Star.
London, England, 1822-02-19 00:00:00

NORFOLK PETITION.

Lord SUFFIELU held in his hands a Petition from the
Ov. neat and Occupiers of Land of the County of Norfolk, corn- ,
plating of Agricultural Distress, urging the necessity of a re-
dvtion of tazation, and concluding with a prayer for a Reform
ir. Parßarnett. He was too conscious of his inability to do jus-
tice to the subject, not to regret that circumstances should have
prevented the Noble Earl who sat in the Chair at the Norfolk
Meetieg (the Feel of Albemarle) from presenting to their Lord-
ships the Petition of that Meeting. He felt at the same time
the high honour which had devolved upon him ; and it was Ito
small matter of congratulation to him that on Vie first occasion
of his opening his lips in that House, rest the first day of his'
taking his seat, he should stand forward as the Representative
of the great County of Norfolk—a County once opulent and
powerful, but now suck in distress. lie should enter at large
into the causes of that distress ; it was one in which the whole
country participated, and which had produced a general reduc-
tion of ptoperty, with the exceptiou of one clan, the Ministers
of the Crown and other public functionaries, whose salaries
having experienced no change, whilst everything around them
&creased in value, had virtually increased, a fact which he felt
No disposition to torn into a ch irge against the individuals who
enjoyed those salaries. The Meeting at which the present Peti-
tion had been adopted h td been called by the High Sheriff, at
the request of certain members of the yeomanry, who had thus
surd a constitutional right —a right of such importance, that if
they were to abandon it, they would deserve all the calamities
which its loss would inflict. That Meeting,. as to the num-
ber, the property, and the character of the individuals of whom
'it was composed, was one of the most respectable that had ever
been bairn. It consisted of men of all parties, who had united
in one op' • , that the great cause of distress was excessive taxa-
tion, and that the most effective remedy would be retrenchment.
The Noble Lord then took a short view of the measures pro-
posed in the other House, and doubted that they would prove
satisfactory. Ile was one of those who believed that it was not
is the power of his Majesty's Ministers, however willing, to
grant the only relief which was wanted. They could not possi-
bly sweep off a large mass of taxation, and keep their places.
As to the prayer for Parliamentary Reform with which the Pe-
tition concluded, he would fairly state that it had not been
adopted without some difference of opinion. But he was alto-
saished that it should not have been greater, for he was certain
that it was not more than five per cent. out of the numbers
_pre-
sent. lie was amongst those who considered some kind of Par-
liamentary Reform necessary to the welfare of the State, and
whatever difference of opinion might exist on the subject, was
ot with respect to the necessity of Reform, but to the time at
which it ought to be commenced. lie wished that the people
/could be more fully and fairly represented than they were at
present. At the same time, he disapproved from his heart of
anything like tumultuous assemblies to call for Reform. These
tumultuous Meetings only served to defeat the object of the
friends of Reform, by affording pretences to curtail their liber-
ties. He then contended that the people who had met at Man-
chester, only thought of attending a legal Melting, and had no
hostile intention against Government. Ile had travelled in
those districts, and from the information which he had collected,
was sure that the people had bad no improper object in view.
It was only since the outrage at Manchesteroutd in onssequenea
of the proceeding. by which it bad been followed, that he had
become convinced of the necessity of Parliamentary Reform
He then alluded to the dismissal of a gallant Other from the
Ebony as another proof of rye pf 4 of tom okeirOop in'tho

