The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-03-07 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN

Lora CASTLEILEAGII." I am not now pre-
pared to make and• such communication as the Hon.
Gentleman alludes to."

Mr.."Wilterpitli7tD.'--"f Cad the :Noble_ Lord
.
m'eitiot aitigiten time when be thtelts its Pill be ie.
his poAir, to•nithi the coonnunienttOn ?"
.14014 cAsrix,,
ft tAtir.--"1-do not think it nt-
cesmy to do so."

iiis..W.ULTBREAD.—" Then I think it neces-
ia ry to g've notice, that on ihe first vacant day I shall
raise II question which will afford the Noble Losltan
opportunity of giving the !louse some information on
thirsibjert."
Mt. unNNETT wished to know from the Mini-
ster, whether the Order of '.the 'Garter had been given
to the King of Spain
The CHANCEI,LOR of the EXCHEQUER
did not think necessary to answer the quettion,
hut would move that the Speaker do now leave the
Chair, that the Udine may resolve itself into Com-
mittee on the Caro laws.- - - •

Courier Evening Paper, which, he said, he believed
was pretty veil known to be patronized •by Gotern-
menrthe *same. a) the Moniteur ii and. has been`in
FrZnee. - Indeed, he had lieert told that. an Hon.
Itirmiorr, who is sometimes on the beudh oppottite,
ak, Mires ,cotdributks to the ' leading article.—" I
leave, continited The Hon. Baronet, the House to draw
their conclusions, but if I understand English—a hat
I reattkadefence why high pritaishonld be ujitheld.'#
In regard to the effect the measure will have on our
1 maitufaCtores-he could not be silent on. On those
for home consumption its effects may not be solturt.
fur, though he could not see the advantage gained on,
substituting high prices for 16-W, 'provided .diet was
all the evil. But it must be recollected that there
are numbers iu this country who are not regular
workmen, or receive regular wages, but who must
subsist, and therefore materially suffer by the high
price of bread.--Indeed, from the low price of
articles manufactured on the Continent, he did ;tot
know whether they could not be imported, paying
the duties, and then be sold cheaper than similar ar.
tides manufactured here. But if no harm will hap.
, pen to our home trade—how shall we be situated in
l'ree,ord to our foreign concerns' Our goods exported
I caunnt meet those made abroad on equal terms. We
I shall be undersold throughout the Continent ; and
I then, independent of she loss of our trade, he
imagined our revenue would also suffer. Another evil
arising from the dearness of the necessary articles of
subsistence is the bad effects it has ott the morals
il and actions of the community. It gives rise to fraud
1 and cheating of every kind. Hardly-a day passes now
but we read of a baker or dealer in flour being sum.
moned before theMagitit racy, for mixing noxious ingre.
-clients in the bread or flour served to their customers.
Whence proceeds this, and a monstrous evil it is,
but from from the price of the article, which
tempts the ingenuity of the avaricious to increase.
Was flour plentiful and cheap, no one would engage
in such practices, and for this simple reason that no
advantage would accrue from it. In Fiance no such
abuses-exist. At no distant period, if your population
is fed scantily, and on bad food, your people will
become enervated, and degenerate from a bold cite.
rageous race, to whose efforts we have lately been
so much indebted.

Because he objected ton measure,he did not feel it in-
cumbent on him to produce something else; but, for
.once he would say, what he thought *as the utmost
that should be done. Pass a law, to contine in force till
the Ist of February next, when Parliament might
be again assembled after Christmas, empowering
his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, with the
advice of the Privy Council, to open or shut the
ports at pleasure during this interval. Faillio4in-
stitute a general system of economy and retrench..
meta in all 'the departments of the State.—.2--
Let economy be observed fn 'persons of all descrip-
tions of life—let it he rigidly persevered ju---.at no
distant time you will then he relieved from your pre-
sent embarrassments, The landad.irsterest, tie thought,
woulddo'well to recut to their minds thekvents of
the French Revolution. What passed only 20 years:
siuce•cannot be forget. Our shores at that lisle were
crowded with the refugees—And who were they ?
Why, that description of persons who would hero
be termed the remitted Proprietors ; whence origi-
sated the persecution that drove them from their
homes, hut on account of the contempt they
hid uniformly shown for the .other classes of the
coMmunity—uot (said he) accusing the Nobles
and Gentry- of doing the same, but caution them
not to-support measures, which indirectly 'Oust con-
tribute to render them unpopular throughout the
land. • • -

