Star.
London, England, 1830-02-13 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COM MONS.-Fiu DA V.

On the assembling of the house, Ur. Wright presented certain
returns of the number of exchequer bills in circulation.
A new writ was ordered to be issued for the rentm of a member
tor the borough of limey, in the room of the Hon. R. Heneage
Lien, who has accepted tile Chiltern Hundreds.
A new writ was also ordered to be issued to return a member for
Wenlock, in the room of the honourable George C. W. Forester,
ho has been appointed one of the Grooms of his Majesty's

A number of private bills were read a first and second time.
Mr. J. WOOD presented a petition for the construction of a
1:-rbour at Exmouth.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL brought in a bill to amend the
Isws regulating illusory appointments.
The bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second
time on 51onday sc'nnight.
The SOLICITOR-GI NERACaIso brought in a bill to alter
aid amend the laws respecting arrests for contempt ; a bill for the
amendment of the conveyancing laws; a bill for consolidating and
amending the laws respecting infants and lunatics; and a bill for
consolidating and amending the laws respecting real estates,
The above bills were severally read a first time; to be read a
second time on 11Iondav sennight, and to be printed.
_ _

DISTRESS OF THE COUNTRY.
Col. SIBTHORP presented a petition from the metchants, trades-
men, and inhabitants of Lincoln, complaining of the general dis-
miss of the country, and praying the house not to grant further
supplies until the state of the country should be taken into consi-
4:eNition, and measures adopted for its relief. The petition war
m.ist numerously and respectably signed, and he (Colonel Sibthorp)
tally concurred in the sentiments it expressed. After reading ex-
tracts from the petition, the hon. member declared that " he
uotild divide the house to all eternity" before he would vote
tea the supplies being granted until the state of the country had
been fully talon into consideration—(hear, hear). The house was
'.iii a sacred spot, in which members might yet speak their senti-
ments without fear of prosecution--(hear, hear). And he hoped
close sentiments would be widely diffused throughout the country,
i:. order that dm public might know that their complaints were not
siiently passed over.
fir. FAZAKERLEI cnuld bear testimony that the petition ex.
prestietl the feelings of a large majority of the very respectable inha-
bitants of Lincoln, and he fully concurred in the prayer of the peti-
tion —The petition was ortiertil to be printed.

REPORTING DEDATES.
Colonel SIBTHORP expressed his intention of moving on $
f.,tore day for granting greater faciltites• to those persons who at.
tnded the house for the purpose of reporting its proceedings.
EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CHARTER.
S,r T. MARTIN presented a petition from the merchants, ship.
owners, and other persons interested in the trade of Plymouth,
paying that no exclusive privileges should be granted on the expi-
ration of ,the company's charter. —The petition was ordered to be
printed.

sir. STANLEY presented a petition from the chamber of com-
melee, and signed by a great number of merchants and manufac.
taxers of ‘lanchestr, praying for a modification in the charter of
Cie Cast India Company.—Ordered to be printed.
At:- L. WODEIiOUSK presented a petition from Tunstead, in
.tor odic, praying for a revision of the corn laws, and against the
conzinuation of the molt and beer duties.
31e. O'CONNLLL presented a petition from Cork, against the
belect vesrriec• bill. Also another petition from the same place,
against ihe sublettiagact.—Ordered to be printed.
3lr. O•('fINNELL gave notice of his intention to move, on
ilte 17th instant, fur leave to bring is a bill fur amending the
vestry act.
Slit' sheriffs of London appeared at the bar, and presented a peti-
tion from the Lord Mayor and Corporation of the City, praying for
1 ate to bring in a bill for the amendment of the New London-
bridse act.
On the motion of Mr. Alderman WOOD, the petition was read,
ra.•d ordered to be relent-4 to a COMlllitttn.
Shetifs aim, presented another petition, respxting lands be-
-I.leg rit to the City in St. Georges-4145.

LAW OF FORGEhY.
.i:. Secretary PEEL gave notice that he would move, on Thurs.
it. me nth ot March next, fur leave to bring in a bill for amending
a•..i consoll.lating the laws relating to forgery.

