The Sun.
London, England, 1827-03-10 00:00:00

mately fell on the consumer.—(Considerable impatience was here
manifested by the House.)—The Hon. and Worthy Alderman
said, he was well aware of the opposition he had to contend
against, but he should not enter into a contest by elevating his
♦oice—scarcely any one bad spoken on behalf of the interest which
he had the honour to represent ; indeed, the landed interest had
had it all their own way; but he must observe, that taxes had
been raised above 200 per sent., and had consequently caused a
♦ery great increase in prices. The great mass of the people had
been called upon to protect property, but he should like to know
what they had to protect, unless it were work-houses and infir-
maries ? He must say that the landed interest had not contri-
buted a sixpence towards the war.—(Hear, hear. )--Government
might tax any property but the land—with that they were not
suffered to meddle, for, if they should do so, they would he in the
peril mentioned by my lord duke's servant in the play, and be in
danger of having their supplies stopped. Last year there were an
extraordinary number of bankruptcies. The distress was general,
indeed universal. If the price were to be taken at 605., it would
not be possible to have corn cheap. If it were not for the preju-
dice which was manifested against the side of the question which
he advocated, lie should have made some further observations
with more confidence.

Mr. BARING said, it was impossible that any one
could speak on this question without having some personal inter-
est respecting it ; but such was his confidence in the integrity of
the House, that he did not doubt but that they would come to an
impartial decision upon it--The Hon. Member continued to speak
for some time ; but owing to the impatience of the House, and the
low tone in which he spoke, not an intelligible sentence reached
the gallery.
Lord G. CAVENDISH was not disposed to en-
ter into any discussion as to whether the price should be fixed at
60s. or 645.; but was willing, on that point, to rely upon the
judgment of Ministers.—He hoped that the meAsure would pass
in the shape in which it had been proposed.
Lord HOWICK der.ied the assertion which had
been made in the course of the debate, that the landed interest
had profited from the largeissues of paper money during the war.
He, on the contrary, thought that the circumstance had been
detrimental to the landed interest, for it stimulated them to bor-
row great capital, and to expend it on the improvement of their
estates ; the capital thus borrowed being afterwards to he repaid
in a currency of increased value. He did not altogether approve
of the amendment, but thinking it better than the original propo-
sitions of Government, he would vote for it.

Sir F. BURDETT did not intend to occupy the
attention of the House for any considerable time ; but as he dif -
fered completely from most of the gentlemen who had delivered
their sentiments on the question, he was desirous of saying a few
words in explanation of his own opinions. It was not surprising
that he should not agree with the worthy Alderman, who did not
agree with himself.—(A laugh.)—ln one part of his address, the
worthy Alderman described the landed interest as being an avari-
cious and grasping set of persons ; whilst in another part he spoke
of them as most liberal and generous.—(Hear.)—The latter cha-
racter was most to his (Sir F. Burdett's) mind. There was no
clam of men in this country (and if not here, not in the world,) so
liberal, so considerate in all their dealings as the country gentlemen.
Something had been said in the course of the debate about the
mischief occasioned by changing the measure of corn lately from
the Winchester measure to the Imperial measure. He believed
that a great deal of mischief, indeed all the mischief, had been
produced by a change similar in principle to this—by the change
in the measure of value—the change in the character and extent
of the currency. It would have been pretty generally acknow-
ledged as an injustice at the time when the Imperial measure in
corn was introduced, to have compelled all persons who had
made contracts in the Winchester measure to pay them in the
Imperial ; and yet this was exactly what had been done in the
case of the ctirrency. Every gentleman found his income lowered
one-third by the change; and out of this diminished income he
had still the old taxes to pay. The change in the system of
our currency had been well meant, but its operation had been
most mischievous, and, unless something decided was done
upon that subject, the distress of the country must continue.
He desired not to be mistaken. The Honourable Alderman
(Mr. Alderman Waithman) had talked of the land-owners
as persons who thought of no interests but their own, and
who would take a sponge if they could, and wipe out the na-
tional debt to-morrow. He could only say, that as far as his
recollection went, the national debt had had ne warmer supporters
than the country gentlemen in that House ; and that he had heard
enough of them'get up and say, that it had been fairly incurred,
and that they would sell their coats before they would touch a
shilling of it. But while he coincided in this. feeling, some
justice was due to the agriculturist, as well as the public creditor ;
and unless some change were made in the currency, they did as
much injustice to the agriculturists now, as they should do to the
public creditor by lowering the interest of the national debt. Ha
was persuaded, that a system of high money prices was neces-
sary to the advantage of the country, situated as it had become.
This would injure no one; the relative position of parties would
he the same ; but the claims of the Government would be less
by being paid a currency of less value. The principle here
was what he stood upon. He admitted the difficulty of what
was called an equitable adjustnient ; but for the advantage of
it, if it could be compassed, he thought that could be doubt-
ed by no man, The present corn scheme he thought of little
importance one way or the, other. While the currency con-
tinued in its present state, it • was very unlikely for corn ever to
rise so high as that the country should find any material effect
from it. But he repeated, that it was the currency ; he thought
that the country had scarcely ever received two such blows toge-
ther as the Corn Law' in 1815, and the Bullion Act. The grand
object of every legislature, in his opinion, ought to be to prevent,
as much as possible, any fluctuation in the measure of value ;
and he was clearly of opinion, that we had done ill in resolving to
return suddenly to our gold standard. The effect of it was, ne-
cessarily, to throw, the country into dreadful disorder. If we had
adhered to the existing system, palliating and mollifying the evils
and inconvenience of it from time to time, we should have done

