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

but in many cases there was no rent left at all for the landlord; the
Committee on the Poor Laws was only confined to one body, but the
inquiry sought for by the noble and learned lord would be productive of
the greatest possible good. lie was satisfied with the truth of the re.
marks made by that noble lord on the paper currency, the introduction
C 1 which had added to the distress of the country; at the same time he
did not hesitate to say, a papa currency introduced now, with proper
security, would be of the greatest benefit. He should give the motion
of the noble and learned lord his warm support.

Earl STANHOPE contended that the Motion of the Noble and
Lti.rned Lord wits not liable to the objections which had been umed
against it ; it would in his (Earl Stanhope's) opinion eminently tend to
promote those measures, which must ultimately be adopted if it were
meant to secure happiness and prosperity to the country. The Noble
Earl then at some length eulogised the present Ministers for their pm.
fusions of rettenchment and refotm. With respect to the Corn Laws,
lie should vote for their entire abolition, provided home corn was put in
a situation to compete with foreign ; he was also in favour of an aboli.
tton of the Malt Duty, the Hop Duty, and the Duty on British Spirits;
at present, however, he should give the Noble and Learned Lord's
',lotion his support.
Earl ROSEBERRY and Lord ELDON explained.
hold RADNOR said lie should vote against the motion of the no.
We Lord, from the multifarious subjects it embraced. With respect
to parliamentary reform, he had sat the greater part of his life in the
lower house of parliament, and had uniformly voted for it; and he
did not hesitate to say that those Ministers of a former period, by whose
operations the country had been lift in its present state, ought in some
sense to be impeached.

Lord TEYNIIA M rose to order.
Earl STANHOPE then read the standing orders of the house,which
enjoined that no sharp and personal attacks be made.
Lord RADNOR resumed. He ought to have said that former Mi.
❑litters were responsible for having plunged the country into its present
state.

The Duke of WELLINGTON said, not having voted for a bill of
inquiry last Parliament, it was not his intention to do so on the present
occasion. He resisted inquiry last session, because he deemed it pre-
judicial to the interests of the country, and he was of the same opinion
still ; the noble and learned lord in his speech had touched upon the
question of finance, then the coinage of the country, its commerce, and
manufactures, and even the use and abuse of machinery ; upon all these
subjects it was impossible to have inquiry without involving the country
ten times more than it was, and raising hopes which could not be gra-
tified ; the committee aittingabove stairs could gointo every point noticed
in the noble lord's speech as effectually as any motion of his on the sub-
ject could effect. It was not his wish to extenuate aught of the
dangers or distresses of the country. He must say, however, that they
did not originate in the administration of drain by the last government.
He had heard it whispered that his Majesty's late ministers were not
sufficiently attentive to the disturbances which existed in some parts of
the country. He should take that opportunity of stating, that from the
tint period of their breaking out the greatest attention had been paid ;
after the unfortunate occurrences abroad, in July and August, the people
of this country, without understanding the facts of the case, thought of
nothing but following the bad example, without being aware of the con.
sequences. Notwithstanding the charges against the late Ministers tax-
ation by them bad been reduced 3,900,0001. trade had been improved,
and the country was happy, with the exception of the few disturbed
districts.

jAfter a few,words across the table from Lord ELDON,
Earl GREY observed, that what he had to say should be confined in
a very narrow compass; he confesred he was not aware that discussion
would have taken such a course ; he therefore did not think himself
bound to go into every topic of the noble and learned lord's speech, em.,
bracing, as it did, the currency, the corn laws, machinery, and the en.
lightened policy that labour requires the same protection as other de.
scriptions of property, which meant that he wished a tax to be laid upon
machinery, thereby enhancing prices still more. Into these, he (Earl
Grey) did not at present mean to go. He certainly had said that he
should not oppose any inquiry likely to lead to useful purposes ; to a
committee on the poor laws with this view he had given his consent. He
doubted the practicability of the noble and learned lord's motion—he
regretted that be could sec no way through the maze of subjects with
which he had charged his speech; many of these subjects, as all their
Lordship's knew, were beyond the power of the Legislature. IVith re-
spect to the currency and the small notes, he thought the present was
not the most judicious lime for agitating these questions ; so, also,
with respect to the Corn Laws. He did not pretend to be free from
weakness and faults, but if he knew any thing of himself, and he
had considered the question of the Corn Laws he thought some protec-
tion ought to be afforded. He was rot one of those courageous persons
that would throw open at once the trade in corn ; that was his opinion, and
he was not ashamed to state it, although it might occasion unpopularity;
continued changing. did no good,i but hum ;he did not mean to say,how.
ever, if circumstances permitted it, that he should never consider
the question of the corn laws de novo, at present he was not inclined to
entertain that subject. The noble and learned lord seems to think that
the capital of the country is all locked up for no other purposes than
that of the golden guineas being looked at. The noble lord opposite
(King) had so well answered:the learned:lord on that subject, that It was
unnecessary for him (Earl Grey) to say more on that point further than
that capital was employed in loans and in every possible way. In op.
posing the enquiry he had no factious opposition to offer, and he trusted
that no such feeling would be attributed to him by the noble and learned
lord ;* he did not like to look back, he would rather :look forward in
the hOpe of good for the country ; and all the indulgence he looked for,
was to be allowed to prosecute those plans of reform and retrenchment
which would be submitted to Parliament, without being interrupted.—
Ile was necessitated to vote against the motion of the noble and learned
lord.

Lord TETENAM and the Duke of NEWCASTLE opposed the motion.
The Earl of FIFE said it was wrong to adopt any step that might
hold out fallacious hopes to the country ; had the present motion been
brought forward at the beginning of the Session he should have sup-
ported it.
The Duke of RICHMOND was of opinion, that the Committee on
the Poor Laws, sitting up stairs, would arrive at all the information
required by the Ncble and Learned Lord.

The Earl of CARNARVON opposed the motion, and said a few
words in support of the chartered Banks of Scotland, observing, that
a great boon would be conferred on England, if the banking were assi.
inflated with that of Scotland.

Earl DARNLEY and Lord CLIFFORD were opposed to the
measure.

After a few words from Earl Gaza', Lord ROSSLYN, and the Duke
of RICHMOND, in explanation,
Lord WYNFORD made a few remarks, and signified his intention
of withdrawing the motion.
It was, however, put from the woolsack. and negatived without a di•
vision.—Adjoutoed at half-past eleven o'clock.