Probably in their minds it is confounded with their general idea of taxes. But with regard to the rates for the maintenance of the poor, it is quite different. We are interested in the economical expenditure of every shilling of that fund until we be again called upon to raise another. The pauper receives hard money of the overseer, and lays it out in the best manner he can for himself. This observation leads me to consider under what disadvantage these supplies are generally expended. Even the cottager who occupies small portions of land is obliged to deal in a similar way, and I mean to include his interest within my observations. The practice of men-midwives has, generally speaking, been a means of reducing the condition of the lowest orders: those gentlemen are generally apothecaries too; and it has been of late years a practice with the poor to call in medical assistance upon occasions which formerly were considered as slight, and were commonly removed by a little buttered ale, a hot brick, a flannel waistcoat, or by the application of some of Dr. Last's remedies. Gentlemen of the profession of physic must be paid for their skill, labour, and drugs, when they are called in; and the object I have in view is, that they should be employed less frequently, and better and more certainly paid. Let a proper woman in every parish be instructed in the art of midwifery, and in the proper methods of treating lying-in-women; and to her let the poor generally resort. Let a surgeon and apothecary be agreed upon at a fair and liberal salary for his attendance by the year, in difficult cases, according to the number of paupers; and let the cottagers, or other persons who think proper, raise by subscription an additional sum, by way of salary for attending their families during sickness, or in cases that require the art of surgery. Thus we should frequently have disease prevented, or nipped in the bud. The consequence of a sick family to a cottager, in the present age, is but too often the sale of his cow to pay the doctor's bill. The cottager and pauper feel alike the disadvantage of laying out their money at a village shop, as many of the articles they purchase have from custom and example, more than from their natural wants, become necessaries of life. There the commodities are worse in quality, sometimes deficient in quantity (as coarse heavy paper is generally weighed with the little medicines) and higher in price than they might be purchased at the best hand by thirty per cent. In the article of clothing, every advantage is taken of the lowest class of people. The butcher gains the offal, being the skin, tallow, &c., or what he calls a fifth quarter, and which is twenty per cent, upon his whole capital. Experienced in the weight of live animals, from so frequently weighing them dead, it is reasonable to suppose that he gains five per cent. of the grazier or salesman from his superior judgment; and as the price of butcher's meat is not regulated by any standard, and is always varying, he generally gains ten per cent, upon that head. Allowing five per cent. for losses, the gain will be thirty per cent. on the whole capital, which admits of a weekly return. This is an object of the most serious consideration, when considered as a means of enhancing the price of provisions, and calls aloud for public redress. I therefore recommend, that in every large parish there should be established public shops for vending grocery, drapery, &c., and made-up clothes; but, first, a public slaughter-house and shop for distributing butchers' meat to the lower classes weekly, and a public oven for baking bread for all those who choose to send to it twice a-week. All this might be easily carried into effect by a man hired for the purpose, under the direction, inspection, and control of the minister of the parish, and the overseer or overseers of the poor for the time being. The articles of consumption might be easily purchased to great advantage, for ready money, at the first wholesale warehouse; and the distribution might be made weekly. In many situations a farmer, tradesman, or mechanic of respectability, who has retired from business, might be procured, who would find the superintendence of this department a pleasant, because a benevolent, employment. I have seen a great advantage enjoyed by a country village, where the clergyman dispensed advice, medicine, and assistance. Surely this practice might be extended, and many of the clerical profession might derive no slight pleasure from the consciousness of being so well employed! Lastly- Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn!' It is a practice with many farmers I am acquainted with, to supply their regular labourers with bread, and corn at a moderate price per bushel, weekly; a far better practice for the farmer than raising the price of labour, which cannot be again easily lowered with a change of circumstances, and more advantageous for a labourer, who would himself expend an increase of wages to less advantage. In the present year (1800) the farmers allow the labourers good wheat at seven shillings per bushel, as well as milk for their families, at a moderate price daily. Others keep a cow for each labourer, at a moderate price, for agistment. And as such procedures are a means of keeping down the poor-rates, it is a matter of the utmost economy to pursue this plan. It maintains the spirit of the labourer unbroken, and keeps up the laudable pride of supporting a family without going to the parish for relief. Pride of this sort is a fence, not only against a pusillanimity of spirit, but against that depravity of mind and extinction of virtuous principles that so often lead a man, step by step, to acts of the greatest atrocity."

