The Sun.
London, England, 1826-03-03 00:00:00

CORN LA WS.

mthes iroria.Bitittih,oir,e,lottpterrmitie- ,praying ntrd
rrtt inhabitantstition from the inhabitas of
revisal of the Corn Laws.
The Petition having been mad,
Air. ROBERTSON gaid that he trusted the House would
never act upon the prayer of the petition, tin- he was ion vino. d

There conid not be a greater grievance for this country than
cheap bread and cheap corn; lie would contend that good rents,
good prices, and a good remuneration for labour, Were the only
things which could lead to a restoration of the prosperity of the
eountiy. Who was to buy the pottery ,uf these petitioners
corn Watt Cheap ? It Was from the landed interest that the ma-
nufacturers of the country must expect support, anti if that was
depressed, every other interest must fall with it.
111r•HUMB expressed his surprise at the Speech of the Hon.
tientlersan who had just sat down. He believed the Petition
stated nothing Ptit what was true. Would the Hon. Member
deny that prices were high, and wages low ; the petitioners
had perhaps used strong language in applying the word
°egriping ' to the landlords, but lie would ask whether the
high profits upon the produce of corn could go into any pockets
but theirs.

Mr. CALCRAFT denied that every thing contained in the
petition was true. Did his Hon. Friend mean to any that when
the petitioners stated that sixpence out of every shilling they
paid for bread went into the
.pockets of the landlords, they were
stating the truth ? His former conduct with respect to the ques-
tion of the Corn bows wodhl show that he was not an advocate
for cheap bread. But he rose tb protest against the course
taken by those who fostered the prejudices of the people, and
continually sent forth ntia,statements upon tys subject, from
die want of information. - When biti fiend talked or
cheap corn,. and of the landlords being the cause of high prices,
let him ask hdw cheap corn was to be. produced in this country,
while it was called upon to pay so many millions of taxes
Hear, hear I)—This was the cause` of high prices and until
this cautte.Wll3 removed, cheap corn could nut be had. [.et the
case, then, be fairly stated to the country ; but let not the
landlords be held up to obliquy in these interlocutory conversa
thins. Let them have al full discussion of the subject, and he
would then pledge himielf td show that the landlords of this
country were not the griping, overbearing class which they
were so falsely represented to bbe. On the contrary, he believed
them to be the most feeling and benevolent set of landlords
under the sun.
Mr. BENETT said that so far were the landlords flom re-
ceiving sixpence from every shilling paid fur bread, he was con-
fident they did not receive twopence. If the country were to
be left to foreigners for its supply of corn, and they were to
take its manufactures in return, that might begood for the con-
sumer and the manufacturer, but the agriculturist would be
left to starve. _ _

Mr. PHILLIPS said, that he understood his lion FTiend

(16.iliftalift) to have said, that high prices for corn would be
advantageous to the country.—(Cher of -" No, no," from Mr. •
C. and others.)—The Hon. Member then contended, that the
-removal of the Corn Laws would be eventually as advantageous
to the landlords as to any other class of the community.
Mr. CA LCRAFT euplained that he had said nothing in
favour Of high prices, but that he had contended for the impos-
sibility of hating low prices as long as the present amount or.
taxes was kept up.
Sir T. LETHBRIDGE said that cheap and dear were relit-
the terms, and he agreed with the lion. Gentleman whi., had
just sat down, that it would be extremely difficult for thlS coun-
try to eat Cheap corn, according to what the Hon. Member for
Aberdeen considered a fair price, which might be taken at
somewhere about four or five shillingan bushel. lie wished
that price would enable the landlorshi to pay the taxes.. and
then, he wan sure, they would be most happy to reduce their
corn to it. But the lion. Member wished to make commerce
every thing, and agriculture nothing. He apprehended that
the corn imported from foreign countries was generally paid tot
in coin ; and what he' would ask would have been the effect of
sending four or five millions of gold opt of the country in pay-
ment • for corn tinder recent circumstances ? Capital so ex-
pended would immediately be occupied. in cultivating the soil
of other countries, which was .'ht encumbered with the same
hurthens as outs, and in establishing foreign manufactures to
rival our own. He believed that the persons who had signed
this petition, could not haVe understood its contents.
Lord MILTON could not help making some observations
upon the lion. Baronet, who seemed to stand forward as a
landlord in the abstract. The lion. Baronet had said that the
lion. Member for Aberdeen wished to make commerce all, and
agriculture nothing. He would ask the lion. Baronet what
agriculture would be without commerce ? They had bean told,
too, that the corn imported into, this country was paid for in
coin. Now until he was informed by the lion. Baronet he bad
never heard that gold was the produce of this country: . they
Hon. Baronet would reflect, he was sure he must ace that with
um commerce_ welboulkustyvy be able to curia;; jut° The,
Country; Roth width. he nook that paittlandlards
for their produce. lie was surprised to hear tt.saul in that
Muse, that any class were to be the gainers by high prices
except the landlords.
Mr. O.OOCII contended that all the small tradesmen ih
country towns were benefited by good prices, and that they sat
fered when corn was cheap. Corn was now at from 55 to GO
shillings a quarter, and he thought that only a Nit reinunerat-
lug lime. it was a.bad policy to reduce prices so low as to
prevent capital from being employed upon the poor lands, and
so make the country dependant upon foreigners for its bread.
He rose for the purpose ofprotesting against the abusive terms
which ~were unjustly applied to landed Gentlemen in petitions
of this nature.--The Petition was ordered to lie printed.
• Mr. CALCRAFT gave notice that he should, to-morroW,
present a Petition from certain Officers of the Marines who had
taken Holy Orders, and he hoped some of the Lords of the Ad-
miralty would be present. He also begged to ask the Chancel-
lor orthe Exchequer what he meant to do upon the subject of
Scotch It. notes,

