House of Commons
Friday, May 28, 1813.
complained of what he had said last night having been misrepresented in a morning paper. He had no doubt it was unintentional, but he wished to correct the matter. The paper stated that he had said, "the marshalmen were guilty of unwarrantable impositions on persons who go to court; and that they were guilty of extortions under various pretexts:" whereas he had not said any such thing. He had only mentioned, that their salary was very low, and that they paid a considerable sum for their places, which obliged them to offer a book to persons going to court, for the purpose of obtaining such a present as might be agreeable to the party. He believed them to be a respectable body of men, and wished to have their salaries increased, in such a way, that they might not be under the necessity of any other remuneration for their trouble.
Petition From the Merchants of Glasgow Respecting the Cotton Trade
A Petition of several merchants, manufacturers, cotton spinners, and calico printers in the city of Glasgow, and in the vicinity thereof, was presented and read; setting forth,
"That the cotton manufacture is of the most essential importance to that district of the empire, as it affords a most extensive employment to industry and capital; and that a very large proportion of the cotton wool which is employed in the manufacture is of the growth of the United States of America, and that quality denominated American Sea Island, is almost exclusively employed in the manufacture of the finer fabrics of the district; and that the petitioners have learnt, with great alarm, that petitions have been laid upon the table of the House, praying for a prohibition, and other regulations on the importation, of cotton wool the growth of the United States of America; and that the exclusion of American cotton wool from the British market in this manner, as it will increase the quantity in the American market, and will not prevent its having access to the continent, will have a necessary effect to diminish the price to the manufacturer in America, and to render it cheaper to the manufacturer upon the continent, while, by diminishing the quantity of the raw material in Britain, it will raise the price to the British manufacturer, and thus operate at once as a high premium to the manufacturers of rival nations, while in this kingdom it would have an opposite effect, equal to the highest duty; and that the operation of the Act of the 49th of the King, for repealing the duties of customs chargeable in Great Britain, and for granting other duties in lieu thereof, has already been severely felt by those engaged in the cotton manufacture, the tax it imposes on cotton wool being equal to 30l. per cent. upon the whole average labour of cotton spinning, and as much upon a large part of the manufactures of piece goods; and that the petitioners have received the most authentic information that flourishing manufactures of cotton, possessed of every natural advantage, have lately been established in many of the United States of America; and that, during the exclusion of British manufactures from the continent of Europe, the manufacturing of cotton goods in the Prussian, and other states, has made such progress as to render it no longer expedient to send to the markets of the North of Europe any but the finer fabrics; and that the petitioners cannot contemplate the measure of a prohibition otherwise than as calculated to stimulate and reward the exertions of the manufacturers of rival nations, and to depress still more the cotton trade of this country, which for years back has been in a state greatly depressed and declining; and that, independent of the impolicy, upon general principles, of adopting a measure which will necessarily enhance the price of a raw material, the petitioners, in the particular circumstances already stated, consider it peculiarly dangerous, by any restriction on importation, to prevent the British manufacturers from obtaining their supplies on equal terms with the continental manufacturers; and that not only the prosperity, but even the existence of the cotton manufacture of this country, for the supply of the European markets, depends in a great measure upon our being able to obtain a supply of all sorts of cotton upon an equal footing with their native manufacturers; and praying, that the House will enter into a minute investigation of this important subject, before they adopt any measures which can assist the efforts of foreign nations to supplant the cotton manufacture of this country, or which can in any way affect interests so delicate and important, and essential to the existence of a demand for British cotton goods in foreign markets."
Ordered to lie upon the table.
Fire Arms' Improving Bill
On the order of the day for the second reading of the Bill to insure the proper and careful manufacturing of Fire Arms, and preventing injuries which frequently arise from the bursting thereof, by making provision for proving the barrels of such fire arms,
expressed a wish for the imposition of severe penalties upon any manufacturer of fire arms who should affix to his manufacture the name of another. As such a practice was highly injurious to the manufacturer, whose name was forged, and as forgery was visited with the most severe punishment in every civilized nation, he could not conceive upon what principle the description of forgery to which he had alluded should be allowed to escape with impunity, or why it should not be visited with exemplary punishment. He hoped the honourable mover of the Bill would introduce a clause to meet this abuse, and also to provide against the marking of fire-arms "London," which were manufactured in Birmingham. If such fire-arms were even proved in London, he should have no objection to the mark—but otherwise, such deception called for legislative interposition.
said, the proposition made by the hon. baronet had been before rejected by the House; and it was absurd, that guns, already proved in Birmingham, should be sent to London to be proved again.
said a few words in favour of the Bill, after which it was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Monday.
Irish Fire Arms' Bill
On bringing up the Report of the Irish Fire-Arms Bill,
said, that what he had offered on a former evening by way of objection to the Bill, was owing to the right hon. mover of the measure not having stated any particular reasons for continuing the Act; and he did not think any thing which tended to trench on the constitutional liberty of the subject should be brought forward without a special cause assigned. As, however, in the course of the conversation that took place, two or three hon. members who had a thorough knowledge of the state of the country had mentioned cases which he lamented to hear, and which called for the attention of government, he was one of the last who would wish to throw any impediment in the way of such a measure, and had no farther objection to the Bill.
The Report was received, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time on Monday.
Irish Rents' Bill
in moving for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the laws in Ireland with regard to landlord and tenant, observed upon the confusion and injury resulting from the present state of the law, particularly to the poorer tenantry, who were too often obliged to submit to injustice from an inability to obtain redress, particularly in cases where the property of the occupying tenant was distrained in consequence of the malfeasance of the person under whom he held, and such cases of distress, he assured the House, but too often occurred in Ireland. The hon. baronet also took notice of the grievance occasioned to landlords by the mode of ejectment, which process was so expensive in Ireland, that where the property was small, it was generally found more advisable to submit to injury than to resort to such a remedy. To remove these inconveniences was the object of his Bill, which he proposed merely to bring in to have read a first time, and to let it stand over until the next session, in order that opportunity should be afforded for fully considering its provisions on the other side of the water. The right hon. baronet concluded with moving, "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend and incorporate the laws relating to distresses for rent in Ireland, and to secure the tenantry from abuses committed under authority thereof;" which was accordingly granted.