Mr. _HORACE._ ST. PAUL rose and declared;
• that be would not now have troubled the Mute with.
the expression of his sentiments, but for the precipi-
-1
!Wien Ibat marked this measure in every stege of ite
1
ttrogress—precipitate he would call • it, with respect
!i to the country, in not affording the people an op-
! portunity of espresiltig their opinions on the subject
--precipitate, likewise, as it respected the Members
of Parliament, in not granting them a sufficient time-
to WM their. judgment—and, finally, he conceived,
, it precipitate-even for the Ministers, from the impel-
' Cation that may be cast on them, as anxious to burry
, it, as if they, were apprelt...isive of its justice and
policy : and certainly such an opinion may naturally
be entertained, for the refusal of-a reasonable time to
i examine its expediency displays symptoms of such
an apprehension. lie had now risen to enter his '
!protest against their proceedings, and after having
{given the most anxious consideration to the subject,
he arrived at this conclusion, that all Legislation on
1, the article of Corn was, in the present instance, un-
e wise and premature; and however he may think a
i protecting price ultimately necessary for the farmer, 1
! he would oppose such a law, while we are still igno-
rant of the affairs. of Europe, and what may be its 1
i.event oat system.. At present, then, it is impossible
' to decide on this question ; and it may be esteemed
'somewhat presUmptuouiio settle a price before ve
can escertaiu the value of money, and all our ea-
rims relations. We are now proceeding in darkness
and ignorance, without even thitt knowledge to di-
rect us which we night have eipeoled from its being
made a Ministerial question. Rut what must have,
t beets the surprise of the llouse to find that the speech
of 'the night Honourable Gentleman who so mo-
destly introduced • this measure, contained R 9 in-
formation on the subrect—nothing new—nothing to
instruct. The lion. Member next observed, that the
evils suffered last Year by the agrictiltnrists no longer
exist ; thire is now no glut of foreign Corn in the
market, no Property Tax, and the war With Ame-
rica now terminated : these ciieumstences should
weigh considerably in the decision of this question,'
The Uouse likewise should consider who those lier-
sops were that promoted this measure, who were the
Combine° that sat • OR the' subject. tklatty of them
sere prejudiced iefaVour of it. Who were the
evidence? Men whose chandlers were raised in pie-
'portion to the the of land; Every landholder, he
contended, was interested in this, for they wou4d
gam considerably in the amount of their rent,. If
'(porn be raised from 00s. t 0.705. the landholder gains
in :tied a guinea au acre; if to 801. he will sethel
'el. lls.—[A lau4h, and cries of ,(fear, hear.!}-4'
'=flee Rouse My he surprised at this.—[A laugh.]—•
Gentlemen may laugh. within these walls (continued
the Honourable 4,,lembrir), bet Aare Was but little
,augbieg.,nn
ithis. Sebjeci without Ahem. • But he'
would prove his assertion. Au acre of •land, at A

