Star.
London, England, 1802-05-01 00:00:00

Till LOTTUT.

The Houfe having refolved itfelf into a Com.
--Mittee of Wars and sneans,
TIM CHA%CeLLOIII of the ElCHrityllt Mk to
Rate to the Committee the terms upon which the.
Lottery for the United Kingdom, ,or the fervice
of the piefent year, had been contrgeted for. He
f lid, that one of the principal objets of the plan
he had to folmit to the Committee, was to pre-
vent, Ai far as praaicable, the baneful praaice Of
inf!:ranc:. This, it wgs fnvpored, would belt be
sert+ntsplithed •confolidatiik the Lotteries of,
n.gland and Ireland. The iditi was eviden:ly

new ; but he allured the Committee it was brought
forward after mature deliberation, and frequent
confultation with the mole intelligent perfons on
the fubjea. It was indeed, at ,firft, apprehended
that this projea world be likely to di/courage the
bidders, and of courfe melon difad vantage-
ous terms for the Public, but happily that had
nut been the cafe. lf, however, the State had
fuffered Tome lot's—as teemed probable—it would
nevcrthelefs have been advifable to perfill in an
arrangement which afforded Come well-founded
profpeas of diminifhing, if not of entirely putting
a flop to, low infuranccs ; an evil which was at all
times of affiiaing magnitude, but which would
be of aggravated magnitude under the prefent
circumfiances of the country. It was in fade'
hardly poffible to afcertain the amount of this evil.
If he could Rate to the Committee the number of
Clerks employed in the different offices for the de-
partment of infnrance, the feveral expedients
pradifed on the ignorant, and the multitude of
perfons difpatched through all the low public
houfes to allure, to invite, and to decoy, the in-
duftrious poor into this fpecies of fpeculation, he
was certain it would furni(h an irrefiftible argu-
ment of the neceffity for Come meafure to abridge
the operation of a mifchief fo extremely injurious.
The difficulty of detecting thefe fraudulent Infu.
rance Brokers, arifing in a great 'degree from the
hope of profit which (till tempted the infatuated
Poor to perfevere, ferved as an encouragement to
this praaice, and had hitherto defeated all expe-
dients contrived to fupprefs it. The contra& be-
tween the Office-keeper or his Emiffary, and the
Infurer, was, that the hitter fhould have a certain
fum in cafe a certain ticket fhould be drawn on a
particular day—if therefore the Lottery continued
forty days, the office-keeper's profits were in pro-
portion. From this view it appeared that the belt
mode was to contraa the time of drawing; and
on that confideration it was fettled that the Lot.
tery for•the relent year fhould be drawn at three
different times, and that at each time the drawing
fhould not exceed eight days. Thus it was hoped
that the perfons already alluded to would not have
fo much room to play upon the ignorant, and
drain money from the families of the induftrious
poor. It was not conceived advifable to have a
feparate Lottery for Ireland on:the former plan ;
becaufe as the tickets were more numerous than
in the Englith Lottery, the price lower, and the
time of drawing more extended than here, the
evils he had jolt defcribed, as proceeding from
infurance, were found to prevail to a greater
amount in that country than even in England.—
I.Ta this account the two Lotteries were confo-
lidated. He was folly aware that Come Gentle-
men would apprehend, as he in the firft inllance
was difpofed hinifelf to fear, that fpeculators
would not be fo forward to deal for this Lottery ;
not that it could be fuppofed, or was ever futheaed,
that the Gentlemen who allay tranfal for the
Lottery have any concern in infurances, yet it was
reafonable to prefunie, that the difcouragement
of that praaice would tend to difcourage Lottery
fpeculations, and reduce the value of tickets ; but
thofe apprehenfioni would be remcved, when he
(fated, that the advantage from this contradt to
the Public was confiderable, the profit amounting
to no lefs than 55 5,0001. two thirds of which were
for the fervice of England, and one third for Ire-
land, an allowance to the latter certainly not be-
yond what the was fairly entitled to. He truest)
the motions with which he thould conclude would
meet the approbation of the Committee, and he
earneftly hoped that the plan he had defcribed
would be prodative of the happy confequence he
was induced to promife himfelf from it. The
Right Hon. Gentleman then moved, " That it
be the opinion of the Committee, that towards the
Supply, &c. there thould be railed by Lottery the
thin of 1450,0001. of which simoool. thall be for
the fervice of England, and 480,0001. for the fer-
vice of Ireland.

