Star.
London, England, 1830-12-10 00:00:00

STATE Of TUE COUNTRY.

Lord WYNFORD rose pursuant to notice to submit a motion to
their Lordships on the state of the country. The noble and learned
lord expressed a hope that he bbould be able to present such a case for
I the consideration of that house, that it would be impossible for their
Lordships, consistent with the duty that they owed the country, to re-
fuse the motion he should have the honour to submit. lie was anx-
ious not to add to the excitement which unhappily prevailed in almost
every part of the country. He assured their lordships that nothing
would come from him to continue that excitement. When the people of
England were told that all excess would be put down by the strong
arm of the law, and that the cause of distress would beinvestigated, there
should be a determination on the part of his Majesty's Government
to sift that distress to the bottom, and use every endeavour to provide a
remedy. That line of conduct would convince the good sense of the
country—the suffering part of the community—that they ought to rely
on the justice and wisdom of Parliament. He was persuaded that a
great deal of the dissatisfaction which prevailed was, unfortunately, the
consequence of that distress which overwhelmed all classes, grinding to
dust those who were more directly its objects. That distresses had led
to disturbance and the destruction of machinery he could not doubt ; but
the :firesjwhich had so lately disgraced different parts of the country
were to be attributable to another cause. Englishmen, like the in-
habitants of ether nations, occasionally lose sight of the laws ; but
an Englishman never resorted to the cowardly means of destroying
his neighbour's property by fire. (Hear, hear.) He felt satisfied
those outrages were not of English growth, but exotic. The
deluded peasantry had been led on by others who had interests beyond
the interests of the English labourer. It was impossible to deny the
existence of distress. If any man was disposed to doubt it prevailed to a
great extent, let him takes turn Into the surrounding torsi districts ;
let hint sec the number of persons out of employ ; let him see the num-
ber of persons employed in useless labour, and at useless expense upon
the high roads. This was In a great degree occasioned by the defective
state of the law, and if proofs were wanting of that fact, let those who had
doubts visit the vestries, and see the cases made out ny the tax payer,and
the tax receiver (hear.) There they might see the defects of
the law, and the cause of distress. The Judges of the land were
called on to punish offences which the wisdom of parliament should have
prevented.—(Hear, hear.) His lordship called the attention of the
house to the increase of crime.: No one could look at the gaol calendars,
without seeing in the same a frightful picture of distress. The noble
lord referred to a document which, he said, would put the question out
of doubt. It would prove, that if something was not done to arrest the
progress distress was making amongst the population of the country, all
would be immersed in crime. The return from the colony of New
South Wales lately received in this country gave the following distress-
ing increase of crime :

In the year 1825 the number of persona transported to

Botany Bay from this country, was 233
•
In the year 1826. the number was increased to 1815
•
In 1821, the number was .. ... .. 2578
In 1828 • • • • ••• •• • 2449
It appeared to the noble and learned lord, that he could not present to
their lordships a more complete picture of the crimes and distresses of
this country, than that which the paper be had cited laid before them.
If, however, be stopped there, it might be said all this distress may be
the subject of inquiry in committee. So far as it relates to the poor,
you have a committees sitting on the poor laws, but it was known that
committee could do no good, because they have no funds to apply to
their relief. The noble and learned lord was prepared to show what
had been the cause of the diminution of those funds, and he could have
no better authority than the statements made by Sir Robert Peel and
the late Mr. Huainan. Sir Robert Peel made a statement, in
which he was confirmed by Mr. Buskisson. A noble and gallant
Duke in that house (Wellington) said the same thing, namely, the
capital of the country was locked up in the strong box of the usurer....
trade was in an unhealthy state. Another gentleman of great authority
(Alderman Thompson) had complained that the currency in circulation
was not enough to enable tradesmen to pay their workmen—small notes
were wanted. Was not that distress ? What must be the state of the
country when the capitalist would not lend his capital for interest ? The
capitalist had thought proper to stop the life's blood of the country, by
locking it up in his strong box. His Majesty's ministers had not the
power to remedy this state of things. It was owing to the defective state
of the law. If their lordships were not satisfied that distress did exist
to an extent never before known in this country, it would be im.
possible to convince them—but he could not help saying he wished to
have the question investigated. The landholders of the country had
been grossly calumniated. The agricultural interests had been scan-
dalised, and he hoped to have an opportunity of vindicating those per.
sons at the bar of the House. These were all grounds, he thought,
sulkiest to cause inquiry. He feared the dawning prosperity in some
manufactures would not be of long continuance, for it bad not been
occasioned by demand from abroad, but arising from spocalaters in
this smug ; and should they kW, the atmosphere would be more
dense than Were the dump. It was said, improvement in the
raimnfactinias Warm had taken place—Goa send it might asstinne.
It appeared to him that it was net likely to be of long tioratise.—
The *Masi state of the Continent had given a sempuesy primp.
rity to speuisters, but when the paspls of the Csatinust returned
to habits of industry. the improvement in this country would come.
A Nelda Lard, ones the ansmasut of that Rams, had slid distress
was owing to asosesks poductisn. That could not be the cause at
peanut. If there was now an excessive glut Is nuoufactures, that
was undammail to be the east of machiasry. Be was speaking. he
knew, apex a whim that was ass o this human intellect odd pap.
pie with. hat he should my he wee use enemy to machinery. If,

