statement made by a Noble Lord in
another place—he meant Lord Dalhousie • but, however, he had
since had such representations made to him as had entirely re-
moved the possibility of such an imputation. He now referred
to the policy of this country as it affected the interests of the
Canadas. The Noble Earl was understood to say that the
Canadians viewed with a perfect feeling of satisfaction the ge-
neral policy of her Majesty's Ministers ; and, so far from en-
tertaining any feeling of apprehension and alarm, he stated
that all they asked was, that the nominal duty of ls., which was
proposed to be retained on Canadian and other wheat, should be
reduced to one penny. This was the statement which was im-
puted to the Earl of Dalhousie; and he (Lord George Ben-
tinck) must say that he had heard the statement with his own
ears. Now, the question he wished to ask was, Whether or
not the Canadians had determined by a vote of their Legis-
lative Assembly to address her Majesty against the measures
of her Ministry ? The first paragraph of that address was in
form something like this :—" That the House viewed with the
most serious apprehension and alarm, and as detrimental to the
future peace and prosperity of the Colonies, the adoption
of the proposed principle of commercial intercourse now
under the consideration of the Imperial Parliament."
That such an address had been unanimously voted he had the
best reason for knowing, inasmuch—( The Noble Lord was
here called to order.) Well, then, the question he had to a k
of her Majesty's Ministers was whether or no, when that state-
ment was made by a Cabinet Minister of the Crown, he
was not in possession of the information to which he ( Lord
George Bentinck) had now referred ? He wished to know
whether that Minister was not in possession of the address
when he knew that it would be unanimously voted by the
Legislative Assembly of Canada, expressive of sentiments like
those which had been embodied in the paragraph he had read to
the House.

Sir ROBERT PEEL said that he would with pleasure lay
all the information he was in possession of before the Noble
Lord. He had yesterday made an appointment with the Sec-
retary for the Colonies fcr one o'clock this day, and when his
Right Hon. Friend attended he showed to him (Sir R. Peel) a
letter from Lori Cathcart, containing the address of the Cana-
dian House of Assembly, which he was bound to acknowledge
expressed the apprehensions of the Assembly as to the conse-
quences that might follow the adoption of the commercial
measures of the Government. He understood his Right Hon.
Friend then to say that that communication bad only reached
him in the course of the morning. He (Sir R. Peel) did not
know that such a communication had arrived until two o'clock
this day. If even he had thought it possible that
Lord Dalhousie should have had earlier information than he
bad, he had yet the assurance that the Noble Lord
was aware of the receipt of this communication at the period at
which he spoke last evening. When dispatches came, it was
impossible that all members of the Government should receive
the information simultaneously ; some time must elapse before
all the members of the Government were aware of the contents.
In answer to a question put by Mr. CHRISTIE,
Sir J. GRAHAM said that the report would be laid upon
the table after the recess.
POOR-LAW REMOVAL.

Mr.h R.l'rat-4NlgiSOve
Lord J. RUSSELL wished to know when his Hon. Friend
Nn notstaitceed i nh
ias mi
notreen
ts
ipnene i fit
ne c
phl
aa re ae c tnei r,
upon
the
tsso,f )zsiaethbeheind him (Mr. E. Denison) would make the motion
Notice-book seveila •
making his motion mnoorettespesecrich would have the effect of
He intended to propose that, in caseand more accurately defined.
to be supplied with relief, the relief shall be pauper requiring
the union, and not in the parish of such union administered in
amount of the exi.ense consequent upon t s ; shouldand that the
de-
frayed by a fund levied on each parish, and that e be s
shall be borne in proportion to the expenses ineurrer in such
parish during the last five or seven years ; and that the debts
same, snail not
already incurred, with interest due upon the ' be
affected by such Acts.
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE PORTE.
Dr. BOWRING inquired whether any treaty had been
signed beteen the Russian Government .. the
ising the duties paid by foreign nations, under e Porte, equal-
capitulation, and removing the disadvantages underthe existing
which Bri-
tish subjects have laboured.
Sir R. PEEL replied that he expected shortly
interview with the Russian Minister. to have an
ADDRESS FROM CANADA.
Lord G I3ENTINCK asked if a copy of the address from
G.
of Canada, in reference to theproposed
the Legislature
terations laid on the table
in the tariff had een
the addres .
Sir R. PEEL—
Lord have not got s.
he had it with and would
Lord G. BENTINCK said . him,
Baronet. (Considerab merriment
hand it to the Right Hon. Baron
Stepp in, down and giv
was excitement from the Noble Lord pp' ,
copy of the document in
ing the Right Hon. Baronet a
questTHion.)
E PRICE OF POTATOES IN YORKSHIRE.
