Star.
London, England, 1826-03-22 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MA ace 21.

The Bishop of FERNS moved for Copies of all Letters from
the Catechists of Chartered Schools in Ireland.
Lord DING complained of the conduct of the Directors and
other persons connected with the establishment of these schools.
The abuses existing in their administration and arrangement had
beets pointed out in the Report of a Parliamentary Committee in
1813, but had not yet been corrected. He also asked, by the
Assistant-Master of the school at Stradbally, after having been
discharged for cruelty, had been afterwards promoted to a higher
situation ?

The Bishop of FERNS jtated that the individual in question
having been tried on three Indictments and acquitted, it had been
thought only fair to employ him as an inpocent man. The Right
Rev. Prelate then vindicated the general admhibtration and ma-
nagement of those schools, and strewed by a case in which he was
personally engaged, how lightly charges were made and taken up
against establishments of that kind.
Lord KING thought that if the Right Rev. Prelate was so
willing and capable of defending those schools, he had better give
notice, and make a motion on the subject when the House should
be in possession of the evidence.---The motion was then agreed to.
Lord KING wished to inquire of the Noble Earl opposite what
information it was his intention to produce on the subject of these
schools to the House?
The Earl, of LIVERPOOL, stated, that the same information
which had been laid beformbe Commons, should be submkted to
their Lordships.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN, after alluding to the import-1
mice of extending education to every part of Ireland, and the ne.
cessity of inquiring into the state of the establishments intended for
that purpose, and vindicating the labours of the Committee and
the correctness of its Report on that subject, moved for a Return
of the number of Charter Schools in Ireland, distinguishing the
number of the scholars; and for a similar Return of the number of
Roman Catholic Schools and of their Scholars.— Ordered.
On the motion of the Noble Marquis, a message was ordered to
be sent to the Commons for a Copy of the Report of their Commit
tee on the State of 'rolls in Ireland.

CORN LAWS.
Lord KING presented a Petition from the Parish of
St. Luke, in London, praying for a revision of the Corn
Laws. The Petitioners said they had much confidence
in the good intentions of his Majesty's Ministers. Tne
NJble Lord bad the same confidence, and vas only

