Star.
London, England, 1811-05-09 00:00:00

PdRLIAMENTARr PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY 8.
BERKELEY PEERAGE.
In a Committee of Privileges, the further consideration of this.
Rase wat resumed.. Some further evidence was heard, and Sir
gnaws!. ROMILIT was heard at some length on the part of the
Petitioners. In consequence of certain points being referred to
the Judges, the proceedings were adjourned till Monday.
The Scots Creditors Bill, the Irish Loan, and the Slave Trade
Pellny Bill, severally passed through Committees of the whole
tiouse, and were reported without any Amendment.
Mr. JOHNSON, from the Irish Secretary of State's Office, pre-
vented certain Papers and Accounts, pursuant to an order of-their
Lordships.
Mr. DAVCNPOJT, Mr. DZNNISON, and other Members,
brought up a few private Bills from the Con uons, which Were
read a first time.
LOVEDEN'S DIVORCE BILL.
Mr. Warren and Mr. R. Jackson, Counsel for the Petitioner,
were again called in, when they proceeded to examine the re-
mainder of their witnesses, for the purpose of proving the act of

aadultery.-
Mary Day stated her having heard Mrs. Loveden's voice in the
bed-zoom of Mr. Barker, and the door was tried in her pre-
sence, and found to be locked. She also saw a little while after-
wi.rds Mr. Barker come from the sante room.
The gardener to Mr. Loveden saw Mr. Barker and Mrs. Love-
den together in the kitchen-garden, where the former had the
tarter with his arms round her waist, and in that situation he gave
her ;kiss.
The groom recollected often riding with 'Mrs. L., when they
were joi.l.ld by Mr. B.; and on one occasion he observed Mr. B.
conduct himself towards Mrs. L in a very familiar and improper
manner.
Mr. Seymour was a friend of Mr. Loveden, and op one occa-
step he too: an *pp ‘rtunity of speaking to Mrs. L. on the mark-
-44 attention which she paid to Mr. Barker. He did not recol-
lect now his own observation ; hot her answer was, that u long
as Mr. B. behaved kindly to her, she could do no less to him.
Mr. Price. the son of Mr.Loveden. stated his having received ,
the intercepted letters, and information of the discovery, from
some of the servants, at the time his father was with him; he
took the opportunity of disclosing the circumstance, which very
much agitated Mr. L. at the time, and he burst into tears. He
identified the letters which be received, and proved them to be
the hand-writing of Mrs. Loveden.
The servant not being present who delivered these letters to
Mr. Price, to identify they were the same which he had stated
came from Mrs. Loveden, the Counsel could not proceed to ad.
dress their Lordships upon the nature of their contents; accord-
ingly further proceedings were postponed till Friday, for the pur-
pose of wording time to adduce this necessary testimony.
The remaining Bills on the table were forwarded in their re-
spective stages, and the House adjourned till to-morrow ; when
their Lordships stand summoned upon Lord Sidmouth's Proposi-
tions respecting Protestant Dissenters.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Mr. HOWARTH postponed his motion respecting the Ise:
eruption of Foreigners front the Property Tax, to Friday.
Lord A. HAMILTON presented a Petition from the people
of the town of Paisley, stating the distressed situation in which
they were placed ; which was such, that out of a population of
30,000 individuals, 1200 families were reduced to distress, who
were formerly maintained in a state of respectability. The Pe-
tition further prayed for a Reform in the representation of the
people, end for the dismissal of Ministers.
Lord A. HAMILTON moved that it should lie on the table.
Mr. CURWEN did not oppose the motion, but thought the
Petitioners ought to be told that It was not in the power of Par-
liament to relieve them at present. They ought to be advised to
seek other situations, and if assistance were necessary to convey
them to any other place, he thought such assistance might be pro-
perly given.
. After same explanation, the Petition was ordered to lie op
the table.
Mr. BRAND withdrew the notice he had given of a motion,
for the Correspondence respecting an Exchange of Prisoners ; and
promised to renew it on a future day.
Mr. HOUSTOUN presented a Petition from the operative
Manufacturers, Journeymen, Tradesmen, and others in Glasgow,
and the neighbourhood, stating their distressed situation, and
praying for relief.
Colonel PALMER gave notice for a motion on Tuesday, the
41st instant relative to Mr. Palmer's Mime.
Mr. W. POLE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to amend the
Acts, enabling his Majesty to avail himself of the voluntary sere
vices of the Militia in' Ireland.
Mr. HUTCHINSON postponed the motion, of which be had
given iisfice, for the repeal of the Convention Act, to Wednes-
day, tire 2p instant.
Oct the Motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXcHE-
QUER, a Committee was appointed to search the Journals of the
fouse of lords, for any proceedings relative to the Bill for equa-
lizing the disdllations from corn and sugar.
The Customs Regulation Bill was read a third time and passed.
Mr. W HARTON brought up the Report .of the Irish Corn-
alert:lel Credit Bill, which was agreed to; and the Bill ordered
for i.third reading to-morrots.
The Hotise went into a Committee of Supply, in which the
usual miscellanectee grants for the service of the two Houses of
Parliament were voted. The Report was ordered to be received
to-morrow.
Mr. LUSHINGTOrg brought up the Report of the Inn-
keepers' P ates Sill, which was agreed to, and the Bill ordered to
be read a third time to-morrow.
Mr. WHARTON brought in the Coals Inland Navigation, the
Malt Duty.Amendrnent, and the Four Millions Annuities Bills,
which were read a first, and ordered t• be read a second time
to-morrow.
The Hi -- then resolved itself into

