The Sun.
London, England, 1826-12-02 00:00:00

CURRENCY_CORN LAWS.

Mr. HERRIES moved, that the Order of the Day
for the House, going into a Committee of S►ipply be read.
On the question that the Order he postponed to Monday,
Lord FOLKESTONE renewed the citiebtion which

he asked before, as to whether it was the intention, of his Majesty's
Government to take any liters at present with regard to the re-
Commendations of the Committee appointed by the house to in-
quire into the currency of Scotland and Ireland. "
Mr. HUSKISSON intimated that he was not pre-
pared at that time to answer the question of the Noble Lord.
Lord FOLKESTONE snid; that iu consequence
of the wish to procrastinate on the part of Ilinistera; the country
Would be doomed to suffer additional grievances. But, to return
to the subject to which he first called the attention of the House...-
the state of the currency. On this and the other great question
he thought the House had been treated by Ministers in a most die,:
resOectful manner. Let the House consider the course that had
been followed during the last Session. The Parliament had met
early in: February, soon after that panic, - of which it had been said
that the country was within. 48 bums of returning to a state of
barter, when all confidence wee:, removed, and the utmost dis-
tress prevailed in the .c.onnriercial world. This was the state
Of the country when Parliainent was called together. To this
state its attention,,, was called, for' the purpose of devising
such measures as would, prevent the Lrecurrenee of the
evils. The most of those evils were attributed, and be thought
Very properly, to the state of the currency, and he would .admit
that Ministers lost no time in bringing the subject forward for the
consideration of the House. A bill was then introduced, to
which be and several Gentlemen at his side of the House had
'given their support, tier effecting one remedy, by putting an end,
aftera Particular period, to the circulation of I/. notes. That
however, had not gone far through the House, when it
underwent considerable 4thange,, and, those•who introduced it de.
Par' in a great' 'degree front lit principle. It was atlength
as far at England was affected; but there were certain
ti
vnn!emen from the North, who thought that the same principles
v
°lc° 'were applicable ti Englund and other countries, were not
at all 4Plilioahle for Seotlaud, end. by others it was held thattbese
lc'orni!lste'lliti'lee;7earen tiou!rtiptnyliimcaltems' to the
fostratteb:pf a!intdowit:
ing that Sembind and IrOand ought to be 'exempted from the
operation of the meaturg bad which just been matte applicable to
Ongland. To suppott this exemption, he thought it required some.
:
very strong reasons, but he regretted that no such *strong reasons
;144been urged. The last sewion, it would be recolleeted, was the
kst of That Parliament, and, as was not infrequently the case,
everything seemed to be done in a hurry. In consequence, some of
'
the west important questions had been pestr_UnO, and among that

number wag that of the Corn Laws. The inquiry respecting the
Scotch and Irish currency seemed to have partaken of the general
haste, and was hurried through the corornilite. The was deli-
vered towards the end of the Session, but it was not until a consi-

