Star.
London, England, 1812-12-09 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

On the motion of the CHANCILLOR of the Excurgunt, the
House resolved itself into a Committee on the Sugar Brewery
Bill.—ThQ Resolutions were read and agreed to.
Mr. CROKER moved for leave to bring in a Bin to amend

got this Nll Mewed. declaring Bank paper and
gold of equal value, the price of gold was e€ 4 14s.
per ounce, and Bank paper was consequently depre-
ciated 20 per cent. The Act now in force would
expire next February, and the Right Honourable
Gentleman, who had begun when gold was J£4 101.
per ounce, and got the Bill renewed when it was £e4
14s. per ounce, brought forward again the same
measure when the price of gold that day was Jes ss.
and the market in paper money and Bank paper in
consequence depreciated 35 per cent. It was at this
time, and under such circumstances, that the Right
Honourable Gentleman had face enough to come
gravely forward with such a measure, and even to
appear 'surprised that a disposition should be found
in the House to discuss its propriety. Before they
proceeded farther, he wished to know if the Right
Honourable Gentleman still thought gold and Bank
paper of equal value ? The law declared them to be
so, and in consequence it was not common for a per-
son to enter a shop with a Bank note and a guinea,
and say; how far will this go, and how far this ?—as
he who did so would be secured and tried for a mis-
demeanour ; but if the law were repealed to-morrow,
the difference would at once be seen, and found to
be to the amount he had stated: From what had
fallen from the Chancellor of the Exchequer the
other night, he supposed he was rather shaken in his
opinion, when he found his Jew friend, or whatever
he was, wanting 255. each for his guineas. He cl:d
not know what heavy guineas would fetch, but a
friend of his, a few evenings ago, had a few light
guineas to dispose of, arid, in his presence, he sold
them ; and to a man who had to make a profit of
them again, and received *1 7s. 2d. for each. Did
the Chancellor of the Exchequer mean to say the
light guinea was better than a good guinea ?
that the proprietor of the one should have such
an advantage over the holder of the other ?
Why was the proprietor of the heavy guinea to be so
persecuted, that he must either hoard his gold, Or
part with his guinea for 7s. less than its value ? Why
was he not allowed to bring it, as he might every
other article of his property, into the market, and sell
it for what it might be worth ? He then went on to
descant on the injustice of this bill is it affected the
public creditors, and those who had granted long
leases, as he contended these persons lost 35 per cent.
of what they wjre entitled to, and he knew of no
party benefited by it but the Bank Company. They
had been told in 1797, not to pay in specie ;- and in
1811, they were told, Your paper is as good as
gold, go on.", They had an interest in keeping paper
in circulation, instead of gold, and had divided
among them through it, in hard cash, six million
pounds sterling in bonuses. He wished the House
'to consider the consequences of this system to the
public Creditor and the Stockholder. The increa-
sing depreciation of Bank paper made him anxious,
that a new inquiry should be made into the causes of
the high price of the precious metals. He thought
it was desirable that the House should pause before
they again enacted this law, and considered if, in.
stead of this, they ought not to adopt an opposite
line of conduct, suffer this to expire, and repeal those
laws which had been made to give it effect. He
thought it extremely improper, to call upon the
House to pledge itself to this measure. It was also
unnecessary, as there would be sufficient time after
the holidays, when many Membera: nowahsert would
have an opportunity of being present. Under these
circumstances he would move that the second reading
should be postponed till the 3d of February .
Mr. BRAND spike against tl.c Bill,. and con-
tended, that while gold w.is not allowed to pass for
its value, it would be withheld by those who pos-
sessed it. He repeated and supported many of the
arguments urged by the last Speaker, and asserted,
high price of specie and depreciation of paper, to be
synonymous terms. This Bill had driven gold out
of the market, when before it came in competition
with paper. If this Bill were not passed, and the de-
preciation of paper fairly acknowledged, gold, he had
no doubt, would immediately appear.—(Hear, hear.)
He denied that the Bank had gained all the advan-
tages set -forth by the Honourable Gentleraan (Mr.
Creevey), and had no doubt, but if less connected with
the Guyer:anent, it would have ample means of
meeting all demands upon it. To the present Bill
he must object at any time, but he thought to press
it would be most indecorous at present.
Lord A. HAMILTON opposed the Bill, and
wished to know if the
,depreciation of paper money
was not now admitted, by what test Ministers would
be content that it should be tried?

