30] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



opinion. The flebate conckuled 

 vith the chairman's reporting 

 progress, and with leave being 

 given by the House for the com- 

 mittee to sit again on the '39th 

 instant. 



No account of the further pro- 

 ceedings of the connnittec is re- 

 pojted till May '2r)th, when Mr. 

 Frankland Lcw'u rose, and advert- 

 ing to the continued indisposition 

 oi" Mr. li'cstcrn, witli ^vhoni tlie 

 subject had originatedj said lie 

 should move for the postpone- 

 ment of that gentleman's resolu- 

 tion till his recovery. The mo- 

 tion for this postponement being 

 put and carried, Wr. Lewis rose 

 again to state his ojiinions on the 

 subject of \Vool-regulation, which 

 had been referred to tlie com- 

 mittee of which he had been chair- 

 man. He entered into a train of 

 aj'gument to prove the impolicy 

 andimreasonableness of the exist- 

 ing restrictions on the exporta- 

 tion of wool. The general tend- 

 ency of the facts adduced by him 

 was to shew that the prosperity 

 ©f a manufacture did not depend 

 upon advantages in possessing 

 the raw material, since our manu- 

 factures of silk and cotton were 

 flourisliing, though the raw mate- 

 rials were inipoited and paid 

 duty, whereas we were losing 

 ground in those of wool, not- 

 withstanding our attempts to 

 prevent the exportuf the material, 

 to the detriment of the agricul- 

 turist. The hon. member con- 

 cluded with moving the following 

 resolution: "That it ie expedient 

 to permit tlie exportation of wool 

 from all parts of the united 

 kingdom, under such regulations 

 as may afford protection to the 

 manufacturer." 



Tlic resolution was opposed by 

 some speakers, and defended by 

 others ; and Lord Castlerengh, 

 who, with the other ministers, 

 appears to have given little at- 

 tention to the proceedings of the 

 connnittec, suggested the expe- 

 dience of postponing the consi- 

 deration of the subject. 



Mr. Baring complained that the 

 course now pursued in the com- 

 mittee had no other tendency 

 than to keep the country in total 

 vmccrtainty. It was high time 

 to put an end to these (juestions ; 

 for, while they were agitated, 

 ti\e prices of all kinds of subsist- 

 ence were undergoing perpetual 

 iluctiiation : corn was raised one 

 day, and fell the next ; and the 

 House, by prolonging this kind 

 of mock discussion which must 

 end in nothing, were only favour- 

 ing speculation of every kind. 

 The best way was to set the \ne- 

 sent question once at rest, and 

 let the people carry on their ope- 

 rations in peace and quiet. 



Sir J. Newport observed, that 

 the report of the agricultural 

 committee relative to this subject 

 had been fomteen days upon tlie 

 table, and yet ministers appeared 

 totally unacquainted with it. 



The question being put, the re- 

 solution was negatived without a 

 divisron. 



A bill for a purpose entirely 

 novel, but of indisyiutable neces- 

 sity, that for the effectual deten- 

 tion of Napoleon Buonaparte, 

 was introduced to the House of 

 Commons on March 12th, by 

 Lord Castlereagh. It consisted of 

 two parts J one that of detaining 

 the person in question in safe 

 custody; the othei', for regula- 

 ting the intercourse with the is- 

 land 



