their Lordships have given directions for pray- partments of the Navy. My Lords, thereing New Patents for the Navy and Victualling fore, see no objection to assigning to them a Boards, the effect of which will be the imme- temporary allowance of one-half of their respecdiate reduction of two members of the former, tive salaries from the period when they ceased, and one of the latter Boards, and the further being the proportion allowed to other officers reduction of a third Member of the Navy Board, reduced on abolition of their respective offices, on the death, removal, or resignation, of Mr. | under the Minute of this Board of February 2nd, Tucker or Sir Robert Seppings, the present 1825, it being distinctly understood, that Mr. Joint-Surveyors of the Navy. The two Com- Dundas and Mr. Bathurst are to succeed to the first situations which may be at the disposal of missioners of the Navy who are reduced are Captain J. M. Lewis and the IIon. Robert the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, for Dundas, the former of whom will be appointed which they may be qualified. "I am, &c, to Sheerness and Chatham Yards, in the room of Commissioner Cunningham, who retires; and the reduced Commissioner of the Victualling Board is the Hon. W. L. Bathurst.

"My Lords command me to request you will state this arrangement to the Lords of his Majesty's Treasury, and inform me whether that any retired their Lordships are of opinion allowance, and to what amount, should be granted to Mr. Dundas and Mr. Bathurst on the abolition of their offices, which have usually been deemed hitherto as held during life or good behaviour. Mr. Dundas has held the office four years, having been one year previously attached to the British Embassy at Madrid and Lisbon; and Mr. Bathurst has held his situation nearly four years.

"Their Lordships think it right to add, for the information of the Lords of the Treasury, that Mr. Dundas is eligible to two of the reserved Commissionerships of the Navy; but that as all the members of the Victualling Board, except the Chairman, are professional, Mr. Bathurst would not be eligible to any seat at the Board, unless as Chairman.

"I am, &c.

(Signed) "JOHN BARROW. “The Hon. J. Stewart, Treasury.”

"Treasury Chambers, April 30th, 1829. "SIR-Having laid before the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury your letter of the 20th ult., respecting the amount of superannuation allowance to be granted to Mr. Dundas and Mr. Bathurst, on their removal from the Navy and Victualling Boards, in consequence of the reduction in the numbers of the Commissioners of those respective Boards, I am commanded by my Lords to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords of the Admiralty, that they observe with satisfaction that their Lordships have made an arrangement for employing in another situation Captain F. M. Lewis, one of the reduced Commissioners of the Navy, and have thus superseded the necessity of raising any question as to any provision for him. And my Lords have no doubt that the Lords of the Admiralty will be equally anxious to adopt a similar course with respect to Mr.Dundas and Mr.Bathurst; and my Lords, therefore, consider that any allowance to be made to them is purely of a temporary nature, to continue only during the period which may elapse before they can be again employed in some civil situation connected with the Civil De

(Signed) "J. STEWART." These letters shewed, the right hon. Gentleman went on to observe, that these allowances were in conformity to the rule of former Governments; they were not the result of any special rule of the existing Government, nor any job. The rule might be wrong, but it was established It did not originate with his long before. noble friend the Duke of Wellington and his right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but it was established when Lord Liverpool and Lord Goderich were in office. The Treasury Minute of February 2nd, 1825, referred to in the letter he had read, related to the Board of Customs; and the rule it laid down was, that the Lords of the Treasury would grant to those officers who had not served ten years, one half of their official salaries. The general rule was the material point of the question; and it was a positive hardship on the sons of Cabinet Ministers, that they only should. be liable to animadversion when they are treated according to this rule. The Committee would allow he had not attempted to bias its opinion by any appeal to the passions; but he must say, that considering the difficulties attending the making reductions, it was not quite right to embarrass the Government when it attempted to effect them. He hoped he had said enough to convince the House that his Majesty's Ministers had not been influenced by any corrupt motive in this transaction.

Lord Althorp observed, that the House had a right to investigate all the circumstances of these pensions, which, in his opinion, ought not to be granted.

The question being loudly called for; the Committee divided, when there appeared-for the Amendment 139; against it 121; Majority against Ministers 18. List of the Majority. Benett, J. Blandford, Marquis Bernal, R.

