state, made by Mr. T. Wilson and Mr. Alderman Wood, the petition was laid on the table, and ordered to be printed.

Mr. Littleton presented two petitions,―ore from the very reverend the dean and chapter of the cathedral church of Lichfield, and another from Sir John Wrottesley, the possessor of the Royal Peculiar of Peyton-complaining that their ancient rights of granting licences had been taken away from them by the new marriage act, and praying that some compensation might be granted them for the loss they had sustained. Ordered to be printed.

Mr. Wallace gave notice, that he would upon an early day move for the revival of the committee on foreign trade.

Sir H. Parnell presented a petition from the grand jury of Queen's County, Ireland, praying for a commutation of tithes. He had read with the greatest pleasure that paragraph of his Majesty's speech, in which he recommended to the consideration of parliament such measures for the internal regulation of Ireland as were calculated to promote and secure its tranquillity, and to improve the habits and condition of its inhabitants. Now he (Sir H. Parnell) knew of no measure that was more likely to put an end to the unfortunate disturbances which had so long distracted his ill-fated country, and had so long prevented any amelioration from taking place in its condition, than such a measure as the present petitioners prayed for. He trusted that the gracious recommendation of his Majesty referred particularly to this subject; and he was the more inclined

to think that it did, as he had been informed that the noble marquis who was at the head of the Irish government intended to propose to parliament some specific plan for effecting an alteration in the tithe system of Ireland. If the noble marquis should lay such a plan upon their table, and that plan should fortunately prove successful, he would confer one of the greatest benefits upon Ireland which that country could possibly receive. During the few months which the noble marquis had been at the head of the Irish government, he had effected a great and favourable change in the condition of the country; and the measures which he had adopted for the better regulation of the police would, he had little doubt, be productive of still more beneficial consequences. He hoped that his honourable friend (Mr. Hume) would postpone the motion of which he had given notice, until that which was to be submitted from the Irish government had been introduced to the house, and received its full and mature consideration.

Colonel Trench said, that as he was connected with the county from which the petition came, he felt it his duty to remark that he fully and cordially concurred inthe prayer of the petitioners. He thought that if their prayer were granted, much would be done to secure the tranquillity and promote the happiness of Ireland. The present system of church government in that country was as injurious and detrimental to the protestant church, as it was hostile and oppressive to the catholic part of the community; and it was principally with a view of putting

an

an end to such a system of things that he joined in the prayer of the present petition.

The petition was then read. On the question that it be laid on the table,

Mr. V. Fitzgerald took the opportunity of informing the house that he fully concurred in every syllable which had been said on this subject by the two honourable members who had preceded him. He was desirous of making this statement to the house, because he had not been in the country when this subject had undergone discussion in the last session, and because the county which he had the honour of representing had resolved upon presenting to parliament a similar petition to that which was then before it. Though he conceived the measure which had been passed last session for the better regulation of the tithe system to be completely inefficient, useless, and impracticable, he was of opinion that the discussions which it had occasioned both in and out of that house had been of the greatest service to the community.

Mr. Goulburn felt that it was quite unnecessary for him to enter at present into any disclosure of the intentions of the Irish government on this great and momentous question. Indeed, he was convinced that the house would feel such disclosure to be premature, and would not, therefore, demand it of him. He must now repeat-what he had had occasion to say more than once in the last session that the government of Ireland had, from the first moment of its arrival in that country, been sedulously anxious to discover some just mode of removing the

evils which arose from the present system of collecting tithes. In the last session he had brought forward a measure for that purpose, the result of the short deliberation which he had then been enabled to give to the subject; and though it might not have been as efficient as he could have wished, still he could not join in condemning it as the useless or im practicable measure which his hou. friend had described it to be. The subject had since that period been again taken into the consideration of the Irish government, and he trusted that when at a fitting season he should again submit it to the notice of the house, it would be found not altogether unworthy of its support and approbation.