a. Cqfpsnitffe qf Trhote

impe
House on the Repuin of the
MILLION COMMITTEE,

present
wbo had been alluded to, but for their activity and
zeal Continent had been hermetically sealed
•

—He attributed the present rate of

thought the opinitli of the Bullion Committee was a- Mr. MANNINO, began with defending the late
correct (pinion. Throughout the whole enquiry Governor of the Bank of England from some re-
they had endeavoured, in the most honourable and marks made on a former night, by an Honourable
impartial manner, to procure information on the sub- and Learned Gentleman (Mr. Horner). He said,
ject, without availing themselves of any means which that in the detail, with which it would be necessary
they might have of prejudicing the question. One for him to trouble the House, he would be as brief as
charge preferred against them was, that they did not the nature of the subject would admit, desiring all
sufficiently attend to practical men. Practical men along to be understood as delivering his own indivi-
(i. men of business) were not the best judges of dual sentiments, and not speaking under the direction
the state of the case. This fact had been maintained or authority of the Directors. The Honourable and
by Dr. A. Smith. They were moreover interested Learned Gentleman who introduced the motion had
to a certain degree in the continuance of the present stated, that a wanton issue had been made by the
question, and therefore (though he imputed nothing Bank in the course of the last year, of £1,000,000
improper to them) their evidence ought to be regar- of money. The state of the money at that period,
ded as being the satne as, that of other witnesses he believed, was, that there was plenty in Govern=
The Committee had done all in their power to avoid meat securities, but not in trade. In stating this
coming to a hasty decision. The Hon. Gentleman opinion, he did not rest merely upon his own recol-
then proceeded to inquire into the cause of the rise lection, but could produce documents to strew that
which had taken place in the prices of all commodi- the issue complained of was not only not wantonly
ties. In the course of 120 years, there had been no or unnecessarily, but made at the express recommen-
material variations in the prices of articles till within dation of the Committee itself. The amount of Post
-the last fifteen years. Since the year 1793, there had Bills issued on the Ist July 1809, was £7300, and in
been a great advance in the prices of all commodi- the months of June and October 1810, £14,300.—
ties. This could not be well attributed either to So that the difference between the two sums was
scarcity or to taxation ; and at last it came to this,i seven thousand ; and the amount of small notes was
that it could only be brought about by the alteration ! £1,700,000. An Honourable Friend of his, who
of the money. Taking the average price of wheat at spoke second last night, had stated, that he consider-
different periods, gave'the true value of money. He ed the standard, with reference to Bank notes, to be
then compared the price of wheat with the value of so much bullion. This was the case ; but he did not
gold at various times, and thence drew a conclusion, know of any Act of Parliament which authorised any
formed with a reference to increase in prices, which person to demand in payment so much gold and sil-
had been stated to have taken place in France, Rua- ver in grains. That there were difficulties attend-
sia, and Prussia. that the precious metals had fallen ing our present situation, he could not deny ; but
in value of late years in the proportion of from 11 to 'they were all of them ascribable .to obvious causes.
7. If it were admitted that he had established this,lThe present was not, as had been said, a new si-
the very basis of the arguments of those wh6 opposedltuation. He found by the Journals of that House
the Report was destroyed, as they were all grounded ,of the year 1620, that similar inconveniences were
on kg assumption that the price of gold had risen ex- I felt ; and in those Journals were stated seven
cessively. The Hon. Member then eictered into a de- causes accounting for the scarcity of money. The
tail of what constituted the standard of money ; and goldsmiths melting it, gilding, great loss in ex-
quoted various authors, to prove that it ought to be I change, more goods imported than exported, East
maintained inviolable, send that it could not be alter- I India Company, igreat quantities of French wines.
