The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-02-06 00:00:00

MANUFACTURES.

Earl GREI' hall now to present a petition of a differ-
ent nature, and which, if the quarter irons whence it
came, and the sentiments which it contained were cou-
sidered, was entitled to the deepest attention. It was
from the Manufacturers, Traders, and inhabitants of
the town of Birmingham, and had been voted at a
meeting held last August, and most numerously and re-
spectably attended. lie was sorry to say that it was at
variant% with those statements whirls, on the first day
of the Session, the. House hail heard from the Noble
Earl opposite, that considerable improvement had taken
place in the state of our manutactures. He saw the
Noble Earl preparing to refer to the King's Speech, in
which souse exceptions had been made to that general
statement. 1 "niloubteilly Birmingham was one of Gorse
exceptions, fur the petitioners stated that the master
manufacturers were cot able to employ the manufactur-
ing popnlasion fur inure than three or four days in the
week, RIO that the rest of the time they were obliged to
seek their sulisisteuce from parish relief. This was a
statement of a most distressing' nature, and of the truth
of algid) it was impossible to entertain the slightest
doubt. For when the distress had pressed most heavily
last year, a Committee had been appointed in the town
of Birmingham to inquire into its causes and ex-
tent. The Alembers of the Committee hail examined
the different parts of the town, and submitted certain
lquestions to individuals capable of throwing light
upon the subject. From the information tiles rut-
leetetl, it appeared that a diminution of one-third had
taken place in the general consumption of the ucces-
series of life, beer, meat,- and even bread ; and that even
this diminished consumption was in a great measure
supported by credit. The Report of a 31r. Ryan, rtn-
ploy ed by the Committee, stated that there was a fall-
ing off d une or two thirds is die trade of publican
and that amongst butchers it was still worse ; that threw
people who hail been accustomed to take good joints,
were now only able to buy morsels : that there was a
great demand for neat's livers and for two-penny and
three-penny worth of meat at a time. The consumption
of bread was equally diminished. All this was most
afflicting. Had the inquiry been carried five years
back, a doubt might have arisen w hetber that distress
had not been occasioned by the sudden cessation of the
great demand occasioned by the war. But the inquiry
went only two years back, not extending beyond 11s1S,
when the country had been at peace for a considerable
time. The dkrress which it had found to exist could
not therefore be consiilereil as the effect of the transi-
tion from war to peace. The present petition had been
voted, as he had already stated. in the month of August
last. After hearing the consolatory statements of the
Noble Earl oppnsiCe, he (Lord Grey) bail hoped that the
town of Birmingham had shared in the improvement
said to have taken place in our manufactures. Ile had
therefore thought it necessary to inquire bow the mat-
ter s!ood, before be submitted the Petition to the Muse.
The answer to his inquiries had been, that though there
was some increased demand, as it was usually the case
at that time of the year, and in consequence of specula-
tions in South America., the general distress was
rather on the increase. The depreciation in iron arti-
cles was not less than 20 or 23 per cent; in brass, from
r to 1a: in spoons, locks, and plated articles, 5;
and in spades. from 15 to 20 per cent. In the poor-
rates there hail been souse diminution, not in conse-
quence of a less number of individuals to be relieved,
hat because the price of provisions was lower. Bat the
difficulty of collecting them had considerably increased.
The arrears ea the poor rates for the last year amounted
to 10, 0991. which exceeded all former arrears. in IEII6.
the first year after she war, they bad only been 6,5161.,
slid they had never risen before the present togas-
elsolv instance higher than 7,stiSt. Such was the dis-
tressing situation of that most imprtant district of the