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER raid, he had
already stated that he should propose a measure during the
Session, and he had no further answer to give.
BRIBERY AT INJECTION&

Lord J. RUSSELL rose in pursuance to a notice he had
given, to move for leave to bring in a Bill to prevent the prac-
tice of bribery and corruption at. Elections. The grievance to
which he had to call the attention of the House was so notorious,
and the remedy he meant to propose was so Specific, that he
should not have to detain them by any lengthened course of ob-
servations. The douse had formerly passed n measure upon this
subject, in which it was held necessary, not much to its credit
he must say, to require that Members appointed to inquire into
abuses of this nature should be bound to do justice upon oath.
That measure he believed had proved a successfid One between
party and party, but not between individuals and the public.
There might be elections where bribery was practiced to which
that measure could not apply. It might happen Quit a consi.
Aeration of the expenses might prevent an application to Par-
liament.—lt might happen that the party who had the right to
petition, might himself have been engaged in corrupt practices,
and would not on that account come to the test of inquiry. It
might happen that the party determined to take advantage, at
another Election, of the atone corruption which- had been sue-
cessfully practised by his opponent. It was evident therefore
that the -public had no protection in any of these cases; and it
would, indeed, appear that they had lost something by the tie,
parture from the former tribunal. The remedy he meant to
propose was this : When any parties complained by petition of
corrupt practices at Elections which had taken place within six
years, it should hetet' the House, if they thought it contained
matter which called for inquiry, to appoint a Cntiimittee in the
same manner as they now did, to be composed of fourteen
Members, anti the one presenting the petition. Ile should then
eereBpoh report the vreessltitgl It4t:f i roggettlii rdyc itlo-
tparionleiodseinthtriet tpebetietizaunt the
the House. The House would see he proposed that to be one
upon the report of the petition, which might have been better
upon a resolution. But having - the precedent of the bonier
mannerof proceeding before him, he had adopted the Wine course
It would be- for the House, in the first place, tti eonsider
whether the petition contained matter for investigation or not,
He thought it would hardly be alleged that these practiees
did not require some new remedy. They were known to have
prevailed to a very great extent, nod perhaps in the course of this
year they would again prevail in many towns and boroughs
in a manner disgraceftil to those plum, and injurious to the
general system of the reresentation. Ile had an authority
to quote in proof of the existence of this evil, which was ecr-
tainly valuable tot coming from an Honourable Memin r whose
vete he had never been fortunate enough to gain upon the great
question of reforming abuses in the repreaentation, Ile should
read to them the address of an Honourable Member to his
contitiments—t Hear —a °endemic' who was a distinguished
benefactor of the town represented, ant able and respected
Member of that House, and who would be an hornier to any
body of mei who choke him for their representative._.{(hear,
bear )---The Hon. !timber for Penryn (Mr. P. fircitt;:ll) had
written the billowing address to his constituents 4 iinale-
men—l withdraw myself as a candidate for the honour of re-
vesenting you in the next Parliament. I do this in cerise.
Time of fits lug reeeived some unexpected information from
friends of mine attiongskr you, which satisfies me that I shall
net succerti unless I resort to practices to which I nearer will