ed without committing 'an opprobrious breach of ! Many of those causes existed at this moment ; and
public faith, whick must• produce much disorder :it should be observed, that the difficulty alluded
among ourselves, and injure :our credit abroad in a Ito in the Journals, occurred at a time when there
manner net easy to be repaired. The depreciation I WAS no Bank. In the year 1797, great alarm of
of Bank paper he thought established ; the difference invasion had spread through the country, and from
between the Mint and market price of bullion was at this resulted great want of confidence, which was
once the proof of the fact, and the measure of its ex- lincreased by the Executive Government inquiring
tent. If tile guinea bore a premium, it followed that into the snick of the farmers on the coast. The
paper wai depreciated ; and that the guinea bore a I farmers, alarmed by this, sold off their stock, tor
premium at the present day, he knew not how any the purpose of converting it into specie ; and by this.
man could deny. The penal laws could not prevent means a drain was commenced upon the Bank which
this, as they stood at present ; and it could be seen gave so great a shock, that, if it were not for the
from a paper which had that day reached him from order of restriction, not one guinea had been left in
Ireland, th it guineas there bore a premium of 15 , its possession. Afterwards an Act was passed to con-
' per cent. The Bank notes were depreciated in the tinue that restriction. He thought he might state
same proportion. The Right Hon. Gentleman op- with confidence, that from the year 1797 down to
posite, who maintained a contrary opinion, had, in a the present, there was an anxiety in every Director
private examination on this subject, proved so much, to shape his conduct with a view to returning to cash
that he proved his own doctrine good for nothing.— payments, the moment that that could be done with
There was no difference in the course of exchange safety to the country. That this was not the period
between London and Liverpool, which was regulated he thought he could shew. A question had been put
by the number of days the bill had to run, and the ' to the late and present Governors of the Bank in the
price of the postage of letters ; so that the immense !Committee, inquiring whether the issue of Bank notes
difference in the rate of exchange between London 1 had always been kept above or below the demand ?
and Paris could not be accounted for merely by the I and they answered, unequivocally, below. The Di-
balance
of trade. The restrictions upon trade had rectors, and not only they, but the Proprietors of the'
been adduced, in order to account for it, hut, he Bank, had a much greater interest in the public than'
thought, without effect. He begged leave to call the in the private concern, and were always anxious, in-
attention of the Committee to a statement of the Chan- stead of looking after improper profits, to 'decide
cellor of the Exchequer on moving theArnlyExtraor. every thing upon a general view, and consult the
dinaries. He had stated upon that occasion, that there public benefit. He would state shortly what appear-
was an excess beyond the vote of 12700,000, which he ed to him to be the cause of the present state of Ex-
ascribed to the state of exchange with Portugal. The' change ; and this he should premise by declaring
present depreciation of paper was owing, in his opi- himself one of those old fashioned practical men, who
nion, to its excess. He did not find fault with the thought the balance of payments an article of great
Directors of the Bank of England, as they had done importance in the regulation of exchanges. If the
nothing more than was natural, having their own in- importation did not balance the exportation, the sil-
terests to consider, as well as those of the public. ver must go out of the country. Such was Mr.
Sir T. TURTON said, that after the able speeches Lecke's opinion. Besides, they should consider,
which had beew already delivered on the subject, among other causes, the interruption of the Baltic
and the copious details into which Gentlemen had trade, by the confiscation of 24:0 ships ; the even-
entered, he should confine himself to a more general diture of the Army in Portugal, which amounted to
statement of the points upon which the question ap. £11,000,000; coin £7,000,000; freight to foreigners
peered to him to rest. He complimented the motives £4,500,000; making a total of £23.000,000 ; and
and the talents of the Committee whose Report was leaving a balance against this country of ,e 12,000,000.
