Star.
London, England, 1816-05-31 00:00:00

FITZ:ITS IN AIN.

. _
Mr. WM. SMITH rose to call the attention of the
House, to the motion of which he had formerly given
notice, and which he had several times put off for the
convenience of the House, net from any conviction
of its being unnecessary. That delay, however, had
done some goad. The evil of which he meant to
complain, bad' long been growing, and particularly
of late, yet it was not too late to check its force. The
number of Extents in Aid had rapidly increased, and
particularly had been very great last year. He had
no doubt of receiving some assistance from Learned
Gentlem n of the opposite side, and he was confi
dent, if any division took place, it would rather be
respecting the extent than the nature of this evil.
Extents in Chief were those issued by the Crown. for
the recovery of debt due to it, and Extents in Aid,
were those granted by the Crown. when the party
was unable to pay that debt. The word es preroga-
live," as applied to the Crown, bad been carried to a
very great extent, and he believed was a cant expres-
sion in all ranks, from the Lord Chancellor to the
lowest writer. The hardships of the subject were
verylgreat, as for example, in common executions the
previous steps necessary to be taken, occupied three
months, while in this case there was no suck liberty
given. The Honourable Gentleman, at very great
length, entered into a history of the circumstances
attending these Extents, which he argued were op.
pressive in the extreme, as dispensing with many of
the ordinary forms of justice, and involving the
person in a heavy expense, which he was totally un-
able to pay, for by giving no warning it seized all
his goods, and though he delivered all up, he had
no benefit fiom any Insolvent Act, but was al-
lowed to languish amid the horrors of a prison.
All this was the case, unless the Crown declared
itself satisfied. The cases which had occurred would
be deemed injustice, even in Turkey. In order to
thew that it was a new practice. he quoted instances
in 1686 and 1781, in _which the Court had declared
that it would not let the prerogative be made a handle
to get in a private debt. It had been lately held,
however, as stated in the last book on the sobject
66 Bingham's 1..4W of Executions," published in
1815, and on the common form being pursued of
niaking an affidavit, and applying for the fiat, it
would issue, and the extent proceed on that, although
there might be reason to believe that the party had
made hin.self a debtor to the Crown, for the purpose
of stripping all his other creditors. Mr. Bingham
quoted 44 Tydd's Practice" for this statement.—
Among outer cases which might occur, he would
suppose a widow lady, who had incurred a debt to a
common tradesman for, articles of apparel, beyond
what her immediate meansenable ber to pay; waiting,
*perhaps, for her dividend to enable her to do so. It
this tradesman had borrowed money trom a banker;
if this banker had become surety for a sub.distributor,
of sumps in a neighbouring country , and if this sub-
distributor were to render himself liable to an extent,
that extent would proceed against the banker, and
against the tradesman, and against the poor widow,
who, on her return from a walk, might find her
house ransacked, and all her property in the hands of
• the officers of the law: •6 So penetrating and all.
powerful indeed is this process," continued the Ho-
nourable Gentleman, that one may use towards it
the lines of Pope, applied to a different object, and
say that it

44 Lives through OM, extends through all extent,
Spreads undivided, operates unspent."

The Honourable Gentleman then proceeded to state I
some of the numerous cases of hardship which had
come to his knowledge, in not one of which did he
believe the Crown WAS benefited one shilling by the
extent, the original debtors having been fully able to
satisfy the debt, ten, twenty, or Mil* fold. One of
these cases was that of a London corn-dealer, against,
whom a docket was stiuck; a country correspondent
of whom hiving a bill by him, went to a farmer of
the post-horse duty, who discounted it, knowing the;
man was about so be a bankrupt, and who then swore
the debt was an original debt, and etidenvouyed to
get an talent against. the corn driller, which it cost ;
lifilSAVINi to art aside. &Übe( was of two;