couatry. What improvements might have taken place
in oBbur quarters be knew not, but he doubted their
existeoce; the more so, as the present Petitioners stated
that, according to the information which they had been
able to collect, the other manufacturing districts bad
' suffered in the same degree with themselves. ho
Lin-
casbire it was possible that from the low price of provi-
sions, and an increased demand, souse improvement hail
been felt, but the general state of manufactures was re
duced rather than Improved, In time last year there hood
been a considerable diminution of manufacturing capital.
But his doubts were not founded only on the state of the
manufacturing branches, they also rested un that of the
agricultural interest, which hail deeply suffered. The
trade of the country had assumed a totally different cha-
racter. Exportation.swere now made, not iu consequence
ottlanaands from abroad. hat from speculations at home.
Goode were sent where it was thought probable they
might gni! a market. The whole trade was in an unna-
lent dato, exhibiting at one time a degree of morbid
excitement, *awl at another time one of despondency and
languor, occasioned by something which rendered ince,- i
tigation necessary. The Noble Earl opposite had attri-
buted the the existing distress to an increase of plodue-
flogs, and urged the diminution of wives, as a proof
of his assertion. lie (Lord li.) much doubted
the fact. He admitted that the harvest bad been
abundant last yea', but not 'that there hail been
an increase of production. Fat users, on the con-
trary, were not able to cultivate their lands as well
as formerly. Cultivation, in fart, diminished every day,
mail was 'likely to continue to grow nurse. ily the last
likzette, it appeared th it the price of corn MIS only 5-la.
or Kos. or ;s. per bushel. Under the present great
weight of taxation, how stands! it he possible for farmers
to pay the demands which existed upon them: The
Noble. Earl, when distress hail bec so h,reneral, had
first ascribed it to the sudden transition from war to
peace; then to the depressed mato of the .tinerican mar-
ket ; thofugh, in another House, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer had attributed it tJ a more probable cause,
the return to cash payments. In fact, souse shift or
other hail always been resorted to for the purpose of dis-
guising the truth. He (Lord Grey) caidd not doubt
that the principal cause of that distress was the im-
mense load of taxation, aggravated by the state of the
circulation, as the endeavour to restore cash payissents
operated as an addition of twenty-five rr cent. to the
taxes. Whether the country could contenne.to bear such
pressure became every day more problematiral; but it
was a subject to which Parliament could no longer shut
its eyes, unless it wished to wait till it should burst upon
its consideration with irresistible violence. To antici-
pate such a time, the Petitioner* prayed that the house
would lie !pleased to take the subject into its most seri-
ous consiikration, and to institute an inquiry into the
causes of national distress. After stating this, he
should say why he should not move for the institution
of sods an inquiry. First, the state of Isis health made
it impossible that he should undergo the confinement
which such au inquiry would require. though he should
be glad to give his support and assistance to any investi-
gati whi *night be proposed by other Noble Peers
ou . tioneadets,, thessolls.alse . adaniraed that
such nquir es were not beyond thorpowers of Parliament,
lie had seen that if they were not undertaken by Go-
vernment itself, they seldom produced mods good. This
was strongly exemplified by the result of the Committee
appointed last year, on the motion of a Noble Friend i•f
his (the Marquis of Lansdowne) to inquire into the state
prom- foreign trade. After a laborious investigation,
that Committee had only been able to snake up its mint!
on one single pint, and had rPconiniesided an alteration
in the timber trade. Ile did not apprehend that much
snore would be effected this year, as lie understood that
it would he necessary to wait for the Report of another
Committee, by whom the subject had not yet been in-
vestigated. Re therefore doubted 'whether, unless the
Government of the country, with all the means of in-
formation whirls it possessed, should rouse down to pro-
pose and undertake an inquiry, any investigation com-
menced in another quarter coodil prove effective and be-
neficial. Having stated that he %%wild not propose such
ao inquiry, lie should now only siurs-e that the Petition
be read.
The Petition having been trail,

