Star.
London, England, 1830-03-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

DOUSE OF LORDS—Tx VRSDAY.
Some 'private bills on the table were read a third time and passed,
other• were advanced ot.e stage.
V mcount (it in F:R 'CU presented a petition from an individual,
rained Sidman. praying for a repeal of the laws which impose civil
(I isablitirs on the Jew'.

wet CH JCIDICATURE.
The End of ELDON presented two petitions against any altera-
ot Welch j.,dicatiire, from Pembroke, signed by many indivi-
s'el.bis of the county, and from the mayor and town council of Ha-
vetford west. The noble and learned lord spoke at some length on
preser,tir.g the second petition. He had seen with some surprise,
70 a publication, that the commissioners appointed to inquire into
pr.,ceedings of the Court of Chancery. had caused a great ex-
to the country. Now. he could affirm that this was a mix-
ste,e : tor tt,ost learned gentlemen, at considerable inconvenience to
tl ol•Oves. s. regard-el their professional labours, had gratuitously
at•vr ri, d. and given the benefit of their eelent?. remunera-
t.en uratever had they received for the e of that valuable
verve... With respect to the appointment of a committee to inquire
into the ecclesiastical law, he had not a single word to offer in ob-
jection. A. respected the proposed alteration of the Welch judi-
cature. as her as the courts of equity in Wales were concerned, he
should decidedly object to the proposed measure. He should not
object to other measures, which he believed to be improvements
in the law; but he must first be satisfied that they were improve-
ments, and he should feel it his duty to investigate the principles

promulgated.
CAWDOR said he was fully persuaded that the present
system of Welch Judicature was extremely inconvenient, and was
so felt by the people. He had made the subject a matter of inquiry
and investigation, and the result was as he had stated. He eertainly
should give his cordial support to the bill.
SHIPPING INTEREST.
The Earl of ELDON presented a petition, which was read at
length, from the shipowners of South Shields, complaining of dis-
tress, and praying relief.
MESSAGE PROM THE COMMONS.
Sir A. CI new r, with other members, brought up the report of the
Select committee of the House of Commons of session 1828, in.
quiring into the subject of Irish and Scotch vagrants.
Laid on the table.
Sir A. GRANT, Lord G. SontenszT, and other members of the
Commons, brought up" the illusory appointments bill,- and a pri.
vale bill, both of which were read a first time.
The Marquis of SALISBURY moved for certain returns of the
accounts and expenses of the commissioners of the London and
Edinburgh and London and Holyhead roads.
After a few observations from Viscount GODERICH and Lad
WHARNcLIFTE, the returns were ordered.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented a petition from Huddersfield,
complaining of distress, and praying to be relieved from taxation.
The petition was signed by 3,400 persons, and was agreed to at a
meeting publicly convened and held. He was persuaded that the
government had every disposition to lighten the burdens of the
people ; they had evinced that desire by the recent reduction of taxa-
tion ; and he hoped they would carry it still further.
CONN AVERAGES.
The Earl of M ALSIESBU KY rose, he said, to move for some
returns, to the production of which no objection existed : the returns
were for an account of the quantity of corn weekly entered from
Ireland into the port of Liverpool, from the sth April, 1828, to
the sth January, 1830 ; also the quantity weekly sent from Liver.
pool to London and Manchester, from that corn soimported, during
the some period. It was urged, when the corn imported from Ire.
land was proposed to be included in the averages, that this would
act as a boon to the agriculturists of this country. For his own
part, he very much doubted that such would be the effect felt when
the proposition was made ; and in this opinion he was confirmed.
Ile was inclined to believe that a very small proportion of Irish
wheat ever came within the scope of the corn averages. It was
.far from his desire to open the great question again.—(hear.) It
was a subject which ought not to be continually brought under par.
lianientary discus.ion.—(hear, hear.) He, however, must be per.
mitted to observe that, in his estimation, the present mode of taking
averages was very defective Within the last few days a great
rise had taken place in the corn market ; not from any deficiency.
of stock on hand—for he believed there was a large quantity ot
corn in the country, but from the probability there was of foreign
importation.—(hear.) There was something wrong in the mode of
taking averages, as he had before stated, and, as an instance of
this, he need only call their lordships attention to a return on their
table, from which it appeared that, in November, 1828, the price
of wheat having advanced to a price which admitted its imports.
tion at I Is. per quarter duty, no less titan 400,000 quartets were
itnported immediately.—The advance allowing this importation (we
understood) was only 2s. 4d. a quarter. It was fit, the noble earl
submitted, that the averages should be on a fair scale r the data
upon which they were founded ought to be adequate to the protec-
tion intended. For his own part, he firmly believed that not one-
fifth part of the wheat imported from Ireland ever found its way
into the averages.
