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Meeting of the British Parliament.-His Majefly's Speech from the Throne refpecting the high Price of Provifions—and recent Communications from the French Government.-Addresses of Thanks. -Amendments propofed.Debates.-Proceedings relative to the Dearth of Provifions.-Divers Bills. Royal Proclamation.-Industry and Zeal of the Legislature in devifing Means for alleviating the public Diftrefs.

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afpect, and who fhewed a difpofition rather to maintain the public tranquillity by that mighty armed force which was now on foot, and diftributed in all parts of the united kingdoms, than by the lenient me thods of due fympathy, confideration, and affiffance. Among the zealots for ftrengthening the hands of government, at all adventures, by all forcible means, murmurs were heard, that it was now high time for all men of property to look well to their own interefts; nor did they hefitate to affirm, that the numerous bodies of volunteers in arms, were fully as neceflary for the prevention of internal infurrection, as the repulfion of foreign invafion. Sufpicions were entertained by thofe men, of the alacrity of common foldiers in this caufe of coercion. They placed their chief confidence in the volunteers: among whom, indeed, there were not wanting individuals who would have been as ready inftruments in the hands of the fevereft government, for the purpofe of reftraining and fubduing their own Countrymen, as for that of repelling external aggreffion. In fhort, there were fome symptoms of a tendency to a marked and fatal divifion between men of property or of hopes, and men of no property and no hopes. And if the vigilance, prudence, and moderation, which was exercifed, in the prevention or quelling of mobs by the acting magiftrates, had not formed a counterbalance to the fpirit of violence that was manifefied, not by government, but by fome of the retainers, and what may be termed the expectants of government, an afpect of affairs might have been fuddenly prefented, more terrible than any that has Menaced this country since the full

establishment of regular law and government. For commotions excited by extreme want, however inconfiftent with political order, and however fraught with future evils, have nothing in their nature that fhocks humanity. All queftions of right, and all prefages of future calamities, might have been loft in the general tide of fympathy and compaffion; which would have given to the popular fide the force of moral, perhaps even religious, fentiment.

The folicitude that was fhewn by individuals of all ranks to alleviate the fufferings of the poor, and the care of government to provide as much, and as fpeedily as poffible for their wants, gave confolation and hope to the people. The hand of private charity was ftill, as it had been, opened liberally. A flociations, in cities and parishes, were every where formed, and refolutions taken for the relief of those who stood in moft need of affistance. In the month of October, 1800, petitions from the city of London and other places were prefented to his majefty to convene the parliament, without delay, that meafures might be taken for relieving the distress of the people. The king graciously intimated that he had already given orders for an early meeting of the legiflature for the difpatch of bufinefs. The parliament accordingly. aflembled on the 11th of November. The king, in a speech from the throne, declared that it was a tender concern for the welfare of his fubjects, and a sense of the diffi culties with which the poorer claffes particularly had to struggle, from the prefent high price of provifions, that had induced him to call them together at an earlier period than he

had

had intended. He expreffed an earnest defire, that, by their care and wildom, all fuch measures might be adopted, as might appear beft calculated to alleviate this fevere predure, and to prevent the danger its recurrence, by promoting the permanent extenfion and improvement of agriculture. For prefent reef, he recommended the most ample encouragement for the importation of grain from abroad; attention to frugality, and economy in the confumption of corn; and of to the state of the laws refpecting the commerce in the various articles of provifion. If it fhould appear that the evil neceffarily arifig from unfavourable feasons, had been in reafed by any undue combinations or fraudulent practices, they would feel an earnest defire of esectually preventing fuch abuses; at the fame time, he was fure, that they would be careful to diftinguifh fich practices from that regular and Leng-experienced courfe of trade, weich experience had fhewn to be indifpenfable, in the prefent ftate fociety, for the fupply of the markets, and for the fubfiftence of his people. He expreffed his concern at the temporary difturbances which had taken place in fome parts of the kingdom, which he ascribed to the inftigation of malicious and dilaffected perfons, whole conduct was doubly criminal: as fuch proceedings must necellarily and immediately tend to increafe the evil complained of, while they, at the fame time, endangered the permaDent tranquillity of the country, on which the well-being of the induftrious claffes of the community muft always depend. His majefty, paff

ing to the fubject of the recent communication between him and the French government,* afferted his earnest defire of peace, and lamented that his wishes had been fruftrated by the determination of the enemy to enter only on a feparate negotiation, in which he could not engage, confiftently with public faith, or with a due regard to the permanent fecurity of Europe.-Whenever the difpofition of the French fhould afford a prospect of an honourable peace, he would promote it to the utmost of his power; but while fuch a peace was unattainable, he trufted that his parliament would fupport him with the fame firmnefs and loyalty which had been fignally evinced during the whole progrefs of a very im portant conteft.- An addrefs of thanks to his majesty for this speech was moved, in the HOUSE OF LORDS, by

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The duke of Somerfet, who recommended a review of thofe laws, which either directly or indirectly affected the production and the vending of corn, and, if neceflary, to repeal, amend, and improve, fuch parts of them as might be any ways defective. He had heard it faid, that the legislature fhould let trade take its courte, and not endeavour to improve that which always fucceeds beft, if left entirely to the management of thofe individuals who are immediately interested in its fuccefs. There might, perhaps, he obferved, be fome foundation for this remark, had the legislature always been indifferent, and confequently impartial to the concerns of agriculture and commerce; but where much has been done, fume

