Star.
London, England, 1810-05-16 00:00:00

IRISH WIEWRRIES.

Mr. FOSTER (the Mouse having gone into Com-
mittee) proposed a resolution granting a bounty of 3s.
4d. upon every barrel of Strong Beer retailed over and
above the proportion of the retail of one barrel of beer
to that of four eallons of spirits.
Mr. HUTCHINSON said, that he could not help
expressing his regret, that the Right I-7on. Gentleman,
in a matter of such importance to the interests of the
Brewers in Ireland, had not thought it necessary to
go into some detail respecting the grounds and objort
of the proposed resolution, as far as any measure had
for its real object the protection of the Breweries in
Ireland, so far was he a friend to that measure ; but,/
however favourable that object might be, there •
might yet be serious difference of opinion as to
the eGiciency of the means proposed iniurtherance or,
it ; the Bill which had been brought forward by the
Right Hone Gentleman had by no means answered
the end it was intended for. He (Mr. Hutchinson)
bad resisted it as laying the foundation of all those
grievances which could be now remedied only by the
repeal of the Bill which had produced them. He was
anxious to 13e informed how far the proposed bounty
to the retailer would operate as a boon to the Irish
brewer? was it ccrtain that the bounty would reduce
the price—and if it did not, if the consumer did not
pay le Js for the article ?He presumed-that the bounty
would not operate as an inducement to extra con-
sumetion. He was apprehensive that it would rather
have a tendency to encrease the sale of illicit spirits
and promote perjury, and thus prove equally injurious
to the revenue and the morality of tie country. He
wished to know also how the comparative sales of
malt liquor and spirits would be ascertained ? How
would fraud be provided against in 'his respect? How
could it be ascertained that the vender did not receive
the bounties upon the sale of illicit spirits ? Who were
to keep his accounts ? The retailers ? Here the Hon.
Gentleman commented on the chtEculty of such a
class of men as the small retailers of beer and spirits,
keeping an exact daily journal of the amount of beer
and spirits daily retailed; many of them could neither
read nor write, and were too poor to supply that de-
ficiency by the hired agency of clerks. A plan of this
kind would necessarily be productive of a great in-
crease of revenue officers to keep these accounts, and
consequently a serious addition to the expences of the
country. In offering these observations he wished to
distinctly.understood as not applying them to what-
ever measure 'it might be the intention of the Right
Hon. Gentleman to ground upon his proposed Reso-
lution; but rather as a summary ( f his objections to the
101 t.ttely in contemplation of the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman ; that Bill he had opposed, and his support of,
or opposition to, the forthcoming plan would depend
awn how far it'reseraibletfor differed from that. He
wished the Right Hon. Centlethan had stated how
As?, or in what they differed, and concluded by re-
qw:s:ing of him not to hurry his proposed measure
tlir4ligh the House, but move for the printing of the
Bill, tilling up the blanks, eat he (Mr. flutchinson)
might in the niterite have the instructions of his con-
stitumtr, and be prepared* meet the wishes of that
I.nd weighty re rtkn of the trading interests of
Ireland, uhich he had the honour to reresestt.

•
FOSTER said, that in Isis situation Is was
not to look merely to the main produce of any Reve-
nue Bill, but also to its moral effects. He deferred
to a future opportunity going into thit detail, which
he trusted would be satisfactory to all parties.
After a few words from Messrs. HORNER, PARNEC.,
SHAW of Dublin, BERNARD and WHITBREAD, the
Committee divided on the Resolution, Ayes 43--
Noes 20.—Majority in favour of the Resolution 23.

_
'AIIEUICAN DISPUTE.
Mr. WHITBREAD rose and said, that having
read and considered certain papers ,laid before the
House respecting the negociation which was carried
on between Mr. Erskine and the American Govern-
ment, he was now perfectly prepared to state his opt.
nion upon them. The Right Hon. Gentleman, his
Majesty's late Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr.
Canning), had publicly charged Mr. Erskine with
having depaited widely from both the letter and spi-
rit of his instructions. Mr. Erskine denied the fact ;
and the question at issue in the face of Europe was,
whether or not the Right Honourable Gentleman had
deviated from the truth ? He for'his own part was
persuaded no such imputation could be founded
against the Right Hon. Gentleman. But—

Here the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER rose and deprecated the progress of the Ho.
nourable Gentleman in a speech which might lead to
an irregular debate, there being no question before
the House.