under consideration, and did not agree with those He then went into a calculation of the Revenue, with
who thought the publication of it calculated to do Imports and Exports up to the .sth of January,lBlo.
evil. On the contrary, he thought it would tend to making in the aggregate £146,000,000. The Hon.
set the question at rest by calling forth the united Gentleman adverted to the observations of an Hon.
wisdom of the House upon a matter of such impor- Member on a former evening, on the subject, who
tance. He agreed with his Honourable Colleague had recommended, as a cure for the evil, the esta-
(Mr. H. Thornton), that the question lay in a much blishment of a Chartered Bahk. This was a curious
narrower compass than was generally believed. The mode of remedying what was denominated a griev-
first point for consideration was, whether there was ante in the too great issue of paper, by recommend-
an over-issue of Bank paper ? the second, whether ing another Bank, which most assuredly must double
that over-issue had an effect upon the rate of ex- the issue. The Act of the year 1797 permitted cer-
change ; and the third, whether the remedy proposed taro of the Banking-houses to discount, and of 70 in
. was a proper one ? He took a comparative view of the metropolis, 36 were allowed that privilege ; of
the state of the country now, and when no complaint that number, only 26 availed themselves of the pri-
was made; and said, that though the coin was de- vilege, and that to a very limited amount. As to the
preciated in some degree, it was not depreciated to probable cause of the high price of gold, upon which
those who wished to go to market, but to those who so many opinions had gone forth, among them was
wished to do an illegal act. No man refused to the idea that great quantities kad been sent abroad.
take a Bank note and a shilling for a guinea. From It was true that South American remittances had
the situation of trade at present, it was impossible been made in metallic currency, because in that coun-
to pay for the commodities of other countries by try there were no dealings by bills of exchange.—
our own ; so that money must be sent, and that must When he stated among other causes, that within the
have a tendency to produce scarcity of specie, espe- last year the coin had been melted down into plate
cially when connected with the rate of exchange.— the same as in the reign of James 11. the Committee
When he added to this our situation with respect to would not be surprised that there should be found so
America, with whom alone trade was now open to great a scarcity. Within the last year, at Gold-
us, he confessed his wonder was that a guinea should smiths' Hall, not 'less than £148,000 of silver bad
even shew itself. He quoted the authority of Locke been stamped, and also £2,500 of gold, exceeding in
to shew that whenever the home consumption exceed- amount, the average of former years. These were
ed the export of commodities, guineas must go out sufficient causes to account for the scarcity. When
of the country to pay its debts, whether they were Gentlemen talked of the depreciation of paper, and
melted down or not. As to the remedy proposed by produced quotations from pamphlets in aid of their
the Committee, when he came to consider it, he was own arguments, he trusted it would not be deemed
more lost in astonishment than in any other part of irrelevant if he read an extract from the letter of a
the question. They advised that the restriction should friend addressed to himself; who says, upon the
be taken off, and that all would then go well ; but subject of the supposed depreciation of paper, that
the inevitable consequence of such an act, would be, there exists a mistake in the signification of the
a run upon the Bank, and an obligation on the part I word gi depreciation." When, therefore, an Hon.
of the Bank to purchase up guineas, in order to pay. Member had said, that a rel note and a shilling would
them at a loss. It was in evidence before the Com- most certainly purchase the same quantity of any er-
mitteeo that the Bank would not be able to pay, tide as a guinea, and that a guinea was worth more
if the restrictions were taken off, while the exchange than 21 shillings, it certainly proves that a guinea is
continued in its of state. As to the speculators worth more than its nominal value ; but it does not

[move that 4 one-pound note it worth less than 20
shillii -(hear, Azar —Much had been said`of the

;ht be the &pinions

repealib

he- Bank Restrict

ion Act.—
of Gentlemen