an Act passed in the last Session, respecting the intercourse be-
tween tilt islands of St. Domingo and Jamaka.—Leave given.—
The Bill was then read a first time, and ordered to be read a
second time to-morrow.
The Household Amendment Bill was read a first time, and or-
dered to be read a second time on Thursday next.
The Malt Duties Bill was read a first time, and ordered to be
read a second time to-morrow.
A Message from the Lords requested this House to communi-
cate the Reports of the 18th June, 1811; and 13th June, 1812,
respecting suits in Chancery, to their Lordships. The Reports
were ordered to be communicated, and, the Messengers were in-
formed of the same.
Mr. Rost NSQ ta presented a copy of the Order in Council, au-
thorising the exportation of certain goods from, and the importa-
tion into the West India Islands. He also gave notice, that on
Thursday next lie would move for leave to bring in a Bill lot the
isulemnification of persons acting under the said order.
Lord PA LMERSTON, in presenting a Petition from the Uni-
versity of Cambridge, against the Catholic Claims, took occasion
to state, in contradiction to the rumours tha had gone abroad,
that six days bad been allowed to the non-rt.sidents to attend the
convocation, winch was twice the time usually allowed. The
Petition was read, and ordered to lie on the Table,
A similar Petition was presented from the Recorder,Aldermen,
and Burgesses of grantham. Ordered to lie on the Table.
The SPEAKEft acquainted the House, that he bad received
s letter from the Deputy Clerk of the Crown in Ireland, contain-
'lns a Petition, complaining of an undue return of a Memberto
serve for the town and county of Galway. The Petition, which
was from John Juice and others, was then read, and ordered to
be taken into consideration with the other Petitions against the
same return, on the 1 ith of February.
Mr. LOCKHART rose, pursuant to notice, to move for leave
to bring in a Bill to prevent the Trustees of Parish property from
granting long and improvident leases. After explaining what, in
his opinion, were improvident, and what long leases, he stated
it to be his intention to pro; es;e, that the Trustees should not be
able to grant a lease without the concurrence of the Bishop of the
diocese in the term for which it was granted; and he also would
propose, that it should be imperative upon the Trustees, to give
a public notice when leases of grounds were to be granted, which
would r toduce a competition that would have the effect of
making the lands lett for their value. Leave was given to Win
in the Bill. •
'1 be Starch Bill went through a Committee, the report of
*licit was ordered to be received to morrow.
The House went into a Committee on the Malt Act, in which
the Chairman was instructed to move for leave to bring in a Bill
to alter aid amend tbe said Act.—The Honse resumed, and en the
motion of Mr. Ix ant uprou , leave was given to bring in the Bill.