• Mr. CORRY corroborated the arguments of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer in favour of this plan,
Rating, that feparate Lotteries for England and
Ireland had this effeet, that the evil of- infurance
for the Irifh Lottery was almoß as extenfive in
England, as that for the Englifh Lottery, and vice
,vfffa as to infurance in Ireland, for the Drawing
here. The proportion of the profits on the plan
before the Committee to be granted to Ireland,
was founded upon the moR liberal confideratiiins.
The frith Lottery was yearly increafing in value,
and that circumltance was fairly efiimated by his
Right Hon. Friend in the calculation of this ar-
rangement.
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR raid, that being always ad-
verfe to the principle of Lotteries, chiefly on ae-
iionnt of the praCtice of infurances, he felt himfelf
%uch gratified, and thought the country would
be much indebted to the Right Hon. Gentleman
for the introdu+ion of a plan which feemed to
promife filch beneficial conlcquences. Some idea
might be formed of the extent of the evil of low
insurance, from a circumflance he had heard from
a refpeßable Banker, namely, that a Lottery-
Office Keeper in Wapping, was in the habit of,
during the drawing of the Lottery, daily making
a lodgment in his bunking-houfe of fitillings and
fix pcnces to fuch an amount as was really attonifh-
ing. The Hon. Member added, that be did not
recollal the precile fums, but he knew they were
confiderable.

Mr. Basiticrom approved the plan.
The Motion Was agreed to ; and alto another,
that fuch Lottery should conlift of too,ooo
Tickets, at 141. tos. each—the drawing to be at
th ree different times, Etc.—and the purchafe money
to be paid by inailments, the fira tl. tos. on each
Ticket, on the 3d of May next. The Houfe re-
fumed,and the Report was ordered to be received
on Monday. . .

LIN TO MANVFACTIII.I OF laill4llo.

The Houle, on tbc Motion of Mr. Fosrsit, re.
folved itfelf into a Committee on the Bill for the
better regnkition of the Mei Linen Mantifaeure.
Mr. CORRY, (aid, that as the Right Hon. Gen.
tleman who introduced this IBM had not gone in-
fo any liatement of the caulks whirl induced him
to bring it forward, it was necolrary for him (Mr.
Corry), in the fituation which he had tile honour
to hoi.l, to difcbarge certain duties which. in eon-