ESSrAL PETITION.
nr.WESV:R.N. in presenting a ;ietition from the freeholders of
t•t; county of Rises, adopted at a general meeting held on the pre.l
c,,',-it day. relative to the distressed state of the country, observedl
u!eattitgn that petition Was not the one lie haul supported at the
nt..ti• aht. contained, in some ;hats of it, sei,thitents to which he
Itrangly nhjacted, he still felt it I:is duty to preseut it.ft was signedby
the sheriff of the county, in accordance with a resolution passed at
d:euteeting, but he (31r. Western) would much rather it had borne
the signatures of those freeholders whose sentimenta It purported
espreas. He fully felt for the distress—the general public dia.
tress —prevailing throughout the country • but sooner than sign
tie petition he then held in his hand, he would allow his
hici to be chopped off. The honourable member proceeded, at
so length, to comment on the distinction between the two pets.
tuns proposed at the county meeting, the first of which he bad
ollputted. and which he would read to the house. He again re-
Prred, that 'lie bill of 11319 was a direct robbery on all the debtors
of the country, and, unless some measure of value should be devised,
tat as equitable footing, between the productive and unproductive
ea•ses, the ruin of the country would be accomplished. (Hear.)
He (tlttterved the proposition with which an hon. bort. (Sir James
6'''';'`4",) was to come down that night, and, in order to avoid 'his
(3lt. It'tstern) intruding again on the house, be begged leave then
acute that he must clippie that motion. It would not give
tfLual relief—would not mitigate the distress= of the people; in
his opinion, nothing abort of the repeal of the act a 'alp, would be
compensation for the robbery which that bill had cownuitted on pH b. dc
.ors and imyers of utass.lHear.)
r. aW. f1.4,41.V.Y said that the hon. Temkin for Eseax
(Mr. IVestern) seemed to haie a livfl recollection' of the &feet
which his propositions esrorienced Ike kgillr*ger*.p..... Cif
fi-eholders of his couuty..--( Hear.) kp h gentleman ern:duly did the meeting justice in one irespecf Ug 'he withheld
it in another—he impeached its prudence while he extolled its

patience. Now he (Mr. Harvey) understood that these virtues that this distress was general, he could not but remember the qua.
were always co-existent. It would be too much to. expect lifications with which to government had met the statement that
from the honourable gentleman an eulogy on the pnidence misery and wretchedness every where prevailed. The right hon.
of a meeting which rejected his petition, and adopted one ftmetri. gentleman opposite explained his view of the subject by stating,
tally opposed to it ; but it was creditable to his candour to admit that in England, indeed, the distress was general; but that with
the patience which was shown by the freeholders in listening to his respect to Scotland and Ireland such was not the case. Now this
oft-repeated arguments on the currency--(Hear, and laughing.) The exception strack him as being very remarkable; for surely it must
meeting bore not the tone of piety about it, and it rejected all factious have occurred to the right hon. gentleman himself, that hisargu-
feelings. It admitted that distress existed, but It its univer. ment would bear strongly against a principle which he had he-
althy ; and,whlle every man was persuaded that the public suffer- quently defended. He (Sir J. Graham) would ask, Are not
ing was increasing, and would, if not checked, bee me overwhelm- Scotland and Ireland exceptions from those measures with respect
ing, he appeared convinced that it was not yet !too late, and to which the right lion. gentleman and myself have so often die.
that effectual measures would ensure relief. The meeting did not freed, and to which I mainly attribute the distress of this country ?"