however, machinery was the cause of overstocking the market, it
ought to be regulated, because it was injurious to the manufacturer.
The Noble and Learned Lord was also ready to say that the poor
man had as much right to have his labour protected as the rich
manufacturer had to have his machines protected. fie did
not mean to say a stop should be put to the use of machinery,
but it was necessary to make it subject to such regulations AS existing
interests might require. He was not prepared to say to what extei
the use of machinery bad produced the present effect upon the commerce
of the country—at all events it ought to be limited. He then railed
their lordships attention to the difference between the gold cuirenq of
this country as compared with that of other countries. He was not
aware what could be done, but he felt satisfied that there was great
reason for inquiry. The alteration of the currency affected every con-
tract; but the issuing of one-pound notes might give some relief. and
leave the currency unaffected. The stoppage of these notes slid
not take place to prevent too extensive an issue of Bank Netes,
but to protect the poor and ignorant man front fraud—fromd witich had
been proved at the Bar of the House of Commons to have existed
to an alarming extent. The rent of land, however high could not
affect the labouring classes equal to the pressure of exietin4 t•ts..s.
It had been said, that if you lowered your rents to what t! ey wet.:
in 1783, all would be right. Now he would assert, that it the int..
proved condition of the ricotta were taken into consideratier. it *mid
be found that, comparatively, rents were as low as at that period.
The ides that the reduction of high rents would prove so be-
neficial, had been propagated in error, by that powerful engine
the public press. The noble and lean.ed bold then adverted to hie.: sea-
sons as a cause of distress assigned by a certain class ..f political mono.
mists; the.' to the corn laws, which we.e con ider to b: the rain of
the country. With proper modifications, for his own part, he hail is
objection to a total repeal of these laws. Of one thing he was pa-
suaded, that the corn laws of 1828 did not, in the smallest degree, ad-
vantage the farmer or landed proprietor; that advantage might eel;
been reaped from them by the speculator he did not doubt, but be wa.
not the party that the legislature of that time ought to have coil.ieltrce:.
Upon the whole bearings of that important question, he should net then
enter ; but there was one point connected with it, which he could
not pass over—he alluded to the system of striking averages, a 3.5.
tent to be deprecated, as it brought down the price of the dent:,t
and best corn to the level of the cheapest; the land tax, or more pia-
perly speaking, the income tax, for it was nothing else, was eno.Ler
point; when it was first imposed, Parliament gave a bounty as it ad..
to those who paid it. There were other subjects which bore particu-
larly hard upon the agriculturist, by which capital was drawn (rout
the country ; the importation of raw produce, in like manner, if the r
Lordships took the trouble of looking into the documents on the table
' they would find that it came in merely on payment of a nominal duty ;
there ought, he contended, to be no partiality shown by the Legislature
of the country, but every department, whether agricultural, commer-
cial, or manufacturing, ought to bear equal burdens. He believed tlx
distress of the country to be general in its pressure. It was impossible
for the agricultural interest to suffer without every other branch sym-
pathising with it. In support of that argument he need only cell
their Lordships' attention to the years 1813, 1816, 1817, 1818, 1819,
and 1820, and it would be found, and what occurred then
would necessarily occur again, that when the agricultural
interests flourished, so did the manufacturing ; and when the
manufacturing interests flourished, so did the agricultural; it
was true it would also be found, that in 1817 corn was 105 s. per quarter,
and manufactures in spite of that flourished, and the Prince Regent in
that house congratulated their lordships and the country on the pro-
tufting state of affairs ; he was satisfied that the exchange of the
country ;was most materially affected by the great importation of
corn. All that he wanted of their lordships was to institute an
inquiry into these important topics affecting every interest, so as that the
true cause of distress might be ascertained, and their Lordships enabled
to give an answer to those out of doors who were clamouring for employ-
ment, for he was convinced, if matters were allowed to go on as at pre.
sent, without such inquiry, there would be on end to all security in pro-
perty ; for their Lordships' own sakes he called upon them to grant this
inquiry, and he could not do it better than by quoting the words of tiir
J. Graham, who stated that such an inquiry was equally applicable to
the present Government as to all others a great effort was necessary to
overcome complicated difficulties, where resistance and escape were out
of the question. The noble and learned lord concluded by putting his
motion,which was to the effect that their Lordships should forthwith in.
stitute an inquiry with respect to the present state of the country.
