minution of expenditure ? Were not all every question of supply, it was open to the articles of living very much reduced the House to remark upon every matter in price? And would not a Scotch officer of grievance of which the country had to enjoy the advantage resulting from such a complain. diminution as much as others ? When Mr. Goulburn said, the House was not the produce of agricultural labour was so in a committee of supply. low, when a promise was held out that our The Chancellor of ihe Exchequer retaxes would be diminished, when the half quested the chairman to put the question of that oppressive impost, the property tax, then before the House, which was accorwas to be taken off

, even upon the propo- dingly done that the committee should sal of the right hon. gentleman himself; report progress, and ask leave to sit again, and the remaining half, he trusted would Mr. Tierney reprobated the eargerness be abolished in opposition to his wishes, with which the right hon. gentleman enwas this a time for augmenting salaries, deavoured to get rid of a question relative upon the pretence of trifling additional to the expenditure of the public money. duty? He was surprised at this prodigal By an accidental question which it had disregard of economy amid public distress been inpossible to foresee, it had come to

at this unnecessary addition to our ex- light, that the salaries of several public penditure; and he hoped the bon. baronet officers had been increased instead of being who had put the question which called diminished. The right hon. gentleman

. forth this alarming piece of intelligence, talked of their having more to do. That would follow it up with some specific mo- might be; but then they had less to pay. tion.

Their salaries had been increased on Mr. Goulburn could not help thinking former occasions on the ground of the inthat the hon. and learned gentleman who creased price of every article of consumphad just sat down had indulged himself in tion, and therefore when that price fell, it a very unnecessary as well as a very illi- was but just that the increase of salary beral tirade upon the present occasion. should be taken off. He was one of He would call upon the committee to say those who always maintained that those whether the hon. and learned gentleman who executed public duties, ought to be could be authorized in the attack which fairly and liberally remunerated; but this he had made upon his majesty's govern- was a time in which parliament ought ment, in consequence of what had just carefully to guard against any unnecessary fallen from his right hon. friend. His expenditure. The hon. gentleman opporight hon. friend had been asked a ques- site who had started up in defence of his tion by an hon. baronet, to which he had / right hon. friend, belonged to the office of answered by stating facts, but without en- the third secretary of state.

That office tering into those explanations which time had been created in consequence of the and circumstances would not permit, but augmentation of public business during which would fully justify those facts. the war. He should be glad to know, This was the opportunity which the hon. when it was likely that a report would be and learned gentleman had thought fit to made to the House of the state of that take of getting up to comment upon a topic office, and of the period when those who which had no connexion whatever with were connected with it, would be enabled the question before the House, with the to surrender their functions ? view of exciting the public feelings against Lord Castlereagh observed, that the the motives which might have influenced conversation which had taken place, was his right hon. friend in the augmentation by no means calculated to encourage his alluded to. Such conduct he was sure, right hon. friend and himself to answer neither the House nor the country would questions put to them in parliament. If deem either fair or candid. With respect hon. gentlemen chose to assume as a right to the question itself, it behoved the that which was only an indulgence, and House to abstain from expressing any then proceeded to draw false inferences opinion, either for or against, until the from the answers they received, his right opportunity arrived, when explanation hon. friend and himself would feel bound might properly be given.

to adhere to the strict parliamentary rule Mr. Brougham wished to state the rea- on this subject. Nothing could be more son why he had made the observations unfair, than from a mere reply to a queswhich seemed to be felt so acutely. The tion to infer, that government were emhon. gentleman ought to know, that in ployed not in reducing, but in increasing (VOL. XXXII.)

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the public expenditure. This system of raised or not?” He would be glad to endeavouring to make a sudden impres- know what was the objection to this quession, would not be found very effectual by tion ? Were they to be driven to the the hon. and learned gentleman. It was necessity of making motions when such a system pretty well understood both in information was required? or, were miand out of the House. These five minutes nisters to follow that rule which had, for triumphs would produce no effect. He the convenience of parliament, been so knew that the hon. gentlemen opposite judiciously observed, that of answering meant to make the present a very active all questions which might tend to shorten session of parliament on the subject of and simplify public business? If it was economy. He applauded them for this determined to force the House to the intention, for there was no other topic on former course, he would make a motion which they could have any sanguine ex- day by day, and hour by hour, without pectations of distinguishing themselves. notice whenever he saw occasion, and he But he did recommend to the hon, and was sure he should be supported by learned gentleman to abstain from such every honest man in the House. tricks as that of this evening. He put it Lord Castlereagh said, that if the right to the hon. and learned gentleman's own hon. gentleman would introduce a little taste and judgment, whether he had not better discipline into his own camp, he eminently failed in all his endeavours to would find no objection on the ministerial exhibit his dexterity at the expense of side of the House, candidly to reply to all his understanding. He hoped therefore proper questions that might be put to that he would in future pursue that direct them; for it was a practice which he policy which was so much better suited to readily admitted, had a great tendency to his talents and attainments.