low average, produces three quarters of whew. if
there be an increase of 7s. a quaff ter, there must coo.
Isequently be a clear gala of one guinea an acre; ant
if the price be raised to :AU. he fancied that on a fii,r
calculation he would nut be found to have ever-rat-A
the profi'S. As to the argument brought forward by
certain Honoterable Members, that the amount of '4,
makes no difference in this question, ho would not
insult the understandings of the lieuse hydwelli; I
on it; bat he would assure them, that 'farmers
neral are hostile to_tlkig Bill. because it will aiturda
pretence to the-landlords not to abate tlieir rent-,
_He could not, agree wills those who-assert titer-lea
prices will produce idleness. lie knew that ;gnu,
manufacturers- a man may earn as -much in three
days as would support him for a week ; but it, ;seri.
cultural labour the busiuess must Meatiest regulsily,
and without intermission. Bqt who, he asked, sup,
ported the poor in the great scarcity I. Not larrl.
Lltelders or 'farmers, but .ttse merchettis wed. sle
:C keepers. —roe'd 'cries of Iti,"NOr
.frLot isitpaa,
of the House.]—No one, said the Hon. Geetlernau,
condescended, on the first night of. debating this
question; to mention the effect it would have ott the
quartern loaf. A worthy Baronet James Shaw)
Iliad proved that when the as'eragk priciof corn was
liOs., the quartern loaf was considerably above la,,
and his arguments were answered only by the asser-
tion" that they were calculated to stultify the under.
standings of the House." Much. has been said
hat the people decide on the measure by feeling,
rather than reason. How else, he would ask, could
they decide, when their families Are ataselog ?—.
He prayed the House to pause before thepareeld tie.
tide on so. momentous a point, and de-01ebat
though a friend to the landed interest, brettes:er;.:4
the general welfare of the empire tee
portant.—[Hear, hear!]—Te ',Dentlemat
then concluded by observing,. that .they would
assist the agricultural interest more-by abstaining, it
present, from any interference with the Corn Laws,
than by pressing forward this or any other measure
connected. with the subject.
Mr. vysE declared-himself to.be- friendly to the
interests of the agriculturist, which it was his inten-
tion to support, not from any Partial or 'Seaworthy
!motive—but because, if some measure litho. that be.
fore the House- were not followed Up, 'the State
'-would be menaced with the greatest clangor.; He was
convinced, that the effect of the measure inlaid be
not to make bread dear, help make it permanently
cheap. The Bill beforethe Mouse bad been, iir: hie
opinion, met with unmerited and unfounded repro.
bation within doors, and With_mechioations and caw.
trivances without.—[flear, "Iscur4l--17a Bill,•-proa
tecting the agriculturist, were notlaisciicined brthet
House, the conseqeence would" be,. that nonce,
who-could nought this Couptry in' a time: of war,
*Dula Nee the power of .eoroiNg her in-a period of
peace.,—[ Hear, hcarll—Crtur -One end. of the Chan.
try to theother, 'if the object and intention of the
Bill Siere clearly explained—if its mettle were fairly
described—if it were sh.ossu to be a 'measure, as it
really was, which would benefit no days in particu-
lar, but would be useful to ali—ithess- he was sure
that a greateresttmber of perlcins"wotsiii *press them.
selves in' fav o Ur of .the proposed altered's*. than had
been induced to declare-their hostilititte
bear, hear !]--It . was
,not his intention, on. the
grounds stated by an Honourable Gentleman near
him, to vote for ROs. as the, protecting prier but Ire
wool(' support lie thou&lit, by so doing,
that be would be essentially .serving the best interests
of the country.

Mr. ST. PAUL explained.—He meant !sotto sttd.
bete any ill intention to the Slettiberi of Aid House.
He had spoken merely of An probahlo effects of the
Bill, without any improper. reference to the motives
Of those who supported 'lt.
General GOOOIO.NE rose for the purpose of
opposing the Speaker's leaving the Chair. Hight
Hon. Gentleman (Mr. RoNstson) had, on niday
last, explicitly stated, that if he were not thoroughly
convinced that the effect Of the Bill would be to low.
er, and not to raise, the price of bread, .he would
not give it his support. Now, though the Right Hon;
Gentleman had expressed himself thus strongly, he
had forgotten to assign the, reasons which induced hire
to believe that the effect would be such as be hed de-
scribed. The fact was evidently the contrary. There
was no complaint of the high
,price of bread—the
complaint was on the side of the farmers, on account
of the low price of grain ; and they called on the
House to relieve them, by doing something which
would raise the price. How then could it be asserto
ed, if the Bill were calculated to meet the object o'
the farmer, that it would have the effect of reducing
the price of bread corn ? No doubt could be enter-
tained, and indeed it was admitted by the Right Hon.
Surveyor of Woods and Forests, that, for several
years to come, .this measure would raise the price of
corn in a considerable degree. • The gallant General
concluded by moving as an. amendment to the.originat
motion—". That the House. do reiotesitself into the
said Committee, .on.thetrie Monday after the Easter
recess."

