Star.
London, England, 1806-05-23 00:00:00

IRISH THIS.

On the motion of Sir J. NEWPORT, the Honk
ref 'Ned Hell into a Committie on the liifb Culinms
Bill, granting a dutyon iron, Ina', and other article}.'
Mr. FOSTER ezprefred his furprife at the Right
Hon. Baronet's perfevering in bringing forWaril
Tax on Iron, when a fluidal. Tax in this country had
been abandoned, after very full eonfideration. The
fame °Nations, that were Rated to the Tax as pre.
poled in this country, might be urged with additional

force with rape& to Ireland, where it would be mach,
more felt than it could be here. This duty of ii. Sa
per ton would (triunity affeQ the hardware manufac-
tures of that count: y, which were yet in an infant
Hale. Betides, it did not appear, that the Right Hon.
Baronet propofed any kountervailing duty on the iron
ware of this country imported into Ireland, to coon
teraft the clefts :.f the Tax on the iron mandato-
rers of Irelar.d. This he confidered as a departure
from the articles of the Union, which ccPrefilY
ap-
pointed, that in every fuch cafe tome countervailing
duty rhould be impofed. Confidering there circum•
glances, and befides the (mall produce expelled from
the Tax, only about ig,oool. he mulled it would be
abandoned, and that no occafion would be given to
the people of Ireland to complain, that what bad been
dropped iu this country, was now to be impofed on
them.
Mr. ROSE urged a variety of limiter objettions to
the Tax, and cOnfidered it as giving a decided and
undue preference to the iron ware of England. As
to the Tax on Sugar, he Willed, that it would not
produce any thing. The Tax was only to take effect,
when the price of Sugar was sos. per cwt. and the
average for the laf month had been only 455. per
cwt: The price of Sugar, while the ports of the
North were fbut againli us, was not likely to inereafe,
and therefore the Tax could hardly be mated to
produce any thing this year.
Sir J. NEWPORT contehded, that the tax on
iron, as it affected only that imported from foreign
countries, was in no rapea fimilar to that which had
been abandoned in this country. It tended to en. ,
courage the importation of &kith iron, and to dif-
courage the importation of foreign. With regard to
a countervailing duty GA Britith iron ware, he ob-
fused, that fince the Union a chr• y of 21. its. had
been impofed on forego iron imported into this coun-
try, and yet no countervailing duty had been called
lbw on hardware of Irifis manufature imported Into
Ibis country. The Milt manufatorer had hitherto
imported foreign iron duty free, and now she was
called upon to pay a much Icfs duty than that int-
pored in this country on the fame article, and there-
fore he was not entitled to look for any countervail-
ing duty. With regard to the duty on fugar, the
average price of that article had been lart year sos.
per cwt. and he was eotitled to expo% Mat it would
amount to the fame (urn in the prefent.
Mr. FOSTER raid, that the fituation of England
and Ireland was Inch, that, although the farmer
could afford to relinquifb the advantage of a coon
tervailing duty, the latter was not in a condition to
forego the proration of it, and allow this country an
advantage. The dabble of the Right Honourable
Gentleman, that becaolc an article was not found in
the &II Schedule of the At he bad quoted, a coon:
tervailing duty was not to extend to it, was quite
new, and extremely dangerous.
'Sit JOHN NEWPORT Paid, he did not mean
that it was opt competent to Parlialient to Wend
that duty ; but he would elk, fince the Right Hon.
Gentleman teemed fo lirentious for the countervail.,
ing duty, why had it nor been tolled for in the cafe
of the duty on couch; wool, which had been impofed'
fince the Union'
Mr. ROSE laid, that duty was only a pent* pig
pound, and not an objelt of great confequenes ; oral
be thought no omiffion ought to be pleaded as a pre.
tedent for not row purfuing the right
Mr. CORRY Paid, he was glad to fee the principle'
of the Union Co well agreed upon. Undoubtedly, a
countervailing duty ought to be laid in either coon.
irj, for a dui implored on the other; and, theca.
fore, the tax now propofed would haVe the efrea
equaliiing what, by the inereafe of duty in this coon.
try, &ice the Union, without a countervailing duty
in Ireland, had been made unequal. He hoped the
Right Honourable Baronet would make the duties
on Ireland perpetual, inilead of annual and uncertain
as they now are.
Lord CASTLEREAGH (poke at Game length on
cite neceffity of immediately remedying any breach
or omiffion of the enaelments of the Aft of Union.
He thought the tax on iron would have the effelt of
clearoying the produce of the duty already inipo(ed.
Mr. GBATTAbtreplieJ to the vbfervations of
the Noble Lord on this lubjed, and defended the tax
on iron, on the principle, that though, perhaps, liable
tO objeftions, yet it was called for by the neterfitp of
the Imes, and that perhaps nn tax could be propofed
*hid) *ould not either immediately or ultimately
Aral the manufaaures and induary of the country.
He knew that Ireland was a country, which, from
the (late of its manufafturet, required proteAion ra.
tiler than taxation j but he would call upon thofe who
objected to the prefent taxes, to propofc others that
were' likely to be Ids ohjationable. With regard to
what had been laid of the prelent taxes being only
temporary and annual, to defray the interelt of a
permanent debt, he obferved,' that the fecurity of the
06btle creditor was founded nn the faith of Parlia-
ment.

