Star.
London, England, 1811-07-09 00:00:00

Would not lutist these giddy hits made at ttte expendil
ture,and that circumstance confounded with the causel

which imperldusly called for a bill similar to the one
before the House. The eapences of the war were
great he admitted, but they were not greater than
the line of policy adopted by his Majesty's Govern-
ment required. That policy might be wrong, and
the expences unnecessary and wanton, but he wished
that those things should not be confounded with the
points on which the present discussion turned. Ad-
mitting that the present war could be made purely a
defensive one on our part, still it would be a question
with him, in the present state of the world, whether

even then it would be politic to remove the Bank Re-
strictions? This he would maintain, that so long as
they thought proper to continue their present foreign
relations, so long would it be impossible to compel
the Bank to resume cash payments. If they were re-
solved on bringing about the latter object, they must
begin by reducing their expenditure, and by, in fact,
altering all the features of their foreign relations ; by
15 curtailin their operations in every part of Europe.
To cu the immense expenditure or 4, profusion"
would' to alter all the features of the war. In 1797

the Government had had to choose between evils ;
in fact, the times in which they live had been of so
eventful and of so extraordinary a nature, that the
Government for the time being, had rarely had any
other alternative than to nuke a choice of evils. It

was his firm opinion that it would be unwise and im-
politic in the extreme to adopt a different policy of
-carrying on the war than was at present acted on ;
and it was equally as unwise and impolitic to substi-
tute new dangers for those which they knew how to
bear. They had to apply a practical remedy to an
existing evil ; they were not called upon to prepare
a remedy for an evil which they knew not how to
calculate.

Earl G REV protested against the proposed mea-
sure, as fraught with general calamity. The Noble
Lord who had just spoken talked of the faith due to
the national creditor. That faith no one would wish
more strictly to observe than himself : but what would
the national creditor gain by the present Bill ? Would
it give to Bank notes an increased value ? Would nut
its only effect be to place landholders in the same
distressing situation ? For his part (notwithstanding
what had fallen from the Noble and Learned Lord
cri the Woolsack) he never would believe, until it
should be declared by the Twelve Judges, that the
payment by a tenant into a Court, of Bank notes,
would shelter him from a distress, when the law dis-
.

tinctly declared that it should be paid in good and
lawful money of the realm." Satisfied as he was,
that the reverse was the case, he put it to the House
to consider what would be the situation of the unfor.

tuna:e tenant, after the passing of the Bill. From
that period it would be illegal and impracticable for
him to purchase guineas, and yet with guineas alone
would his landlord be paid. Could any thing be
conceived more likely to create the greatest calami-
ties ? It was to incur all the evils of making Bank
notes a legal tender, without securing any of the
advantages which might result from such a step.
The present measure would have the effect, not of
stopping, but of aggravating and increasing the evil.
The law was to be limited in its operation to Great
Britain; and was not to extend to Ireland. Why
was this" Had it never been heard that the rent
of lands in that part of the kingdom had been de-
manded in gold? Was it not known that this was
common in the North of Ireland ? If this was an
evil, how came it that a remedy was mare neces-
sary here than there ? Why were the people in Ire-
land to be more exposed to such demands than the
landlords in England ? To this he believed no bet-
ter answer could be gives than that furnished by
the old story of a person who was accused of cm-
elty in putting lobsters into cold water, and then
boiling them to death. The reason given to justify
this practice was, to they are used to it ;" and this
he conceived, was all that could be said for thus
neglecting the people of Ireland. He was astonished
to hear the Noble Lord opposite contend that Bank
paper was not depreciated, and thought the arguments
he had urged were far from proving what they were
intended to prove; and the arguments he had made use
of to shew that the Orders in Council had done good,
were only to be derived from the present distress of the
country. The only remedy which could be supplied to the
evils complained of, and those which would follow the
adoption of the measure proposed, and those mea-
sures to which it must lead, was a returnto payment,
in specie. He reminded their Lordships of the as-
signats of France ; and then adverting to the affairs
of the Peninsula, declared that though he had con-
curred in the Vote of Thanks to Lord Wellington,
as he had really done more than he (Lord Grey) ex•
petted he would be able to do, yet still it was his firm
opinion if we made ourselves principals in the war,
and attempted to contend with the whole military
power of France on the continent, the consequences
would be most ruinous to this country. He was
surprised at the statement which had been made of
the prosperous-state of our affairs, and regarded it as
a delusion, which, . if given into, would render it im-
possible for us to' survive and overcome our present
difficulties. If the bill before :he House were carried,
it would go to make the Bank-note a legal tender,
and that must lead to its farther depreciation. He
was anxious to give the supporters of the measure a
timely warning before they proceeded too far, as he
WAS confident no victory would gratify our enemy so
much, or so strongly prove the complete success of
his endeavours to injure this country, as the passing
of an Act subversive of the ancient rights of the Con-
stitution.
Lord LAUDERDALE thought it would be un-
becoming to pass the Bill, under all the circumstances
of the case, without having first the opinions of the
Judges. He would therefore move as an amendment,
that after the word ot That," these words should be
inserted " summoning the Judges to attend that
House to-morrow."
Lord GRENVILLE spoke in favour of the amend-
ment, as after what had fallen from the Noble and
Learned Lords in the course of debate, their opinions
were necessary to explain the Bill.
The LORD CHANCELLOR, in explanation, re-
peated that the law of the country would remain the
same after the passing of the Act as at present in
cases of execution, save that the landlord who took a
note must take it for the sum specified in it, and
when distraining must submit to have such note so
offered to him.
After a few observations from Lords Grenville and