The Sun.
London, England, 1821-02-28 00:00:00

WEST INDIA DO( K.

Mr. MARRYAT, after animadverting upon the
excessive duesdemanded by the West India Dock
Company,- stated, that a numerous and most re-
spectable Meeting of the Merchants and Traders
of London took place some• time ago, to consider
this subject, in pursuance of public advertise-
ment. A t that Meeting a Resolution was agreed
to without a dissenting voice, expressive of the
strongest disapprobation of the exactions of this
Company,, and a Petition to that House was
agreed to unanimously, praying for redress.—
This Petition he had now_the honour to present,
which he did with the more satisfaction, as he
entirely concurred'in the sentiments which it con-
tahled. The lion. Member contrasted the con-
duct of Cie IVi,st India Docks Ivith. that of the
TVL,rcantile Docks in France. and Flanders, where,
no-exactions were tolerated, and concluded with
ekpressing- a hope that the complaints of the Pe-
iiti,Aers would be duly considered by the House.
Sir Is.tic COFFIN- observed, that there never
appeared to be much friendship in trade. -Each
•trierchant sought his OWTI interest, monoply was
tlie.order,of the day amongst them, and beggar
my neighbour the object.—(A laugh.)

Air. F. LEWIS considered it fortunate that the
charters for the Docks near London were fora
limited term, as they must therefore necessarily
be brought before the House. At Hull .a per-
• manent charter had been granted, and although

they Shareholders had been receiving 50 per cent.

on their shares, the shipping and merchandise
was saddled with the same charges, instead of
the rates being reduced, after allowing a fair
remuneration to the proprietors. Ile then re-
marked• upon the accession of monopoly gained
ley. the East India Dock Company, who, by a
clause in their charter, engrossed the whole. of
- the East India private—trade._ He Ahought that
it would be very advantageous if the Docks were
compelled to lay an account before Pazl:ament

annitally. ll.e hoped when the donsidetidioti of
these.charters would conic under •notice of
the Housei.-,that a pritwiple ut fair competition
.

•- Mr. F. ItotussoN said, he, was very far from
undervaluing the importance of this question. Ii
was undoubtedly the duty of that House to watch
with peculiar vigilance the tendency of any niece-
sure which involved private! interests as well as
the great commercial interests of the country.--
There were other Docks, beside the West India
Decks, *hich •had exclusive charters, having a
longer period to rtin than the West India ; it
would have been inexpedient, therefore, to make
any declaration of the views of Government as
to the renewal of the charter of the West India
"Company,- until the whole question, as it re-
spected those several charters, had been taken
into consideration.

Mr, BArtixo said, the question before the
House was one which was .intimately connected
with the economy of trade in this country. It
was a fact which no merchant would deny, that
the establishment of these Dock Companies,
though it was at first a sort. of experiment, had
proved of the greatest public utility. When they
were first established,rit was impossible to know
lhow far the rates .would or would not afford a
sufficient compensation for the capital employed ;
but now that it had ',been .ascertained that
the rates 'had greatly :exceeded such a com-
pensation, it was certainly an important ques-
tion for Parliament to determine, whether the
Charters should be renewed. He thought
the House ought not. to. decide hastily .upon
a question ofsuch magnitude, which involved
the private interests of a large body of proprie-
tors, as well as; the. general economy of trade.
The Charter . was granted to the West India
Company, witha restriction thatthey were never
to divide more than 10 per cent. The obvious
inference was, tlial if the rates exceeded such a
sum as would afford R-dividenA of 10 per cent.
they were bound to reduce them so as to bring
the dividend. within thevrescribed limits. They
had, however, clone no such thing. Instead of
reducin!, the rates, they had 'accumulated a sum
of no less' than 500,0001.' It was sufficiently
clea:', that prudent men would not incur the re-
sponsibility of dividing so large a sum among the
stockholders, and he .(11r. Baring) felt per-
suaded that such a division without the sanction
of an Act of Parliament would be quite illegal.
Mr. F. ItOBINSO,N explained.

Mr. C. Loma observed, that with regard to
the protection of the Revenue,, these Docks had
perfectly answered the purposes of their esta-
bliAment. The. Revenue had also been col-
lected at a much less expence within the Docks
than in any other department.
After a words from Mr. Alderman lIEYGATE,
the Petition was brought up.
Upon the question for reading the Petition,
_ _

Mr. -MARRY.IT said, he hop;:d that when any
legislative measure came before the House, in-
volving the interests of the West India Dock
.Company, Parliament would take into its consi-
deration the benefits which had accrued to the
Country from that Establishment.
Mr. GORDON- said, he understood, that a large
offer had been made to Government for their in-
tervention on behalf of the proprietors.
Mr. F.•ltontNsos said, he had never heard of
any such offer having been. made. As. to any be-
nefit which the proprietors were themselves like-
ly to derive from the accumulated Stock, he
thought this was a very doubtful question, for he
understood their affairs were in Chancery.

The petition was then read, and ordered to be
printed.

lANE.N TRADF,.