• Of which an account has been given in our last volume. [B 2]

thing

thing more muft frequently be done,
to render what is already done ef-
fectual. Where medicine has been
adminiftered, it must be frequently
continued. The numerous regula-
tions established in this country with
regard to agriculture and commerce,
required the frequent attention of the
legislature, either to enforce thole
regulations, or to refcind, amend,
and alter them, as a change of cir-
cumstances and different ftates of
fociety might require. With regard
to the riots, the pretence for which
had been the extreme fcarcity, the
duke obferved, that the folly of fuch
proceedings, on fuch grounds, might
excite pity rather than indignation;
but yet that it was for the intereft
of fociety, that, if perfevered in,
the authors of them fhould not
efcape. It might perhaps be ne-
ceffary for their lordships in the
courfe of the feffion to confider of
fome means for the conviction, or
the more eafy fuppreffion of popu-
lar tumults. He was confident that
the farming capital of the kingdom
might be increafed, agriculture im-
proved, and provifions brought
cheaper to market, if the property
of the farmer were rendered more
fecure, by the more effectual pre-
vention of riot, theft, and confia-
gration; but of thefe mifchiefs he
confidered theft, though the leaft
confpicuous, as the moft prejudicial.
The duke, after going over all the
topics touched on in the fpeeeh from
the throne, propofed, or, in par-
liamentary phrafeology, moved an
addrefs, containing affurances, cor-
refponding to the obfervations and
fentiments expreffed.-The motion
for an addrefs to his majefty was
feconded by

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Lord Hobart. With refpect to the leading topic of the fpeech, the

high price of provifions, his lordfhip
obferved, that fuch was the defi-
ciency of the harveft in 1779, that,
if the alarm of fcarcity had not been
rung in the laft feffion, and a mo-``
tion of a right reverend prelate for
leffening the confumption of private
families acceded to, the evil felt at
that hour would have been confi-
derably aggravated: for, although
the agreement propofed in that mo-
tion was not figned by all of their
lordfhips, the fpirit of it was fol-
lowed by many who did not fign it,
and was attended by the very best
effects throughout the country. To
that alarm, to the voluntary economy
produced by it, and to the compulfory
reduction by the increase of price,
he afcribed our efcape from the
fevereft difirefs: for it was now
known, that had not the harvest of
the current year, 1780, been much
earlier than ufual, the granaries
were fo completely exhaufted, that,
in many parts of England, the con-
dition of the people would have
been moft dreadful. From the ex-
tenfion of agriculture, recommend-
ed from the throne, much was to
be expected; but this was a diftant
remedy. Prefent relief was the ob-
ject to which their lordships atten-
tion was more particularly direct-
ed; and the most immediate relief
that occurred was importation, in-
vited by encouragement: but that.
allo, he obferved, was precarious ;
and, therefore, what he fhould rely
upon, was, economy at home, and
the fubftitution of other grains to
make up the deficiency of wheat.
Lord Hobart had feen with con-
cern, in the public prints, and par-
ticularly in refolutions of the coun-
ty of Middlefex, that the high price
of corn had been attributed to the
war.

This he confidered as an un

founded

founded and pernicious doctrine. He fhewed, that, from the experience of the prefent war, no man could be juftified in maintaining this doctrine: that, if we examined into the periods of former wars and times of peace, we should find the balance of price against the latter; and that, in fact, the fluctuation had always depended on the course of the feafen. With regard to the latter part of the speech from the throne, he expreffed his fatisfaction that a period had now arrived, when a government had been established in France, with which his majefty's minifters could enter into negotiations for peace. Though he had voted against treating with Buonaparte, when he made overtures of peace last year, it might not be impolitic to negotiate at prefent. As to the probable permanency of his government, he was not competent to fay much; but he could forefee none, on the permanency of which, all circumstances confidered, we fhould be fo well justified in found ing our fpeculations. As far as an opinion could be formed from the public prints, it appeared to be quietly fubmitted to by the people of France; and that country had now arrived at the fituation, in which all others, after fimilar convulfions, had been placed. He il Juftrated the truth of this pofition, by a remark of Mr. Hume's on the fuccefsful ufurpation of Cromwell, "By recent as well as ancient example, it was become evident, that illegal violence, with whatever pretences it might be covered, and whatever objects it may purfue, muft inevitably end, at last, in the arbitrary and defpotic government of a fingle perfon." Whether the houfe of Bourbon was ever likely to be

reftored, was a queftion he would not undertake to difcufs. It would be wife to treat with the exifting government, and to conclude a peace, whenever it could be effected, confiftently with good faith to our allies, and a due regard to the honour and fecurity of this country.

Lord Holland contended that the war was one, though not perhaps the principal caufe of fcarcity. Notwithstanding what had been stated by lord Hobart, he feared that fearcity and war were almost neceflary companions. He concurred in opinion with the duke of Portland, who, in a letter communicated to the public, condemned the clamour which had been excited against fuppofed monopolifts, and deprecated all attempts to interfere in the ope rations of the dealers in grain; but with the general conduct of minifters he continued to be exceedingly difgufted. Whether Buonaparte's defign be peace or war, he faid, the conduct of our minifters gives him uncommon advantages. If his wifhes be really for peace, he may be entitled to demand from them greater fecurities as a teft of their fincerity; and, if his fecret defire be war, while he profeffes peace, then, by their former conduct, he may obtain his object, and throw all the odium on them. Look back, faid he, to the whole hiftory of the war, and it will be feen, that every point which he had to accomplish, he has been affifted in obtaining by the impolicy of our minifters. Lord Holland moved an amendment to the addrefs. in which there appears to be greater afperity than is ufually difcovered on fimilar occafions in the houfe of peers, or, indeed, in that of the commons. "We should receive with peculiar fatisfaction any [B 3] proof

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