that motion; and he was anxious that the noble secretary of state would now state whether he had any objection to the production of these papers. The letter of the noble lord had been, as there was reason to believe, already productive of some consequences which probably the noble secretary himself never intended. He did not mean to say that the noble secretary of state, or any of the persons concerned, were to blame; but it was a matter of great importance that the subject should be discussed; and that, in order to bring before the house the requisite information for that discussion, the case and opinion should be laid on the table. The person who had been molested was a Unitarian preacher, Mr. Wright of Liverpool.

Lord Sidmouth.-Their lordships' order had been complied with, and the circular letter which he had thought it his duty to publish was now on their table. Certainly it was not his intention that persons should be disturbed in their religious worship; and of the case which the noble lord mentioned he had heard nothing, except what he had just heard from his lordship; but it was a case that would probably have occurred, though no such circular letter had been published; and he did not see how it was particularly connected with that letter. He had no objection to produce the opinion; but he would oppose the production of the case, and would state his reasons when the motion should be made for its production.

April 28.-Earl Darnley, agreeably to his notice, brought the circumstance of the refusal of the city magistrates to grant a license to the Academical Society before the house, with the view of letting the country know, by the answer mi

nisters might give, whether it was the object of the act to prevent all political discussion whatever.

Lord Sidmouth had no objection to state, that according to his belief, neither the framers of the act, nor those who supported it, ever intended that the act in question should put an end to all political discussion whatever. Their lordships might examine that act, and every clause of it, and see whether there was any clause which could by possibility bear such a construc tion as that which, according to the noble lord's statement, had been put upon it.

House of commons, April 14.A considerable number of members attended at four o'clock, when, with their permission, Mr. Dyson read to them a letter he had received from the speaker, dated Kidbrook, April 13th. It expressed great concern that he was not able, through ill health, to attend his duty in the house on the present day, and his deep regret at the postponement of the public business which his absence might occasion. Though at present it was hazardous for him to attend, yet he hoped he should experience the re-establishment of his health in the course of a week.

The chancellor of the exchequer observed, that a duty fell on him which must be a painful conside ration to all; but it was consolatory that it gave an opportunity to the house of passing an unanimous vote, in consequence of the ill health of their estimable speaker. His health had indeed been much sacrificed lately by his anxiety and late sittings in the chair; in which, those who had most observed his conduct, would be most deeply impressed with a feeling of his integrity, attention, and ability. He concluded by proposing an adjournment to

Thursday

Thursday se'ennight. Unanimous ly agreed to.

April 24.-On the speaker taking the chair, the members crowded round him, and offered their congratulations on his recovery.

The honourable Mr. Bennet, after moving that the police committee be instructed to report their proceedings to the house from time to time, presented a petition signed by 5000 inhabitants of the town of Wolverhampton and neighbour hood, praying for a reduction of taxes, and other means of relief. They represented that they were in a state of the greatest suffering and hardship, in a great measure to be attributed to taxation; and prayed for a diminution. Their sufferings would be believed to be great, when it was known that several individuals in that neighbourhood were stated to have perished by famine. Employment had completely failed them; and if no other remedy could be devised for their distress, the petitioners prayed that they might be furnished with the means of leaving the country, and retiring to a foreign land. The petition was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

The honourable W. H. Lyttleton presented a petition from the parish of Old Swinford, in the town of Stourbridge, complaining of the pressure of the poor's rates, to which he wished particularly to call the attention of the house. The burthens of this parish were oppressive beyond the usual rate of imposition: the rate assessed on the house-rent was 29s. in the pound-on the rent of land employed in farms, 32s. in the pound; and on several kinds of land the rate amounted to the almost incredible sum of 61s. per acre. The population of the parish amounted to 4381: of these 1868 received parish aid. The whole of

this burthen was laid upon 158 individuals, who were the only persons able to contribute. The parish was formerly exemplary for morals and good conduct, and had been reduced to this state by circumstances over which the sufferers had no control. The honourable gentleman begged to press the consideration of this subject on his majesty's ministers. He would not move that the petition be referred to the committee on the poor laws, but that it be laid on the table for their consideration.

The petition was brought up and read. It stated that the support of the poor had already ruined many of the former contributors, and would ruin others unless an immediate relief were obtained.

