Star.
London, England, 1817-05-02 00:00:00

1101.1:ir. Or COMMONS.

The Shell% of London ; rt. •ented 3 Petition from the y.„,4
Mayor and Corpotatitm the C:ty of Lomicm, complaining t 4
thr Meru:mot ptuAstutioli, particularly in the younger pan of
thi• irmsles In the Metrukeleas anti a.trihatin: tt to the increase
of Locces of fame, playing the 'interference of the Legirla.
tun:, survn—E;t:•• titti same, by some measure which riticht
t11:0; on of such homes as public istiiiictter leas re.
rocceddl., and tend more effectuAlly to euppreee
I.IIC Petition hens roul, was to .1. tea to be referred to the Co-t-
-tahtre tywr the Polite of ths Nle:rupultst opus the hiotion.
fliAllllt3 SlLlatr.
itJ.iME4bHAW*resentedaPetitionfromthe Inh.thirw•Sir
of the Parish of be. Matthew, Friday-a:nee, in the Cty ions.
dog, Rialast the 1 otterei lithe harems* 8411. s..tieh was tuettet4
upt reed, and onlertd to 1 e on the Table t ll tie *snood r.asii,4
at the NI. Walla Petitions were tintemtri from other Ps.
ri.bea in the Cby of Leedom, which were dbytteni of is the
same-way. '
Mr. Swat:rya presented a Copy of the Pringle premmted by
ti e AnOmnieill Society to the 111.1;ea.t.t'es of Loioleii. aklitale
bled at the Quarter at the /LI Oidtred to lee
tin the I abt.,, so.d to be r intel
CM the 14vtliJa IscwANJOY,

*sat cegeroli dig a)-
.

pommy the House sh,•tild resolve itf.el into a Comin'oi••• on
rh.• West India Act, and on the Bermuda Trade Act.
TIIE WOnL TRADE.
Mr. BURRELL rose to present a Petition from
t!,e Wool Glowers u: Brighton, in S;issex, praying,
that the importation of foreign wool ttrigla he dis-
couraged, or some enckorragement given to the ex-
ist:Twin!) of Bit sh wool. HT stated that the prayer
of cite Petition involved a question of the utmost
importance with reference to the commercial policy
of the country, and that the reasonableness of it was
shewn by the price of British wool, which, within
the lag eight year:, had then ;50 per cent. through
tie qiial.tity of foreOr ul itopqrted. He also
cootenJed, that the revenue w n not itn.reased by the
importation of foreign w(;.a., prayed
that an inquiry might be in .tituted ori the stitrj,ct, and
that they might have an opportunity to substantiate
by evich•nc-... the allegation, in thtjr Petit;on. He
moved that t!te Petition be brong:it
Mr. 11 ESTEItN could riqt refrain truto saying a
few words on this subject, as lie held a similar Pea-

tinit ;n his hind. The ‘Vo.)I-;rimers li..d a Lir
cl son to ti .e :mention of the limite, itn.l he 1101),:d
tilAt 'twit c is, w..01d be particulaiiy considered by.
the Hour.. The tiou,e 1,4 d, 14st year, iecogi.izyd
the distr..s.; under which this branch o' t:a.lcl4hotired,
the country was alasoluie!y intoili•ed with foreign
wool, every t•cility wes mivin to tile immotation of

foreign W 0,3 ; ev:ay facility to the 10 L.g it won!.
grower and the loreign wool welt:hart, while the
1;6601 w. 0:-grower WAS fetteredin VICI; way as
Opt!' itcti to tl,e t• re it Ciscutil iwozient of this impor-
tant letanci of produce. He therrfoie thought that
the H use would neglect its duty if it did not ippuint
a Committee ti.) inqiiire into the laws relative to the
importaticu of fi;rcign wool. But it was ni.ire espe-
cially necessary that this shnuld be done, Irons that
which tuck place in the Committee appointed last
)e.ir to inquire into the causes of the disirei,sed state
of agriculture, because in dirt Committee flu ol'•por-
tt: was afforded to the wool-growers to tom: for-
ward to give that evidence of which lie wished the
House to be in possession.
Lord LASCELLES wished to notice what the
Honourable Gentleman who spoke last had ctitl
referente to it* Committee appointed last Session.
The first thing done by that Committee was to fins t
its inquiry into the wool trade to the general question
of agrictiltura. I distress ; and with this view, to con-
fine-itself to the state of the wool market, so as to

