The Sun.
London, England, 1819-02-11 00:00:00

USURY LAWS.

' Mr. Sergeant ONsLow,'in rising to move for
leave to bring in a Bill to repeal the laws "lv.liich
restricted the rate of interest,: said, that as there
were now in the House many 'Members who were
not present during the forther discussions of this
sobject,she miglit'be perinitted, to:say a few words
es to the grounds of his motion. An opinion in
favour of the measure, similar to that which .he
proposed, had been expressed, notonly in Eng-
' land and on the Continent of Europe,, but by the
most enlightened citizens.of the United States of
America. ,In the year 1817, a motion. was made
in the House of Delegates of Virginia for a re-
peal 9t the Usury. Laws, and the speech of ;Mr.
Hays, the Gentleman who brought 'forward the
measure, was an evidence of the talents of the
stippOrtersl'of it in theUnitedStatei. The laWs
against UnOry had, in fact, their origin in' a blind
and fanatical perversion of the 'words of 'scrip-
•• .
tore; and the opprbbrium which 'bad been cast
ration those.'WhO in.inodern times "took more than
. ,
thy legal i•ttte of interest, was :fortnerly thrown
on all those who took any 'interest for . money
lent. The teriniUsury; in fact, was applied to
tile receiVing Of
:any use Or interest on Money.—
The Act of Henry VIII.; the original of the
present Usury Laws, was not an Act of restric-
t ion, but an Act of enlargenienf,iforas it was found
impossible to entciree;the "'absurd prohibition' on
the taking of interest, the ra'teWasslimited to 10
per cent. Int he reign of Edward VI. Olaf Act
wasrepettlekd,',aini the taking interest ptoltibi'ed ;
but the consequence wits; that'l he 'rate of 'inte-
rest, -whit:lll)o9re W.as helOw 'lO :lier cent.''rO,,e
to 14 per cent. In the reign of Queen sElizaheili,
the law Jixing the rate at 10 per'Ce'rii. Was relviVed,
while, at the same time, the tAil:g :any 'interest
was.deelared;sio.ful and detestable.' , Since that
tiMe the rate had ben . gra"ditalty reasucied ; tint
it was remarkable, that
.while the taking in-
terest above' a certain rate subjected the
leoder 'to. treble pcniities, it did not appear
'that. the l 'taking of any
interest !ilia
,been
,t.'epea4d.: The d,isvpioOdtiun

•In orrow.
The' 20 rilillinn_pf_xeliegtier Bills' Bill %vas
brought 'in arid read afirst time 3 to be read a se-
cofid time to-morrow.-,-;AO.fourntql.

PARLIAMENI A RV" PxPERS.

BANK AND ArINT raosEatiloss.

The folloing' is an A&,•O'not Of';he number of
Persons prosecuted by the Batk of •England, for
forging Notes of the Bank of England, or for
knowingly ntleting or possessing forged Notes,
from 'the l'Othi o 1 April; 1818, to the. 28th of
January, 1819 •
Number of Persons CAPITALLY CONVICTED fat knowingly
uttering forged Bank Notes of 51. and upwards.....,. 2
ner knowingly uttering forged Bank Notes of If.. and V. 25
For kriowiOgly 'pOi'se4ing forged Bahk Notes of 51., and

•
upwards 3
Fur knowiugly possessing forged Bank Notes of ft and 21. 84
Number of Persons PaosEcuTED CAPITALLY for know-
ingly uttering forged Bank Notes of 5/. and upwards;
but who were ACQUITTED Nil.
FOr knoi•ingly utferiiiglorged Babk Notes of 11. and 21 ,
btit Acitburrgo ' a
For knowiugy possessing forged Bank Notes of 11. and
21., 114,A(7QUITTED

Total number prosecuted

The noiober of persons prosecuted by the Of
fivers, of Mint,, for coooterieitiog
Coin of tie Realm, or for uttering coon.
tegfeit 'COio,:between the Ioth of April, ISIS, aud
ti6..28th.0f January, ISO, has been 273.

Noi, 2,325, a Prize of 1,000/.;•and G-19, a
Prize of SOUL. ,Drawn on Ttissrate LAS r, were
Sold in Slim-es at CARROLL'S, Offices, ..Ntp: 39,
Cot nhill, and NO. 26; o,a.ord.stieset'i which, it
'Will be recollected, were the most for!nnore
Pilices in the late Lottery, hnving,,Sold, No. 2,387,
a Prize of 30,0001, and No. 7,003, a. Prze of
5,000/. in' Slptic'S...--_Tickets 'and Shares for the
Ni-w Lottery; .%-..hich contains Three Ptizes of
20,000/., and Thirty.scven other Capitals, are ott
time at C.laßol..L's snceesstul Onices,„No,
Co: and 1.!'6., Oxfo.td•S;;eci,