Mr. ROBINSON said,' the .lionottrable Burnet
(Sir Gilbert Ileathcote) must know very little indPed
of him, if he could suppose that be espoused one set.
.of sentiments in that House, and advocated another
out of it: The Honourable Baronet seemed to be
Here that he. (Mr. Robinsett) hid lest.:all.Pretensions
to modesty within the walls of the liosass of Cote-;
:mons ; he should only observe, that he wu eitiease-i
ly glad the motle,ty thus' abandoned by him hadbeeitt
found by the Hon imitable Baronet. heir
—He was very sensible-thit, what he had said;
.bethr
when he... introduced the measure, Old Sect, W.'
`been misunderstood and misreptesented,An't.sorieti
of ways. It was, therefore,: of no use. for .him to
!go over the speech he had originally made. But this
le would observe,-that 'either site gaWot General
(Gascoigne) or himself had' 'totally forgetter' -what
l'ad fallen fromt him (Mc-Robinson) on the-evening
he proposed
sedthe
Resolutions
wisep the General would not bare made the
r
observations he bad that night offered to the House.
E General GItSc.,OIGNE captained.
Mr. LIUTLER was agninet. die Spillable:o !ming
the Chair.. • • • •
. ••

Lord COM PTO.N was a friend takfrertratie $l.-1
to admit the free importation of corn, 'V n.,1/2tulAktie
necessary to do away with the taxes.
'the Howe ving into the Committee.

Alderman sm Ulf K
lag pertuodetk, skid he luirlthe
:Onion of Many reopectuble firtheti of is sidr, they
ti,e messing+ proposed could Only benefit the.
ne,F, to the prejudice of eiery other elan di thie.

•
..ummunity.
Mr. PROTnuaoli: deprecated precipitation, and
recommended to the house to payee and
.eaquiee'
whether some measure leas exceptionable than that
proposod might not he adopted.
Sir W. W. WYNNE Will for procetling to a
Committee, where any suggestions might 'le ()tiered
and examined. Certainty the returns sr hich had been
note, were by no meens satisfactory—some being
7.!,, and others 85. Rut the differences would be
b..t seljucteli in the Committee.
;Jr. MA rtRYArr observed, that when the boil-'
Bess was first int-oduced by the Right lion. Gentle-
\lr. Robinson), toe fact of sin Petitions having
I+. co resented against it was advanced as an argu.
meet to prove that the popular feeling was changed,_
• d that the measure was a very proper one—since
'Tit time, however, Petitions natl poured in from
every part of tbo ronnrry, expressive of the Strongest
hostility to the Bait!. Now, it the silence of the
roe, in the first instance, were iosisted on as a
roof nr the excellence of the measure, he thought
their disapprobation, -powerfully expressed as it lend
been, tro2ht to have some weight in the Opposite
scale. lie was very 'visions that a little more time
shoold be allowed for considering the question.—
They had been so long iu aclion, that they had not
bar! an :oppertsinify of deliberating—they had been
• loer d4uting, that nn time wisieft for thinking.
—(lleer, hire fl—fiyu little delay, therefore, they
mild he cooled to' Come to a decision more con-
sweat with their own
_dignity, and infinitely more sa.
tisfactory to the public. -Impressed with these senti-
ments he should vote for the Amendment.
Mr. CA LCIRAFt repeated his former objections
to the measure, slid in answer to the assertions which
bad been made Oat cdre had fallen le price since
the incitation of the sieestlon, lie cpioted several state.
dents from the saiteiliee gazettes.
Mr. W. s ITH thoigh not instructed by his eon.
.
etitionsts, and holding, as.he always did, his own free
opinion on the subject, considered 80a. too high a rate
for the minimuM. Hi strenuously recommended pest-

ponentent.
The House then divided on General Gaseeigne's
Amendment, nfien the numbers were.--

Fur the Amendment
Apia*, it
tigaint4 the Amendnwat

181
--126

While 3h-stagers were excluded, another division
took place, on a 'notion that the Speaker leafs the
Chair, a lieu the maskers seta.—