The Earl of LIMERICK expressed his satisfaction at the motion
of his noble friend, and concurred in the observations made with re-
spect to the importation of wheat from Ireland.
The returns were then ordered.
DIsTaESS AND TAXATION.
Lord SUFFIELD said he had three petitious from three hun-
dreds in Norfolk, complaining of agricultural distress. They
prayed to be relieved from their burdens, especially from the malt
tax, which they considered pressed so heavily upon the agricultural
labourer. He felt it his duty to make some observations upon the
subject. It was a satisfaction to find that, although the petitioners,
some of whom were farmers, others yeomen and landowners, com-
plained of distress, they were not so absorbed in their own suffer-
ings as to be insensible to those of the labouring classes, and there-
fore they had, as he had just stated, suggested the repeal of the malt
tax. He could not forbear stating, as a fact worthy the considers.
tion of the house, that the farmer was in a worse condition
now than he was ten years ago. The fanner had now less capital
tp carry on his business at the present moment than at the period
just named. This was a proof that his was a losing trade. Hering
so far discharged his duty to the petitioners, who had done him the ,
honour to intrust the petition to present to the house, he would nbw '
proceed to notice one of the causes which bad an influence inju.
rious to the country—he meant the improper administration of the
pore laws. Before doing so, however, he would advert to what had
been first asserted respecting the corn Jaws. He was no more
friendly to those laws than his noble friend near him (Lord King).
He (Lord Suffield) thought that these laws tended to make bread
dealer, without benefiting the agriculturist. It was obvious that
. rents may be reduced—nay, that they were already reduced in
many parts of the country. But the petitioners declared " that
no reduction of rent would afford adequate relief." The land.
lord had reduced his rent. If humanity did not force him to a
reduction of rent, policy would. It was well known that too
high a rent would, in the end, turn out not only injutlous to
the tenant, but the landlord also. The next point to which
he begged to revert bad reference to the poor rates. Their
lordships, he would boldly state, had received a just measure of re
tribution for neglecting the proper administration of the poor laws.
These laws, it was unnecessary to say, were administered by the
higher orders of society—the( farmers had nothing to do with that
administration. He was quite satisfied that every where the poor.
rates might be reduced, and in some parts of England they might
be very much diminished. He was prepared to show, that where
there was a proper administration of the laws on this subject such a
result would accompany it. The last point on which he shoultU
now trouble the house was on taxation. The petitioners looked to a
reduction of taxation as the best mode of relief. They urged the
repeal of taxes on malt. This would enable the _lowet classes to
brew their own beer. The coal tax, and the duty on candles, if
removed, would also be of great benefit to the working classes. He
felt grateful for the reduction which had been already made, and
lie hoped it would be carried further. He had other petitions of a
similar description to present, but would not then trouble the house
with them.
The petitions were then read, and laid on the table.
MISREPRESENTATION.
The Earl of ELDON complained of having been misrepresented,
,fir a former nighterhen speaking on the subject of the currency.
bit what the noble and learned lord said was very imperfectly heard
helow the bar : the substance, however was, that he had been
stated as urging the very reverse of whit* he actually spoke.
Lord GOWER presented two petitions from lane-End and
anothir place in Staffordshire, against the truck system (as was un-
derstood).
Laird Kixo presented a petition from a parish in Ireland against
the Vestry Act. The noble lord also presented a petition from cop
individual in Norwich, praying the repeal of the Laws which affect
the civil rights of the Jews.
The Karl of Wiincxttaga presented a •petition from the ma-
gistrates, farmers, and others, of Romney blush, complaining of
distress, and praying relief.