The Ht.use went into a-Committee on the Chocolate Act, in
which it was resolved, that the Chairman should move-for leave
to bring in a fill for allowing an additional drawback.
7he House went into a Committee on the Customs Consoli-
dation Act, in which several resolutions were moved for altering
the drawbacks un Spanish Wines, &c.—The Report of the Com-
mittee was ordered to be received to morrow.
Mr. LUSHINGI ON brought up a Report of the Committee
on the Prince Regent's Message, respecting the Grant to the
, Marquis of Wain-von.
Mr. CALCRAF did not ;iv to oppose the grant ;on the
contrary, he.spbscribed to it in the most unqualified manner, and
thought np reward could be too great tor the services f the
Marquis of Wellington.—The Resoltrion was agreed to Mem. ewe.
The Rt port of the Conunittge of Supply was brought up and
agreed to.
Leave was given to bring in a Bill purauant to the Resolution
for grat ti• g £lOO,OOO to purchase lands 'to be attached to the
title of Wellington.
- It was ordered that the House should to-morrow resolve itself
Soto a Committee of Wayi and Means.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
directed the att. ntion of the House to the necessity
of the measure now before them, and made several
observations upon its origin. The idea of a depre-
ciation in the currency was, Fe remarked, of an ear-
lier date than the'Bullion Committee, since Lord King
had introduced the subject in the House of Lords, so
far back as the year 1801. In the year 1811, that
Noble Verson, whom he was ready to acquit of any
other intention than that of practically proving the
justice of his theory, had resorted to a step, which
rendered legislative interference indispensible tot the
protection of the tenantry of the country. They had
also the evidence of Mr, Monck, on the same side of
the qvi'stion, who said he would not accept of
paper at the same rate of value as gold. The
reason of which was obvious—Mr. Menck was a
coiner of local tokens, and for his purposes gold or,
silver was much more useful than paper. With re-,
gard to the practical question, he put it to any one
of the Bullion Committee, to say, if it would be wise'
to cause the Bank w resume its payments in specie,
at this period ? and if not, would it be expedient to
pass a law, as they had formerly proposed, to fix the
resumption of cash payments at any specific time,
the circumstances of mhich they could not foresee ?I
He had at that time pointed out to the satisfaction'
of the majority of the House, that similar rises in the
price of the precious metals had taken place when'
there was no paper currency at all, and when there
was a paper currency convertible into its nominal
value in money. This proved that the rise slid not
depend on the depreciation of the paper currency.—
It was true, as asserted on the other side, that gold
bad advanced in price within the last year; and the
argument they would draw from this was, that the
circulation of paper had increased, and consequently
its worth diminished. Now, the case was not so ;
an this fact afforded another argument in confirma;
tion of the fallacy of their reasoning. For lie part,
he fowl(' a sufficient cause for the rise of gold in the

' GOLD COIN BILL.
On the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moving
t' e Order of the Day, for the second reading of the
Gold Coin Bill,
Mr. WHITBREAD moved that certain Resolu-
tions of the House respecting the value of Bank Pa-
per, as compared with gold, which were cone to in
the bullion discussion, should be read.
The Resolutions were accordingly read by the
Clerk. .

Mr. CREEVEY, with the view he had of the
ntiority of this Bill, could not allow it to-pass its se-
cond reading, without stating some of his objections
to it. This Act was one of the consequences of the
Bullion Committee, appointed two years ago, to en-
qttire into the high price of Gold. At that time it
was said Gold was Je4 10s. the ounce. The Bank
Proprietors could not think of purchasing it till it
came down to their standard, which was £3 17s. per
ounce. These being the actual and the Mint prices
of gold, Bank paper was at that period depreciated
15 per cent. Mr. Homer, when endeavouring to
.• that Bank paper was depreciited, brought for-
nostrum, and proposed that thE Bank
yelled to resume its payments in specie
In opposition to this, the Chancellor
t proposed his nostrum, which was
that in public estimation, one pound
Bank paper was equal to a guinea.—
' Honourable Gentleman last Session

