The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-06-17 00:00:00

74i

~~,Lj

~~.:

hear n The represen , but it would he useless to mottle :it taiew
. ficacious •
riot ,
mas's nature.—[llcar,
s for the purpose of convincing the country ,by liktreas
eere such as must move the hardest hearts.t—a
There was wie circup starer to o hick he (wild not that its trade was in a stateof unexempled protiperity.
-
but allude, ca ereseot serrei- because it was fre. I There, however, was so great a falling off in our
qtr trade- 6o great a defalcation, that it had baffled all
eely asked, oith an air mine. ' whether that
scarcity too was 10 be attributed to ten, ()tilers in M. levities skill td hide ehe feet ; thei had been tle
Cele; ;Sleet a sew cite dem al, se from iinavol,?:thic 1 sired to stair for the Cistom-housc returns, as if the
catovs. such . s liervest, wole;t ne human fa* facts o begeteloped would overwhelm them, and
sig.. bolt' A. to the distress and scarcity : prove, bnd tha possibility of dispute, that our
of 180 u, the wit netzses a n,w ;led w i one uny ry ingeherade swies4otsehlitiog. Bet after all this tisreessionisoge
voice, ti: o their situation tli was ant to be cm- the truth had come out ,by some neaps or other. Jsky.J
pared a ith their preseet condition. At that time those Custom-house returns--those long expected
ever! could be °omitted, but how different was their . and much talked of returns, it appeared that in one'
tittle:ie., at the present ;lenient ! A mucity, of )sear there was a deficit of 83 millions, and in an-
s
'wages occasioned n scarcity of food, for the searcity , other year to the amount of 88 millions, including
• of the t:ertner cceasioned the sources of the latter to exports to and imports from every part of the world.
be in some measure closed. The consequences of
;Thus was the testimony 'of those very returns in fa-
our supplies of load from America being interrupted, your of those who agreed with him in his opinion of
wa, 'extremely detrimental to us ; for the continua- trade. What now became of the argument, that if
tion et' -.a not only be,ietited this island, but ma- we lost one place we gained another ; that if we lost
terially affected our army in tee Pehinsnla. The he f rale of America we obtained that of lieligo-
.Englise army there was almost, if not entirely, sup- , land? What now became of the balance of trade,
• plied from A -erica ; and the effect of an interrup- which it had been said was in no way affected by the
tion was recently exemplified ; for one dry's em- i interruption of our commerce m ith America ? Those
hargo not only raised the price very considerably, arguments were put to flight by the very returns of
but immediately occasioned 6000 quarters of wheat, these who made theme After tracing further deficits,
inteeded for home consumption, to be put in requi- the lion. Member dismissed the Custom-house re-
sition for the -Peninsula. Thus, he would contend, lures, expressing his determination to close Mr. Ir.
they had arrived at this point, that our Ministers Ying's book, because it proved nothing ; but if they
must abandon the war in Spain if they would not would contend that it proved something, its support
promote a reconciliation with Americaa war in must be in favour of his (Mr. ll.'s) case. Suchsthen
which, according to the authors of the Orders in was the state of trade, and if they wanted to prate
Council, policy was the " one thing needful"—a more, they must go beyond the four quarters of the
war which afforded to England the last remaining globe to ebtain the additional evidence. it was true
hope of loweringand humbling the power of France! that tl:ey had the trade of lieligolaud and South
Such was the dilemma in which they were placed ! Amelica, to compensate them for the loss of
With regard to the teorier of the etidence taken at' that to the United States. As to the South
the Bar, trot one single attempt had been, made (save American trade, he world turn the attention of
one)—Ufeur n—to contradict the statement of the the House to it. Witnesses had been examined
great existing distress emongst the manufacturers; as to its value; and by one general toes-'
and the attempt made in that, in one instance, was tion they had been asked, whether they had tried 1,
in the person, and by the evidence cf an Hon. Mem- the market of .South Americe ? The invariable an-
ber (Mr. Marryatt). The evidence, however, given saver was, and it was given with an expressive good
by that Member, was of such a nature, that even humour, 44 No ; we -know the South Americau
