Star.
London, England, 1815-02-16 00:00:00

BANE RESTRICTION.

Mr. PONSONBY rose to request of a Noble
Friend behind him (Lord A. Hamilton) to defer his
motion for a select committee horn to-morrow to a
future day, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer per-
severed in bringing on his motion for cintinuing the
restriction on that Jay. It was desirable, he thought.
that the provisions of the Right Honourable Gentle-
man's Bill should be before the House previous to
their going into the consideration of the measure
which his Noble Friend had it in contemplation to
propose.
Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON felt no re-
luctance in acquiescing in his Right Hon. Friend's
suggestion ; his only difficulty was as Co the selection
ofd proper day. He was not aware of the degrce
of rapidity with which it might be the intention of
the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer to
press forward his measure ; but provided his motion
might take the precedence of other business, he would
name to-morrow se'nnight for submitting it to the
House.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
having stated that he had uo objection, the motion
was fixed for that day.

EMBASSY TO LISBON.
Mr. WHITBREAD rose to inquire, whether the
Right Hon. Gentleman bad
ascertained
the accuracy,
or otherwise, oldie rumour he (Mr. Whitbread) had
'alluded to on a former day ; and whether there was
any intention of sending out a Secretary of Legation
to Lisbon, as well as a Secretary of Embassy
The CHANCELLOR of use EXCHEQUER
said, that when the Honourable Gentleman firs asked
his questions upon the subject. he thought that he
w
really had discovered some new and unusual on't-
ment that was in agitation. Upon inquiry, however,
he could now state, that nu new appointment was
contemplated. A Secretary of Embassy was attached
to that Embassy, aiwas du; case in alel. othcrs ; it 01e.-
individual who low held i‘..itturned. wlich Pe 4111

not know he had ny
a intention ordoi‘g..l), would'
. ceruinly be replaced by some other.
HUSTON IC /IL SIMON BILL.
IMr. SWANN
moved the second reading of tbi
Helstone Election Bill.
Mr. U. GIDDY said he would not take this mei
of the House on the principle of the Bill, although li
he thought it had much better be dropped ; but if tht
honourable and Learned• Gentleman would not con-
sent to pestponq the further prcceeding.upon it, and
the Bill should reach the Committee, he gave notice,
that he would then propose several alterations—.
among which would be the. omission of the epithet
.6 corrupt, " in the preamble of the Bill, (the itrer•
brity not baiting been intentional,) a ihange in the
clause by which the Corporation were divested of the
right of voting, &c.
Mr. SWANN would not agree to postpone the
ruceeding on the Bill, which had already been am-
-
Ili ccut,ilered, having twice gone through that
Howe, although it had not in either case received the
concurrence of the House of Lords.
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered
to be committed on that .day se'nnight, and to be
printed.

CORN LAWS.

