county. noble Marquis, he maintained, that distress | piers were distressed, he asked the noble existed to a considerable extent-distress Marquis (Bute) what would? And he from the pressure of taxes upon the neces- believed, if a fair inquiry were instituted, saries of life. Their Lordships would ill it would be found that the capital of the discharge the duty they owed to them- land-occupiers was seriously diminished, selves and the country, if they did not in- and that, in many cases, they had been stitute an immediate inquiry into the state reduced from affluence to misery and want. of the agricultural population of this coun- As he had stated last year, when he had try for the purpose of endeavouring to implored their Lordships to inquire into ascertain what relief could be given where their wants, that a great part of the honest the taxes pressed heavily, and whether it and independent yeomanry of the country of the House to remove were going to decay, so he would now was in the power those taxes by substituting others. He repeat, that in his neighbourhood they regretted that disturbances of no ordinary were considerably reduced in numbers. character had disgraced one part of the He would say but little with respect to country: but, before he entered upon this the commotions in the county of Kent, subject, he should most distinctly give and it was a satisfaction to him to know, it as his opinion, and he believed he should that Government would lose no time in be borne out in that opinion by every calling forth the energies of those who respectable individual connected with the were interested in the preservation of peace county, that none of the peasantry of the and good order. He would say, that the county had been engaged in those dis- spirit which was abroad was one of danger; turbances. He should treat with scorn but he had also the satisfaction to state, and contempt any individual who dared to that, of the great body of the yeomanry of impute to the honest peasantry of Kent that part of Kent in which he resided, any participation in those fires which had there was not one individual whom he had gone to such an extent as to create alarm addressed who did not express himself and terror amongst the inhabitants of that ready to give every assistance, in any way The incendiaries had hitherto that might be required, for the repression escaped detection, but whenever detec- of the disgraceful outrages. Their contion took place as he was confident it duct was highly satisfactory. He hoped would, sooner or later he was sure that that the strict economy recommended by the honest peasantry of the county would his Majesty would be rigidly enforced, and not be found concerned in these disgraceful also that a minute inquiry would be made transactions. So far was he from agreeing into the state of the agricultural interests, with the opinion of the noble Marquis who in order to see what reduction of taxes moved the Address, that distress did not could take place, and what relief it was possible to afford; for sure he was, that existwant of employment alone was the cause of the insubordination prevailing amongst the peasantry. Whether a measure could be carried, to compel the land-owners to employ a fair proportion of labourers during the winter months was a matter that required consideration, but he thought that there ought to be some such provision; for in many parishes where there were eight or ten farmers who were ready to give fair wages, there might be found four or five in opposition, and, as there was no law of a compulsory character to force this, the good intentions of the others fell to the ground. thought of such a provision for the parish in Northamptonshire in which he resided, and he would shortly bring it before their Lordships. The noble Lord concluded by imploring every individual in the House to make minute inquiries, in the respective The Marquis of Bute: I beg to correct the noble Lord--I said no such thing. The Earl of Winchilsea, in continuation: So far from that being the case, he knew that in many districts of Kent, so reduced had the property of the owners and occupiers of the soil become, that, in numerous instances, employment could not be found, and the great body of the agricultural population had it not in their power, either to find or to give adequate wages for labour. In many instances the consequence was, that a great part of the population was unemployed during the winter; and such was the distress of the occupiers of land, that the labourers were obliged to take up their wages in commodities at the village-shop, where it was not to be expected that they could obtain an adequate remuneration. If this did not show, that the land-owners and occu en He had last Session e noble And he tituted, of the nished, been want. had into Onest antry now hey ers. to nt, 0 counties in which they resided, into the this would be for the yeomanry to come forward, and offer their services. He was one who thought that in times like these every one ought to do his utmost, and there was no one more desirous than he was to alleviate the distress that existed. As to the other topics of the King's Speech, he thought it would be more decorous not to enter upon them, and therefore he would not further detain their Lordships. the manner in which they were effected showed that they were done more to excite terror than any other cause. The barns and stacks of all classes were burned, and the fires were not confined to those of The Marquis of Camden said, he felt harsh landlords or greedy overseers. it his duty, from the first moment he came Hitherto there had not been an adequate into the House, to present himself to its spirit of inquiry; but now, so anxious was notice. He had yesterday attended at Maid- the desire to investigate the causes-and stone, and he should be sorry to enter into he was sure the Government was convinced a controversy with his noble friend oppo- of the necessity of giving every assistance site (Winchilsea), such as he was com- for the discovery of the offenders--that pelled to enter into in the last Session of these excesses would very soon be put Parliament, nor should he be seduced then down. He trusted, that, ere long, the to discuss whether more distress prevailed alarm of his neighbours