-his Mends had agreed to have a great portion of it market too well !" ,They who had tried it re-
expunged from the minutes. Ile (Mr. Marryatt) plied, 44 they wish they never had known it, for .
had attempted t 6 deny that the distress _was a loss of fifty per cent. had been sustained on an
general, and this iu the very teeth of all the average!". This evidence did not please the Pre&
preceding evidence, thus flatly contradicting dent of the Board of Trade, because it did not
every withess that had gone before hie. Such being _harmonize with his pleasing and flateerieg expects-
the nature of the Honourable Member's valuable tes- lions, as was evineed by the shifts to which tie
tiniony, he (Mr. 14.) felt it his duty to examine that Right Hon. Gentleman (.Ir. Rose) was put in his
Honourable Member, with a view to obtain from him ' examination of those very witnesses—" What !" et-
his notiore of comforts, if what now existed in the claimed the Right Honourable Gentleman, " a lost !
manufactering districts, were not distress in the ex- ; a loss ! in the South American market too ! oh that
treme. But how disgusting a scene opened upon ! cannot be ' • but pray what did you ship ?—But you
So eisgusting was it to him, that he did not persist could not have suffered any loss." One Witness re- .
in the sxamination, but complies' with the request of plied, that he had shipped hardware, " Oh !" said
the friends of the lion. Witness, and abandoned his ' the President of the Board of Trade, " how could
enquiries of an individual who contradicted, insult- you think of shipping hardware ! How could you
ingly contradicted, all the witnesses that had been think of sending such a cargo to South America ?
examined at their Bar. What did the Honourable' why, you might be sure
_of a loss!" This practical
Witness say Why, that the manufacturers had , trader told the witness, that he had attended to the
now more than thes had a right to—that oatmeal and , regulations of the Board of Trade—pt laugh]--he:
eter were sufficient for diem! Ile (Mu. M.) ven. would not have sent such a egrgo, as much as to
turetl *I tell the Committee in his evidence, that if say to him, that he might have sent goods on which
the journeymen manufacturers were in the rireipt of he would not have lost more than 20 per emit. instead
full wages, they would receive " three times" more : of 50 per cent.—[Heur, hear !] —Llut the South
than tee" ought to have; for if they could obtain American trade did not go hand in hand with regu-
better food than oatmeal and water, to use the Hon. ! lades, nor did the trade via Canada ; as soots as
Witness's Lineage, 64 they would become pam- this country by.its conduct compelled the people of
pered, and would tend to unhinge the frame of so. 1 North America to side with its Government, an end
ciety !" [Moir, hear !] But that Honourable s was put to the smuggling, by which this trade was
Centlemati had some " loyalty" about hint, for he carried on. When the North Americans were not
commenced his evidence by a furious attack upon : concerned, the outlet was closed to ns. " But,"
Jacobinism, center: that there was no real dis- ! said the Honourable Gentleman, "we ask of Go-
tress—that the cry came from Jacobins alone ! I vernment to give us back the American trade ; and
Such was the evidence of the lion. Member, of an it is for them to shew how the valuable trade to
individual who, he was a' 'timed to eav, had risen I Malta and to South America will be injured by this
to the greatest affluence, very:possibly fr'em that class I addition. It is for them to shew, if we obtain this ad-
which he was now so fearful of becoming 44 pam. ! dition, how it can injure the round-about trade to
pered."—Such was the testimony of the only indi- j Heligoland, Rio Janeiro, and other places : will not
'ideal who had been called to contradict the evidence the trade to those places still be equally sure
that had been wrung from the distresses of more ! and profitable ?—Can the restoration of that market
than a hundred most respectable witnesses! Of its affect those on which the President of the Board of
value all would form a just opinion ;he feared not s Trade sets so much value ! But are they not, in fact,
its weight as affecting the general question. In the next ! of trifling value compared with such a market as that
place, came a meagre memorandum from the Custom- of North America ?" The lion. and Learned Gen-
house, ushered iu under the auspices of Mr. Irviag; Boman then contended, that the value of the newly'
but lie would contend, that those documents could' discovered markets were nothing when compared
