The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-05-15 00:00:00

FIRST FRUITS AND TENTHS.

(From the Manchester Coui ter. )
Mr. Baines, the dissenting member for Le.ds, on
Tnesday:nighttbronght forward a motion for a-committee
of the whOle house to take into consideration the'pro-
priety of abolishing the first-fruits of the clergy in Eng-
landand Wales, and the more effectual rating and the
better collection of the tenths applic:,ble to the mainten-
ance of, the poor clergy." When the house divided,
there were only between
,seventy and eighty members
..-present, a circumstance, co doubt, to be attributed to the
opinion that so absurd a motion might be left-to defeat
ktseif4'the consequence, however, was,-that the nititiOn
for.gpinginto a coldrittee was carried by a majority of
21, uti4?isters being in the minority, Tile object of Mr.
DaineessOheme is to impose a tax upon the wealthier
-clergy far the benefit of the poorer, assigning as the
AtrounlforAiii-proceeding the rights established under
the ittutir.of Henry' VIII and-Queen' Anne, The ex-
,atiiiii,ntOrSl*,CrUits and tentha, as is well known, was
Ariginally an usurpation Of the Pope, and was first in-
troduced in the,reign of KingJohnand Henry III.; but,
according; to Blaekstorie, it met with a vignrous'resist-
anceiromf the Foglish parliament. When the Papal
power-.Was:aholi'shed, this
.revenue, was .attached to the
crown, which was done by the statute of the 26th Henry
VIII.; and-it remained in the crown until Queen Antrei
granted it, for the augmentation of poor ,The,
Cpiestion'now is; whether the poor dergy, enjoy that i
that they are entitled to tinder the statute of Queen
Anne. On this .point, we ,imagine, the. opinion of the
:Solicitor General is a. better authority than that.of Mr.
:Baines and what that learned gentleman- affirms
that 'I the clergy have now under that.
,statnte all that
they have ever, been entitled to.".
,There is nothing in
the act to countenance the opinion that the amount Lobe
levied:upon the clergy should vary according to the al-
tered value of the, benefices. on. the zontrary, it ex-
pressly says, the sail fruits, as well a'A slue tenthS pay
able by the clergy, shall hereafter be rinsiti4.4l and.paid
by them according to such rates and proportions only, as
the same have heretofore been usually rated and paid."
These words, we think, settle the question so far as re
Bards the meaning of the statute of Queen Anne.. That
the measure will make no further progreris may, we
think, be ,safely predicted.; for one so absurd, so nriiena-
hie, has scarcely ever been submitted to the considera-
tion of parliament.

THE CLAIMS OF THE BRITISH LEGION.
(Froze: the ) . •
The wrongs and the, claims of the officers of the un-
fortunate " Legion" came under the notice of the House
of Lords on Friday night.
It appears that these officers bail applied to the Foreign
SeCretary to entreat the Queen's government, which had
voc,ouraged.theni- to engage in the service of the Queen
ot Spain, to ta& Upon itself the payment of the arrears
hue tothetn;' and that Batkhopse., the Under Sc
-.4'*a -"e4b.•• a a hv the au.lioritv of his principal, Lord Pal-
,
lufrf‘4) theman answer to the effect, that their
,atrtaatieet9 forwarded to the Treasury; front which

•. .'