submit ; practices which have twice endanged the existence of
your franChisei, and which, within the- last six years have
brought the. penalty of the law upon '.orte of your represen-
tatives." If corruption tints • opefilt reared Its head, lie
called upon the House, by the respect fur its own character and
privileges, to take measures for potting it down. And he'
did not call upon that minority alone, who had supported Mini
upon the general proposition, but upon those who always met
him with saying, " We will not consent to any ite scheme
which may pull the 'louse dawn about our eery.-..chew us a spe-
cifie plan to meet a specific grievance, and then we will go along
with you." He might be asked, what he meant to Litt- its the
case of a Committee reporting that general corruption had been
practised in a Ildrongh ? Ills atittwer wits, that he should I?yopose
to the House to proceed in the same manner as it had in the
case of' firturpound anti other disfranchised boroughs. It would
be for the House to decidri• what should he the nature of the
punishment to be inflicted. If the case happened in a large
town, the electite franchise might he thrown open, and if in a'
small borough, it might be transferred to some populous town
remaining unrepresented. In the cage of Grampountl, he wished
the transfer to have been made ttt Leeds instead of Yorkshire,-
and he believed that many, who at the tithe thought otherwise,
had now changed their .opinion: To use a phrase of a Noble
Lord in, another place, he wits anxious to see the time whet,,
by the representation of eats great. Inarttlfactoringtowns, wool,
iron, and cottOtt, -would be personified in that • flonie. lie
would not now say more ti 'J this particular measure, and t'ol
the general one, he should bring it forward, in the usual manner
slan tly after the Easter recess. Upon that occasion also he
should be able to call upon the Howie with- an additional Rohn;
rity in favour of the measure, and one of the highest hn-
imitanee,iniismuch as it came front one of its gretttest opponents
He should then call upon- all those who objected to improve,'
Went because it was innovation, to take care that they aid not
WitiL until innovation cante when it was not inTrovement,—
(11ear!)—The Noble Lord concluded by moving—P. For leave,
to bring in a Bill for the better diSeoVery anti suppression of
Bribery and Corruption at the lillection of Members to serve lit
Parliament."

Mr. (IRENFEIIII, seconded the mdtion,'lind made a few ob.;
nervations which could not be heard, in consequence of some
confusion which existed in the gallery. 11'e understood the
lion. Member to say, that although lie &nisei-nett to the bring-
ing in of this Bill, he should not hold himself bound thereby,.
to diminish his opposition to the general sweeping measure of
Reform.

Mr. ‘VIeNN said, he did not rise to oppose the motion, for
he thought nobody could deny the eitistence of the grievance
which the Bill was intended to remedy. But there were sortie
part of it, as stated by the Noble Lord, which required coital--
titration, and upon which he entertained Some doubts. The
Noble Lord proposed, that the COmmittte should be cOmposed,
of 14 Members, indiscriminately chosen by lit; to examine the
petitions presented to the House. Ile hoped, as in the case be
the existing law, that one Alember would be given to the Bo.:
rough and ' the parties • implicated. Re thought, there would
also he a difficulty in regard to the expence.—if it was to fall
upon the party petitioning, he thought few would undertake it:
It ou the other had it was to tali on the boroughs, they should
run the risk•of having what had been curled " fishing peti-
tions," in which parties proceeded upon the chance of fioding
evidence to suit their purpose.
Lord J. RUSSELL/ explained. We understood the Noble
that the
seax,
itiniacetslisohliztit:inhdelmtict), itinttritueep.aiaticelsaui
notice ,srecret7rpnrigovitttlit
petition. Another
to
tit
boroughs, anti
go to
tpirmotv ittillee}thsaittodutlil
be allowed to appear by their counsel or agent.:
Leave was' then given to bring in the bill.
R T •
NEVI RIALS _