facilitate public business. If the hon. and Mr. Preston contended, that the coun- learned gentleman opposite had allowed try was totally exhausted, that the taxes the question and answer of the hon. baronet were beyond the abilities of the people to and his right hon. friend to pass without. pay them, and that the longer ministers observation, all would have been amicable proceeded in their present course the worse and parliamentary, and he might, if he it would be.

had chosen it, have taken the regular The House then resumed, and leave means of raising a discussion on the subwas given to bring in a bill according to ject. But when, in a tone of importance, the resolution.

he thought proper to assume (without any Sir Robert Heron said, he had one foundation in evidence) that his majesty's question more to put to the right hon. government were employed not in dimigentleman. Had he been well informed, nishing but in increasing the public exwhen he was told that the salaries of the penditure, he departed from that which law officers of the Crown in Scotland had was the usage of the House. No doubt likewise been increased since the opening the hon. gentlemen opposite were perof the present session of parliament? fectly ready on every occasion to conclude

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, against government without any investithat the unnecessary and irregular con- gation, but he believed they would find versation which had followed the answer it difficult to persuade the public to think which he had given to the last question with them. He hoped the right hon. of the hon. baronet, induced him to say gentleman would rein in his steed a little, that it was not convenient to him to answer and then he would not find any difficulties the question now proposed.

thrown by his majesty's ministers in the Mr. Tierney said, it was important that way of information. the House should come to some under- Mr. Brougham begged leave to remind standing upon this subject. He was the noble lord and the House of the actual ready to admit, that there were certain facts as they had occurred in the comquestions, regarding foreign policy and mittee. A question put by an hon. baronet our military arrangements, which it would had drawn from the right hon. gentleman be impolitic to answer. Here, however, opposite a candid answer, avowing that was a simple fact, the answer to which, an augmentation had taken place in the whether in the negative or affirmative, salaries of those officers in Scotland, comcould produce no ill consequences. The prehended in the scope of the inquiry. question simply was, “ Were the salaries But the right hon. gentleman had not of the Crown law officers in Scotland confined himself to a dry answer. He bad given reasons for the augmentation; he draw a strong picture of the distressed had entered into an argument, and had state of the country, particularly in those stated to the committee the grounds on districts within his own observation. He which goveroment had proceeded. “The defied the chancellor of the exchequer to augmentation took place recently,” said improve it, if instead of one million, he the right hon. gentleman, “ but it was in gave twenty to the farmers. consequence of representations of an old Leave was given to bring in the bill. date, and on the ground of a great increase in the duties of the officers in question." PRIVATELY STEALING Bill.] Sir Hearing this, it was impossible for him Samuel Romilly, agreeably to his notice, not to endeavour to expose the fallacy of called the attention of the House to the the statement. But by whom was the propriety of repealing the act of the 10th argument commenced? Undoubtedly by and 11th of William 3, which takes away, the right hon. gentleman, who, feeling the benefit of clergy from persons conthat the measure which had been adopted victed of stealing privately in a shop to required defence, entered on its justifica- the amount of five shillings. This act, tion. Then, when his only object was to he said, was the most severe and sanshow the weakness of the right hon. gen- guinary on our statute-book, inconsistent tleman's defence, up started an hon. gen. with the spirit of the times in which we tleman connected with the colonial de- lived, and repugnant to the law of nature, partment of government, and accused him which had no severer punishment to inof venting a tirade (as he called it) against flict on the most atrocious of crimes. It the right lion. gentleman himself. was no reason for not repealing, but, on

Lord Castlereagh said, that in inferring the contrary, the strongest for repealing that his majesty's government were em- this act, that it was never executed. There ployed in increasing and not in diminish. could not be a more pernicious system ing, the public expenditure, the hon. and than that of severe laws and a relaxed learned gertleman had unfairly attempted execution of them. At the time the act to create a notion in the public mind, was passed, the crime was extremely prewholly unfounded in its nature.

valent, but the change in the law had not The Speaker observing that there was caused it to disappear. Yet it had been no question before the House, the con- at different periods strictly enforced ; and versation dropped.

