Star.
London, England, 1830-03-30 00:00:00

NUNNI.i COMPANIES.

On the motion of the Earl of ROSSLYN the standing order No.
110 was amended.

[This order was introduced by the F:arl of Lauderdale to cheek
the introduction of bills for making joint-stock companies, fur pur-
poses of idle speculation. Works of public improvement were cx.
cepted out of the operation of the order. To these exceptions
some further exceptions were moved by the noble earl (the Earl
of Rosalyn,) " markets, quays, wharfs, and landing-places,"
are the exceptions to the order, which had been inadvertently
omitted, when it was proposed, and received the sanction of the
House.]
The Earl of CARNARI'ON presented a petition signed by
a number of freeholders and tanners of Wilts, complaining
of the influx of Irish labourers, and the importation of the
produce of that country. The petitioners suggested that both
countries should be put on the same footing with respect to
taxation.

The private bills on the table were advanced one stage.
The Duke of WELLINGTON moved for various returns res-
pecting silk and silk goods.—Ordered.
The Marquis of SALISBURY moved that certain witnesses on
the East Retford disfranchisement bill be ordered to attend, with a

view to their exan tination at the bar of the house on the4lllll of'
Aprll.--Agreed to.
The Duke of NORFOLK presented a petition from the cutlers
of Sheffield, praying that the trade to India and China might be'
thrown open.—The titian was read at length.
The Duke of GLOUCESTER presented a similar petition friss
the mayor and corporation of the city of Gloucester, which was like-
wise read at length.
Viscount GRANVILLE presented several petitions from Mel.
lington, Newport, Colebrook Dale, and the miners of the mining
district in Shropshire, against paying the labourers in goods instead
of money.
Lord SUFFIELD, when presenting a petition from a hundred in
Norfolk, praying the repeal of the malt tax, said it was not his in.
tention to trouble the house with a repetition of the statement which
he had made on a preceding evening, as far as his own opinions ware
concerned ; but when he spoke of the feelings of others, he felt a
little anxiety about his being properly understood and represented.—
The petitioners, as he had said on Thursday, when presenting
similar petitions, complained of agricultural distress ; but, above
all, they wished to see the tax upon malt abolished. He thought
it worthy remark, and creditable to their feelings, that
their own distress they felt for the sufferings of others, and suggests'
the repeal of the malt duties, as likely to benefit the labou pew
den of the community. Ile had also, on that occasion, d
the poor-rates, and of the mode of relief which might be I
' a better administration of the poor laws. He said, and be ...
repeat what belied stated, that it was the gentlemen and seeigistratee,
and not the farmers, who had the administration of the poor laws.—
It would be in the recollection of their lordships and of the Deli
duke opposite, if such were not the sentiments that he (Lord SWIM)
bad stated. He had only one thing more to add, and that boil le.
terrace to a meeting which was convened by the High tiberilfof the
cots of Norfolk, on the 16th of January last, when a petition wee
agreed
to for a repeal of the malt tax. It was one of the mist as.
spectable meetings of the county which he had ever whncsssd. The
only difference of opinion was, as to the tax from which they sbotai
pray to be relieved. A very large majority of the meeting wee
anxious for the repeal of the malt tax, as one the most likely to
afford benefit to the lower classes. He was not aware to what noble
lord that petition was intrusted for presentation, otherwise he shadd
have requested to know when it would be convenient to present it to
their lordship., being anxious to give it his support. Business would
shortly call him out of town, and he was the more desirous of ex.
pressing his sentiments on this head, lest lie might be absent when
that petition was presented.
The Duke of WELLINGTON bore his testimony to the Alma.
rations made by the noble lord on the evening to which he had al.
luded, as being perfectly similar in substance to what their lordships
had just heard.
The petition, as well as two others from hundreds in the county of
Norfolk, likewise presented by Lord SVIPTIELD, was then laid on
the table.