Mr. HumE wished to ask the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman oppo,ite (Mr. F. Robinson), whether it
was his intention to propose any measure to the
House with respect to the bounties upon the ex-
portation of English and Scotch linen ?
Mr. F. RontssoN said, the Hon. Gentleman
must be aware that the existing law would not
expire until July 1823, therefore no intention
had been formed on the subject; but there was
a similar bounty allowed on linens exported from
Ireland, and as long as the bounty was conti-
nued in Ireland, he should conceive it to be no
more than proper that it should be so continued
in other parts of the Kingdom.
Mr. MABEKLY wished that this policy should
be authorised by Parliament. The word of the
Right Hon. Gentleman would, no doubt, be
binding on himself, but it was not an Act of Par-

liament, and the Right Hon. Gentleman's succes-
sor might adopt another line of policy, notwith-
standing his assurance.
Mr. F. ROBINSON said, he was fully aware of
the difference between his word and an Act of
Parliament. He had not intended any thing fur-
ther than to answer the question which an Hon.
Member had put to him.

Mr. MAIIERLY wished to ask the Hunourable
the SeCretary of the Treasury, why certain ac-
counts relating to the arrears of the Consolidated
Fund in Ireland, which he had moved for some
time back, had not been produced? He was
the more surprized at the delay, because one of

the accounts to which he referred was ordered
by the House to be made within fifteen days of
the sth January every year.
Mr. LusnINGTON said,; that, every po3sible
exertion had been made by the Treasury
here to procure the accounts alluded to, and
the only difficulty had arisen from the form
of the Honourable Member's motion, which
might even now be removed, if he chose to
amend his motion. If he had moved for the
accounts up to the sth January only, they would
now have been here, but he had extended ii to
the aOth January, and therefore it had been im-
possible to procure them sooner.
Dr. LUSIIINGTON postponed, from Thursday to
Friday next, his motion relative to Mr. Ellis's re-
moval from the office of Master in Chancery in
Ireland.

Mr, Hymn moved for accounts of the expendi-
ture in the Colonial Establishments at the island
of Maritius, Ceylon, Cape of Good Hope, Esse-
quibo, Demerara, and Berbice, which were or-
dered ; as were also several accounts relating to

the sums of money under each head '614 the Army
Estimates for 18'20.

CAMS AVF.RIC;Eq

The Report of the Committee on the Con
A verage Acts was brought up and read, and leave
given to bring in a Bill to alter the same.

The House then went inti;a ConnateP on the
Transportation of Offenders Lill, the several
clauses of which were agreed to, and the Report
ordered to be,presented to-►norrow.
' The other orders of the day were then dis;-
posed of, and the House adjourned at half-past
even o'clock.

~rjlE DoN J o-uilry ALS.

[DAILY EXTRACTS FROM THE MORNING PAPERS.

, Piornhzg Post.]
Notwithstanding- the : hostile complexion of
affairs. in Italy, advices from Frankfort of the
latest date hold out a hope that war may yet be
avoided ; but the !grounds of this expectation are
too vaguely stated t-ti be entitled to much credit.
Whatever may be the event, we continue firmly
persuaded, that grave as the ! question is, the
British Government have justly considered it as
not forming a sulliCient ground upon which .to
abandon trie pacific policy they haVe so pru-
dently and so wisely adopted. In refusing, how-
ever, to embroil the country in a war for an ob-
ject not immediately affecting its security, they
have not- hesitated to vindicate the great prin-
ciples of international law; without regarding
whether the interpretation would favour this!
or that party' in the dispute, they have dis-
tinctly condemned the principle that one power!
has a right, except in very extraordinary cir-
rumstances, to interfere in the domestic concerns
of another ; and they have, with the same can
dour, expressed their disapprobation
_of the man-
!
Her in which the Revolution in Naples was
effected. It is a just subject of regret that any
pretext has arisen for disturbing the peace of the
Continent. If Austria could by any means- but
those of force prevent the example of Naples
• from spreading over t:te rest of Italy, she wou!d
deserve every calamity which discomfiture can
bring in its train for having neglected them. If
she even attempted, upon any other principle
than that of manifest danger to her own posses,
sions, to march an army against Naples, she
would merit the strongest censures.
[New Times.]
The accounts contained in the French Papers,
relative to the march of the Austrian troops, lead
-to the general inference, that sni7h a force will
advance from Naples as to render resistance
hopeless. The troops march in three divisions,
of which one proceeds by Ancona, and the two
othiTS will unite at Rome. The latter point,
therefore, is that to which our chief attention is
to be directed. We have little - idea that any
thing like a great battle will take place, but if it
does at all, it will probably he in this direction.
However, it is much more likely that the Rebels
will not drive matters to an extremity which
may render them amenable to the justice of the
laws, or the still speedier !justice of those
whom they have led into danger. The ad-
vanced guard of the Austrians entered Flo,
rence on the 11th inst. Sonic Neapolitans it is
said on the other hand have entered the, Roman4'
States : and The Times exultingly tells us that
'' the whole revolutionary spirit of the Roman
people will be roused and encouraged by this de, •
cided movement." IVe waisted not this proof
of the revolutionary spirit of The Times ; but the
radical Journalist will be disappointed. Rome
itself is not a military post of any importance,
and even if Carascosa and his banditti,should get
thither, it would neither postpone their ultimate -
defeat, nor encourage the Romans to rise in in-
surrection.