in the year 1785, no less than 97 persons

were executed for this offence in London Crown Rents Bill.] Mr. Huskisson, alone, and the dreadful spectacle exhiafter some prefatory observations, in which bited of twenty suffering at the same time. he stated the object of the measure to be It was a vast discretion to vest in any men, principally an annual collection of the and although it might be safely confided rents, and an annual inspection, in order to twelve judges, selected from the proto ascertain that the tenants were comply- fession for their learning, wisdom, and ing with the terms prescribed to them, character, it was sometimes intrusted to moved “ That leave be given to bring in others of inferior talents, and whose cona bill the better to regulate the Offices of duct was less under the constant observaReceivers of the Crown Rents.”

tion of the public. The hon. and learned Mr. Preston was of opinion, that the gentleman then proceeded to state the object of this bill was to promote as rank number of persons who had been tried a job as ever he had heard of, and that for capital offences of this nature during its direct tendency was, to enlarge the pa- the last five years. Taking the whole trovage of the Crown, which was the ul- together, 161 had been indicted, and only timate source of our misfortunes; perhaps, \ 41 convicted. This fact was only to be indeed, he would be more correct in say. accounted for from juries being placed ing, that it was a patronage of oligarchy under circumstances which obliged them which caused so many evils to the coun- to depart from the dictates of their own try. This, he said, was a species of pa. consciences. They found the property tronage, which, to use the words of a not to be of the value which they averred relation (with whom, however, in conse- it to be ; and cases had occured, in which quence of his tergiversation, he did not two persons were indicted for stealing the boast of his connexion), had increased, same property, and only one of them was was increasing, and oughít to be diminished. convicted, because he was an old offender. The hon. gentleman then proceeded to In a recent case, a person had been in

dicted for stealing a 101. bank note out of | House with these remarks, he should move, a dwelling-house; but the jury found it to “ That leave be given to bring in a bill to be not of the value of 40s. Now, though repeal so much of the act of the 10th and bank notes might have been considerably 11th Will. 3, as takes away the benefit of diminished in value, he thought it would clergy from persons convicted of the ofbe difficult to prove that they had fallen fence of stealing privately in shops, money, in this proportion. And yet this sort of or goods of the value of five shillings." pia fraus, as it was called, had not only Leave was given to bring in the bill. been long in practice, but was even recommended by the bench. Mr. Justice Blackstone had positively declared, that it

HOUSE OF LORDS. was a thing proper to be done. He did

Monday, February 19. not speak of that doctrine being held by AGRICULTURAL DISTRESSES IN IREthe learned commentator when he was a LAND.] The Earl of Limerick, before the mere student at the university, but that it House proceeded to the order of the day, was contained in the last edition of his was desirous of calling their lordships' at. work, which he himself revised after he tention for a moment to a subject of great was made a judge. But what benefit importance - he alluded to a petition could the public receive from example, which he held in his hand from a very where punishment was never inflicted considerable district of that part of the He considered it a most serious and alarm- united kingdom to which he more espeing fact, that there had been a great in- cially belonged, stating the great distress crease of offences in London and West- which had arisen to the agricultural inteminster between 1806 and 1815. He rests in that quarter. It was a petition could hardly read a newspaper without agreed to at a county meeting of Limerick, seeing paragraphs descriptive of youthful called by the high sheriff

. And it was redepravity, of crimes committed by poor, markable, that notwithstanding the politiwretched infants, who had been abandoned cal and religious differences which preby their profligate parents. He had lately vailed in that country, it formed the only read, that the recorder had declared it to instance in which a petition had been be the determination of the Prince Regent roanimously agreed to all parties, all to execute the next boy who was con- classes and descriptions of persons agreed victed, in order to give a check to youthful to it, notwithstanding all the differences offences. He supposed, however, that that might subsist either of a political or a this was merely an empty threat, because religious nature. The petition stated, he could not think such determination that every article of agricultural produce could be made, while experienced men had greatly sunk in value ; that it had inreceived the mercy of the throne. He deed so sunk, that it was almost impossible had no hesitation in saying, that this great to obtain any money for it. The butter increase of crimes was to be attributed to trade also (a fact of which he was not bethe inferior officers of the police, whose fore aware), which was the great reliance interests were directly at variance with of that country, had been so much detheir duty. He had seen it in evidence be- pressed in consequence of the facilities fore the House, that such things actually given to the introduction of foreign butter, existed: it was their object, not that petty which came unburthened with those tases offenders should be suppressed, but that and charges to which the home article was they should be permitted to go on from subject, that butter which from 1812 to crime to crime, till the officers received a Ociober 1815 had fetched from 51. 125. large reward for merely doing their duty. to 51. 16s. per cwt., had since October He sincerely hoped, however, that the fallen to 31. 16s., a depression that caused session would not be allowed to pass, with the most serious evils to the people of out an inquiry into the state of the police. that country. The provision trade also An hon. friend of his (Mr. Bennet) had had in a great degree failed, which most lately rendered the most important ser- materially added to the distress. As some vices to the public, by detecting and ex- remedy for the evils thus produced, the posing the scandalous abuses which existed petitioners, who were highly grateful for in the prisons of the metropolis ; and he the patriotic conduct of parliament retrusted, that the same gentleman would garding the corn bill, at the time it was immediately turn his mind to this other discussed highly unpopular, but which unimportant subject. Having troubled the popularity had now vanished-ventured