Sir WILLIAM YOUNG, Mr. PARNELL. and
HUSKISSON, laid a few word. in oppofition
to the taxes. ' _

On account of the verbal nmilGon which Mr. Fof
ter pointed out, the Committee did not proceed in
the Bill, but the Chairman reported progrefa, and ob-
taMed leave to'fit akain tomorrow.

•MIIRICAN INTIRCOURSI SILL.
Lord TEMPLE ilow role to move the Order ell
the Day for the Honfe to refolve Into a Committee
of the whole Houle, to confider the propriety of a
motionlor leavesto bring in a Bill, to enable hit Ma-
jelly in Council to fufpend, under certain circumlian.
ces, the operation of the Navigation Laws in nor Weft
India Iflands, and to permit the importation of
cer-
tain articles into the ports thereof in American flips.
Mr. ROSE, Who had 411 along lignied his °Nee.
tion to the principle of this Bill, hoped that the No-
ble Lord would not pals to a dircollion in fo very
thin a Houle, a meafure of fuch importance as tbi.,
fo deeply affefling the intereft of the merchants and
fhip-owners of this country, and repealing the Novi.
cation Aft, under the falutary operation of which,
the commerce, the profperity, and the naval Itrength
of this country, had ikttained their prefers( fuperiority.
He deprecated any proceeding upon a meafure of
filch vital importance in the ahlence of ho many com•
metcial Gentlemen, whole inrerens were materially
at flake, and hoped the Noble Lord would defer the
befinels to another opportnnitz, and a fuller Horde.
Mr. Seciettry FOX confidered the meafure in quei
lion to be totally suirconceived by the Hon. Gentle-
mant in the view he leaned to confider it. It really

