Star.
London, England, 1830-06-09 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Juwz 8.
CaPTUN DILDKAT'S DIVORCZ.
Their Lordship heard evidence upon this Bill. and adjourned
the further hearing until to-morrow at four o'clock.
Petitions were presented from the Borough of Leominster. by the
Earl of Esse:, against the punishment of death for forgery; by
Viscount Lorton, against the introduction of poor laws into Inland;
by the Marquis of -Downshire, in favour of the Bill for draining
bop in Ireland.
The Irish Beg Draining Bill was read a second time, and ordered
re be committed on Thursday.

rims ow ?Klma= or TUE CaOwx.
Lord DARNLEY, from motives of delicacy, would not at the
present moment press the second reading if this bill, Wit would lead
to a discussion, but as noble lords, if they objected to the bill, vould
have an opportunity of stating them at a future period, he trusted
the bill would be allowed now to be read a second time sub silextio.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN hoped, that if it was not to be
again discussed. something would be done for one class of persons.
—He spoke of one of the most deserving and meritorious classes,
namely, subaltern officers, who earned their rank with their money
and by their services.
The Duke of WELLINGTON was not aware of any objection
that existed to the principle of the bill ; with regard to that class of
persons which had been alluded to, he bad not the least objection
whatever. There were, however, some parts of the bill to which he
could not consent.

Earl GREY regretted it had been postponed till this moment.
The bill was then read a second time.

The House at Half-put Six went Into a Committee on the East
Retford bill—Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS--TUESDAY, Junta 8.
Petitions were presented from Drogheda, against the Irish Gra.
E'en' Steam Bill ;:from Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Waterford,
against Increase of Taxation in Ireland ; from Hull, against ?le-
r Slavery ; from Brighton, against punishment of Peith for
; from the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, Belfast,
against Ditty on Coals; from the same Chamber, and from
several places in York, against the East India Monopoly ; from
the Magistrates of Surrey, for a remedy against the spread of Canine
Madness; from Tipperary, against the Assimilation of Taxes in
Ireland ; from the London Political Unionists, congratulating the
House on the abandonment of the new form of Government in
Greece. Upon presenting the latter,
Mr. HUME supported the prayer of the petition.
Mr. HODHOUSE also concurred in the prayer of the petition.
en. He thought it was certainly fortunate for this country that the
Illustrious person alluded to in the petition had refused the sore.
reignty of Greece. He was so indignant, after reading the papers
relating to Greece, that, were it not toe the pet:tiller situation of the
country, owing to the King's illness, he should feel himself bound
to make a motion upon the subject.
Mr. H. GRATTAN condemned the course that was adopted
towards Greece by the allied powers.
Mr. O'CONNELL hoped- that a discussion upon this abject
would shortly take place. He gave the 'need of his approbation to
the illustrious Prince in question for refusing the sovereignty of
Greece.

Mr. HOBHOUSE presented a petition from the medical practi-
tioners of the cities of London, 1% estminster, and the borough of
Southwark, against the Medicine Stamp Act. The honourable
member complained of the operation of this act, and said that, by
the New Stamp Act, the objectionable parts of the Old Medicine
Stamp Act were not only continued but increased. The amount
produced to the revenue by this tax was only 37,0001. He hoped
the Chancellor of the Exchequer would pay attention to the prayer
of the petition. Prosecutions had been Instituted under this act
which were exceedingly vexatious, because they were :prosecutions
for acts not wilfully committed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that there
was every anxiety on the part of the commissioners of stamps and
government to make such an arrangement as would meet the conve-
nience of the petitioners, provided that such arrangement did not
interfere with the revenue of the country. If the parties against
whom prosecutions had been instituted had any thing to complain
of, the Board of Stamps were very willing to consider their coin.
plaints, and remedy them as far as possible.
Mr. WARBURTON complained of the sort of medicines upon
which duties were charged.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER explained.
Mr. HUME thought that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would
consult the wishes of the people by changing the duty charged upon
stamps into a duty upon licenses.
The petition was then brought up,: and ordered to lie oo the
table.

lleusges from the House of Lords announced that their
Lordships bad passed certain private bills, and concurred in
others.