Mr. BARING rose to move for a return of the
price of bread during a certain number of years which
be considered as a necessary document in the inquiry
they were about to institute. He regretted, indeed;
that the inquiry was to be brought on so soon as
Friday. on which day, as he understood, a Right
Hon. Gentleman intended to propose a series of Re-
solutions for the adoption of the Committee, upon s I
subject the most important to the vital interests of
the country. He was certainly of opinion that more
time ought to be allowed for individuals to snake up
their minds. He had heard, indeed, of a tort of Le-
gislative Committee that met at Lord Liverpool's
house, to determine upon the measure that was after-
wards to be proposed. lie did not mean to censure
that meeting, but it seemed to him to be a.very un-
usual proceeding. Upon a question, however, of so
great importance, and with Petitions from every city
and borough in the kingdom respecting it, he cer-
tainly thought that House ought to know what it
was Government intended to propose, (for a mea-
sure of Government he now understood it to be,)
before they were called upon to vote. If it was
merely intended to propose certain Resolutions to
the Committee, and then ask leave to sit again,
he should feel less objection to the measure..
The Right Honourable the Chancellor cf the Ex-
chequer had postponed his motion upon Finance, to
make room fur the Corn Question, because of its.ur,
gency ; but he (Mr. Baring) could not see that
ur-tncy at the present moment, as the ports were al-
ready volt against further importation till the month
of May, by ttie operation of the Act now in force....
OA the other band, the Finance measure: of the Right
Honourable Gentleman, which bad been postponed,
were of real urgency, because vague declarations upots
the subject had been scattered among the people, and
were producing the most injurious effects. It was
not known whether it was intended to .touch the
Siiking Fund, to triple the Assessed Taxes, cr by
what other means to meet the difficulties of the coun-
try. That hate of doubt and uncertainty was most
prejudicial to the public credit, and to money trans-
actions throughout the kingdom. The Funds bad
been depreciated ever since the intimation given by
the Right Honourable _Gent:man, and specs/a-
ro:4 in them had been carried on to a great extent.
lie did not mean to say that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer had made any improper discl-sures of his
inr,:ntled plan; but those employed under him might,
perhaps, notwithstanding all his caution, obtain some
knowledge of it. He regretted, therefore, that any
delay had taken place, on account of the influence
which had been produced upon the public mind ;
.2nd as he was tar from considering the corn question
:is one of such urgency as had been represented, he
should oppose it in every stage, at least until he
knew what were the measures intended to be brought
forward. The Honourable Member concluded by
moving fora return of the price of the quartern loaf
of wheaten bread, as regulated by the assize of the
.City of London, and stating the average clench year,
front 1697 to 1814.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
had no objection to the production of the account,
ant he bupposed the city officer could produce it.—
He could not agree with the Honourable Gentlensint,
that the delay in bringing forward his propositions oil
the finauce of the country was at all unreasonable ;
and had the time, indeed, been shorter, he appre-
hended some complaint might have been made on a
dilteat ground. He conceived, that the anxiety
prevalng in the country on the subject of the Corn
Trade did call for the earliest attention of Parliament,
and was of a more urgent description than any new
measure which WAS to be proposed. in substitution for
the Property Tax. As to the previous meetings held
at the house of Ills Noble Friend, the Honourable
Gentleman could not be so unacquainted with the
practice of Late years, as not to know that it was ex-
tremely usual before submitting any measure to Par-
liament of great and general importance, to collect
the opioions of sL:i,n tut Members more immediately
intcreuedo as to the best form deo subnsitting it P.!.
and ;hat it was a practice which had been found ex-
trenkly convenient to Parliament and the Public.--
The subject of the Corn Bill bad been discussed at..
Lord Liverpool's in a numerous meeting.. comP44l4'
cf indiviihials of opposite connection% • and different
political sentiments. With tespeet to the alit'Vd
.ptenlations in the money mar kiit,. these he consider-
ed ii navnidable, and as naturally attendant on every
nr,tice in P.:lliamont of a similar nature. The Hun.
iientleman had elute hint the justice to say, • that Sta
!•o;noprt disclosure had proceeded from him. , He
iead.einy to add, that there was no intelatioll of 1111-
1
l tci;:a.arsly huming forward the Corn Bill, although
he roast observe that the subject bad already tinder-
g":.:e nn ample and laborious investiAation.
fit- TIERNEY &aid, what h
es.,:nd had i * Honourable.
complsined of was, that there being two
!gross questions before the Hbuse, the Rightlion.
whiche 1 nel
Tin should
is that for the collie:a day to
postponement was immaterial- Nol,ody
C 41 ,
. hi reasonably expect from him a full discloAes:
ithe
___
... chit plan ;
q his tinan .
Public
0. Pichluced bythe
but it would certainly relive
anxiety, to know whether the 1+ millions
property tax were to be its part or
;Ttirell mind by a new system of taxation ? it not,
.t: Mc
. t On the money aukrket must Wpm 141)10 as

great AS if the atom were tend by lean. Safi''
from thinking the mating at Lt;rs! Liverpool's no-
thing more than meal, he deemed it extremely un•
usual, and thought it highly objectionable in a ml.
nister to send for a certain number of leading per
sons in both Houses, and ask them whether, if such
s measure were framed in inch a manner, he Might
rely on their support ? To him this appeared to be
rather an unconstitutional kind of rehearsal. if the
object in naming so early a day was to strike while
the iron was hot, and to take the country gentlemen
at their word, he could understand the policy of this
precipitation; but he could not see how it accorded
with the acknowledged importance of the subject,
and the deliberation due to it. He had by rumour
been given to understand, from • what passed in
another place, that the report of the Lords' Com-
mittee• was represented to contain a very complete
and satisfactory body of evidence. He bad been a
little surprised at this, as he recollected, that last
year, when the report was produced, the Lords Te-
-1 fused to take any steps upon such defective informa.
don. He was desirous at present chiefly, however,
to know whether it was the Right Hon. Gentleman's
intention to propose new taxes, or to raise the ne-
cessary supply by other means?
• Mr. SWANN said he should move an adjournment,
if the present irregular and premature discussion of
the subject was proceeded in.
Mr. HOItNER was anxious that the present con-
versation; which was strictly regular, and arose out
of the motion of his Honourable Friend, should not,
through the-tactics of the Honourable Member, be
terminated without some reply (torn the Chancellor
of the Exchequer to the question last addressed to
him. He wished also to know, whether it was in-
tended to take the sense of die House at once upon
resolutions which had perhaps been fully discussed,
and unanimously carried at Lord Liverpool's, but of
the grounds of which, or the justiie.s of the reason-
ings urged in their support, Parliament could have uo
knowledge.