~. . .
the sofro-ers drew the incerence that, nnder the circum-
.4tatices, they were entitled to' draw,- namely, that the
zoverement was about to coamly %%Rh' their 'request:
~ortl Aberdeen asked whether the government 'really in-
ended to undertake the payment in question. Lord
Melbourne replied in the negative.-
The fate of this application will have a good ultimate
-fr•ct, because It will teach men to think seriously of the
folly of makin7 war
,a trade, who' would not be flinch in:
iluonced by moral or religiottyi considerations. But
though the :ultimate consequences must be beneficial, 'it
is impossible not to feel deeply disgusted at the conduct
purSned by ministers towards . their -unfortunate dopes:
No one can say in behalf of Lord Melbourne and his
olleaguea; that in cheating, or aiding to cheat, the offi-
cers of the L-gion, 'and in torturing them with -eqitivo-
' eating, promises, and the heart-sickness of deferred hope;
they ltiok to any moral consequences: They were the
drat to s'uggest the mercenary...expedition 'tei Spain—they
relaXed the law 'to give it facility—they defended the
bucaneering system in parliament—they marshalled-Bri-
tish soldiers and sailors in the same rank -with the' le-
gioiaries—and'therhave thought' proper to give tci' the,
fugitiVe coniniander Of. the Legion the'iiip,leit reWarde
merit. 'lt is . ... ..
military merit. it not competent to them to say, that
there was anything morally wrong in the expedition. •
Upon what' other ground, however, can they pretend'
to evade the responsibility whith thevilitive'inctirred to='
wardi di I ritislOAE;cts whom ' they' have encouraged?
to' give ..
r.labOar :Indio risk their 14.6 in the cause ol
Queen Isabella? We do not admit the defence-supplied-
by the Duke.of• Wellington, that to pay these lucklesa-,
men would lead to interminable - claims; • that ought to
114ye'Oeen'thought of beforehand. The only 'question
now iii, Whether the debt is due by the honorary gua-
rantee, the principal having failed to discharge it. -If the'
inconvenient Conaegenees of paying a just debt'are.to be
received -as 'a good plea, few debts need-ever' be paid
The mattet is extremelysimPle as it standii, butit. May
,possibly be made clearer by an indiVidtial, case: A, a
rich man, whO has B complelelv in his power, calls upon
C, a poor man, 'to engage in B's service; 'amplifies•B's--
Merits, declares that he (A) •is anxious for B's Sueeeis,-
[, and reminds C that lie (A) is in a`particular Manner; and:
by the highest obligation, botiri4 to vindicate his (C's)
claims against all the world ; thus encouraged, C en-,
gages in the service proposed,-and faithfully executes' it
as far as he is able;' B dismisses him UnpaiCi: C applies•
to his'prOmpter and his proper protector, A saying-=
compel B to pay me, as you easily may, or pay me your-
self., A answers coolly, Oh no ; linvited, encouraged
you, and declared that you would oblige me; your natu
ral protector; by entering 'B's service; but rem•embeT
you were a free'agent. I will tint press my friend -13 on
Y-6tirtieeotint,„and it is: quite:a. joke to think that I will
pay his debts; why, f have acted towardi others as I
acted towatds you, and I must pay all-if I pay yon.' ,Do
you not know that fraud is a lwaygprotected in proportion
to its magnitude? We think that a court of law would
.brink to reason one who shouldattempt So disgraceful an
evasion of a just responsibility. We are sure that he
would be excluded from all-decent-society.. Yet this .is
just the language employed last night by Lord'Met-
hourne. As to the letter of -Mr. BackhouSe, it holdsout
aSplainlyaa words can a prOinie that Lord' Palmerston
would interest himself with the Treasury to promote the
object of the applicants; without absolutely undertaking
for the final resolution of 'his Colleagues; his lordship
could not say-more • and if he was aware that that final
determination would be,tinfavciurable, it waSaggraVating
fraud by cruelty and insult to say so much. But, as we
ihave intimated, the real engagement -to •see the officers'
:and men paid was ratified' when they were invited lirthe
British government :into the Spanigh-Service:' The Bri-
Ash 'government -is 'bohnd' to
.asseft the' claim of every
British subjeCt, even-Where it haS. not been a party :to
the transaction upon which the claim is founded, Were
a British merchant-ship detained-in uSpaniSh•Pott, would
it not be the duty-of our government• to-enfoice her re-
-storatioa by•force 'of' arms;' if 'such foree'shonldbe "te-
-040'2, And hoW does the case ol a debt due to a body
of British subjecta upon a transaction which our govern-
ment cannot afford to treat as otherwise than' legitimate,'
differ from the case-or a shipCietained ? But the ease is
made immeasurably stronger 'by • . the admitted share
whiCli our griVernment 'hid in ' the creation of the debt;
and by'its retrospective acknowledgment that the Legion,
was really, though furtively, engaged in its Own service.
This retrospective acknowledgment -is the red. ribbon
conferred'upoti Sir George Evans. That-badge:mtist be
Considered as the reward' of services .to Great Britain;.
and if. the coMmander of the Legion was engaged iwthe
service of the British government, his unhappy followers
Cannot be separated from the same service.