The Earl of CARLISLE presented a petition from certain inba.
bitants of Calcutta, the offspring (as was understood) of Europeans
with natives of India, complaining of various hardships to 'wlsich
they were subjected, and praying relief.
Lord ELLENBOROUUII said, in answer to some observations
by the noble earl, which were very indistinctly heard below the bar,
that the present was not a favourable opportunity for entering into a
discussion upon the subjects contained in the petition which had
been just presented to the house. He assured the noble earl that be
felt the utmost vontnisseration for the situation of the petitioners,
and, if it were passible, in any way to afford diem relief; consistently
with the conservation of the empire, and the wellbeing of the body
of the reople of India. :fnme portions of the complaints urged
might probably be remedied, respecting marriages, wills, and sue.
cession. Ile begged to assure the noble earl, since the petition had
been in this country. it lu.d received great consideration from the
Board of Control, ar.tl also from the East hall.' Directors; and, as
far as the prayer could be complied with, it showed i's respect to
those two great objects to which lie had already alluded— viz the
conservation of our empire, and the well.beiog of the body of the
people of India.
After a few further observations from the. Earl of VAR List.r and
Lord ELLEntionouou, the petition was read and laid on the table.
Fad DUDLEY presented a petition from a place in Statliatishire
against the truck system.
On the motion of Earl RAT ualIT certain papers 'elating to East
India *Rhin were ordered.

Lord HOLLAND presented a petition from two individuals of
the Presbyterian persuas,on in the North of Ireland, praying the in.
treduction of some compulsory clause relating to marriages night
be iturodoced into the Synod ..f Ulster.
The Marquis of LANHJOIV NE presented petitions from the
Chamber of Commerce, Dublin, a parish in Lancashire, a corporate
body in Perth, and another place m tvotland, in favour of throwing
open the trade to Irdia and China. The noble marquis also pee.
rented a petition from lisudingtitn, Lancashire, against the burning
of widows in India. The noble moguls also presented a petition
front an individual, stating that he coon suggest a mode of relies.
ing the country from the diSculties under which it labouted ; that
he only required a sixpence in the pound remuneration— (a laugh;)
And prayed to be exAmirtd before a committee of the house.
Lard WHARNCLIFFR presented a petition from the Oshtemo&
of Robin Hood's Bay, and other places on the Yorkshire coast, in
the vicinity of Whitby,praying the restoration of the fishing bounties.

!IMMINGHAM TETITIOX.
The Karl of RADNOR said, he had a petition to present to
the home from Birmingham, signed by upwasth of 23,000 inha-
bitants. The petition embiact.d a variety of topics. Use related
to a reform in parliament, another topic prayed to be relieved front
taxation ; and another suggested the removal of the malt tax. These
subjects were all nailed in the petition, which was most respectably
aigned, and by the number of individuals he had already stated.
The petition complained of the distress under which the inhabitants
of the town of Birmingham were now labouring—(llra, hear.) It
had been asserted that the distress which prevailed in the awn►ry
was diminishing ; and, if he were not mistaken, Birmingham was
selected an one of the paces where ►uch a state et thing. was said
to exist. The petition having tome into his hands a few days ago,
he thought It his duty to make some inquiries respecting the fact
as to the improvement which had been supposed to have taken place
at Bitminglians, flirty he was to say that the mak of these ia.
quirks did not sewed with the triumphant amertien recently made
in another place. The noble ea►l, after alloiliag to the subject of
the currency, and that act which pooled 181811, as well ae the act,
of 1822, the latter of w►ich he said had take► out of operation the
forma act, and thee produced high prime, he proceeded to statel
that the.main point to whkb he wished so draw the Manion of the