datable time afterwards that the evidence Was put into the hands of
Members. He had read the report and the evidence, and it ap-
peared, to him that the real question was passed over in a great
degree, or never fairly canvassed. He did repeat, that Patna-
went and tho country were Wry unfairly treated by Ministers, by
the protraction of these ingiortant siibiects, and he, as a Member,
felt it his duty PIO early to enter. his protest against the conti--
nuance of such.delaye.
HUSKISSON observed, that. the Noble Lord
had inferred more from the answer he had given to his question,
than the fair import of that answer warranted. The Noble Lord
had alluded to the Committee of Inquiry on Scotch and Irish
Currency in the last fsession, anti hail asked. Mtn
Lord'FOLKESTONE (across the table),l. asked
whether any measures. - •
Mr. HUSKISSON continued--It might be " any
Measures," and his answer was, that he was not then prepared to
state what course Government might take; but the Noble Lord
inferred a little too much from that answer, in assuming that it
was decided that no measures whatever were to be taken on the
subject. Indeed, be was somewhat surprised that the Noble Lord
who professed such a fondness for a close adherence to-constitutional
font's, should have asked the question—for what had they assort-
bled if it wore not for the discussion of those topics to which he
had alluded? He would tell him. for what they had been assem-
bled. In a ease where the subsistence of a large portion of the
community was at stake, anti where the proper means of supply-
ing it could not be had without a violation of the law, Ministers
had, in the discharge of their duty, advised his Majesty to order
the violation of the law, and having .done so, they thought, (per-
haps the Noble Lord would tell the House that it should be other-
wise) that Parliament ought to be called together with the
least. possible delay, that the grounds on which that violation
had taken place should be submitted to them ; that they
!night grant an indemnity if they approved of tho'se
grounds, or reject it if they disapproved them. Had Minis-
ters not taken this course, they would have -subjected themselves
to deserved censure ; and he thought that Pediatric.* being' called
together chiefly to pronounce upon the question of the violation
of the ,aw, it ought not to excite surprise in any quarter that they
were not ready to enter into the discussion of the greater question
of what course it might be proper to adopt in future on the sub-
ject of the corn laws. •He thought it was not quite fair of the
Noble Lord to assume that Ministers had not made up their minds
on these important questions because they did not introduce them
at the present time. He would tell the Noble Lord, that they
were agreed on the measures which it might be proper to pur-
sue with respect to the final settlement of the great question ;
hut they did not think the present time the most proper for
its discussion. The corn laws were said to depend on the
question of the currency, and he asked whether they would
disuse that before the Bth or 10th of December? It would

then he contended, be absolutely impossible to do justice to
any of those great questions, if their discussions were nut post-
poned till after the holidays. He did not feel it necessary to go
any farther on this subject ; but he thought he had said suffici-
ent to satisfy the house that Ministers had acted wisely in not
introducing other great questions for their consideration at this
season.—(hear.)
A Member (Mr. DAVENPORT, jun. as we un-
derstood) addressed the house frotn under the gallery, but from
the position in which he stood, only a very few of his remarks
Were distinctly heard by the reporters. From what we could col-
lect, we understood the Honourable Member to contend that the
price of corn depended on the state of the currency, and that it
would be impossible permasenily to fix the one without coming to
some correct arrangement respecting the other. Then adverting
to the late distresses, he expressed a hope that some' Honourable
Member would introduce a motion OR the subject, and if no other
Member did, he gave notice, that after the holidays he would, and
pledged himself to show that the distresses to which he had ad-
verted, were to be attributed to other causes than the speculations
of individuals, which, taken altogether, were not of sufficient
magnitude to have such effects.
Colonel TORRENS approved of the postponement
of the Corn Laws for thupresent, because he thought that every
day's delay would show more clearly their pernicious effects.
An Hon. MEMBER, whose name we could not learn,
shortly expressed his disapproval of the further postponement of
the discussion of those. laws.
Mr. lIENErr objected to the postponement, and
observed, that Miaisters were bound to state to the House the

course which they intended to propose on this great question. As
long as this was unknown, the country would be kept in a state
of suspense, highly injurious to all parties. No man was safe in
entering into any important transaction connected with the pur7

. .
chase or sale of land, while ignorant of what might be the future
proceeding on. the
,question of Corn. He therefore regretted that
subject was postpiined, and for the very same reasons on which
the gallant Colonel (Torrena) had founded the expression of a con-
trary sentiment. He would only maim one observation on the
language which bed been used by those who sought the repeal
of the Corn Laws. Various meetings had been held at dif-
ferent places, and he must particularly mention that held in
the Common Hall of the City of London, in which the land-
lords had been branded with the name of monopolists, and with
other absurd titles, which he would not waste time in repeating ;
but though they had been exposed to this species of abuse,
no retaliation had yet been exercised by the landlords. At
no place had the language used by the petitioners against the corn
laws been so intemperate as that used in the Common-hall of London.
(Hear, hear.)—The landed interest had long suffered under the
violent language of the manufacturere, and he was sorry to say,
that owing to the postponement now announced by Minister, it
must continue to suffer under it still longer. He thought that if
the manufacturers would abstain from that violent language, and
would give to the question a cool and dispassionate consideration,
they would not only advance their own interests by it, but would
also promote the general welfare of the country.
The question was then put, and milled.
On the motion of Mr. HERRitg, the House went

into a Committee of Ways and Means. In the Committee,
,000,000 of Exchequer Bills, applicable to the service of the
year. 1826, were transferred to the' service of the year 1827.
The House resumed, and the report was ordered to be received
to-morrow.