PETITION triton lEZNT—DISTRESS. •
Earl STANHOPE said be had been requested to present a peti-
tion adopted at a very numerous meeting of the proprietors,
free
holders, and inhabitaate of the county of Kent ; and he dtscharged
this duty with perticular pleasure and satisfaction, because, in
every sentiment exposed in that, petal= he fully and cordially.
concurred. ItuitalsaV aspect to the. meeting itself, which was very-
. numeteusly a , and at. which -many of the most respectable
s coma* with the county. were present, he should have felt
611PrItur
hinny trpubk dieirlortbhips with any observations were,
',II=WWI epee to egg slew swards in to of. some
of the eon re-
Burks by bisitoble Mond the Losel•Liruteusat nty
(Marquis Camden) an %forme evening. His noble fries 44 re-1
•

presented that this meeting had besittalted by apolitical party, for
the purpose of raising aft opposition to the preassegoversment
Now in answer to the allegation; be geed lady easy that .if it were
di* pith were the motivetnfinfy l*rty I the cottetty, -k
would not film a valid ground of objecildb' to the peitillatit but It
must have been quite obviOus that it Would have been qui* **cites.
tor any such tti to have appealed to the county, in this legitimate
and comnitut I mode of•giving expression to public opinion if the
state of the people were not such se to render it necessary to eall for
some relief,—or, in other word; if the freeholders of the county sop.
posed that their distress was partial or temporary or that it arose
from fortuitous causes and circumstances not within the control

of Parliament. if sneh had been their feelings, they would not
have signed the requisition, or supported this petition with their
votes. But the fact was, that of the number of peers who possessed
property in the county of Kent, the requisition was signed only by
three, of whom a noble friend, whom he saw in his place, was one,
and a noble baron was another, who was now absent through India.
position, but who had desired him to express his entire concurrence
in the sentiments and prayer of the petition. The requisition was
not signed by any hon. member of the House of Commons, but it
certainly bore numerous signatures of the gentry and yeomanry of
the county. They who differed in opinion on other subjects, united
in feeling that some inquiry into the causes of the distress was abso-
lutely necessary. When his noble friend said that this and other
proceedings adopted, both in and out of parliament, had no other
design than to offer a vexatious opposition to the measures of go.
vestment' he must have spoken without personal observation, for be
was sure his noble friend must be aware that those who wished to
practice such vexatious opposition pursued • different course; that
they proposed nothing, but opposed every thing; waiting in am.
bush until some measure was brought forward on the other side,
and then pouncing upon it with all their hostility. He had long
since stated the principles which, in his conscience, he believed
to be essential to the salvation of the country. He was ready to
offer his humble, but cordial and zealous, support to any ministry
which would act upon such principles. Asking nothing, seek.
ing nothing, wishing nothing, that any minister could bestow,
be would still be ready to support those measures which ap-
peared wise and just. That he was equally determined
se oppose, however unsuccessfully, still zealously and par.'
sly, any measures in opposition to those princi-
ples which he conscientiously approved of. The pad.
ekes @toted, in its first paragraph, that the grievous and 0.
exampled distress which affects all the productive interests stiike
country, demanded the immediate attention of the right has. hone
so investigate its causes, and to consider of the measures which it
would be right to adopt, with a view to administering speedy and
effectual relief. His noble friend bald, that the distress of the one.
' try was not general, because rents continued to be paid, and townie
were not dispossessed ; but his noble friend must know that thus
farmers who paid their rents, did so out of their capital ; and if as.
Sees to quit were not more general, it was because it was always
difficult, and often impracticable, to find another tenant. He had
the honour of being a near neighbour of his noble friend, and he was
enabled to say, from information, that one of his noble friend's own
tenants—a very respectable man had lost 20W. by farming in the
last year; therefore those who said that rents were paid did nothing
towards proving that distress did not exist, unless they were
to assert that those rents were not paid out of the capital. A
noble connected with the county of Kent proposed reduction of
rent u a specific for all the evil. Why the distress of the land-owner
consisted in the reduction or the non-receipt of rent, and yet reduction
wu proposed u a cure. That wu somewhat like the case of a person
dying for want of food, who was gravely told that the best cure for
bin sufferings was not to eat. (A laugh.) He had no objection to
sable lords reducing their own rents to any extent they pleased, but
he protested, on behalf of their lordships in general, and of all the
land-owners in England, against any measure being urged upon
them which would tend to deprive others of their rents, without
the concurrence of thou interested. How could rents be reduced,
when in many parts of the country no rents at all were paid ? In
many parts of the county of Kent no rents were or could be paid.
