Star.
London, England, 1819-05-22 00:00:00

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Acyonskthis plot they do not madder themselves justified In
4.** saki: Open my opinion, conjecture, or speculation merely their
own—and when a system is recommended, it semis to take',
away from the Bank any thing like a discretionary consideration
at the necessities and the distresses of the Commercial Wod4
" If the Directors withboketheirpeesrime consent, k is not
from a want of deference to Ms Majesty's Givernment, or to
the opinions of the Commitasea ' of the two Reuses of Puna-
ment ; but solely from a scrips fooling that they have no right
whatever to invest themselves, of their own accord, with the
responsibility of countenancing a measure, in which the whole
community is so deeply involved, and possibly to compromise
the universal interests of the Empire, in all the relations of Agri.
culture, Manufacture Commerce, and Revenue, by a seeming
acquiescence or declared approbation on the part of the Direc-
tors of the Bank of England.
" The consideration of these great questions, and of the degree
In which all those leiding and commanding interests may be af-
fected by the measure proposed, rests with the Legislature; and
it is for them, after solemn deliberation, and not for the Bank,
to determine and decide upon the course to be adopted,
" Whatever reflections may have from time to time been cast
upon the Bank ; whatever invidious representations of its con-
duct may have been made, the cautious conduct it adopted in so
measuring the amount of currency as to make it adequate to the
wants both of the nation and of the Government, at the same time
keeping it within reasonable bounds, when compared with what
existed before the war' as is slump in the Lords' Report, pages
10, 11, 12, and 13; the recent effort to return to a system of
Cash Payments, which commenced with the, fairest prospects,
(but which was afterwards frustrated by events that could not
be foreseen nor contrauted by the Bank), are of themselves a
sufficient refutation of all the obloquy which has been so uncle-
savedly heaped upon the Establishment.
" The Directors of the Bank of England, in submitting these
considerations to his Majesty'S Ministers' request that they may
be allowed to assure them, that it is always their anxious desire,
as far as depends upon them, to aid, by every consistent means,
the measures of the Legislature for furthering the prosperity of
the empire. (Signed) " ROBERT BEST, Sec"
The Paper was immediately ordered to be printed
for the use of their Lordships.
SCRAMBLES IN THE OLD-BAILEY COURT.
Lord BULK ELEY said, that he was desirous of knowing
if he might allude to what he had observed in the Newspapers'
—(Rear, Hear! end loughing.)—Seelng the Noble Secretary for
the Home Department MM. place. he lisped that Noble Lord
would not take the quad= he was about to ask swiss. What
he wished to knew was. whether steps had been taken to prevent
the scrambling for the property of Feloss, as was witnessed at
the Old Bailey on some trials in April last?
Viscount SIDMOUTU knew nothing of the transactions
which the Noble Lord (ikilkehey) mencioned,bsst what was stated
in the daily Papers. No representations had been made to him,
nor was he called on to interfere is any war. Unless the sub-
ject came before him in an official way, the Noble Loid must be
satilified that it was impossible forhim to interfere-
RETURN TO A METALLIC CURRENCY.
The Order of the Day .for their Lordships taking
the' Resolutions founded upon the Report-into cone-
.deration, being read,
'The Earl of HARROWRY, pursuant to his notice,
rose to move.Cor their Lordships agreeing to the same.
The Noble President,•in a short introductory' speech,
very little of which, from the evident indisposition
under which his Lordship laboured, could be satis-
factorily heard• below the bar, recommended the
adioptioa of the Resolutions, as presenting' the most
salutary and least unexceptionable way, under the
present circumstances of the country. for a gradual
roam to the ancient and long established currency
nit-the country. The proposed plan went by gradual
;ad regular krreani io.effect so important an end, and
preclude a mode which may fairly be questionable as
hiOiy. iWurious, namely, an attempt at too rapid a
R6urnpffon of .Cash. Payments. In concluding, the
joble Eatl a.poiole;sed, from his MUD of !Wraith slam
evening. for his inabritto enter opera detailed view
of the subject ;.• and Moved their 'l,ordships' =qui-
acence in the Resolutions: •
The Earl ctIATIDERDA-LE, after expressing his
regret et the Noble President's state of health, and
seeming at present to deprecate a detached discussion
of 3 the subject, moved an amendment to the motion
for agreeing to the Resolutions, to leave out all after
the word it That," for the purpose of introducing a
series of Counter-Resolutions, deducing widely diffe-
rect. conclusions from what had appeared before their
'Lotlishipe Committee—and that an alteration of oar
Mint regulations, such as will approximate the Mint
valises of our saver and gold coin 40 the market va-
lues of these metals, is a necessary preliminary step
to the restoration of our currency to a salutary state.
These the Noble Earl moved should be agreed to by
the House, in the ward amendment
• Earl GREY proposed, as the most advisable course
in the present state of the question, that the Resolu-
tions proposed by his Noble Friend should be printed
and lie over for discussion to some future day. His
Noble Friend's proposition took a totally different
view. sof the important subject, and it could not be ex-
pected their Lordships could at hearing them once
read, be sufficiently masters of their import to discuss
their comparative merits properly. He deprecated
any idea of putting off the discussion merely for the
sake of delay. His Noble Friend, who perhaps was
more conversant with the extensive and intricate sub-
ject than any other man, thought what appeared be-,
fore the Committee admitted of very different cos-
elusions from those embodied in the Resolutions pro-
posed by the Noble Earl opposite, and their Lordships
certainly ought to have some interval of judging be-
tween 'the two. He should therefore earnestly recom-
mend the coarse he had adverted to, and would sug-
gest Tuesday next as the earliest proper period for
resuming the discussion.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL expressed his opinion,
that the subject was of that peculiar importance, that
it was essential (whatever opinion may be formed
upon it), the decision of Parliament should be made'
as speedily as practicable. More disadvantages might
arise than many seemed to be aware of; from the
question bang thus left ip 2 state of uncertainty and
. indecision. And farther, as the subject might be con-
nected in some degree with the conduct of the Exe-
cutive Government, he for one was anxious for an
early opportunity of delivehing his sentiments How-
ever, if it should be the mend sense or p 9f
their Lordships, he 'would not individually 410..*- 3.
a short' postponement of the, discussion. • . •
The Earl of ROSSLYN was of opinion it would be
more advisable to postpone ti-discussion, for, there
were many. Noble Lords, he *might, who could pot,
In the interval allowed, fall A 54iyoutto jud
" •on the merits of the question).
The suggestion Of' the Noble girth. act. Adeil
• the woolsack not seentirigto meeilltelateral
currehce of the House" ' 4 4 • • .
The Earl" of. LivpirpoL rose and proceeded re.
gularly to theliscilujoii of the important subject, be-
fore the H. There never, he observed, was any
subject so thorougidy sifted
,by Parliament as that
now under comiderationi'l eras not 'only before
Parliament thet ti !subject had long been in a course
of discussion, but it as as various Wers shapes before

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