Sir A. GRANT brought up the report on the Oats'
Importation Indemnity Bill. The amendments were agreed to,
and ordered to be engrossed, and the Bill was appointed to be read
a third time to-morrow,

D. IAA said, that the two motions
mi..
W.E PROSECUTIONS.
11'[r.
which lie intended to bring forward that evening, were so con-
nected with each other, that he would take the opportunity of
making at once all the remarks which he deemed necessary to
introduce them. One of the motions was only the revival of a
motion, which he had himself introduced in the year 1820,
and which he had intended to have followed up by another
motion, had not his right to sit in Parliament been out away
by a decision which convinced him that the conclusions drawn
by Election Committees were not always infullilrle. Since the
year 1820 no notice had been taken of the subject to which be
had called public attention, though it was one of great impor-
tance, and referred to abuses, which were deeply rooted in the
system of the law as at present administered, and which operated
Injuriously on the individuals who were made the victims of
them. There coold not be found a more decided proof of the
advantages arising out of the interference of Parliament, than
that afforded by the resolts of his motion. It appeared that from
1810 down to 1819, both inclusive, being a period of four years,
previous to any notice being taken of the number of prosecutions
Instituted under the Customs and Excise !awl, the average num-
ber.of informations filed each year was 700, whilst during the year
In which attention was called to the subject, and during the. year
immediately, following, the average number did not exceed 00.
FrOm such a state of facts, he inferred that, so long as the *elici-
tors, who enjoyed the exclusive power of wielding this destructive
weapon, should enjoy it without limitation, b() long as all par-
ties liable to. the Excise Laws were placed under their particular
jurisdiction, they would not hesitate to seek:their own aggrandize,
anent under the remit of advancing and protecting the revenue,
It was a fact well deserving the attention of. the House, that .no
sooner bad its vigilance been directed •to the .subje,et, than the
average number of annual informations :wes redueed from 700
to 2150...-4 reduction by which every victim rescued from the
grasp of the. Excise Laws w saved. an expense of Isol., and
the CroWn an expense of '3OO/, or .4001. upon each, prosecution.
The reason which induced ,him to revive his former, inquiry, was
se wish to see how far the power of filing informations under the
Customs and Excise Laws had been exercised shares 1820. It
was not for him to draw hasty conclusions from statements which
were not before the House, but which, he believed, could be Huh.
stantiatad ; but lie should be much surprised, if it were not found
that a recurrence of the old abuses took .plikee' as soon as, the
vigilance of Parliament ceased to be directed 41111 M ,thew. The
other motion which, he had M submit to then House, was for a re-
turn of the number of causes set down for trial and disposed of in
the Courts of hen Basch, Common Pleas, and Exchequer, ' during
the last six 'Years, and was therefore intimately connected with

