The Sun.
London, England, 1833-04-25 00:00:00

keeping up- our large military establishments—must be
departed from within six months after that event,
With regard to the statement of the Right Honourable
Me ber fir Tamwortb, that the hullion report

had not appeAred until the year 1818, and ill
could consequently have no effect on the state
of the counrry during the previous years, he would beg to
remind the House that the bullion Committee had been

sittinz for years previous to the appearance of the report,
and that the country being in expectation of that report,
it had a urea' ,ffect on the state of the country.--(ter,
this period :IN !arr. Mernb.,r in the side gallery, who had
frequently interrup',ed the ELin. Mem'ner for Whitehaven
in his reply, by coughing in a peculi 4r mariner, main so
repeate t the interruption that he was called to order from
all sides of the House—an Hen. Member, at the same

time, making the rather unusual proposal that he should
be turned out.) With respect to the comparison drawn
by the Right Hon. Vice President of the Bard of Trade
between the rate of consumption of several exciseahle ar.
tides. he (Mr. A.) thought the statem.nt made went
rather to show a falling off than an improvement in the
state of the country. The R ght Hon. Gentleman had
chosen to draw a comparison betwe,,n the years 1814 and
]832, and had endeavoured to show that a erear rise in
the consumption had taken place between those periods.
_ _

He had said that in 1811 the consumption of tobacco

was 15,273,000 lbs.; and in 1832, 20,235,000 lbs., which
stioweil ~n inerea.e of 31 pet cent. ea the consumption,

while the increase of the popul atoll was 24 per cent.
This, however, arose from the iircumstance, that tobacco

:ad been entirely excluded from the country during
;he years 1813-14, on account of the American war,

anti sucn was the effect of the exclusion, alit the

price had ri-en, in 1814, from 111. (the price in 1812) to

is. 2d. Taking, hoxever, the average of the three years
previous to that period, which were not affected by any

such clause, it would be found that the consumption for
Great Britain and Ireland was 20,691,000 Ibe. ; and

while, in 1832, it was only 20,2'35,000 Iho. ; so that
there was a falling off, notwithstanding the advance of
population. Then with regard to tea. The Right Hon.
Gentleman had stated that the consumption of tea in 1814

was 19;224,000 lbs., and in 1832, 31,548,000 Ms., being

an increase of S 3 per cent., while the increase of population
had been only 21 per cent. But be (Mr. Attwond) begged
_ .

the House to remark, that he had taken, in 1814. the
amount consumed in Great Britain only, while, in 1832,

he h td taken the quantity consumed in tieUnited:Kingdoin

of Great Britain and Ireland. It was derogatory to the
Right Hon. Gentlema❑ to call upon the House to proceed
to deliberate upon the important question before them on
such iniorrnation as that—(Hear, hear)—and he would
not take up the time of the House to refute it. He ad-
mitted, however, that there was some confusion in the
returns, and thas it was not easy to separate the propor-
tions used in the two countries. BUt it would he found,
from a comparison of the average consumption of tea,
during the years 1800, 1801, 1802, anti 1803, with the
year 1832, that the consumption of Great Britain and
Ireland, during the former of those years, was 24,300,000
lbs., while, in 1832, it was 31,548,000 lbs., being
an increase of less than 30 per cent., although the in-
crease in the population, in the sitne period, had con-
siderably exceeded 50 per cent.—(Hear.) The result,
therefore, proved that there was a diminution of comfort
among the people, instead of an increase, as the Right
Hon. Gentleman bad wished to show. The Right Hon.
Gentleman had also stated, and he had held it up as a
matter of gratulation to the country, that the consumption
of sugar had advanced 83 per cent. since 1814—the
quantities being in 1814, 1,997,0001b5., and in 1832,
3,655,000 pounds. But the House should bear in mind,
that in 1814 the European ports were first opened, after
having been closed from the autumn of 1810, which occa-
sioned an unrsua ly large export in 1819, and enhanced
the average price to the unprecedented sum of 1035.4 id.
per cwt., while in 1832, the average price was only 48s.
—a reduction which had led to the ruin of the West

India interest. It appeared, however, that on an average
of the six years previous to 1832, the increase had only
been 20 per cent., while the advance in the population had
been 24 per cent.—(Hear.) The House, at this p: rind,
showing, strong symptoms of impatience, the Hon. Member
said, that be would only add, that if the House did not
agree to his motion, the people would consider that they
were not done justice to, and the result might be a sepa-
ration between them.—( Hear, hear.)
The gallery was then cleared for a division, where there
appeared—
For the omission of the words in Mr. Attwood's motion
proposed by Lord Althorp to be left out
Against the omission 139
Majority
On our re-admission to the gallery we bound Lord
ALTHORP addressing the House, in opposition to an
aliendment proposed by Mr. Attwood, (luring our absence,
that a clause should be added to the Noble Lord's amend-

ment, for the appiintment of a Select Committee to in-
quire into the most effectual means to relieve the distresses

of the country.