concede every thing to Parliament, but it stated that much could be —(heate hear.) In 1826, when the government, contrary to the
done out of doors, and it told the people that with themselves a principles laid down by Sir Francis Baring, by Adam Smith,
great part of the remedy lay. There was one measure which'was and by Mr. Hall,—contrary also to the opinion expressed by the
decidedly recommended, and in the propriety of which he cor_ bullion corranitte bf 1810, and contrary even to the more recent de-
dially concurred—namely, the reduction of the rent of land to the cision of the cornmitteeof 1819, all of which went to this point., that'
standud of 1792 or 1797. He saw no reasons why pensions a paper currency, payableon demand, was a sufficient check to the
and the salaried of the officers of Government should be reduced over-issue of paper,—when the government proceeded on a different while the rent of land was left untouched.—(Loud cries of hear, principle, and enacted that the small notes should be withdrawn,—
hear.) Taking it for granted :that rents were fifty millions a when they came to that determination without due inquiry—dme
reduction of 25 per cent. would give immediate relief to the occu- laid the foundation of that widely-spread distress that now existed
piers of land to the extent of twelve millions, and he hoped that the in England. (Hear, hear.) Scotland and Ireland, where the small
landlords would bear that in mind, and not be irritated with their note currency was not touched, were not, it was raid, borne down
tenantry for being once opposed to them--(hear, hear). The te. by calamity; but England, where without inquiry the install-note
nantry spoke the truth, like persons determined, at last, to be heard. circulation was suddenly withdrawn, was, they all knew, invaded
They acted as became them,and as became that class which was once by the most cruel distress. (Hear, hear.) He must, however,
the st of England, the farmer and the yeoman. The meeting first take leave to say, that the fact of the absence of distress in
recommended the taking off of twelve or fifteen millions of those taxes Scotland and Ireland remained to be verified. But, if such were the
which bore directly on the productive interests of the country, and case, it did not bear against, but, on the contrary, it fortified his
then it took up a proposition which he had named to the house last argument. Having said thus much on the distress of the country,
year but which had not been treated with much attention—namely, he now came to one or two general propositions which were nem-
a well regulated property tax. Yes, the meeting said that the beat nary to the support of his ptopoeition. In the first place, he would
tax would be on property graduated by a scale, and varying from observe, that the Bank restriction act of 1707 produced two dif-
two and a half per cent. on annuities not above 1.300 a-year, to 10 ferent effects ; the one was a depreciation of the value of'
or 15 per cent. nay 30 or 40 per cent. on overgrown incomes. (Hear money, and the other a great rise of pekes. Now the rise of prices
and laughter.) With regard to the taunts which had been thrown at that day was the cause of granting increased salaries; but prices
out spinet him, he (Mr. H.) declared that he held them in utter having again come down, he did not know how they could fairly
indifference. He was satisfied with doing his duty, and he felt that proceed with the increased male of salaries.—(Hear, hear.) He
he could not do so without meeting with some interruption and lois- would here refer, first to the evidence of Lord Sidmouth, in the
directed sarcasm. year 1802, when he came forward to ask for an increase of the civil
Lord HOWICK must confess his great surprise to hear the list he said—" When gentlemen refer to their own experience of
calumnies which prevailed in some of the publications of the day the increased value of every article in the course of the last two or
against the landlords of England uttered in that house. He could three (yeas,} and when they reflect on all the circumstances of
not with patience hear It said that thelandlords exacted from the te. the times, I am sure 'the excess of the civil list, which renders
nantry more than the value of the soil. He declared that such a an addition to it necessary, will be readily accounted for."
charge was totally unfounded. He knew that the landlords were These words were not very clear, and did not go to the full length
not that grasping and avaricious body which they were charged with of his proposition, though it did support it to a certain extent.
being; and he could only state that, though distress existed largely In 1804 a fresh debt was accumulated on the civil list. Mr. Pitt
in that past of the country with which he was connected, a single was then-prime minister ; and he came down to the house at that
farm never became out of lease without becoming the subject of an time to call for a grant of money to make up the deficiency. Almost
active competition at an advanced rent. the first sentence he:uttered on that occasion clearly showed that the
Mr. LENNARD said, the hon. member for Colchester at the alteration which 3lr. Pitt then moved for was considered of a tem.
meeting spoke of the landlords as having flinty harts—as mere vu. popery nature, and was to terminate on the return of peace. He said,
luptuaries —as men rolling in luxury, and careless about the suffer. No gentleman who reflected on the very considerable rise that had
logs of those around them. It was because these sentiments were taken place in the price of every article of domestic accommodation
listened to with approbation at the meeting that he wished to hold could Le surprised that his 3lajesty had not confined his expenses
himself disconnected with the amendment. The people were moved under that head (the household) within limits that had been marked
with distress, and, unless something was done, the time might az- out so long since." Here Mr.P. clearly assigned the reason for -.taking
rive when all hope of temperate measures being made available must an additional grant,—namely, the depreciated value of money,which
be abandoned. was at that time 40 or 50 per cent. and the increased price of provi.