• •
z.
'afraid they would be prevented from e
who had ancarrying their
good intentions into execution by those
undue interest in the question. He had been considered
a most extraordinary person for taking his own view of
the subject. Some said he was a read weight in that
House; -another said he had a vicious propensity to
make corn cheap. He had been told he attacked the
Corn Bill, and the landed interest like miscreants at the.
Old Bailey: that he called it a job, altos the job of jobs,
alias the Landlord's tax. It was true he used those
ierms, and he did so, because he thought the existing
Corn Laws should he distinguished by such names.
The Noble Lord called, upon the Government to consider
' what would be the state of the country if. the price of
coin was to rise. There was much less corn in tie gra-
oaries of this town Than ever was kno sll to be. If corn
should get up beloTe the harvest, this country would
be under worse difficulties than in 1819. During seven
years there had been no importation from abroad. Did'
they think they could always get a supply from abroad ?
He understood they could not always get a supply.
The price of 80s. was a famine price. The Noble Lord.
had seen a statement made in the interior of France
respecting the present prices on the Continent. The
price in France was 27 francs ; at A msterdam it was
twelve. The only place where corn reached the.price
at which it sold in England was under the government
of Ferdinand in Spain. The only remedy was the re-
vision of the Corn Laws, and that could not be done
till the Noble Lord swept away the cobwebs of the
Cabinet—till he cleared away all the old lumber, and
sent it to King Ferdinand. The Noble Lord would
then have an opportunity of discussing the question.
He did not, however, think that could be done, there-
fore he should suggest that a circular letter be written
at the Meeting of Parliament in the following terms:—
" My Lords, I have to inform your Lordships that Parliament
will meet for dispatch of business on the Sd of February, and as
much important business is to come forward, your Lordships pre.
Isence will be necessary."—The Noble Lord added, that the ques.
don must be considered without prejudice, and he advised the
1 House to do justice. What right had they to make corn dear?—
If it should appear that Parliament passed laws to make corn dear,
some great convulsion might occur, and it might be said—begone,
and make place for honest men.
Lord CALTHORPE, though be did not approve of
the system of the Corn Laws, wished to do justice to
the honesty of those by whom it had been framed, who
he was convinced had in view at the time, not the ad-
vantage of the landed interest alone, but the general
good of the community. Serious evils, however, would'
arise from leaving a question of that kind in the situa-
tion in which it now stood. The best way to cure
all delusions would be to submit it to the considera-
tion of a Committee of the House. The Noble Earl
opposite had acted very wisely on a recent occa-
sion by following such'a course on another subject.—
When a disposition existed-in the two conflicting parties.
to entertain exaggerated opinions, the only way to in- .
duce them to view the subject with calmness and mo-
deration, and to bring into play the immense mass of
information which pervaded the middle classes was to
submit the question to Parliamentary inquiry. Should
his Majesty's Ministers be defeated in bo.h Houses in an
attempt to introduce a measure of that kind, either
dsieat would only sere.- to raise them in the public esteem. When
he considered the degree of respect which they had acquired in
consequence of the measures which they had adopted for the open-
ing of trade, be felt that they were doing an act of injustice to
themselves, to Parliament, and to the country, in abstaining from
submitting the subject to inquiry. That was an indispensable step
in the wise course of commercial policy which his Majesty's Mi-
nisters were pursuing.
The Earl of LIMERICK deprecated the continual
discussion of a question so calculated to agitate the pub-
lic mind, and thought the ceech of the Noble Baron
who had presented the Petition from the parish of St. Luke's was
abundantly impregnated with the spirit Which prevailed in that
quarter. He trusted, however, that the people would not suffer
themselves to be led by such assertions and invitations as those
which had been made by the Noble LOrd.
Viscount CLIFDEN was glad that the question was
not to be brought forward this Session, and thought it
wise in his Majesty's Ministers, after disposing of the
great subject of the Currency, to abstain this year horn
a topic calculated to excite so much discussion. He
hoped, however, that they would consider it seriously,
and would see the propriety of changing the system of
the Corn Laws, and substituting for it a moderate duty,
sufficient to protect 'he agricultural interest. He bad
heard from a Gentleman abroad that there were not such
quantities of corer as would be likely to crush the home
market, if allowed to be imported. Indeed, two kinds
of grain had been imported, and no injury had been the result.
Barley, since the importation of that grain, had been at Sia. 4d. per
quarter. It had duce fallen to 545. but that was In consequence of
the failure of Country Banks, and not of importation. It had also
been apprehended id Ireland, that if foreign oats were admitted,
native oats would fall to ss. a quarter. The importation had taken
place, and the home price had not been below 15a.
The Petition was then laid on the table.

COUNTRY BANE NOTSS.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN wished to elll the
attention of the House, and of the Noble Earl opposite,
to the necessity of making a provision to render the
Notes of Country Banks payable at the places where
they were issued. He was aware that a clause some.
what to that effect was introduced in the Bill which was
now waiting the Royal Assent ; but it only extended to
the notes issued by the Branch Banks to be established.
Theta were at this period, not less than fifty five Conon y
Banks that issued notes only payable in London. One
of these was an Aberdeen Bank, notwithstanding the
dist snce of that place from the metropolis. As a proof
of the mischief of this practice, he had to state that the
notes of the Branch Banks, made payable in Dublin,
circulated through the south of Ireland at a discount,
and that one of those notes could not be changed at
Cork without a loss of four pence in the pound. It was absolutely
necessary that payments should be connected with the promise to
pay. If he knew to what office to apply, in order to make the re-
turn effectual, he should move for a list of those Banks which made
their notes payable in London, in order that the public should know
the mums of those who carried on so injurious a practice. But
without the aid of the Noble Earl opposite, he did know how suck
a return could be procured.
The Etrl of LIVERPOOL would Rost willingly pot
the Noble Marquis in the way of obtaining the inform-
ation which he desired, if it were in the power of Par l.a.
ment to do so. But iinle is Parliament should-authorise
some new mean, as the law now stood, it could not be
done. He agreed in de impropriety of Notet not being
paid where they were issued. So strong indeed was the
impression on his mind, that in the Act which had lately
p.tssed, a clause had been inserted to pi event the tuture