nude' the pressure of the timer, and by De
the same year was returned to the B k
vast aUgrnentation of der foreign expenditure ; and
still morkin the total interruption of the supplies of
circulationa l l ed g ed , coofu lthden not
absneke
the circulation again reduced. From this it was
millet? of
dtrenib ted that
to
othae
ny depreciation
exceuve an --and thus
the preciens metals from South America, which in
itself was sufficient to account for the advance upon
those metals in the market. The circumstances of
,
present year were also somewhat remarkable. He also defended the Bank from the charge of
ter the debates of last Session, the price of bullion , fusion in their discounts, and issuing money for St:
remained for some time pretty steady ; but of late it own profits. The Bill was neither wished for by
had risen very suddenly, to the extent stated by the Government, nor the Bank, which wished no by the
Honourable Qentleman opposite. It had so risen on protection for their Notes than the confidence ° -
of the
the opening of the intercourse with Russia, whence People. It was rendered necessary by the
toes
an excessive demand had occasioned aesimilar rise all taken by the Nobleman already so often alluded t
over Europe. The nostrum of the Bullion Costimit- By the Restriction Bill of 1797, the Landlord was
alluded
over
tee was to resume payments in cash ; but where was protected, but the Tenant left to vexation and oppres
it to be got ? The mines of America were stopped. sion. His effects might be taken for non-payment in
and the balance of trade was against us with every a coin he could by no means procure, and when sold
other country. It appeared then, that we must either the same cause, operating, and purchasers being se,
have sacrificed our political prospects, withdrawn fused who could not buy with gold, his stock would be
our army from the Continent, and have surrendered disposed of infinitely under its real value. Was not
the hopes of Europe ; or we must, for the present, such a case of hardship to be guarded against ) He
have continued the Bank restrictions. Happily for would certainly give the Bill his support, for if such
our character, honour, and greatness, the latter alter- an example as he had mentioned, were to be followed,
native had been adopted. The Right Honourable lorto be left possible bribe law, the utmost f •
con usien
Gentleman then went into a justification of his Re- and distress would be the result.
solutions recorded last Session, and contended that I Mr. HENRY THORNTON supported the pp'
t the paper of the Bank of England was, for all legal nions announced by 'lie Bullion Committee, and was-L. purposes, equivalent to coin ; though certainly not so •ih favour of opening the Bank provisionally, at asp
,
to those who wished to melt it down, or make it the ; cific period. He acknowledged it would be hasstr-t;
subject of foreign trade, which, however, was and had • limit their issues, if the exchanges could be rectified
I long been, contrary to the laws of the -land.— i and the price of gold otherwise diminished. '
}lethal
—Could it have been possible to enforce these penal proceeded to point out the advantages to the cone
laws vigilantly and perfectly, gold would have had munity arising out of gloater issues. It gate ease I,
no other value than paper of the same denomination, 1 speculation, and to the furnishing of loans and hkis
and the only difference between them was, that the money for the public. h also favoured born:metgs.
one could be converted into bullion, the other could though it pressed hard upon real property, and tatect
not. The anomaly of light guineas had been much those w:io were possessed of capital, by decreasing
animadverted on, but this was no new case; there their interest. It was injurious to landlords, and in
were abundant instances in our history, of light guineas favour of the farmer, through wit= it became of
being more valuable than standard coin, long before advantage to the country. It was also beneficial to
the Bank restrictions were ever thought of. The the nation, in paying its annual 26 or SO millions to
enormous profits of the Bank had also been dwelt the National Creditors. He agreed that the rise of
upon : to this he would bear testimony, that the Bank gold was in a considerable degree owing to the cis,.
was an unwilling party to those measures whence the cumstances of the world, and the state of oar force
profits accrued, and which were forced upon it by on the Peninsula.: but the principle of the current
the Government of the country. The Bank had ever medium was as much an invasion of real property as