i

wboks
with
t
them
Report thirevert'a, due
ab:ePaivr4nsnat' the result 'wuhlht...4ofdlimhawaadi.gn'tihhbwiltceteenh,s.t.stenoaws
saathatielmitorsigutthset:ditidtttliateraheliFteal.:c::.74::"‘Ler.
Into jail, and to deprive their other a eaitnn the
*tilling. The other case was of an ingimions,.
of the name of Holden, who, having projected 4 le
&dal Directory in four volumes, pride filer
hignscanitnfsehiennmtsooigmfheltiaipsirf6corecedellidttioeswrsaitrttintliiie'ew:s4-ok;.
and finding
limitary, Whit first volume, obtained, as lie.eona.
tthit:eu,niannoilnrcrersthc
after which consent, however, the same pap4.m to:
to whom he (Mr. Smith) had referred in his last
case, sued out an extent against him, and antooc
other things, seized the volumes of his incomple;
work, which were sold at one shilling each colter`;
The consequence was, that only as much
mousey
produced as paid the paper maker, and poor itofd;
was thrown into prison, where he died in six •
of a broken heart. Having stated the h ddi*
ar fix ain
fully, he now came to the remedy which he prepostit'
namely, the appointment of a Committee to ivies&
gate the facts and the law, and to suggest to the
lfkateudietosumcehetintehaeseuvreils.'"l`fs
of Exchequer had a jurisdiction over its own lamp
and was, therefore, competent to remedy toe eviL,.
He thought it, however, better to resort to that Home
for its correction. There were two methods by
which a remedy could be afforded. The 6 •
en, and
that which haincltiohethsehoaubldusepret.aenr,d
House. The next, was bringing in a Bill to alter
and amend the law on the subject. If his motionite
a Select Committee should not be agrees/ to, to
would adopt the latter plan, and with the help of his
Honourable and Learned Friends who sat near him,
would endeavour to prepare such a Bill as would
effect the desired remedy. It would,
with the House to do with the motion which he should
submit, that which they conceived proper. He thee
moved—" That a Select Committee be appointed
to examine into the practice of granting Extents is
Aid to the Debtors of the Crown by the Court of Ex.
chequer, with the abuses which had been made of
this practice, and report thereon to the House."
The SOLICITOR-GENERA L observed, that
the Honourable Member (Mr. Smith) would find
himself and his Honourable and Learned Friend
(the Attorney-General) ready and anxious to assist
him in the prevention of any abuse is the practice 4
granting Extents in Aid. He (the Solicitrx.Geoc
rah) had, since he came into office, been most anti.
ous to prevent such abuses ' • and had found it ha
duty, though Counsel for the Crown, to apply to
the Court to set aside all such Extents as had bees
improperly obtained. Whenever he had made such
application, the Court bad invariably set the Extent
aside. He admitted that a greater number of
these Extents had been
,issued of late than in lot.
mer years, and he also knew that several of them
had been abused ; but it was impossible to pre.
vent abuses of almost every law; and it should be
recollected, that of many of the Extents issued,
which had been abused, the Court never had received
any knowledge, as the parties who were injured
had not made any complaint. It would then be un.
lair to argue that the Court had not the power of
correcting this abuse, as it could not correct that
which it had no knowledge. But such abuses as had
come to the knowledge of the CoUrt had invariably
been remedied. He would have proposed the intro.
duction of a Bill by the Hononrable Gentleman, a
that would have specified the abuse, and proporei 4
distinct remedy, but in the present instance that could
not be so well done by a Committee. 'Lite Court of
Exchequer had it fully in its power to correct the
abuses of which the Hon. Gentleman had complained,
and lie (the Solicitor-General) would repeat, he had
not known a case where the Court had not afforded*
remedy when any instance of abuse came before it.
The Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Smith) seemed to think
that these extents were issued in cases of disputed
debts, and that the parties against whom they were
jawed, had no redress in consequence of the extent.
This was certainly erroneous, for the parties had i
right to traverse the inquisition, founded on the ex.
tent, if they conceived themselves to be injured-;
(Hear, hear, hear).—As to what had been said about
the juries who were impannelled on such inquisition;
being persons of low rank; it was certainly a treat(
of "duty in the returning officee, if such were ap'
twisted ; but as far as he (the Solicitor General)
could learn, the same juries were appoioted to try
those inquisitions, as were summoned to determine
matters of greater importance. Cot:side/ring then*
that the Court of Exchequer had sufficient power to
remedy any abuse in the issuing of extents, and that
the present motion was unnecessary, he should movie
the previous question.
Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY felt it las duty to'
support the motion of his Honourable Vriend (Mr.
Smith) unless a stronger case could bemade out;
than that which had been attempted by tie Honour-
able and Learned Member who spoke last. If the
cases which his Honourable Friend had mentioned
could not be considered abuses, he (Sir Samuel R
milly) should be glad to know what could be called
an abuse ? It was certain that persons indebted to'
the Crown had obtained extents in aid of their own
private purposes; it was, therefore, a fair subject of
inquiry how far that abuse had gone, and what wit
the best renicdy ? Many of the case* which haif
come to his knowledge were instances of very grew
abuses of the prerogative. An opulent banker of the
City of London happened to be a dtbtor to the
Crown ; and after discharging that debt, to have
more than a hundred thousand pounds of residue
this person, having a debtor a bankrupt, gor an extoo
in aid, by which means he obtained a priority over
Al the other creditors. Extents in aid ought newer
to be given, unless the sum due to the Crown was en-
dangered without such process, and after oath being
made to that effect. The effect of extents in aid had
not only been to give one creditor a preference over
all other creditors, but it had come to Ms knowledge
that they had caused the boa kroptcy of a great mill
persons, who were prevented from receiving a siuste
dividend by this preference to one creditor.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
admitted, that it Country Bankers held the situatiou
of Receivers of the Revenue, from the multiplied
ctondnietcmtionighwt
produceltich theyghreaadt,
tint would. The Lords at the head of the Tress uy
hiutseif had thcii:ture Coale to a ovnutisni tad(
caonnylusio thingn it' thetculog gsn tir
a•

