Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-06-03
HOUSE OF COMMONS,
DISTRESS OF THE couNTRy
March 10.

Warch 10.
| DISTRESS OF THE COUNTRY.
MIR. BRoUGHAM, in rising, pursuant
to notice, TO bring this yerv important
| subject forward, said, when Ie consider
| ed that the period OF the Session was we'll
| nigh passed, in which it was the custom
| OF that House, at former periods of great
national distress, 10 take INTO conSid, ra-
ton the state OF the country, and that
during that period nothing Whatever had
been done 10 bring the matter before
them, or TO testify on their part What he
considered proper and becoming
anS'efy concerning such distress, i've lelt
himself somewhat supported under the
magnitude OF the question. They had,
III Fact, allowed that interval to clapse.
without doing any thing. EXCEPT what he.
conceived 10 be, with all due respect TO
their proceedings, beginning at the
wrong end. They had attempted TO sti-
lie the cries OF the people, in their suffer
ing and distress, instead of probing the
causes OF those sufierings, or endeavoring
10 apply remedy. lie would put If.
however, 10 all WHO then heard him, to
those gentlemen who might think with
him, that the measures adopted were er-
roneous, and to those who believed them
well founded by the necessities of the
times, whether the time was rot now
come when II beloved them 10 turn their
attention from the effect 10 the cause:
whether, having done what they could TO
preserve the public peace and tranquility,
they ought not now TO enquire into The
means OF remedying those disturbances.
1t was with that view he made bold to
Drlng forward the present question TOO
late, he admitted, in reference TO the gen
eral subject, but yet not too late, he no.
ped, to Go some good. He was aware
there was nothing so iniudicious as TO be-
GIN discussion of that kind, by hazard
ms. any large and general predictions
with regard 10 what would be its result:
nevertheless, he would venture TO say.
he most confidently expected, whatever
difference of opinion might exist upon
par'icuiar topics, that considerable ma
Jority of the House (f it should be neces-
sary TO take the sense of it, would agree
III holding that the time was now come
when, the war being ended, and great
and general changes having taken place
III the situation of the whole world, it was
absolutely necessary iOrus TO enter upon
careful and uniearlng revision ofalmost
the whole OF our commercial system, with
a view to eradicate those errors which
time had demonstrated, with view TO
retrace those steps where it was found we
had deviated from soGnd policy, with
view TO accommodate our laws TO that
change OF circumstances, and with a view
TO abandon many frantic and senseless
preludices, unworthy the age in which we
lived, and unworthy of the character and
Judgment of the nation. He should be-
gin by entering upon what he considered
TO be the fundamental part Of the enquiry
that ought TO be instituted. They were
all aware that there existed in the coun-
try a great degree OF distress. lie might
IN general terms say, that in lis extent
and amount il was wholly unprecedented
IN any former period of our history. Ii
was, indeed, matter of such general no
'Oriety, That it would hardly appear ne
cessary to enforce any particular proofs
or Illustrations, we're il not that unless
the House were fully and deeply impress
sed with the precise degree of misery that
prevailed in specific districts, il would in
vain attempt either to prcl,t its sources.
or apply a remedy. He might infer. iu-
deed, from the number of petitions that
were presented Notwithstanding what
had been urged respecting the mode of
obtaining signatures to them,) coming as
they did from such variety Ofplacesand
persons, that they furnished a strong evil
dence in support of tile assertion. lie
might appealuext 10 the state Of our trade
and commerce, as additional evidence.
furnished by the returns laid upon their
table. AT the same time he was aware
there was nothing more iallacous, gene
rally, than arguments which were wholly
founded upon our imports and exports.
and he would allow, that those returns
did not show the exact measure or extent
OF our dIstresses. But, as far as they
went they were not unimportant docIl-
menis and it appeared from them, bv
comparison between the two years 1915
and 1916, that there was deficit in ton
mage upon the latter year, amounting TO
$50, 600, or equal to 5000 vessels. He
| spoke OF the aggregate as referable to one
year only of exports and imports, and
| that alone he thought exhibited striking
| fact, when they considered that 1915 was
| the first year ofpeace, and 1916, in which
that great diminution occurred, was the
second year OF peace. Those returns