evinced a desire to be released from these restrictions, if the Government actually took so much from the
and the preparations it made for resuming payments Proprietors. We were getting into a paper currency,
in specie were a sufficient proof of its readiness so to ' without reference to the corresponding value and
do, when it could be permitted consistently with the test of the precious metals. He had thought that,
public good. The practical question now was, whe. when they got to 30 per cent. of depreciation, Gen-
ther the period had come, when they could safely tlemen would be alarmed, but nothing would have
give up the safeguards that had been imposed for the that effect. He professed he did not want any sud,
preservation of our metallic currency, and to protect den remedy to be attempted in the present vibrating
the public generally from individual vexation and state of Europe, and was willing to wait the probate,
oppression ? All that the public wanted was to go lity of the opening of the Continental markets. On
on quietly with the currency they were used to ; but the subject of local tokens, he asked, how the circa.
this, it was in the power of any one to disturb, unless lating medium would be supplied were they put a
the present law was passed to protect debtors from stop to ? and concluded by stating, that he was wil,
the exaction of payments in a medium, which it was ling to suffer the Bill to pass, though he would rather
out of their power to obtain. The act had arisen out have wished further time had been allowed to recon.
of the provocation of one individual, but for whom . sider it.
they might have been quiet yet, and the necessity for I Mr.W. KEENE thought, thet if the present state
the law never have been raised. It was now abso- 'of Europe were duly considered, the House would
lutely indispensible to protect the subject from grie- • agree with him in thinking, that had it not been for
voui oppression ; and he submitted that there were ' the Bill we should never -have been able to continue
stronger reasons for its continuance than even for its our operations on the Continent. On this ground,
being originally passed. I therefore, he would support the Bill.
Mr. PONSONBY expressed his surprise at some Lord FOLKSTONE thought that there vrasgreat
of the positions advanced by the Right Hon. Gen- cause for the House to consider well before they
tleman, and at his persevering to recommend the con. agreed finally to concur in the measure now prom.
tinuance of a law ulna, directly contradicted his own ed to them, and that particular attention should be
Resolutions. To skew this, he contended that if pa- paid to what regarded Local Tokens, before thisßill
per was equivalent to gold, as stated in the third reso- was passed. However, upon due consideration of the
lution, there could be no ground for this Act to de- circumstances of the case, he proposed, that the Bill
Clare that which was undeniable. But if a pound should be allowed to pass for a limited time ;—and
note and a shilling were equivalent to a guinea, how thus, that after the Christmas recess, Parliament
came it to be necessary to prohibit a landlord from might again consider the matter More fully, particu.
insisting on his tenant paying him in gold ? He larly what related to the state of the currency, besides,
could not comprehend how it was possible for the ' the other :netters connected with the Bill. On this
Right Hon. Gentleman to advance an assertion of • ground he wished that his Hon. Friend (bir.Creevey)
this sort, and to say he had no doubt of this equi- bad withdrawn his Amendment.
valency. Had it subsisted at all times, or did it sub-1 Mt. HUSKISSON, who had been alluded to
is'
sist now ? Would a man give a guinea for a pound the course of the debate, excused his entering on the
note and a shilling ? How then could it be said they subject in this stage of the question, on account of
were equivalent ? But there was no difficulty before ill health, but approved, in the mean time, of der
the depreciation existed, 'and therefore he maintained' second reading of the Bill.
that the resolution was false. The Right Honour-1 On
:the question being put on the first Amendmeet,
able Gentleman had attributed the difference to the . Mr. CREEVEY wished to know, before the cies•
non-importation of gold and silver from South Ame- tion was put, whether Ministers would accede to the
rica ; but this, if true, would apply equally to all proposal of his Noble Friend, and agree to have d