Althorp, Lord
Acland, Sir T.
Attwood, M.

Bright, H.

Monck, J. B.

Birch, J.

Barclay, C.

Barclay, D.

Burrell, Sir C.

Bankes, H.

Batley, C. H.

Marjoribanks, S.
Milton, Lord
Marryatt, J.
Macdonald, Sir J.
Nugent, Lord
Ord, Wm.
Osborne, Lord F.
O'Grady, Col.
Powlett, Lord W.
Protheroe, E.
Phillimore, Dr.
Price, Rt.
Ponsonby, Hon. F.
Pallmer, N.
Palmer, C. F.
Palmer, R.
Parnell, Sir H.
Peach, N. W.
Philips, Sir R. B.
Philips, Sir G.
Pendarves, E. W.
Poyntz, W. S.
Ridley, J. M. R.
Rice, T. S.

Robinson, G. R.
Robinson, Sir G.
Ramsden, J.

Ramsden, J. C.

Robarts, A. W.
Rickford, W.

Ramsbottom, J.
Rumbold, C. E,
Sadler, M. T.
Spence, G.
Stanley, E.

Stewart, Sir M. S. B.
Sibthorp, Col.
Sefton, Lord

Denison, W. J.

Dick, Q.

Egerton, W.

Ebrington, Lord

Easthope, J.

Euston, Earl

Ellison, Cuthbert

Encombe, Lord

Ewart, W.

Fane, J.

Fazakerley, J. N.

Fyler, T. B.

Farquhar, J.

Graham, Sir J.

Grant, Hon. C.

Grant, R.

Harvey, D. W.

Hobhouse, J. C.

Hume, J.

Honeywood, P.

Heneage, G. F.

Ward, J.

Hay, A.

Hoy, J. B.

Howard, R.

Jephson, C. D. 0.

Knight, R.

Killeen, Lord

Kerrison, Sir E.

Smith, Ald.
Thompson, Ald.
Thomson, C. P.
Townsend, Lord C.
Trant, W. H.
Uxbridge, Lord
Vaughan, Sir R.
Vyvyan, Sir R.

Western, C. C.
Wilson, Sir R.
Wrottesley, Sir J.

Wood, C.
Warburton, H.
Whitmore, W. W.
Wilbraham, G.
Webb, Col.
Whitbread, S.
Wetherell, Sir C.
White, S.
Wynn, Sir W.

On our return to the gallery, the Commitee were discussing the next item,namely, 99,000l. for the works of the Dock-yards.

A conversation took place between Mr. Hume, Sir G. Clerk, Sir G. Cockburn, Sir M. W. Ridley, Mr. Bright, and Mr. Maberly, relative to the grant of 23,4577. for building a Naval Hospital at Malta, which was postponed.

Sir J. Graham took that opportunity to give notice, that he should move for the abolition of the office of Lieutenant-general of the Ordnance when the Ordnance Estimates should be regularly brought before them.

The House resumed, Sir A. Grant reported progress, and the report to be received on Monday.

On the Motion of Mr. Maberly, were ordered copies of correspondence relative to the Naval Hospital at Malta.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Monday, March 29.

MINUTES.] Returns Ordered. On the Motion of the Earl
of MALMESBURY of the quantity of Wheat remaining
under Bond on January 5th, 1828, the quantity entered
for Home Consumption between January 1828 and January
1830; the quantity exported in the same period, and the
quantity in Bond on January 5th, 1830:-of the quantity
of Flour imported from the Isle of Man into Liverpool,
from January 1828 to January 1830. On the Motion of the
Duke of WELLINGTON, of the quantity of Raw, Waste,
and Thrown Silk entered for Home Consumption during
the last ten years, specifying the Rates of Duty:-of all
Silk Manufactured Articles imported since 1826:-of the
quantities of Thrown, Raw, and Waste Silk which have
paid Duties during the last three years :-of the number
of Skins on which Duties have been paid during the
last
ten years-of the Vessels which have passed
through the Sound during 1829:-of the number and
tonnage of British Ships which entered Inwards and
cleared Outwards during the five years ending January
5, 1826, and the five years ending January 5, 1830:-
of various Articles, such as China-ware, Earthenware,
Cordage, Iron, Lead, Toys, &c. &c. On the Motion
of Earl BATHURST: Copies of any correspondence be-
tween the Board of Trade and the Directors of the
East-India Company, and of Letters written by the
Directors to the Government of India, relative to the
cultivation of Cotton and Tobacco in the East Indies.
Returns Presented. Extract of a Letter from the Government
of Bengal to the Court of Directors, dated June 29th,
1826, respecting the permission given to Europeans to hold
Land on Lease for the cultivation of Coffee:--Minute of
Mr. Trower, of the Board of Revenue at Calcutta, dated
March 25th, 1823, and Resolution of Bengal Govern-
ment, passed 7th May, 1884:-extract of a Letter from

