The Sun.
London, England, 1819-12-22 00:00:00

MANCHESTER MAGISTRATES.

Mr. CALCRAFT desired itgaiii to know from the
Noble Lord, whether be mai his Colleagues bud

arty iibjectioti io produce the ati-so.;er of Loy`
Sidutouth to the Manchester Magistrates, and
also lb the Lord Advocate ?

r.nrii CI,TLERRAGti thought it his duty to 017,
jcct to the production, as no grwun' fa ,it baa r
been laid.
wks then about 10 Ibipit 6
rrtotiiltesdnt she prothittotl' of the papers, but
afterwards postponed it till early after the recess.

DISTRESS IN SCOTLAND.
Lord A. HamtvroN, before bringing forwat4
the motion of which lie had given notice, 115(1.4
Petition to present, to which he begged to call.
_the attention of the House. He begged to cal
their attention to the misery, wretchednesi, an,
degradation (in circumstances he meant) of tile'
Petitioners, which he thought of a nature to d6,:'
stand the most serious attention of the Hauser:
The Petition was from a Presbytery or Asiernbit„
of the Alinisters of foot teen parishes, who vver
bound by law and by the practice of their Church
to Morin themselves of the state of their pa'
rishioners, and trona their report it appeared, that.
in Iliat part of. Scotland it was imposkible for the
earnings of one man to support a family. It ids°,
stated, that the poor could not attend Divine Set",
vice as formerly from the want of decent clothing,
to appear in, while the educatiOn of their children
was oeglected front the saute cause. Now, though
he (Lord A. Hamilton) was aware that nothing
could be more against the principles of political
ecouoiny than to make an advance from tl:e general,
stock to relieve the distress.of a particular district,
yet still the distre,s of tliese Petitioners ought, if
possible, to he redrtssed. The Petitioners farther
stated, that no disaffection had appeared among
their pat ishioners till designing persons attemptea
to take advantage of their troubles to intiarne
their minds. The Petitioners prayed the flouse!
by finding employment for the sufferers, or b 0
other menus, to afford relief. The Noble Lord
went on to remark, that that House wou!d per'
form but halt its duty, if it en-acted only coercive
measures to repress disaffection, while it over-.
looked the causes trout which that disaffection.
spiting. lit conclusion, he begged to say, Ihyt
there were waste lands contiguous to the place
where Hose Petitionets resided, which might
maintaiu them, and which he had no doubt the
owners would willingly give tt for that purpose;
it it could be ns ide effectual, by making then!
tithe-free for a number of years, or by any other
arrangemenr.—The Petition was then brought op-,
Mr. KeNNEDY supported the prayer of the PC'`
lition.

Sir W. Ds CRESPIGNY hoped that the plan of
Air. Owen would be acted upon to relieve the ve"
titioners, or that some other equally efficacious
remedy would be devised.

Lord CASTLESREAGH assured the Noble Lord, ha
sincerely sympathisetlin that distress he had with,
the warmth of feeling arising- from attachment to
his country described. The sentiments of 607
vernment upon the subject of the distressed
tricts, had already been submitted to' the House
and the Country ; in fact, these parties, in coin--
mon with other manufacturing districts, were
now suffering from the wl.int of that activity i"
trade which in happier times had constituted their
wealth and conifort The Scottish Nation; hots''
ever, had advantages. They were not subject to
the burden of the Poor Laws, but had the power
to assess theniselves as far as they pleased to Nardi
the support of their pour. in many parts of
England the property of the land-holder was
sensed to the full value in cases of etnergencl;
which w.►s the real reasun often why no complaint'
of the people's distress in these districts reached
the House. Government bad always suggestr4
that, although it would by no Means asscot royale
away the public money to' meet such cases, yet i‘
would be prompt to atfot-d relief iii the shape of 14,
loan, for 3,4, or a years, as might suit their coot'
nience, or an assignmeot of any reasonable setting'
Such had been the practice pursued in the el-istresoe
of ISI7, and he was happy to observe, there ,A"4
even yet half a million of this money in the hand'.
of the Commissioners then appointed. Nothit4
could prevent the applic,Jtion of this sittplus t",
the distresses of these individuals, should the or'
cessary conditions be complied with. In or'll'ff
to obviate any legal objections which mi4lif
made on this head, it was the intention of 04
Right lion. Friend to make a motion on the 50,
ject when the House was upon the siihject of civil
emitingencieS. fie thought much was its titt,
power of the Scotch land proprietors themserre`
they might, and ought to meet the evil ; and hi
making a distribution of the contribution on
large scale, and over an extensive disti;cf, thei
would prevent the distress falling as an itictio.
!trance or tax on the property to ifs total annibi',

Air W. Donut.As hnped some metlnod wad(' be
found for triirving the existing distress, but tel
that many objections existed to the introdueli°ll
of the Poor Laws into Scotland.
Mr. J. P. GRANT said, the case of the sufferers
had not been overstaff(' by his Noble Friebila
o him it appeared, that such calanii!y had beet,
proved to extst, that it was the duty err the 13n'/
pine at large to relieve that distress, which 114
been thrown on M particular district by the genet!'
ral course of its policy. Ile believed the
interest in that 'district could not by possibility
meet the distress. The introduction of our sYsa
tent of Poor- Laws into Scotland, he cowende4l'
ought to he resisted us most impolitic.
Lord CA'TLEREAGII had 1101 &Ult.() the existing
distress. lie had only cootendt;tl that it vvil!

little too haul on Ung land to expect that she:
being distressed by the heavy pressute of the 11°0;
Laws, shooh;. take upon herself the extra bortle.di"
of the Poor of Scotland, to save Scotland fro"-
being subjected to the Poor Liws.
Mr. ELLlCRthought it would he difficult to ere
security for the re-I) of a sum advanced to
relieve the existing distress, as he did not belies
the calamity to be temporary, but feat ed, that .f
some inquiry did not take place, the result
hich was to afford great financial relief, the di('
ficulties would increase.

- - - -
Mr. V. !ILA:ill eXpI'eSSCCI nprobat ion „r the
plan Of advancing nlonev upon certain secoritie%
but considered (but the Bill under which the C"'"

missiom r acted might be amended.
Mr. Wasetteouce considered the Vise Of t 1::
Petitioners 10 be entitled to the most seriolo "

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