Mr. WHITBREAD threw himself on the indall
gence of the House, and hoped to be permitted to say
a few remaining words. He did not mean to bring
forward any motion on the subject ; he wished to
save the House the trouble of a discussion. If he
wished to be indulged in saying a few words on the
subject, the Right Honourable Gentleman might also
wish for a similar indulgence. The question was at
issue, as between the Right Honourable Gentleman,
Mr. Erskine, and himself. What he wished to say
then was, that all that was wanting to the vindica.
tion of Mr. Erskine, was the publication of that letter
now before the world ; and from an attentive peru-
, sal of that letter he thought the vindication complete;
that Mr. Erskine had complied with the spirit of his
instructions ; but that those instructions were not
drawn up with the accuracy they ought to have bee*,
I nor with due attention to a law which had been re-
. cently passed in Ametica. Understanding, however,
Ithat an intercourse was now in negociation with
America, to which he hoped a favourable issue, he
! did not wish to urge any thing further on the sub.
Iject, nor to bring on the question which he meant to
have done, if that negoeiation had hot commenced.
I Mr. CANNING expressed his surprise at the course
pursued by the Honourable Gentleman, and thought
he had a right to complain of his want of candour in
thus deserting a discussion, which for so long a time
be had appeared so anxious to bring forward. For
i his own part, he had always courted it, as the only
way in which lie could shew to the world, that what
Ihe had done in his official character with respect to
I Mr. Erskine, would bear the strictest and most mi-
-1 nate investigation ; and that he only acted in that
business •as the duty he owed to his Majesty, who
had placed him in the office he then held, and to his!
I own character, had absolutely compelled him to do.
When the Hon. Gentleman thought it necessary to
move for certain papers on the subject, he not only
abstained from objecting to those papers, but actually
moved for many others which the Hon. Gentleman
did not know of, in order to throw every possible light
en the subject in all its bearings. There was nothing
tor which he was more anxious than that the investi-
gation of this subject should be entered into in the
fullest manner. He appealed to the House for the
truth of his assertion, that he had never said any thing
tending to traduce the character-of Mr. Erskine.—
'
He had affirmed, and re-affirmed, that Mr. Erskine
bad acted contrary to his instructions, not only as to
the letter, but the spirit of them ; and he was ready
Ito make it appear in argument, whenever the Hon.
Gentleman, or , any other of Mr. Erskine's friends,
should chase to bring it forward. He thought the
Hon. Gentleman did not treat him fairly, when, after
he had stated that if certain documents were brought
forward, it would appear that his (Mr. Canning's)
conduct would be found faulty and reprehensible ;
and now, when those very documents were brought
forward, the Hon. Gentleman deserted his former
ground, and he was left without any opportunity of
defending his official character from the charges
which had at different times been made against it.—
In the official situation in which he was placed, he
thought it his duty to advise his Majesty to recall
Mr.. Erskine for having disobeyed his instructions ;
and he should have done the same under similar cir-
cumstances to any other person, even the nearest and
dearest friend he had in the world, even -though he
had been appointed by himself. Mr. Erskine was an
entire stranger to him ; and when he found him ac-
ting in such a manner, he could not in duty but pre-
vent a recurrence of a conduct which might produce
circumstances of the most unpleasant and dangerous
tendency. For the reasons be had repeatedly given,
it was impossible he could have any view to personal
hostility to Mr. Erskine. All he had done was in
the line of his duty, and to justify himself with respect
to the conduct that Mr. Erskine's deviation from his
instructions compelled him to adopt.
Mr. WHITBREAD said, he did not expect the
Honourable Gentleman would attribute to him either
fairness or candour. All he had to say was, that, as
the matter stood, he did not think it necessary to pro-
ceed any further in it. If the Right Hon. Gentle-
man thought proper to take up the matter, and make
a question of it, he should be ready to meet him on it.
Mr. MORRIS hoped the House would indulge
him with a few observations on this subject, which
so nearly concerned his Hon. relative. He must ex-
press his surprise that the Right Hon, Gentleman
should treat this question as a personal difference.
Mr. CANNING (to order) said be must again
state to the Hon.' Gentleman—'--
The SPEAKER rose, and said he thought it now
his tinty.tO interfere ; and he hoped that what had
occurred this day would prevent in future any dis-
cussion being permitted to take place when there was
no question before the House.
Mere the discussion closed.