hi r. DEN AI AN rjoitein.iirsilanceto---a sauce which he gave
on the first day of the Session, to call the Attention of the House
to the subject of the administration of justice to negro slaver'
in the island of Jamaica. The rapers upon which Ins motion
would be founded were laid before,the !louse in March last,
but 0145 did not come under his notice till after the close of the
Session. If the House .agreed with him in the view he took of
the transactions to which those Pupas allotted, he was confi-
dent they must meet with its decided reprobation. Ile was
aware of the difficulty of fixing the attention of the House to
any suNect which did not bear upon the utiparalleled distresses
under which the ioLttitry
ilni'prudcnec, Find the I o"'Ultsneigu': jonC:11:1:1814trilbet:i 't
he doing .11(e)flilig;VrittISII(CI:tly1 'it;;;c't
refused its !Attention to the case which he was Idiom to statuln.
Irriftwortaretnet3 is and would confine himself to a&
nutted facts, not re/10100g to any Other eyittancn Mitt die papers'
on the table, which, though they might tar inaccurate, were
yet suflicient inr his purpose, anti allowed the necessity of cen..
suring the.proceetlingii which had token pine. It was known
to the House, that there were four sets of trials in Jamaica,
during the years 1E123 and 1824. They occurred in the months
of December, Ality, June, and July. The that ease was thee
of the parish of St. Mary, aml its date WAS December 16, 1823 e
In that instance the hearsay evitienceof one Roberts, a butchers
who merely stated words spoken to him by a Negro Slave.enot
more than sixteen years of age, produced the conviction .anti
deaNi o 1 eight persons, who all protested their innocence up to
the moment ut their execution. Roberts had tinted fault with
the slave, the bow 'William, and scolded him for neglecting his
mess. The latter wishing tit divert the attention rat his master
from the subject of reproof, and so to escape puniatement,
Sought out some remote excuse, Massa, and vaguely replied, " Mass,
you'll have bad Christmas." " What," said the master, whose
alarm suggested Mutter for the boy's invention, " will the NO
groem rise ? " Yes," said the boy. " Front whom have you
heard it ?" The boy naturally gave his father as an authoritl
for
leelttilislit;tleoroNelb
Negroes,
further
sr,andthcbionyqludlirsed wervwittiettilithe h
that he
iice
ftlatid etoreenn asulart
a meeting two tholes, and that George, Mr. Walker's man, and
the slaves Ned and Douglas were present at it. " Is it their
design," said Roberts, "to murder the Whites ?" To this
question William answered in the allirmative. Now front the
conversation it WAS quite plain that the master himself hull sug.
gested all the crimps with which the accused were to be
charged,- Air. Roberts then asked the advice of that saute
boy, as to'how he should act—whether he should go to King-
ston or not. The boy cautioned him ageinst doing so, ee he
said that the IlTentwortil slaves were all about the countryl and
would be sure to do him mischief; but lie recommended limit°
seek safety by going on board ship with Captain Barton,- The
slave S.I ilium was then brought before houghts that the !first
nt.
anions
onetilit,:rnwoseseseeetett:cidri
teibhheei dli:e4ett,tilox,ecw:itui:
cps:
0:00c
itt,teri
est:tie:rat
weret
fltiol'il:re'cil:lis:twilsraiat:msiasoftctriertinfeitrireseettitdpolleinb,riti
mpt
hip
eti
Thus thr all was right and proper, on the SuppositiOn that, the.
among whom w7ansetri
tributed to theme The boy `ti extunillation brought out fri4
He
ownpllift.atr
ininsurreedon tux
er
*aid he had seen six individuals,
ticu.
purts'onns."/.lllll:elinolit°gnlYttithoe have been examined separately, that
liaturt:triot(filiiinatinciritarrasakeign'id. .Nicoewuseitti
„WhilosuiTitiratvnewbliceliltnttyroovi that
them, Nyil, the slave of r. Jetties Walker, wax called to mt.;
insh°lei tintlatUnt inn! .i2lll:Tilig:htwt[nintili7o:l7ltyerefitl: :1;14: rol ellein6:4odt:74l4bill yd°l:rhitiehl ilsal:tih°:1)11::::11e)u°°tf
wits not charged with having taken any active part in the alleged
meeting. Ned declared that he witnessed their proceedings at
the bridge, where they had resolved to set fire to certain works,
and to murder the Whites who might collect in consepience of
tinlietielnenstiliteignrcitetiootut.ileNnoigwh,t that
ritasebtroiLNeraneodeai
nal:it:tux I:Licher:lle:
hood of.a public street, resolving upon crinica of arson ma
murder—at a time and place certain to betray their plot_tne
lion. Gentleman considered to be merely an improbable tale
invented by a couple of young boys. Anothet boy, named
Douglas, took just the same part in the trametetion, and—what
wliat was
us hiving tel:eithoilvigccilt.—;bythDe
ontiluggliasst,rawt cildoiswptatsseitlasof them both
by tending them on board uhip. liut no evidence Wail stilted
he Hoquur.
suit l,F►rnta►t
able eniber supposed, and.—he thought he hula! right 10
infer—found to know nothing the subject. Of the PeV.'
sons tried 101 the .110 tit of December, the first was Cherie*
Brown, who had been an overseer remarkable tbr his oe4te,
oroookt the moves, ;:kntittitlletrrrpertmaltillbyjecotf t)tfiteq:3lE;r"'"ll 4:t.14:1r11
114'0 truss who appvanti, to he his accusers, The second pti.
*Mit r MIS Watson, who wio not mimed by. the
hies 't% iliuorl, who WAS COEVIECEeEi 01)00 hcarcoly any evidence
ti:eweled lvittYst
it
11'11'1" fttrangiletion in which Millard cow:ley was coucerned..—.
'Ow fourth trial teue th„t or the fntherof the bey AVtliiiim,whcf
ha►d ;west thefiser !)—The first witness
ekeftlin,"lin°lie
,Iftse was Ned, who WAS Wtlthed Ina