[British Press.]
Some of our Treasury Writers have the hardi-
hood to say, that the Manifesto of the Austrian
Government " makes out a case " to justify the
measures pursued by the Allied Powers. There
are very few persons in this Country, we are
firmly persuaded, or perhaps in Europe, not-im-
mediately interested in the maintenance of old
abuses, who think so. Even the British Minis-
ters, although they somewhat too plainly shewed
the disgraceful toils which they have suffered the
despotic Governments of the Continent to en-
twine around 'them, were too conscious of the
tendency of public opinion in England upon the
invasion of Naples, to hazard one expression in
Parliament -beyond a strict and formal defence
of their system of neutrality. On every side
of the House of Commons was the aggression on
the part of the Allies condemned, so that
the majority that voted on the side of
Ministers upon the question for the pro-
duction of certain documents, did not by any
means justify the conduct of Austria. With re-
spect to this Austrian Declaration, it is in itself
contemptible in point of composition and reason-
ing, it is fraught with erroneous statements_and
inconclusive arguments ; but the Emperor" of
AUSTRIA. lately told the Professors of the Ly-
ceum at Laybach, that he wanted not learned
m'en within. his territories, he was not to be served
by the pen but with the sword, and this Manifes-
to was written with this feeling, that if any.part
of it required explanation, the commentary was
to be supplied by an army of 100,000 men. It
would be an easy task to point out the
fallacies.- and absurdities of this precious
document ; hut we feet with the Philoso-
' pher of old, who declined to press an advantage
which he had obtained in some intellectual con-
flict with an Emperor of Rome, that it is useless
to argue with one who has the command of thirty
-legions." Austria tells Naples that if sine yields
not to such arguments inn the first instance, Rus-
sia and Prussia will unite to convince her that the
Allies alone are able and willing to ensure the
happiness of her people. We know of na argu-
ment that can be urged against this species of
logic but brave hearts and strong arms, and if
the accounts from Naples prove true, the Neapo-
litans are not indifferently prepared for the dis-
putation.

[Mortibig Ghronicle.l

The forgeries and executions;, and the pdions
principle of selection for pu2islunent, among per-

I sons equally criminal, fOrtii such a blot upon the
administration ofjustice—such a tnoral reproach
Lto the country—such a source of weakness to the
laws, and of corruption to the
.populatidn, that
they must at any expellee. be ptit an end to. If
the Bank cannot issue better notes than the pre-
sent-ones, let them issue none of the lot er de-
nominatiots. In this wish, we are sure the
whole of the people will concur. If therd were
any inconvenience in the introduction of a me-
tallic circulation, it would be, cheerfully borne
to extirpate a great root of crime and misery.—
But the fact is, that the calling in of the one. and
two pound notes, while it would almost root out
forgery, would scarcely affect mercantile trans-
actions.

[The Times.]
This evening Mr. Plunkett wakes leis motion
upon one of those questions Of whith it is difficult
to treat, on account of its extreme.magnitude.—
' It is impossible' to say all that .has reference to
the subject, and a decision formed upon selected
topics, detached considerations, and insulated
remarks, is both unworthy of the question, and
is also-likely to be erroneous. is-proper there-
fore that those who would come to a just conclu-
sion, should. supply the defects of human oratory
by the more active powers-of their own minds.;
an'l, charging themselves first, with the rejection
of every selfish view, and the relinquishment of
every prejudice, let them think over the subject
with the most •exact and minute attention, and
adopt that conclusion whict in their consciences
they believe likely to prove most beneficial to
their country.

[Horning herald.]
. After all the promises of the Bank of England,
the encouragement held out to ingenious artists,
the deliberations of assembled men of science,
and eager' hopes of the humane public, it now
appears that the idea of rendering Bank forgeries
' more difficult has been abandoned. It was as-
serted last -night in the House of - Commons by
several Members, among others, Mr. Bennet,
Mr. Clime'', and Mr. Calcraft, that they were
well informed that -the very hope of any plan had
been disavowed. To this there was no contra-
diction. Mr. D. Gilbert merely stated that when
he last communicated with the Bank, the plan
proposed by the Committee had not then been
given up. This plan, though at first feasible,
had failed upon experiment in the hands of the
Committee, but was subjected to further expe-
riment by the Bank under more fa'yourable cir-
cumstances. The second trial, however, it ap-
pears, has failed like the first. If the Bank
Directors have abandoned the idea:,. of any
invention for the prevention of•forgeries, in utter.
despair, they should openly confess it. For some
time back there has been an indecent trifling
with public humanity. One quarter remains from
which to expect redress—the Parliament—upon
which it is now an imperative and awful obliga-
tion to check the crime, by rendering its com-
mission more nearly impracticable or like
the Bank, time Parliament.should fail In this, then
to correct the horrible anomaly of .shedding blood
for an offence unaccompanied by violence, and
into which, in most cases, a famished wretch is
tempted, not only by•the secrecy, but by the un-
exampled facility of its commission.:

IMPORTANT BANKRUPTCY.