Mr. HUME thought the hon. member for Celt:heeler had been 'lons. The fleet authority he should quote was Mr.Perceval,who, in
unfairly dealt with. He proposed an alteration of the present sys. 1809, applied to parliament for an increase of the salary of the
tem of taxation, which was better than a system which oppressed judges, and from his statement they might learn the extent of do.
only particular nterests, and he looked for relief to those sources preciation at that period. He culled for an addition of 1,0001. per
where, in his opinion, it could be best afforded. Now, he appealed annum to the salary of each of the puisne judges, and an increase of
to the House, whether it would not be wise to abolish tithes alto. the Welch judges of 3001. a-year, on the express ground of the de-
pther, and) pay the clergy moderate stipends, according to their crease in the increase of the price of provisions. At that time wheat
dudes.—(hear.) The petition said no more, and as his hon. friend was 91s. the quarter, and gold was 41. !Os. Oil. per ounce ; but
declared that sonic clergymen were voluptuaries, and lived a life of judging from the price, not of one commodity, bat of all commodi.
pleasure, it was no more than a moan might be induced to do who ties, it was manifest that a very great rise in their value had then
had £211,000 a-year.—(hear, hear.) The error lay in the enormity taken place. It was o: importance to mark the opinion of
of the payment. those different ministers, who, one after the other, showed that
Mr. F. PALMER thought that if the salaries of public offices the principle on which they proceeded in calling for an eaten.
were reduced to the standard of 1792, it was a fair proposition to sloe of wanks. was the high price of provisions, and the
have the rents lowered by the same measure. Let the taxes be re. depreciation of the currency. Now, the fact of the high prim
duced to: the same standard, and he would go hand in hand with of provisions during the war was a matter of such notoriety,
any member in lessening the amount of rent, and not think 10, 16, that there was no necessity to dwell longer on it : and, in his
or 20 per cent. sufficient. (Hear.) There was not one landlord in opinion, the fact of the depreciation of the currency was
England who had not made abatements, and the rent of many equally clear. But there did stand on the journals of that
farmers were lowered from 6001. to 4001. house, a resolution which was meant to negative this latter feet.
Mr. N. CALVEItT said, there were many hard landlords as well It was resolved, at a time when the guinea was worth 28. i.,
as good and benevolent ; but the former must give way, as the land that a pound note and a shilling were equal to a guinea. It was
would, after all, only fetch its value in the market. gravely decided, by a vote of that house, that things which were very
Sit WESTERN replied. unequal In public estimation were absolutely equal Every man
The petition was then laid on the table. who could count ten on his fingers must have felt that this was a
Mr. WESTERN again rose to present a petition, signed by 800 fallacy, and the very next year parliament showed that they were
or 900 respectable gentlemen, merchants, and Udders, in the town convinced it was nothing else, by panting an act declaring it to be a
and vicinity of Chelmsford, the object of which was to state be the misdemeanour for any person to pay more than 21s. for a guinea
house that distress prevailed in every class of society as much as it —(hear.) And yet, after this, the house and the people were asked
did among the agricultural. It stated that the evils of the country to place entire confidence in ministers, to rely implicitly on the
were growing with frightful rapidity to a head, and they entreated sound views and comprehensive wisdom of an administration
the house to take steps to arrest them, which alone could be done by composed of the shreds of those who had committed these absur.
repealing the bill of 1819, which, by altering the currency, tended dities—(Hear, hear.)
mainly to afflict them. 0 ! nascent homintun curas—O pectora caeca !"
Mr. WESTERN also presented a petition from the owners and Various and discordant were the causes to which they attributed the
ozcupiers of land in the parish of Tellingham, in Essex, in which prevailing distress. At one time the harvests were over-abundant
one farm of the best land was abandoned by the tenant, the charges at another, the harvest was eeticient. At one time, there was too
on it being greater than the produce.
The petitions were then laid on the table.was
much heat ;at anotner, too little. At one time, there too much
de roughtrn ; at another, too much rain—(Hear, hearth But they
Mr. G. BANKES moved for paperseto be referred to the East never once recollected the finely-expressed maxim, " at every ad.
India Commit ttee.
dition to the burden of taxation increases, as it were, the sterility of
I,ellr. T. COURTENAY rought up minutes of evidence relative the soil."—(Hear.) The act of 1819 restored the value of money
to Cola.
to a very great extent. The right hon. gentleman opposite, (for
31r. FYLER. moved for returns of raw and manufactured silk whose integrity he had the most unfeigned respect), in moving for
Imported, with the duties payable thereon. the alteration in 'the currency, quoted the period of Queen Elizabeth,
Sir. STEIVART gave notice that he would, on the 3d of March, when there was not au
arthin,
farthing of debt, and that of William, whey
between for copies. of all the correspondence which had taken place the debt amounted to about 2,000,0001. and the interest was only
between the Board of Control and the Authorities at Bombay, re- a few thousand pounds. He never touched upon the consequences
luting to the interference by the Government there with the Judi- which 'the change was calculated to produce, and which it had poe
cial Body.
