Star.
London, England, 1813-05-11 00:00:00

DIFFUSION OF CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGIL

The Duke of ATHOL presented a Petition from the Ministers
`and licentiates of Perth and Stirling, praying permission to de-
pute fit persons from their body for the purpose of propagating
'and d'ffusing Christian knowledge in India.
The Marquis of SvArroßD presented from Di Mon and from
Stafford, the Earl of SANDWICH from Kimbolton, the Marquis
CAssott4 from Sheerness, Seven Oaks, and Portsmouth, Lord
KENYON from Wellington, in Salop, and the Earl of It/introit
from Banbury, in the county of Oxford, Petitions to the same
effect, all which were ordered to lie on the table.
Their Lordships then adjourned to to-morrow.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.

This being the last day for receiving the Reports of Commit-
tees appointed to examine into the nature of rrivate Bills, the
SPEAKER took the Chair at three o'clock, and proceeded to re-
teive the reports, which were very numerous.
The second reading of the County Bakers' Regulation BiU was
lolponed to this day sennight.
The General Enclosure Bill passed through a Committee, and

the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow.
Mr. WHARTON laid on the Table an Account of the
slumber of Houses proposed to be pulled down in the construc-
tion of the elegant new street from Charing-cross to Mary-la-
Bes ine.

l'ho Charing-cross and Mary-la-Bonne New Street Bill was
read a second time, and referred to a select Committee up stairs.
A message Iron the Lords intimated, that their Lordships
,had agreed to the Drawback on the Wine Bill without any
amendment.

--------------
A Messenger from the Stamp Office presented an Account of
the Number of Country Banks at the Bar of the House..--Or-
dered to be laid on the Table.
The American Prize Bill was read a second time, and ordered
to be committed tomorrow.
'1 he second reading of the Insolvent Debtors' Bill was put
off till Wednesday, and the Irish Cotton Weavers' Bill till to-
morrow.
The Report of the Irish Militia Bill was received, the amend-
ment: agr.td to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time
to-morrow.
'I lie House went into a Committee on the further considera-
tien of the anion of the Highway Bill, when several amend-
ments were agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third
time on Friday. •
Mr. HART DAVIS presented a Petition from the Bristol
Manufacturers, praying the repeal of the Leather Tat.
The itto:ion of Sir H. Moa•rooasaatr, relative to the free
exerei,:v of the Hindoo Rti•glon in India, was postpoved till the
21st instant.
A Petition was presented from the Inhabirants of Wellington
against the claims o, the Roman Ca:holics, and a second from
the -sole place, for the propagation of Christianity in India.
Mr. COURTENAY moved for va-ious Papers connected with
the India Trade.
FELONY AND PETTY LARCENY RILL.

Mr. KENRICK moved the Order of the Day for the third
reading of !lie Felony and Petty. Larceny 13111.
Sir C. MONCK declared. that be saw no occasion for the Bab
and moved as an amendment, "'I hat it should be read a third
time this day three months:'
hilt% KENRICK entered into a brief description of the prin-
. elplea of the Bill.
Sir J. NEWPORT taid, if the Bill indicted any additional
punishment on offenders, be would vote against it, but if it sub-
stituted labour fot imprisonment, it was worthy of being coun-
tenanced.
Mr. WHITBREAD complained of the obscurity of the Bill,
and feeling an objection to the enactn.mt of any thing penal,
where there was no occasion for such a measure, he would sup-
port the amendment.
Sir W. GEARY supported the Bill.
/Or. HFRALL approved of the Bill, because it mingled
Useful and wholesome labour with necessary confinement in
prison.
Mr. WYNNE conceived the Bill would be beneficial in a great
Majority of cases, and therefore he would support it.
The House then divided, when there appeared—ln support of
the Bill, 33—. For the amendment,ll—Majority for the Bill 22.
The jlill was therefore read a third time and passed.
PET4TION FOR PEACE.
General FERGUSON presented a Petition from the Borough
4nd Parish of Dysart, in Fifeshire, praying that the Government,
as lovers of humanity, would seek by all lawful means the bless-
ings of peace, for their Petitioners had felt the deplorable effects
of war, and lamented its continuance in common with all
mankind.
Mr. WHITBREAD said, in concurring with the prayer of
the Petition, he hoped that no favourable opportunity for enter-
ing into negotiations for peace would be permitted to pass un-
heeded by his Majesty's Ministers, for the time was fast ap-
proaching, when an explanation would be asked, if not given,
conccrn:mg their conduct during a period which bad now passed
by, and possibly some observations made on whatever prospects
irtiight be presenting themselves on the Continent.
'1 he Petition was then ordered to be laid on the Table.
pROIIIBITION OF AMERICAN COTTON.
Mr. Alderman ATKINS presented a Petition from
certain of the Merchants and Ship-owners of London,
praying for the total exclusion of American cotton
from the markets of England and her dependencies.
He wa% desirous of impressing the minds of his Ma-
jesty's Ministers with the importance of that measure
which their Petitioners apprehended would cripple
the merits of the United States, while it tended to
encourage our own trade, and increase our warlike
resources. He was Anxious to learn if the Chancel-
lor had in contemplation the total exclusion of Ame-
rican Cotton, by the additional duty which he had
recently proposed, and if not, he would feel it his
duty to mike a motion on the subject.
• The CHANCELLOR,. of the EXCHEQUER
said the measure which he had proposed, was for the
purrse c.f pressing upon the resources of the enemy,
'by an endeavour to lower the price of the staple corn-
inedity of the United States. He had formerly sub-
mitted propositions to the House on that subject,
which were not favourably received; and he
;afterwards endeavoured, by a blockade of the Arne-
:rican ports, to exclude their cotton from the Conti-
nental European markets, but that measure did not
.effectually secure a certainty of protection to the
English Merchants, inasmuch as some political con-
*Wei ations might induce the Government to remove
the hiockade, which would enable the Americans to
pour all their accumulated cotton into the European
suarkets, to the incalculable detriment of the Mer-
chanis of Britain. It was for the alanufacturers them.
selves to deckle whether they conceived their prospe
shy best secured, bre settled system like that of tax-
atibn, or one liable to sadden. fluctuation like that of
Blockade. He was anxious to know whether per not