y, ne
tdhide conortnrnerteoiaallientriehltse e.o6fannaneyrece bodyor tnfife
meoeunnttnr
Neither ewitahtermdeitdelyit
meantrepeal
to
anyeepatrooafttlrower an
naviegatiinortneleaiws ,
int •
it
the hands of the King and Council by
benfennutfovir tehairtlenedniayeiafirsanpdas! awffinthinednot blyalawth?fGownhe•icwehrnhbiors:
undoubtedly, they had incurred high refponfibility,
namely, to fufpend for a time, under the preffure of
inevitable neceffity, the operation of the Navigation
Laws in favour of Btitifh Blips, in the
.port(of their
refpeilive iflandi ; and to permit the inhabitants of
thok Moods to be (applied with provifions and cer-
tain ether articles of indifpenfible neceffity,with which
it was impable, under a variety of impediments. for
Britifh (hips to fupply them, and without which a
great part of their inhabitants mull be reduced to fa-
mine, and in other inftances to the utmoft diftrefe.—
The meafure now propcied, therefore, was to limb;
the power to fafe hands, of difpenfieg in cafes of ac-
tual neceffity, with the operation of the navigation
laws, on the ports of thole ifhods ; and. to guard
againft the poffible abides of that power to which
Governors might be importuned, undeithe falfe in-
finuations of interefted perfons. It repealed nu law,
it fubverted no principle • each in 6E4 would do no
more than guard a privilege in his Majesty's bands,
which had been, for a fines of years pall, exercifed
by WeR India Governors, adorned from neceffity,
and for which they had been uniformly indemnified
by Parliament.
Sir WM. CURTIS admitted that this power bad
been affunied by Well-India Governors in cafes of
urgent necellity, under a heavy refponfibility, from
which had they (brook, be fbould have thought them
highly reprehenfibls. But though he conlidered them
jutily entitled to the indemnity they had received, he
was decidedly againil legalizing a principle that fo
diretily militated againtl our Navigation Laws, and
mita fo materially affea the iuterelt of the merchants
and fhip•ownen of this kingdom.
Mr. SPEAKER reminded the Hon. Baronet that
the Rage for dikulfing the Inkjet% would certainly be
in the Committee.
The Honk then Waved itfelf into a Committee,
when
Lord TEMPLE rife, and raid, that the Bill for
which he intended to move, and which had already
puffed the other Houle of arliament, was precifely -
what his Right Hon. Friend had defcribed it to be ;
involving no commercial intereß of this country, re-
pleating no law conflated with our commerce or na-
vigation, but (imply placing, in the fafe hands of his
Majefty in Council. the exercife of a privilege, which
was heretofore conßantly affnmed by the Well India
Governors without law; namely, the privilege el
empowering chore Governors, upon the fair proof of
esitling neceffity, to receive in American (Imps that
fupply of provilions and other =ditties which in
time of war it would often be impotlible to fqpply in
Britilb (hips, and without which the immen(e popu-
lation of their negroes. oq whole labour and induary
the profperity of thnfe iflands fo much depended.
mull often run the rah of perifhing, either for want
of Provigons, or through the fobltitution of nnwhole.
fome food an inßance of this occutted in the Ansa-
triton wnr, when, during a period of fix years, po left '
than tc,ooo negroes had perifhed In the Mind of
,jamaica alone. The Navigation Laws were pitied
in times, and under eircunglances totally dialimilar
to the prefent ; and it mull be admitted by the Hon.
Gentleman, that, confidering our widely encoded
• Empire, the war is which we were engaged, the
enemy with whom we had to contend, and the line
of naval force we were obliged to uppofe to that of
the enemy ; that at all times and futons, and under
all eircomflances, this country could not avail berfelf
of the Mitigation Laws, and carry on exclufivelv the
fupply, and even the trade of her dillant enalortiesol..
The Noble I,ord concluded, by moving fpr leave to
bring in the Bill.
Mr. ROSE, in a fpeech of very conficierable
length, oppofed the motion; he reverted to the origin
of our navigation laws, and went into a variety of
Ratements tb Chew, that Mice the intercourfe was
allowed to commence between America and our
Well India Mends, our (blipping employed in the
circuitous trade of taking cargoes from hence. to
America, (hipping lumber and pm/Mons there for i
our Weft India Mods, and bringing home produce
had &created within the years from 1790 to 18oe,
no left than 768 (lips, 95,000 tons of thinning, and
csoo feamen. That, in fall, the American fhips had
of late years, from the fuperior advantages of cheaper
viaualliog, lower wages to feamen, and cheaper ma-
terials in (hip-building, heat our (hip-owners out of
that trade ; and even the trade of our North Ameri-
can Colonies with our Well India Iflands, had been
reduced by American competition to one third of its
wonted amount, and this not only in the fupply of
lumber and provifions, but it appeared, from the dif-
patches cf Admiral Cochrane and the Gover.
nors of Barbadoes and other Iflands, that they were
inundated with Eall India produce, and the mann-
faanres of Germany and other nations, (muggled
into their creeks by American !hips. If Inch then
had been the refult of a partial fulpenflon of the na-
vigation laws, and a clandefline evafion of them by
American fmogglers, what mull be the confequence
of legalizing that fufpenfion, while the veffels of our
own (hip owners were rotting by the walls of their
harbours, to an extent, even in the river Thames,
that it would be alarming to Rate; and whole owners, .I
he was affured, tor a very trivial encouragement,
would Cu poly all the carrying trade and neceffiries for
the fupply of the Well Indies, for a difference allot
more than two per cent. compared with American
veffels ?
Mr. Secretary FOX replied at fume length in (op-
tion of his former Ratement, and tii4.l, that certainly
the privilege of fill-pending the operation of the Na-
vigation Laws would be much more fafely and con-
Rhin-tonally placed in the czcluGve difpofal of his
Majelty, and a Council refponfible for the advice they
(tumid give, than left open to be aftumed by the Weft
India Governors, for thirteen years pall, and which
would Hill be exercifed by them, under an affurance
of fimilar indemnity with their predeceffors.
Lord CASTLEREAGH, in a (perch of Come
length, explained his reafons for going into an en.
quiry in a Committee. inftead of proceeding with the
bill on the vouchers and documents before the Houfe.
In his mind there was no ground, either of neceffity ,
or political expediency, for the mearnre ; the navi-
gation laws had been the (import of the maritime
lirength of the country, and on our naval power the