Mr. HUME presented a petition from the churchwardens and
overseers of the parish of St. Luke's, complaining of the conduct of
the commissioners foe building churches and chapels, in compelling
the parish to build a new church in the parish. He knew of no'
way by which the complaints of the petitions could be fully weer-
mined but by referring the petition to a select committee. Upon
this subject he should snake a motion upon a future day.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he could not
suppose that the House would accede to the motion of the Hon.
Member, because, although the Commissioners may not have
thought it expedient to beer the petitioners relative to the building
of the church in question, still it did not appear that the Commis.
timers had not made such inquiries as were necessary, previous to
ordering the church to be built. He thought it was clearly proved
by the fact that the church in question was generally tilled, that the
church was necessary.
Mr. J. WOOD complained of the powers invested in the hands
of the commissioners, by which they were enabled to inflict churches
upon parishes that were not to want of them. He could never con-
sent to give those commissioners increased powers when they con.
standy abused those with which they were entrusted. He as a die.
Dente? must say that he thought the established church was mil.
clently endowed, and It was not for the interest of true religion that
it should be possessed of too great a retinue.
Lord J. RUSSELL said a few words.

Mr. TRANT condemned the language adopted by hon. members
against the commissioners for building churches.
Mr. R. COLBORNE was fur amending the act, so as to enable
the commissioners to appropriate the surplus rents of the church
towards defraying the expenses of the church.
Mr. Sergeant ONSIASW made a few observations upon the
question before the House, which were not heard in the gallery.
Mr. 11U3IE complained of the observations made use of by the
honourable member for Dover (Mr. Trent.) That honourable
member ought to make himself acquainted with the question before
he adverted to it : lie denied that the church in question was con-
stantly Oiled : he also condemned the expression used by the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer towatds the parish of St. Luke's, namely,
that it was poor and dissolute. It might be poor, but it did not
follow that it was therefore dissolute. tie complained of the power
of the commissioners, which enabled them to ride over the opinions
of parishes; nor did he think it creditable in his lilajewy's
ten to support such a power.
Dr. PHILLI:11011 IC begged to ask when it was the intention of
the Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer to have the
Church Commissioners Bill read a second time ?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he could not
then say, but he would give timely notice of his intention.
After a few weeds from Mr. W. SMITH, the CHANCELLOR of
the Exc HEQV en, and Mr. BARING, the petition was ordered to lie
on the table, and be printed.
Mr. 11U31R gave notice that on the 17th instant he would move
that the petition be referred to a select committee to inquire into the
allegations contained therein.
Sir J. GRAHAM moved for a espy of the Instructions relating
to the prevention of the blockade of Greece.
Sir H. PEEL said that it would not be convenient to multiply
the nature of the return. There was no objection to the returns,
but some of them, particularly that relating to the instructions of
Lad Aberdeen to Sir P. Malcolm, were, he thought, unnecessary.
A short conversation took Mar; between Sir K. VYV wax, Sir
B. PEEL. Sir C. WETHERELL, and Lord J. RUSSELL, relative
to papers connected with Greece; but it was tarried on in so low a
tone, that its purport was not clearly understood in the gallery.
The motion was then agreed to.
Sir J. GRAHAM moved for returns of the salaries and pensions
paid under the Act I George IV. c. 118, and the funds from which
those payments have been made —Ordered.
Mr. HUME wished to know when the accounts of salaries and
pensions paid in the colonies were to be laid before the house.
Sir G. MURRAY could not at that moment say, but he would,
enquire, and state the result to the house.
Lord J. RUSSSLL presented a petition hos certain Dissenters
in London, complaining of the oaths requited to be taken on several
in
On the motion of Lord MILTON, returns were ordered of the
duties laid on foreign corn imported since 1827.
Lord 110 WICK gave notice that he should, in the Committee of
Supply, again take the sense of the house on the expenses of South
American Missions.
TUC CCEILENCT.
Mr. ATT WOOD then rose sad said, be wished to call the at...

tentioo of the house to the consideration of a moat important ma.
sore—to one whkh vim cakukted to "diem the country, and to
relax those pressures which now so heavily premed open the Nun.
tey. He wished to propose to the home the re.cetablielonsat of
that &attest and legitimate metal standard which the Act of
17117 'avoided, and which was not testered by the Act of

