Star.
London, England, 1831-03-12 00:00:00

PtTITIONS.

Lord DACRE presented petitions from Bread-street Ward, in the
city of London and two other places, In favour of Reform.
Lord KING presented petitions from various parishes in London,
Lincoln, Gloucester, and Renfrew in Scotland, in support of the pro-
posed plan of Reform.
Lord BELHAVEN presented a petition from the postmasters of
I)umfries, against the post•horsc duty.
Tho Earl of ROSEBERRY presented a petition from persons in
Edinburgh who had the exclusive privilege of electing members of
Parliament. The petitioners, notwithstanding that right, expressed
their approbation of the plan of Reform proposed by his Majesty's
Ministers.

The Noble Earl presented a petition to the same tffeet, from Lin•
lithgow.
I'he Marine Mutiny Bill was read a third time.
The Military Mutiny Bill went through a committee.

GAMS I.AWI.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE said he bad a petition to present on ilia
snbject of the Game Laws, complaining of gross oppression, and pray.
lag their lordships to alter the pernicious effects of these laws. The
petitioner, a gentleman named Goulding, residing near Sittingbourne,
Kest, was the owner of a freehold estate of 900 acne, and other pro.
piety in ilomersetshire producing 1901. per annum. This gentleman
being infirm, cook out a certificate for his moo (a youth) who amu•ed
himself with sporting on his father's land. Ilia miglibour, a gentle-
man of fortune, laid four informations against the young man, and the
petitioner had been compelled to pay blue each information. The pe-
titioner had often submitted to have his corps injured by the person
who had laid the information, and others, in pursuit of sport whilst be
was unable himself to kill game on his own land. This the noble baron
considered an intolerable hardship. He was happy to see thzarn.
meat had taken up the question. A change would be for the
the country. Ho returned thanks to hie Majesty's Ministseas and
would support the principle of the bill. The petition was thine,*
and laid on the table.

CAXADIAJI TIMID.

The Marquisof BUTE presented petitions from the shipowners of
Chwenoek and Port Glasgow, against the proposed increase of duty on
North American timber. The noble marquis stated, that the petition-
ers already salved under great distress, occasioned by decay of their
trade, and contended, that the imposing of additional duties on Ca.
nadiati timber, would destroy entirely ths trade of North America.
Earl STANHOPE presented a petition to the same effect from the
merchants and shipowners of Hull. The noble earl called the atten-
tion of his Majesty's goverotnent to the distress, not only of the ship-
ping interest, but the difficulties of the country at large. When reform
in parliament took place. which all persons must then admit to be un-
avoidable, it would be the duty of that house to attend to the grievances
of the potpie. At the proper time he should submit certain resolutions
with regard to the currency. Whilst the house were resolved to adopt
no propositions but those which emanated from his Majesty's govern-
mefelt it was useless to submit any motion of importance to their
consideration.

•

1 !I

G
~.~ ~

no less than 7G2. The churchwardens. awate of that circumstance, re-
monstrated last year, and eimiendeti that as the parish did not want an
additional church, they should not be put to the expense. The corn.
rfilPliiibrellt told o,ent they were too late—the contract hail been entered
into. ar.d the new church nut.,t he built. This the noble lord consi-
dered censurable, because when a similar application was made in another
partAh, the cotamissioncni did stop she work.
The Bishop of LONDON, ntr one of his Majesty's commissioners
. tier the eitirch building act. said the population of the parish of St.
James. tittitens.ll, amounted 'to 52.401 inhabitants. The chutches
strn it palish had Item found so ill calculated for spiritual
r the tsiatitiissionas considered it their duty to build the new
t Lurch of :11..rit. The inhabitants had willingly contrieuted to-
wattls the furnisitin,t of the church.—Thc parish officers had certainly
r...,itmstratesi against hulling the church : but it was after Oa con-
ts had been wade. anti the loaltling had commenced. The commis.
toners had no object in view but titz discharge of their duty according
io the instructions given them by the act of Parliament.
Lord KENYON said, the sent, in the three places of worship in
lit: 'Kama did nnt afford accommodation for tome than -1,000 personr,
and the new chinch with; only add 1.200. It could not he said that
the sittings thus provided would be more than sufficient for a popula-
tion of 52.000.
- -

CALICO DCT V' DRAWBACK BILL.
Lord AUCKLAND rose to more the second reading of the bill to
repeal the drawback on calico. The noble lord described the bill to he
one of .:etg importance. I. was desirable that no time should he lost
in passing it it!,lo a law. The calico'iratts was in a great measure so..
vended, and until die bill became a law, 20.000 workmen at least would
he out of ertrloyment.
Th.r bill was read a secotid time, and ordered lo be read a third
lime on Monday.
Their lordshies then adjourned to Monday.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, MARCH 11.
The House v.ocectled to ballot for Ekction Committees for the
County of MAT) and the Borough of Athlone. The Members of the
Committees, on being elected, were sworn at the table.

