Star.
London, England, 1822-06-04 00:00:00


L.e given by a reminds' of lifts.— Re went
!her than the Noble Marquia who chid
pe..ple for an ignorant impatience.for et relaxation of
tasation.—CTlte Marquis of .Losuosnanutslissented.
--Then, he supposed, he had dreamed thatthegobi
:gowns had used such words, although it was pass-
ing strange that, with such a particnlar'collocution,
such a sentence should be so gentralfrittributed
it was, and without. foundation. Howevyr,, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer went one step 'further than
cne why should say that the People were clamorous
from an ignorant impatience fdra-relatation of
ation. That Right Hon. Geatleman, if lie had
dreamed in that too, said not only that this remos,
cf mtation would do no good,, but that it would do
}aim. This was a specimen of the practice of all
oos:stn-dealers, who went from one step to another,
each outdoing the last, till they arrived at attsolute
ahstirdity. Thus they saw advertisements for differ-
r.:: kinds of superlative paints—from inodoroos paint
,;.;c went vi aromatic paint, and 'so on. So the
of the Exchequer, from declaring that re-
Isi:sitat of taxes would do no good, went on to say
that it might do possible harm. Now, however, he
ahnitted that the same measure would copier great
benefit on the People. The Hon. and Learned Gen-
6J:flan went on to contend that the retaining the 2s.
duty on salt was for the purpose of leaving a large
proportion of patronage to the Crown. For the col-
lection of the sum of 140,0001. of the Salt Tax in
England, the expense was 55,0001. and for the col-
lection of 100,0001. only, in Scotland, it was 21,0001.
being out of all proportion, which should have been
as one to fifteen. This would be the disproportionate
patronage attached to the remaining 2s. and there-
fore, on constitutional grounds, it would be unjust to
Lave that portion of the tax. Besides, the retention
of it would serve to perpettiate the Excise laws rela-
tive to this branch 'of the revenue—the most execra-
t:e and oppressive in our whole jurisprudence. It
ras for the House to consider whether it was worth
while to keep up all this machinery for 300,0001.
a-year of revenue.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said, that from
e.e representations of the Honourable and Learned
Gentleman, it would be supposed that his Right Ho-
:::::rable Friend had preached the delight of laying
ca taxes ; but he put it to the House whether he had
:pt.! the question otherwise than as likely to afford
re.:et to the country ? It was the proposition to break
faith with the Public, and do an act of dishonour,
that, he contended, would be followed as all disho-
wuwahle acts were, by increased suffering. With
regard to the cost of collection for the remaining
portion of the Salt Tax, the whole amount of it would
be :,0001. or at most 10,0001. instead of 35,000 g. and
t:.:! patronage of this, of which the HiThourable and
Learned Gentleman talked so much, as belonging to
Government, was administered by the Commissioners
of Excise—.(Hear, hear).—Those officers of the longest
standing, and most fit for the situation, were ap-
pointed to the Collectorships. The House needed
sot, perhaps, to be told why the Honourable and.
Learned Gentleman was always upon this subject so
much opposed to them. He had been beaten in every
part of the discussions so much, that he could not
let pass an opportunity of repose to endeavour to
:give force to his insinuations. He was always try-
ing to appropriate to himself the whole of the merit
cf his Right Honourable Friend's measures.--
He could never lose sight of those beautiful, though,
in his opinion, disfigured sketches with which he fa-
voured them at the commencement of the present Ses-
sion--(A laugh).—He was trying to-night, as he al-
Istys had, how to induce Parliament to degrade it.
:elf. Let him but once get the edge of his wedge in,
aad he would go on ; and unless the House were dis-
posed to retread their steps, and give their confidence
to the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, they would not
to) him on the present occasion. He warned-
them that he would not stop here, but go straight on
to the Sinking Fund. But he thought he knew the
House of Commons of England too well to expect
that, after the declarations they had made, they would
allow themselves to be misled.—(Hear, hear.)
Mi. DAVENPORT opposed the Amendment.
Mr. RICARDO said, that as the Chancellor of the
Exchequer thought the annuity plan was an infringe-
ment on the Sinking Fund, he should recommend him
to prolong the term to fifty or sixty years, and then
see if.there would not be enough of money to remit
the remainder of the Salt Tax.

harqui
,arving _
lament to guard against this,• and hefor one, with
this feeling, was anxious at once to. get. rid otthe
whole of the Salt Tax, and.skotdd therefore vat/ far,
the amendment of his Honourable Friend.,,--The
House. then divided, when the numbers were
' For the Biotin' - - - - 111
Fur the Amendment 1 - - - 67
Majority against the total repeal of the Salt Tax----44
When strangers were re-admitted, a short couver.,
cation took place on the Duty on Salt imported to'
Ireland, and the Resolution on that subject was or-
dered to be recommitted on Wednesday. The other
Resolutions of the Report were agreed.to, .and Bill's
ordered accordingly.

