Star.
London, England, 1822-07-17 00:00:00

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MIL GALT'S LTYP OF CARTHNAL WOLSEY
This day was published,
In Ope'Volunse, 4to. with Portrait, price One Guinea, inboards,
THE LIFE god ADNILNISTIIATION of CALI-
DINA L WOLSF.Y.—By JOHN GALT, Esq.
Second Edition.
Printed for T. Catlett, Strand; and T. and G. Underwood,
Fket.street.

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PARLIAMENI ARV PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, J Ll' 11.
Lord ERSKLNC presented a Petition from certain inhabit-
tants of London and Westminster in favour of the 111-treatment
of Cattle Prevention Bill.—Laid op the tab!e.
The Fees of Courts 11111 was read a third time and passed.
The London Bridge Water-works Hill and the Scotch Spirits
Drawbacks 11d1 were read a second time.
Mr. Worries and ethers returned the Marriage Dill from the
Commons, with a message atmouncing that the Commons had
agreed to the amendments made by their Lordships therein.
cnuilvry TO A SINIALS.
Lord ERSKINE moved the second reading of the ill-treat-
. resent of Cattle Prevention Bill. His Lordship referred to the
Bill which lie had introduced into that house some years ago,
and which had been rejected by the Commons, and said that the
chief obji-ction to it lay in i:s preamble, an objection which did
not now exist. The principle of the present measure had al-
ready been smctioned by the Legislature, when it lately passed
a Bill prohibiting Bull-baiting entirely. Ile explained that by
ill-treatment 46'34 meant wanton cruelty, or cruelty for its own
sake, and •I that he did not recollect one case of ill-treat-
nient to animals in which the owner was guilty. Those cases
gener:illy occurred with those who had the care of cattle. 't-he'
Noble Lord then stated, that having once seen a man ill tteating
a horse to a sand pit, he had interfered, when the individual
said, " May I not do what I please with my own?" As he
(Lord Erskine) was retiring, however, he heard the fellow say,
I've cheated the Lawyer," meaning that he had passed him-
s: if for the owner of a horse which did not belong to him. Ott
aring this, he (I.ord Erskine) had returned, given him a
Food coni,ig, and afterwards received the thanks of his master
for .o doimy.
•r!,, Lo 11 D Cll A NOEL T.OR said, that although he did not
approve :11topether of the measure, he should have no objection
tc allowing the Bill to go into a Committee.
Atter a tew words from the Earl of LAUDIIIIDAW the Bill was
re:td a second tone, and ordered to be committed to-morrow.

CURRENCY.

The Order of the Day for the third reading of the
SaJail N.ites Bill having been read,
The Earl .f CARNAItVON would not object to
this Bill, but it would not do enough. If they threw
as much into circulation as before the return to cash
pi:yrs-lents, it would be productive of much good. It
mould be impossible to obtain a sufficient quantity of
gold to enable private Bankers to meet large de-
n:al:as for their notes, and therefore none of them
ould venture to issue any large quantity of paper
cm relic y. At the present low pi ices of gold and sil-
ver, which he believed were both below the Mint
price, he did not think it probable that we could have
any very extensive circulation of paper. As, how-
ever, this Bill would in some degree increase the cir-
culation, he would give it his support. But this was
almost the only measure of relief that they were
giving to the landed interest, now sinking under dis-
tress of the very worst kind. He denied that this
distress arose from superabundance; but he could
stew that it was intimately connected with every
change that had been made in the nature of the cur-
rency. The Bank of England and the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, (;hough he meant not to say that
either of them were conjurors) seemed to have power
over the Spirits of the Mountain and the F.:11," for
they had produced plenty and scarcity at their will.
The Noble Earl, who talked of our milortunes
arising from superabundance of production, should
give us prayers for scarcity, as we had for rain in
di y, and di ought in wet weather. He took a view
of the quantities sold, and the prices in 1820 and
1621, from Which he contended that when the supply
was the greatel the prices were highest ; and there-
fore the Noble Earl could not contend that it was from
superabundance that we were now sufferi.lg. When we
increased our issues of paper money, the prices rose ;
and when it decreased, they fell, until they produced
the ruinous effects, under which we were now so deeply
suffering. No doubt he should hear a deal of decla-
mation about the difference between war and peace
prices; but he contended that there was no difference
in the prices of agricultural productions in war and
peace until the passing of the Bank Restriction Act.
—ln 1780, when we were near the middle of the
Ameri:an war, bread was cheaper than in 177.5,
when it broke out. This went on until the suspen-
sion of cash payments, and then the prices rose ; and
from 1814 to the return of cash payments, the price
of wheat continued to rise. The restoration of cash
payments produced a failure very general among the
banks in the country, and this produced a very sud-
den and great alarm, and-a depreciation of the value
of agricultural produce. By an issue, however, of
.five or six millions of Exchequer Bills, the currency
was increased, and there was great relief afforded to
agriculture; at the same time the Batik threw the
gold, which they had withdrawn from it, into the
market again. But, in 1819, they again withdrew
it from all the markets in Europe, and that produced
a sudden depression of all agricultural produce.—
There was another view of this subject, and that was,
the calamity and distresses of Ireland. By the dis-
tress from the failure of the petatoe crop, the greater
part of that country was in a state of revolution and
famine, in the midst of plenty. They had been called
on to pass the Insurrection Act, which amounted to
martial law. This arose from the almost impossibi-
lity of paying rents and tithes, from the scarcity of a
circulating medium, which enabled them before to
pay the enormous tales of the country. Those who
objected to the causes of the distress which he had
assigned, ought certainly to shew some other more
feasible causes. They ought to adopt a standard
which would place the burdens more evenly on all
classes in the country. The Committee on cash pay-
ments should have inquired, what was the capability
of the country, to bear its taxation? But all they
seemed to think necessary was, to know whether the
Bank was in a situation to resume cash payments.—
beware then that they did nut, by their measures,
increase the distress, and bring the land owner to
retrenchment of bis means, which must diminish the
revenue.' The yeomen were formerly the great pur-
chasers of land, but now their property was mort-
gaged; and men who a year or two ago reckoned
their incomes at thousandF,were not now in the receipt
of so many hundreds. If they did not look to this
state of things, capital would fly from this country
to some or the other countries of Europe. We were
told, that in justice to the funtiholder they must keep
up the taxation of the country ; but he aas in-
closed to sieat.out equal justice to the landholder.—
did not conceive the public creditor intitled iu
justice to be paid at the expense of the landholder