The chancellor of the exchequer said, that the subject had occupied much of his attention; and on Monday next he meant to move, that the house resolve itself into a committee of the whole house, to take into consideration a proposition for enabling his majesty to issue exchequer bills to a limited extent, for the purpose of supplying loans on proper securities, to give encouragement for the employment of the poor. These loans would be advanced to corporations, to parishes, or to associations of individuals, who might be desirous to employ, in any public work, the poor in their neighbourhood, upon their giving security to the commissioners at whose disposal, or under whose management, the issue of bills should be placed, that they would be repaid. Security might in parishes be given on the poor's rate. Bills to the amount of between one and two millions would be sufficient to give the relief contemplated, and answer all the purposes of such a loan. He believed

such

such a measure would not in any material degree affect the money market, which could afford all the issue without great deterioration.The right honourable gentleman concluded by giving notice, by command of the prince regent, that he would on Monday move that the house resolve itself into a committee of the whole horse, to consider the propriety of issuing exchequer bills to a limited extent, to afford loans, upon security to be given, for the local and temporary relief of the poor, by encouraging works for the employment of their industry.

The honourable W. Lambe said, there was one point of view in which the measure intended to be proposed deserved the most serious consideration; and that was, whe. ther it was to be considered as a means of temporary relief, or a substitute for all those other measures which were rendered necessary for remedying the evils which had arisen out of the system under which we have been so long acting. In this sense, the proposed measure involved the consideration of a system which had been already productive of serious inconvenience, and threatened further evils. He hoped, therefore, this plan of the right honourable gentleman was not the only one. He did not deny the propriety of this step, but he would protest against any reliance on its sufficiency. The subject was now pressed upon us by necessity: we saw the calamity under which the country laboured; we should not rest satisfied with palliatives, but should go at once to the root of the evil,and endeavour permanently to counteract its malignity.

The chancellor of the exchequer replied, that one object of the plan which he had given notice of submitting to the house was, to advance

money to associations of individuals, and another to make these advances to public bodies. It was not intended that they should be made to single individuals for any purpose connected with the measure in question. The first object would embrace the support and encouragement of public works under certain limitations; and upon full security for the repayment of the money, the persons furnishing that security to take a counter-security upon the parochial funds.

April 25.-Sir B. Hobhouse presented a petition from the West of England agricultural society, praying for the abolition of the present salt duties, as injurious to the manufacturing, agricultural, and commercial interests.

Mr. Harvey presented a petition against the saving banks bill now before parliament, as injurious and unnecessary. Laid on the table.

On the motion for the second reading of the bill to authorize the granting of leases of tithes, Mr. F. Lewis, after some observations on the different acts empowering justices of the peace to levy the small tithes, and those not exceeding 107. in amount by warrant of distress, expressed a wish that it should be an instruction to the committee, to provide for amending such parts of the late act as referred to this branch of their authority (the 53d of the king, c. 127), for the purpose of proposing a clause extending their power to the determination of complaints, or the recovery of tithes to the amount of 201. The bill having been read a second time, this motion was put and carried.

Mr.Calcraft rose to make his promised motion on the salt duties In the course of his speech the honourable gentleman pointed out the impolicy of continuing the present enor

mous

mous duties, which amounted to no less than 3000 per cent. on a raw material of our own produce. Such a tax mixed itself with every thing connected with the price of labour and the subsistence of the poor. It fell with grievous weight on the prices of butter, bacon, fish, meat, and all the primary and indispensable articles of food among the lower classes. In this point of view its effects were as impolitic as they were unjust. The price of labour was not now regulated by the price of food; a redundant population, and diminished trade, had left it dependent entirely on such competition for it as remained. It was necessary, therefore, in the present circumstances, that the essential articles of subsistence should be exempted from taxation as far as was possible, consistently with the political safety of the country. His only object at present was inquiry; he wished for a full exposition of the case and with this view the honourable gentleman moved, that a committee be appointed to take the laws relative to the trade in salt into their consideration, and to report their opinions from time to time to the house.