duced in every department throughout the country. He could speak
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. freely on this point, for reasons that could be easily imagined.—
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that the He was, in 1819, a very young member of Parliament, and his own
imagined.—
report of the committee of the supply be brought up. private opinion was overborue by authority. He pinned his faith
Mr. CALLAGHAN (of Cork) hoped he would be excused if he on the justice of the views entertained by Mr. Ricardo,—a most
took the present constitutional opportunity of briefly stating his amiable and wall educated man. He said that the value of the cur-
opinions on the external and interred relations of the country at this rency was regulated by the market-price of gold, which was then
period. In the first place he tendered his gratitude to his Majesty's 41. Is. per ounce. He (Sir James Graham) had mime doubts as to
ministers for not embroiling us in any hostile collision with Portu- the correctness of his doctrine—doubts, which were further
gal. and he was also happy to find that our relations with Mexico strengthened by the observations of his hon. friend, the member for
could not be permitted to be disturbed any longer by the feeble efforts Callington (Mr. Baring.) He was, nevertheless, overborne by the
of Spain. It was gratifying too to witness the dexterity with which authority of Mr. Ricardo, and he voted with the right hon. gent.
they got out of the toward or untoward affair at Navarino, and that we When Lord Liverpool, the colleague of the right hon. gentleman,
now found the United States of South America in a state of peace. urged the same measure in the other house, he stated that the
With respect to theinternal condition, it was true that much distress alteration would not create a difference of more than 3 per ant.
prevailed, but he thought it quite erroneous to attribute its existence But what was the fact t Why, it had caused a variation of 26 per
to any one particular cause. He denied that the government were cent. and the hon. member for ('allington had told them that the
chargeable with having tampered with the currency ; they had only variation would be from 25 to 30 per cent. but never below 26 per
carried into effect, by the acts of 1322 and 1826, the principles which cent. The other honourable member for Canton) (Mr. Attwood)
Parliament adopted in 1819. Although he held that any Minister had calculated that the difference which would be effected in the
who should propose to put our monetary system upon a paper value of the currency by the measure of 1819 would be still higher.
foundation would deserve to be consigned to eternal infamy and ex- Another honourable friend of his, Mr. Brougham who was not now
cannon, yet he thought some plan might be adopted to relieve a member of the house, and whose opinion, therefore, it was not
the country from the effects of the Act of 1825, such as that pro. irregular for him to read, had in 1825, when, arguing on the sub-
posed by the present Lord Bexley, and adopted by tho Cabinet lot of the judges' salaries, in his usual comprehensive manner, of Lord Liverpool, the principle of which was to emir private gone over the whole subject. lie said that " a few years ago the
bankers to make deposits in the way of security. e thought judges had £3,000 a-year, to which £33 per cent. had been added
that the value and merits of this proposition ought to occupy to make up for the high price of the necessaries of life • but the
their serious consideration, if only to satisfy a Inge body of reduction of taxes, and the alteration in the currency, Which had
intelligent people who believed the measure essential to the since taken place, must -have made a difference of 25 per cent. more
relief of the country from its present distress. He was of opinion in their favour." This statement had been repeated in the presence alto that a further relief would be experienced by the re. of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and he never
omission of two millions or two millions and a half of taxes, which knelt that right hon. gentleman to stand up in his place and contra.