Europe. Would the Right Hon. Gentleman say that Bill passed for a short period 1
the price had risen 35 per cent. in France, as it bad Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that several
done in this country, or that gold bore the same pro. branches of the present question must remain for dist
portion to the French Bank paper which it did to ours? cussion on some future occasion, but was not aware
But it was equal for all lawful purposes--of this there of any circumstances which mild possibly hippo
was no test, and they could not resort to fire to pro. within the limited period which had been raentionot
duce it. He contended that the Bill of last Session that could tend to render the present measure tie.
was introduced to protect the resolution, arid at all necessary.
events, could see no reason for pressing the present i Air. WHITBREAD thought that there should los
Bill at this time. He wished to know what premium I more valid reasons assigned for the measure now iq
was paid by Government on the bills transmitted tol question, than any which had been given by tile
the Continent ; and asked the Chancellor of the Ex.; Right Honourable Gentleman (the Chancellor ofthe
chequer across the table to furnish him with this in. Exchequer.) In fact, the Right Hon. Gentlemaik
formation, which request not being complied with, he bad evaded the questions which had been put to tins
coniplained much of the silence maintained on the and in giving his reasons for pressing the weal"
I *
subject. He then enquired what was the reason of 1 now in question, had evaded any satisfactory State'
the scarcity Af change, and the disappearance of small . ment, by entering into general details. He wished e
silver coin throughout the country ? He believed' to reduce the Right Hon. Gentleman, adverscawiews •
that even the trivate bankers in London were obliged to make him ashamed of his having been the memo
to pay for accommodation in this respect, and that : of having an Act passed in direct opposition to ait
! the Bank of England had told them they could be solution of the House.. With regard to that part 0i
• lai
supplied as heretofore with silver currency. Did the : the Act which went to protect the tenant ama .
Right Hon. Gentlemanthat this state of! landlord ;on this matter he wished •to vi propose
•
things should last, and that no inquiry should be al.l much injured author of the important question on dir
:lowed till this Act was crammed down the throat of I subject (Lord King.) The proposal of Lord Sot
' the New Parliament ? Such conduct was indecent . was not, as it had been represented, an lams's,
and mischievous, and he, for this reason, concurred hardship, by calling on the tenant to pay his fa",
heartily in the Amendment that had been moved. gold, which it was not possible for him to proall‘
Mr. MANNING noticed that the supply of change What Lord King meant was a sum in Bath
.Ms
..xi
had been discontinued for se/feral weeks by the bank, equivalent to the bullion price of gold which hi
on account of the stop put to the importation of dol. I calculated. Lord King was not the only nook
lays from South America ; but to shew how much I bad this in contemplation. He (Mr. Whitbread)! I►
had been done, he stated that within the last .fifteen many other landed proprietors who inclined to
• months, nearly two millions had been actually issued the same measure ; and their reason was this, that
'in this way by the Bank. About a week ago the tenants had long leases, and at the same time •
Directors had given orders for further issues, and these leases were granted, the rent was p
were, as they ever had been, most desirous to accom. • to' the value which the produce of the lend eser .:
modiste the public, in so far as was possible, from the to the value in gold. So that the value of •
.quantity of silver in the market. He then adverted ing increased,iwas NV
t was but just, that if the meat „,
to the paper in circulation, and as the returns were paid in gold,'it should be made in a sum ve•fre
ndt yet before the House, informed them that the notes equivalent to the market price of gad.-
'Bank-notes in circulation yesterday evening, amount- King had reason and law on his 'side, ind 4. iS,
ed to only 22 millions, and a half.—(Sear, hear,)—law proceeded to do him violence. As to
rheas*
In July, 1810, the amount was twenty-five millions; timation, nothing could be mote ludicrdgs -f
.three millions of which, however, had lain in the draw- proposition stated by the Chancellor of tterVis
era of country banker:l to preserve them from ii,akin4 quer. He (Mr. Vineittarq had 0111121114444