•

it would be a des mile measure to impose
ble restraints upon American produce, so long as we
were excluded from the markets of that country, and
he hoped he would learn the sentiments of the corn-
mereia. be y on that subject.
Mr. BARING said the English manufacturers
were particularly desirous of preventing the distribu-
tion of the United States cotton amongst their rival
manufacturers on the Continent, they were not zea-
lous to purchase American cotton in preference to
that of the Brazils, but the Brazilian cotton was dou-
ble the price of the other, and if our manufacturers
were obliged to make use of the one, while our ene-
mies employed the other, our rivalship would be ex-
tremely unsuccessful in the cheapness of commodities.
There seemed a want of a mutual and general come
bination in the system adopted of blockading the
American ports, for it appeared that instead of indis-
criminately forming a blockade from one geographi-
cal point to another, we had contented ourselves with
stationing our squadrons before the Chesapeake,
Charlestown, and the Savannah, making a selection
of the greater ports, and permitting the lesser to re-
main unmolested. The same want of general under-
standing appeared in our conduct at home, as ap-
peared in our blockades abroad ; for at the same time
that Lord Liverpool was informing some merchants
that American cotton would not be received, the
, Board of Trade was informing other merchants that
it would be received—(Hear, hear.) He hoped that
some measure for the total exclusion of American
cotton from the other European markets would be
adopted, so that our enemies might be unable to eater
into competition with our manufacturers.
Mr. CANNING said, whatever ultimate measure
the Government might adopt on this subject, every
person seemed aware that it ought to be early re-
solved upon, and steadily pursued. He was not
aware, however, that the measure proposed by the
Right Honourable Gentleman was meant to prevent
altogether the importation of American cotton ; he
conceived that it was designed to press upon our ene-
mies resources, and he was glad to hear it admitted
as necessary, notwithstanding the maxims of books,
that to press upon our enemies by means of their
commerce was just and proper. He would rather
that no measure should be adopted, than one liable
to fluctuation, nevertheless, it appeared, that blockade
was the most natural, manly, and straight forward
course of distracting our enemy's trade ; but when he
talked of blockade, he meant that which effectually
closed every outlet of exportation, not that partial sys-
tern which, while it closed up some of the large ports,
left others unguarded, through which exportation,
beneficial to our enemies might securely issue. Naval
purposes might carry away the force appropriated to
guard the American ports, and then all the cotton
which had accumulated during the blockade would be
pushed into the continental markets, occasioning in-
calculable mischiefs tattle British trade; besides, he
was of opinion, that a tvx continued on'y during the
war upon the American trade, would be injurious to
our own at the restoration of peace, when the Ame-
ricans, no doubt, would claim the remission of our
measures. Now, he conceived, that as the Americans
were the first aggressors, we ought to apply the prin-
ciples of coercion to them, and legislate some wise
and wholesome measures, which would continue in
force during the war and the peace that followed it :
our enemies began the system, and we ought to fol-
low it up and turn what they meant as an annoyance
to Britain upon themselves, which, if effectually ac-
complished, would be the source of emolument to
our own manufacturers. He hoped some measure in
the spirit of these principles would be introduced ;
and whenever it was, it should have his cordial support
Mr. PHILLIPS declared, that the immediate ef-
fects of such measures as those recommended by the
Hon. Gentleman who spoke last, would raise the pre-
sent high price of cotton still higher. and it was im-
possible for any body of men to admit for a moment
the propriety of such a recommendation.
Mr. MARRYATT contended strongly in favour
of the policy of encouraging the import of cotton
from our own colonies and those of our allies, rather
than from America, with whom we were at war, and
who had already superseded both the cotton and the
tobacco of the West-India Islands. Four-fifths of
the cotton imported into this country had been of
late the produce of America. He could not concur
with the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last, that there
was any danger of the Continent being supplied with
cotton manufactures at a_cheaper rate than we could
furnish them, if we were to interdict the import from
America.
Mr. FOSTER observed, that the hostility of the
American Government had always been evinced and
exercised by restriction upon the commerce of this
country. This spirit, he conceived, ought to be re-
torted upon them, and it should be made manifest to
the world that Great Britain would never shrink from
meeting her enemy upon his own ground. He agreed
with a Right Hon. Gentleman, that it would be ex-
pedient to adopt some Legislative provision for the
purpose of meeting those of America, and providing
a point for future negotiation. He was happy to
perceive and congratulate the general feeling which
pervaded the House upon the political part of the
question.
Sir P.OBERT PEELE thotight the House ought
not to forget that cottcih was one of the most impor-,
tant articles of the manufacturing trade of this coun-
try. It was an article that gave employment to
many thousands of the poorer classes, and quadrupled
its own value in the course of those operations which
it underwent. While the intercourse with America
remained unimpeded, no evil was felt. The labour-
ing orders found sufficient occupation, and the sup-
ply in America conformed jtself to the demand in
this country. He was afraid that his Right lion.
Friend (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had been
surrounded by interested persons. He wished it
was in his power to produce a letter which he had
lately seen, and by which it appeared that the recent
rise in the price of cotton had been occasioned by the
very extensive speculation of a Gentleman at Liver-
pool (Mr. Gladstane) Rot unknown to the Right
Hon. Gentleman oa the door (Mr. Canning). it
should be remembered, that we had already expe-
rienced the advantages accruing to the landed and
general interest of the country in being able to pay
our soldiers, abroad by the exportation of cotton
goods. The House should take care les:, in legisla-
ting against an enemy, they legislated for the interests
of a rival.
Sir W. CURTIS said he had some connexion with