or—
•
1.L.. • •

•

f,ma• • ere eon atectiat with any
dbe connected with ihe collection thi
449%1 Ho conceived that • the Measures lately set
/WIPP*
afoot for the purpose of applying remedy to the
io would tender Parliamentary enquiry none-
some, • •
Col
"cessari• ••
I WO ‘JD said, that when he attended the
lot •
•
ustA • for the county of Brecknocit, he found
ssiO! •
, tu; eat eonfusion, on account of the stop.
"1 4
palls7,ls eankang-house. To add to their difficulties,
an esuNw bad been issued for 48000. He had ap-4
kits Majesty's Ministers on the subject, from
P
he received every facility; but he found that
'sty's Government had nothing to do with
owe—. __ h r the extent had been taken out at the
at _
ebequer by a brotherrif the bankrupt. The bank.
e was George North—the brother's name
na
rrjahn name was George North—the brother's name
john N orth, a farmer of post hones; a brother-
ly's,'
.m. 110.• of George North struck the docket of the
blikaapter; and so the brother and brother-in-law
se an the other creditors at defiande. How this
;11411 he amended, be knew not ; but he hoped his
majesty's Ministers would at all events call upon
pbs North to pay up his debts to them.—(Leegk.)
Oa "Settled thanks to the Honourable Member for
sieWich for bringing forward the Motion.
Ile ATTORNEY-GENERAL said, express di.
' arhid been given that Extents in Aid should
aethe abused as they had in times past, but strictly
confined to aiding the Crown itd recovering debts
which could not otherwise be made good. All that
cautil possibly be done with this view, was in the
one of being done by the Exchequer.
Mr. LOCKHART was not satisfied with the an.
rows which had been given to the present complaint.
He conceived a Parliamentary Inquiry was, in every
sorely the most advisable vourse.
Leta CAST.LEREAGH said,if he were satisfied
that the lies were not all before the House. he should
have so hesitation in agreeing to a Committee ; trot
the faits of the case he conceived were sufficiently
known. He conceived the most advisable course '
was for his Majesty's Law Servants to take the abuse
into consideration, with the view of devising a re-
medy. His Majesty's Law Servants were not pre-
pared st present to say what would be the best re-
medy.—(Hear, hear, from the Opposition ride).—It oc-
curred w him that it would not be- convenient ep with-
draw the question from them; they
.might find it
convenient to come again before Parliament, if a Le.'
gislative Provision should be dr.emed necessary.
Mr. PONSONBY did not think the subject yet
perfectly understood by any body. What objection
(MU there be to a Parliamentary Inquiry Was it
sny reflection on the Court of Exchequer ? NOthing
was so injurious to Courts of Justice, as the idea that
so examination of that House, if necessary, implied,
arefiection on Courts of Justice. Would it not be-
better to have the examination in the first instance,
than that they should wait till a remedy was detailed
to them, of which they might not at last approve ?
The Judges ought to be glad that Parliament at.
tempted to remedy this abuse ; for if the remedy,
should be found iasufficient, no blame would be
thrown on the...fudges.
Mr. WETHERELL objected to the Committee.
The Court of Exchequer, as they had originally
drawn up the regulations on this subject, had also
power to revise therti.
Mr. C. W. WYNN said, that it was evident that
the EztentS in Aid had become grievous from the
change of the circumstances of the country. A pro.
cess which was not felt when the Sheriffs were almost
the oaly Crown Accountants, became a serious evil
when it was in the poser of every Distributor and
Sib-disu 'biter, of Scamps to resort to it. As to a
legislative remedy for the evil, the House could not
