Star.
London, England, 1811-05-25 00:00:00

BAST-ISDIA COttoflssioNgas BILL.

On the question for the House going into a Com-
mitter on this BM,
Sir CHARLES POLE objected to any addition to
the expellees of the country at such a moment as the
present. The Clerks of the Navy, and other OfSeem
were receiving no increase of salaries—why should the
Clerks belonging to the Dowd of Comma t
Mr. Dl AS said, the Clerks in this Once had
very important and confidential duties to discharge,
and he could not perceive that they would be over.
paid by having, probe* after 20 years service, sala.
ries, in the highest class.: of £6OO a-year, and in the
second class of 0400►
Mr. R. THORNTON bore testimony to the opi-
n;on of the Company, that the salaries were at present
greatly too low, particularly the salary of the Presi-
dent of the Board.
General TA RLETON thought the salaries of the
Clerks, even as they at present stood, ton high, when it
was Considered how the Officers of the Army were paid.
Sir JOHN ANSTRUTHER was astonished at
any comparison of the kind, coining, as it did, too,
from a General Officer.
Mr. CREEVEY had no objection to increase the
Salary of the President of the Board, but thought it
must be made up from the reduction of the Salaries
of the other Members of the board.
Mr. WALLACE supported the Bill.
Mr. P. MOORE thought it unnecessary.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said it was a measure called for and recommended
for many years back, and nothing but its being in
some respect personal to his Right Honourablerriend
(Mr. Dundas), he was convinced, would have pro.
vented him from submitting it sooner to the House.
The House then went into a Committee nn the bill.
In the Committee, Mr. JOHNSTONE objected
to the clause, permitting the Directors to take up ships
on emergencies for single voyages.
Mr. R. THORNTON and Mr. C. GRANT de-
fended it on the ground of necessity.
After some observations from Mr.Tiemey and Mr.
Dundas, :he Bill passed through the Committee.
Report on Monday.

MISR ciisTnats.
The House went into a Committee on the Trish
Customs Bill. When the dance imposing a Duty
on Tobacco was read, Mr. BANES expressed his
apprehension, that from the very defective collection
of the excise, the duty on tobacco would not be
very productive.
Mr. FOSTER said, the Honourable Gentleman
was misinformed : it was the collection in the Excise
on Spirits had been very defective, but on Tobacco it
bad been remarkably good, so that he had every rea-
' son to suppose it would prove quite contrary to what
the Hon. Gentleman supposed.
Mr. MAC NAGHTEN, in allusion to something
that had fallen from an Honourable Member (Mr.
pankes), hoped that the Property Tax would not be
extended to Ireland, as it was a tax which the people
if that country particularly dreaded. He also allud-
ed to the comparative incompetence of that Honour-
able Gentleman on questions of Irish finance.
Mr. BANICES. in reply, contended, that he, as a
Member of the United Parliament, had as good a
right as any other man to turn his attention to the
affairs of Ireland. He would always do so, and
he hoped that other Gentlemen would do so likew;se ;
if they had so done long ago, perhaps Ireland would
not be such a burthen upon England as she now was.
He still thought that a modification of the property-
tax was one of the best taxes which could be proposed
in Ireland. Ho did not care what his propositions
might appear for the moment, but should continue to
offer that which, in his opinion, might appear to be
of permanent utility.
Mr. FOSTER would never sit quiet in that House
and hear it said, that Ireland was a burthen on this
country! Tt was a gross insinuation, which, as an
Irishman, he was bound instantly to repel t and he
desired the Honeurable Gentleman who had so um
guardedly made it, instantly to retract it. What did
he mean ? Did he want to repeal the Act of Union ?
He as one had voted against that Act, and he would
now say to those who held such opinions as the Hon.
Gentleman, ,1 If you do oot like it, discharge it."
After a few words from Mr. Caortm and Mr. C.
HUTCHINSON, the Resolutions were agreed to, and the
Report was ordered to be received to-morrow.
PRESS IM IRELANZ).

Sir JOHN NEWPORT rose for the purpose of
mewing for a repeal of the 50th of the king, which
related to the additional duty on advertisements in
Ireland. When this additional duty ,Ras first pea-
rled, the Chancellor of the Exchtlner calculated
that it would produce an increase to the Revenue of
1(30,000,- whereas on the last year the product was
er.ly ,E 2 500. He then went into a comparative stpte-
ment of the duty on advertisements here and in Ire-
land, and ',hewed the balance to be much against that
country. He also sheered, 'hat in England the Pro:
prietors of Ne*spapers were allowed a discount of 17
per cent. en the duty, when in Ireland they were only
silvwed per cent. He concluded by moving, " A
Repeal of the 50th of the King, as far as related to
aklditional du- y on advegisernents and hand-hills."
Mr. FOSTER was witifig to place the Irish news-'
Papers on the same footing as the English,. if the

Hon. Baronet desired it ; hut he Inspected, if so, that
the Hon. Baronet would not be a great favourite
with the Irish printers. He must say, that it was
rather ridiculous in some Gentlemen to talk of the
duty on advertisements as being detrimental to the
liberty of the press, when the two subjects were is no
way connected. The worthy Baronet seemed to think
that he had violated the Act of Uoion by laying on
some duties in Ireland higher than in England. The
worthy Baronet, when in office, did the same thing.
He may shake his head, but he did —" Yes, (said Mr.
Foster) you laid a tax upon jaunting cars—(A laugk.)
What's the reason you don't hold up your head and
answer me ?—(illauti.) You laid a tax upon jaun-
ting cars, and you laid a tax upon licences for public-
houses. Ide not blame von—l did the same thing.
—(if laugh.) It is not fair, however, that you should
accuse me of that as a fault, in the commission of
which you must have thought yourself perfectly jus-
tifiable."