Mr. LAWSON rose to move that a return be made of the
highest price of potatoes per bushel in the various market
towns in Yorkshire fcr the seven months previius to May 23,
1846 ; also, a similar return of the highest prices in London,
Southwark, and Westminster. He said he was fully aware
that this motion was not palatable to every Hon. Member,
still, as he hail been deprived of the opportunity of making i'
on the previous evening, when it was down for pr posal, he
was deter,nined to avail himself of the present onortunity to
bring it forward.. He should then proceed to oTer to the
House that explanation, or rather vindication, of a statement
he had made in that House. When on a former occasion he
had stated to the House that a person in Yorkshire had sent up
potatoes to London, and that the cargo was alerwards re-
turned to Yorkshire for want of sale, that assertion had been
received with incredulity, or he might say derision. Since the
time he had m-..de the assertion, he had had an opportunity of
making an investigation such as was necessary to confirm hie
statement, and he did not rise then for the purpose of altering
anysingle word he had said, but he rose in order to confirm every
single one of them, and he would say, confidently that he was
prepared with all dates and other things necessary to bring
under their consideration. He felt the kindness of the
House in allowing him to enter upon any
explanation, and he should therefore confine himself strictly

to such observations as would vindicate himself in their eyes.
The Noble Lord, the Member for Lynn, having heard on a
former occasion that he was going to offer some observations
with reference to the price of potatoes in Yorkshire, had, with
the kindness which always distingished him, handed to him
a letter from a person residing there ; which letter referred to
the subject. The Noble Lord did not know the writer of the
letter, but on his (Mr. Lawson) seeing it, he at once de-
clared that he was acquainted with the author of it. He was
called upon for the name of the individual, but he was not
then able to say who he was. He would now state that his
name was Mr. Robert Schofield, of Sands Hall, near Howden,
who was a large grower of potatoes. Many animadversions
were offered upon that statement, and he had written again to
Yorkshire, for the purpose of procuring information on the
subject, as he was not then in a condition to give a satisfac-
tory explanation. On Saturday last, he (Mr. Lawson)
wrote to the Alderman that he would offer a vindi..
cation of the statement which he disputed.—( Hear.
hear.) He would now, therefore, say that the gentleman
who sent the potatoes to London was a Mr. Meggott of Howden.
It appeared this cargo was brought into port on the 17th of
March, and that it was transhipped on the 14th of April, and
that it reached Hull on the 21th. The potatoes were not
sold there, but were transferred to Leeds, where they were
sold at the rate of 50s. per ton. He did not pretend to '
know much of the potato trade, and, with all deference to the
Hon. Member, and at the same time to the Hon. Alderman,
he must assert, that the reports were not borne out by the facts.
It appeared that the whole of the cargo was 170 tons. It
appeared also, that two cwt. were sold at the rate of 275. a
ton. Forty-three tons were sold at the rate of 50s, a ton. The
cargo was not disposed of at Hull, but, according to the report
of Captain Shaw, it was carried to Leeds, where 43 tone were
disposed of at the rate of 503. per ton. He need not repeat
that he had no experience, but it appeared to him that it was
an unwarrantable stretch of the personal power of the Ministry.
The Hon. Alderman bad stated that no potatoes had been of-
fered in London to any but cow-keepers at as low a price as
that which he (Mr. Lawson) had stated. This statement, it
appeared, was without foundation or fact. There was in the
city of London a monopoly in potatoes which ought to be looked
into by that House. He could not trespass further on the
House, but if any of his statements were impugned, he would
reserve to himself the right of making a further explanation.
Alderman HUMPHREY said the Hon. Member had deli-
vered himself of something which he conceived to be like that
which was produced by the mountain in labour. Now he did
impugn his statements, and he would trouble the House by read-
ing to them what it was he said on the last occasion.
After reading an extract from the speech in question, the
Hon. Gentleman proceeded to say, that a gentleman, whose
name, he believed, was Miggott, or Maggott—( Laughter)—
who combined in his own person the business of linendraper,
a painter, glazier, mercer, and, he believed, also the business
of a hatter—(Laughter)—and other things, had read an ac-
count of the" Peel Panic," and that potatoes were going to
be extremely scarce. Not knowing, however, much about
the potato market, he went to a small farmer—whe'her he
was a friend of the Hon. Member (Mr. Lawson) he did not
knc w—but, at any rate, he went to him and purchased 50 tons
of potatoes at 88s. He requested the farmer to have
the potatoes all picked, and to have the best samples selected
in order that they might be forthwith sent to London, in
anticipation that when they were sent to London he
should have been enabled to sell them for the purpose of seed.