The motion having been put from the Woolsack,
Earl ROSEBERRY rose and opposed the motion, which he deemed
as altogether unnecessary, in consequence of the pledges of his Majesty'.
Ministers, and more especially in consequence of the Committee on the
Poor Laws, which bad been agreed to by the Ministers of the Crown.
and which was now sitting up stairs that Committee would answer
every purpose of the noble and learned Lord's motion. He was satisfied
that the depression and distress amongst the labouring and manufactur-
ing classes was very great and general ; it was also co-existent with im.
provement of the minds of the working classes, In consequence of
their better education and the spread of knowledge ; circumstances
which made them more alive to a sense of their sufferings. He
(Earl Roscherry) had another objection to urge against the noble
and learned Lord's motion, which was--the recent change in the
king's government, the noble earl at the head of which, the very first
night of his appointment to office on which lie took his seat in that
house, not only agreed at once to the motion of the noble marquis op-
posite (Salisbury) for an enquiry into the administration of the poor
laws, but made the most solemn declarations that every topic in come-
lion with the present state of the country would be taken under the im.
mediate consideration of ministers, so as that confidence might be re.
etored by a reform in parliament, and in every other department of the
legislature of the country ; it was not fair dealing by persons called
so recently to office, to come down upon them as the noble and
learned lord had done, in the face of their spontaneous pro..
mises, thereby disturbing their beneficial labours.—(Hear, hear.)
It were much better for the noble and learned lord to wait a few weeks,
and see if Ministers would, in the course of that time, bring before
Parliament some plan or plans for restoring peace and confidence to the
country ; on that ground alone he was of opinion that it would have
been more desirable it the noble lord had not come forward with his
motion at present; he (Earl Roseberry) did not wish to stifle inquiry
by the vote he should give that night upon the question before their
lordships, but if the noble and learned lord opposite would consent to
withdraw his motion- -(Cries of " No, no," from Earl Stanhope—ausi
wait the result of the pledges of his 3lajeety's Ministers, more goou
would be derived than by pressing it. He (Earl Roseberry) could no
close his observations without adverting to the state of the game laws
which were of a character sufficient to demoralise the agricultural la
bouren of the country, producing tumult, and violence, die
gracing the country. He was sorry that noble lords were responsible Co
such estate of things by their enactments.
Lord King and Lord Eldon then presented themselves, and the tor.
mer gave way to—
Lord ELDON, as soon as the noble lord was audible below thrbar,
said that he should vote for die present inquiry. The state of the coun-
try was such as called for the interference of Parliament.
Lord KING said, that the noble and learned lord, for learned, he
su?posed, be must call him—(a laugh)--had not started a single new
point, in the course of his address to their lordships. The inquiry
which he sought was an iras fataus which would plunge their lord-
ships still deeper in the dark. With respect to that noble log's
notions of capital, it appeared to be this.' Capital, he ado:iced,
watt in the country, but locked in a box ; now, what constitutes ca-
pital, he (Lord King) would ask? Why, it was roads, and badges,
and canals, houses and lands, and all this was locked in a box,
'and that box was the island of Great Britain. (Much laughter.)He admitted that great evils arose from the mid-administration of the
poor laws. A clergyman had informed him (Lord King) that when a
young couple presented themselves to be married, he sometimes said to
the Lridegroom " why, you are very young; "yes" was the eraser,
" only nineteen, but 1 can get no work in the parish salsas litou mar-
ried." The supply of food was thus greatly diminished. The noble
lord then adverted to the disturbances in the soutban parts of the court.
try, which proceeded from severe suffering araratost the labouring
classes, aided, no doubt, by odeddevass indiviihnis who had certain
ends to accomplish. The lsiteutlegyeer wan certainly in a state 6fstarvation at present, elm past helm endurance, aad relief must
be obtained for them—bat the guidon was—How? If wages were
raised, then the distress fell spin the knew it was deer test an Aro.
the Corn Laws, tuft a week will de geed to
11a:tas it was, the system was new le rate es the
heir and moll that ors tithes se:
the mom treuld y. Against the presses to he
Mudd esetainly is
Neel WINCHILSIA be should glee the mss if she noble
and kernel lard his su,peen ; it was, harem, he bele his with
, Mph the um eptveseesest doer '
hue he esoideeed
diet miler eheideremes ,----psi goo esphy wee the met judkieus
awes that odd he adegbd. tepidly at the pout jump, ; he was
convinced if stileiry wee Ibetheed k would MelNdy proved ta their
lordships that rests me net may Woad ter below the steueleed atm

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