-.I

prove that Bank
sward his nostrui
should bo compel
its two years. In
of the Etchequir
-ter.etolutioot. that
o. m Ba
the Right

on the ntAinart transactions of life, a Bark-note and
4,0,,t, were eq.iivmenc I. ,•(.I)iic estimation to a
▪ Inas._ 14e would in,t nropv,e to the Right Hon.
bentleman to go to a shop; and if having bought a
.„ „ .ay of goods of the value of a Bank-note and a
;bang, and in payment be should offer a guinea to
the ,noeman, he would find, that in consideration of
being paid in gold, the shopmaa would not give him
• AM:ional five shillings worth of goods. He
thought that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
pa; ,ailed in his illustrations. He entirely dif-
fered from those Gentlemen who had said tlot a
Bank-note was more valuable than a guinea, because
nobody would hoard or bury a Bank-note in the taco
ni ,or any such calamity. Ibis was a
ci, irTmlent. An Honourable Gel:de-
tain (Mr. Whitshed Keene) hod argued as it this
131,1p.t.i been the means of enabling us to carry. on
our operations on toe Continent. But he begged
to fetal to the recollection of the House, that this
Bill was not enacted until the end of the year 1811.
i...fhe measure now in agitation was exactly similar
in that of Robespierre in France. Robespierre had
gacted, that no goods should be brought to market
ebc;ae a certain price. The consequence WAS, that
gi,nds appeared. This law enacts, that nd gold
shall be sold above a certain price; tht consequence
of Course is, that all the gold disappears. The whole
gist= will come ,to its own extinction ultimately,
unless stopped in its progress. From the first he had
been averse to the Bill, because, besides its many
Slating defects, it tended to defeat its object. He
whether any guineas had by any
would again ask,
means, or by any connivanye, been bought on ac-
Count of Gbvernment ? An offer had been acknow-
ledged to have been made to Government of a num.
ber of guineas for sale : and this offer having been
Made, chews that the impression on the public mind
is, that Government will ultimately be obliged to act
Contrary to their own laws. Had any guard of a mail-
Mach, or any such person, been detected in any such
prdcticei as that which the Right Hon. Gentlem an had
stated at having come within his own knowledge, he
would hate been proceeded against with the utmost
km* of the law. The Right Hon. Gentleman,
Jointer; had acted in a very innocent and harm-
la way, by not putting the law in force against the
person Oho had offered the guineas to-him for
pail geld should find its proper value, no gold would
appear ; when gold did find its proper value, it would
be had in abundance. It might as well be expected
that St. Paul's should stand without a foundation,
as that public credit should exist without metallic cre-
dit to support it. Although he considered the pro.
posal of the Noble Lord (Folkestone) as a bad one,
because tending to give a bad precedent, that they
wholundamentally opposed the Bill, should consent
to its being passed fora limited time, yet, considering
the peculiar circumstances of the case, he would agree
to divide the Huetse upon it.
The CHANCELLOR of the tXCHEQUER
explained. He again positively refuted the war.
Lion that Government aid at any time employ per..
ions to purchase guineas for them. He also said,
that the last price paid by Government for bills to the
Continent was 67 pence per mil rea.
Lord CASTLEREAGH observed, that this Bill
deould not tie up the hands of Government nom any''
elterior proceeding on the subject. •
. Mr. CANNING thought the principles of this Bill
were opposite to every principle of political &cann-
ily; but that the necessity for it which did now exist,
arose from the measures which had been adopted on
a former occasion. His Right Hon. Friend (Mr.
Vansittart) had stated, that in point of public esti.
station, a Bank note and a shilling were equivalent
b.a guinea, when. in point of fact, it was well known
that at that very time a guinea sold for 255. At that
time he thought that Government would be obliged
to have recourse to legal force to establish what
*a called the public estimation. And this was
fulfilled in a few months, by Government being I
Obliged to have recourse to the present Bill. The I
Bill was divided into two pans; what regarded the
payment of Bank notes, and the other part which re-
garded the selling of guineas. It was but just, that
whoever received paper in legal payment, should not be
too:plied by law to pay any thins else than what he
had received. As to the penalties by law, for pre-
Seating the exportation of gold coin, when a higher
rice was to be procured for it in foreign markets
111 writers agreed, and experience concurred in de-
monstrating, that even if the penalty were death, the
thing could not be 'prevented. Colbert had said that
if a wall of brass were built round the kingdom, the
gold coin would find some chink by whizh it would
inappear, and find its way to the foreign markets.—
tie not vote for this Bill on any of ahe grounds
stated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Go-
vernment had got into a difficulty from the opposite
of those principles which he entertained, and he could
not see how they could extricate themselves from this
difficulty.
Mr. BUTTERWORTH read, from under the
Gallery, a letter from a friend in the country; in
which the writer recommended strongly the passing
of. the Bill before the House, in order to save the peo-
ple in his neighbourhood from the most serious loss, if
not from run
Mr. Alderman ATKINS, advertinz to what had!
fallen front Mr. Canning, expressed his decided opi- I
Ilion, that the present state of our circulating medium
not owing to the conduct of Ministers, or of airy
War set of men ; but to the growing commerce ci
the country, which the whole metallic currency of
the world would have been insufficient ro supply ; ,
and he wished that this fact were distinctly under-
Stood throughout the country.
The question being loudly called for, the House
oat --Fee the Amendment 19—Against it 129.
'"'Majority 110.
The original question was then put, and the Bill
Was read a second time, and ordered to a Committee
tomorrow:
Mr. WHITBREAD presented a petition from D.
W. Harvey, Esq. complaining of the return for the
Borough of Malden ; and alledging, among other
thing; that Mr. Robert Thornton, who was returned
for that Berme], was not possessed of the Property
lly requisite to quality him for a seat in that
. °ow—Ordered to lie on the table, and to be taken
into consideration on the 18th of February next.

