THE

PARLIAMENTARY REGISTER:

O R,

HISTORY

OF THE

PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES

OF THE

HOUSE of COMMONS

O F

IRELAND,

The FIRST SESSION of the FOURTH PARLIAMENT in the Reign of his prefent Majefty.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1784.

THE committee on the ftate of Stephens's Hospital, the

Right Honourable John Fofter in the chair, examined the Surgeon-general on the state of that charity, and reported fome progrefs.

The Houfe in a committee on the corn-bill, Mr. Bolton in the chair.

The Right Hon. Henry Flood defired to know in what state the bufinefs was, and whether the committee had nearly gone through the bill, as he was just arrived, and had fomething to offer on that fubject.

The Right Hon. John Fofter replied, they had nearly gone through the bill, and when they had done that, every gentleman would have an opportunity of feeing what was the purport and intention of it, and have time to confider it before the report was agreed to.

.

Alderman Warren made a motion for the amendment of a clause, relative to the time of opening the markets.

The Right Hon. John Fofter faid, he fhould pay every attention to a gentleman who had fo admirably exerted himself in the management of the markets and police of this city, as no man was better acquainted with regulations of that kind than the Alderman. However, he was of opinion the amendment proposed by the Hon. Gentleman, should be reconsidered.

The amendment was withdrawn.

The claufe for regulating the fees, &c. being read,,

Sir John Parnel thought, though they were not established by parliament, that the fees paid for twenty years back should be continued.

Mr. Hartley faid, the committee of merchants allowed regular fees. However, he did not know what fees might be a reasonable compenfation in this refpect.

It was however agreed, that no more than the ufual fees heretofore allowed, be taken on the exportation or importation on a bounty.

Mr. Gardiner obferved, that by the prefent corn laws, the country contiguous to Dublin has in a great measure loft the advantage of the Dublin market, as the diftant counties have the advantage by the bounty on the inland carriage of corn. He found it had particularly injured the farmers of the county he had the honour to reprefent, for whofe advantage he would do every thing in his power, fo far as it was fair, honourable, and confiftent with the general intereft of the kingdom; for he confidered himfelf as a representative for the whole, and as fuch would act to the beft of his power for its benefit; and as an honourable gentleman near him, whofe knowledge in the corn trade was great, and whofe integrity and good wishes for the welfare of his country no man could doubt, had given him an useful hint, he should, for the advantage of the farmers in general, move a clause which, he apprehended, would be for the general advantage of the agriculture of the whole kingdom.

He then moved a clause, purporting, on certain conditions, to allow a bounty of 35. 44. per barrel, on the exportation of corn from the port of Dublin, for which no land carriage bounty had been paid.

Mr. Hartley faid, that notwithstanding he was no factor, yet he confidered the protection of the mercantile intereft of Dublin, and the procuring at all times a fufficient quantity of corn for the confumption of this metropolis, objects which merited the fupport of this Houfe. To encourage the mercantile intereft would be beft effected by enabling the merchants who exported corn to participate in the bounty, and in order to provide for the latter, we should always have a fufficiency of corn in Dublin, which

would reduce its price. He added, he muft confider precluding the merchants of Dublin from a bounty on the exportation of corn, as he derived no bounty from the land carriage, highly injuri

ous.

Mr. Colvill faid, there was great prohability of this bill being well calculated to fecure to the people plenty of corn, without difcouraging tillage effects-that demanded the first attention from the Houfe. He faid, the claufe allowing a bounty to the merchants of Dublin on the exportation of corn, was a matter on which they had confulted him; and upon the most mature confideration, he was fatisficd that the bill, in its prefent fhape, would prove of advantage to Ireland. The queftion was not confined to either the towns of Dublin, Drogheda or Dungarvan but to the whole nation. As to Dublin, it enjoys advantages fuperior to any other port of Ireland, with refpect to its exportation, having always hips ready for lading; an object attended with advantages, not to be met with in any other Irish port. many parts, he said, they wait feveral weeks for a veffel. Dublin had a great advantage in its vicinity to the port of Liverpool, from and to which corn may at all times be exported or imported; and which, moreover, was the best market to refort to, having canals leading to the interior parts of England.

In

Mr. Fofter faid, that fince the bounty had been refused to Dublin, from the year 1771 to 1782, the exportation of oats and wheat had encreased one-fixth; therefore Dublin has already robbed other ports of this trade; and by allowing a bounty we shall still more rob them. The advantages of Dublin already over other ports are fufficient, nay too much.

The question was then put, and passed in the negative.

Mr. Hartley wifhed to have three half-pence per barrel bounty upon land carriage of wheat to Dublin, and made a motion for that purpose.

Mr. efter oppofed the motion, as improperly introduced; he faid, the committee of fupply was the place where the Honourable Gentleman fhould propofe fuch an amendment.

Alderman Warren faid, that the Right Honourable Gentleman on the floor had been applied to for his concurrence; that he had read the motion of his Honourable Compeer, and faid, the prefent was the proper place.

Mr. bujbe requefted gentlemen would pay proper attention to the motion before then; if they did, not a man in the house would diffent from it; . What does it require? No greater bounty than is already allowed; if you confider the quantity of flour produced by 40 ftone of wheat, it will be found at least to equal the premium at prefent paid, with the material advantage of near fix ftone of bran, a proper food for horfes, a confequent faving of oats, and giving emolument into the hands of the farmer, who

will thereby be encouraged to fupply this city with plenty inftead of throwing his ftock into the hands of the miller, who foreftals the

market.

Mr. Fitzgibbon moved to report and adjourn.

House refumed, and received the report.

The Right Honourable John Beresford informed the Houfe, that the felect committee, appointed to try the merits of the petition of Morley Saunders, Efq; complaining of an undue election and return for the borough of Baltinglafs, in the county of Wicklow, have determined,

That James Somerville, Efq; was not duly elected a burgess to ferve in this prefent parliament for the borough of Baltinglafs, in the county of Wicklow.

Alfo, That James Somerville, Efq; was not duly returned a Burgefs to ferve in this prefent parliament for the borough of Baltinglafs, in the county of Wicklow.

And alfo, that Morley Saunders, Efq; was not duly elected a burgefs to ferve in this prefent parliament for the borough of Baltinglafs, in the county of Wicklow.

And the faid determinations were ordered to be entered upon the journals of this Houfe.

Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do iffue his warrant to the clerk of the crown, to make out a new writ for electing a burgefs to ferve in this prefent parliament for the faid borough of Baltinglass, in the room of the faid James Somerville.

The order of yesterday, that the keeper of his Majefty's new prifon, in the city of Dublin, do attend this Houfe this day, being upon motion read,

Ordered, That the keeper of his Majefty's new prifon, in the city of Dublin, do attend this Houte to-morrow morning. Ordered, That the fub-sheriff of the city of Dublin do attend this Houfe to-morrow morning.

A bill to ftop the diftilling of corn in this kingdom, for a limited time, according to order, was read a fecond time and committed.

Refolved, That this Houfe will, to-morrow morning, refolve itfelf into a committee of the whole Houfe, to take the faid bill into confideration.

Mr. Tydd reported from the committee appointed to take into confideration the petition of John Monck Maton, Efq; the refolutions which the committee directed him to report to the House, which he read in his place, and after delivered in at the table, where the fame were read.

Ordered, That leave be given to bring in a bill, pursuant to the prayer of the faid petition; and that Mr. Tydd and Mr. Day prepare and bring in the same.

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