the subject Wore the House, and was well apprised
of the possibility of deriving from our own colonies
and from our fellow-subjects in India an ample sup-
ply of this necessary article. He had seen samples
equal to the finest kinds from the island of Bourbon.
Mr. HENRY THORNTON was of opinion that
if the present measure were adopted with the view of
encouraging the cultivation of cotton in our colonies,
it would be necessary to aid its operation by other
subsidiary measures.
Mr. LASCELLES was against the policy of per-
manently excluding the cotton of America, which he
apprehended was the object of the parties to this
measure.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
in reply to what bad been suggested and inquired in
the course of the debate, begged to state, that he had
not said his mind was decided as to the expediency
of recommending to Parliament some measure for
the total exclusion of American produce from the
ports of this country. This, however, would be the
subject of future consideration. The measure imme-
diately before the House certainly was not founded
upon any financial speculation, and therefore natu-
rally divided itself into the two branches of commer-
cial policy and political expediency. The former
had already been sufficiently discussed, and as to the
circumstances mentioned by the Hon. Gentleman of
licenses having been issued in which the blockaded
ports of America were not exempted, some few had
been so granted in consequence of the temporary ab-
sence of a Noble Lord at the Board-of Trade, occa-
sioned by a domestic misfortune. He did not know
any thing of vessels having subsequently arrived in
the ports of this country laden with cotton and to-
bacco ; but if the fact were so, they must have sailed
previous to the prohibition.
Mr. CANNING explained, that he had never de-
clared or insinuated any right on the part of this
country to apply to America the novel principles of
blockade which had grown out of the new maritime
policy introduced and acted upon by France. All
he had said was, that we ought to accompany the
actual blockade by additional and subsidiary annoy.
ances upon the resources and belligerent means of
America.
Alderman ATKINS recommended an entire attls-
pension of intercourse with America, and moved that
the Petition do lie on the table.—Ordered.

A Petition was presented from certain ship-owners
of London, praying that Parliament would prohibit
all imports, except of necessary articles, unless brought
to British ports from friendly countries, and in Bri-
tish bottoms.—. Ordered to lie on the table.