Star.
London, England, 1816-04-26 00:00:00

Transit Doty would not serve the Irish manufac-
turer, and the latter were equally certain of it. The
Right Hon. Member concluded by stating, that the
present questltn should not be considered solely in
commercial point of view, but also in a politic,t! one.
That its consequence wonld involve great agit4t.on,
which it should be the duty of Parliament rather to
allay than stimulate.
Mr. ROBINSON observed, that he differed in
his opinion of this question from the' Noble Lord
(Castlereagh) and the Right Hon. Gentleman who
sat near him.* To him the question did nut appear
as likely to injure the Irish manufacturer ; but as it
appeared from the speech of his Right Hon. Friends
(Mr. Peel and Mr. V. Fitzgerald), that the adoption
of a Committee would be likely to produce irritatioa
in Ireland, he should oppose the motion.
Mr. Alderman ATKINS and Mr. FultBES supported
the motion.
Lord CASTI.EREAGH ezplaine4.
Mr.'WhIAUGHTON opposed the appointment
of a Committee.

Sir 3. NEWPORT lamen,ed that such a motion
as the present should have been made at all, but par-
ticularly on the eve of the discussion of the quest;on
respecting Ireland.
Mr. (INLAY replied, and •contended, that the
measure which he bad in view would benefit Ireland.
He observed, it would be but fair to inquire how far
Ireland and the Empire at large would be benefited
by returning to that system, with regard to this trade,
which existed before the war. It had been said that
I a great deal of alarm existed in Ireland cn eria sub-
! ject, but it existed from misconception. It arose
1 from an opinion. that the trade in foreign linens was
to be entirely thrown open, to the prejudice of Ire.
land. He concluded lay saying, that if the Honse
should consent to the appointment of a Committee.
be should be prepared to satisfy Members, that the
repeal of the Transit Duties would be a great bene-
fit to the Empire.
The House then divided—For the Motion, S 3—
Against it, lUB—Majority, 85.

RETRENCHMENT.
Lord GEORGE CAVENDISH said it would
not be necessary for him to enter into any &via en
the subject of the present motion. The papers pro-
duced and laid OR the table of the House gave such
ample information with respect to the revenue and
expenditure of the country, and its present distressed
situation, that he had little else to de than to draw
the attention of the House to -that situation, and to
recommend to the House such a line of conduct as
would reader it necessary for his Majesty's Ministers
to adopt the most rigid system of economy. It would
be stated, perhaps that his Majesty's Ministers had
already revised the Estimates for the year, and shewn
a spit it of retrenchment. He rejoiced that they had
at left thought proper to give in reduced estimates,
soreitlir.tanding their stetemento en siihmirtiny the
original estimates to the House that the establish.
merit was as low as it could be brought consistently
with the safety of the country. It must be a matter
of satisfaction to the House, that it was only in con-
sequence of what passed in Parliament and the voice
raised in the country, that the reductions in question
had taken place, and this ought to urge them to con-
tinue a line of conduct by which farther retrench.
ments might be effected. There sever was a period
when the external relations of the country were more
favourable for retrenchment than the present; all
the great Powers of the Continent were in great
financial distress, and France was without either
army or navy. The present establishments of the
country could not fail to create alarm in every think.
ing mind, not only in a constitutional view, but front
the effect they Would necessarily have in incieasing
the difficulties of the country. On the present scale
of our expenditure it was impossible that those diffi-
culties could be relieved—this could alone he dove
by reducing the establishments and by retrenchment.
The Noble Lord concluded by moving an humble
, Address to the Prince Regent, the object of which
was to recommend a further reduction of our esta-
blishments as indispensably necessary in the present
distressed state of the country.
Mr. J. P. GRANT was as much a friend to smill
economy as other people, but it was not a reduction
of part of the Staff of our Army, it was not a reduc-
tion of £lOO,OOO from the Ordnance Estimates, it
was not the discharge of a few clerks, which could
at this time save the country. Its situation could nut
now be looked at without feeling the greatest edam.
The whole amount of the sums to be. provided for
in the year was 4131,683,000. Ot this the establisa-
Runts of the country famed Upwards of twenty-right
millions. But this was not all. It was usual to charge
two-seventeenths of our expenditure to the account of
the Treasury of Ireland ; but such was the situation
of that country this year, that its finances were not
equal even to the payment of the interest of its debt;
and we should have this year, besides the 2-17ths al-
ready mentioned, to make up a deficiency in the
Irish Debt, and the expense of the Irish Civil Lig,
Amounting to X 997,380. Adding this sum to the
£31,G83, the whole would amount to upwards of
thirty-two millions and a half. To meet this sum,
the whole ways and means, including the surplus in
the hands of the Chancellor of the Excnequer,
amounted to £12,700,000. Deducting this from the
£52,680,000, the amount of our expentlituie iu tnis
first year of peace, the deficiency would be found to
amount to no less than £19,91a,000. . It would be
consolatory to think that this-deficiency arose in any
great degree from the charges of winding up the
war, charges not likely to occur again. But there
was unfortunately no such hope.. How much did
the House believe, on the present scale of our esta-
Wishment, could be deducted from this deficiency of
191 millions in future years Oue million would
have in future years to be added to our expenefiture
for the sum to be borrowed either from the Bank, or
by Exchequer Bills in the present year. He would
ask the House to consider whereabouts we stand,
when in the first year the puce we should be