Star.
London, England, 1819-04-06 00:00:00

suffickat relief tat security' 410. der interest bf tbel
rest Vom-Regulgill, which had been passed by
thaLegiikture, and that ant s= to effect a fur-,
this; tegulation on this head wobld hive the effect of
exciting discontent and alum throughout the country
amongst the manuracttuingand commercial popula-
tion. But be begged leave to my, the vital interests
of the agricolturists of England were not to be aban-
doned upon a kiofthat sort. They were a body
of men whose industry and whose fair interests were
as fully entitled to protection as those of any other
class of subjects, and whose successful industry was as
essentially interwoven with the well-being of the
country. But the fact was, that the farmers of Eng-
land, under the system of Taxes and Poor Rates, and
the prices of labour which embarrassed them, could
not meet in competition the foreign growers of corn.
It was said by many Gentlemen when a former Corn
Regulation Bill was introduced, that the state of the
agriculture of this country weal' subject which cer-
tainly required consideration, but that was not the fit
time to investigate it. That objection was urged at a
moment when the country was engaged ;#1 war, but
circumstances were since materially changed, for the'
country was now restored to a state of profound
peace; and if ever there was a moment at which the
subject called for inquiry, the present was that inn-
ment. He W 2% not one of those who were far declin-
ing investigation for the relief of any class of his fel-
low-subjects on the pretence that it might raise pre-
judices in the popular mind, or to defend such 'neap
sures as were necessary for the relief of the sufferers.
He, for one, thought that there was a very great de-
g ee of suffering amongst the farmers throughout
the kingdon, which every man passing through the
country might see ; and whilst Gentlemen were eft•
deavouring to avoid popular prejudices by refusing
to consider the distress undet which the farmers la-
. bowed, they were running the risk of injuring the
agriculture of the country, and doing incakulable,
mischief to all those connected with it. He should
most cheerfully comply with every measure that
could tend to remedy the distress of the aviculturists
of the country ; but when he heard it declared from
the hi*hest authority in that House that a man must
be indiscreet in the extreme who would even attempt
any measure tending to disturb the presentregtilations
of the commerce of corn in this country, he was al-
most deterred from hoping the assent of his Majesty's
Ministers to any investigation of the subject with a
view to salutary amendment. But he contended,
that the agriculture of this country was inseparably
interwoven with-her vital interests. The existence of,
her manufactures, and consequent, of her trade, en-
tirely depended upon it, for if that failed they mast
be destroyed ; and therefore he was for taking the
subject into speedy consideration.
The Petition was then read by the Clerk.
Mr. DICKENSON 'thought it highly necessary
that the 'House should . look into this subject. 'like
revenue of the country, it would be remembered,
was principally derived from the land, and the Go-
vernment could not go on without the revenue; and
therefore that ss hich was its source ought not to want
protection.
Lord A. HAMILTON had opposed the Corn
and was still hostile to that measure. Ile did not
say the case of the present Petitioners was entitled to
no consideration, but it was not a new Corn Bill that
st•o• Ineettine, htst rathor that which would restore
the currency of the country to a healthful state.
The Petition was ordered to lie on the table.
Other Petitions were in the course of being pre-
sented, when
Lord CASTLEV.EAG3 begged to remark that
she hour had passed when Petitions ought to give
v ay to public business.
The SPEAKER said, tte regular paper had been
gone through some time, but he had still two long
slips filled with the names of those on whom he was
to call. He knew no rule of the House which should
preclude these names from being called over, but
thought the best way, if the House wished to pro-
ceed to any particular business, would be for some
Honourable Member to state what it was to which it
was desirable that their attention should be directed.
CASE OF WTNDHAM WYNDHAM QCIN.

Mr. ELLICE rose to withdraw the notice he had
given for the removal of Mr. Wyndham Wyndham
Quin from the office of Custos Rotulorum of the
County of Limerick. He had intended to found his
r.!otion OA the Resolutions come to by the House,
but on looking oaer them since he gave the notice, it
had appeared to him that resolutions so mild would
not be sufficient to justify him in proposing to go
farther. This had been the opinion a the Gallant
General who had conducted the late proceedings,
and in deference to him and the House, he wished to
withdraw his notice. He begged to add, that in
what he had done, he had no motive but that of per-
forming his duty as a Member of Parliament, as he
had personally no knowledge whatever of the Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. W. Quin) against whom his motion
would have been directed.
BANK AFFAIRO.