would wear away, in the last year than in the year 1822; but and the reputation of the county be freed he would say, that the distress now pre-from the odium at present brought upon vailing was not in any degree comparable it. He was sure that the best way to effect to that which existed last year. If that were so, why should there not have been more outrages, while the people were said to be starving in the severity of winter, than now, when we enjoyed what was undeniably a genial autumn? The fact was, that what had taken place on the other side of the Channel had sent forth many evil-disposed spirits. He pitied the wretches who caused fires and broke machinery; but, if misery and hardship The Duke of Richmond said, it was not were the cause of these outrages, their his intention to take up more than a very pressure was more severe in the last than short portion of their Lordships' time, but in the present season; and he, therefore, he was anxious to take this opportunity of attributed these outrages to the spirit now expressing a hope that Parliament would abroad. He did not mean to say that no longer delay-that it would not put there was any individual concerned in these off until it might, perhaps, be too lateproceedings who meant anything against an inquiry into the state of the labouring the Constitution of the country; but he poor. He hoped the subject would be believed, in that part of Kent where the taken up with a view to a fair inquiry noble Earl resided, they were the conse-assured their Lordships that he said this, quences of a prejudice against the use of ma- not in the spirit of faction, for it was adchinery, and not of distress. He believed mitted by the noble Marquis (the Lordthat there were parts of Kent, as there were lieutenant of the county of Kent) that parts of other counties, in distress; and in great distress did prevail in that county, some parts of that county there was an ad though he had added that that distress was ministration of the Poor-laws which was not so great in that particular county as not wise. He did not suppose that so ex-it was last year. The noble Marquis seemed tensive an inquiry as was necessary could to think, that the outrages which existed be had in a fortnight or three weeks; but in that county were not the result of the he saw a spirit in the farmers, and he was distress that prevailed. He (the Duke of sure it was in the gentry, which would Richmond) would not say what was the induce every one to look to the manage- cause of those outrages; but whatever ment of their farms. He therefore thought, might be their origin, it could not be dewhether Parliament adopted any measures nied, that last Session the Tables of their or not, that there would be a union of all Lordships' House were covered with classes to put down the outrages that pre-petitions, complaining of the distresses vailed. As to the conflagrations, he was of the labouring poor. The subject of sorry that the inhabitants of the county those petitions their Lordships had not of Kent could be capable of devising or thought it necessary to take into considerexecuting them; at the same time that [ation, and he believed that that circum He such other measures as might tend, by relieving the distresses of the poor, restore to them that confidence in the Legislature which was so necessary to the tranquillity of the country. He would not offer any opposition to the Address moved by the noble Marquis, but he must express a hope, that before the close of the debate, he should hear from the noble Duke (Wellington) that he should be ready with some measure, having for its object that to which he had adverted. It was necessary to the tranquillity of the country, during the winter now coming on, that the confidence of the labouring classes in the Legislature should be restored by the adoption of every possible means to improve their condition. stance had taught the labouring poor not to look to Parliament with that confidence which they had been accustomed to feel towards the Government and Legislature of the country. He believed a feeling did prevail amongst the labouring classes, that the upper classes were their foes, and not their friends. That this was a most serious error on the part of the labouring poor, he fully admitted. He knew that their Lordships, and the other House of Parliament, were the friends of the poor, and he knew that the cause of the delay of inquiry last Session was to be found, not in the indifference of Parliament to the poor, but to incredulity as to the extent of that distress; but, seeing what had since occurred, he must say, that it would be criminal to delay the matter any longer. The county The Earl of Darnley said, he would of Kent had since then spoken in a language detain their Lordships only a few moments. which was disgraceful; but, while he said The state of the country had, in the this, and while he admitted, that the out-course of the last Session, been several rages to which he alluded should be put down with a strong hand,-for no distress would justify such violations of law,--he still must impress on their Lordships the necessity of no longer postponing a fair and full inquiry into the state of the labouring poor. For himself he would say, that he felt no alarm for the ultimate state of the country, for he knew that Englishmen possessed too much good sense, and too much devotion to the institutions of their country, too much loyal attachment to the person of their gracious Sovereign, who had that day, for the first time, met his people at the opening of a new Parliament, and who, from the moment of his accession to the Throne, had on every occasion evinced the most paternal regard for the interests of his subjects Englishmen, he repeated, possessed too much wisdom and good feeling-to allow themselves to be led away into errors dangerous to the security of the State. Whatever was the condition of the country at present, there could exist no reason for alarm as to the ultimate result; but it was necessary that the inquiry to which he alluded should not be further delayed. He spoke this, not with a view of creating any excitement out of doors, but to impress on their Lordships that conviction which he strongly felt, of the necessity that the inquiry should be speedy. On this