But being, however, an unfortunate tradesman, he did not
know how to ship the potatoes, and a Mr. Saltmarsh, shipped
them for him in a brig called the " Vigilant." They were put
in the forecastle, and made five rooms of potatoes. When they
arrived in London, a quantity of a similar description,
brought by the same brig, were sold at 953. per ton. The
vessel was deta;ned some weeks, during which time, a person
named Liddel, sold about four tons at from 85s. to 90s. per
tor,. As the remainder could not, however, be sold, he was
persuaded to take them to Leeds, where, he presumed, he sold
them to the poor at a cheaper rate. He lost 2001. by the
transaction; and Mr Scholefield and others stated the case to
the Noble Lord, saying, " Here is a case in point of potatoes
being plentiful, and yet they cannot be sold even in London,"
and on that assertion and on these facts, a cry was raised that the
statement that there was a scarcity of potatoes was uutrue.
He would state the quantity of potatoes which came into
London, to show the falling off that had taken place in the
supply of the present year. In 1840, there were 7,3'10,000
sacks brought up the river ; in 1,222,000 ; in 1545,
1,505.000; while in the present year the number was only
969,000 sacks. He had been told by Mr. Little, that those
potatoes which the Hcn. Gentleman opposite had alluded to
could have all been sold for 41. per ton, but this gentleman, who
had embarked for the first time, and had fairly being taken
in, refused to sell them for less than 5/. per ton.—( Hear. )
It would appear that there was a sort of sweating in the vessels
in which the potatoes were recently brought up to London ;
and this very week no less than 5000 tons of potatoes were
found to be unfit for human food, and they were thrown into
the river Thames.—( Hear, hear.) Gentlemen's po-
tatoes, he said, were produced on a highly cultivated soil
ai,d they were, therefore, not liable to the blight which befel
the Yorkshire potatoes. He had now only to say what he had
before said, that the assertions of that Hon. Gentleman must
have been made for a party purpose—to deceive the House
and the public, and induce them to believe that potatoes were
plentiful that they could be bought at reasonable prices and that
there need be no fear whatever of want of potatoes in London.
The reason why the working classes of the met rop ilia had been
able to support themselves was, that they were well employed
and liberally paid, and they were enabled to resort to other
sort of food. When they recollected that 40,000/. worth of
potatoes had been lost this year, they must sec that there must
have been a great falling off, and he had no doubt that the
Hon. Gentleman who shipped the potatoes in question would
not trust to potatoes again—(Laughter)—and he would find
that it would be as well to have two strings to his bow, and
confine himself to his own proper trade.—( Hear, hear.)

Mr. LAWSON rose for the purpose of making an explana-
tion, but resumed his seat amidst cries of " Grder, order."
Mr. HUDSON said he was not going to interfere in the
debate upon potatoes, but he felt himself called upon to make
one observation on what had fallen from the worthy Alderman
opposite in reference to the quantity of potatoes that had been
brought to London, as compared with those which hEd been im-
ported into the metropolis in former years. There could be
no doubt that the recent increase in the quantity of potatoes
imported into London was to be attributed to increased railway
accommodation.—( Hear.) It had come to his knowledge that
many large potato districts availed themselves of the advan-
tages offered by railways of sending off their potatoes to other
large towns.—( Hear, hear. )

THE BUDGET.
The Howe then resolved itself into a Committee of Suisply,
when

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose and said
—I am anxious Mr. Greene to avail myself of this opportunity,
previously to the separation of the house, of bringing before
them that ar nual statement of the finances of the country,
which is expected from the individual who holds the situation
which I have the honour to hold. lam sure that the state-
ment which I have to make to the House, will have but little
attraction, except from the subject with which it has to deal.
I shall not be able to embellish it with any thing novel, since
the House have had already before them, during previous dis-
cussions, the details of those parts of the subject, which are
the most interesting to the community. The House has already
been informed by my Right Hon. Friend, the First Lord of the
Treasury, of the reductions, which it was his intention to make
in the different duties of customs, which are at present made.
Those reductions have been embodied in the Act which has
already passed this house, and which now only awaits
the sanction of the other branch of the Legis-
lature, in order to be carried to a full operation.
It will also be unnecessary fur me to enter into details as to the
precise expenditure of the country, because the house has be-
fore them estimates now upon the table, to the full extent
which the Government have thought it necessary to submit to
the House. Nothing, therefore, remains to me but to bring
into one general view the statements which are before them in
detail as to the revenue and expenditure of the country, and to
show to the House from the results how successful have been
those measures which the Government in former sessions have
recommended to the adoption of Parliament, and to which Par-
liament had given their sanction ; and upon the continued ad-
herence and progressive adoption of them I believe the finan-
cial prosperity of the country will be found mairly to depend.