Mr. PEEL brought up a preliminary Report froml
the Committee appointed to inquire into the Stan
of the Bank, which was read, and was in sabstanc.'
as follows :
" Thr Commi
are f1t.1% rogaril
Lope to bei
tAe /low,
'id& to be
Rot, sod
wltA stly.
wbjfts ii.ey
book lima
&de notes
eves under
teflon of I'
to Simian
Report of
measure Is 4
Mr. Pl
the Hou:
would
ral princii
The Report
measure
move for
from Snaking ,
and to restrain
before
consequence
intentions)

pay their
1817, there
Bank, and

collected, time bad been drawn out; up to the com-
mencement of the present year,
No less s Won than - • . - •• C 4,500,009
. There had been drawn out since the Ist Jan.
in the present year - - - - 700,000

Making together - - 1ii,0011,000
By the issue of this treasure no had been ef-
fected. Unless the issues of goltraid been accom-
panied by a simultaneous reduction of Bank paper
—(Hear,ltear)—the consequence must inevitably be,
that the gold would be sent where a profit could be
made of it. No doubt could be entertained of the
destination of that gold which had been issued by
the Bank since the notice to which he had alluded.
It was in fact announced to them by the Report
made by the Minister of Finance in France. From
that Report it appeared, that in the sixteen months
which had preceded the Ist of last January, there
had been coined 25,0017,000 of francs at the French
Mint, amounting in value to about £5,000,000. The
Committee had it on authority on which they could
perfectly rely, that threelourths of the gold used in
this coinage was the same that had been issued from,
the Bank. He would now ask of the House to re-,
Strain the Bank from:snaking further payments in
hold till the end of the present Session of Parliament.
The reasons on which he called for such a measure,
!were shortly these t it was evident to every one that 1
when the period arrived for the resumption of cash
payments, a quantity of bullion would be necessary,
considetahlv exceeding any supply the Rink could
be supposed to possess ist present. This fact could
Inot be questioned, and it necessarily followed, that
ithe treasure of which the Bank might now be de-
rived, world in no respect benefit the country, bat
would only tend to make the Bank more unable to'
!pay in cash, and consequeptly to postpone the period
pias at which the sosumpt:on could be effected. These
reasons led him to prifpose the Bill which he now
ked leave to bring in, and he begged to say he
moved for it solely with a view of facilitating the
return to cash payments. The Committee had 21 con-
fident hope, that at an early period after the recess,
they should be able, in their Report, to propose a
plan for the resumption of cash payments. This
hope he thought would prove to be well founded ;
and he must beg leave to add, that he was of opi-
nion, the inestimable advantages attendant on a re-
turn to metallic currency, might be purchased by
the plan now in contemplation, without subjecting
the mes'cantile world to those. inconveniences and
embarrassments which some Gentlemen anticipated.
Ile then moved for leave to bring in a Bill to restrain
,the Governor and Company of the Bank of England
from making certain payments in gold, pursuant to
notices giveo for tbatpurpose. The Right Honour-
able (k+tleman added, the. House would feel that
this Rill, if
.pernsiked to a brought in, ought to
pass with the least possible delay, and he therefore
hoped that there would be no objection to its passing
that evening through its several stages.
Mr. BROUGHAM felt unquestionably consider-
ably embarrassed at what the Right Honourable
Gentleman, as Chairman of the Committee, had re-
commended. The House must, he thought, feel em-
barrassed also, as the measure proposed was notbrought
forward, as it ought to have been, on the responsibi-
lity of the Ministers of the Crown, nor even on that
of the Committee; but on a partial statement, foun-
ded on what a Right Honourable Gentleman kr.::w
of the proceedings of the Committee, they were called 1
upon to pass a Bill of some importance, not only
without debate, but without the possibility of deba-
ting it. This, to say the least of it, was an extraor-
dinary mode of proceeding. On a former occasion,
when a great emergency occurred, a course was
taken, not only different, but directly opposite, to
that which was now preferred. In 17137, Ministers
having made up their milids, on information which
they could rely upon, issued an order in Council to
restrain the Bank from making cash payments, and
then called on Parliament to pass a legislative mea-
sure in the usual way, and afforded the House every
means of inquiring into the subjeet, and of debating
it. A Committee was appointed, and made a report,
land, whatever the reasons contained in that report
might rest upon, they were laid before the House,
and they were enabled to debate it, without the usual
delays attendant on the observance of ail its forms.
Now his first objection to the measure proposed was,
that the Ministers deviated from the course taken by
their predecessors, in not issuing an order in Council
on their own responsibility, in the first instance. This
done, they might have come to the House to pass a
measure, under circumstances that would have left
the usual. opportunities for debating it opea to the
House. His second objection was, that this measure
was recommended to them as being necessary to pre-
serve the credit of Me Bank, and as subservient to
that ulterior measure which the Committee might or
might not recommend, at a subsequent period. if
the measure rested solely on the ground that it ought
to pass to save the. credit of the Bank, he should be
prepared to oppose it in all its bearings. He should
even be inclined to avail himself of those forms of
the House which had been placed in the hands of
Members for the purpose of arresting the progress of
proceedings when all the forms of the House were'
set aside by others. For if the measure had no foun-
but that which he had supposed, what was
: attempt to save the
own misconduct? The
;give notice that they
issued before January I,
proper to issue the notice
- be screened from its
he should be disposed
.. way. He was more
account. The Committee,
exactly see their way,
thauhey might have a
nt nature, to which the
brought in might be made
.'e were of opinion that
contemplation, but of which
could nut be effected
to have been stated.
• as to say this, then