Mr. S. Rice asserted that a more inefficient measure than that of last session had never been passed by any legislature; and, as a proof of his assertion, stated that there was not one individual throughout the whole country of Ireland that had attempted to take advantage of it. As the declarations of the right hon. secretary were now of the same vague nature that they were last session, he

trusted that his hon. friend would on no consideration postpone the motion of which he had given notice.

Mr. Peel thought that the hon. gentleman had no just reason to complain of the vague declarations made by his right hon. friend (Mr. Goulburn); he (Mr. Goulburn) had stated that it was his intention to submit to the house a measure for the commutation of tithes in Ireland; and he (Mr. Peel) would add, that that measure would be brought forward at a period sufficiently early to enable

the

the hon. member for Aberdeen to obtain the fullest discussion of his motion upon the same subject. It was certainly most desirable that that motion should be post poned until at least the plan of the Irish government had been introduced.

Mr. Hume saw no reason why he should give way upon this subject, especially after the long de lays on the part of ministers. They, or their friends, had been twenty-five years in office, during which time this crying abuse exist→ ed, and they had done nothing to this moment to remedy the admit ted evil. He begged to ask the right hon. secretary of state, why, when he was secretary of Ireland, he had brought no proposition on this subject before parliament ? It was this delay of remedies that had rendered it at length necessary to keep down the people of Ire land by military establishments. It was now understood that the clergy of Ireland, after a long and strong opposition, had consented to commute their tithes for an acreable assessment. Whatever official reserve the right hon. gent. (Mr. Goulburn) thought fit to keep, he (Mr. Hume) had not the slightest objection to mention the general nature of his proposi tions. He should first contend that the church property in Ire land (meaning that in possession of the deans and chapters and bishops) was altogether too large for the purpose for which it was intended: next, that there should be no over-paid absentees of 1000l., 2000l., or 3000l. a year, and starved curates of 501. 601. and 701. a year, but that the acting clergyman should be allowed enough for his maintenance as a

gentleman. He was opposed to the payment of any clergymen who were not resident, and he should call upon the house to declare this simple proposition→→→ whether the church property was not set aside by the state for the maintenance of religion, and whether it was not in the power of parliament to appropriate it in the way most conducive to the interest of religion? He should not consent to postpone the motion of which he had given notice.

Mr. Peel added, that probably the present week would not elapse without a specific day being fixed for the introduction of the measure.

Mr. S. Rice wished to receive a direct pledge that the measure to be proposed would be a commutation.

Mr. Goulburn thought that the hon. gentleman had been quite aware of the principle on which his measure would proceed; it was for a composition and commu➜ tation of tithes.

Mr. V. Fitzgerald urged that it ought to precede the motion of the hon. member for Aberdeen.

The petition was laid on the ta→ ble, and it was ordered that it be printed.

A new writ was ordered for the county of Fermanagh, in the room of Sir L. Cole, appointed governor of the Mauritius.

Mr. Peel brought up the answer of his Majesty to the address of the

commons.

On the motion of Mr. Grenfell, accounts were ordered of the weekly amount of the bank notes and bank post-bills in circulation, from the 3d of July last to the latest period of the quantity of copper and tin exported

from

from London and Liverpool from the 5th of January, 1822, to the 5th of January, 1823.

Mr. Goulburn gave notice of a motion for the reduction of the staff of the Irish army.

Lord Hotham gave notice, that previous to the discussion of the Catholic claims, whenever the debate might take place, he should move that the house be called

over.

An account was ordered of the quantity of grain, &c. remaining in the warehouses on the 5th of January, 1823.