COMMERCIAL AND MONEY-MARKET REPORT.

We cannot report any greater activity in the Commercial Markets, or, indeed, in the manufacturing districts. Several causes, that we have before incidentally noticed, have a tendency to produce this state of things. The affairs of Belgium are not yet settled; at least not sufficiently so, for prudent merchants to make large shipments to that country. France is not only disturbed, but impoverished materially by the repeated movements of the mob of Paris, which destroy commercial enterprise and intercourse; and the north of Europe, as far as trade is concerned, presents a gloomy picture. The Polish war has impoverished a large portion of it, and, although the cholera now appears to be passing away there, that dreadful scourge has greatly interfered with mercantile pursuits.

If we look at home, there are several causes to check the progress of trade. In this place, it is our business only to state facts, and, therefore, we are of course making no remark as to whether Ministers are right or wrong in hesitating upon commercial matters; but, most assuredly, they do hesitate, and thereby create considerable confusion in the mercantile world. Upon the Foreign Refined Sugar Bill, for instance, they have been so undecided (circumstances have probably caused the indecision), that individuals interested in that measure have been at a loss to know how to act. They have now carried that measure through the House of Commons by a small majority, and that circumstance, we understand, has created further hesitation in the minds of Ministers, as to what course to pursue upon this important subject, as well as the larger one, that embraces the West-India interest generally, which is really very much depressed. There is no activity in the sugar or rum trades; and that which prevails in coffee is to be attributed to the accidental occurrence of short stocks and increased demand; and both these circumstances, operating at the same moment, have produced the activity we are speaking of. It does not, however, arise from any sound permanent causes. In East-India produce, there is a complete stagnation; shipping orders will be coming in, but at present there is nothing doing.

In the manufacturing districts there has been great languor; and the raw cotton market has, with difficulty, under the most opulent holders, maintained itself; and where the material has been in weak hands, and sales forced, sacrifices have necessarily been submitted to. The hesitation of Ministers, as to the importation duty on raw cotton, has very much embarrassed manufacturers and importers in their proceedings.

The East-India tea sale has just ended. The result of which is, that all the low priced teas have gone off at an average advance of 2d. per Ib, as compared with' last sale's price; and the superior teas have sold without any advance upon that sale.

The East-India Company's declaration of indigo being very large for the October sale (it is expected, that when all is in, it will amount to 12,000 chests), has in the mean time checked private bargains, which had, for a short time previously, been done at 4d. profit on the last sale's quotation. Now, parcels will scarcely reach the price of the last sale.

The Wine trade is at present suffering under the two-fold inconvenience of the recent alteration in the duties, which, whether right or wrong, has created great embarrassment, and the still unsettled state of affairs in Portugal.

The Iron manufacture is but slowly recovering from the effects of the "turn out" of the workmen in the summer. There is rather more doing in the lead and tin manufactures, which have recently been very much depressed.

THE MONEY MARKET.-There probably never was an instance before, for the same space of time, of such a total stagnation of all business on the Stock Exchanges, as has been experienced since our last report. Day after day consols remained from 82 to, the fluctuations being merely the fractions between these prices. The public have appeared determined not to invest capital in stock, and speculators have been very cautious in operating. The affairs in Paris created a momentary excitement in the English money market; jobbers were on the alert, and some bargains, but not to any great extent, were in consequence entered. The bustle occasioned by the events of Paris soon passed away, the French Funds came over better, and consols which had been depressed nearly 1 per cent. returned to their former quotation. Upon the Foreign Stock Exchange there has been as little to attract attention as in the English. The disturbances in Brazil that took place early in July, and were known here about the middle of last month (September), had, during one morning, a sensible effect upon the Bonds of that State in this Market. They declined 2 per cent. from 48 to 46, but they soon rallied to 471, and the next day were quite firm at the highest quotation.-Portuguese Bonds have not been seriously affected by the affairs of that country, and have generally maintained themselves. Spanish Bonds declined about the middle of September about 1 per cent. without any cause, but they have since reached the quotation. Russian have varied very triflingly, in consequence of the affairs of Poland and other political events.