For Cie Malice . 194
Apiinri it 54
.
Majority for ciii.o4 into (Me cliusitiee —l4O
On re4aferiag the aaile'ry,,wa'reand the Hon*
in Committee, anti 111.,BRIIGUi.7N reading the Bill.
0a corning to that part in %Lich the restrictive price
nsrto be fixed, •

Mr. ROBINSON moved that the blank should be
filled up with the words ig!st.y shillings.
On the question being put,
General GASCOId NF moved, as an Amendment,
witittlie view of conciliating the public reeling on
this 4;ti.ject, the aubstituAtio 44 the words soratol4,
s/hllingc far, t 440 '
nao-oace spoke in (*Tour of the Amend-
'lwo, as did Mr!tOUIL'rEN:4Y.

Mr. EVE r-EaN eorbi ered the. course which the
House was now pursuing, as .calculated to. pro-
mote the interests of every class of .the com-
munity ; and. whatever 'night be the- temportry
feeling which had atisen upon this subject, he for
one would not.consent to abandon the opinions
which be had professed.-.—[l/ear, hear,• hearl—
tho the contrary, he considered where the IiOUSe saw
they were consulting the advantage of the people,
although a
,different feeling alight he entertained
without doors, they, would be forgetful of liteir duty
it they cold() beindeced to. swerve from that species
of Legislatioa Which tbeirown conscientious views
iodised them to eoesider beneficial.—{ilear, hear!]
-r-He disclaimed the present Bill es r boon to the
landholders, and said, if he,dirl not consider it as h
weasure,of state policy, in which . the happiness of
c!asses was involved, it ot*ltt riot to he ewer-.
r1;1:ed. In conclusion, lie declared himself in faveur
of the restrictive price of SOS.

itiII.ITAILT FORCE•Iii THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF

THE .HOUSE. •
Mr. BARING. then IMielp bat before he had time
to !ay a is pq,

Mr. LA-MOON rose, and addressing.-the Chair:.
Ilan, said, that as he approached the itilmtle for the
Purimse of.itlontling. to big .Parliamentary duty, he
instill its doors surrounded by . a military force ;
hear n-T-ae this setts in diteca violation ofthe
tonstitu.Ton, he moved ithat•the Rouse should adli
:ours.—Elleue, hear 1.)•
Lott Alif ',Fah; AGII itrimriVnitely rise aid
if the UAL Gentletnan .tv asserious in his motion,
I.e must Ibr aware that it could not lie made in a Com,
".il!et'• The fits( step to be taken was, for the Rouse
to tes•ime, and then ftir,tlie quevtioi. to come berme
it i t rite usual form. It might be proper for'thc Hon.
Meitiher, however, before he submitted such a ques-
tion to the Rouse, to aacertaiti nhetliertbat of which
h comphiiied had not taken place under the direc•
t ion of 'LW AlgiStraieS•'...[llear," I]-7-If
it appeared that a mititary force .was in. the aittiglii.
bouthood of the House of Commons, it Would per.
nito appear that a tumultuous mob bad assern.
'LW in the Lime neighbourhood, for the porpuse of
niohating the Members of that House in the per-
k:nem:not their ilarliamentary duties.— pear !]—
Stich, he understood, wan actually. the case, and se-
veral
Members, on .their approach to the avenues of
the House, kid been seriously ma 1 t rea t ed.— [Bear,
l'earli---Tbeee circumstances had been communi.
tilted to the Speaker,. as tho.urst Magistrate of that
31°0", sad be had, as became his duty, taken such
steps as he conceived necessary to protect Members
from outrage and siolence.—[ilear!F-lie trusted
the Honourable Member would feel that it was high.
IY Proper the civil power of the country should be
supported, and, above all, that the first and highest
''sty which that power had to perform was to pro-
tict the independence of Parliament from the menaces
,4* e licentious mob.---[llcar,
,heor:J--If once. the
respect doe to that House shoolitcease or bet. 04.'6
.abed by the clamour of a boob., the noise would
"on drsenerate into a part of that, illgkiteelf.—.

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