to propose, that the import of foreign but- merely referred to the note mentioned by ter should be subjected to restrictions, so the noble lord ? that the holders might not be enabled to The Earl of Liverpool replied in the afundersell the home produce, and that by firmative. means of some new regulations the provisions of Ireland, should be admitted into ADDRESS UPON THE TREATIES WITH the colonies with greater facility. They Foreign Powers.] The order of the also ventured to suggest, that the heavy day being read, duty on malt had, in its effects, greatly The Earl of Liverpool rose. He said, deteriorated the revenue, whilst it had, at it was now his duty to call their lordships' the same time, materially injured the in- attention to the treaties which had been terests of the grower. This duty, they laid on their table by command of the expressed a hope, might be modified, so Prince Regent; and in so doing, the first as to give some relief to the agricultural circumstance which suggested itself and interest. Whatever might be the opinion which, indeed, forced itself upon his noof parliament as to the propriety of apply- tice was, the extraordinary rapidity of ing these remedies, he could most confi- the success which had attended the milidently state to their lordships, that it was tary operations of the late campaign, as necessary to do something in order to af- well as the complete nature and result of ford relief to the great number of indivi- that success. It was only on the 25th of duals in the county of Limerick who were May last that’their lordships had addressed now deeply distressed. If some remedy the Prince Regent, and promised their was not applied, a great mass of the popu- aid towards the re-establishment of peace lation must inevitably be thrown out of and security in Europe. Their lordships every sort of employ, an evil, the mis- then heard the dismal forebodings and chievous consequences of which, he shud- evil prognostications as to the result of dered to contemplate His lordship con- the policy which they had thought proper cluded by presenting the petition, which to adopt. In little more than three weeks he moved should be read.

from that period—on the 18th of June, The petition having been read, it was Europe was a second time delivered on ordered to lie on the table.

the field of Waterloo. In a few days after THE TREATIES.] Lord Holland be- Buonaparté was forced to abdicate, and fore they proceeded to the order of the on the 3rd of July Paris capitulated to the day, wished to ask a question of the noble duke of Wellington and Prince Blucher. earl opposite, in order to elucidate the He thought he might safely say, that subject before them. He observed, in the there was no instance in the history of note presented by the allied ministers to this or any other country, where, consithe duke de Richelieu, notifying the ap- dering the magnitude of the operations pointment of the duke of Wellington to and the object, the success was so rapid, the command of the allied troops in and so complete and decisive in its France, it was stated that “ the allied so- nature. He stated this, because nothing vereigns have nevertheless, in considera- could set in a higher point of view the tion of the high interest which induces exalted merits and glorious services of them to strengthen the authority of the the commander and the troops. But, legitimate sovereign, promised to his most had he not also a right to say, that the christian majesty to support him with their government in such a trying moment had arms against all revolutionary convul- not been wanting in its duty, when, under sion. * He wished to know to what pro- the circumstances which then existed, it mise of the allied powers this phrase al- had collected and brought to bear upon luded ?

the enemy, within so short a time, a body The Earl of Liverpool said, it referred of troops capable of performing such great to a previous note of the allied ministers, and important services? And might be communicating the treaty concluded be- not further say, that it was a strong pretween this country and the allies to the sumption of the soundness of that policy French government, and not to any spe- upon which this country had acted, that eific engagement upon the subject. the power of the adversary, which had

Lord Holland asked, if he was to un- | been represented as so formidable, was derstand that the promise alluded to completely overturned by the effect of a

single victory? If that power had been See p. 261 of the present volume. rooted in the affections of the people of