274

Irish Parliamentary Intelligence.

that the mafter of every coal fhip arriving in the bay fhall, within 48 hours of his arrival, certify the fame to the Lord Mayor.

The Chancellor obferved that it would be much more proper for the Lord Mayor and his Waterbailiffs to watch the arrival of veffels in the harbour themfelves than to compel the mafter of the veffel to announce his arrival, but on Lord Donoughmore acquainting his lordship that the mafter of every vellel was obliged to certify his arrival at the Custom-houfe within 48 hours, and that he might at the fame time, with eafe, certify his arrival to the Lord Mayor alfo, his lordship withcrew his objection.

The Chancellor objected also to that claufe which coming after that empowering the chief magiftrate for the time being to compel every coal-fhip within three days after its arrival in the harbour to come up between the walls-empowers him alfo to levy a fine of 40s. per day for each day the captain fhall remain in the harbour after 12 days without difcharging his cargo-or 6 days, provided his veffel be under 80 ton burthen. This claufe and the other reftrictions of this bill he was apprehenfive would frighten away the coal traders from our harbour. The city of Dublin, he obferved, depended on an individual (lord Lonsdale) for fuelfhould the perfons employed in the coal-trade complain to him of being hardly treated, as it was poffible they might be by an indifcreet chief magiftrate in the execution of this law, and should that individual, by way of retaliation, prevent the exportation of any coals to this city for 6 or 8 months, to what a fituation fhould we be reduced? for his part he faw no reafon for the enaction of thefe new feverities-he had enquired what he had paid for coals within the last fix months, and found he had never been, charged more than 18s. 6d. per ton, which certainly was not an unreafonable price. -In London coals were generally one third, if net one half, dearer than they are in this city.

Sept.

they would take care to enter into a combination
at the other fide of the water to obviate its effects,
by agreeing to come over only five and fix at a
high as they pleafed-He con-
time, by which the price of coals might be conti-
nually kept up as
cluded by moving that the claufe be expunged.
Lord Donoughmore faid, this bill has been intro-
duced in compliance with the wishes, and at the ex-
prefs defire of the merchants of this city, framed
by a committee of that body, and brought inte
the other houfe fo recommended by their very ref-
pectable Member. Whatever, therefore, may be
the meafure of the merchants, and not as that of
the provisions of this bill, it is to be confidered as
my right hon. Friend. Every pains were taken to
inveftigate the abuses which this bill feeks to re-
medy. A committee of the merchants had the
fubject under their confideration for more than
month; and after the fullest examination of wit-
was framed. It was confidered by the prefent
neffes, and the most accurate inquiry, this bill
chief magistrate, and received his perfect concur-
rence; it was then fubmitted to the Recorder of
the city, and revifed by him, and in this ftate it
came into the hands of the right hon. Mover, by
whom it was introduced without any other alterati-
nalties which it contained. Thus framed and
on excepting only the mitigation of fome of the pe-
confidered, I cannot help being partial to this bill;
none can know the mischiefs against which it is
neceflary to provide, better than the framers of it;
and none are more interested that the remedies
fhould be of fuch a nature, as not to injure the
trade of the city in fo very material an article.

The reason why gentlemen in the other Houfe fo
readily take up the idea of coals being enormously
dear in this city was, that many of them having no
houfes in town, and coming up generally in the
middle of January when ftrong wefterly winds
were moftly prevalent, by which the colliers were
detained in the ports of Cumberland, they are apt
to form their opinion of the price of coals from
the advanced price they bear at that feafon-If
coals were really at an extravagant price, yet nothing
could be more abfurd than to hope to effect a re-
duction in the price of that or any other article by
laying heavy penalties on thofe who were concern-
ed in the trade. This claufe he thought peculiar-
ly improper, because the foregoing claufes by which
the chief Magiftrate is empowered to compel fhips
to come up to the quays within three days after
their arrival, went fufficiently far and would al-
ways keep coals from rifing to an extravagant price,
as the captain would naturally wish to clear out as
foon as poffible-this claufe added to the foregoing
would effectually put the coal trader in the power
of the chief magiftrate and the citizens, and would
of courfe deter them from the harbour. The
people of Cumberland if they were like the other
people of England, would certainly never fubmit
lid

But the fyftem of regulation which the bill contains, fpeaks for itself, and if it were poffible to entertain a doubt of its expediency, we have the experience of twelve months in its favour; for it is neceffary to remind the noble lords, that this bill, for the most part, goes only to re-enact the provifions of the act of the laft feffion. The fame apprehenfions were then entertained which the coal trade would be frightened by the penalhave been now mentioned, that the captains in ties, and would defert our coafts-But what has been the fact? thefe penal.ies have been in operation for twelve months, and the fupply of this neceflary article has encreafed, and the price has been more reasonable than at any other fimilar period, for feveral years paft. Noble lords have made ufe of this as an argument against the neceffity of any new regulations, but I ftate them to your lordships as a proof of the efficacy of the fyftem which is now under your confideration.

It has been objected as a hard hip on the captain, to compel him to make a return in writing to the water-bailiffs, of the day of his arrival, within forty-eight hours. But this objection is removed, when it is confidered, that every captain must tender his invoice at the Custom-house, within 24 hours after his arrival, and it is furely more decent, that the captains of coal fhips fhould look after the chief magiftrate, than, that he should be obliged to fend to Poolbeg to look after them."