grounds for recommendin
• proceeding--(Hear, hear.)
tbat there would be no op-
measure to answer the pur-
' through all its stages
.44 that m throe or four
such a drain onthcßank
ten he should' trot

Committer appointed to consider the State of the Bank dation bui that which he had at
engaged in deliberating on their Report, which they the present motion but a violent ;
br able on an early day after the recess tO present to Bank from the effects of its own
se, and they confidently hope that they sell then be
is a period fur the resumption of cash payments by the Bank had not been compelled tol
ml esogy,est a plan by which this may beiaceomplished would pay of their notes issued
•ty. lint the Committee are of opirioitittulliat the plan 1817. They had thought proper
toy have to propose will be maternity unwed Ix
if the referred to, and ought not to
scald he drained of its treasure by co • uiag to pay
!es of an eailSer date than Jar. lit, 1814 and fractional consequences. On this ground, hi
der £.5 in gold. They therefore subrn to the coaside- to oppose it in every possible
the Home the expediency of passing orthwitb a Hitembarrassed on another account
in the Bank from making such payene a, till after the it
wit. seemed, though tley did not el
of this Committee shall be received, someleg ive
be founded thereat:."" thought it possible or likely that,
PEEL wished to offer a few bservations to measure to propose of a diferent
use. lie was sure every one ust feel that it Bill new proposed tcx.be brought
I.e premature to enter at la e kite the gene. subservient. If the Committee al
aciples on which this Repo had been made. that which they had in contempt
port itself laid a suffici t ground for the they bad told them nothing, cot
* which he was about to opose. He should without this Bill, this ought tc
or leave to-bring in a Bil to restrain the Bank But if they could not go so far
caking payments of frac onat sums under £5, be thought there were no ground
restrain them from pa their notes issued the present extraordinary. proceec
the Ist day of Janis 1817, in Gold. In If he could be persemied that the
trance of the Bank (he was sure with the best tportuniti ofsarryear this measur
ms) having issued a odce that they.wonl4 pose intemded.moisieslit plumed tl
air notes of an earlier date that January.lsto that right—,if it okoulti be shewn,
there had been a c iderabic &fin of tht" days there was •likely to be terchl
tad of the treasure w ch had bon pteviensly that to past it would be ogles;