f he Earl of LIVEILPOM. ruse to make a few ob-
servations, chiefly on the nusarks with which the
Noble Earl had prefaced his motion. With reape.q
to the Petition, he could hare no objection to its be-
ing. laid before the House, or referred to time Committee
on Foreign Trade, the reviva; of which a Noble Nl:a-
-quis opposite had stated his intention of proposing.
He wished first to correct au itivms!tintary misconcep-
tion into which the Noble Earl had respecting
one part of his Majesty's Speech. The greatest care
had been taken so to word that Speech as to prevent
the possibility of its being understood to assert that
all our commercial and manufactnring interests had
improved. The paragraph in quc;tion said--•'. I have
great pleasure in being able to acquaint you, that a
considerable improvement has taken place in several
of the most important branches of our commerce and
manufactures, and that in many of the manufacturing
districts the distresses which prevaiied at the com•
mencewent of the last Session of Parliament have
greatly abated." But, in another paragraph of the
Speech, the foll•swing words had been introduced—
" Amidst the distress which still presses npon a large
portion of my subjects." I- was therefore a complete
misapprehension to suppose that the Speech did not ad•
mit the existence of great distress in time manufacturing
districts of the country. lie (Lord L.) even thought
that on the first night of the Session he had stated that
the town of Birmingham was one is here considerable
distress existed, in consequence of time absence of
provement in that branch of trade to which it was parti-
cularly devoted. But notwithstanding this exception.
the improvement in other branches was real. It had
been considerable in a most important one, time comfit
trade. The last accounts from Lancashire and Scotland
established that gratifying fact, and stated, not only that
Inure men were employed, but that the slestmatod fur cotton
in the port of Liverpool had greatly increased. As to
the question by the Noble Earl with respect to time state
of agriculture, this was not the time for discussing the
subject. lint distress could not be fairly attributed to
one single cause, when it was clear that it must proceed
from many. With respect to his assertion on the
first day of the Session, that one of the canses whirl,
aperated with others to distress agriculture in time United
ingham, was a great increase of production' on that
seas it founded '
cOn a fact, which he brlieved had not
occurred before during the last fifty rears; that since
the smooth of February, 1319. there had been no foreign
corn introduced into the country for,lsonsc ronstimption.
He knew that the fact had been disputed, and that it had
been imagined that the warehousing systeus might lead
to the secret introduction of foreign corn. Bat in also
knew that the subject bail been thoroughly ineestigasell
in another place last year, by a prison win rlitta 'aimed

Shea" milidtid •••••••LIII ISIJ.ErWt.T
Earl timid nut &ay that the 'poor land thns forced
into cultivation and bringing forth at a treater expente
had occasioned an Onnatnrel and excetsive increase of
pro.luctiop. As to the weight of taxation, neither the
*loose nor the country shoold forget that since t!fe
retnrn from war to peace it had been dindniaied to the
amount of tint less than fifteen or sixteen millions mina-
ally. The Nolole Earl said that a return to Cash Pay-
ments was one of the rallies of the remit distress. it
might certainly operate to some extent, hut it was
measure which had not been adoptini blindly. It had
been supported evrot by the argtiments of those situ
had of jectrol to the war, and it only occasioned a'tempo-
rary inonotovenience, which it was necessary should ho
borne. That the distress experienced went to the extent
stated by the Petitioners, he was not inclined to believe.
lie should not. however, on the present oc.-asicn, enter
more deeply into the subject. He had no objection to
the Petition being referred to the Committee on foreign'
trade, and if any remedy or core conhi he advised, it
nonlol lie the ditty of Parliament to co:older it with •
attention. Be bored, however, they wooki hear in
minol this principle, that, unless they saw their way
very clear to a remedy, they would nut adopt it ; fee
without that precaution. legislation mixht du mourn,
harm than good. 11'ith respect to the Thither Traite he
was ready to allow that the Session ought not to pass
without renting to a settle.looto. Hot as the Committee
on the subject would be revised, and the question was
merely one of duties, be should not approach it at pre-
sent, but should be prepared when the ptoper.period
arrived to give every infortuation and assistatice in his
power.
The Marquis of LANSDOU'NE rose iu con.,7qurnro
of some expressions contained in the Petition woof be-
fore the House, and some observations which had
fallen front the two Noble E iris by whom he heal
been preceded. He should however begin dy declar-
ing his liras conviction, that the character of the per-
sons from whom the petition proceeded, and the tni.an•
art iufornia;iora, h they poeses.sed..cianglined to en-
title it to the most serious attention. 'I be exilli.ssitms
to which he had Minded redo-red to the C6inirfittee act
Foreign Tradr., for-which hi had moved last s'essibn.
When he had made thatanoti in, he had stated that, in
order to he elfective, the. reseaecloes of the Canuanittee
should he confined to -our foreign trade; but that
whilst he considered it the duty bath of Parliawert
and of his Majesty's Government to engage in that
inquiry, he should not object to auv other which tpirlit
'be connecte-1 with the subject. When the Noble Earl
opposite said, that the pro sent petition might be re-
ferred to the Committee un Foreign 'trade, be (the
Marquis of L.) could not-forbear thinking that it was
Inure connected with the state of the home trade of the
column-. 'floe Noble Earl had stated, that the exist-
ing distress was not equally diffased amongst all
branches of trade. In this cpiniion he entirely con-
curred. It was most satkfactory to know, that in the
important branch of thecott•on trade the expotts from
Liverpool, and from 31aneltes;er, tlitooglo Liverpool; lend
of late considerably increased. lie bad not seen theilocu-
ment in the possession of. the Noble Earl (Lord L.)
but he had received private information from shbse
places, which condoned the statement twat a consider-