COLLECTION OF TAXES.
Mr. GRENFELIi said, he had received letter;
from various parts of the country, not against thy
taxes, heavy as they were, but against the vexation;
Mode of collecting them ; and unless some change

was made in the regulations of the Tax-ofAc'e, he
feared the country would feel itself in a situation past
endurance. He then begged leave to read one of
those letters to the House ; but before he did so, he
would assure them, that he made very' minute inqui-
ries as to the writer's character, and had found it to
be in the highest degree respectable. He was known
to many Members of the House, and particularly to
the Hon. Baronet who represented the County in
which he lived, and they all spoke of him with great
respect. The Honourable Member then read the let-
ter, but his voice frequently dropt so, that speaking
from under the Gallery, we could only now and then
hear him distinctly. We understood it, however, to
complain particularly of the various vexatious re-
trospective surcharges which had taken place in his
neighbourhood ; that he and the other Commission-
ers of the County had interfered, but that the Com-
missioners of Taxes had overawed their decision, on
which they had a trial in the Court of Exchequer, in
which the Court gave judgment against the Commis,
sioners of Taxes ; but though they gained their
cause, being against the King, they were obliged to
pay the costs, which amounted to upwards of £2OO.
Mr. Grenfell concluded by moving
‘4 That there be laid before the House copies of an correspon-
dence since the month of July between the Commissioners and In-
spectors for the collection of taxes on the subject of retrospective
surcharges at and near Ross, in the county of Hereford."
The two Members for Herefordshire both spoke
highly of the merits of the Commissioners of Greg-
tree, which was in their county, but thought that, as
the Chancellor of the Exchequer had stated it to be
his intention to introduCe a Bill for regulating any
thing that might be wrung, common candour required
that the House should wait to see his Bill.

Mr. FOLEY would vote against the production
of the papers at present, under an idea that the grit,-
vances complained of would beredressed by the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer. If it should appear here-
after that those grievances were not done away, he
would move for a Committee to inquire into the sub-
ject.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that in a few days he should bring in a Bill in
which a clause would be introduced to limit the time
within which surcharges should be made, and there-
fore the only practical line complained of by the Ho-
nourable Gentleman (Mr. Grenfell) would be reme-
died. That no man was more satisfied than himself
of the value and the merits of the services of those
Gentlemen who created those acts in the country.—
He thought the country greatly indebted to the Com-
missioners who carried into execution these acts in
their neighbourhood. That the Court of Exchequer
could not by law give costs to the Commissioners in.
this unfortunate suit; but if the Gentlemen had
stated to the Treasury the hardship of their case, he
would certainly have directed the reimbursement of
h-ar.)—and- now if an application wet e
made; he should still think it his duty to do so. But
having said this, he must beg leave to observe, that
much of the difficulties in this act had arisen from
the system being new, little understood at first, and
delayed in its process in the county: ; these would
not occur again. The Board thinking in this case
the law to be as they contended, could not do other-
wise than to appeal to a Court of Law for the deci-
sion, and this was all they had done. Gentlemen
knew weil that those persons who arc surcharged,
though rightly and under the sanction of the Com-
missioners themselves, will be sore and complain ;
and no man can deny that some officers may in some
cases du wrongly ; but he could take upon himself
to say that no Gentleman could be more anxious to '
repress every thing that was vexatious in their Officer;
than the Board A Taxes. This be would affirm from
a knowledge of the great. pains they had taken to
prevent their officers doing any thing wrongly. He
thought even the Honourable Mover could be satis-
fied, that there could be no gond in producing the,
papers :elating to this last transaction, as the Tics,-
:ince sought to be remedied 'e met by his bill.
Sir J. co rrRELL 0, a motion on the
subject, till the bill was before the I

