Star.
London, England, 1828-05-02 00:00:00

IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN WOOL.

The Duke of RICHMOND withdrew his motion,
which stood for to-day, for a Committee on the subject
of the Wool Trade, stating, that he should consider it
his duty to bring the question before their L.rdships on
Monday.
The Earl of HI REWOOD said be rose to present a
Petition, which he had brought into the House on a
former evening, but which, owing to some informality,
he was subsequently obliged to withdraw. It was from
a number of merchants residing in London, who were
ngaged in the wool trade, and the object of it was to
prevent the levying of a higher duty upon the importa
nion of fisteign wool. As, however, agreeably to the
notice of the Noble Duke, the question was to come
forward on Monday, he would, for the present, defer
making any observations nn the subject.

The Petition was read at length, and laid on the table.
Tne E irl of M ALM ESBURY said, he was not sur-
prised at persons engaged, at the petitioners were rept,.
seated to be, in the wool trade, praying against an in-
ciease on its duty. 13y the wording of the Petition,
they did not seem to stop there, inasmuch as they en-
treated their Lordships not to grant a Committee of
Inquiry into the thousands of Petitions which had been
presented on the subject. Was that the part of men of
leering ? Was it the part of men relying upon their
own strength, or who felt themselves confident in bring-
ing forward plods that the measure proposed by them
would be attended with a beneficial result? He had not
much experience in the proceedings of that House, but
must cuntess that this was the first time he had heard
a Petition couched in such terms, or so connected with
thou-ands of others claiming relief from desires: which
bad been existing for three years, and which, on that
account, must be considered an aggravated distress.
Lord HAREWOOD disclaimed, on the past of the
Petitioners, any desire of not going into an inquiry on
the subject, upon the grounds of excluding rersons
from being heard who had petitioned; but there was
another motive which influenced them. Their Lord-
ships were, perhaps, not aware of the mischievous ten-
dency of going into the minutia of such subjects in
Committees—those minutia were conveyed into the
country, and circulated to a very considerable extent;
and he would take on himself is say, that no measure
was more likely to be attended with so mischievous a
result. The Petitioners stated, that atter a considerable,
lapse of time the woollen manufacture was beginning
again to revive under the present duty of a penny in the
pound, and this was the reason why they expressed their
anxiety that no step should be taken which might sub-
sequently prove injurious. .What the Petitioners stated
in praying their Lordships not to go into Committee
had b..en tried, and the experiment failed, for, as he
we
re
copied, mentioned, the various minutia of evidence
copied, and, being carried into the world, had gene-
rally the effect of producing dismay in the minds of all
who were connected with the woollen trade in the
country.
• The Earl of MALMESBURY was glad that the
woollen trade appeared now to ,be in a state of pros-
perity ; he, however, applied the word dismay, only to
those who were in the act of suffering; but the Noble
Lord s-emed to apply it to those who were apprehend.
ing something. N w this he could not conceive sufficient
to justify their Lordships from withholding the inquiry
which so many petitioners prayed fur, and whose only
object was to lay before Parliament a fair statement of,
facts—for the fairer the better—(Hear)—and to grant,
in compliance with the prayer of a thousand petitions,
what all must consider to be jnst and teasonable.
The Duke of WELLINGTON expressed his consent
to the appointment of a Committee, on the grounds, as
stated by his Noble Friend, of a fair inquiry into the-
depression of the wool trade, and not with the intention