The poor rates were 20s. In the pound upon the rents of the land.
Their lordships were called upon to consider what would be the
consequences of a continuance of the present distress. The peti-
tioners stated, and he agreed with them, that it would be impusi.
ble for his majesty's subjects to continue to pay their taxes, or I.
execute their other engagements. and that, if some relief were nee
given, the consequence would be a national bankruptcy, and otbse
consequences most alarming. Although he considered it a dange.
roue delusion to suppose that the taxes of themselves were the
cause of the distress, or that it could be materially alleviated by
their reduction, yet, it was important to state that the taxation had
virtually doubled since 1819, and that to pay the same mend of
nominal value it was requisite to sell double the number or Fandty
of articles of produce. He denied that taxation of itself produced
the distress, because, at time, when taxes were higher than at pre.
sent, the country was more ptosperous • but it was manifest that
anything which rendered the collection of the revenue difficult
tended to diminish public credit, and to Win on that nationalbtralt.
tuptcy which the petitioners apprehended. As a proof of the effictS
of the distress upon the minds of men, he would mention that,. in
the last year, those very same freeholders of Kent assembled, and
expressed their apprehensions of any measure which might diminish
the security of the established church, yet, at the next meeting, re.
ceived with joy a proposal—which was nearly carried—for an appro-
priation of the church property. He held in his hand a letter from
a large landed proprietor, who stated that his poor-rates were dou-
bled within 1.1 years, and that he paid, upon • property of 1,341
acres, rates to the amount of 9941. per ann. A case had also bean
Weindy mentioned by a noble friend of his, of a parish which was
ensinied with 2.9001. poor.rates, although its rental was but 24001.
In mother part of the country a farm was let at 501. upon which
the tithes and poor-rates amounted to 1121—being more than 200
gir cent. upon the value of the land. The petitioners mated that'
'hi Oils of the times had arisen from the want of a due protection
to the agricultural interest, and from the system of free trade, which
was incompatible with the present state of taxation, and that
they were aggravated by the alterations which had been made
with respect to the currency, unaccompanied by a proportionate
reduction of taxation. It concluded with the expression of a
wish—which was now common in all parts of the country—for
a reform of parliament, regulated on proper principles. With
this limitation, he concurred in the wish of the petitioners. He
was far from being, as his noble friend said, a radical reformer,
•but experience convinced him that the house of commons did
not urns the sentiments of the people. It was, therefore,
natural that those who met in popular assemblies to coat.
plain of their distress should look for relief to a reform of par.
Bement. He knew well that an ancient dilapidated edifice, like
the constitution of this country, it was necessary to use great
are and caution, lest, in attempting to make those repairs which
time or circumstances might have rendered necessary, we should
'destroy the edifice itself. But he would appeal to those who:
• most opposed, not to radical reform, but to a safe, sahumg,
plhtdent, and practicable reform, to beware of the consequences of
the present measures; for if it were the intention of ministers to ex,
cite the strongest feelings in favour of reform, they could not do so
e effectually than by suffering the present distress of the country
M continue without investigation of its causes, or inquiring into the
news of remedy. It was the duty and the interest of the House of
Oensimis to endeavour, while it was not too late, to regain the coo.
Maw ard support of the people, which they had lost. The ped.
don, visendly. prayed for relief. As there would be future spew
UMW stffiseussing the questions generally which the petition mss.braced, end, as he intended to have the honour of submitting agt
position with respect to free trade, he should not now detain
Lordships further, hut should move that the petition be read.
The petition was then read by the Clerk.
The Marquis of CAMDEN said that, as his noilgtVitkid
made some observations upon a speech made by him., a ie.
ONION he was led to explain to the house what be meant to say at
that time. He meant to inform the house that, so far as his ober*.
vatlons and opinion went, the distress was not so great as it wee re.
presented to be. Their lordships would do him the favour to rood.