Mr. SWANN rose to order, but the Speaker con-
sidered there was no irregularity.
Mr. HORNER had al way considered the practice
to be, to print resolutions on an important question,
previous to their discussion in Parliament. This, how-
ever, he did not ask ; he asked only for reasonable
time, and for full consideration. He was also of
opinion that the deliberations of that House must be
fettered, if public measures were to be subjected to
the inspection of certain Lords of the articles sitting in
Whitehall, previous to the production in Parliament.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that where a string of complicated Resolutions
was about to be submitted, it was usual to have them
printed previously ; but where a measure was so
short and simple as immediately to meet the appro-
bation of every Member, he did not see the same
grounds for such a proceeding. When the Resolu-
tions were before the Committee, they would be able
to judge whether any further delay was necessary.
Mr LOCKHART contended, that the present
state of the agricultural interest in the country, de-
manded the immediate attention of the Legislature.
Mt. BARING thought it extremely indecent to.
wards the Legislature, that a proposition was to be
made to them, on which they were to be called to
pronounce without hesitation, which same proposition
had required great discussion, and hint occasioned
repeated divisions in a body previously assembled out
of doors to deliberate on the subj.:et. In his opinions
this was a fit occasion for Parli.tm.•ntary jealuasy.
motion was then agreed to.
111SCILLANIE.,.

Lord A. IiAMII.TOI,I preseutud a Petition from the County
of Renfrew against the Property Tait.
Sir SAMUEL ROMII.I.Y presented a Pedtion flout the Ma-
gistrates and Freeholders of th.• County of Ayr, p: :tying to have '1
the benefit of Trial by Jury extended to them.
A Petition front Berwick•apon-'l'wced watt presented against.
the Property Tea.
The Bleaching Powder Bill was read a second time, after a
few remarks from Mr. Brown, Mr. Mats Gid.!y, Mr. Psni,oliby.
Mr. W. Smith, and Mr. Finlay.—Ordered to be co tttttttttttt to-
morrow.—Adjourned. • •

THE EVENING STAR.

LON DON.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16. 1815.
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT TWELVE O'CLOCK
84111-4 per Ct. SI I-5 per Ct. Navy 933
totersiiiiii—fur account, 644—Oomium 3f
Sank Long Anna. 16 5-16tha--Bou4a l le. 12.. pre.
}'..tr.liequrr Bill. Si. to se. prem.

We return again to the Corn question, for we know
nothing of so much importance to be well understood
at the present moment. Some of our law-making
Landholders seem determined to precipitate the ques-
tion, and have determined on Ws. a quarter as the
prohibition price, below which corn shall nut be im-
ported into this country—a price which cannot fail to
prove ruinous to the manufactures of the Empire.,•.
There is something very disingenuous in the_olit
in which some men argue on this vital question.—`
They keep constantly declainsiag agitrtsc the impolicy
and iujustieeof withholding' Oreseation from the Corn
grower. They lever their arguments, with all the
face of iihich. they are capable, against those who'
ore for leaving the trade entirely open ; and from the
any in which they reason, would lead the inatyptive
hearer to conclude, that there is no medium between
an often trade and a protecting duty of 8U shillings.
—We are not of the number of those who, in the pre-
sent citoumatances of the country, would be for no
restraints whatever on the importation of corn. We
confess that we think this ought to be the ultimate
aim of the Legislature, if they are desirous that the
capital of the community should be employed to the
utmost possible benefit ; but the late war has thrown
us so much out of our naturaVate, that. we should
not attempt to return to it all et once. The attempt
would be dangerous, by causing a sudden derange-
ment of some importint movements in the political
machine. We are therefore persuaded that the far.
met., for a time at kale, should enjoy an artificial prok
section but the landholders have no right to argue
the question merely is theabstract, and•then to.jeaer

.o their conclusion that 80s. illoald be the protecting
nice.
Again we sa

wli