• euse ism ... to the question of distreee. It had been .aid that the
:cress was dinainithing. If that were the ease nobody would rc-
e•ice enure than he. He believed that it was diminishing in some
vans of the country, but if that diuthimion proceeded from an issue
•,t paper. a kids had been asserted, and not been a revival of trade
std commerce, it was rather a subject of regret than of exultation.
He would now call the attention of the house to some facts which
he had collected relative to the state and condition of Birmingham.
By authentic information from manufacturers at Binningham he
had learned that articles in brass which used to be manufactured at
46. Gd. and lis. were now selling wholesale in town at 2s. Id. Other
articles had fell full 50 per cent. on the manufacturing prier. As
to the state of the town of Birmingham generally, it was clearly
shown, by the returns be had seen, that considerable distress was
felt there; and would be much more oppressive but for the kind.
ness and liberality of the manufacturers, who employed at a
loss to themselves their workmen for three or tour days in each
week, so as to keep body and soul together. Nor Were three
poor people dissatisfied, but, as the contrary, were grateful to their
humane employers. The out-poor list presented an alarming in.
crease since the year 1819. The corn was then 17s. abushel, and
now it was 7s. bd. On the whole, the poor rates did not amount
to above three per cent. more in 1818 than they did now. The
corn was then 80 per cent. dearer than at present. A practice pre.
railed in Binuiegliant of turning the able pour out to wheel a bar-
row of. wind, wilitng about 205 cwt. up a hill for three quarters
of a mile, for. the poor man received a penny, which mode
of labour would produce him at most, 14d. per day, after carrying
the 200 cwt. ten miles and a half per day up hill, and returning as
much more. Yet, severe as the labour imposed was, there were
double the number of candidates for this hard-earned bread this last
winter to that of any preceding winter. The petition complained
of the poor laws, and also of the free-trade laws ; but in the !moor
part of their prayer be mold not sympathise, because. in his opi-
nion, the wider the doors of commerce were thrown open, the better
it must be for our manufacturing daises.
The Doke of WHLLINGTON thought It rather unfortunate
their laldeltips shoidd allow thane:dm to deviate hem the orders
of the house, which bad ken framed expressly to prevent allusions
being made to debates of former nights, and to the sentiments of
individuals in the other house of parliament. If the Noble viscount
had observed that particular order he would not only have avoided
thehirregularity of alluding to that which had been spoken on a
former night, or in the other house of parliament, but he would
:tot have fallen into the error of quoting incorrectly that which
he attributed to others. He thought be had misrepresenud
miters, and certainly he had misquoted the sentiments which
Ile (the Duke of Wellington) had uttered in his place on the occ.s.
sion of the debate alluded to. What his right hon. friend in the
other house had stated was, that government, in making an estiniat.•
uu the subject of distress, or other complaint or object presented .1
its notice as regarded the population, was obliged to go by the r .
turns furnished then:, and form their ealculation derma. Tie,
was all his right hon. friend had said, and, he thotti:ht in so sayiet,
lit. had acted wisely and cautiously—(hear). It was sirgular is
hear the noble lord arguing that, whilst. in the year 1817, Atha)
poor were maintained at Birmingham, and in the year 1830 th.ire
was only $,BOO, this inequality of numbers in the latter case, being
under a metallic currency, was a proof of a greater existing Ms.
tress. It was rather too much for noble lords to let two or ihr.e
months go past after a debate had taken place, and then take up a
sentence to argue on it detachedly, as had been dentin this instance.
Lord HOLLAND defended the course pursued by his noble
friend. The strictness of the orders of that house prevented their
taking notice of any expression dropped in a preceding debate, yet
that sort of allusion was, nevertheless, very frequent, more part.
cularly wherever the complaints of the people were addressed to the r
lordships petition.
Lord RAI/NOR explained.
In reply to a question from Earlitr. it RERIIs
The Duke of 11'ELLINU TON said he would furnish hint most
probably by to-morrow with the information he required respect dig
the intention of the Board of Ordnance to recommend the elottinz of
the proof-house for small anna at Birmingham.
Lord LANSDOWNE gave notice of his intention to move on an
early day fora humble address to his majesty, praying that he would
give directions to his Consuls abroad, in ports from whence such
shipments were made, to transmit a statement of the quantity of the
precious metals exported thence.