he thought might be effected by reductions in the estimates. With vent its accuracy. If the right hon. gent. doubted it, he should like I regard to the proposition *bout to be made to the house, if the ho. to bear his doubts ; and if acknowledged its truth, he should bei
nourable baronet meant to propose such a reduction of eateries as glad to know on what ground the system ought to be continued.....l
was proportionate to the altered value of money, he should willingly (Hear.) He should now observe that this increased value of money
eupport-him. The honourable member said that he had intended hod a twofold operation. It added to the weight of all fixed Ley. I
io state some opinions to the house upon the subject of Ireland; but °tents, while it lowered the price of wages and of provisions. The
honourable members were impatient—(There was much coughing bon. member for Colchester (Mr. D. W. Harvey) had told the
during time honourable member's speech) -for the question about to landed interest that it was their bOunden duty to reduce their roma be discu 'red ;he should reserve them for another occasion. He coincided perfectly in the answer which had been peen to dill
REDUCTION OF SALARIES. hon. gent.—namely, that rents had b. en reduced from 26 to 30 pg
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said, the mode of proceeding which cent. throughout England, on account of the peace; but, he moild
had been adopted by the boo. member who had just spoken was a ask, was the landed interest to be called on to balance the allow
very extraordinary one. fie had argued on his (Sir J. Graltem's) don in the value of money by another seduction of 21 per CON ',e—
motion before he had heard it. He believed, however that his mo- lf this were to be done, then he would say to the landlords of /keep
tion wouldfully conic up to the point to which the hen. member land, " Sell your mates." (Hear, hear.) If such reductioire
had alluded ; and therefore he hoped to receive his support. He wore constantly demanded, he could only view such a course us a
never rose in that house without great unwillingness, end the short and silent, but a most certain, mode to tubs him who bed
situation in which be mai at proem placed rather' aggravated 'the charges on his property. As the landed proprietors were now
repugnance which he felt to occupy their time. The task which situated, they hadto mneet the taxes of the'war with the prices which
hi had imposed upon himself waseinost Important and a most dial. preceded it—the taxation of paper Was now to be Met with the
cult one. Rh great object was to iotiodum a system of attic rem price of bullion. The taxes were put on in paper, and net in heavy
floury, and of course he cmeld not expect the torenweenee of those *are, though they must now be paid through this latter medium.
who were likely to be affected by the peopMitioti 'with which he The consequence wee, that they deeply alrefted linag h°dl hf•
meant to conelude. could not stand theft Oita thine of general the people. I{ would be admitted on all hoods that the prosperity
distress--a distress which was general thnnigbout 'the collptre— of dime who labour was intimately connected with the welfare
without making an effort to alktiate IL He ca&d thi &tries s' ge. and strength of the state. If the labourer was in dhtram, all
sacral ;" for, notwithstanding the declination in his majesty's speech other On*" trust be distroisal. I( * Ishoorm wanted bread, all
that it existed only psottlafy, yet 'die admission mMle by those prppeaq, aliabee landed or fundetl, mast experience great injury.—
who supported the eddies, coupled with the apstineneti' of (Mar 'hem...) He wished to see the tides mudded *comely by the
Minister* Ciotti stating. 'Precast* the extent of- that distreft—':: I war, asitteed Will that the seer was tettilimmed ; but instead of that
did, in his mind, prove that it was deeply felt in every' part 'Hite bei% 14000se nsticietled. looking so the ehumwer in the
country. The alietioenck of uminn&A. 'froirf Introdestode a etate-i shift fro* mime hal • best imposed. Pm fkiseeill thi em
relative to ebesamoont of disarm which wad at present felt in wise hie "attended to; it vioitid'Arie
vlors quartet eXcitimel the gnietel4. pantile dims into however Mingling • they might be 'to t• *M.
a
' gampoiene (that.) . amittendd hope into desperiorditimigebongell Mali which trim the' sling of i shipikysemilekt elite 'the ali,
-the desire which hat been previously felt to endure suffesing pa. or a giant and overthrow bun. tiles t people were in a state'
tiently into feelings of bitterness and anger. Now, in contending of deep distress, it was quite clear tohitu that misnomer, arreoge.

Sent wall by itself afford them relief. Other measures must
bs eiNgled to. Of what avail, he de tended, were the wise plans
et the VII honourable member for Liverpool, while you retsiu a
dose mom,* of corn ? (Hear.) Under existing circumstances,
bee tads wet Dot feasible, and as long as those circumstances lasted
never rise be•feasible. Until they adopted a different measure
with referent* to the correney, and mad. a proper alteration in
die corn laws, free trade, they might depend on it, would work
bat badly. Where taxation entered largely into any article,
leas of that article would be consumed, but it never could be-
come cheap; and this was ably proved by the honourable member
for Aberdeen, who, in his resolutions of 1825 showed that
with respect to malt, tobacco, sugar, tea, Am a lees quantity was
consumed than was made use of in the French war. This evidenlr
was occasioned by taxation. When, therefore, they enhanced the
value of money, and did not reduce the taxes in an equal degree,
those taxes must bear heavily on the poor. Taxation preventrd
the fall of prices, and added materially to the discomfort of the.
people. He had heard something said about the luxuries which
the people enjoyed. For his own part he knew not from whence
they came, whether they were drawn from the gorgeous palaces of
Kings or the rival palaces of ministers, who had been epleedielly
'provided fur by the public (hear, hear,) or from the East ftulie
Director's, with their monopoly of the China trade (bear, hear,) or
from some contractor, who supplied loans and lent money to France
in depreciated paper, which was now to be paid in money. (Hear,
hear.) But he must take leave to remark that they ought not to
draw their notions or the state of the country from .cenes such as
those.