FROM AUGUST 12, TO SEPTEMBER 13, 1831, INCLUSIVE. August 12.-H. Wilson, Riding-House Lane, Marylebone, timber merchant.-L. Buttress, London Terrace, Hackney Road, builder.-J. James, Meeting-House Court, Old Jewry, merchant. W. Hebblewhite, Manchester, commission agent.-J. Petty, Liverpool, coal merchant. W. Palmer, Pencoyd, Herefordshire, clothier.-W. Thirlby, Ibstock Lodge, Leicester, farmer.-E. Cowling, Poultry, haberdasher. -J. Buckley, Coventry, builder.-J. Wilson, Liverpool, mercer.-T. Dewhurst, Liverpool, ironmonger.

Wilcocks Sleigh, Upper Seymour Street, Portman Square, surgeon.- James Hodgson, 37, Nicholas Lane, London, insurance broker.-J. Motley, Arle Mill, Gloucestershire, miller.-J. Wilks and John Ecroyd, Rochdale, nail manufacturers. T. Wrigley, Oldham, Lancashire, cotton spinner.-J. Hollins, Leeds, meal seller.

HISTORICAL REGISTER.

POLITICAL JOURNAL.-OCTOBER 1, 1831.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-August 3.-Earl Grey moved an Address to his Majesty, in answer to his Message recommending an additional provision for the Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria.-The Lord Chancellor presented a Bill for the purpose of facilitating business in the Court of Chancery.

August 4.-The Delays in Chancery Bill was ordered to be read sine die.-Lord Eldon moved that the papers connected with the prosecution of Mr. O'Connell be laid before the House.

August 5.-The Earl of Aberdeen moved an Address to his Majesty praying for copies of despatches from his Majesty's Consul in the Azores. The motion was negatived.

August 8.-No debate worthy of record took place.

August 9.-The Marquis of Londonderry moved for copies or extracts relative to the settlement of the affairs of Holland and Belgium. He afterwards withdrew his motion.

August 10.--The Exchequer Bill went through a Committee, but no debate worthy registering occurred.

August 11.-The Coal Duties Repeal Bill was read a third time, after the Duke of Wellington had urged the necessity of despatch in repealing the London Local Duties, as the present Bill would not benefit the metropolis while the local taxation existed.

August 12.-The Disembodied Militia Bill was read a first time.-The Churches Building Bill was read a third time and passed.

August 15.-Lord Kenyon brought in a Bill, which had for its object the protection of agricultural industry by means of the extension of the principles of the Tithe Composition Bill, introduced by a most Reverend Prelate. The whole effect of the Bill was to get rid of the objection which was constantly urged against tithes,-namely, that it was a tax on the labour of the industrious man.-Lord Tenterden, with a view of inducing some information on the subject of the Bill to prevent frauds upon creditors, moved that there be laid before the House, a list of all persons now in execution for debt in the King's Bench, Fleet, and Whitecross-street prisons; stating the time they had been in custody, the amount of their debts, and whether such persons have applied to the Insolvent Debtors Court for his or her discharge.

August 16.-The Earl of Orford wished to ask a few questions of the Noble Earl at the head of his Majesty's Government respecting the Belgian affairs, which he prefaced with observations as to the alleged armistice, which he declared was no armistice, and a condemnation of the projected destruction of some of the Belgic fortresses bordering on France. Earl Grey deprecated the bringing forward such discussions in the present state of the negociations. In his opinion, no course could be better chosen than that pursued by Noble Lords on the other side of the House, for the interruption and throwing of difficulties in the way of the completion of those negociations; they were only calculated to do much harm, and to create illwill and misunderstanding.

August 18.-The House went into a committee on the Sale of Beer Bill. After considerable debate, it resumed, and the Report was ordered to be received on the 22nd.

August 19.-The Excise Duties Bill was read a third time and passed.

August 22.-The Lieutenants of Counties in Ireland Bill, the Belfast Harbour Bill, and a private Bill were brought up from the Commons, and read a first time.The Duke of Richmond moved the second reading of the Bill providing for the more effectual relief and employment of the poor.

August 23.-The Royal Assent was given by commission to the Exchequer Bills Bill, the Lords Lieutenant (Irish) Bill, and 37 private Bills.-The Interpleader and the Arbitration Bills were read a third time and passed.

August 24.-A message from the Commons brought up the Administration of Justice in Ireland Bill.-Lord Wynford having moved that the Fraudulent Debtors Bill be read a third time, Lord Plunkett moved that it be read a third time that day six months; and the Bill was lost.

August 25.-The Poor Relief Bill and the Lunatics Bill were passed.

August 26.-Lord Althorp and others, from the House of Commons, brought up the Duchess of Kent's Annuity Bill, which, on the motion of Earl Grey, was read a first time.