able i•iiprovenient hall taken place. Trade might, there-
fore, lee represented :0 lw in those quarters, and to a-cer-
tain extent, in a flourishing condition. But its profits
were extremely tow. The capitals employed did not dc-
i ice the profit. to whieli they were entitled : arid the capi-
talists were only in the situation ofpereons deriving some
slender profits from a traile hich two years ago did nut
produce nny. It was the effect of that necessity to which
persons, who hail engaged large capitals in any partice-
lar trade, were reduced, of taking a profit of only two
or three per cent.. because it was suit en their power to
transfer their capitals to other branches. This was the
present prosperity of their trade. The Noble Earl or-
poaate hai attributed the existing distress to an increase
of production: but more probable causes might be as-
signed. It would, indeed, be very singular, if, after re-
ferring to our turn imports in former years, daring a
state of ear. the country should suddenly be found, Owe
a pearl% to have become an exporting, instead of an im-
porting country. Was it not more probable when the
distresses of the people were considered, that it was to a
diminished consumption that the Home were to look
fur the increase of produrtion which appeared to have
taken place? And not only to a diminished consump-
tion, but tee tier consumption of inferior articles? It had
been our constant effort tor many rears to drive the
lower clisses to consume inferior articles, and the attempt
had at length succeeded. A great portion of the popris-
who hitherto !let t{ on corn now subsisted on pota-
toes. Was not this a inure probable reason than that
which attributed to the cultivation of poor lauds, an ef-
fect which, during twenty years, it had not produced
As to the call of the petitioners fur an inquiry into the
cause awl remedy of their distresses, be could have no
objection to such an inve4tigatton; except the difference
which existed between their sitalstiou sad that elate fo- •
reign trade. For the latter might be weeded by the ream- •
val of restrictions andtisities, but thedificulties which af-
fected our home consumption 14 ere not within thereto of
the saute remedy or the investigation of an • ordinary
Committee. The best mode would be far his Majastyis
Liovernment to institute au inquiry is the Ana place,
anti for individuals to originate. mesons allellarts ha Par-
liament. lie felt convinced that the present distress
ought in a great tneasOte to be ascribed to the gambit
living a lung time on its capital and king now koattak
to a condition of living eh its revenue : with a degree d
taxation which that rescuew was unable to pap inall
which seas aggravated by Hie necessaty and too
fervid return to cash payments. A ibrasitre witieJa sail&
only be effected by principles and iaeaas which, idl-
ing to a taxation already etisting to as amount r
tbain any other mantry is the world, 3.1