observe, that he felt, as all who had any | umphant statements sent forth from feeling must do, for the unfortunate situ- another place had rendered him cautious ation of the class to which the petitioners as to how far he should be warranted in belonged, and was desirous to ameliorate their condition as far as was possible, without violating a principle that was essential to the maintenance of British Government in India. With regard to some of the practical grievances described in the petition, for example, in cases of wills and succession, he saw no reason why they should not be remedied. It should, however, be borne in mind, that the petitioners did not require an equality of civil rights, but an admission to privileges to which the native population at large were not entitled, and this they demanded notwithstanding they were the offspring of Europeans by native women. He could only add, that their representations had received, and would continue to receive, the most attentive consideration from the Board of Control and the Directors of the East India Company. Their grievances should certainly be ameliorated as far as was consistent with the well-being of the people generally, and the observance of the principle to which he had already alluded.

The Earl of Carlisle inquired if there was any difference between the children of half-castes and the half-castes themselves?

crediting the averments of the petitioners to the contrary; nor was it until he had made personal inquiries on the subject, that he fully assented to the truth of their representations. He was sorry to say, that the representations of returning prosperity made elsewhere were not borne out by his information. It had been pretended that the change in the currency in 1819 had not caused the fall of prices; but those who said so might as well affirm that there was no depreciation whatever. When the bill of 1819 came into operation, it was a remarkable coincidence that prices had fallen, while they rose in the same proportion when its provisions were neutralized by the bill of 1822. The main point, however, was the distress, and he should most sincerely rejoice if it could be ascertained that the alleged revival of the agricultural and manufacturing interests originated in any permanent source of prosperity. It had been also said, that the depression was partially attributable to the introduction of steam navigation, which brought the produce of the most fertile land of Ireland and Scotland in sudden competition with the produce of the inferior soil of England. Now these causes would not account for the distress of the manufacturers, except that inasmuch as the pressure was upon land, the effect was proportionate upon manufactures. It was also said that machinery was a cause of distress by the over-production which it occasioned, but if this were so, it formed an additional reason why we ought not to continue our prePETITION FROM BIRMINGHAM-DIS- sent system of Corn-laws. But he could TRESS.] The Earl of Radnor said, he had show to their Lordships that distress exa Petition to present from Birmingham, isted in several branches of manufacture, which was entitled to the greatest atten- and a depreciation took place in a variety tion and consideration on account of the of articles, in the manufacture of which the number and respectability of the names same machinery was used at present that which were annexed to it. It was signed had been in use for the last twenty-eight by 25,000 persons. It embraced a variety years. [The noble Lord here read extracts of topics, such as Parliamentary Reform, of letters from manufacturers to show that and a revision of Taxation, but it de- some articles of brass-foundery had been rived its chief importance, in his view, be- reduced in price from 5s. 6d. and 6s. per cause the distress of the petitioners was the dozen to 2s. and 3s.] It had been stated foundation of their prayer,—a point which in another place that Birmingham had reought by no means to be overlooked, as cently much improved, and great stress they had already heard so much of the was laid on the advance that had taken abatement of that distress, in support of place in ground-rents, and the increase on which assertion Birmingham itself had certain tolls in that neighbourhood. The been adduced as an example. The tri-advance on ground-rents was in instances

Lord Ellenborough said, the latter were considered as natives, and were eligible to all the offices in the Company's service to which the natives were eligible. The parties to the petition were illegitimate, being of half-caste, and were not eligible to those appointments.