The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-02-07 00:00:00

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made was ae decided, that to enfbree them another Ac-
of Parliament was thought frecessatt ..'bey eeeerd-
=remota Parfiatnent ib 1819 e--t e sokjeet was re.
to a. Committee, and that Committee was of °pi-
llion, that an increase of their rates was ' . A ,
. 11, SO advance teem 25 per cent.. pa the Home of
.01tInnsons, but was lost in the Lords, where it was the
"object or considerable inquiry, and it was throws our,
aloe believed. hecanse it was thought the case, nude
Alt for ti.e Bill, did not entitle the applicants to the pro-
advance. Notwithstanding this derision, the ad-
rns
was claimed, and, by one Compaey. it was diem-
,ed in such a manner, that while to some iedividuala
among their companies it made no differeom at ell, •
others hall to complain of an advance of 150 or 200 per
cent. The means of obtaittiug a supply from any other
qviatter being cut off. fluster who related to submit to
this arbitrary demand were at once deprived of a step- • '
ply of water. The public ought not thus to he fitted at
the arbitrary will of any set of Walkman. Hi was
as bstated by no feelings of losetilityetirmaide s*4 of
them, bitt hewas anxious that the saidee% sbNid be Is-
qoirrd into, in the hope that the ptesent .eansesof d'....
content might be removed. He caseload by moving
for the appolh•mmit of a Select Ceteliillee to inquire
into the past anal pre* at state pf the soppily of water in
the metropolis, and the laws releting theme, and to re-
port the it (minions thereon to ttrosblottse.
Mr. H. SUMNER bore testimony to the correctness
of the atetentents made by the HrkOentleman, and
expressed himself anxious to give him in the proposed
inquiry any assistance in his power.
31r..51.A.TAYLOR, with great deference for his Hon. 1
Friend who had made the motion, did not 'gem with
all that he had stated that night. 'lbis time would
come for inquiring whether the plan which he (Mr. 31.
A. Taylor) hail formerly recommended, weald not have
removed every evil now complained of. The plain goes-
tion was this, whether a new Company ought or ought
not to he established ? The House had formerly
established several Companies, with a view to compe-
tition, bat if an arrangement had not taken place the
new Companies mast hare been oruined and the old
ones might then have gone on without any opposition
at all. He had formerly inquired into the state of the
several companies, and had been satisfied that an in-
crease of their rates was necessary. He had therefore
proposed to 6x a maximum. by giving them an advance
of 25 per cent. over the charges of 1810. Since that
time there had been a water fever in the metropolis. To
the plan lie had suggested two years ago, he thought
they twist yet have recourse, for to expect the Companies
could afford to supply the public ou the same terms, as
in ISIO, was farcical.
Mr. Alderman BRYDGES spoke In behalf of the
Water Companies, sheered that some of them had made
little or no profit, and wished the Committee to be an
open Committee.
Ale wiLmoT thought it would be for those who
went into the Committee, merely to inquire into the
means of doing. ustice between the parties. For him- •
self he did not see the advantages which an open Com-
mittee would have over a select one. But if there were
any, when the Bill came into the House, they would
then have all those ailvantages which some might sup-
pose were to be found in an open Committee to remedy
the evils of another.
The imotiod was Men agreed to sad a Committee forth-
with appointed.
PATENT RIGHTS.
Mr. CURWFN, after briefly setting forth the pro-
priety of affording all reasonable encouragement and pro-
tection to thole who benefited their country by their
discoveries and inventions, in ived for leave to bring in a
Bill to authorise the Attorney-General in certain cases t a
extend the period during which Patent Rights should by
protected.
51e.11. (ADDY trusted the House would not pass the
Bill as a matter of center as be held it to be one of con-
siderable importance to die Arts and Sciences.
After a few words from Mr. Waorrasess, leave was
given to bring in the Bill.
FOREIGN TRADE.
Mr. WALLACE moved for the appointment of a Com-
mittee to inquire into the state of our Foreign Trade.--
it was desirable that this subject shouid• occupy the ,e-
-teution of Parliaineut. The state of our commerce was
already improving, and the distresses of a part of the la-
bouring community hail been materially relieved. lu
the cotton trade a great change for the better had taken
place. In the woollen trade also some improvement hail
1 taken place, and in other-branches of our commerce there
were indications of recovery from the depression under
which they had laboured. The interests of the several
woritine classes were so linked together, that the di--
tress of one had always been followed by the distress el.
the others; and he hoped in the same way that 'acct.'s
still improvement in one Would be equally followed by
success and improvement in the rest. This country pos—
sessed considerable advantages over other nations, lett. .
these, great as they were, we had to exert under suet;
burdens as were borne by no other country. Those who
felt this would recognise the importance of makiug •
such advantages as available as possible. Ile we-.
persuaded that there was no way of doing t!i s
but by a revision of our existing system with a new i►
open as wide a field as possible to our merchants st i .
manufacturers. It was, however, impossible to expect
that there would be a dieposition on she part of other
countries to contribute to our relief by admitting our
commerce unless we were equally disposed to do the •
same by them. The benefit must be reciprocal. Unlecs
we supported them they would nut support us. It elan
in vain to expect that we tenthd act the part of vebdora
to all the world. Such a principle woeld be destruceiv M
of the best interests of this uatiou, and cause it to nazi,
war upon itself. It was the principle of free, trade
alone which could lead to the prosperity of the country.:
but in its present situation that principle could only be
acted upon under considerable limitations. Not only .n
this country but in al: others new channels of trade had
been opened, which called for protection. &dimes
their nature, they only required immediate protection as
far as absolute necessity called for it. Upon a former
occasion, a Committee°, the House had been appointed,
and directed their attention to this subject with consi-
derable advantage. That Committee load made recom-
mendations relative to the state of the NaYieeltion Lain;
and it was his intention to submit to the House at ua
very distant period, a measure for carrying those recoee
mendations into effect. At the same time he shout I
propose that another suggestion of that Committee
should he adopted; namely, the consolidation of t.s
commercial laws of the country. By removing the iv-
pediments which stood in the way of commerce, they
would not only maintain, but improve and extend the
national resources. lie moved that a Committee be
appointed to examine into the state of the trade and
commerce of the country, and to report thereon.
Mr. CURIVF;N expressed his gratidcatios that the
Uovernment was awiseened to the necessity of ex.,
asinine into these subjects to which the lion. Mem-
ber's mi.tion applied.
Mr. BAKINU itas aware that the object Were