1802.3 
London prefented a petition from the cor- 
poration of the city, fetting forththe great 
abundance of the late harveft, the prefent 
high price of bread, the exemplary pa- 
tience of the poor under the {carcity of laft 
year, and the cruelty of reducing them 
to want amidft plenty ; and that meafures 
had been taken to afcertain, through the 
medium of the clergy, the quantity of 
grain in the country, fo as to enable Go- 
vernment to know before-hand when a 
real (carcity might be apprehended, and ‘to 
provide, by importation or otherwife, ac- 
cordingly ; but that, from many places, 
there were no returns, and from others, 
the returns were defective and fallacious 
(hear! hear!). The petition then ftated, 
that it would beexpedient to have the quan- 
tity of grain completely afcertained ; and 
concluded with praying, that fomething 
might be done to attain that purpofe.— 
Ordered to be laid on the table. 
On the 14th of December Mr. Burton 
moved that the. petitions on the table, 
praying to continue in force the a& for 
prohibiting the diftilleries from working, 
be taken into confideration.—-Ordered. 
He then moved, that the aét to which 
they alluded fhould be read, which was 
accordingly done, proforma. Mr. Burton 
faid, in conformity to the petition pre- 
fented by him from his conftituents, he 
now rofe for the purpofe of moving for 
leave to bring in a bill for continuing the 
act jult read at the table, in force for fome 
time tobe limited. Mr. Burton faid that 
the price of barley particularly had rifen 
from three to four fhillings the quarter. 
Probably gentlemen might argue that 
the ftock of corn, at this time of the 
year, was not as great as during former 
years, in -confequence of the corn of the 
country being nearly exhaufted before the 
commencement of the hafveft; but this 
argument was not tenable; the abundance 
of the produce of the vegetable and animal 
kingdoms the laft year was unexampled, 
and in fairnefs the rife was attributable to 
the caufe fet forth in the petitions. It 
might be faid, the remedy propofed would 
not meet the whole of the cvil; but if it 
met it even in part, it was worthy the 
confideration and the adoption of the 
Houfe. Jt was calculated and inferted in 
the Report of the Committee on the high 
price of provifions, that the quantity of 
barley confumed in the diftilleries was 
equal to about 250,000 or 300,000 quar- 
ters of wheat. And here he wifhed to 
call the attention of the Houfe to the fac, 
that im Cornwall, Devoifhire, and the 
State of Public Affairs in December, 1801. 
353 
northern and other parts of England, the 
working people preferred bread made from 
barley-meal to that manufactured from 
wheat, which they confidered as more 
nutritious. 
In {peaking of the immoderate ute of 
ardent fpirits he obferved, from the dilcon. 
tinuance of their ufe, it was well known that 
the convicts of Botany Bay were much 
improved in morals, and many women 
who were barren became fruitfui. He then 
moved for leave to bring inhis bill. Mr. 
Peters feconded the motion. Mr. Dent 
alfo {poke againft opening the diftilleries. 
He had no doubt before Monday next, 
that feveral petitions would be prefented 
fimilar to thofe on the table. Mr. William 
Smith fpoke in favour of the diftilleries. 
After fome converfation the Houle divided, 
For the Miniffer’s motion for the previous 
quaftion 82. Againft it 20. Majority 62. 
By this decifion Mr. Addington hag 
completely carried his point, «nd confe- 
quently the diftillers will be permitted to 
work grain from. the firft of January next. 
By this meafure Mr. Addington fhews a 
decided oppofition to the fyltem of the 
late Miniftry ; and he is affuredly actuated 
in no fmall degree by a with to ameliorate 
the exhaufted ftate of the treafury , but the 
grand motive that f{timulates him appears 
to be, his being convinced of the propriety 
of leaving trade of every kind to take care 
of itfelf, from athorough perfuafion of 
the truth of the doétrine, that there will 
always be a fufficientcy of competition in 
the market to prevent the public from be-’ 
coming injured. 
The following are the diplomatic ar- 
rangements concluded upon, and which 
will take place in the courfe of the {pring : 
—Lord Whitworth, to go as Ambafflador 
to Paris, as foon as the Definitive Treaty 
is fioned; Mr. Lifton, Ambaffador to the 
Hague, and Lord Henry Stuart (fon of the 
Marquis of Bute) Secretary of Legation ; 
Mr. Wickham, Minifter Plenipotentiary 
to the Court of Peterfburgh; Lord Robert 
Fitzgerald, Minifter Plenipotentiary’ to 
the Court.of Stockholm. The Embafiy 
to Madrid is not fetiled. 
Mr. Addington, it is faid, has explained 
to feverai of the Mémbers of the Whig 
Party, the grounds upon which he hopes 
for the independent fupport of thofe gen- 
tlemen. Among other things, he pro- 
poles to repeal all thole acts which the ter- 
mination of the war renders no longer ne~ 
ceffary, and, promifes a moderate’ peace 
eltablifhment. 
ALPHA- 