CORN.
Lord KING stated, it was his intention to submit to their lord.
ships a series of resolutions, relative to the bade in corn, not with.
out some hopes of their adoption by their lordships ; but should he
have the misfortune to be defeated in that object, he should attain
another, which was of no small importance—namely, that he should
put on the journals of that house a record of what were his semi.
menu in the year 1830 on that very important subject of our do.
mestic policy. The time was not far distant when their lordships
would be compelled to make sonic important change in the existing
corn laws Ile himself felt there did exist a reason why the cause
of an occasional pressure in different branches of our industry sax
misunderstood, and he wished to set it right. It had been -aid in
the other house that the cause might be traced principally t« the
fact of there being too great a pressure on the productive industry
of the country. In that opinion he perfectly coincided with the
right honourable gentleman (Mr. Huskisson), but he was Forty to
God that right hon. gentleman had, In the latter part of his argu-
ment, forgotten the position he had taken up. The truth was, bed
it would not, nor should rot, be concealed, that the restrictions on
the supply of food by the present corn laws pressed n.ote on the pro-
ductive industry of the country than almost all the rest of the taxes
which reached this class. The proof of that was so %etitle, that it
might be stated in a very few words. It would be found that during
ten years the price of corn, from being 48s. had ranged at an average
of es. which operated on a supply of about 12 million quavers, as
respected the productive classes, in the end, as a tax amounting
to nine mill' sterling, which was more than the soap and candle
tax, and other taint directly affecting the necessaries of life._
It had been argued very conlidendy that it ought to be the policy of
every nation to provide the grand material of the sustenance of its
people from and out of hs own soil. This he condemned as the
most tame assertion of a principle which would or might go to the
extent of limiting the progress of Mipinventeet in this branch of
our commerce, and confine our supply of corn to nearly its present
amount. It was mere feeble talk and twaddle to assert that we
ought not to depart from the old systtnt of supply for a better.
True policy would rather require that we should continually make
a departure from that which we found on practice was defective, and
did not conduce to the prosperity of the country. As long as there
was good land to bring into cultivation for the supply of corn let it
be tilled, but let not the hnglish husbandman waste his labour on
inferior land. There lay the gruel secret. But it was objected,
foreign guverr.n,ents might, when they found we were totally de-
pendent on then, for a supply, levy a tax on their grain, and thus
occasion the most alarming distress. It might as well he said we
should be silly enough to levy a tax on our productive labour in the
supply of the rest of the world with our manufactures. Did
we do so, or had we done so at any time, or was it likely we
should? Certainly net. Neither would great nwel.grow mg coun-
tries, Amnia. Preeisia or Poland, attempt to levy • tax on rota. The experiment had been tried ; for even with the temptation pre.
seuting itself to the foreigner, of raising a very enormous profit by
such a tax. during periods when our crops were alarmingly dr.
ticient, they never yet, nor any of them had dared to impose such a
tax, plainly for this re.mon—there was too great a etn:p. tition in
the north for supplying this country at all times and seasons,
whether of scarcity or otherwise. If he obtained from the month
of the right honourable gentleman the cause of our ember.
eahsluellt in this respect, he loupe' in the mouth of the noble lord.
the President of the Council, the remedy for i:. That noble lord
had stated that relief could be obtained. and that eft eteally, through
the admission of foreign corn. But then it had been hinted by the
noble duke that the consequences of such an op. ning at the trade in
corn might be dangerous, and so argued the noble President of the
Council ; but he would suppose the case of that noble load sitting
down to a good dinner, stud being told that dinner may refresh you
and make you stronger for a while, but beware of 11:e mat quench.
you may have ain of indigestion. What would be that noble herd's
reply, except indeed be was a subscribt r to the telf.d. nyi. g std.
mance, and a friend to system of restraint as absurd in. that in
CrontwelPs time. Of all the votes he had ever given its his lifetime
in Parliament, he prided himself most on, and received n.orc real vs.
tinfaction from, that which he had given in opposition to the Corn
BiU of 1813—a Dill which he denounced as unjust, monstrous, and
iniquitous--impossible, Irv) the fluctuations and variations of the
prices of corn in the market, and the stratagems repaired for )(ciao, g
up its price, to be ever fairly carried into execution accort:ing to its
interest and spirit. Perhaps it might have been wise, in the diced
which prevailed at that time of the effect of a sudden transition front
war to peace, to have passed a temporary Act fir letting the pr'co
at corn come down by degrees. It might have been desirable
to hare taken a scale of reduction temporarily, but the radical vice
of the system would eontinue as long as that continued—and be
must say that the corn laws, as a general code, depressing and of-
fccting our productive industry. in order to sustain the insert so of
the landed proptietors :sere, was one of the most unnatural aces that
ever was passed in any aft or country. In attemptlog to keep up
the level of price at this bigkrate it was Move the level of other
countries, and the vessels of our coollowree was found in.ap.tble of
floating ups, both levels. The 111111sriurrrP was that our reanunte.
Lures heats* Is a pass *pee szelatied -want the lev,l of the COO.
tinent. The page amen of ego preiet embarraastuen: were the
low state emits stn capital and the inadequate seturn
for labour. Thiel operetta to beep dawn the wave of labour. In
the wateinest er the hawed mega e et dig conntry, the increased
tonnages, real ingspeeted by meg had been isolated on strongly ;
but the noW gabs lied helps ant alOt the question as to the net
mats. bled benheene Neighsh be gene, employing enstas ma.
tow beta the ege went es agereopegglagly, there
wgithl be 11the Ightement fie eon*, Went. Ts imam los eat.
tea smitalegiese t aline whlegeold et Mg. .1, ping fengerly test