he trusted their Lordships would be unanimous, and while they put down dangerous acts of riot and insubordination by force, if necessary, they should not delay adopting to a trifling extent; but so far were the times the subject of discussion, and on these occasions, believing as he did that the distress which prevailed was only partial, he had deprecated any exagge rated statements respecting it, and had also opposed the motion for inquiry, on the ground that it would tend to no practical good. With respect to the nocturnal outrages which had since taken place in the county of Kent, he was of opinion that they ought to be put down by the strictest application of the law; and when that was done, he thought it would not be unbecoming their Lordships to make the experiment of an inquiry as to the cause of the distress, and the condition of the poor. He himself had been visited by some of those nocturnal depredators, and he agreed with his noble friend in believing that none of the nightly outrages that now disgraced the county of Kent were committed by the industrious working classes of that county. They were the work of, he believed, persons who did not belong to the county. wished to take that opportunity of correcting a mis-statement which had been made in one of the Kent news-papers, and which had been copied from that into most of the London papers. It was stated, that on the occasion when some of his property was burned, the peasantry looked on without any attempt to assist in extinguishing the flames, but that they rather seemed to enjoy the spectacle. Now, the very reverse was the fact. He had suffered only He sures as peasantry from refusing their aid, that not | the Throne; and he was anxious to say a stresses of the that condens was so necessor. ountry. Heva to the Address is, but he mate he close of thei om the poble should be reat - for its ober ted. It ww x tv of the ox Coming bouring clas restored He means b word as to the feeling which existed there only his own labourers, but those of others The Duke of Leinster said, that he had just come from that portion of the United Kingdom, to the condition of which allusion had been made in the Speech from Prince who now sat on the Throne of 1 ! some of the Powers of Europe? But to popular clamour. The consequences when all Europe was in arms, was Eng-were now before them in the cry which land to be the only one with her bosom was raised for a repeal of the Union. He open? He agreed with other noble Lords agreed in the opinion that the feelin in thinking that there could be no ulti- favour of that measure was not general in mate fear for this country if her energies the country, but he could not conceal the were well directed. The greatest diffi- fact, that there was in Ireland a growing culty with which we had to contend arose want of confidence in the Legislature. from the state of our finances. Taxation The consequence partly of the resentment was already stretched as far as it could and indignation at the course which his go, in relation to our agriculture, our Majesty's Ministers had pursued two Sescommerce, and manufactures. These in- sions ago, on the important subject then terests were burthened with as much as brought forward. It was necessary that any, and more than some of them, could this feeling should be removed by the fuwell bear. In fact, the landed interest ture conduct of the Legislature. As to was too much burthened, while another, the Union, he was one of those who, in for the support of which all the others had Ireland, had most strenuously opposed the hitherto been too heavily taxed, was com- carrying of that measure. He thought it paratively without any burthen, he meant was unjust, and he knew the base and unthe monied interest. He would have that constitutional means which were resorted interest pay its share by a tax on all to to carry it through; but while he said income derived from money. He meant this he must also declare, that to the way not the Funds alone, but on mortgages and in which the repeal of that measure was other species of annuities, which were sought to be brought about, and indeed almost untaxed, while land was borne to the repeal itself, in whatever way it down with taxation of every kind. He might be proposed to effect it, he was would suppose a man with an estate of decidedly opposed; because he felt if 10,000l. a year, of which 5,000l. was that measure were carried, it would sever paid to a mortgagee; this mortgagee re- the connexion between the two countries, ceived his income without deduction, what- and tend to the ruin of both. He hoped ever was the change in the value of land, that the feeling which existed on this while the owner of the estate had to pay subject in the minds of some persons in so many demands in taxes, tithes, and Ireland would give way to a more rational poor-rates, out of the remaining produce of way of thinking. He hoped, too, that the his estate, that he had not a nett income Legislature would act in such a manner as of more than 2,000l. a-year. This was would tend to create renewed confidence an inequality of pressure which ought on the part of the people in Ireland, that never to have been inflicted, and ought not it would, above all things, shew no indifnow to be continued. The land, there- ference with regard to Irish business, no fore, should be relieved from some of its readiness to yield to the language of burthens, and they should be transferred intimidation, and the agitation for the to those who were better able to bear repeal of the Union would, he was conthem. This was a question which would vinced, soon die away. not be met by economy. Economy was necessary, and would do good as far as it went; but they must go further. They must go back, and alter the system of taxation. The country was called upon to make extra exertion,-to put itself in a firm and imposing attitude, when they saw that in several of the counties around them there was a disposition to upset all that was near and dear to man. As to what had been said by the noble Duke (Leinster) on the state of Ireland, he would only observe, that in what was passing in that country their Lordships were now reaping the bitter fruits of their own conduct, in having yielded too much Earl Grey spoke to the following effect:- |