COLONIAL TRADE RILL.
Mr. P. THOMSON moved that the house resolve itself into a Com-
mittee on the Colonial Trade Dill.
The house rewired itself into the Committee.
- - -

Mr. P. THOMSON ;mid some alterations had been made in the
hill since it had been introduud by the late Government.—The first
:thermion was lowering the duly on flour imported int" the Wes: Indies
trout the Untied States from lb. to ss. Ile had raised the fluty on
mares and boards, from Ms. 9d. to 235. and 265. for the protection 01
our North American Colonies. The right hon. gentleman moved that
the clause in the bill, Imposing the exisLing duties be omitted.

Mr. HENRIES said no person could understand the effect of the
ebangas propot,cti by the tight hon. gentleman, without further consi-
deration ; he thought the house should go into a committee on the ex.
sating bchetlule of duties, in a hich the whole might be discussed and
fully undenaood. The great point was, whether the principle of the
bill he introduced in November, was to be maintained. It was sods-
factory to him, that though the members of the present Government
Outsell the bill when he brought it in, they had since exercised their
judgment with more advantage, and adopted she principle of giving
protection to she produce of the British North American Colonies. The
principle of the bill was to do justice to our own colonies. (Hear.)
No political economist could be so hard hearted as to return to a system
which had reduced the hipping of the North American Colonies to less
than one half during its continuance. He was glad to see that the
members of die present Government were adopting the sound principle
of affording protective, to our colonies. (Hear.)
Mr. P. THO3ISON said be Fad taken the advice of the Right
Hon. Gentleman himself in the course he had pursued respecting the
manner of proceeding ; and if lion. Gentlemen would not take the
trouble of examining the subject, he was apprehensive no course he
could take would enable thou to understand it. The Right lion.
Gentleman's speech contained an attack on his own measure. The
Right Hon. Gentleman himself was the author of an Order in Coaacil
which took away protection teem the colonies. The Right Hon. Gen-
tleman charged the Members of the present Government with having
opposed protection to the Colonies, which, however, they nail never
done. They had only differed with the late Government on the
amount of protection.
Mr. ROBINSON said, the question was one of considerable impor-
tance to the colonies. The house was called on now to discuss a scale
of darks on a trade which had been carried on since October last. He
argued that the only dignifieal and consistent course for this country to
have pursued was to have withheld lions America the permission of free
trade to our colonies, unless they had made an equivalent sacrifice ; but
such a course had not been pursued by England, and if any more faci-
lity was afforded to America, we might as well share with them our
coasting. trade, for the Americans had already engrossed a great portion
of our carrying trade. The noble lord deprecated the policy that had
been pursued in this particular to abandon our shipping interest in fa-
vour of America, when she had refused to concede all thing to us.—
He dissented from this measure altogether, and said he would divide
the house at the proper time on the bill. The advantages we had given
to America ought to have called for a very different return at her hands,
but she could not pursue a snore hostile scale of policy to us than she
had done. _ . _ _ .

Mr. C. GRANT could not complain of the course that the honour.
gendtman had adopted. That he (Mr. C. Grant) was thoroughly
acquainted with the tenor of all the negociations that had taken
place between America and this country ; and he thought that it
was now t!:e best policy to bury in oblivion all that had passed of a
hostile nature. He thought that his 31ajcbty's Government was war.
ranted in the mea•urc they now supported. as being the most likely to
preserve that mutual friendly understanding which was so desirable to
be preserved between the two countries. It was the object of the Go.
veronica to improve all their restrictive laws, and they had gene to the
point adjudged most judicious to commence at; and it appeared that
tile objection of the Hon. Gentleman who opposed the bill was merely
because that the restrictive character of the measures was to be removed.

Mr. KEITH DOUGLAS should make his observations on the
proposed duties when they came snore specifically before the house.
He would merely remark, that political economists were very willing
to throw expenses on a particular class of colonies, for the benefit of
another, but generally forgot the circumstance when the interests of the
former class came in their turn to be considered.