-

COlig IMPORTATION SILL.
The Marquis of LONDONDEILRY moved the
Order of the Day for the House resolving itself into
a Committee on the Corn Importation Bill. The
Noble Marquis took This occasion to remark, that if
any Member wished to move ,that an instruction
should be given to the Committee to limit the ope-
ration of the Bill, this was the time for proposing
such instruction.
Mr. CURWEN considered this measure, instead
of proving a benefit, would be most injurious to the
agricultural interest, and therefore with a view of
getting rid of it at once, he should oppose the Speaker's
leaving the Chair. At all events, he thought it would
be desirable that the measure should stand over for a
time, in order that the subject might receive fuller
consideration. The present system of averages he
thought very objectionable. They were not taken
on the whole supply but merely on the prices of Eng-
lish corn. Now when Ireland contributed, as it had
been accustomed to do, a 16th or 17th part of the,
supply,- not to include her portion in taking the ave-
rage, was most unfair.. The duty. proposed by the
Noble Lord on corn imported was, in his opinion,
inadequate to the proteCtion of the agriculture of this
country. He (Mr. Curwen) considered sixty-five
shillings to be a fair remunerating price for the corn
grower, but the present Resolutions, which went to
allow the country to be inundated with foreign corn
when the price was but five shillings above that
which he mentioned, be thought highly objectionable.
—He believed the country felt as he did, and would
much rather that the law should remain as it now
was, than that this Bill should pass, which the Noble
Lord broughtforward as a boon, but which would
prove an injury to thcise it was intended to protect.—
He was for cheap corn, 'but he diduot wish its price
to be so ruinously low as to throw a large body of
men out of employment. If the cora rose too high
it was an injury to the manufacturer, and no benefit
to the agricultural clam If it fell too low it was
ruinous to the farmer and injurious to the manufac-
turer, as the latter then lost the custom of the corn-
growers. He therefore contended that the interest of
, the corn-growers and the manufacturers were one and
the same. Some Gentlemen asserted, that the ab-
sence of that protection which had been called for
would only have the effect of throwing the poor lands
out of cultivation. -But he would say,-that it was not
the poor lands alone that would be thrown out of cul-
tivation in the case supposed. If the present measure
passed, he was convinced that it would give a severe
blow to the agriculture of the country, and lead to the
most ruinous consequences, and he should therefore,
on the present occasion, take the sense of the House
*II the question that the Speaker do leave the Chair.
' Mr: WESTERN supported the motion of his Hon.
Friend, and declared the measure now under consi-
deration, instead of inspiring hope and confidence,
was deprecated and condemned from one end of the'
country to the other. It would be most unwise to
press such a measure at this moment, which could
• ', ly operate prospectively. The price of corn would
not rise so as to open 'the ports. The Bill might do
good, or it might do harm; but, as they had not suffi-
cient data to justify them in coming to the conclusion
that it would do good, it ought not to pass into a law.
Mr. BENETT (Wiltshire) stated this Bill to be
viewed by his constituents with abhorrence, and it
Was their prayer that the, old law should continue,
rather than that this me sure should pass.
Mr. D. BROWN said, he should vote for going
into the Committee, but in the Committee it was his
intention to endeavour to persuade the House to alter
the duties proposed by the Noble Marquis.
Mr. CANNING wished to move an instruction to
the Committee. Through inadvertence on his part,
he had omitted to move it at the proper time, but his
Noble Friend would perhaps not object to withdraw
his motion for the present, to afford him an opportu-
nity of propcsing that instruction which he was
anxious, in conformity with the wishes of his Consti-
tuents, to convey to the Committee in the event of
the House resolving itself into the Committee. That
which he should suggest was not new, but no Reso-
lution having be:fn come to on the subject, what he
wished to supply had become necessary. It grew
out of a just apprehension on the part of the agricul-
tural interest of the consequences of a great influx of
corn, when 'the parts should open. One way of get-
ting rid of the possibility of sustaining great injury
from such influx was, to afford facilities for the ex-
portation of that wheat which wasin warehouse when
the ports were not open. The instruction which he
should move, would propose that this should be done
y permitting corn, now in warehouse, to be ground,
subject tb such restrictions as the House might con-
4idersuitable. It was suggested. first :—'That for every.
'porter of ,wheat taken out of warehouse, as large a
quantity of flour, or if the House pleased, a somewhat
larger quantity of flour should be forthcoming, than
Wigs oftlinarily produced from a quarter of wheat.—
Ja was then proposed that six weeks should be al-
lowed for exporting it; and if the parties failed, that
it should then go back to the warehouse under bond.
proper care being taken that it should not be suffered
'to come into the market for home consfimption. Se-
ciiiity on this head the agriculturist had unquestion-