Mr. HURST had long :lc- ‘...emmissirmer
and declared that he had alv ays found the -kai.l of
Taxes attentive to their du-r, .:,d accornn:bdating to
the Commissioners—that at: thought that Gentleman
at the head of that Board remarkable ft,r his knew.
ledge of business, his anxiety to discharge the func-
tions of his office uprightly and well ; and that no
man could be found who would execute that difficult
task so well.

Lord FOLKSTONE urged Mr. Grenfill to per-
sist in his motion ; and intimated that it might be
prop r to follow it up by a Committee, &c.
Mr. SHAW LEFEVItE opposed the motion on
the ground of Mr. Perceval's plan—but agreed that
a regulation of the time of surcharging was necessary.
Mr.THOMPSON said he had acted as it Commis-
sioner, had found the Tax Board always 'discharging
its duty properly. and in his opinion giving way to
Commissioners too soon. But as to the inferior of he had seen no instance of misconduct ; that he
had seen a very long list of.surcharges, but he knew
the persons-who were the objects of them, and had he
`been the Sur-vela., he should have theiight it tis duty
io charge them higher than was done.
Mr. BABBINGTON• said, that he thcinight one
observation made by the Hon. Mover should not pass
without notice. He had said that there was a system
of vexation acted upon through the country, which
would lead the people to complain that their grievance
was past endurance. He would not deny that there
might be some acts of the Surveyors which were un-
justifiable, and he believed it would be impossible to
find in any set of men perfectly proper 'conduct—
but that there was a system of vexation he must dis-
believe, because he had known scunething of the exe-
cution of this act, and had seen a very daft., ent oon-
duct on the part of the officers. The Hoillurable
Gentleman must allow him to think, that n.iti:ing
could be more calculated to create a teeling of dissa-
tisfaction in the people than to find that whilst some
were paying cheerfolly their fair portion of tax, others
were suffered to escape. This would be injustice,
and the House should take care how it joined in a cry
of vexation which might check the just and equal as-
sessment of the-taxes, and leave the honever part of
the community to hear not only their own fair bur-
thens, but those. also which were evaded by such as
were not so ready to pay their proper snare.
Mr. GRENFEf.L made a low liberal observa-
tions 'p explanation, and begged withdraw
the motion.--Adjourned,

TETE EV ENING STAR.

LONDON.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16.
PRICE OF STOCK:). THI3 DAY AT ONE O'CLOCfi.
3 per C. Cons. money, 70i--ace.
s per C. Reduced 69H-1 per Cent. rt
5 per Cent. Navy 101—Exchequer Bills 24 84,
PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY,
Bank Stock 365+ India Stock 1871 W
187 I
S per Cent. Red. Ann. India Bonds 174. pee. .-
3 per Cent. Coma. 70 tit Exc. Bills, Bs. pr.
4 per COIL 85i 84i 6 Lottery Tickets
S per Cent. Navy 101 100; Cons. for ace. 7011.
Long Ann. of 7-16

The ALIELIA frigate, which has arrived at F.ll.
mouth, in four days from Corunna, has brought ove-
two Spanish Deputies from the Gallician Junta, tole.
licit a supply of arms from this ccuntry.
Madrid Gazettes have been received to theist nit.
Subsequent to the actions in Catalonia which hoe
already been narrated, we now learn that the French
occupied the town of Rues during four days aid
nights. In the whole of this interval a conflict vie
maintained between the Patriots and the enemy, the
result of which was the loss of 2000 of the former,
and 1200 of the latter, after which diminution of
their numbers the French thought fit to abandon so
dangeinus a situation, lest they should be utterly de-
stroyed.