feel' nence of that &nation, fell upon him, however
unpleafant it might be to his private feelings. The
fituation of the Linen Trade, as far as it related
to the importation of Flax Seed, was this, that it
was to be examined at the Cullum-houfe of the
Port into which it was brought, by the Collator
of that port, after which, if, upon examination,
the feed was found to be good, it was branded by
the Colledor as good feed, and fit for ufe. For-'
merly there was a bounty upon the Importation of
Flax Seed, and it was thought neceffary that this
infpedion thould be made, in order that the pub-
lic money fhould not be given away for bad feed,
and alfo to prevent the injury that mull arife to
the linen manufature from the ufe of fuch feed.
Some time afterwards it was thought proper to
take off the bounty given upon the importation of
Flax Seed, but it was thought expedient that the
Collector fhould Rill examine the feed, and that he
thould mark fuch as, upon examination, was found 1
to be good. For this duty the Collator was al-1
lowed to receive 6d. a hoglhead for everyhogthead
fo examined and branded ;, but it was remarkable,
that the fees were payable only in cafes where the
feed was branded ; but when the feed, upon ex-
amination, was found unfit for ufe, then the Col-1
lator was entitled to no fee whatever. The Col-1
lectors certainly were not judges of what was, or
what was not good feed, and, therefore, they em-
ployed perfons under them, and the pradice was
to give to the perfons fo employed, a part of the
fees ; the confequence of this was, that the Col-
lectors did fo tranfad the bufincfs, (without any
bad intention on their parr) that tbofe perfons hut'
every temptation to brand whatever feed was (hewn
to them. By thefe means great quantities of very
bad feed were introduced into the country, and
great injury done to the Linen Manufadure. It
was true that the Collators did not examine thofe
feeds themfelves, and therefore it certainly was
impoffible to impute to them the commiffion of any
thing that was improper • but Rill it was a fpecies
of negligence and omidon. The importation of
Flax Seed was very great, and principally into
the ports of Dublin, Newry, Belfaft, and Deny;
and it was an °Nat of the greateft importance
to the country that the molt ftriet examination
thould take place upon the importation of the feed.
But from the mode in which the bufinefs had been
concluded, it became neceffary that Tome other
means mould be adopted of examining the. feed.
The change which it was propofed by the prefent
Bill to make was this, that a perfon employed un-
der the Linen Board fhould examine the feed
imported inked of the Collator at the port,
and that the latter Should continue to receive a
proportion of the fee paid, and that the remain•
der fhould be given to the Infpedor employed by
the Linen Board. This was the °hied of the
claufe at prefent under confideration, but there
were two points of which be thought it his duty to
apprize the Committee. He begged leave to Rate,
he had the honour of being a Member of the Linen
Board for many years, and belonged to a part of
the country very much engaged in that manufac-
ture. He was Pure that he fdt as lively an intereft
in the profperity of that manafature is any Gentle-
man could do, and he did feel that Come change
was neceffary in the mode of examining the Flax-
feed upon its Importation. So far he (poke as a
Member of the Linen Board, but be muff now
fpeak in his official capacity. In the firft place
that duty, which was before clifchaged by an Of-
ficer of the Crown, it was be no
longer performed by him. g?almitted, that the
perfon who was entraßed with that duty ought to
be confidered as a fervent of the Linen Board,
which the Colledor certainly was not ; but at the
(ante time that he obferved this on the part of the
Manufaturer, it behoved him to obferve that the
Crown would be deprived of its patronage, by giv-
ing this duty to fervants of the Linen Board, in-
deed of the Collator. In Rating this he wiffied
it to be chained), underftood as by no means wil-
ling to facrifice the interell of the Manufacturer to
the Patronage of the Crown, but he hoped it
would be found poffible, at the fame time, to take
care of the intereil of the Manufadurer, and not
to neglect the other objed which he had alluded
to. With regard to that part of the Bill which
related to the receiving of fees, he witted to Rate,
that though he was in the habits, not only of ac-
quaintance, but of friendlhip, with many of the
Gentlemen who were the objects of this Bill, yet
he could not help protefting againll the principle,
that men who were no longer to be employed
•in
the difcharge of a trult, and who were fuppofed
by the Bill to have aged improperly, fhould in the
fame Bill be made the objeas of (to ufe a word
which was perfedly familiar, becaufe it was con-
netted with moil of the meafures in the Country of
which he was (peaking) compenfation. The fe-
cond point to which he meant to allude was, the
amount of the fees to be paid : he felt-it his duty
to object to the levying any tax, however final],
upon the trade of Ireland, for the purpofe of fuch
compenfation. If the fees paid for the difcharge
of this duty were too large, they ought to be di-
miniflied ; if they were not, the perfon who per,
formed all the duty ought to have the whole of
the emolument p but he certainly fhould oppofe
the idea of one perfon doing the duty, and
another perfon receiving a proportion of the emo-
luments; and, therefore, he was bound to oppofe
any unneceffery•impofition on the trade of Ireland
for fuch a pnrpofe, however fmall. He had faid,
that he was in the habits of private friendthip with
moll of the Gentlemen who were the objects of
this Bill, but he would never facrifice his public
duty to his private feelings, and, therefore, he
thought it neceffiery to make this ftatement to the
Committee, who, be had no doubt, would require
further information before they proceeded thus to
take this patronage out of the hands of the Crown.
But he hopectthat a mode might be devifed of ac-
cotntdifhing_ both there objects in a fatisfadory
manner. He witted to avoid raying any thing
that could hart the feelings of any perfon, and
therefore it was a delicate tubjeft for him to fpeak
upon ; but he could not be fatisfied with this Claufe,
and therefore thould propofe to fill it up in a way
that would not render it liable to the objections he
bad urged.
Si Gloats' Hits, faid, be had been much afick.