• to,
gam*
cn of LONRONAgARIri
,soticon , that
principle Orwhien,
could be ilia, it being , eit
clause to be introduced would be open'fare diatomic&
in the Committee. When-they clime to the question
that the. Speaker should leave the Chairuheloped it
would not bethought necessary to travel over .the
whole *Acct agent. He wished now to state that
he di4 not propose the present Bill as the-best Corn
Laws Which the wisdom of Parliament could devise,
butlione that would supply sot efficient check to an
evil which had been heretofore. severely felt. The
Hon. Mentber,for Essex, with a degree of intrepidity
which he dill not exactly understand, had asserted
that the ports would net open. He did not know how
he could venture this, but he was sure the Hon.
Gentlemen would not deny that, if such a 'circum-
stance should occur, it would lead to the most ruinous
consequences. With respect to the complaints made
to this measure, he would say, that if they were to
stand still till one should be devised to which no ob-
jection could be urged, they might wait till doomsday.
only proposed this as an improvement on the
existing law, and never was there a time when the
experiment could be made with less risk. Withdraw-
ing his motion that the instructions of the Right Hon.
Gentleman might be moved, he hoped the details of
this grinding clause would not be gone into on the
question that the House should resolve itself into the
Committee.
Sir T. LETHBRIDGE said he should oppose the
clause which the Right Hon. Gentleman had an-
nounced it to be his intention to move, as be was
convinced that nothing would tend so much to faci-
litate the consumption of foreign corn in the shape of
flour, when the ports were closed, as such an enact-
ment. The prices of agricultural produce continued
from week to week to decline, and it was therefore
necessary to afford the landed interest efficient pro-
tection. He could state that he had a hundred Peti-
tions in his possession to present to the other House
against this Bill passing into a law.
Mr. RICARDO agreed that the clause which was
to be moved ought not to be adopted, unless security
could be given that the corn ground into flour should
not enter with the home consumption; but if security
on this head could be given, nothing would be more
unjust to the parties concerned, than to prevent the
grinding of flour with a.view to its being exported.
He,thought the Noble Lind's Bill would be an im-
provement on the present law.
Mr. WESTERN would acquiesce in the clause to
, be proposed by the Right Hon. Gentleman (the Mem-
imtv for Liverpool). if security could be given that the
corn reduced to flour should not be brought into
home consumption, and he was disposed to think that
each security might be given.
Sir JOHN'NEWPORT would support the clause,
as he conceived that to encourage the export of fo-
' reign corn would benefit the agricultural interest of
this country.
After a few words from Mr. D. BROWN and Mr.
Smarr, the House divided, whenlhe numbers were:
For the Motion - 146
Against it 39

withdrs

consented to.I
thAjitsct,ion thould be
be2pprebeildid,llb
• titiderstood thait the