1819. Re thought it was e•pedieot to asshwiLste the currency

of the country, paper as well as metal ; but such a measure must
necessarily involve the whole question of the currency ; and
under the strong conviction that in submitting such a measure
he should not succeed, he thought it advisable to confine it:a:-
self to one more limited and placticable. He confined bilio..f.t
thus with the less reluctance, because he attributed to the cit.::g.•
from that ancient and legitimate metal standard the whole of
the difficulties, and the alterations of affluence and of distress, which
had proved so destructive in their result to the prosperity of ti.e
country.—(Hear, hear.) He could see no reason on earth for sod;
distress and difficulty as at present, and for the last few years,
pressed upon the energies of the country. Nor could he see
any which did not resolve itself into embairassment and weighty
pressure upon the productive classe4 of the community.--(Hear,
hear.) if any person had paid attention to the histal of the
country for the last fifteen years, he must be aware that in pro-
portion as prices had advanced during that period, in exaely
the same proportion were the means of subsistence ptac.d out of
the reach of the great body of the people, until at !au periods
had been experienced when the productive classes were almost in a
state of famine. This state of things had its origin in the artificial
operations which had taken place in the value of money.--(Hear,
hear.) During a long period prior to 1816 there was but one in.
stance in which money suffered &depreciation in value, and with the
exception of that one instance its value steadily advanced without any
fluctuation ; but what was the case since then ? Money having fallel
in value ruse again to its very highest value, and then basing again
fallen it again rose, and so a third time, until its value became the
sense of bankruptcies, against which no prudence could guard
anamipt those classes who had so embarked their fortunes as to be
liable to feel the effects of its fluctuations. Ile would now call the
snarler of the house to the act of 1797, which first established the
ppee money, not as the representative of money as formerly—
/se es a thing to be changed for another thing of more in.
Mask value, of which value it was the representative, but a pure
piper money changeable into nothing. (Hear.) This act, by
introducing paper, suspended silver as a standard of currency.—
Silver hod been the standard for more than two centurie4,
but in that year Parliament suspended it, and substituted
another in its room, and in so doing took no sort of precaution to
protect the new standard from depreciation. The laws which cep.
plied to the former standard to prevent its being depreciated, could
not be applied to the latter, and no new ones whatever were adopted
(Hear.) The new standard became the measure of value for a period
of twenty-two years, and at the expiration of that time, namely, in
1819, this new standard was, without any inquiry, abandoned. The
old standard was brought back, and all engagements contracted under
the latter standard were by that Act made payable in money, and this
without making the smallest inquiry as to the extent of the debate.
meet of paper money. The Committee which was appointed at the•
dme upon that bill said that it formed no part of their duty to Inquire
Imo that examination, for they thought they were bound to assume that
k had already been fixed by the wisdom of Parliament, which hon.
eon was not the case, and thus no inquiry took place. He observed
that an bon. manber opposite to him, appeared to be incredulous,
but such was the fact. That committee whose province It was to
make a large addition to every tax in existence by one act of Par.
Bement—that committee did not think It a matter proper for their
esosideralles, in eider to report to the house the effect which th.rt
ens mason would have in increasing all the burtbens of the country
—(Hear.) It was said by the right honourable baronet (Sir
Hobert Peel), and It was also contended by all those, who, with
him, supported the matinee of 1819, that in the passing of that bill
the nation was only discharging a debt of justice; and even were it
not so, that still they were bound to the adoption of the measure by
another and a preceding act of parliament. He would, foe the sake
of argument, admit this reasoning to the full, though before he sat
down he would show to demenstradon that neither position was a,
all tenable. He would ask the House to turn its attention to the
state of the country--to see on the one band the land bound down
by settlements and mortgages; and on the other hand the menu.
lictures and commerce of the kingdom in a state of unparalleled
ispersion—to witness on cony side one great system of pecu-
niary credit, and then to ask themselves the question whether