Letters of the 30th ultimo, received at Falmouth
by a running ship, front C.adis, express the utmost
confidence in the secnrityof Cadiz againsterearey.
A plan was in agitation in the city for the recapture
of the fort Matagorda, and there bad been several
meetings on the subject. The British gua.baata
and other lesser ships of war constantly annoyed the
enemy ; they had actually set fire to a French camp
on the coast, and nearly destroyed it. A number of
French privateers had been expeditiously fitted out to
cruise against Spanish and British vessels, but with
very little success; for scarcely do they put to sea
before they are picked up by the British cruizers,
who keep a sharp look-out after them. The ouly
prize taken by the enemy for some time past, is a
ship which put into Malaga by mistake. Provisions
ate stated at Cadiz to be abundant, except flour, and
the want of that article was soon expected to be re.
medied. The prices of fish and butchers' meat were
as low as before the siege; and, in consequence of
the regular supply daily received, they would soon
be further reduced.

A ship arrived yesterday from Ostend in twenty.
six hours. The Captain states, that at the time he
came away the EMPEROR and EMPRESS of Fliascs
were expected at that place. He saw part of the
Body-guard arrive; the whole consisted of about
1500 horse. Scaffolding was erected in various parts
of the town, to enable the inhabitants to obtain a
full view of their Majesties. They proposed to take
an aquatic excursion ; and a boat was elegantly fitted
up for that purplse, to be rowed by twenty Captains,
who had offered their services on the occasion. A
large scaffolding, superbly decorated, had Os-) bun
raised, commanding a full view of the river, fr.
whence NAPOLEON and the EMPRES:, were to vv
the shipping; splendi I fetes were likewise to be given
on the water, if the weather proved favourable.
NAPoteoN is reported to have been at Finding cn
the 12th instant. One Pf our ships of war cruizing
in that quarter, is said to have been near en ii:;11 to
witness the speags..: cf Ms passing t:!ither, we suyp
:1031 the Island of Cads.-...e.. This, it is remarked,
is the first time that I.e has ventured to trust himself
upon that element over which we i.,c,sess the dorai.
fierce, since hi) 2ight from Egypt.
I Letters from Holland to the 11th inst. state, that
all the principal towns are garrisrned either with
French troops or mercenaries in the same service, and
this the douaneers throughout the country had been
exchanged, to obstruct the intercourse with Great
Britain. By the tenor of the letters, notwithstanding
the guarded expressions employed, it is obvious that
these restrictions are well understood to be nothing
More than an expedient to raise money, and that
commerce will be opened to those who win submit
Ito the exactions required.

The KING of WESPHALIA was expected et Hanover
at the commencement of the present month.

A letter from Sqmlin of the 18th ult. published in
a German Paperartates that the campaign between
the Turks and Rnasians had been opened by some
skirmishing, and that the arrpr of rach power vat
estimated at 150,000 men.

- -
Lord JAMES MURRAS • second SOIR of the Duke of
Arnot, is expected sl.• sty to le t t [he hymeneal
altar the amiable and b,...atitul EMILY Pucv,
youngect daughter of the Duke of NoRTMUMBISPLAXIN
It is thought that the honeyanonn will be vent at
Syon.
Monday a numeronc meeng of the inhabitants and
freemen of Canterbury to, k i:iace opposite the Guild-
ball in that city, when certain resoluuons wetOolliTt•
ed, expressive of their diss..„probation of the impri-
sonment of Sir Fa,tscts Iltinorrr, and Mr. GAVE
Jenal.
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT apinst the Par, of MOIR&
Lordship has retaii.t..i the Arroacask Gus,
RAL, MY. GA Rnow, and Mr. Wit:net:GM SS hi% Counsel.
FATAL PUGlLlSll.—Yesterday a battle
was taught
in Hyde Park, between two clerks, named Yeough
and Sorrel, in consequence of a dispute the preood.ng
evening, when they staked two ruiners each on the
issue of the cockiest, which lasted, with de ermined
obstinacy, three-quarters of an hour, when Teought
in running into his antaglnist, received a blow on the
forehead, which caused Us death at two o'clock.

lIMMN