adopt one till it knew the precise circumstalices--and
he doubted whether it was in the power of the Court
of Exchequer to make the necessary inquiries. He
should therefore vote foe the Committee, as the mea-
sure most suitable to the dignity of the House, in the
tam of an abuse arising from the exercise of the Royal
Prerogative. ( Hear. )
Mr. MAItRYAI.' said, that there were cases in
which the Court of Exchequer could not remedy the
eras arising from the Extents in Aid. He bad hap-
pened to be an Assignee of the property of a banking
Louse in town, It hich had Tailed some years ago : this
baaing-house had been connected with country
banks, some of the partners of which had the good
fortune to be debtors to. the King. The Country
Brokers had issued Extents, so that the Assignees
'had been obliged to pay their debts in full, to the
amount of £lOO,OOO, in consequence of which the
other creditors had not received one shilling; (Hear,
kede,) though perhaps in some of these cases,
oily one of the partners was the King's eccodatant,
all the others benefited by the Extents. Now, as this
Ifiercus instance of the employment of Extents was
thelated to be legal by a Court superior to the Court
"'Exchequer—it would not be
.in the power of the
inferior Court, if they were-disposed, to remedy the
if& No power but chat House could interfere, and
bethought it their diity to do so, to prevent the abuse
is favour of individuals, of a power intended for the
benefit of. the Crown alone.
' Mr. COURTENAY said, the number of Eitents
ihich the Solicitor-General said had been set aside,
keyed the magnitude of the evil. A gommittee
*as the place where the nature of it Would receive
itketitioe, and where all suggestions on the subect
41, ighi be best considered. He should, therefore,
vuPPort the motion.
„Mr- P. !MORE was in flour of a Committee,
sad begged to state a fact within his own knowledge.
A Mr. Villiers had been appointed Distributor of
B,taMps for the County of Warwick, about the year
1793 ; be gave ample securities, and for a time went
on well; two years afterwards he sold a freehold
house for 41100 to a grocer, an honest Quaker, with
ten or eleven childrets. A little time alter, the Distri-
butor's expenses were enlarged, and he began to be
suipeceed, and, when an inquiry was made, it was
found he had not teen called to account lot many
Years; he proved totally deficient, and was soon'
lodged within the four walls of Coventiy gaol ; what
*received the poor Quaker's money he was not in
;men to the Crown, but an extent issued, and the'
house and all the property were seized :—this struck
kith Mr. Moore) as a great cruelty ; he should„
1411eivre, vote for a Committee, and would bring the
"Ilea Quaker to give evidence if necessmy.
Me- W. SMITH. shot Ply replied, and read an
°Ake of Mr. Justice Abbott, in which be stated,
that a; the law swot'. at prewar Extents' might b.

. -
tittat br thbiOrs b!jhe Creofrpl to roclriew,
merely their, private. debts, be; tlOllO 91 theirAi no means had been *tinted apt
.6t,witich the,
grfeitancenf these Ettenta.c4:tuld Othetwise be reuse.
died, he should press Ms motion to a divisiou., •
.:The Hhuse divided—For the Motion, 56—,Agaios,
it; 85—Majority against the Motion, '9.
When the gallery was reopened, we fouad,blr.
'PONSONBY moving lot all Rules of the Court of Es.
chequer on the subject of Extents in Aid, which, on
i division, was negatived, there being for the Mo-
tion, .55—Against it, 70.
The consideration of the Alien Bill was postponed
till to.roorrlw (this day).
Mr. J. P. GRANT wished the House to remem-
ber that his Motion respecting :Finance stood for to-
morrow, and that he Would then enter into a very
full statement.