the proceedings in the Courts of Law. Those three Courts pos-
sessed equal jurisdiction in most things, though in some the Court
of Exchequet possessed an exclusive jurisdiction. Though they
were all filled by the same number of judges, and though each.
Of them; with the exception of the chiefs, received the muse stipend,
still, when the business which they respectively transacted was
compared, it was impossible to come to any other conclusion
than this—that the Courts - of King's Bench and of Common
Pld"as were overburdened with business, to the great injury of
the suitots ih theirs, and that the Court of Exchequer was little
better than'a receptacle for legal sinecurists. Whilst from 70 to
100 causes were daily entered for trial in the Courts of King's
Bench and of Common Pleas, there were seldom more than six
entered in the. Court of Eichequer. His object was to show,
that' where the Courts possessed equal jurisdiction, and where the
judges were taken from the same bar, and distinguished for nearly
the same degree of talent, there must be come inherent defects in
the Coint of Etchequer which clogged the Court in its proceed-
ings, and prevented the subject from approaching it for redress.
There was also in his motion, an allusion to the equitable jurisdic-
tion possessed by the Court of Exchequer. Considering all that
the House had recently heard, and was likely to hear again, on the
proceedings in the Court of Chancery, he thought that it would
be advantageous to know something of the number of causes 'de-
cided On the equity side of the Court of Exchequer. The House
would then know why a court scarcely inferior in jurisdiction to.
the .High Court of Chancery should have its files scarcely touched,
whilst the Court of Chancery had its files overburdened. If,
therefore, the equity side of the Court of Exchequer could be made
auxiliary to the Court of Chancery, an avenue would be opened,
by which the discontent generated by the expensive delays of the
latter court might gradually evaporate and disappear. Having
made these observations, he would now move that an address be
humbly. presented to his Majesty, praying that be will be graci-
ouely pleased to give directions that there be laid on the table of
the House a return of the total number of informations under the
custom and excise laws filed in the Court of Exchequer, from the
commencement of the year 1820 to the conclusion of Michaelmas
term, 1826: together with an account of the penalties recovered
and the amount received ; stating whether it was the full amount
of the penalty, or only a part taken as a compromise, together
with the costs of each prosecution, and the amount of them paid
by the crown and the party exchequered.
Mr. HUME seconded the motion.
Mr. LOCKHART thought the reason why so
little business was transacted in the Court of Exchequer was, that
an attorney could not practise there in his own name, but was
obliged to practice in the name of one of the side clerks. He re-
ceived, therefore, only half fees, and that was the reason why he
went in preference to the Court of King's Bench, where be re.
ceived whole fees. He thought that it would be of great advan-
tage to the public to get rid of these side clerks altogether.
Mr. SPENCE explained 'the reasons which induced-
him to bring forward his motion respecting the business of the
Court of Exchequer, and assured the Hon. Member for Colchester
that they did not arise from any wish to take the matter out of his
hands. The Hon. Member's motion called only for a return of
the number of causes set. down for trial, which was not in itself
sufficient. The House ought to be informed how long the Courts
were occupied in hearing interlocutory motions. He could assure
the House that the Members of the Court of Exchequer were par-
ticularly anxious that the Court should be made an efficient Court,
and that they would willingly lend their assistance to any measure
which would prevent it from being branded as, a receptacle for
sinecurists, by giving it an active and extensive jurisdiction.
The motion was then put and carried, as was also another mo-
tion for a return of the number of closes set down for trial, and
disposed of in the Courts of King's Bench and Common Pleas,
and Exchequer, during the last six years, distinguishing the num-
ber of records made up for the trial in London and Middlesex, and
the verdicts taken thereupon, and also specifying the number of
hills 'filed on the equity :tide of the Court of Exchequer, distin-
guishing the number of thein which had been heard Irons those
which still remained for hearing.
REFORM IN 'PARLIAMENT.
Lord NUGENT had given notice of his intention
to,move that evening an address to his Majesty, calling for a re-
turn of the various qualifications on which voters claim to return
Members to Parliament in the different counties, cities and bo-
roughs, distinguishing the resident voters from the non-resident,
and the actual from the honorary freemen and burgesses. Since
be had entered the House that evening, he had learned from a
Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, that he intended to oppose his
motion. Besides the objections which the Right Hon. Gentle-
man had to it upon principle, he had told bins that in his opinion
there was a technical ilifficUlty, which would prevent the returns
from luting made. Ile differed from the Right Hon. Gentleman
even on that point. ' He thought the returns could be made with-
out much difficulty ; but as the question was one of great import-
ance both to the interests of individuals and to the representation
and reputation of the House, he would postpone the discussion of
t to some early day after the bolydays.
ACCOUNTS. RELA TING TO CORN.