The chancellor of the exchequer did not think the proposition of the honourable gentleman could be at present entertained. The agitation of this question had occasioned already a deficiency in the receipt of the revenue of 80,0007. ; and it was incumbent on the honourable gentleman to show either the possibility of finding a commutation, or of our dispensing with a revenue of 1,500,000l. As a measure of relief a bill was now under the consideration of the house, for allowing the use of rock-salt, duty-free, for the purpose of curing fish; and he was not quite certain that some in

dulgence might not be given to salt used for cattle. The right honourable gentleman then read an extract of a letter from the proprietors of several extensive salt-works, to the effect, that they were decidedly of opinion that the preseut motion would ultimately be injurious to their interests; and he concluded by saying, that the house would do well to postpone the consideration of this important matter until the bill in question had been fully discussed; and, upon these grounds, he felt it his duty to move the previous question.

Mr. Calcraft replied generally, upon which the house divided. For the motion 70, against it 79; ma, jority 9.

April 28.-Sir H. Parnell presented a petition from the Irish catholics for emancipation; in which the objection to the interference of the pope in the appointment to vacant sees is proposed to be obviated by a concordat, to be procured from his holiness; that none but nativeborn subjects shall ever be raised to the prelacy; and that the election shall be exclusively in the hands of the native clergy. The Veto the catholics still refuse.

Mr. Wm. Smith presented a petition from the English catholics, praying that domestic nomination might be held a sufficient security to be taken from the catholics, as the condition of admitting them into the privileges of the British constitution.

Mr. Wilberforce presented a petition from a certain society, called the Academical Society, instituted for the purpose of literary, political, and philosophical discussion, and the promotion of general knowledge, complaining of the refusal of the magistrates to grant them a license, and praying the house to afford them relief.

Mr. B.

Mr. B. Bathurst professed himself ignorant of the motives of the magistrates on the present occasion. On the allegation of the petitioners, it appeared that the magistrates had refused the license, because they thought it was the intention of the legislature to prohibit all political discussion, and he must entirely disclaim any such intention on the part of the legislature. It might be within the discretion of the magistrate to determine whether or no a meeting were held for seditious or literary purposes, but it never could be the intention of the legislature to prohibit political discussion. The petition was laid on the table, and or dered to be printed.

Mr. Brougham presented a petition from Birmingham, signed by upwards of 12,000 persons. It contained a statement, in humble and earnest, but touching language, of a degree of misery almost approaching despair. Laid on the table, and ordered to be printed.

The chancellor of the exchequer brought forward his plan for the issue of exchequer bills for the relief of the suffering manufacturers and others. He moved two resolutions, which, after some discussion, were agreed to.

The following is an abstract of the bill proposed.

"Exchequer bills not exceeding the amount of 1,500,000l. may be issued in Great Britain (at 24d.) payable within three years.

"In Ireland, lord lieutenant may direct the issue of 250,0001. out of growing produce of consolidated fund there.

"Commissioners for the execution of the act in Great Britain to be named in the bill; for Ireland to be appointed by the lord lieutenant. To be sworn, and to act without salaries,

"Commissioners to examine parties coming before them on oath; and to class all applications, and to certify the sums required to the treasury in Great Britain, and to the lord lieutenant in Ireland, who are thereupon to direct the issue of exchequer bills, or advance of money, accordingly.

"Persons receiving advances for the use of any corporation or parish in Great Britain shall give their personal security, by bond, to the king.

"Mortgages of tolls, &c. shall also be taken, which shall have preference over all dividends and claims of proprietors; but not over claims of previous creditors without the consent of 4-5ths of them.

"Money may be advanced in Ireland in aid of works managed by commissioners appointed by the lord lieutenant on mortgage of the rates, &c.

"Trustees on roads may increase tolls to secure the payments to an amount not exceeding one-half of the original toll.

"Advances to parishes in Great Britain shall be made only on application of 4-5ths in value and a majority in number of the inhabitants, and shall not exceed the amount of the last half-year's poor's rates at Easter 1817; to be paid out of accruing rates within two years after Easter 1818: but such advance shall be made only when such last poor's rate was double the amount of the last three years' average.

"Amount of exchequer bills advanced to corporations, &c. in Great Britain, shall be paid with 5 per cent. interest, fifteen days before the exchequer bills become due.

"Sums advanced in Ireland shall be paid with 6 per cent. interest, by such instalments as the commis

sioners