Star.
London, England, 1821-02-06 00:00:00

PUBLIC DISTRESS.

Earl GREY said, he now had a Petition to present
to their Lordships, of a natere different from those
which had just been laid before the House, and which
claimed the most serious attention of their Lordships.
It was a Petition from the Merchants, Manufacturers,
and Traders, of the Town of Birmingham. It was
agreed to in the month of August last ; and he (Earl
Grey) was sorry to say, that the statements contained
in it were at variance with statements contained in
his Majesty's Speech, and afterwards repeated in that
(louse on the first day of the Session, respecting the
general prosperity of the country, when it' was as-
serted that improvements had taken place in several
branches of our manufactures. Whatever improve-
ments might have taken place in some places, Bir-
mingham was certainly an exception to them, for
these Petitioners stated that the trade of Birmingham
was reduced to a most deplorable state; that the
master manufacturers were not able to employ their
workmen more than three or four days in the week;
that one-fourth of the working classes were obliged
to have recourse to parish relief for the support of
their existence. It appeared, that when the distress
at Birmingham was known to be at its height last
year, a Committee was appointed to inquire into the
nature and causes of it, and from the information
which the Committee collected, no doubt could be,
entertained as to its existence. It appeared, that in
the town of Birmingham there had beets a diminution
of about one-third in the consumption of the neces-
saries of life during the last two years, and that this
diminution had taken place particulat ly in the articles
of beer, bread, and meat ; and that a great part of
the reduced consumption had been supported on
credit. A Mr. Ryland, who had taken an active past
in this investigation, made a Report upon the subject,
and in that Report it was stated, by publicans and
others, that they could sell more commodities if they
gave them on credit, but that their trade was gene-
rally falling off; that those people who bad formerly
been id the habit of purchasing joints of meat, were
now content with bullock's liver,or some inferior meat,
in such small quantities as two-pennyworth and one-
pennyworth at a time ; and that this meat was the
same which used formerly to be sold for the feeding
of dogs. The pawubrokers shops were filled with
articles which were not redeemed, and most of the
Working people were reduced to such a state that
they had nothing more to pledge. This inquiry had
been instituted since the year 1818, which was consi-
dered a year of comparative prosperity, and the con-
dition of the inhabitants experienced no amelioration
during the two subsequent years; therefore their dis-
tresses could not be .owing to any falling off that
might be supposed to have taken place in our trade
through any Sudden transition from war to peace.—
When he heard the Noble Lord opposite assert, on
the first day of the Session, that an improvement had
taken place in our trade, he (Lord Grey) made an
inquiry as to the fact, and the result was, that al-
though there was lately an increased demand for
some articles seat out to South America and other
,places, yet the general distress of the country was
rather increased than diminished. He found that
iron-work had fallen from 20 to 23 per cent.—that
brass and copper works had fallen'about 15 per cent.
and plated work about five per cent. He was told
there had been a diminution in the poor-rates; but
that appeared to have arisen from the difficulty of
collecting them ; for in the last year, the arrears
upon these rates amounted to no less a sum than
1;10,(X)0; whereas, in former years, the general
arrear was between £5OOO and £6OOO, and had never
exceeded £7OOO. Such was at present the distressed
state of the manufacturers of Birmingham. Whether
the distresses of some other places were alleviated by
recent improvement:, he knew not ; but he was as.
snred that great distress prevailed generally through-
out the country. There might, indeed have lately
been an increased demand in some parts of Lanca-
shire
for particular articles of manufactures; but he
was assured that; upon the whole, there was a con-
siderable diminution in the manufacturing capital of
the country. He, therefore, had great doubt whe-
ther there existed any such prosperity as had been
stated by the,Noble Lord on the first day of the Ses-