Mr. SHERIDAN-1. I really cannot' help remark-
ing the surprising change of temper which has so sud-
denly manifested itself in the Right Hon. Gentleman.
A few months ago, when the Hon. Gentleman below
me (Mr. Baukes) said that Ireland was a burthen
upon England, he was instantly all on fire—and well
'he might—if Ireland is a burthen upon England,
where are you to seek the reason ? Where but in the
oppression, the injustice, and the tyranny of this coun-
try, which has so long enthralled eland—which has
debased her for three centuries. I do not wonder,
however, at the sudden good humour of the Right
Honourable Gentleman. I hear a few of the worthy
Gentlemen opposite have been antusin: themselves this
evening.—ref lauzh.)—Really I am very far from
blaming them—endeed I am one of the last in the
House that would desire to interrupt their diversion.—
( Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman had said, if
the Union is to he violated, it is best to repeal it at once:
now,all that the Hon. Gent. has done with respect to the
press is a violation of the Act of Union—a violation of
that clause which says that no tax is be to raised in
Ireland higher than in England. It will not be the
least excuse for him to say, that my Hon. Friend be-
side me did so ton. Even if it was the fact, it would
not excuse his following a bad example : but my
worthy Friend did no such thing. He taxed jaunting
cars—there are no jaunting cars in England, so the
ease does not hold there. He taxed licences, but
licences are not articles of taxation, bat police regu-
lations; so there also he is in error. In fact he has
not made out a single ease where my Right Honour-
able Friend has violated the Act of Union.—( Mr.
Poster and Mr. Perceval here appeared to converse.)
I should be obliged to the Honourable Gentleman
for his attention, though, perhaps, it would be more
politic in me to let him continue his hints to his
Right Honourable Friend ; indeed I shall lose but
little by his instiiling a few of his argnments to-night
into the ear of the gentleman beside him. (Hear!)
I turn, however, to the Hon. Gentleman below ( Mr.
Bankes), who had the hardihood to sly, this night,
that Ireland cannot support her own Government.—
It is not so. She can support her fair proportion ;.—.„
but she cannot, nor ought she, to be required to ad-
vance an over-rated quota to the general defence of the-
whole empire. See what Ireland is doing for you—
see her sacrificing her courage—her best blood in
yotw defence ; and Can you in return insely re-
proach her with her poverty. (gar.) Ye.) have
no right to do so. If she is poor she has become
so in your support. Spare her, then, the mortifi-
cation of hearing she owes that to your gratitude,
which she has a right to claim not from your bounty
but your justice. It has been said that the press can-
not be hurt by raising the duty on Advertisements.
—There are three ways of destroying the liberty
of the press ; one is by oppressive Acts of Parliament,
another is by ex gnfeio informations, and the uncrssti-
tutional banishment of printers to distant gaols; (hear,
hear,) and the third is by raising the price of cheap pith -
lications. This, and this is the way resorted to in Ire.
land, is a mean, a cowardly, and a circuitous attempt
I have ever been a warm friend to the press, and while
I live I shall continue so. I fear no corruption either
in the State, or the Government, while the press ex-
ists. Against venal Lords, Commons, or Juries—
against despotism of any kind, or in any shape—let me
array a free press, and the liberty of England.sliall
stand unsbaken."—( Hear, hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that the
plain question was, whether this measure was a violation of the
Act of Union or not f He should contend that it was sot; and
that it would net, even if a greater tax were to be levied in Ire-
land than in England. He Aid not imagine that his Honourable
Friend (Mr. Banker) when he alluded to Ireland as a burthen
upon this country, lid m lin any thing to call forth the warmth
of his Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Foster). So far from con-
sidering Ireland a burthen to this country, he looked upon it as
a great source of its strength, and under that impression he
thought it as much as act of justice and liberality to Englard as
to Ireland, that the temporary deficiency of the resources of Ire-
land should be relieved from the abundance of the finances of
this country. The Right Honourable Gentleman then defended
generally the measure. of his Right Honourable Friend.
Mr.SHERIDAN shortly explained, and gave notice that lie
should, early in next Session, move for a repeal of the law by
which Judges ware empowered to order persons for confinement
in distant jails.
Aber some edwervations from Mr. Po "MOIST Mr. P A POI r l•Lo
and Mr. SHAW (of Dublin) in support of the motion, and a short
reply from Sir Jens. Nxw►oar, a division took place—For the,
modonll2.--Against it Si—Majority 30.