Mr. Maberly rose to move for certain papers necessary for the discussion of the question of which he had given notice. He adverted to certain returns upon the table, showing the property of the kingdom in 1813 to amount to 157 millions, 40 millions of which belonged to the landed proprietors; and noticed the immense reduction that had since taken place, especially in the property of the owners and occupiers of the soil; the latter being absolutely annihilated. He was prepared to contend for the repeal of the whole of the assessed taxes, and to argue particularly, that the house and window tax was very unfairly borne, as in many instances it amounted to 40 per cent. It was in those cases nothing but a partial property-tax. He hoped that in the present state of the country, honourable gentlemen would not be satisfied with the minister's proposal to repeal only two or three millions of taxes. He then moved for various returns, and among them an account of the number of houses in the United Kingdom assessed with the duty on houses, from the 5th of April, 1821, to the 5th of April, 1822,

distinguishing houses excepted; an account of the number of windows assessed, with the duty for the same period; an account of the net assessment to the propertytax in 1815, distinguishing the classes.

Mr. Grenfell begged to ask his honourable friend whether be contemplated, as a part of his plan of reduction of the assessed taxes, the re-enactment of the tax upon property or income?

Mr. Maberly replied that he did not. His relief would be general, and without in any respect affecting public credit.

Mr. Lushington said, that the accounts required should be made out without more delay than was unavoidable.

The

Mr. Hume, in rising to move that a series of financial papers, which had been laid on the table of the house, should be printed, was anxious to preface his motion with a few observations. title of one of these papers was, "An account of all sums of money paid over to the commissioners for the reduction of the national debt, for the year ending the 5th of January, 1823 ;" and from that document it appeared, that 15,853,000%. had been so paid over. The system was, however, a complete fallacy. It turned out to be a mere transfer-paying with one hand, and at the same moment a borrowing with the other, without liquidating any portion of the amount of debt. It was as perfect a farce as was ever played off by any juggler. As the country was about to have a new chancellor of the exchequer, it was to be hoped that with the old one, this preposterous farce would die. If they must have a sinking fund, let

it be a real one, clearly and plainly set forth; and not a mere nominal fund, which could only answer the purposes of delusion. The hon. member concluded by moving that the papers to which he had alluded be printed.

Mr. P. Grenfell entirely concurred with his hon. friend as to the folly of that system which induced government to lay before the house and the country this most idle and unsatisfactory account. He thought, however, that his honourable friend ought, in justice to the late chancellor of the exchequer, to have noticed a passage in a report laid before the house, in which that right hon. gentleman pledged himself, that such an undertaking as that to which his hon. friend had alluded would be set on foot by government; that the whole of that system which his hon. friend reprobated (and in which reprobation he entirely concurred) would be re-modelled; and that in future the account of the sinking-fund should consist only of the surplus of income over expenditure.

Mr. Lushington said, one of the earliest objects of government would be to bring the subject of the sinking fund under the consideration of the house, for the purpose of simplifying the system and rendering it more intelligible. It was the anxious desire of government, that there should be laid before the house a full and ample account, pointing out the exact amount of the sinking fund.

The Lord Mayor deprecated any interference with the sinking fund system, from which the country had derived so much benefit; and it was exceedingly strange that

any individual should get up for the purpose of destroying a system which, thirty years ago, had been recommended and supported by men famous for their wisdom and talents. The system had been adopted by America, by France, by Russia, and Prussia: in short, it had been acted on wherever there was any thing like a representative government. He trusted, however anxious gentlemen might be to reduce the taxeshowever desirous they might be to remit a part of the assessed taxes

that still there was a spirit in that house which would, he was going to say, compel government to keep faith with the public creditor.

Mr. Lushington said the honourable member had given an importance to the subject which it did not deserve.

Mr. Maberly joined in the condemnation of the system. A more deceitful tricking system could not be imagined. If government paid off the money which the bank had lent them on the quarter's revenue, there would not remain a single shilling of sinking fund.-The papers were then ordered to be printed.

Mr. Wilmot wished that the hon. gent. opposite (Mr. Hume) would defer his motion for a few days with respect to colonial accounts. He (Mr. Wilmot) wished to have better information as to the nature of the hon. gentleman's intention than was to be derived from the notice on the minutes of the house.

Mr. Hume acquiesced.

Mr. Lushington moved for an abstract of the net revenue of England from the 5th of January