SILVER WORMY.
The Order of the Day was then read for the House
resolving itself into a Committee on the Message of
his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, respecting
the issue of a new Silver Currency.
Mr. W. POLE regretted that at that late hour he
was obliged to address the Committee, but he trusted
the importance of the question would be an apology
for his taking up their time, and he pledged himself
to be as concise as passible. That a new Silver Cur-
rency was absolutely called for he believed no person
could doubt, and he was also confident that the Com-
mittee would concur with him in thinking the present
to be a Most auspicious period for issuing that Cur-
rency. A hang and sanguinary war bad now been
terminated; and the days of fence bad once more re-
visited our land. By the Bank Restriction Bill, which
was limited to two years, Government had given that
respectable body time to prepare, and indeed no per-
son present could doubt it was requisite cash pay-
ments should then be resumed. Our Silver Currency
'was at present very bad, and indeed it was impossible
to decide on what principle it could be corrected,
unless we considered, first, the present standard mea-
sure of value; and secondly, what that standard
should be. At present he forebore entering into
discussion on the pernicious consequences of having
the two metals as a standard, aware that these conse-
quences
had already been pretty severely felt'by the
country. The first gold which was coined was in the
reign of Edward the Third, and from that time
downwards it became more common. Mr. Locke
complained that the country had been bun by having
two standards. In 1662, the guinea was 265. by the
mint indenture, though it kept at 30s. in the market.
n 1695, it was by Act of Parliament declared that

it should not give more than 265. and in one month
after its value was fixed at 21s. The coinage of seven
millions in 1695 had nearly disappeared in 1717, and
Sir Isaac Newton was applied to for suggesting • a
plan to prevent the currency from leaving the coun-
try. That illustrious philosopher blamed the high
rate of gold, which then was 21s. 6J. and proposed
to fix the guinea at 21s. which was adopted by his
Majesty, and a proclamation issued to that effect.
During last century, only 4160,000 in silver was
coined, and only 464,000 of that during his present
Majesty's feign. After a minute detail of the vari-
ous circumstances attending the currency since 1774,
the Right Honourable Gentleman observed, that he
certainly thought, as gold now was the present stan-
dard, it should be kept at the same value in fineness
and quantity. He disliked the idea of coining gold
twenty shilling pieces, is leading to much contusion,
on account of their neat value to guineas. There
had been 464,000,000 of gold coined in this reign, but
Goo only !mew what had become of it—( 4 laugh ).
The pound troy was at present 625. He did not
wish the fineness of our silver to be altered, because
this would lead to the immediate ruin of the country.
Let silver be made a legal tender to a certain extent,
for example he should say to 425. it should only he
reduced to such an extent as would prevent its quit.
ling the country. For example, if the pound troy
was reduced to sixty.six shillings, it would not de:
base the coinage nay way, but would merely re.
duce its weight. A good circulation- would thus
be procured, better than it had been for many years.
He was afraid he tired the Committee with this de-
tail, but it wets necessary to be somewhat minute.—
He would now come to the most difficult and
painful part of the inquiry, and he begged the further
indulgence of the Committee. (Hear, hear.)—lt was
impossible to know the exact amount of the present
concoct of the country. In 180.5, the then Lord
Liverpool had stated the circulation of the country to
be Ar 2,700,090, and of that sum about £1,000,000
were in balf-crowns. This statement he (Mr. W.
Pole) questioned very much, as scarcely a half-crown
was now to be seen. In King William's time the
whole amount of circulation wai 45,500,000, of
which £4.000.000 was clipped money. Since 1811,
the 'Mint has issued 43,400,000 in tokens. The cir-
culation at this moment -could not exceed two mil-
lions, and has deteriorated 30 per cent. With respect
'to the loss which Government would sustain upon the
.coin to be called in, he thotight could not be less than
SO per cent. The more rapid the operation was,
.the heifer it would be. In the great coinage whiCh
,took place last century, thirty millions of piects were
' coined in eleven Months; which he considered a pro-
digious effort, When they remembered that a great
proportion was in half crosena; and the defecti4e state
of the machinery at that time. He had no doubt,'
however,' that, dulesi any unelpected aecident should
occur. they would be able to hate the new coinage
a2,500,000y, consisting of sixty millions of pieces
(via. 84000,000 of shillings and 25,000,000 of six--
pences), in seven months from* the day that the Bill
passed.' A great object would be to get the old
money otit of circulation,' and the new into circula-
tion, with as little intervening delay as' possible. The
['ode at present proposed was tht following ;
sides the legal coin, defaced and depreciated as it was,
there was *a great quantity of base coin circulating,
and they could hardly condemn persona for receiving
and issuing it, when, if they had not done se,
must have been' absolutely without any silver cur.
rency at all. It would, however, be utterly impos-
sible for'the Government to do more than to receive,.
under the most liberal construction, all coin, of what-
ever description, that could be at all considered as
the legal coin of the realm. Where the effigy wan
effaced, but it appeared from other examination
that it was highly probable it had originallt issued
from the Mint, that coin would be received.-
-Without that linsitation,it would be impossible to
ay what' the-eipease wdtild amount to. 1.14 was