commerce, and every Minable ;wren, of the etas
depended.
Sir W. YOUNG thought the Bill could not trench
upon the Navigation Ad, becaufe it was only to be
retorted to in the cafe of abfolute neeeffity. It was
well Paid, by -a Learned Lord, whom he reeolleaed
in that Houle, that " what nudity create*, neceffity
limits." There was now a fiatute by which the ex
portation of corn to the Well Indies was limited to
3,200 tons. It was irnpolfible that 32,000 barrels
could fupply the whole- population of the Wands :
232,0c0 had been the computation, but, in fat, not
lel- toast 130,000 barrels were required for the fubfif.
tence of the inhabitants. Sir Pilule Child, in the
4th chapter of his Effays on Trade, had Paid very
juftly, that the principle of the Navigation At was
power, not profit : he Paid, in a commercial point of
view, it was prejudicial to the manufaanres and crow
entree of the country. Since power was fo indifpen-
fable for the rapport of that commerce, he would not
as a Member of that Houfe admit the partial and
temporary interefts of the latter to interfere with the
former. The Navigation At, important as it was,
had not always been confidered indifpcnfably needf
fury to the well being of the Sate. It was repealed
'us lately as s 6 Geo. 111. (c. t t.) when merchants
were permitted to have three fourths foreign tailors
inftead of three fourths Britith. All the difference
now propofed was that the meafures for the fupply
of the Iflands &mild originate with the Privy Coun-
cil, and not with the Governors. It was of great
importance that falutary regulations Mould be made
on this fubjea, becaufe a delay in the fupply of the
effential articles of fubfiftence might occaltoa a tu-
mult which would fever there colonial efiablilliments
from the parent (tate. But why thefe objeftinns on
the ground of general policy ? The Government per.
sMtted the Englifb manufaaures to be exported in
foreign (hipping ; the profits of thefe afforded the
means of war, and furnilhed additional refources for
the proteition of the kingdom. An inducement fur
rithis expedient was to be flitted on another principle.
A capricious Governor, in a cornea with his Council,
might tell them he would that the ports if they would
not accede to what he propofed, and thus any plan
he chofe to adopt, however pernicious, might be
forced upon the inland. On thefe grounds he (hpuld
rapport the Bill.
Sir CHARLES PRICE oppofed the Bill.
Mr. ROSE recommended that the Bill fhould go
_ _

to a Committee. Many (hip owners were ready to
embark in the trade, if Parliament would net prevent
them by this meafure, and they contended they cuuld
(apply the Mantis nearly on the fume terms that the
fame articles could be procured from the Americans.
Why the Bill was brought in he did not know ; it was
'liked for by nobody. He thought it was due to the
opulent merchants of the capital, and the great towns
of the kingdom, to make this enquiry ; but not only
thefe were concerned, there was not a Ihip-chandler
in Wapping who did not feel himfelf interelled in the
prefent proceeding,.
Lord TEMPLE raid, Miniders had communicated
with intelligent perfons in the Irifh provifion trade,
and others in different branche., and they had the
mortification to learn, that the means would be ina-
dequate without a Bill of this kind.
Mr. ROSE very much doubted if they had cnn
fished the old effablifhed merchants, men of probity
and fortune, who were bell acquainted with this
lubjeft.
Sir W. YOUNG explained.
Mr. BARHAM Paid, the queflion was, if the dz
eifion was. to be removed from an improper to a elm-
petent tribunal, and fenfible of the fitnefs of the trent*
ferenee of authority. he fhould fupport the Bill.
Sir WM. CURTIS thought that the employment
of the mariners and capital of the country was pro-
moted by this trade, and that it ought not to be re•
figned without deliberate enquiry.
After a few words from Mr. JEFFRY,Lord TEM-
PLE, and Mr. PERCIVAL, the quenron was put
and agreed to,-and the Houfe being recoiled, the
Report was brought up by Mr. ALEXANDER.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCLIEQ_UER
gave notice, that he thould, to-morrow, move for
the adjournment of the Houfe until Wcdnefday
next.
On the motion of Lord TEMPLE, it was ordered
that the Tortola Bill be read a third time to.morrow.
—Adjourned at ten o'clock.