The Sun.
London, England, 1803-04-22 00:00:00

of opinion upon it.---i There might indeettlie some
difference of opinion on the quantity; and on that he
did not ask for any.opinion untilevery Gentleman had
an opportunity of considering it. withoniouteness. It
was proposed that most articles imported lota the
East Indies, with the exception of sugar, should he
charged with the same Duties as articles trotnother
quarters. Asa() the West Indies, to use. the phrase of
" his predecessor, it was oroposed,to put a mark, but not
an invidious mark of preference to those of the West,
Indies, but not such a preference as might have the ef.
feel ,4di.-couraging the'produCtions bfanY other part
of Flit Majesty's dominions. Another. objea of the
present measure was, that of ettithetsounteraaing the
pradices of Sning,glers, which, ntotWithstanding the
. prohibitions and heavy penalties attached to them
by enasfiments in our Statute Book.s, still continued.
It was his objed not only to 'discourage this, by
regulations of-Dories, but 'also'to afford more ample:
protedion to our Trade and Commerce. Gentlemen
had said, it was material that Merchants should be
consulted on this sohjeet before it should be
proposed to the CoMmittee—that it was too itn.
portant to the interests of the ,Country' to be
adopted without. submitting it to the judg.
.merits of those who bad the best experience upon
the matter. He understood the Hon. Gentleman
who spoke last. to have said `so; bait whether that
understanding was right or not, he thought it ma-
terial .to-statelo the Committee, .that •he had en.
deavoured to obtain the• opinions of-the greatest,
experience on every part of the measure which he
was now about to submit, and that had it not been
for his having waited for such Opinions, this mea
sure would have been long ago submitted, to Par-
liament. It had also been submitted to the Boards
of Customs and of. Trade, and he had reason to he,
lieve, that although some difference of opinion had
arisen on' a. few articles, yet on the outline very
little difference of opinion had been entertained in.
deed, for it was to simplify the regulations of arti-
cles, the number of which was near 6000. As to
the precise amount of the Duties, lie had nothing
to say at present, for that was, to be the result of
communications and conferences with persons of the
first abilities upon the subjedi. Much labour had
been already bestowed on. this. snhjett, and he trusted
the Committee would allow him to adopt' the course
which was formerly adopted by his predeeessor in
the year 1787, and also in the AA.of Union be.
tween this, Country and Ireland, namely, that of
introducing the several heads' of regulation in the
form of a Schedule, instead of proposing u distiat
resolution On each separate article, for, in that course
the House would have to consider little less than
6000 resolutions, whereas, by referring to a Schedule
containing them all in their different claases, they
might he comprehended in a few votes. But here..
it was tit for him to observe, that be should not
do justice to the labour and abilities that were cm.
ployed in the fontiing of this Schedule, if he were
not 'to acknowledge, that the merit of it was
chiefly owing to a Gentleman of great knowledge
and indefatigable attention, he meant Mr. FRE-
Wi N, than whom, a more constant, accurate, and
faithful servant, was not. in His Majesty's em.
ployment. He wished the Committee to under.
stand, that this measure, if the House ihould coun.
tenance and .adopt it, Was preparatory to another
measure of which he gave notice before Chri;tmaa,
on the subje.o of Warehousing and Bonding. If
this measure should pais, as he hoped it would, it
was his intention to propose also a measure for that
•purocase. The examitiation of the Schedule, and the
investigation of many points to which the attention
of the Committee would he •called, had impressed
him with sentithents• of admiration of the extent
and vigour of the commerce of this Country ;
growing out, as he knew it had (although coma
mented upon, if he might he -permitted to say
so, irrationally), of Capital that was unexampled
in its amount—out of Laws and Regulations for
promoting and encouraging industrious tiaffic,
and out of a Credit which was founded on good
faith and personal integrity, .upon the true cha.
rafter of the People nf this Country, that good faith
between man and man, which was the foundation
of its wealth and main cause of its prosperity..,, It
was, thus that our Commerce, while it afforded large •
and liberal aids to the exigencies of the Public Ser.'
vice for the last ten years, had. yet continued to' in.
crease so rapidly, that the Revenues of the Customs
had nearly doubled in that time, and the other branches
of Our Commerce 'Were increasing-, particularly our
Navigation. This shewed:us the abundance of our
resources, and manifested the radical strength, gf
the Country; for we find our resources increasing
under the pressure of unexampled 'difficulties, and
before unheard.of trials,. This she wed the confidence
which we were all warranted in feeling, and the Pub.
tic. Credit Which might warrant us in triumph....-
He then read the first ResulutiOn which he'uitended
to move upon this subjed for carrying into efFeit
that which he had stated, and then said, he wished •
the Committee to understand' that he was iltriir nor.
suing the same course as that which was propo,eal
by' his predecessor, and adopted by the Legislature,
in comprizing the different heads of articles intend.
ed tube regulated, in,a Schedule. Should the
mittec approve of this course, he shoot(' propose that
an interval shoulyi be' afforded to consider the Schea
dule, :and then chef the Chairman-should ask leave.
to sit again ;'and therefore, if the Committee should
approve of this Resolution, he should move that the
Chairman do report progress, and ask leave to sit
again—but he should not propose that the Commit.
tee shoUld sit again before this day se'netight. The
Ikon. Gentleman (General Gristly rte) seemed stir.
prized that' he should prOpose eatly a day for that
,porposeo—but the Session Was .advancing, and this
and other business could Mat be pass .Over to ano.
ther:—bur if the interval,. now stated should be
found insuflicient, he should not only. be ready, bui
desirous to assent to a proposition for further time,
As to the Tountage Duty,' he shOuld he extremely
sorry to he thought wanting in candour
.towards
Worthy Magistrate (the Lord Mayor of London),
in proposing that which might be the subject of his
fiicition ; bat he had put off, becomingl, if he might
be allowed to'Say so, the investigation of a queatiOn
which, in one way oetteCiiling it; might operate to the
diminution-Of'theEPublit Reveotti;• was it therefore
fit 'that lie .should exch.* from Ins plan that which
'hid been the sitbjed of public notice,- and had
Oonstituted'it gr'carpart of Ws astentior, far the last