Int, that be had made a comparison between this year, when so
much excitement prevailed upon this subject, and foram
and said that the distress was not, in his opinion, so or es
severe as at former seasons. He certainly thought it net villa*
that those who agreed with his noble friend in disspprovin of the
measures of government, would rake such an opportunity and such
means of evincing their disapprobation. and that such a feeling
might have led to the meeting of the county of Kent. He
well recollected—and he was rot ashamed to say it—thatTegula.
attended a meeting at Maidstone for the very purpose of making a
stand against government. This was certainly a great many yogi
ago; and he had not recently seen reason to censure the conduit
of the government. (Hear, hear.) With regard to the distress,
he must say that, even if the county of Kent were MINI
distressed than it was, that would be no proof of general distress.
That county was peculiarlyi situated, and it might be deeply dis.l,
leered, and yet the distress not be Faisal thisuoeut the kingillein.
—(The noble =ergots here read emu imiewlstions, which ts=
to relate to the conipacadve poises ef gleaner in too at
us-Wds). He concluded by saying that the wasesell cues wool*
better paid now than last year, and the the distress Wm nifty MI
' greet nor an general as It was reptesented, et AS it bed Meals we.
ma periods.
Earl STANHOPE said a few words in esplanades.
The Earl of W INCH ILSEA aeitilhat it wu with goat ekes
wince he offered himself so the twenties of abeirlordshipar for. GAO
the debate of last Thus.allay aced also of the first night of the
suxu,Land after the hat inefeitultedpeals made by • dui
noble 11rd wisp se ad issiiilegly the caused**
distrusted countsysten, sad called arm lordships to de thei
duty which the country had a right to demand of than, by Wads.
tigatM ehe anises of the distress, and hogekkee Into the mew Cl
relief 1124. that evilwlrieli oopeessed ship .fiseedi he the swear-_
after thoestrult of those 'Aim, . be had witless the - vanity sae 110
weaknes to.tfappose that any argument width °MAU urged by dm

bumble indivjdual who had now the honour of addrendng their latti-
atdpa -would meet with the slightest consideration from Aim; But
havingbeen requested to support the prayer of the petition which
had just been laid upon their lesdshipas table coining from
a body of men inferior to none In loyalty, in attechnient to the insti-
tutions of the country, in strict integrity, and upright ence,
he felt that he should not be fulfilling his duty, or doll:gel:dice to
the respect which he entertained for the character of that body, if he
were to remain totally silent on the presentidon of this petition. He
should not occupy the time of their lordships with proving the un.
paralleled distress in which the country was involved: He would not
go into the painful detail of the causes which had of late years made
so lamentable a change in the condition and prospects of the agri-
cultural interests in the country. Heart.rending, indeed, were the
scenes which he could bring before their lordship of hundreds
of honest and respectable men whom he recollected in comfort
and affluence, happy in the midst of their contented families,
who were now borne down by their burdens, who, after hav-
ing spent their last shilling for the support of their families, were
obliged to part with their cheerful cottage and the few mess which
..rt
surrounded it, and were obliged to give up the pinkiesi
realised by the honest Industry of their forefathers—a
mony as dear to them as the stately inanition or the
domain of the proudest lord of the realm. Not diet,
but they were obliged to seek an asylum in the poorhouse,
and in the last years of their existence subsist upon the poor-rate to
which they had themselves been the chief contributors. He would
confidently say, notwithstanding the opinions which were advanced
on the opposite side, that the distress of the agricultural intmest had
never been exceeded in the memory of the oldest pane=
Owing to want of capital, a vast tract of the finest paeans Mt
the county of Kent was considerably understocked. He wished
those noble lords, who founded their opinions as to the distress net
being general, on the circumstance of their having received their
rents, would trouble themselves to inquire in what manner those
rents had been paid. He wished they would see whether the rents
had not been paid out of the capital of the tenants; yes, and he
would add, out of the capital of the landlords likewise. If arable
land was improperly broken up for cultivation, what was it but to
waste the capital of the landlord, without ony real advantage to the
tenant ? Such was the case in many parts of Kent. He, himself
knew a property in that county, where four-fittlts of the plough lands
were sowed with wheat ; what then, he would ask. must be
the effect of such a system, but to exhaust capital ? Another
effect of the system was to diminish the numbers of that great
and valuable body who formed the link between the lanibelehrt
and the peasant—that body, who, in the hour of trial amid of
danger, when mischief was threatened by foreign foes, proved
the best source of strength and support to the country. From
the time ..that he had the honour of a seat in that house,
he perceived, with regret that public men had shown too little
regard to public principle, and that many who had a political
character to sustain had chosen rather to consult their own private
interests. He was very sorry to uf that he could no longer enter- ,
taro anything like public respect for many with whom be had for-
merly acted. He had, however, a few political friends still left, and
much as he deprecated the course pursued by his majesty's govern-
ment, he would scorn to indulge in anything like factioustari.