STATE OF TRADE.

(From the Leeds Intelliyencer.)

Lagos.—We are glad. to notice a -decided improvement in
the demand for goods during the past week.' On Saturday there
was: a considerable larger quantity• of cloth .sold in the Piece
Hall than ou 'any market day fur some`time pa-st ; and Tues-
day's market exhibited a still further improvement. The effect
of the change has • been to increase public confidence in this
vicinity. There has been no material change in the wool mar-
ker, and there are still many workmen out of employ.
- - -

BRADFORD' Al-ertiott.—There was a numerous attendaneeof
merchatits and 'agents iu the' market on'Thu'rsday; and More
inqiiielks -for goods than fur souse Weeks past ; and tbere was
cobseqUently' some imprnVement in the amount or business tran-
sacted; but prices' were scarcely effected 'for the better. The
Yarn market rytis'more brisk,- and prices.firm-; and as a neeeig=
sail consequence there wak•more' huiiires's'done in ttie wool
market. Prices were'nearly'stationary, but fihn.
1-Icnu6astrizi:o had a good attendance of
buyers here on 'Tuesday, and in'Ore Cosiness was done than for
some time past, in both cloth's and fancyWoiilleris. Checks and
Ltistres were also in demand, but ihere was no general improve-
ment in the prices of these goods; which" have been fur some
time eonsiderid ruinously low. . .
f4Ltkax MARKET, MAY s.—There has been considerable
business doiny, •this week in goods and wool also, and at the
same prices as have been current fur the last few weeks.
WAruiFiEt.n WOOL MARKET, MAY 11.—There has been
rather more business done this• week in long•wool, but iri the
heavier description, at a price a shade-below 'what would have
been accepted a week or two ago ; the lighter descriptions at
the same prices. In short wool, we have still a little more doing
in the lower sorts, whilst the upper sorts are neglected.

SanyLKswoktft.-che'wOolleti cloth trade has not been in
such a depressed -state for several years pest ; a:grekit number
of dyers, spinners, and weavers ate entirely Without work; and
others have not employment, yet we' are glad to state that
Manufacturers say they will not reduce wages. There are na
prospeCts of amendment at preient.
SILK TRADE.—On Saturday last a general reduction of one
halfpenny per yard, or about ten per cent., took place in weavers'
wages upon all kinds of silk goods. On Monday and Tuesday
last three silk manufacturing firms in Manchester attempted a
further redaction in weave's' wages of ten per cent. upon all
sorts. The weavers would not submit to the second reduction,
and were obliged to go home without employment. Meetings
were_ held on Monday and Tueiday in the towns near Manches-
ter,, and the, weavers passed resolutions to the effect that they
would starve to death before 'they'iOuld submit to the second
reduced prices.
Or nxstr.—The batting business is much better within the
last few weeks. Fine bats have been in great demand, and
snore hatters have been employed.

METAL 'MA RKET:—BritiM copper; iron, and lead, continue
firn►, awl 'maintain their prices. There has been an arrival of
about 7U tons of Spanish lead, but which-was previously disposed
of. Tuere has also been an arrival of 2500 slabs of tin, the mar-
ket for vt hick co►nh,odity remains the same, excepting in Banco,
which has-been sold at 85s. per cwt. Syrelter is in demand; the
price has been £l6. 153. per ton, andl:l7 is now asked.