there could be found in civil legislation a course so calculated
flat the utter derangement of all the energies of the rescue—for the
suffering of all classes—for bringing together all the elements of dis-
order, and producing calamity, such as was at present indicted on
the country, as was the course which wes then adopted ? He would.
however, as he had already said, admit, for the sake of argument,
that it was just to re-establish a metallic currency. It was not to
relieve the country from future-apprehended embarrassment that the
Dill of 1819 was introduced, for at that time no suffering war
Airmen. (Hear, bear.) The Committee saw no difference in
the value of money. The advocates of the bill had no doubt upon
Ithe subject. They could place paper in the one scale and gold in
dee other and tell to a fraction the value of them respectively, which
was governed by the price of bullion in the market ; but this
it was which eventually led to all the ruin and destruction of pea.
pony which of late years bar taken place. He had, however, ad.
witted, for argument sake, that Parliament was pledged to the ma.
nee, sod that it was bound to indict a metal standard upon all en.
gripasots and debts contracted under a paper currency; and having
initted, be would still affirm that the pledge was violated—that
the standard was not brought back to what it was prior to 17117
that the standard was not the same as it was before--and that no pe.
sosiary contract or tax, to be paid under that act, was thereby
placed under the same circumstances, or under the same stands*
as before 1797, to which standard haus profewd that Parliament was
I pledged to recur. The ancient standard of the country sae not cid
at 31. 17s. lOed. per ounce, but it was gold at 31. 12.. lOid. per
ounce, or silver at is. 2d. per ounce, at the option of the purchaser,
which made a most serious difference, as might very easily be
explained. For iastarce—at one time gold was the dearer coin,
in proportion, and then of course it was the interest of the
people to pay in silver ; during the last century, gad was the
cheaper coin in proportion, and then it was the interest of the
people to discharge their debts, and pay their :sires in gold._
From the year 178.5 up to the present time, gold had gradually
advanced in price to the extent of fourteen nor rent. beyond the
price of silver, so that it was now clearly ttie int.:.s: of the people
to pay in silver. (Hear, hear, hear.) He was glad to see an hon.
friend of his in his place, who bad told him Oat he could not un.
dentand what was meant when the people talked of a double star..
dad of value, for he would take that opportunity of informing hin..
When there are two metals forming the standard of wale; the
debtor will, as a Matter of course, pay In that which is overrated
in the bullion market; he will acquit himself in the cheapest
metal. Where there is a double standard, the debtor or the
purchaser will pay in which coin be thinks fit; and if the pro.
portionate value of the two coins vary, he will, necessarily, fi.r
his own interest, pay in the cheapest. This was the state of
the law of the country down to the year 18W, when the present
coin was first introduced. Thus, in the case of a mortgage eta ed
prior to 1797, the debtor could easily understand, though his putt
friend could not do so, the advantage of paying in the cheaper tit
two coin., both forming the standard of currency.—(Hear, hear.)—
He would assume that a man had to pay a tax of 211. and tailing
the present prices of silver and gold respectively, if the latter was
now as formerly the standard, he would take his 214 in geld to
market and purchase 86 ounces of silver, which be would cony to
the Mint, where ie would receive for it about 211. Is. 9d. and thus
effect a saving of five per cent.—(ilesr, hear.)—As silver was the
main coin throughout the world, it might not be unfair to assume
that the quantity of that metal which would be required in thi.
country, if it was made the standard of value, woad alter the
value of silver thrtutglitint the world ; but such, be thought, would
nut be the case, fur it did not follow that beams. sum was the
standard of value, that all debts mud engagements should be dis-
charged in silver, for one of the effects of a silver, united with a
gold standard, would be to prevent the reduction of paper money
which would then be employed as the pepsemettive d silver.
This, ag.sin, would cause the price of sensutsffitise a dame,
and would lave the effect also of increasing the vest et lend
from four to six or seven per east. thus allindiog raid to the
landed proprietor, to the farmer, and she ogricultorlst, while it
would also relieve the labours from the MUM ie the taus
—(Hear, hear, bear.) The change hens a doable to a single
standard
stmadir—that
tut
b
agesposomdeled e; jesidfrotanduradives
Taped, who contended that gall aught tabs mode the seleeillehilde