Star.
London, England, 1825-04-26 00:00:00

in the otberkinasmuch as he thouight Gower.,Sent could
not take too early an opportuanitrof setting this impor-
tant question at rest. • .
Mr. Alderman WOOD concurred-in everything
which had fallen from the two last speakers.' Sure he
was, that if they removed restrictions on the impel Ca-
tion of foreign manufactures, they-were bound, in justice,
to revise the Corn Laws at the same tune.
arer
INATCHBULL regretted that the Hon. Member for
Is bad not agreed to defer his motion.
Lord MILTON would give no opinion on the sub-
ject now, but he must agree With the Honourable Mem-
ber for Taunton, that it was the bounden duty of Go-
vernment to bring the subject forward now, rather that'll
let it go to the next Session of Parliament, when it
would probably be left unfinished at the time of a Ge-.
anal Election. He thought the best time for the dis-
cussion was the present, when there was neither a cry
for farther protection on the one hand nor for cheap bread on
the other.
Mr. WODEHOUSE agreed very mach with the sentiments of
the Noble Lord, (Milton) but he deprecated repeated discussions
on the subject.
• Mr. F. LEWIS said, the subject was of too great im-
portance to expect it not to be discussed and petitioned
against. The law he thought bad at present, and he
regretted the support he had given to a lay.-which al-
ternately encouraged free trade and total prohibition.—
He thought, as it was impossible this question could be
dealt with in that cautious manner which its importance
required this Session, it was best that it should stand over till the
beginning of the nos Session.
Mr. CALCItAFT complained that Government had
not apprised the House and the•country of its intention
not to make any alterations, six weeks ago, when the
subject was first mentioned. Frauds had been detected
in the averages, and yet the Right Hon. Gentleman
was not disposed even to go into that part of the tries-
,tion this Session. The notice of the Right Hon. Gsn-
t.eman would have the effect of unsettling all contracts
'at present existing, and preventing all others being
entered into.
Sir T. LETHBRIDGE wished the Government
would dispose 'of the question at once. He was ex-
tamely glad to find that a scale of fixed duties was at
I.tat likely to be adopted. In 1822, he (Sir T. Leth-
bridge) had proposed such a scale, and he by no means
desired that prices should be higher than they had been.
It would have been better if the Right Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. Huskisson) had stated the course intended to be
pursued by Ministers the last time this question was
before the House; in answer to the query which, he (Sir
T. Lethbrdge) then put to the Right Hon. Gentleman.
Mr. HUSKISSON appealed to the experience of
any Member in this House, whether it was the prac-
tice of Ministers to give notice of what they did not
intend to do? He had told all such Members as
thought fit to ask him, that he had no intention of
proposing any alteration in the existing laws with re-
spect to corn. He would, however, take this oppor-
tunity of observing, that so far from the present laws
being permanent, it was expressly stated in the Report
of the Committee in 1821 and 1822, to be only a tem-
porary arrangement. He had entered the House at the
close of the speech of the Honourable Member for the
City (Mr. Wilson), and had scarcely heard one' word
of it, when the question had been put to him, out of
which this discussion had arisen. He had replied—
and it was the only reply he could make under such
circumstances—that when the time for debating the
subject should arrive, he would be ready'to enter into
it. At the same time he did not hesitate to say, that
he thought it would be impossible to come to any con-
clusion in the present Session. The Honourable Mem-
ber for Kent had said that he wished no alteration to
be made until some actual inconvenience had been
felt. This was begging the whole of the question, be-
cause the very reason put forward by those who advo-
cated an alteration in the law was the general incon-
venience which had been experienced. He appealed
to the House, to give him credit for having weig,hed
well the reasons which had induced him to withhold
any -proposal en the subject, and. to • wait until the
motion of the Honourable Member for Bridgenorth,
should be before the House, when he intended to ex-
plain the operation of the change in the system of
duties on the manufacturing interests, and the conse-
quent effect which must be wrought in the Corn Laws.
He should also be then prepared to state what it would
be more easy to accomplish in the next Session, with
respect to those laws, and to shew the expediency of
adopting some protection by means of duties, instead
of the present objectionable alternation between a free
trade in and the entire exclusion of. Corti.
Tte,Petitiegisese then brought up and read, and ordered 's, In
on the table and to be printed.
Mr. T. WILSON expressed his satisfaction at the 'last part of
'the Rfght Hon. Gentleman's speech, though he thoughtise had beep.
guilty of some little inconsistency with respect to the Corn Laws,
as tympani! with his other commercial regulations.
Mr. S. WORTLEY presented a Petition from the Linen Ma-
nufacturers of Yorkshire, respecting the late alteration in the duties
on linen.
The Hon. Member also presented two Petitions from certain
millers and corn-growers of the same 'county, against any alteration
in the Corn Laws ; and one from Halifax inlavour clinch alteration.
On the motion of Mr. S. Woanity, the third reading of the
Game Laws' Alteration Bill was postponed until Friday next.
Mr. CUR WEN presented a Petition from Workington, praying
for a revision of the Corn Laws.
Nk. ROBRRT GOURLAY.

Mr. HUME presented a Petition from a parish in Fifeshire,
praying that a Consatission.Might be appointed to inquire into the
Asse of Mr. Robert °outlay.

Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that Mr. Gourley was not now am-
assed by Government, but merely because be was unable to give the
'vaulty required. •
Mr. BROUGHAM submitted that the petitionen were under
some misapprehension on the subject. It was most absurd to sup.
pose that he (Mr. Brougham) bad anything to do with Mr.
Gourlay's present confinement: The assault upon him was com-
mitted merely because, on presenting a Petition from Mr. Gourley,
regarding the Education of the Poor, he (Mr. Brougham) had not
sufficiently entered into his case.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that the course pursued towards Mr.
Gourley was only that of every ordinary case. In reference to the
outrage in the lubbl, Mr. Gourley had excused himself afterwards,
by saying that he. had only followed high example by scourging
sinners in the Temple—(A laugh).
Mr. .1. WILLIAMS said, 446 had been entrusted by Mr.
Gourley with a Petition, complaining of the decay of his health
from co:dimmest, but speaking in high terms of the conduct of the
Governor of I•House of Correction.

•
tltp --
Mt. Secrets .PRE.L said that he bad given directions that every
indulgence be sheep to Mr. Gourley—The Petition was
then brought *weed, and laid on the table.
Petitions werelossented from Naas, In-favour of the Catholic
Claims, by Mr. Hums ; from Leeds, and the White and Coloured
Cloth Hill of Leeds and Wakefield, by Lord MILTON, fur a revi-
sion of the Corn Laws; Petitions, soy alteration in the Corn
Laws, were presented fromCotwold, and Selby, by
Lord Mwrou ; from Holdeeness, and-the Occupiers of Lead in
the County of Edinburgh. by Colonel Bawer; from South Green.
hoe and the Hundred of Vreshold, by Colonel Wominousa ; and a
Petition from the Inhabitants of the County of Kent, the City of
Rochester, and divers Parishes in the same County, by Sir E.

Knaseimexh•
Lord. MILO it AV B, in presenting a Petition from the City of
Chester spinet the Catholic Claims, begged to say, that he dieffered
ie regiment from the qpinion of the Petitieaers.—Ordered to be
laid on Ma table, and printed.

N