. ,
• • 11 " •
54130111141V0 • tittte Ova Nettled without re-,••
, that a vast n would aedessarily be suf.
datiog the time thit,must elapse, before the
issue of *new. coinage., an should have, been
happy if it had been possible to avoid applying to.
Parliament, and that they could have gone on silently
In their preparations. without saying a word till they
were ready with their new coinage. Bu under e.s-
isting circumstances that could not be done, foe as
the law now stool, the Mint had no power.to issue
silver coinage, and it. was necessary therefore to clear
away those legal obstructiont. With a view to ob-
viate some of the difficulties which must arisnduring
she interim, and which would chiefly bear upon the
lower classes, whom they were most bound to protect,
it had been suggested by an k/..m. Friend, to pass a
law, pending the new coinage, to making shillings a
legal tender to the extent of three shillings, and six-
pences a legal tender-to the extent of eighteen-pence.
By that means, to which he saw no objection, the
poorer part of the population would be secured from
those embarrassments which would otherwise result

from a general refusal of shillings and sixoences
not having distinctly the Tower mark upon them.—
The mode proposed to be adopted, in removing the
old coin and introducing the new, was the following.
In proportion as the coinage proceeded at the Mint,
regulations would be made by the Government for
loslging.in all the different great towns throughout
the country, a sum of new money equal to what
might be supposed to be in circulation there of the
old. When the coinage was completed, a proclama-
tion might then be issued in all the towns, competent
persons to exchange the old coin for the new, and
thus in a few days, nearly the whole silver currency
of the realm would be called in, without any interval
during which the circulation would be suspended.
He was quite sure, if they were to issue, as they
coined it, the new cubs would be sweated and flatted
down, and returned upon the Mint as old legal cur-
rency. It was originally intended to have appropri-
ated £500,000 of the new coinage to Ireland; but he
rather thought that measure would not be necessary.
The Bank Tokens of England and Ireland were 'ell'
different. It was true, that' in Ireland they were
thirty per cent. below the standard value, and that in
England they were only twenty-one. But then, in
Ireland, they were coined by order of the Govern-
ment, and actually received as *legal tenders in the
payment.of taxes. It did not, therefore, appear ex-
pedient to interfere at all with that circulation, under
its present circumstances. The Honourable Member
then concluded by moving his Resolutions, observing
that if they were agreed to, the Report might he re-
ceived to-morrow, he could bring in his Bill, and
being printed, the consideration of it might lie over
till after the holidays.
The first Resolution being read,
Mr. BARING rose for the purpose mote particu-
larly of adverting to one part of the speech of the
Right Honourable Gentleman, in which he had lightly
touched a point of much importance, viz. the as-
sumption that geld coin had, within the last seven-
teen years, become the standard of value. He en-
tered into some detail of the state of the currency
abroad, and of the comparison between the quantity
of gold and silver, cOntending that in England gold
was dearer Om silver, and consequently of more
difficult circulation by 4 pet cent. He argued from
thence that a silver circulation could be more easily
eilltablished than one'of gold, sinst that The resumption
of 'Cash payments by the Bank could be more conve-
niently and expeditiously made in the former than in
the latter. The number of guineas at present in the
country would form but a slight objection to the
change he proposed, of issuing twenty shilling gold
pieces instead of the present guinea.
Mr. PONSONBY suggested that the relative
value of the copper currenzy must be affected by the
proposed regulation with regard to the new silver
coinage.
Mr. HUSKISSON did not think any evil could
arise from the improvement of the relative value of '
silver to copper. He was strongly of opinion that
gold ought to be retained as . the general and legal
nse4sure of value.
Mr. HORNER, acquiescing io most of the prin.,
ciples he had heard laid down, could not help expres-
sing his doubts of theiuccess of this measure during
the continuance of the Bank restriction, unless the
Bank should adopt a different principle from that on
which they had hitherto acted. He apprehended, in
the other case, no precautions would prevent the new
coin from being melted. There was another point
be thought it necessary to advert to—as to the time
when this measure was brought forward. It was
a matter of great doubt with him whether, in the
present temper and circumstances of the lower or-
ders, this was a favourable period for a new experi-
ment on their peace, or for imposing an additional
hardship upon them. He would not press this con.
sideration farther, but it was evident that the poorer
classes, including the small shop-keepers, must be the
principal sufferers. and he hoped this had notfailed to
outset due attention on thi part of Government.
Mr. D. GIDDY and Mr. BANKES both thought
tl?es the improvement of our metallic currency, treated
viii at dne precatitions, might produce general ad-1
wrgotage.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
&seised, that his Majesty's Ministers had not been
insensible to the delicacy of the measure under the
present circumstances; but it was a measure not of
choice, but of necessity. From the present cheapness
of rilier, there were no other means pi preventing
the codntry from being inundated with fabricated
pieces,' the continuance of which must daily increase
the evil, and multiply the disttess the lohger the re-
medy should be postponed.
After a few words from Mr. GRENFELL and
Mr. W. POLE, the Resolution was agreed to, and
the report ordered to be received this day:
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed
, of, and the House adjourned at half-past one o'clock.
they I