HUSKISSON: rose to move the House to
1.
rescind the orders which it made on Tuesday last, respecting cer-
tain' accounts relating to Foreign Corn. He could assure the
Honourable Gentleman who had moved for those accounts, that
he (Mr. Huskisson) did not make his motion from any want of
courtesy to hini, or front any wish to withhold necessary informs..
tion. But the accounts for which the Honourable Member had
moved, appeared to hint to involve a principle that was quite
novel, and, indeed, impossible for the house to admit. The mo-
tions of the Honourable Member called on the house not only to
grant information which might be given, but to confirm cer-
tain propositions and inferences, which
,might, or might not,
be the legitimate consequence of the information he required.
Either the returns warranted the propositions which they con-
tained, and therefore no more information was necessary, or in call-
ing for further information, the Hon. Member had no right toaffirm
the proposition which that information was wanted to establish. The
returns called for the " total quantity of wheat and wheat-flour ex-
ported from, and imported into, England, between 1748 and 1752,
both inclusive (being the period of the greatest export.") Here it
was affirmed that these four years was the period of greatest ex-
port. It might be ao, or it might not. If it were so, there was
no occasion for further information ; if it were not, why was the
House to affirm it in the dark ? The Hon. Member also called for
" the total quantity of wheat, rye, barley, and oats imported from
the ports of Europe only, during the years 1806, 1807, 1808,
1809, 1811, 1812, 1819, being years in which the trade with the
Baltic was interrupted." Ile (Mr. Iluskisson) knew that we
had trade with the Baltic in all these years--with some parts
more, with others less, in consequence of their being in the
occupation of the enemy; but the House would not affirm
that the trade was interrupted. The other resolution called
for the " total quantity of wheat, rye, barley, and oats im-
ported from the -ports of Europe in the year 1810, being
the year in which the trade with the Baltic was renewed."
Now, after what he 'had said with regard to the interruption of
the trade with the Baltic, he did not see how he could affirm
that it was then renewed. The Hon. Member also called for " the
prices of wheat in England:from 1765 to the year 1797, both in-
elusive, in periods of five years, omitting the years 1795 and 1796
as years of peculiar scarcity." Now let the House consider what
the Hon. Member was here doing. He affirmed that two years
were years of great scarcity, without giving any proof of it, , and
then placed within the number of years during which he wished
his returns to be made, tivo years. after all, he wished to be
omitted. If he really had wanted information, he ought to have
worded his motion "from the year 1765 to the year 1795." The,
lion. Meniber would excuse him, if he suggested to him, that he
ought to have called for his returns for the prices of wheat in Great
Britain, and not in England only, as it was right to know
the price throughout the whole kingdom. The Honourable
Member had also called for " a return of the total quan-
tity of wheal anti wheaten flour imported from Ire-
land into Greet Britain from the .year
1820 to the year
1825, both inclusive, and the aggregate average of price upon
the period of six years." Now, he had informed the Hononrable
Member that there was no average of prices taken in Ireland, and
the Hon. Member had informed him in return that he would be
content with the average of prices stated in the Gazette. lie
would conclude
would, therefore, say no more upon that point, but
hemoved
aceotints relating to co ra,
discharge
by telling
the
ee
oHrodueraeotflTtuteefthraymiltiasnt,gfto•orund on which to
Was that in calling for information,. they introduced a novel and
then moved that the orders
edangfreuerosudsa,,priametticehe itnhsePhaarltigatender. He
On the question being prat,
Mr. E. W,ODEFIOUS-E said, that the reason why
lie had Moved fat,' then retort-to was, that. the. party with whom
liking,. so constitutionally lazy, that in
that the order be discharged,.
r themselves, it was requisite to
hit•fillest information, and point out to them in
lay before them t ,
• absolute necessity f • their
for so doing. e
the clearest niannef.'
alteration in the terms of his motion, which he
bad nOw Made an _
olTdanrctetodinvteitit °tree:lllsT
would submit to the Right Hon. Gentleman for his inspection,
stir
.:
and if h, approved of it, he would give notice of it in its amended
oulde h
appy
to
inspect
the
Hon.h..
Gentleman's motion. o
he r( w • tar as then discharged, and the other orders of the day
having
been disposed of, the House adjourned at seven o'clock to
y.
this
. da
l'orrnollFlioundsaYKeviP sl:inogs'
mtn. N