Pk ILt `I t Ut. Kb DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK s
ieduted snit-#-4 per Cent. 7544--5 per Cent.
s. for at. 03 liffi—Ons. 741,...:-Bonds 7s. es. dits,
41e1LBilis par....D0.:(314.1 24.55.. pr.

THE CVENINd STAR.

WE'

uVic

INESISAY, DECEMBER 9.

•
The private accounts from St. Petersbargh, re-
ceived by the Gouenbargh Mail of yesterday, al-
though they afford no intelligence later than Lnrd
CATHCART'S dispatches, do not lessen the agreeable
impressions whial the state et affairs in Russia has
made. They depict the horrors which attend the
retreat of the French army in strong colours. During
tl:c rapid flight fu m Viasma to Smolensk, the whole
of the c.Lvalry were dismvonted, and the mi.
sctable horses were led between files of infantry to be
slaughtered as occasion required : nearly the whole
of the troops were absolutely without clothing—their
legs and feet in particular were particularly exposed.
The mortality, under such circumstances, must have
been even greater than that occasioned by the hourly
irruptions of the Cossacks. With respect to the
numbers of the French army, Lord CATHCART'S dis-
patches furnish us with some curious data, which
tally precisely with our own observations. In the
French Bulletin, announcing the . first entrance of
their army into Smolensk, we were told that there
were five Russians fount dead on the field 8f battle
for one Frenchman, and BONAPARTE added," 200,000
French troops were witnesses of this."—lf we admit,
therefore, that he advanced from Smolensk towards
Moscow with 200,000 men, the battles of Borodino
and Mojaisk must have cost him about 80,000, for
the French Commissary-General informs the Russians
that about 125,000 men were at one time quartered
in Moscow. When the French army left Moscow,
after a residence of a little month only,- its numbers
were reduced to 85,000.

ANOTHER ARRIVAL FROMTHE NORTH:

No Gottenburg. vail.bas arrived this morning,
but a Cutter has brought to Harwich a Russian No-
bleman, who confirms the whole of the statement,
recently transmitted from the North, and has brought
some important communications to Government.

_ _ _ .....
The following are the letters which announce his
arrival:

44 HARWICH; DECEMBER 8.
" The Active cutter, GRIMSON, from Gottenburgh,
has brOught his Excellency' Prince KOSLOSKY, who is
going Envoy Extraordinary from Russia to Sardi-
nia. His Excellency confirms the accounts already
received, and states it as his firm opinion, that not
Frenchman will get out of Russia."