" Ye friends to truth, ye statesmen who survey
" The rich man's joys increase, the poor's decay,
"'Tied your's to judge how wide the limits stand
" Between a splendid and a happy land."
Where, he asked, ewe all the boasted advantage. of this once happy
country ? Where were all the blessings which formerly distin-
guished her? Vi'llere were all the contents which her children leed
enjoyed for ages ? " Alas! Sir. (said the hon. baronet), with (Lee
regret I witness that all—all are gone ! pinching hunger and
gloomy despair now usurp their situation." The weavers throughout
the country were only earning 4s. 2d. a week, and tltcirfood was oat-
meal, water, and potatoes. They worked 14 or Hi hours mday, and
yet they could only procure this scanty remuneration. It was a fact
that by dint of labour, the power looms,whieh were supposed to have
caueed•their distrese, were absolutely under-wrought by those almost
starving peeple.He would not farther enlarge upon that painful topic.
The country had arrived at a point, when it was necessary for the
safety of property, for the security of all that was deer to them, that
something prompt end effectual should be done. lie saw his lion.
and learned friend, the Solicitor-Geeeral, in his place, and he would
adopt an expression made use of by him on another occasion He
would confidently say. " we cannot remain as we are."
" Hie locust est, panes übi se via fiodit in anthem."
There were two separate roads. The one was the short path of
justice—inviolable, inflexible j
ustice—rigid unsparing economy
low wages, low rents, if they pleased, but low eateries also.—(hear,
hear.) The otter, the left.haed path, was that by which greater
prices might be obtained, not by areal, as he bad always said, but
by returning to the ancient standard of England—that standard
which had prevailed from the time of the Tudors to the revolution,
and from the revolution, with little interruption, till 1703.
Silver joined with gold was the standard to which he alluded.—
(hear, hear.) The measure of the right hon. gentlemen In 1819
was a novelty ; but that novelty, so far from having been in ope-
ration, as was asserted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for nine
years, was not in operation for ten months. In the year following
the passing of that act of parliament, Lord Castlereagh frankly ad.
rained that the distress of the country was so overwhelming, that
he could not adhere to its provisions. He found that he could
not carry it into execution ; and he said, " I will depart from it."
And what did he do? Why he zepealed the small note act,
and adopted means for an issue of paper. Prices immediately
rose, and prosperity was the consequence for a short period. (Hear.
hear, hear.) lie knew the meaning of that cheer, and he would
answer it. A small note currency, with cold at :0. 17a. Med. per
ounce, he knew would be delusive, and would bring the country back
to the distress of 1825. But such was not his argument. What he
said was, that they must examine and alter the state of the cur-
rency, and allow paper money, payable on demand, to be converted
into silver or gold. They ought also to revise their whole system
of banking. These were matters which he wished to be inquired
Into ; but the government were inflexible, and said, " You shall
not inquire." And if individuals did inquire, and happened
to inquire a little too much, the Attoiney.General was ready to
pounce upon them, and to file an ex-cdfutio information, for the
Casa militant is of an iteention to bring the Government into con-
tempt. Ministers would listen to no prnposition on the subject of the
currency. The right hon. gentleman would have gold—gold—gold
—nothing but gold. But the country would, he hoped, speedily
awake from its slumber, and with a voice of thunder, compel hint
to repeal this ruinous measure. Ile should now go into the remain-
ing part of the subject. One great source of retrenchment must be,
the reduction of the salaries of those who had their hands in the
public puree. Some might say that other measures were necessary.
This might be so ata moment of distress like the present, but the
great object should be retrenchment to the utmost degree. That end
might be accomplished in two ways ;—either by reducing the num.
ber of persons employed, or by reducing their salutes,—or by
doing both. With respect to the decrease of numbers, he conceived
that was not a point to be dealt with now. That was a matter of detail
which would be best discussed when the estimates were brought
forward. With respect to the reduction of salaries, he thought
that subject should be considered before they went into a committee
of supply,—before a single estimate was laid on the table,—in order
that some fixed principle should be adopted in framing the-esti-
mates that were to be introduced. It was only fair to allow govern.
went to bring forward its estimates of reduction, and pledge itself to
the quantum of such reduction, if it were so disposed, before we
stated in what scale we wished the reduction to be made. Time
principle of public salaries as arranged by Mr. Pitt, Mr. Ad-
dington, and Mr. Perceval rested upon the depreciation of the cur-
irency which took place in consequence of the p_rovisions of the
Bank restriction set, which was passed in 1797. That some redue.