not interfere with the question before thellouse if they i with that of North America. That to South Ame.l
possessed • ally intrinsic value for veracity. The I rice was not worth half a million, and we might
main question for the House to determine was, whe- I have all those markets, with that of North America.
Cher the happiness and comforts of the manufacturing I As to the home market, it had always been found
-class of the community had increased or diminished? !that it was depressed in exact proportion as .the fo-
Such being the question, and after the evidence which reign had been choked up. This faet was proved by
lead been given at the Bar, to pretend to prove to the state of the Sheffield trade. As to the relief
Lim by an array of Custom-house figures, that the given to the home trade, so far as it appeared from
trade of the country was in a state of prosperity, I the Ordnance accounts, it was not only uncertain,
wound he stark nonsense. They saw the distress— ! but, in his estimation, unwholesome. The same re-
tie) starving condition of the manufacturers stared mark applied to the relief given to the Birmingham
Mem in the face- the calamitous and ancontradicted trade. As to the relief afforded the clothing districts
details had been brought to their Bar. It was too Iby Government on account of the Army, it also was
late to go to the Custom-house, for Mr. Irving's I uncertain and net wholesome on genteel principles.
vague a cement, to prove that that was no distress The clothiers of Leeds had obtained domestic relief
of trade. The time for such a difencv had gone by ; I during one season, from another circumstance, name.
such statements were without faith or credit; but by ly, because the ladies wore cloth pelisses iustesul esC
,Mr. Irving's own showing, auto w -great felting s silk ones ; hut then, to show the uucertainty of sach
off iu our commerce, as he should presently show.— I relief, it was found to be at the expellee of the Spi-
Of the exports to the amount of seventeen millions, I taltields weavers, who complaiued of great falling
it had nof been stated that from ;eta to no millions j ate in their trade during such season, because .the
neither paid any duty nor o:alfordany detwbseks, . ladies took to wearing cloth pelisses in:teed of those
The returns, however, lot-teed a mass of iiitelligenee! mu& of silk ! But, lifter alll , was undeniable
at once vague and unsatisfactory. tie mild Dot hot the( the trade of the country was materially affected;
observe, that there appeared to be a most amiable i that a great portion of chat remained, had been
fellow-feeling between the Custom-deers awl the I turned boo uncertain and unwholesome channels ; ho,
Board of Trade; a species of pessimism which
I however, might be answered, that this country had
itself in producing at:cut:mode t int! accounts to prove , 'untold ed else to support besides its trade and wealth,
the prosperity of trade as deseribed by *them Out namely, their maritime rights. Ho was the last man
examiee these returns—remark the &At by that welshd moment to give up those rights which
they were swelled out almost every one hot,* that were eltsettliill to the support of the dignity of
an entry of goods might be made et the Catdatn-' the Clown and the safety amid honour of the country.'
When however Bine maritime rights were ineompe.
House to the amouut of 50001. often iu fuel they
were not worth 51. The clerks said, odlt yaw tibia with hia biseleos and trade, he thought (lei
may as well say, 50001. in the smite v, ns your gosair ought to Iw stagiehilell fur the. general benefit. Ile
do not pay duty; it is a good round soot, end if Ilia would deity that nos abendosament of them for a time
amount of the real value should eeeired 1,1. them ovoll ww teutemmult Ina coecessiau of them altogether,
be no occasion for fresh entries or ottosetivalit" Ns hid bwim 'stmt'' try viormso treaties. we Rog
Such were the tricks by which the retorts. were *Hy Ihnl free hallow% tin hot intike free goods, yet in
foisted out, and as they were considered a spyolo. of the Itiaily of 0/1180 hi hilliand conceded that PIO.
" pions frauds," the merchant, did not feel their in lisa wel' at 1740 we also give It up; nod in 1775
consciences in any way 'cared by with We #ll,l nod contend fsor It. Mere recant events also
thee,. When such was the case, .what rellatweaotold OPmll4l too Prove eeent fact, that we never had
be placed on the Custom-house returns? Uptler other 40•Ined e eanette4loll of any eon of thoggrrlghte for a
viretenstaaail the Custom-howl nostrum Might be of. time es sloludiiiimout et Um Omaha. altagedt

S