( Hear, hear.) I cannot help, Sir, taking this opportunity of
dispelling some of those apprehensions which have been ex-
pressed by the Gentlemen on this side of the House, as to the
effects which the great commercial changes that have since
take place might produce upon the revenue of the country.
These apprehensions have been generally circulated out of the
House by those who profess that opinion ; and it is not
I think, unimportant, that those who have honestly indulged
such opinions should be undeceived—all those who have circu-
lated them with a different view should receive contra fiction. I
shall, therefore, proceed plainly to lay before the House, in
the usual order, first, what has been the result of the receipts,
and revenue, and expenditure, during the past year, and then
to' found upon that calculation what may be the anticipations
which may be entertained as to the receipts and expenditures
of the year into which we have already entered. The first
point to which I wish to draw the attention of the House, is
the calculations that have been made by my Right Hon. Friend,
when he addressed the House upon the subject in the last ses-
sion of Parliament, and the results which have followed from
the scheme he then laid down. The House will bear in mind
that my Right Honourable Friend then stated that certain
reductions would be made in the customs and excise reve-
nues,
uureavnedlei wouldtatth beabout
e result would
e 9 that the
o
i
fthis m
amount
s u of
the
19,500,000/, would be received from the customs, and some-
thing over 12,000,0001. from the excise ; the stamps about
7,000,000/., and the taxes about 4,200,000/. the post office
700,000/., the Crown lands, 150,000/., arid the property-
tax 5,200,0001. I beg to say that lam now speaking in
round numbers, but the sum total makes, as I already stated,
49,762,000/. Now in looking at the calculations made by my
Right Hon. Friend, it will be found that while ho had esti-
mated the sum total of the revenue as only 49,000,000/., it
will be found that it has in fact exceeded 51,000,0001., and
that in this sum was included a sum for the excise of over
13,000,000/., for the stamp duties, 7,600,000/., arid for the
other items sums proportionably increased ; all of which I
think exhibit a great increase in the commercial transaetions
of this country. I must state that the property-tax
has been somewhat diminished owing to the repay-
ments which it had been necessary to make ; and, there-
fore, the deductions in that item can be easily accounted for.
I am reminded of the Post-office. This department produced
in the year preceding the last 700,000/., but in the last year
795,00J1., an indication that stamps the period as one ot
great commercial prosperity. The general receipts
amounted to 162,000"01. ; and here it must be recollected
that, independently of the ordinary resources of the country, a
sum of 750,0001. had been received from China. The total
resources of the country in past years, which amounted to
49,766,000/., has increased to no less a sum than 52,009,000/.
Right Hon. Friendeealh,ntadvwein
within
I
c amplyht
ahri :vs
et
uhr
verified.
the House will agree that the anticipations of my
sleys
teithe
daletaaesr.t suerTseshdi oe nt havesou mk e been
ewph
theic h
the debt litfohuein
we laid before Parliament was 30,749,0001., and this we find
reduced to 30,600,000'. in, • consequence of a certain
amount being charged upon the consolidated fund.
The estimate for the service f
and the miscellan- o the army and navy, and ordnance,
ous estimates, amount to
the sum stated by my Right Hon. Friend,within 40,000/. of
The total result may
therefore be stated thus : a total.revn
the expenditure has amounted to 40.4u:9,
ofoo 502,,009,000/., while
surplus of 2,530,0'60/. There was this,bleaving a nett
year to
side of revenue, an amount of unclaimed
diviLandddsed,tvhe
varying in every year, amounted this year to 2,350,000!. Nowteh.
it will be in the recollection of the Hiiuse that when re Right
Hon. Friend made his statement in the course of the lasty year,
he was exceedingly anxious not to create a sanguine expecta-
tion in the country as to the measures lie was about to propose;
t rore stated to the House a very moderate surplus. Th
e
revenue t iirere
showed a very considerable improvement uenn the esti-
mate, and I think that the statement which we have to lay be-
fore you will be acknowledged to be ot the most satisfactory
character.the inherent elasticity It proves of the re-
sources of this country ; and when certain weights, which are at
present imposed
,tip A on our commerce, shall be removed, then I
am sure the result will be even more satisfactory. Your cora .
coerce will be increased, and the ha-ipiness and prosperity of
people will be greatly extended.
the great body of the
for the
present year in accordance
The estimates are taken
with the principles which I adopted last rear. I have, there-
fore, now to state to the House ) calculations with
thereference
to year,
'resent with
and the revenue of
to the expenditure
this additional advantage, that I am able more confidently to
e of the experience of the
nticipate the future, in eonseluenc