Star.
London, England, 1831-03-12 00:00:00

THZ PARLIAMENTARY REFORM RILL.

Lonl A ITtioitill;Teii;ilW;lle ho;e,;:iitsiii7Gg, do adjourn
to 3londay.
Sir C. IVRTHERELL said he would take this opportunity to in-
quire when the reform bills were to be breught in ?
Lord A LTHORP said he exi,ected to he able to bring them in this
evening, but he now thought it would be Mondry.
Sir C. WETHERELL expressed his astonishment, after to long a
discussion on a measure, that the government shoul‘l not be ready
with the measure: they had been told of a plan, and now it ap-
peared that the Government were not ready with their plan. (Hear,
hear, and Oh, oh !)

Lotd JOHN RUSSELL said, that though the bill was not brought
forward, the plan of it was precisely what he had stated it to be--it
would be certainly ready on Monday or Tuesday.

Sir C. WETHERELL considered, that if the Government were
ready with their plan, they ought to have been ready with the prints of
the bill. (Much laughter, hear, and cries of No, no !) He contended
that those who exclaimed " No."—(contioucd laughter)—that if they
were ready with the plan, they ought to have been ready with the prints
of the bill ; but now the house w:ts to be treated to a posthumous
bill. In his opinion the house and the country were hereby
treated. ( Hear. and a laugh.)
Lord ALTHORP trusted that the country would not think itself
particularly ill-treated I.y the ministers ; but though they were ready
with their •plan, and had the leave of the house to introduce It, it could
easily be believed, even after the plan was proposed, that the prepare.
tions of the details might occasion delay. (Cheers.)
Sir C. WETIIERELL.—Then, may I ask, when we may expect
the Bill ?

Lord J. RUSSELL. On Memlay.—(Hear, hear.)
WAYS AND MEANS.
On the motion that the house du resolve itself into a committee of
ways and means,

Mr. ATTWOOD directed the attention of the house to numerous
petitions front the people, complaining of distress, and observed that
these petitions should he attended to, in order to satisfy the public mind,
More any further supplies should be granted ; he exinessed himself
particularly dissatisfied with the ministerial arrangenten,s respecting
the proposed duty on foreign timber, a measure which had given any.
thirg tut satisfaction to the public.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was not in-
tended to put the proposed duty ou foreign timber in force until after
the 10th of October next.

Sir C. WETHERELL characterizes the noble lord's budget as an
often-suspend:it production ; suspended, in order to allow the Noble
Paymaster of the Forces' Reform Bill to be brought in, which now ap-
peared also to be a suspended measure.
Mr. ATT WOOD explained.
11r. GOULBURN stated, that lie had been applied to by persons
deeply engaged in the timber trade, all of %horn complained grievously
of the inconvenience they were put to by the delay which had already
taken place respecting the change in the timber duties. He would say,
that that delay had given rise to much alarm amongst that class of
persons who were peculiarly interested in the measure.
Mr. W.%RBURTON was of opinion that no inconvenience what-
ever had arisen; the arrangement respecting those duties was fully
understood by the traders in timber connected with the city of London.
Mr. BERRIES inquired if the alteration in the timber duties was to
apply to Ireland as well as Great Britain ?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, no alteration
should tale place in the duty on Canadian timber as regarticd Ireland.
Mr. HUNT said he was one of a committee to classify the petitions
of the people which had been presented during the present session, on
the subject of Reform, and he could assure the Louse that they did not
amount to nearly su much as the hon. and learned member for Borough.
bridge had stated. All these petitions prayed In retrenchment, aboli- '
titm of places and pensions, shortening of pailiameuts, and the vote by
ballot ; in short only two petitions had been presented which prayed for'
anything like what his Majesty's Blinisters were disposed to grant, and
these were from Bristol and Exeter. All over the country the cry was
for ballot, and if it were relinquished recently, it was only out of
courtesy to the measure of Reform which had been proposed by minis-
ters.—( Hear.)

The SPEAKER then left the chair and the house went into committee.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reference to the
sugar duties, observed, if relief was to be given to the public, it could
not be given to any considerable amount by a relinquishment of the duty
on sugar. The noble lord concluded by moving that the duty on sugar
and molasses be continued for one year.
The Marquis of CHANDOS moved as an amendment, that all
brown Muscovado sugars imported from British America and the Mau.
ritius, be subjected only to a duty of 20s. per cwt.
Mr. BERNAL suppotted the amendment.

Lord ALTHORP said, he had considered the subject of admitting
sugar into the distilleries and breweries. Admitting sugar into the
breweries would displace so much malt, and twat trade was at present
going on so prosperously, that he expected an increase of the revenue
front this year of 800,0001.—(hear); and he could not venture to in.
terfere with such a prosperous revenue. Witb respect to admitting
sugar into the distilleries, it was a different question, and was now
under consideration. He did not think it would at present interfere
with the landed interest, as very few of the farmers bad barley on hand.

Mr. R. GORDON said, he thought his noble friend treated the
landed interest rather unkindly. He said he knew they were in great
distress, but he could grant them no relief, though he had an increase of
revenue in a single article of 800,0001.

Ali. IRVING said he was aware the Noble Lord could not make
any considerable reduction in the duty on sugar, but he could relieve
the West Indies by admitting rum on the same duty as British t.pirits,
and also by admitting molasses into the breweries and distilleries.
Sir E. CARRINGTON said the West India proprietors were
brought into a state which left them but little property, but, as trustees
for the Negro population, and on behalf of that population ha called
upon the Government and the House to protect the Vest Indica.

Mr. BENNET said he thought the English farmer was as much
entitled to protection as the West India farmer. The crop of barley
was this year a short crop, and only for the price it bore, in consequence
of the increased demand, the condition of the agricultural labourers would
be even worse than it was.

•
Mr. HU3IE said he must put in a claim fur the consumers of sugar
in this country. The t!resent duty was a war duty, and ought to be
reduced. He was confident that a reduction of duty would scarcely
diminish the revenue. The eduction of duty last year, he believed,
had not injuted the revenue, and he would vote for a further reduction,
In the confidence that it would not injure the revenue, and would be a
great benefit to the public, particularly the poorer cla;ses of consumers,
who wanted relief.—The hous.: divided—

For the amendment
Against it . —147

Majority against the redaction ... OS
The resolution was then agreed to, and the report ordered to be
brought op on Monday.

Lord MORPETH presented fourteen petitions from places in
Yorkshire in favour of Reform in Parliament.

Colonel SIBTIIORPE said, be had a similar petition to present
from Lincoln on Tuesday. He would take that opportunity of saying
that be should give the Bill the best consideration in his power; he
had not said that he would give it unqualified opposition. It was stated
in one newspaper, that he was a nominee of Lord Monson ; the fact
was, be was opposed to the Noble Lord in politics, and he never was
the nominee of any man—it was also stated that the electors of Lin-
coln, to a man, voted for the best bidder—that was a gross falsehood,
there was no where a more respectable body of electors.

Lord DUNCANNON brought in a Bill for making a new street
from the Strand to Charles-street, Covent-garden, opposite Waterloo-
bridge.road.—Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time
on Tuesday.
Mr. S. RICE brought in a Bill to repeal the duty on tallow WOO
—Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday.
The Rouse Adjourned at a Quarter to Two o'Clock.