The Sun.
London, England, 1819-02-12 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL JOURNALS.

We are glad to find, that though TIL3 Leeds
Intelligeneer has parted with its iwe Con-
ductor, it retains the sante principles, and :ye are
glad also that its late Conductor has started on his,
own account,as there is a mischievous neighbour,
Ivllo seems as anxious to spread the poison of
.LACObin:sm as The Leeds Tatelligencer and The
Leeds Independent ale to provide an atoidote.—
Th- tollowint; remarks arc taken trout The Leeds
Intelligences of the Sth inst.

" The first trilFnif streneth between Ministers
and the Oppoitiou w?ls made on Toesday night,
upon Mr. Tierney's motion for appointing a Com-
mittee to it vire hoc> the slate of the exchanges,
whtni, tiotivi!h.naoning all we have heard of
the accession of tionthris to the Palsy, they were
left minus 109 ;- thus afforilieg a ei'c hieing ,roof
that the nekv Parliament is not inclined to with-
draw that confidence from Adinteistr ti ion which
was placed in them by the late one, and which
titey have so well merited. The Papers in the
Whig loterest endeavour now to repre'ertt the
question as one of minor importance, and antici-
pate a ditletent result upon 'more vital subjects
We, however, think the division On that evetting
completely settled the point at issue It was the
rertahoy of having a majority that made Mr.
Tierney persist in his motion, not withsianditig it
was clear the objects for which inquiry was desir-
able would tie much better attained by the Com-
mittee 1,r0p0.1 by Mr. Vansit tat t. He was
completely deceived in Hs expectations, and no
doubt, to use his own I,siguage, considers him-
self ` y ill-treated by the House.'
" The subject referred tO this Commit tee is one
of the gre.test importance. We do not believe
that the mercantile and trading part of the coin-
monity wish for the resnroption of cash payments.
It would completely par.,nze ope
raoons,all(l
occasion a general stagnation of trade and eat-
plovnicut throughout tie country. At the same
time, the scarcity of specie is found to occasion
peat inconvenieoce to the retail trade, and to
the working clas"ses. It is therefore worthy of
consideration, whether a partial return to cash
payments roi,eht not he !wide by the calling in of
the one and two pound notes, and replacing them
with silver tokens, issued by the•Bank,'at such a
seignotage as would render it impossible to
realize a profit upon their exportatioo, The pre.
sent sciellorage is six per cent. yet silver in bars
has risen within the last week or two, to ss. 7d.
per ()mice, being Id. per ounce above the mint
Vis profit will hardly tempt any one to
me!l the coin for the purpose of exportation, as it
would scarcely defray the expense and trouble at 1'
tendant upon such a step : still bullion may ex- ,
perteuce another advanee; it might therefore he
adviseable to fiX the seignorage at 10 or even 15
per cent. This would effectually protect the coin,
and remedy the only inconvenience felt from the
liaok Restriction Aet ; the scarcity of small
change,- which inmedes the operations of the retail
trade ; whilst all the benefits derived front that
measure WOUld be perpetuated.
Another stibH.n of equal importance is the
Insolvent Debtors' Act, which_ expires at the end
of the present Session of Parliament. Several
petitions have already been presented, and more
are in a course of preparation, against its re-
newal ; and we hope the system of fraud and
rabbet y which has been perpetrated limier that
Act will now be pot a stop to. Our readers will
see front the statements made by Mr. Waithmao,
that on debts to the atnount of 9,000,000/• a di-
videod of a.halfpenny in the pound only has been
vic!..; whilst on another sum. of 6,000,000/• the
creditors have received a farthing in the politic!!
Mr. Rrongham, indeed, is of opinion, that they
would not have obtained even this scanty portion
of their due, had it not been for this Act ; but we
think the remedy'much worse than-the disease;
for the expenceS frequently exceed the sum reco-
vered ;' and, in very many instances, the creditors
have hot even7thefarthingin the pound.
The operation of this Act has also introduced a
complete nuisance in the persons 'of the agents,
who are generally Attornies of the lowest stamp,
or men who have never been bred to the law,
yet have procured admission -to practise as agents
for insolvent debtors. The object of these men
is; to enable the.debtor to cheat his confiding
creditor ; and whilst they are assiiting, in defrancl.
ing the latter, they are fleecing the former by
their exorbitant charges. In short, the whole of
the proceedings under this Act are disgraceful to
the country, and highly injurious to the fair and
honest trader."