The Marquis of SALISBURY said he would only
point out the grounds' on which, in his opinion, the
manufacturers could declaim against the existing laws
relative to the importation of foreign wool. It was well
known that since the duty on wool was taken off, the
trade had gradually decreased ; and if a rims facie
evidence a as ever made out, It was in their power now
to make it out, that the mea;ure had, for the last two
years, proved injurious and detrimental to the manu-
facturers of the country.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE said, with due respeit to
the Noble Duke at the head of his Majesty's Govern-
ment, if there even was al inquiry, they were mistaken
if the Noble Lords supposed that it would not be alto-
gether useless. unless Government would consent to the
imposition of a flesh duty. The very mention of a
Committee of Inquiry already had an injurious effect
upon the merchants and manufacturers; and therefore
he put the question to his Noble Friend, whether it was
Itheistentlon of the Goiernment to increase the duty
for if not, it was his decideSopinion that such an inquiry
would do great injury tb the agricultural and mann•
facturing interest.
The Duke of RICHMOND was not surprised at the
opposition evinced by the Noble Baron, but begged to
remind him, that in the year 1824 lie proved to be a
false prophet—(A laugh). It was not his intention to
have spoken on the subject at present, but as the epees.
tion was already undergoing some discussion, he felt
himself called upon to say a few words, for he was
sure that a very considerable portion of his Majesty's
subjects were suffering greatly under the grievances
arising out of the present system; and now, when
they, in a respectful manner, came forward to petition
for redress, would their Lordships reject their Petitions,
and refuse to inquire whether the grievances did really
exist ? If their case should not, upon investigation, prove
sufficiently strong, lie pledged himself to vote against
it, but would reserve himself until he should hear the
evidence before the Committee. As, however, he had
declared his intention of submitting his motion for a
Committee on Monday, he was somewhat apprehensive,
Irom the opposition which he was led to expect from
the Noble Lord, that, before that time, he would get
all the Yorkshiremen in the county to petition against
it—(A
Lord WHARNCLIFFE hoped that Noble Lords
would come to the discussion of the question unpreju-
diced. He thought, however, that the N.hle- Duke
would find himself much mistaken as to its result.

Lord REDESDALE slid that an immense capital
ought to be employed in the cultivation of the land ;
but under the existing laws, the farmers not being -able'
to dispose of their wool, were totally prevented from
cultivating their lands, which was the chef cause of the
great distress that prevailed among the agriculturists.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE again asserted that an in-
quiry would be attended with no beneficial result, but
would be found to have a contrary effect upon the ma
nufacturing districts Before be sat down, he wished to
mention to hit Noble Friend, that whether his prophecy
four years ago proved true or not, he at th .ime made
another prophecy in the House of Commo.,s, when he
told the Members of that House lie would undertake to
pledge himself that the expnruttion of wool would not
in the least adv•ince its manufacture, nor increase its
value one halfpenny. He begged to ask his Noble
Friend if that prophecy were true?
The Duke of RICHMOND observed, that the
Chancellor of the Exchequer' had made a kind of com-
promise with the ImA growers, having rel used to allow
the exportation of 111 lush r,ool, without at the same
time. tilting off the import duty on foreign wool. The
compromise turned out very unfavourably for the British
growers, and they were entitled to the satisfaction of an
ism:inky. to ascertain whether any thing could be done
for their relief.

The Marquis of SALISBURY said it was well known
that since the duty on foreign wool was repealed, the
exports of Out article bad diminished. He held in his
hand an account of the exports of wool ; he would not
trouble their Lordships by reading the figures con-
tained in it, but was d. sirous that they should look into
the st dement—The Petition was then lard on the table.
Lord REDF.SDALE presented a Petition from owners and
occupiers of land meeting In Warwick market, against the impor-
tation of foreign corn. The Noble Lord also presented a Petition
from Thomas Bradfield, against the Surrey Coal Meters Bill.
The Duke of WELLINGTON presented a Petition from the
millers and flour factors of Dublin, praying that the Legislature
would rake measures to prevent flour being brought to the Isle of
Mao and imported,thente, duty free, into England.
The Earl of LIMERICK said, that be had received informa-
don, that most extender feauds were carried on by certain mer-
chants of Liverpool, In pursuing the system against which the
prayer of the Petition was directed. He understood that oc a
recent occasion, 19,000 quarters of bonded wheat had been sent
from Liverpool to the Isle of kian, and thence imported from it,
duty free.
The-Earl of .MALMESBURY bad heard that there was a
veseelwkh a cargo of a similar nature unloading at that very time.