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hampered all tito means which the country possessed of
dugong itself to the new state of things. If he was
right in his opinion, it was not to a Committee that the
country should look for a remedy, bat to a determina-
tion on the part of its government to reduce the public
expenslitare by every means at its disponi, and above
by *determination oath. part of Parliament not to
allow any Pettisl interests however powerful, to inter-
:ego with those bread piaeiples of trade, by whirl
alone sow eaottoeree mild be created, new capital called
into wins, aid them hbpoilateste removed, which in
thiamin other coostriss.pst a she* tbansamseeial
peril. Mach were it to boidesired tbattbose great C4:lii;
Save-
reigns of the world, assembled at Tropp= or Laybath,
iistesti of devislog plans to violate the independence of
nations, and establish a system of arbitrary despotism on
the Contineat, should only meet to remove the impolitic
restrictions still fastened on European Commerce, and
thus do more to effect that which they professed to be
their object, the tranquillisation of the world, which
tested on the prosperity, of trade, than by any military
menace which they might adopt. Macb towards the
attainment of that great object might be accomplished
by the llovernment of this country, by the removal of
The restrictions existing on foreign trade; and be trust.
-4 more to their efforts and to the suggestions of indi-,
siduals to promote trade at home and abroad, than to
the lahours of a Committee. Should, however, the pre-
sent Petition he referred to the Committee oa Foreign
Trade, far ftum opposing the inquiry. though he might
eat be able to take an active part in it, be should give it
his most sincere support.
Lord C.II.I.IIORPE could state, from his personal
knowledge, that the individuals who hail signed the
present Petition were incapable of putting their names
to any farts of which they did not know the reality, anal
that they possessed the most complete means of infor-
mation. He could not help hoping, as far as the Fo-
re:gm Trade was concerned, that the Committee which
sat last year, and which was about to be revived, would
secure to the country all attaioahleadvantages. Ile was
therefore glad that the Noble Earl who had presented
the Petitiou had not moved for a new Committee, which
might have the effect of distracting the labours of the
old. Yet he felt desirous that some Committee of the
nature proposed by the Petitioners should be appointed
in that or the other House. He hoped that the public
wish, expressed in both Houses by numberless petitions,
would induce his Alajestv's Ministers to sanction the
appointment of such a Committee to investigate the
causes of ;be existing distress, or at least to afford an
opportunity of ascertaining what were the circum-
stances which affected agriculture.
The Petition was laid on the table, and the House
Adjourned.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.—Fro.

On the motion of Mr. CURIVEN, it was ordered
tbat an Arronnt be laid on the table, of the quantity
of Tallow imported, and the amount of duty thereon,
from the sth of January, IS:NI, to the sth of January.

A simillr Acrount was ordered of the number of
Quarters of Foreign Oats for the same period.

A similar Account was orilerc.l of the amount of
Duties levi.l ea Agricultural Horses, from the sth of
April, 1819, to the sth of April, lts•311.
Mr. JAMES gave nutlet. of a motion for the 19th
instant, relative to the employment of Military Puree
at Cie Election fur Carlisle.

Sir WILLIAM LEMON presented a Petition from
the Freeholders and other loyal Inhabitants of Bud-
coin, iu the county of Cornwall, praying for the re-
storation of the Quern's name to the Liturgy.
Mr. D. (4ILKERT thought himself called upon to
state that an Address to the King of a different
mix-
ture from the present Petition, and signed by the prin-
cipal and most of the respectable Inhabitants of the
Vurongh of Bodmins had keen presented to his Ma-
ju•+ty, De did not wish to interfere with the right of
individuals to speak their sentiments,—they had
ti:.ne their duty, and he had dune his in making this
atatemeet.

Sir 1111,L1.1M LEMON' observed, tint he had
'nerdy done his linty in presenting the Petition—it
wls the Petition of the undersigned individuals.—(?r
erred to be printed.

The Honourable Member also presented a similar
Paitilm from the Parish of Bodmin.
Sir W. LEMON moved for an Account of all Tin
exported from, and also all imported into treat Bri-
cin, from the :ith of January, 1s:10, to the Zith of
January, 18 2. I.—Ordered.
Mr. J. STUART presented a Petition from the
Royal Burgh of Wigtoun, praying for the remora-
': -n of her Majesty's name in the Liturgy.—Ordered
h. be Printed.

Colonel PALMER presented a Petition from Bath.
fora Constitutional Reform of Parliament.
avid fur the restoration of the Queen's name to the
Liturgy, and the full restitution of all her rights.—
V-.lered to be printed.