tion. He could only wish that the noble duke (Wellington who
now happened to have a residence in the county, would the
trouble, when passing through the world of Kent, through Romney
Marsh, to ascertain, from his own observation on the spot, whether
or not the statement which he (the Earl of Winchelsea) now made
was correct. He wished the noble lord would inquire what the'
actual state of the farmers in that quarter was, and see whether he
would not find among them man persons who were permitted to
occupy the soil without having any rent for the last three years.
It would be then for the noble duke to say whether the agriculturists
had not just reason to complain. But he would not call upon the
noble duke to take so dreary a journey ; he would only ask him to
is
see in what state the tenants of the noble marquis opposite were ;
and also in what mate the tenants of the noble earl (the Earl of
Darnley) were. In both these cases he would be sat that dis-
' tress existed to an extent sanely ever known before. Those
who were not able to pay any rent must still remain on their
farms, for whatever they possessed in the world was vested in the
land, and, therefore, they could not possibly remove. But though
the noble earl had said, on a former occasion, that he received his
rents, he would silk the noble earl, as well as his noble friend op.'
posite (the Marquis of Camden), whether their rents were received
out of the profits of the land, or out of the capital of the taunts ? 1
He himself had heard that distress prevailed to such an extent at
Chatham, that the magistrates were employed from morning till
night in nothing whatever then endeavouring to relieve it. The
petitioners stated that the contraction of the currency had materially I
contributed to the present distress. In this opinion he entirely con-
mined ; not that he wished to see a paper instead of a metallic
standard, but because he thought that before any change took place,
meant' ought to have been adopted for reducing the national debt.
The conviction on his mind was that, if something was not done to
increase the circulating medium, it would be quite impossible for
the country to go on. It appears to him that if provincial banks
were established on a footing of. good security, very great relief
might be afforded to the public. There was another point refaced
ta in the petition on which he wished to say a few words. With
the burdens which now upon the country, nothing could be
1 INK injudicious than pressed
trade; yet, at the same time, be must
say that, so far from being adverse to the measure, he should sup-
port a free trade in corn, if the land was not so heavily. taxed.—
(Hear, hear.) But with our present heavy weight of t=heye
admission of foreign produce, Under the crushing
was an evil of the greatest magnitude. The country was ghat
approaching to a state of utter ruin and destruction, and t=
could not possibly remain as they were. Among the other
introduced in the petition was one respecting parliamentary reimin.
Upon this he was not now disposed to make any observatioas, she
wished to reserve himself for another occasion, when the
should be brought forward. It was, however, impossible felt
to shut his eyes to this important tact, that the people of England
had not their great weight in the other house of parliament. He
was no radical reformer; he thought, however, the question a very
important one, and he wished to see it discussed on constitutional
grounds. Having said thus much, he had now only to express his
hope that the subject of the petition would meet with the serious
attention of their lordships, involving as it did the best interests of
the country.
The Marquis of CAMDEN explained.—His observations on
this subject had reference only to his own immediate neighbourhood,
where, from his own knowledge, he could take upon himself to state
that distress did not prevail to the same extent as in other parts.
The quarter to which he had alluded comprised a very large district,
and the pressure there was by no means so great as in 1821. He
admitted, however, that a good deal of distress did prevail in the
amid of Kent.