much better ; and the country, he firmly believed, instead of being
in a state of distress; instead of seeing its industrious farmers
dragged to prison for debts which the fault of the legislature, and
not their own misconduct, had brought upon them, would have
been'ina state of unexampled prosperity.
Mr. W. DUNCOMBE supported the resolutions.
Mr. Alderman ATKINS said a few words in favour
of the original plan.

The House then divided
Ayes 5O I Noes j 335
Majority against the amendment, 285.

On putting the Resolutions, Mr. FERGUSON
observed, that many Members of the House conceived the price of
60s. tool ow. It might happen that the House was mistaken as
to the remunerating price, which possibly ought to be 655. in-
stead of 60s. He should, therefore, propose Is. instead of Qs. in
the scale of duty. •

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that such a proposition, would, in effect, carry up the price
to 80s.

Lord
,ALTHORP made a few observations, which
were inaudible.

An Hon. Member wished the Right Hon. Gentleman (the
Chancellor of the Exchequer) to state what his intentions were
with regard to barley and oats.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that if would be inconvenient to discuss the subject now.
The Resolutions respecting wheat were then agreed to ; the
House resumed, the Chairman reported progress, and obtained
leave to sit on Monday next.
On the motion for the Second Reading of the Postage Duties

Bill,
Mr. HUME was proceeding to discuss the subject
of the Sugar Duties.—(A laugh.)—The Honourable Member
finding his mistake, inquired whether the Honourable Gentleman
(Mr. Herries) intended to propose the alterations in the Postage
Bill of which he had spoken.
Mr. HERRIES should propose the alterations in
the Committee.
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted on Wednesday.
The House then resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and
Means.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
did not intend to discuss the subject of the annual duties on sugar
in the committee ; but it was desirable to put the matter in pro-
gress. He understood the Hon. Member for Bridguorth (Mr. W.
Whitmore) had some proposition to make on the subject, and that
he did not object to defer it till another stage of the business.
After a desultory conversation between Mr. Hume, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Herries, Mr. Thomson,
Mr. Bernal, and M. Warburton, the resolution passed the Com-
mittee, was brought up, and ordered to be considered on Monday.
Mr. TENNYSON obtained leave to bring in a
Bill to prohibit the use of spring-guns and man-traps.
Mr. HER RIES obtained leave to bring in a Bill
to repeal the Act 28 Geo. 111., imposing regulations on the manu-
facture of ounce thread.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned at a Quarter to One o'Clock.