Atom.—A letter from NetiiesdinipeMyine,. dated May IS,
says, K We are cencerned to state,thst Nodose dkUrbances have
broken out unatiegst the pitmen slid etiser workmen connected
with the collieries upon the Wear Severn! hundreds of them are
elf work, upon the ontissibk gyOutia of their present wages being
insdeqeste to their support, while the price of bread-corn coo-
name sit very much higher than it has been. The pitmen, and
other mhguhled workmen upon the Wear, however have,
through the prompt And vigorous emotions of the Magistrates,
aided by two troops of cavalry front Newcastle, been induced to
return ti their Oink. We understand eight of the ringleaders
were tubes into custody on Saturday. end committed to Durham
gl/4101. NO disposition of joking them was at any time evinced
I by the pitmen upon the Trish".

~.
M,

I

THE EVENING STAIII;

j,O no r 4

• FRIDAY, MAY 31, IPI6. • • •

• -
PRICI OF STOCKS Trits DAY• ATI WELVE O'CLOCK.
Bank Stock Mt 4841—Long Ann.
Reduced 6311—Cons. mo. 44i—for ace. 8511. .
4 tiff Cent. 7.0-5 per Ceps. slit—Bond* Is. Sts. It
Onto. pay. 241 —Rack. gills Ss. (Ss. Is. pr.
•
• It was list night announced in the House of Peers.

that Government mean to bring in a, Bill, in the

coursc of next Session, to prevent, in the West Indies'
any violation of the, law for abolishing the Slave
Trade. This measure will probably embrace the

'ldea of itr.gistering the Slaves, as has been suggettel
by Mr. WILBERFORCE. No plan has yet been pro.

voked which promises equal efficacy; nor. can any
person interested in Slave property offer any sound.
objection against it, as its penalties can only aiect
transgressors of the law.