Mr. COURTENA V said, that Mr. Iluskisson, on being asked, in
1847, whether it was the inkrt:nn of government to repeal the orders
of Council, answered in the r: native, on account of existing circum-
stances, but would give no aMurance as to the future. The principle
of the bill was a temporary protection to Interests raised up by Act of
Parliament.

Sir H. PARNELL considered this the first return to the pro.
tecting system abandoned in len Protection to the North Ame-
rican colonies could only be afforded at the expense of the public
interest. The present measure would be offensive to the United
Stales, autl retard a mitigation of the tariff. He considered it most
inipolitic.
Mr. S. WORTLEY considered that the sooner restrictive duties
were abolished the less the change would be Lit.
Ald. THOMPSt N could only see one party benefitted by the pre-
sent measure—the United States. He was glad, however, that the prin.
ciplc bad heen that of protection to Canada. He would ask the noble
Vird lila timber du:ics were to come on? In consequence of the
uncer:aiii. at present existing, all the Canadian navigation, including
emigration, was at a stand.
Mr BERN .I RD knew from experience that the restrictions had not
prevenied the United States from carrying on the trade with the West
Indies by a circuitous route.

Mr. WARBURTON said that the expense of 70,0001. a year, in-
curred by the proposed protecting duty would fall entirely on the West
Indies, as they had no mans of obtaining compensation by levying
an additional itt ice on their own produce on the consumer here. He did
not know windier tite ntet•tlints of the late administration considered
their measure as consistert with political economy ; from all he ur der-
stood of it, he deemed it to be founded in political extravagance. He
owned that he looked forward to the time when wheat should be intro.
duced from the colonies as from Ireland into this country. He had
other objections to the bill—but he should state them in another stage
of the measure.

Lord ALTIf ORP said inquiry had been made of hint respecting the
alterations of the timber duties, and whether any change of the Mi-
nister's proposed alterations was contemplated : he begged to reply that
no change of what had already been proposed was contemplated. As to
the bill now under discussion, it was not brought forward as a measure'
originating c system of piutecting duties, but to prevent or mitigate the
consequences of a sudden transition from the present state of thinp.
The present government WAS desirous of supporting the cokaties, ex-
cept when the interests of tie colonies should be at variance with those
of the whole empire. He did not s.uppott this measure as one granting
a boon to the West Indio, vet he could not think that it would be
without its advantages to the West Indies.
Mr. HUME was somewhat astonished at the sentiments that had
been avowed on this bill by the official supporters of it, as well as by
some members near him. The Vice-President of the Board of Trade,
recollecting his former sentiments, had particularly astonished him.
A principle of permanent protection to the Colonies, it appeared, was
to be adopted. All had been an artificial system, he admitted. But
who asked the government to continue that artificial system ? It was
sot wished. On the contrary, he and those friends near him had
*night to reduce the protecting duties gradually. As, for instance, in
proposing that the Is. 2d. duty on wheat should be reduced to one
shilling, and then twopence each year till the whole should be extin-
guished. He said that they ought to come back gradually. This bill,
however, sought to increase some of the duties. He wished to come
back to the point from which they had started in 1823. He thought,
by the present measures, the interest of the West Indies had been un-
fairly sunk, and he wondered bow they had withstood such unfair
measures. To the West Indies they had been pure loss. As regarded
lumber, ititad been a loss of fifteen per cent. He was surprised at

what had been asserted that night by the late President of the Board of
Trade, and at the observations being cheered. Nothing but ignorance
could have cheered them. (Hear, hear. hear.) It was ignorance that
had produced so much mischief in legislation; and as the Right
Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Herder) had now some leisure —(a
laugh)—it was to be hoped he would study these sujects, and endea-
vour to understand these matters a little better. The Right Hon.
ourable Gentleman had talked of justice to the colonies; but his plans
would only produce injustice to the country. At the same time, he
must regret that such a measure as the present one was advocated by
the Government as one of policy.
Mr. P. THOMSON said, as be was so violently attacked on either
side, he was more strongly induced to believe that he had adopted the
right course, in having steered between extremes. He considered
that the Colonies were in a different situation from foreign countries,
and were entitled to protection.

111 e. HEH RIES observed, in reply to the charge of ignorance, that
the present Government had adopted his measure—certainly the prin-
ciple of it.
Mr. CALLAGHAN said, in the present artificial state of the laws
and trade of the Colonies, it was requisite to have protecting duties to
a certain extent.

Mr. IRVINO and Mr. O'CONNEI.L having made some remark
about the Irish provision trade with the Colonies not having as much
protection under the present bill, as under that xhich it was to replace,
the amendments were put and carried.
The report was brought up, and ordered to be re-censidered on