Majority -

-107

On the return of strangers to the gallery, Mr. D.
BROWN was on his legs, asking whether a Commit-
tee on the Bill had power to increase the rate of duties?
TheSPEAKER said, a Committee had power to
lower, not raise the duties.
The question being put, " That the House resolve
itself into a Committee to consider of the Corn Im-
portation Bill,"
Mr. D. BROWN moved, €4 That the House go into
further consideration of the question to-morrow."
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY opposed the
Amendment, which was moved for the purpose of in-
creasing the duties. The Noble Marquis said he
should deprecate carrying it higher at the present
moment. There would be found a disposition in the
country to concur in the scale of duties as they were
projected. As the law stood, corn would come into
the market without regulation, but he had rm doubt
the scale of duties would regulate the supply, and
prevent the market being inundated.
After a few observations from Mr. D. BROWN and
Mr. BILNITT (of Wiltshire), the Amendment was ne-
gatived without a division. •
On the question for the Spasm leaving the Chair, Mr. Cos-
wax pressed for the sense of the House, and a division ensued :
For the Srear.za leaving the Chair - .149
Against it - - - 41
Majority - —los
The House conseqnently went into Committee on thr.Bill,
and Mr. War:mons moved that the amount of the Import Duty
be sixty-four instead of seventy shillings.
Nzweose and Mr. D. GILRIZT opposed the Amendment.
Mr. WODEHOUSE contended, that the Agriculturist could
not be protected by seventy shillings, and therefore moved to
insert 755. instead SI 70s.
After some discussion, in which the Marquis of Loanow•
-
=SST, Mr. RICARDO and Mr. N. CALVERT, IoOle part, the Com-
mittee divided on dr. Wommousis Amendment :
Ayes - - 41
Noes - - - 87
Majority - —45
Mr. BANKES then moved to make the duties payable at
the time of importation, instead of paying after corn is Ware-
housed for home consumption.
This was opposed by Mr. F. Romasom, Mr. Maaarare, and
the Marquis of LONDORDRARY, and after sons discussion the
.Committee divided,
Ayes
Noes • 70

In 11. DOUGLAS thought the proper time for
propo.ing an Amendment like the present, would be
idle:- they had been in a Committee upon the Bill for
tlie repeal of the tax, when it would have undergone
:111 the modifications intended by the Chancellor of
II:e Exchequer.
General GASCOYNE thought that neither the
Ihuse nor the Right Hon. Gentleman were aware of
the extent of production from the two shillings a bushel
salt. He did not think the present a proper time
for the proposition before the House. He was of
opinion that at least it might be well to try the effect
of reducing the tax to two shillings the bushel. It
would not be long before Parliament would have an
epportunity of considering the subject again, and in
the meantime he thought as much was done as the
country had a right to expect.
Mr. BENETT (Wilts) supported the Amendment.
lie disapproved of a tax on salt altogether, and ob.
.cted to retaining any part of it to serve as a nucleus
liont which it might be at any time increased. •
Mr. CALCRAFT, though he had said he should
Y-i:ose nothing further on the subject of the Silt
dx, had not pledged himself not to support any
motions that might originate in another quarter. It
had been stated that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
had gone further than be(1114.-Calcraft)had proposed
to go. This was true, but be (Mr. Caleraft) bad
lookej to the ultimate extinction of the tax, and doing
Lo, had thought it necessary to frame the propcnition
he first brought forward in such a way as was likely
to make it palatable to the .House. kle was surprialit
that the gallant General (Gascoyne) should-not 94*
port the amendrilent, as he had always been of opi-'
11.6 a ,hat the proposition which he QVlr..eakraftY_sub-'
nated to the House did not go far woo' igh. Jf
•! (Mr
fisheries were left as at present, it would be Deets-
that additional. ()Eters should he appointed
to protect the Revenut. When it Oas 'stated that
the tax would produce m It ore than ad been' ialcu,
la.ett, the gallant General must certainly mean th.
tax the fisheries-4" No,'fraiss
11 he did nut inear4 tias. 'l,licArtatild'nOthe ftte;cl

_ •
Majority - a - - —37
The whole of the Clauses having been agreed to, Mr. CAN-
NING brought up • Clause to warehouse corn forthe /star:tie of.
bestir ground into•liour, upon girding precautionary bonds.
Sir E. KNATCHBULL expressed a hope-that the flight
Honourable Gentleman' vrtsuM allow the Clause to be added to
the Rill for the purpose of Wog printaio and discussed upon the
third reading.
*Die Marquis of LONDONDERRY did not object to that
proposition, and the Clause was added to the Bill.
The House then resumed, and the Report was ordered to be
received this day.
'rho ether Orders of abs Day were then disposed Ø. and at
Half-fast Two o'clock the House adjourned.
•