sion ; and that doubt was confirmed by the general
distress which at present affected the Agricultural In-
terests. Another cause of his doubt was, that the
trade of the country had, upon the whole, experi-
enced a defalcation in point of profit—it was not a
trade arising from demand, but a trade of specula-
tion, exhibiting a mortgaged and unhealthy state of
things, and it loudly called for the most serious at-
tention of the Government. On the first day of the
Session, the Noble Earl stated, that the agricultural
distress of the country was owing to increased pro-
duction ; but from the knowledge which he (Lord
Grey) had on this subject, he doubted the fact of our
'productions having increased. Last year we cer-
tainly had an abundant harvest ; but he doubted
whether there was in latter years any increase of pro-
duce; and his reason for entertaining such doubt
was, that the distresses of the farmers were so great,
as to render them unable to cultivate the lands in the
-manner they had formerly done, and it followed of
course, that the production could not be increased.
Indeed, he was sure that the Agricultural Interest
was in much greater distress than the Manufacturing
Interests, on account of the very low price of corn,
and the weight of taxes. ' The distresses of the coun-
try, in short, affected all persons, and were general.
Various reasons had, at different times, been given
for this state of public distress ; some had ascribed it
to a sudden transition from war to peace ; othei s to
a failure of the American markets ; and all parties,
connected with the Government, seemed to have
been shuißing,. in order to evade the real state of the
question. But he would tell them, that the principal
cause of the. public distress was the immense load of
taxation which pressed upon all ranks of people, and
which load of taxation was aggravated by the pre-
sent state of our finances. Whether the country
would still be able to bear this pressure, was to him
every .!ay more problematical ; but it was a subject to
which their Lordships should not shut their eyes, to
which it was their duty to turn their most serious at-
tention. The present Petitioners prayed that their
Lordships would give the subject stated therein their
most serious consideration. It was not his intention
to make any proposition to their Lordships on the
1 subject ; and although he thought a Committee
should be appointed to take the Petition into consi-
deration, he should not move for one, because it was
not in his power to undergo the fatigue to which a
constant confinement on that Committee would sub-
ject him. But if any other Noble Lord would move
for one, he would give the Committee as much as-
sistance as lay in his power. Indeed, he could see no
useful result likely to arise from any general inquiry
which was not immediately undertaken by the Go-
' vernment. No good. that he knew of, resulted from
the Committee appointed last year to inquire into the
state of our foreign trade. Although an able state-
ment had been made in the Report of that Commit-
tee, he did not see that we were one jot nearer to the
accomplishment of the object in view, than we had
been before that Committee was appointed. When
he saw a result so unfavourable as this, he confessed
he had very little confidence in any relief that might
be expected from such a source. No useful object
could be attained, unless the subject was taken up
earnestly by the Government of the Country. lle
had nothing further to state, than that he should
most heartily support t'hes prayer of the Petition, and
moved that it should be read.—The entire Petition
was then read by the Clerk.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, lie should trouble
their Lordships with a few observations, in reply to
what fell from the• Noble Lord. He had no objec-
tion whatever to the Petition being referred to the
Committee appointed last year, or to any other Com-
mittee which the Noble Lord might wish. With re-
gard to what had fallen from him (Lord Liverpool)
on the first day of the Session, it was necessary that
their Lordships should attend to the particular pas-
sage in his Majesty's Speech, that had been alluded
to. The words were—" that a considerable improve-
ment had taken place within the last half year in
several of the most important branches of our com-
merce and manufactures ; and in many of the manu-
facturing districts, the distresses which prevailed at
the commencement of the last Session of Parliament
had greatly abated." This was not a declaration
that a 4eneral improvement had taken place ; nor
did the Speech say that our agrichlture did not la-
bour under distresses, or that great distress did not
prevail in the town of Birmingham and other places.
Bat the Speech alluded to some of the most impor-
tant manufacturing districts of the country. The
Cotton trade of Lancashire, he contended, had under-
gone considerable improvement, for encreased num-
bers of manufacturers were employed, and the trade
of Liverpool in cotton goods was greatly encreased,
as appeared by the latest accounts received from
' thence. These were the facts which lie alluded to on
the first night of the Session. With respect to agri-
cultural distress, the statement made by him on the
first night of the Session was founded on the fact
that, during the space of two years, no foreign corn
had been imported for home consumption; and,
therefore, the conclusion must have been, that there
was an encrease of production. This fact had been
investigated and ascertained during the last year, by
persons, who before, had entertained strong preju-
dices on the subject. He would not dispute what
had fallen from the Noble Lord as to a diminished
consumption. But he knew that, in one district with
which he was well acquainted, a great quantity of
land, over which a plough had never before been
drawn, was broken up, towards the end of the war,
for the purposes of tillage, and those lands returned
A very inadequate profit ; but the cultivators of them
contributed not only to encreased production, but
also to the distress of the agricUlturists. He was
ready to admit that a great part of the public dis-
tress might be ascribed to over taxation ; but it must
be recollected, that since the conclusion of the war,
there had been a diminution of taxation to the amount
of fifteen millions annually. ' lie had no ottection

to have this Petition referred to a Committee, and he
would readily promote any remedy which could tend
to remove the distresses it complained of. But he
must say, that unless their Lordships saw their way
clearly through the business, a remedy by means of
a legislative proceeding would be only an aggrava-
tion of the evil. With regard to the timber trade,
he conceived it to be altogether a question of regu-
lation with respect to duties.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN conceived that
this Petition called for the most indulgent and care-
ful investigation that their Lordships could give to it.
With regard to the cotton trade, he believed it had
considerably increased iu regard to exportation ; but
the profits and the capital employed in it were com-
paratively very low. The trade merely had the effect
of keeping men employed ; but the profits were very
little, because the manufacturers had no other way
of employing their capital ; and therefOre the trade,
as it now stood, could never produce any permanent
advantage. He differed front the Noble Earl in his.
statement that agricultural distress was owing to in-
creased production: for he conceived the most pro-
bable cause to be a diminished consumption; it being
well known that a great part of oar population was,
for some years past, driven to the use of inferior pre"
visions ; for those who formerly used bread, now fed
upon potatoes. As to an inquiry by Parliament into
the subject, .he, for one, looked for no favourable re-
sult from it; for no immediate relief could be ob-
tained except by an effort on the part of his Majesty's
Government. A remedy could only be found in
determination to recluse the experaliture of the coun-
try in every possible way ; and not to allow any par-
tial interests to interfere with the broad principles of
trade and commerce. And he was sorry that the
great Sovereigns of Europe, instead of forming plans
at Lay bach for destroying the independence of ether
nations, did not meet together to 6tablish a just
system of..commerce throughout the Continent.
Lord CALTIIORPE fully concurred in the truth
of the statements contained in the Petition, .and de-
clared, that from his own knowledge, he was con-
vinced these Petitioners were incapable of stating' any
thing that was not founded in fact. The Petition being
ordered to lie on the table, the House adjourned.