etclude All the questions about the preference due to
• foreign wool, er the effect produ ed on the nischi-
eery employed its the tvot.llen manufacture, and the
various other questions involved in an extensive ge-
neral inquiry. 'Cre.e Honourable Gentleman said,
that the wool-growqrs had not an opportunity of
la•iiig heard before the Conim'ttee of last year ;
whereas the fact was otherwise, for that Committee
was appouved before the Easter recess, and when
met A .m(1 after the recess, an opportunity was given
to the wool-growers to come tore/4rd, but not oi.e of
them appeared. It the Committee now proposed
was asked fur on the principle of excluding foreign
wool, he should at once disagree horn anz motion
for the appointment of a Committee on any such
principle, at such 4 time. He would disagree from
it on this principle—that a duty on the importation
of a raw material, which was wrought up in this
country, and which employed the labour and capital
of the country, produc .d as much advantage to ae
landtd interest as could be received by any forced
encouragement of the growth of British wool.
Mr. DAVIES GI LBER said, that he also had
a Petition from Wool growers on the South Doss us,
the prayer of which was the same as that now pre-
sented. Although he very much concurred with the
Noble Lord who spoke last in his general principles,
yet be must agree with the petitioners, that it would
be expedient to ley a 'motive Ate duty on the importa-,
lion in the coarser kinds of foreign wool, which could
not in any degree affect the nianufacturing interest,
or the foreign trade. The peCtioners wished, either
a duty on the importation of foreign wool, or a
bounty on the exportation of British wool ; but they
would prefer a tax on the importation of the foreign
produce.
Mr. FRANK LAND LEWIS wished to say a few
_ _

words as to the Committee of last year. He well
remembered that the N. Lord (Lascelles) had
said, that the Committee could do little more than
g.ve a rod excuse fur not going into the general en
quirt'. Ail that the C really did, was to
make such a superficial and general enq•iiry as ena-
bled them to report to the H. use, that the agticul.
tural distress was not owing to the st.ite of the wool
trade. If any Member of the Committee attempted
to put a question to any of the witnesses who appear-
ed before the Committee, which touched the general
question, as to the expediency of permitting importa-
tion, he was immediately stopped. He therefore
maintained that the House was bound to institute a
complete inquiry into the state of the wool trade, with
reference to the interests of the British wool grower.
Mr. CURWEN thought it was necessary that an
enquiry should be instituted ; but was aware that it'
would lead to a very wide investigation, and involve
questions of foreign policy of great importance.
Mr. SHIFFNAL observed, that all the petitioners
wished for was a fair remuneration, and that they
would prefer a tax on the importation of foreign w. 01.
The Petition was then brought up, read, ordered
to lie on the table, and to be printed.
Mr. BURRELL presented a similar petition from
the Wool-growers of Sussex, which was disposed t•f
in the same way.
Mr. D. GILBERT presented a similar petition
from the Wool growers of Lewes, in Sussex, and
Mr. WESTILKN one from the Wool-growers of Essex,
which were both read and ordered to Ise on the table
and to be printed.

HOMAN CATHOLIC CLAIMS.
Mr. GRATTAN held in his hand a petition from
the Corporation of Dublin, which he regretted that
most respectable body had, not, by availing them-
selves of an ancient privilege which they claimed,
presented to the Howe by their own officers, as it
wNild have relieved him from %hat he felt to be a
vety unpleasant duty. It was the petition of the
Corpration of Dublin against the Claims of the Ca.
th 'tics. AS he had the honour to be one oldie Re-
prt•teritatives of the City of Dublin, he was, in that
capdei y, instiuctrJ io peseta it—but, at the same
ttnie, he o'u't c.inte4s that, he vitally differed from
tor SenetilUtili• Saprested to this petiuoa by his worthy

and honourable constituents—he differed from them'
totally and sincerely. But, as he did not think it his
duty to pass any criticisms or observations on the pe-
tition of the City which he had the honour to repre-
sent, he would merely beg leave to lament that the
ta,k was imposed upon him of doing thAt which he
would not presume to condemn.—*rhe petition wab
then brought up, tead,.and ordered to lie on the table.
REFORM.

Sir FRANCIS BUR DEI"F rose to present a pe-
tition praying for Parliamentary Reform, from the
freeholders and other inhabitants of the borough of
St. Ives, in the county of Huntingdon, and took the
opportunity of saying a few words in general terms
Qn the corrupt state of the representation, and the
passiveness with xvhich the people had born the vie,-
lent attacks lately made on the Constitution.—The
Petition w 44 read. and ordered to lie on the table.
Sir F. BC t) Err said, that he would bring for-
ward his motion on the subject of Reform on the
first open day atter Tuesday, the 20th of May.

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