.
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esqrs.
- at'Y rovfaff
. atelPitoltnnth
dky;• ic lOtied..ll6trk-thelreat too sr o'€
-strid-ile-woutd det-Ain dietoinpOtty try;
'irphtiatirtpenitteh iength on the tittnietittchmeobit
lief ,'the matchless ekxtueitee, the iroilieisintepley,.
r:fielsitidiress of heatt;*the attttchment to his Khig,
thilcive of his country, which distinguished the
'illiisttious-ttatesmart whose birth they had met to ce--.
'tebrate. ' These they had repeatedlyheard delineated
ifith more -elorpsence from the-Chair on former occa-
, skins.= He wetild therefore only remind them that Mr..
Pitt proved himself,•threughout his Whole-course, the
steady, inflexible, incorruptible patriot. His coun-
try'i Weal. was The first object in all his designs ; and
en himself he never bestowed a thought. His life
was-devoted to his Kin 7 and his public duties, and
it might truly be said, he sacrificed it to the love of
his country. He concluded by proposing " The inf.
mortal Memory of William Pitt," three times three,
and great applause.:
Sir C. Loamtre -begged leave to propose " The
health of the President of the Day," whicb was drank
with three times three, and Jong continued applause!
The PRESIORNT said, he could not adequately exp,
press his sense of the high honour which had been
conferred upon him in calling him to the Chair; but
he was proud of the opportunity it afforded him of
expresiing his admiration of the great sti:t:nman,
-whose talents and exertions had saved the cr,untry,
the pride of Englishmen, and the envy of the world.
Mr. WILLIAM LORAINE begged leave-to propose
the health of a Right Hon. Member of the Club,
Lord Stewart, and took the oppoitunity of delivering
a message from his Lordship, expressing his regret
at his unavoidable absence front the Meeting that
day. He was desired by his Lordship to apologise
for not having been able to give an earlier answer to
their invitation, which was caused by the uncertainty
whether he should not have to attend.his Majesty to
Vienna r. and also to inform the Club, that his Lord-
ship was highly sensible df the hon,our of being a
member; and to express his readiness to undertake
the duties of the Presidentship, if the Club should ho-
nour hint by requiring his services on any future oc-
casion, when his public dutiestnight not prevent him.
—He had not been able to accept their invitation this
year, because he had received his Majesty's corn mands
to,preside at a dinner given to theetficers.of the 10th
Hussars, and to present-,to- them, in his Majesty's
name, a service of plate of the value of £5OOO. His
Lordship's health. was drank, with three times three,
. .
and great applause. -

‘, The rit-n- ;en of NorthuMbeilind," three times three.
" The Duke of Wellington aad Isis brave Army, and may their
happiness in peace be cquAto their renown in war," Elite& times
three.—" Ste the conquiring Werdeoniei.r ;
Mr. W. LORAINILuext piropo*d pilot :tkat
weathered the storm ;"• and
stook o casion to pangy.
rise the character of Mr. Pitt on one or. two pciinis,
which he belieVed had not been noticed in that room
before. The first wa.s;- the firnineii•and serenity of
mind with which he met and resisted the -dangers •.of
that critical period when. revolutionary France was
spreading terror and desolation. over the world.—.
Then Mr. Pitt stood firm, and an aimed population
started forth at his call. 'Those: t's.rho could not bear
arms were ready with their purses; acid thus united,
by. his energy, Britannia was enabled,• like an eagle
perchedon her cliffs, to look down secure on the
hostile array of Europe. Another point was, the dis-
interestedness of Mr. Pitt ; to say that he neither
pocketed the public money, nor lavished it upon
his relatives, was saying, little, or rather would
be an insult; but he (Mr. W. Loraine) maintained,
that for the long period in which Mr. Pitt was the
Prime Minister of this great country, he had not !Aker'
what may be called the fair advantages of his post
(an unexampled instance of moderation), as it was
well known that the Cinque Ports had been forced
upon him by his late Majesty, as a reward for his
matchless talents, integrity, and services. Mr. Lo-
raine concluded with a quotation applicable to Mr.
Pitt, who

• • .
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pass- armee, and it was riot tObidoubted et the repeal naitisikor, . .by GrandiDitiner,nt Asembly Rooms in New-
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.and:S..l "nc7cOpl_est-tho
G.
aulleynY
tai- the Noble Marquis looked. ii‘the whole Osolntrywlth
not a view of carving it into *taxi*: Was. for Par-
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