flitted at the ftaterittrat which had been made by
the Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland, and
he was induced to fuppofe, by that flatement,
that the Right Hon. Gentleman had not read the
law upon this fubjeft, or that having read it, he
did not underftand it. He had taken it for grant.
ed that there officers, the Colleaors, had been
guilty of negligence in the difcharge of their duty;
but of this negligence there was not the flightea
proof before the Houle, and it was the duty Of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer for Ireland, in his
office, to proteft there Colleflors, who were officers
of the Crown, who had faithfully and honealy
difcharged their duty. This was the firft time he
had ever heard a flatement of this kind made
againft perfons in the employment of Government,
without any inquiry, any document, or any proof
whatever to eftablifli the affertion. The Right
Hon. Gentleman, the Chancellor of the Exche.
chequer for Ireland, had faid, it was the duty of
the Colleaors thenifelves to infpeft the feed be.
fore they branded it. This was not the cafe : they
were only bound by law to Idea three perfons to
examine the quality of the feed, and make a cer-
tificate upon their report ; and until fuch exami.
nation has taken place, the Colleaor is liable to a
penalty of col. it he brands a hogfhead of feed.
This Bill, he faid, propofed to fubftitute, in the
place of the Colleaors, an Officer only of the
Linen Board. This,. the Hon. Member faid, he
difatsproved, becaufe he thought the judgment of
three perfons better than that of one; and even
this Bill, as a perfeftion of regulation, had re.
courfe at Taft to the very mode employed under
the old Law, namely. that of fwearmg perfons to
esamine it. He thought it right to apprize tic
Committee, that he was nearly related to one Gen-
tleman employed in this office of Colleaor, and
he would take upon himfelf to fay, it had been
faithfully and honeftly difcharged. He mulled
then, that the Houfe of Commons would not,
without proof or examination, take away tie em-
ployment, and cenfure the conduit of any perfnn
employed under the Crown.—For thefe reafons, he
moved, " That the Chairman do report progrefs."
The Right Hon. Joffe FOLTZ a raid, he fhould not
take up much of the time of the Committee, becaufe
the Chancellor of the Exchequer for Ireland had,by
his flatement, acknowledged fome meafure of this
kind was neceffary. By the Law of Ireland, Col.
leaors were ordered to examine the Flax Seed im-
ported, and they were to receive for that exami-
nation W. for every hogfhead. The Linen*Board
had no Officer to infpeft the feed on its impOrta.
tion, but they had Infpeftors in every Port who
were brought up to the bufinefs; and were tho-
roughly acquainted with it. The immediate cit.-
cumftances which led him to introduce this Bill,
he would date to the Committee. A very fhort
time ago, 2000 hogfheads of Flax Seed had been
imported into Ireland, and, upon examination
there, it was ordered tb be re-expoited, as it was
bad, and unfit for ufe : this Seed was imported
into Ireland, and every hogfhead of it was exa-
mined, and branded as good ; the confequence of
which was extremely injurious to the Linen Ma.
nufaaure, and it became neceffary for the. Linen
Board to do fomething upon the bufinefs, and they
fent their Infpeaor into different parts of the
Country, but all their efforts were unauvailatsand
the greateft complaints were made by in
the -Linen Trade, of the injury they f ed by
the ufe of bad Seed. He did not niaan to throw
any imputation on the charaaer of the colleaon,
becaufe he believed they aced without any bad in.
tendon, but the faa was, they did not underßand
the bufinefs, and they were obliged to employ in.
terefted perfons, who certainly branded the hog.
(heads without fufficient examination. He did not

