payment of that duty, as had been done since the issue of the Order in Council. When the Committee looked at the price of grain generally, and of wheat in particular,— when they considered the scarcity of food for cattle, and for the great mass of the population, they would, he was satisfied, concur with him in thinking, that not only had a sound discretion been exercised as to the past, but that a continuation of the system would be highly expedient. He would conclude with moving,

1. "That all persons concerned in issuing, or advising the issue, or acting in execution of, an Order in Council, of the 1st of September, 1826, for allowing the importation of certain sorts of foreign Corn, shall be indemnified.

2. "That the importation of foreign oats, oatmeal, rye, pease, and beans, be permitted for a time to be limited, on the payment of the duties hereinafter mentioned: that is to say, for every quarter of oats, 28.; for every boll of oatmeal, 28. 2d.; for every quarter of rye, pease, and beans, 38. 6d.; and that all bonds which may have been taken for the payment of such duties shall be duly discharged."

The Resolutions were agreed to.

FOREIGN GOODS IMPORTED IN 1824 AND 1826-EFFECT OF THE CUSTOMS' CONSOLIDATION ACT_TREATY WITH PORTUGAL.

November 30.

Sir Henry Parnell, with a view to ascertain what had been the effect of the measure passed last year, for altering the law with respect to the Importation of Foreign productions, moved for an Account shewing the quantities of certain articles imported, and entered for home consumption, into the United Kingdom, from Foreign countries and the Colonies, in the years 1824 and 1826; and also shewing the rate

of duty payable on each article, in each of these years." After the motion had been seconded by Mr. Warburton, who also contended, that the system of Free Trade had been but imperfectly carried into effect,

upon

Mr. HUSKISSON said, that as he did not feel the least wish to object to the production of the account for which the honourable baronet had called, and as he did not consider this a fit ocasion to enter into the subject of the Importation Duties, he should make but a very few observations the question. He was of opinion, that the great principles which regulated, or which ought to regulate, the Commercial Policy of this and of other countries, required a more solemn consideration than could be given them at the present moment; and believing this, he trusted he should stand excused to the House for saying, that it seemed to him the better time for entering into the discussion would be after the information sought for by these returns had been obtained.

Perhaps he might be allowed to observe, that a great difference of opinion seemed to exist among the impugners of the Measures which he had had the honour to introduce and to advocate-perhaps he might be permitted to say, that those who, out of doors, clamoured loudly against those measures as being injurious to the trade and commerce of the country, had founded their clamours upon the speeches of the gentlemen opposite; some of whom now complained of those very measures, as not being sufficiently strong. On the one hand, there was the complaint that too much had been done for Free Trade; while on the other, there was an equally loud complaint, that nothing, or next to nothing, had been done. He would not now stay to discriminate between such conflicting extremes of opinion. He could not, however, but wonder, that while gentlemen within the House asserted, that the principles of free trade had not been carried far enough, there should be others

out of the House persevering in their attempts to direct the opposition of the misinformed towards those measures, which he could boldly and confidently declare, had in no degree contributed to the distresses lately experienced in this country.

Before he sat down, he would give the honourable baronet the explanation he required, upon the subject of the Treaty with Portugal. It was true, that the period when either this country or Portugal might revise the terms of that treaty arrived in June last, and Portugal had expressed a wish that some alterations should be made in it before it was renewed. Those alterations were still the subject of discussion between the two Governments, and, until they should be arranged, the treaty would continue in force, as it was in terms a perpetual treaty, subject only to alteration and revision, at certain stated periods. That was the state in which things now stood; and Ministers were, therefore, not at liberty at present to deal with the question of the duty on French and Portuguese wines, as the treaty was still pending.

There were other branches of this subject to which the honourable seconder had alluded; but which it was not now the proper time to discuss. He would, however, remind that honourable gentleman, that there was not a single measure to which he had adverted, that was not expressly pointed out to Ministers by the Navigation Laws. Whether those laws ought, or ought not, to be altered, was another question; but, while they continued in their present state, and remained as the guides of our Foreign Commerce, they must be obeyed, and Ministers had not the power to change the course which they directed to be pur

sued.

The motion was then agreed to.

VOL. III.

STATE OF THE CURRENCY-ALTERATION OF

THE CORN LAWS.

· December 1.

Lord Folkestone, seeing the President of the Board of Trade in his place, asked, whether it was the intention of Government to introduce any measure respecting the Currency, in consequence of what had taken place in the Committee on the Small Note Bill, during the last session? Mr. Huskisson said, he was not prepared to answer the noble lord's question: upon which the noble lord remarked upon the extraordinary situation in which Parliament was placed, by the conduct of Ministers, both with respect to the Currency and the Corn Laws. They were assembled, he said, at an inconvenient season of the year; and yet they were told by Ministers, that no discussion was to take place upon a subject, on which the greatest excitement was raised throughout the country.

Mr. HUSKISSON observed, that the noble lord had inferred more from the answer which he had returned to the noble lord's question, than the fair import of that answer warranted. The noble lord had alluded to the Committee of Inquiry on the Scotch Small Note currency, and had asked him whether it was intended to take any steps in consequence of what had taken place in this Committee? His answer was, that he was not then prepared to inform the noble lord whether it was intended by Government, to propose either the revival of the Committee, or the adoption of any proceedings founded upon their Report. From this answer the noble lord had thought fit to infer, prematurely, that no steps whatever would be taken.

He again stated, that his Majesty's Government had not had an opportunity of considering whether it was necessary or not, to renew the Committee in question; and therefore he was not prepared to say whether they would do so, or whether they would take any steps on the Report already printed. The noble lord expressed his surprise, that when

a Report had been presented in a former session, on a subject involving questions of the greatest public interest, his Majesty's Government, ten days after the meeting of Parliament, on a special occasion, and at an unusual period, should not be prepared with the developement of most important subjects, perfectly distinct from those for which they had been, he might say, specially assembled.

The noble lord, who was a great friend to the liberties of the people, and a great stickler for a close adherence to constitutional forms, could not see for what Parliament was assembled, if not to dispose of the Currency and Corn questions. He would tell the noble lord, it was assembled in deference to the constitution. It was assembled because his Majesty's Ministers had advised a breach of the law, on a subject of great and peculiar interest. His Majesty's Ministers conceived, that having violated the law, they were bound to call Parliament together, to sit in judgment on their acts, and either to indemnify them for what they had done, or put an end to the continuance of the violation. His Majesty's Ministers conceived, that on the very same day on which they advised the violation of the constitution, they ought also to advise his Majesty to call Parliament together, as soon as they could conveniently be assembled. It was on that ground, and for that purpose, that Parliament had been summoned to meet; and he was sure it would not be matter of surprise to the majority of that House, or to the country at large, that it was not proposed to Parliament at the present period of the year, to proceed to the permanent settlement of such great questions as those connected with the Corn and the Currency. It was never usual to bring on important topics, such as these, within a few days of an expected adjournment. The noble lord must be aware, from the circumstance of the present being a new Parliament, that important questions could