The Sun.
London, England, 1804-03-28 00:00:00

at, and in some cases below, 2.1. per lb. now : nor
did they stare any material specific evil now exist..
inz in the Fish Trade. He therefore. saw no public.
advantage to be derived froin this Bill, and he could
not assent to any Legislative aft on the ground of
mere speculative advantage to individuals. He had
beard of Gentlemen combining for the purpose of
procnriog the necessaries of life cheaper to the Pub-
lic toan they could procure them in the former chan-
nels, but he did not find the effeft correspondent to
the expeElati in upon these suljeds ; on the con.
nary, he knew of many grievous disappointments,
of which he gave the late Flour Company as an in-
stance. He said he should be glad to know what
was become of that Company. He thought that the
,present measure would. ha,e an injurious effea on
the Fishing Trade, by taking away from it men
who are now engaged ; and this might be done by
large bounties which the trade in general could not
afford, and then the Public would be worse served
than they are at present ; for persons thus engaged
would not work from necessity,they would not go out
in tempestuous weather ; so that on these occasions
the Public would have no Fish, whereas the others
went out in all weathers. The one were a set of men
who would do all their business by agents, and who
had edch the interest only of 3 or 4001. subscrip-
tion ; whereas the others had their livelihood de-
Pending up.,n their trade. He observed, that this
Bill was not new, it had been brought -in last Ses-
Sion, and thrown out by the sense of the Commit-
tee : there was no better reason for it now than
there was then; for these reasons he should move,
that instead of Now," this Bill be read a second
time this day six months.
The question being put,
Mr. H. ApoiNGTON opposed the Bill upon
grounds similar to those which had been already
stated, and added some further observations to the
same e ff.d.

Mr. HURST also opposed the Bill as a mere spe. I
Culation, without any assurance of advantage to the
Public.
Sir WM. DOLBEN thought there was enough
on the face of the Bill to entitle it to consideration
in a Committee, where any alterations might be made
in the provisions of it, as the case might appear to
require, upon further investigation. He also thought
nough was stated in the preamble of the Bill to en-
tile it to further consideration ; and as to the objec-
tions which had been stated against the Bill, he did
riot at present undertake to decide whether they
were well or ill founded in point of far}, but this he
would say, they reqcd hitherto on assertion only ;
and that was of itself a reason why, in his opinion,
the Bill ought to go into a Committee, where a!on the
e, where, and
whole matter might he fully in.
stestigated. As to what had been said on the sub-
Jett of Combinations, it was to be observed, that
this Was not proposed as a measure to favour a Com-
bination, but a measure to create a Corporation in
the trade of Fishing, and experience had taught him
there was a great cliffe-:!ce between a Combination
and a Corporation—a Combination had often raised
Pc,"vihions tirder pretence of lowering them, but
thvwrphoor.ation had never done any such thing. Upon
the
,te of this matter,' he thought the least thing
"e could do in point of prudence, would. be
r,t() allots the Bill to go into a Committee, for with.
out that the House could hardly see the true nature
01 the case.
Sir W. GE RY supported the Bill, and assigned
the reason why it was not proceeded in last Session.
It was not correftly stated when it was said, that it
was disposed of by the sense of the Committee to
whom it was referred; the truth was, that he with.
drew it, . not on account of its appearing to be an
improper measure, but on account of the lateness of
the Session. It bad been alledged, as a reason for
not entertaining this Bill, that some Fish was now
sold at so low a rate as two-pence per pound ; but
'of this there was no proof, and he was at liberty to
say what he conscientiously felt, that he doubted
the fad. The Bill had been represented as a mea-
sure tending only to support some individuals, in-
stead of being of service to the Public ; or, in
other words, as a measure tending to create a mo-
nopoly ;—if he thought it likely to have that effect,
was one of the last men in the House to support
it• thought, on the contrary, that it was a
nleasure founded on a large and liberal policy, and
that the opposition to it arose from local prejudices
and temporary interests; and under such impressions,
he was bound by the sense he entertained of his
'duty, as a Representative of the People of this
Country in general, considering their interest on
an extensive scale, to vote for the Bill now before
the House.
Mr. P. MOORE opposed the Bill, on the ground
of its inexpediency. He thought that the better
Way to judge of the future was to look at the past;
that the best way to enable us to look forward, waS
first to look back; and upon doing so, he found no
encouragement whatever to
H pursue measure.
He then took a view of .various projeasthis which had
been attempted in this. way, and which w
successful, in the course of the last
half centuerre un_
and
maintained there was enough in that history toy, dis-
courage the present speculation, for so the present
Bill appeared to him to he.
Mr. PRINSEP opposed the Bill as a mere spe.
culation, by which no laudable purpose was likely
to be answered.
Mr. BLACKBURN thought that this Bill ought at
least to he allowed to go into a Committee.
The House then divided,
For the second reading now, - 35
Against it, 38
So that the Bill was lost, for this Session at least.
Mr. SHERIDAN gave notice, that he should to-
itorrow submit to the consideration of the House a
*notion on the subjeft of referring the Liskeard
Eledion to a Committee.
Several Accounts of Irish Shipping, and their
Tonnage, &c. &c. were laid before the House, and
Which were ordered to be printed.
On the subjeft of the Irish Militia Families' Bill,
Mr. CORRY observed, that he had some amend-
Merits to propose upon the Report, which he should
defer until to-morrow, on account of the absence of
a Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. FOSTER), who
had already taken a share in the discussion of that
subject. He therefore moved, " that this Report
be taken into further consideration to-morrow."—
Ordered.