constitution of Pariansent. He had no doubt that the advice
given to his Majesty in both them ease by Ms Ministers, was.
isonsciendously given tft' the informattan which they bed re-
ceived at the dme, but be complained that, on such brittle ground,
tMT bad so hastily end rashly ventured to advise. He con-
clWed by moving that the Padden be read and laid on the table.
Lord CA LTHORPR vise able, from Ids connection with the
county, to confirm all Chess. egatiene cattaitted "in the Petition,
as to the extent of the distress described, and the respectability
of the Meeting. He was also able from his own observation,
to state that the public feeling of the county of Suffolk was in
favour of retrenchment, and of some degree of Parliamentary
Reform. A Meeting had been held a fortnight since in that
county, uneiampled in numbers and respectability, and had ex-
pressed a most distinct ind unanimous opinion as to the neces-
sity of retreneldnent That unanimity bad been interrupted by
what he considered an unseasonable Resolution in favour of
Parliamentary Refbrm, which, however, had been carried by a
great majority of voices. Whether it expressed the sense of the
great proprietors • of land could not be fully ascertained at the
time, because it bad been carried with the acclamations of the
people. He agreed with the Noble Baron who had preceded
him, that there was a growing impression in favour of some al-
teration in the constitution of Parliament. It was certainly re-
markable that at such a Meeting, an Address, recommending
public retrenchment, should have seen carried by the unanimous
voice of the county, for all parties united at the time, in the neces-
sity of a resolution of Parliament to the same effect It chewed
that that confidence was not placed in Parliament, which Par-
'lament ought to command. The belief that Government could
procure majorities to carry their cern measures, had been
strengthened by the experience of tle last six years, which
proved that those measures were frequently inconsistent. It was
net astonishing, therefore, that what was felt to be inconsistency'
by the more friendly and enlightened classes, should be called
corruption by the others. He knew that the merits and the
politics of his Noble Friend at the head of the Administration
were duly appreciSted ; but the more men of property in the
country believed him and his colleagues to• be sincere, the
more they were obliged to look for the causes which prevented
retrenchment, in order to reconcile them with the feeling of
patriotism which they justly attributed to his Noble Friend...-
These impediments to retrenchment, would, he thought, be
found to consist in those means of influence which were consi-
dered necessary to envy on the Government of the country.—
He did not agree with the Noble Baron in thinking, that de-
prived of these, the Administration would be overthrown. Ile
conceived, on the contrary, that the natural influence which the
Administration must command, when supported by the feeling
of approbation which prevailed amongst the mass of the well
educated, well affected, and, he would say, most influential
people in the country, would be more than sufficient to enable
it to carry on the Government of the State in a more effectual
manner than the indecisive course which had been pursued. .A
striking example of this indecision and inconsistency might be
found in the modifications row proposed by a Minister in the
other House to be effected in the Corn Bill. Those very modi-
fications had ben carried by a vote of that House the Session
before last, hut had born annulled by the Minister through a
succeeding vote which confined the inquiry to the question of
averages. lie was, however, disposed to rejoice at any alteration
which might take place in the Corn Bill.
The Petition was then read, and laid on the table.
STATE OF TILE COUNTRY.

The Marquis of LANSDOWN wished to ask the Node
Earl opposite, whether it was his intention to lay on their bud-
ships' table certain Estimates moved fur elsewhere at the iol,•-
gestion of a Minister of the Crown, to thew the Financial Stant
of the Country? If the Noble Earl answered in the nelstive,
he should then think it his duty at some other time to make a
motion on the subject.
The Earl of LI V crt POOL did not think the present a pro-
per occasion to be led into the discussion of the imisortant
topics to which the N.ble Marquis had alluded. Ile should
certainly have no objection to lay the Estimates in question un
their Lordships' table, and he wouhl attend to the suggestions
of the Home with respect to the mode which had better be
adopted to give the subject the fullest investigation. If a mea-
sure were brought up from the other (louse, the Estimates
would of coerse he produced in its support. lint if the Noble
Marquis wished for a preliminary discussion on the subject, he
had no objection whatever, and would leave it to the Noble
Marquis to choose a day.
The Marquis of LAN:MOWN' certainly thought that the
first step to discuss with effect the measures which might come
from the other side, would he to understand their nature; and a
I motion made on the other side that the Estimates in Tuition be
I laid on the table, woul.l afford an opportunity for asking and for
' gieing all the explanni.ns which might he requisite.
'lbe Earl of LIVERPOOL joined issue on this point with
the Noble Marquis, and said that in twenty-four hours he should
be able to inform him whether it would be more convenient that
he 'Lord Liverpool) should lay the Estimates at once before the
House, or that the Noble Niarquis should move for them.—
There was no objection to their production; the only question
was, whether it would be more convenient to enter into the
whole question at the moment of their being produced, or to
wait till some measure came from the other House? On Thurs-
day next he should be able to give a definitive answer, and to
settle the cou-se of proceedings.
The Earl of DARNLEY thought that it became their Lord-
ships to take up the subject separately and distinctly, without
waiting for the proceedings of any other House.