Lion must be made on the amount of taxation was admitted. It
was equally clear that, in order to effect these reductions, a contrac-
tion of our expenditure was necessary. It remained for him to de-
scribe on what principle he thought the salaries of official men
should be reduced. ('rite honourable member here read the resolu-
tion, which he afterwards proposed at the conclusion of his speech.)
He might be asked,-what was it that he meant to exclude from
the operation of this resolution ? To this he answered, that lie
meant to exclude from those reductions every thing relating
to his Majesty's privy purse and the royal establishment. He con.
entered such matters as coming under the head of engagements e n.
I tered into at the beginning of the reign, and which we could not vio-
late. It was upon such grounds that he did not wish to meddle with
his Majesty's privy purse, or the royal household. With respect to
our warlike establishments. he would confirm our contract with the
sailor his pay had been fixed in 1798, when prime did not materially
vary from those of the present day ; and in his wish eo sepersedi
the necessity of impreathet et, be (v for one erald rather raise than
lower the sail is lee 111 'Me re jai navy, in order to bring it on a
level with thst ante merchant service. With regard to the army.
our soldiers had entered it for a term of years, and the stipulated sum
should be paid to them, and the benefits to which they were en-.
titled at the end of their services secured. These he held to be m-
arred and solemn engagements. The argument which applied to the
soldier applied also to the offlcer, although it must be Admitted that
the management of the hallpay since the termination of the
war had been such in some Instances as to convert It into
a pension list. But what had been done should not be undone ;
and, with regard to the crown, the army, and navy, he had no he.
illation in sea) ing that they did not fall within the spirit of his reso-
lution. He might be asked, why introduce the term "military"
into his resolution ? He introduced it because, in many eatery the
salutes of military officers, who held civil situations, had been mtg.
tamed without sufficient reason, and because some of these officers
being removable at pleasure, their allowances might now be al.
tered without difficulty. He found among the list of colo-
nial governors, that the salary of the lieuteeant.govetnor
of New Brunswick had been raised from 1,000!. to 1,5001. per
annum, within the period In question. That the salary of the Go-
vernor of Neva Scotia had been raised from 1,000!. to 2,0001„ ; (be
ode observe, while upon the subject of this colony that the
if Bishop of Nova Scotia was raised from 7001. to 1,0001. mylialaYir.
The of the Glimeraor of Prince Edward's Island hadleiten
feat 809/, to 40001. ; and that of the Governs, of
from 500!. to 1,0001. In Port Jackson, the of the fin.
senor was also doubled, it being griginally 1,04 and now 2,000 i.
fees
;a-year. The salary of the Governor of Slerin.Lone was also
raised from £1,600 to £2,0110 per ;insane In the second report of
the Finance Committee was cpntained a recommendation which as
far as he knew, still remained without having ken carried into efficc
The committee recommended that we should revert tp the principle
of enlistment in the army that prevailed previous to 1008-. This
was the poeitive recommendation of the committee in '1628, yet
nothing. bad been done towards carrying it Into effect. Be well
Anew the seal and industry of his gelbrni Meted opposite, but
OW he thought that some good might be done by recalling pub.
lie Mention to this point. • He Itland shortly to remind the
house the difference Of our positron as regarded the amount of our
Oneranditure now and .ii 1797. The expose, incurred on account .
if dividends and managemented;the public debt ire leo7 were ..
11,808,800 f. in 1828 they ansoutiteetteen,3llBsol. in the former -
year the amount ofre em • the scemplidafed napa was 180,600 f.
in-the latter, 386, satiiies,pal4 Out of the consolidated •
Nod. eitilierintefi 1 so 14,6004 in WC •to tisw sum of
WOOL:: The mu , it=,
.. e4p;1141 i4CUTTrAI. out` rat 7i/if
butt ft ofreaehglet
gar . •?Wiriytitiar eghargaible3 thereon 'were matte
•
out of the consolideted fund to the amount of 110.00.11. in 1813
they were 608,0031. It should be reeoffeetwil that 1797 was a year

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ill