Lord ALTHORP said, that the appointment of a Com-
mittee for the purpose mentioned by the Hon. Member
rni4ht be a very proper subject for after discussion, if
made separately from the subject then before the House.
He would not enter into a discussion as to the propriety of
the appointment of such a Committee, so generally worded,
as em mating from that debate; but he certainly would
of,ject to it as an addition to his amendment, inasmuch as
he considered it of great importance that his amendment
should stand substantially and unequivocally on a question
of such importance as the depreciation of the curt ency.l

The gallery was the❑ cleared for a division on this sub-
ject, out none took place. On our return—
S,r F. BURDEN' was addressing the House. He
said, that from all that had api,eared from the statements
made by gentlemen best inform,d on the subject in the
course of that debate, the distrt 94 did n,•t appear to be so
great as people supposed.—(Cries of " No, no.") He
should like to see the question discussed without mystery;
and Le thought the Hon. Member for Whitehaven should
m ike it the subject of a separate motion. To him it ap-
peared that there were two kinds of distress, quite uncon-
nected with each other—the one among the poor, and the
other among the capitalists. The former did not appear
great—the latter he admitted to be considerable.
Sir R. PEEL thought that the question before them
should be closed, and a separate motion made on the dis-
tress by the Hun. Member fiw Whitehaven. He hoped,
however, that whatever was done, the House would not
do anything to prejudge the case. He did not think that
a sub..) ct of such great importance should come before a
Commi,tee. No authority, short of the authority of the
whole House, should decide it.—(hear.)
After a few words from Mr. HUME,

Lord STORMONT suggested that the debate should be
adjourned ; and, atter a few remarks, proposed the ad-
journment.---(Loud cries of " No, no.")
Lord JOHN RUSSELL thought that they ought not
to adjourn. Whether the Committee were appointed or
not, be thought the Hon. Member for Whitehaven should
make a distinct motion upon the subject.
Mr. M. ATTWOOD had no des,gn in making his mo-
tion but what was implied directly by the words of it.
He was therefore, desirous to try the sincerity of the de-
claration of Ministers; and he now asked whether a
reformed Parliament was prepared to say that they would
mike no inquiry whatever into the distress of the country?
Mr. METHUEN made a few observations, which were
not heard.
Mr. R. PADIER oimrved, that the opinion of those
Hon. Members was perfectly consistent who asserted that,
in an inquiry into the distress which existed among the
various classes of society, they might oath propriety go
into an examination cf the monetary system, witr.out sup-
porting the particular views of the lion. Member for
Whitehaven. Many Hon. Members had been put to con-
siderable difficulty, because the Noble Lord had brought
forward, as an amendment, what tuey would readily have
voted for as a substantive motion. An opportunity was now
given them of voting for the substantive motion, and he
would certainly vote for it.
Lord EBRINGTON said he was very much surprised
to hear the amendment proposed by the Jim). Member for
Whitehaven, considering the observations he had made in
his opening speech, when he had stated that any inquiry
into the distress of the country which did not include an
inquiry into the monetary system would be ao insult and
a mockery.—(Loud c errs.)
Mr. M. ATTWOOD observed that he was sorry that
the Noble Lord hail only heard ore part of his speech, and
not the other. He had always said that they possessed
the means of alleviating the distress, to a certain extent,
without any alteration of the standard of value.
Mr. 0 CONNELL said the time was come when some-
thing ought to be done, for inquiring, at least, into the
causes of the distress of the country; and if there existed
any doubt on the subject of the dhtress in England, there
could be none whatever respecting Ireland. The Noble
Lord (Althorp)had wade I*, declaration against any depre-
ciation in the currency ; and there could no longer be any
reason, a'ter that declaration, to refuse the inquiry pro-
posed by the Hon. Member far Whitehaven, whom be
considered to have been very ill used. Would a reformed
House continue to oppose inquiry, after everything had
been done which was necessary for public credit?
Mr. BEAUMONT appealed to the House for their in-
dulgence, on the ground that he had never occupied their
time above fifteen minutes during the fourteen years that
he had been a Member of that House. The observations
of the Honourable and Learned Member fur Dublin
deserved little attention, as the tone of them showed