The Earl of DARNLEY could not say, with the noble mar.
quit who bad just addressed their lordships, that for several years
he had found no reason to oppose the measures of his majesty's
ministers, for it so happened that hitherto he had generally found
himself in opposition, though he saw no reason to complain of
them in the instance now brought forward. It was said, as a
sarcastic taunt, by his noble friend (Earl Stanhope), that he (the
Earl of Darnley) and those who acted with him were always ac-
customed to oppose every thing and propose nothing. But their
lordships would recollect that he and his noble friends had
invariably proposed, and urged upon the attention of his blajtity's
ministers one most important measure—a measure which had since
been fortunately adopted, and one which lie looked upon as the
greatest he had ever known—the Catholic Question. lie contended
that the distress was much more severe in the county of Kent hi the
year 1822 than at present. In that years public meeting was called
for the purpose of taking Into consideration the state of the agriculs
tarsi interest, and the attendance of the noblemen and gentlemen of
the county' was very numerous, but the noble marquis opposite (the
Lad Lieutenant) was not present. Among those who attended
was Ali. Cobbett, and he proposed to the meeting that what he called
" an equitable adjustment" should take place. He (Rad D.) was
the only individual who had stood out against this proposi-
tion, the whole sense of the county, as expressed by the meeting,
being in favour or it, and it was finally carried amidst loud accla-
mations. He understood that at the late meeting at Psnenden
Heath, the noble earl (Stanhope) had proposed an address to his
majesty, and that a person, who was an auctioneer at Rochester,
stood up and proposed another address as an amendment, which
was carried by a large majority—lhear. hear.) Thus did the sue.
dower completely knock down the address of the noble earl—(a
laugh.) Ni kb respect to the presort petition, be would ask the
noble earl if be could put his hand on his bean and say
whether there was a majority of the nreetiOF in favour of it ;
or rather, whether the voice of the majority was not in
favour of a very different petition-Jew which to ter tie sisal
abolition of tithes ? He wieleoeherd that the distress was by no
mesas se gum as was ice. But even admittins it to the
astent stated by smas.asiiis lords, still be would ask what
were the muteness they peptised as a remedy P (Hear, hear.)
Why, the currency and. the aim laws. He hops). however. hat the
not duke at the bead of hie Majesty's imam/oat, had toe much
'Amuse to sailer either of these to be moped *ids. The trona.
ley had already reached the lowest pit of dspeissien, and signs
of haprovement were visibly besimimi hi *poor In all direc-
tions. Goverranent had done his mom to allied east in the best
possibk way—tramely, by a redereleo of Imam .. His majesty's
ministers bad moreorre pledged themehses lo further redne-
, dons whenever oesetehlengraitlit shaeld present them-
, selves: MR , If any could' wet • beam mode of relief than
that which resulted from a of Sass be world dup.
poet biro heart and hand; bat he did not Malt dim could be a
better. He deprecated the tdple of exddhl diniveladlitill abd ;
' . discontent in the public m7od, by maenad “peasessetises of
distress. ..
. • Earl STANHOPE, in explanation. said, that • ese¢elky af the
meeting, though net a large one, was in favour of the present peti.

tion. With respect to what was said about an equitable ad.
juennent, be had only to observe that he was so Mood to any
such measure ; for he did not see how there could be any equity in
doing that which was in itself inequitable. He still thought, how.
ever, that something of the kind mast take place, or that *we man
be an issue of papa money. He did not, at the same time, mean
an unlimited issue for, in his opinion, country bankers ought to
be the distributors, and not the creators of money. Perhaps the best
plan would be, the paper money should be Issued on government
security.
The earl of DARNLEY explained.
Lord SUFFIELD said that the pressure of distress was felt
very severely in Norfolk as well as in Kent, particularly among far.
men, who formerly realised from 5001. to 1,6001. This class of per.
eons suffered very much ; but the distress was not to be atttributed
to the government, for it had originated in a long train of circum.
stances, over which the Government had no control.
The petition was then ordered to lie on the table.
IMPORTS AND IMPORTS.

Earl STANHOPE moved for a return of the declared value of
French silks imported in 1826 and in the three subsequent years ;
also, a return of English silks exported in 1823, and of leather im-
ported and exported in that year. His lordship also moved for
various other returns of exports and imports, and for an account of
die expenses of the Preventive Service down to the present time. He
understood that the noble duke opposite did not object to the present
motion, and,therefove it was unnecessary for him to detain their
lordships with any Alienations on the subject.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said he did not object to the
returns being granted, and said it was his intention to move for
further papers on a future occasion.
Motion agreed to.—Their Lordships adjourned at a quarter before
Eight o'Clock.