With respect to the claufe which limits the time at their continuance to unload, noble lords

will

will recollect, that it is the law of the laft feffion, with very little alteration, and has not been found to be attended with any inconvenience. Why empower the lord mayor to compel the the mafters of the veffels to come up to the quays within three days, but for the purpofe of difcharging their cargoes? The claufe in queftion, though nominal ly affecting the captain, was really levelled at the coal factor, who was fuffered to continue by the act of lat Seffion. For it is well known, that the conftant practice with the coal captains has been, to fell their whole cargo to a factor, who by this means ftands as a foreftaller between the actual proprietor of the coals and the confumer.

The prefent bill its original form, went to abolish this middle-man; and if the whole fyftem had not been marred by the introduction of a prowife, nominally for the protection of contractors, but which must operate effectually to ontinue this vil, the claufe now in question would certainly have become lefs neceffary. And if it shall be the opinion of the Houfe to bring back the bill to its original principle, by the rejection of this provifo, and the fubftitution of another for the fecurity of bona fide contractors, and limiting the factor, whenever he shall be employed, to an allowance only of fix-pence in the pound, the expunging of this claufe will not, in fo material a degree, prejudice the bill.

I am fatisfied that the exceptionable provifo, which I have mentioned, and against which my right hon. Friend divided in another place, as entirely deftructive of the principle of his bill, will not be fuffered to remain; and upon that account, although I shall vote against the rejection of the claufe in question, yet, I think the bill, fo moulded, will ftill contain an excellent fyftem of regulation, and prove highly beneficial to the poor of this metropolis, in this very material article of their confumption.

The Chancellor when his Lordship mentioned the Merchants of Dublin as the authors of the bill faid, it was indeed the work of feven of them but not the whole body (Lord Donoughmore explained that these were a committee deputed by the reft) and though the Merchants of Dublin were he was perfuaded very fenfible men, they might neverthelefs be ignorant of the principles of legiflationThe claufe could not be levelled at the coal-factors, for the very next claufe went to abolish the bufinefs of a coal-factor altogether as to the wholefome effect of the existing law during the last twelve months, he had only faid that the effects of fuch a law might be injurious in the hands of an indifcreet magiftrate-by the prefent chief magiftrate he was confident it would always be executed with the highest degree of difcreti

member of Parliament (the Speaker) a limited number of thefe were legalized, who were allowed a certain poundage--the good effects of them were experienced the very first year the bill paffed in the reduced price of coals-by purchafing the cargo of a captain at once, and lodging it in a yard, the captain was enabled to make two trips more in the year, by which means a greater quantity of the articles was brought to market, and of courfe the price kept low. He therefore, instead of a total abolition, moved an amendment by which factors fworn and qualified as the exifting law directs, and acting bona fide for the lawful poundage are legalized.

The amendment was adopted, as were alfo feveral other lefs material ones in the fubfequent claufes, without any divifion.

Alderman Warren's claufe, by which all contractors were exempted from the operation of the bill, was expunged, as being calculated, if it stood, to render the bill nugatory.

The bill being gone through and reported, the Houfe adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY-MARCH 26.

THE Houfe met according to adjournment, and received a meffage from the lords with the Dublin harbour bill-temporary ftatute bill-poftroad bill, and the bill for preventing the exceffive price of coals in the city of Dublin.

Of the three former of thofe bills, two paffed the Lords without any amendments, and those of the other were agreed to by the houfe, but on reading amendments made in the coal bill, one of which went to empower the Barons of Exchequer to diminish at difcretion fome of the fines impofed by the bill,

The Speaker rofe and faid, he believed it would be unneceffry to inform the houfe, that fome of thefe amendments were of fuch a nature that they could not be agreed to by the houfe without a dereliction of its established ufage and privilege, as they went to alter claufes levying money on the fubject. He then read the claufe above mentioned relative to the diminution of the fines at the difcretion of the Barons of the Exchequer.-This called up

Mr. Forbes, who fid he believed there could not be any difference of opinion on this pointnothing could be more evident than that the bill ought to be rejected -With refpe&t to the right honourable Gentleman (Mr. Grattin) who had introduced the bill, and who was not now prefent, he was author fed to fay, that though the right hom. ent. con eived the bill to be of very confiderable importance to the city of Dublin, yet he would be the first man to move for its rejection, if the amendments which had been made in it should be thought in the most remote degree, to trench on the privileges of that houfe.

Major Hobart moved that the amendments M m 2 should

fhould be taken into confideration on the 1ft of command of the combined armies, affembled on Auguft.

Declaration, addressed by his Mcft Serens Highres
the Reigning Duke of Brunswick Lurenteure, cin-
manding the combined armies of their Mojefties
the Finperor and King of Prufa, to the Inhabi
tants of France.

THEIR majefties the emperor and the king
of Prudia having entrufted me with the

2

Joppa.

Liften to the miracles that Joppa does di-vine to you,

handles, but knights then tho' thick as hops, in

bushy bobs will keep their fhops, and deal good lack in

wild fire run, and