think it right by this to take away the money from
the Colledors, becaufe they had not been guilty
of any intentional mifcondua. The only object
was to proted the Linen Manufacture from the
injurious confequeoceswhich refulted from import.
in had Seed.
-The Cuamcattoa of the Meat swim thought
the Houfe fhould have tome information of the
grounds upon which this arrangement was thought
neceffary, before they proceeded further in this Bill.
Sir GEORGE HILL obferved that the Colledors
were not bound to examine, but only to Ammon
a Jury, who were (worn to examine.
Mr. Forrta laid, it was not the practice to fwear
the perfons who were fummoned to examine. He
thought it neceffary to date, in judification of him-
felt, after what had been Paid, that he held in his
hand a Refolution of the Linen Board of Ireland,
founded upon the report of their Infpeaorrreneral,
Rating that a great quantity of bad Flar.feed had
been introduced into the country, which had been
branded as , which Refolution exprefsly dated
that a Bill ffloilid be offered to Parliament to re•
mcdy the evil. Upon this Refolution the Bill was
founded, and he had no objeCtion to the Gentlemen
on the Treafury Bench moulding it as they *alas
fo as the Bill was fuffered to pats.
The CHANCELLOR of the Excnropsa faid, there
was no neceffity for the Right Hon. Gentleman to
fay any thing in judificauon of his own conduit,
the Right Hon. Gentleman was polfeffed of infor
mation, which to him was a folid ground of pro-
ceeding. The Houle, however, was not in poffeP
fion of that information, and be thought the better
way would be to inftitute a previous inquiry, in
order that they might be poffeffed of all the infor•
mation which could be obtained upon the fulled.
Perhaps the document from the Linen Board might
be all that would be neceffary, but it was need-
fary that the Houk fliould be in poffeffion of it, as
it might be on an early day. for be was defirous
that the Bill fhould pals. With refpelt to the Col-
Mors, he thought, that by taking away a part of
their Duty in the way which was propofed by this
Bill, a legiflative imputation of negled was thrown
upon them.
Mr. Fos:ta obferved, that the document alluded
to might be immediately laid before the Houfe.
The COUNCILLOR of the Excnsoyse laid, that
was not the regular way to lay papers before the
Houfe; there mutt be an older made for the pup
pole, and he thought it would be better for the
Committee to report progrefs, and afk leave to St
again.
Mr. Baaastoao faids he admitted that much

bad flax reed had found its way Into the country,
but the badnefsof it might arife from various caufes
after it had been branded. The Refolution of the
Linen Board alluded to by the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman (Mr. Fofter) had bczn adopted immediately
upon the Report of the Infpeetor General without
inquiry ; he =fled, however, that the Houfe
would not follow the example of the Linen Board,
but allow fuflicient time for inquiry. The Collec-
tors he knew were highly honourable men.
Mr. Coster (aid, he did not charge any Collec-
tor with mikonduel, but he contended that the bill
itf:lf, by depriving them of their duty, was a cen-
lure upon them.
Sir GEORGE HILL fail, he underftood the Right
Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Cony) to have paired a re-
vere cenfure upon the Collectors.
Mr. BERESFORD Paid, he thought there was no
o:cation for hurrying forward the prefent bill, as
all the flax feed, wanted for the prefent year, had
been already imported, and the (owing of flax feed
was finithed forthe prefent feafon,he thought there-
fore the bill might be poftponed till next year
without inconvenience.

Mr. FOSTER Paid, that more than half the quan-
tity of flax feed u fed in lowing, could not be fown
till after the tit of May. It was neceffary to pals
the bill now, that it might attach upon flax feed
imported after the tfi of-June. He had not charg-
ed any Collator with neglat of duty, but only
hated generally, that the poor had fuffered by the
introdultion of bad feed.
After a few words from Mr. VANDELEUR,.
The Q2eftion was put, and carried, that the
Chairman Ihould leave the Chair, and the Houle
having refound, the Committee was ordered to fit
again on Monday.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEVER fuggefted
a mode by which the difficulties alluded to by le-
veral Gentlemen might be done away ; and that
was, to move for the appointment of a Committee
to confider of all the Aas which were palled for
the better regulation of the Trill linen or hemp
manufature, as far as they related to the quantity
of flax feed imported into Ireland. This Motion
was put and agreed to, and all the Members fury-
ing for Irelandwere, with feveral others, appoint-
ed to fit on the Committee.—Adjourned;

1.0 NDON.