GENERAL HISTORY. 



[41 



had introduced a motion, the ob- 

 ject of which was neither more nor 

 less than that of making bank 

 notes a legal tender ; and he made 

 some observations on the extension 

 of the bill to Ireland, though Lord 

 Castlereagh had last year particu- 

 larly objected to it, because bar- 

 gains in the north of that country 

 being made for payments in gold, 

 it would have the effect of defraud- 

 ing the creditors. 



I Lord Castlereagh having made 



some explanation relative to his 

 opinion as referred to by the noble 

 lord, Mr. Tierney spoke with con- 

 siderable warmth against the pro- 

 posed measure, against which, as 

 likely to bring on a most dan- 

 gerous crisis for the country, he 

 solemnly protested. 



The House divided upon the 

 motion, which was carried by 73 

 against 26, and leave was accord- 

 ingly given to bring in the bill. 



On the motion for the second 

 reading of this bill, March 26, a 

 debate arose, in which several 



I members on both sides partook. 

 The arguments against the mea- 

 sure were chiefly recapitulations 

 of those before employed to show 

 the danger of making, in effect, 

 bank notes a legal tender, and 

 multiplying paper credit beyond 

 all stint and limit. With these 



' were joined the injustice of ex- 

 tending the law to Ireland, in 

 some parts of which leases and 

 contracts of long standing existed 

 for the payment of gold, and the 

 ' depreciation of paper was ad- 

 vanced to 25 per cent. On the 

 other hand it was contended that 

 greater evils woiild arise from leav- 

 ing tenants at the mercy of rapa- 

 cious landlords. On the whole, 

 it was evident from the views 



given of the subject, that diflicuU 

 ties pressed upon it on all sides, 

 and that nothing remained but a 

 choice of evils. The ministers, 

 however, were supported by a 

 large majority, the division on the 

 motion giving ayes 61; noes 16 : 

 majority 45. 



On April 10th, the question be- 

 ing put that the house do resolve 

 itself into a committee on this 

 bill, Mr. Parnell rose to move as 

 an amendment, that further pro- 

 ceedings be postponed to this tiay 

 fortnight, for the purpose of ap- 

 pointing a select committee to in- 

 quire into the state of the currency 

 in Ireland. He then made a 

 statement of the situation in which 

 this currency was placed ; from 

 which he concluded that the only 

 effect of the bill in Ireland would 

 be to take the money out of the 

 pockets of the landlords and other 

 creditors, to put it into that of 

 tenants and debtors. His demand 

 for further inquiry was supported 

 by Sir J. Newport and Mr. Pon- 

 sonby, and replied to by Lord 

 Castleieasrh and Mr. W, Pole, and 

 the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 

 The house then dividing on the 

 question for going into a commit- 

 tee, it was carried by 87 against 

 27. 



The motion for bringing up the 

 report, April 17th, was opposed 

 by one for adjournment, which 

 was negatived by 101 to 35 ; after 

 which the reception of the report 

 was postponed to the 20th. On 

 that day the debate was renewed, 

 and another division took place, in 

 which the bringing up of the 

 report was carried by ayes 138 

 against noes 29. Lord A. Hamilton 

 then proposed a clause to confine 

 the dividend of profits to the pro- 

 prietors 