•
The, subject cf.& new Silver Coinage came before
both Houses lastaiight. The pound Troy. of Silva,
which formerly used tobe coined into 62 shillings, or •
an equivalent number of other denominations, is now
to be coined into 66 shillings. will make Cliti
silver money defray the espence of its coinage, and
tend to prevent its being melted down; nor can We
see any reasonoble objection to this, as gold is in fa.
tore to be the only standard measure of value. But,
if we did not misunderstand the speakers, At is all
intended to continue the inconvenient coin of a
guinea, to be calculated as one pound one shilling,
(or 21 shillings.) Gold may, and ought to be, de-
clared the standard value ; but it would equally well
answer this purpose if the guinea were lowered hi
weight, and circulated at 2Js. And as no guineas
are now in circulation, a better time for introducing
this obvious improvement never can present itself.
The former Mint price of silver was ss. S(d. pee
ounce, it will in future be ss. DJ. and the sum to be
coined is about two millions and a half pounds stern
ling. The Bank Tokens, which were issued at 6s. Bd.
per ounce, are to continue current: About 5e2,700,000.
of these are supposed to be still in circulation. This
fact deserves particular notice; for none of the shil.
Zings and sixpences now in circulation will be taken
in by tale by_Government, but such as bear some traits
of the Mint dye: that is, all the smooth money will
only he taken at its weight ; and the holders most
lose the difference. Tuis, to the lower orders, will
occasion a most serious loss, and one which they can
but ill afford to bear. In equity the Bank of Eng-
land, which has gained so many millions by the snb•
stitution of paper, and of Wine toleat, at a weight so
much below the Mint price, ought to bear the loss in
calling in the old coinage.—At all events the holders,
who had no choice left, who could not refuse to take
smooth shiilings and sixpences, ought to be relieved
from every loss, except such portion as would be
borne by them collectively in the shape of taxes
upended in making up the delciency. In this
way the inconvenience to the public would be
comparatively trifling, as the greater part of the ex-
pence would fall upon the affluent: but if ever:), pour
labourer is to lose a tourtlipart of every stifling laid
by to pay his rent, it will to many of We; occasion
absolute ruin I Let us hope that this ,s4ll receive
some farther consideration before the bosiness is
fiioally settled. •
11 Respecting the gold coin, one fact was mentioned
by •Mr. POLE which does not appear so wonderful to
us as it did to him.. " %IN had coined £60.000,000
of gold, and GOD only knew what had become of it I"
There is still a large portion bonded in this country,
and a larger portion still was expirted during the
war: but there is a mis!ake in the fact. Many of the
030,0M,000 were guineas re,:vinerl : some to bong
them up again to their weight, and many, we believe,
to give them the new shape of Jrven-rhillin6 q
The Bank, we doubt nut, could, if called upon, re-
move much of the wonder that has been expressed :es
this topic. It by no means follows that because
£€6O,OOO,(XX) has been struck off at the Mint in a
given period, that that aminint of bullion has been
actually thrown into circulation in the shape of coin.
The fact is tar otherwise; and it might be useful, ox
have it investigated, that Guvernment and the Public
might know the truth. •

The Park Papers, of Tuesday arrived to day, but
their intelligence is unimportant. The private fetters
SMIC that TALLEYRAND and FOUCHIL, or rather the
remains of their party in the French Ministry, have
been utterly routed from the King's Councils, and
that Count lhacas returns to power. The French
Papers furnish no hints of this.
A Mail from Holland and Flanders arrived to.
day. All the recent accounts from Belgium cotscur
in stating, that
.the French Army is cat tiered tu ue
augmented by several new Regiments. We can
scarcely credit this intelligence : the true policy of
the BocuaoNs surely ought to be, to govern their
'Subjects without an Army. Another of the petty
States Of Italy (Tuscany) has :nude a Treaty wish
the DIY of Tuns, by which the trade of Leghorn
will be secured from further depredations.
Yesterday the Princess CHAU:OTT/ and Prince
'Conoutio had a grand party to dinner at Camelturd
House. Among the company were the Quetta, thl
I'rincesccs Et.ra.kuarri, hinny, and SoPetta at
cum, the Dukes of YonK and GLoucurea, Etc.—
The Prince and Princess had a party in the evening.
Last night a new writ was moved for Liverpool—.
Mr. CANNING having, since his return from his
Embassy to Lisbon, been appointed to the piste of
President of the Board of Contruul, vacant by the
death of the Marquis of BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.

CORN EXCHANGE, MAY 31.
Our Wheat Trade cootinum eery heavy, the demand being
trans, and a large quantity at market ; are nearly nonsi.
nal, but purchases and.' be made from us. to is. per qr. loo'cr
aan on Monday. Oats are full is 6d. per V. elseiptr, sad Lea./
sale at that reductiun. In Peas, Beans, and ()this- mamas, tt.st
is no alteration.