August 29.-The Marquis of Londonderry, in rising to move for returns of the sums contributed by Great Britain towards the erection of fortresses in the Netherlands, said, that he wished to ask the Noble Earl some questions on the subject of our foreign relations. The first question he wished to ask was, whether it was true October, 1831.-VOL. II. NO. VI.

E

that Prince Leopold had required of the French Government that 10,000 or 12,000 men should remain in Belgium. Earl Grey complained of the course pursued by the Noble Marquis in bringing questions before the House without regular notice, in which the issue of peace or war might be involved. He should merely repeat, in answer, what he had said before, that Marshal Gerard had received orders to retire with his whole force.-The Burning of Lands in Ireland Bill was read a third time and passed.

August 30.-The Archbishop of Canterbury moved the second reading of his Bill for regulating pluralities in benefices held by spiritual persons; the Bill was read a second time accordingly.

August 31.-The Duchess of Kent's Annuity Bill was passed.-Viscount Melbourne, in moving that the Report of the Beer Amendment Bill be received, begged to say that he had attentively considered the subject, with a view to devise some means of limiting the hours of keeping the shops open in rural parishes, as distinguished from cities, boroughs, and towns. But he abandoned the hope of effecting any satisfactory alteration of this nature, when he found that there were many of the places in which the restriction could not be enforced without great inconvenience.

September 1.-The Lord Chancellor brought in a Bill to extend to the Courts of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction the same remedy against persons having Parliamentary privileges which the Courts of Chancery and Common Law enjoy at present.-Lord Plunkett brought in a Bill to extend the process of the Courts in England to Ireland.

September 5.-The Earl of Aberdeen, pursuant to notice, rose to present a petition from the ship-owners, merchants, and others in London engaged in the trade with Portugal; and, in doing so, entered at some length into the political connexion of that country. The Noble Lord considered it a disgrace to England to suffer a French fleet to domineer over Portugal.

September 6.-The Royal Assent was given by commission to the Duchess of Kent's Annuity Bill, the Candle Duties Repeal Bill, and several private Bills.-The Duke of Sussex presented a petition signed by the different foremen of seven successive Old Bailey Grand Juries, and upwards of 1100 merchants, traders, and others who either have served or are eligible to serve as jurors, praying the hon. House to take the Criminal Laws into their consideration, for the purpose of revision and amendment of the same; by drawing a distinction between the simple invasion of rights of property and crimes of violence and blood; and by abolishing the penalty of death in all cases in which the legislative power cannot justify, in the eyes of God and man, that last and dreadful alternative-the extermination of the offender. The Lord Chancellor was prepared to admit that the Criminal Code required revision; but he by no means went the length of saying that capital punishment should be abolished in all cases of crime without violence. The blood of man was shed upon a principle of expediency. They had no right to shed the blood of a murderer, but it was done that example might deter others from the commission of similar crimes.-The Canada Revenue Bill was passed.

September 7.-Their Lordships forwarded the Bills on the table in their respective stages, and adjourned.

September 9.-At the request of Lord Suffield, the Lord Chancellor postponed the second reading of the Bankruptcy Bill till Thursday.

September 12.-It was agreed that the Game Bill should be read to-morrow a second time, and the discussion be postponed to a future day.

September 13.-The following Peers, elevated in the late promotions, were introduced, and took the oaths and their seats:-The Marquis of Westminster (the Earl of Grosvenor), Lord Poltimore (late Sir G. Bampfylde), Lord Panmure (late Hon. W. Maule), Lord Dinorben (late Wm. Lewis Hughes, Esq.), the Earl of Burlington (late Lord G. A. H. Cavendish), and the Earl of Camperdown (late Viscount Duncan).—The Earl of Radnor presented various petitions for the introduction of the Poor Laws into Ireland. Also a petition praying their Lordships not to reject the Reform Bill.-The Archbishop of Canterbury moved the order of the day for going into Committee on the Pluralities of Livings Bill. Several verbal amendments were made, and the Bill passed through the Committee.

Sept. 14.-Lord Howden, Lord Kenleish, Lord Oakley, and Baron Shewworth (late Earl of Meath), were introduced upon their new titles.-Earl Grey said the papers relating to Portugal were not in a formal state, but no time would be lost in laying those documents before the House. With respect to the production of the opinion given by the King's Advocate on the ships seized in the Tagus, the Noble Earl had understood that it was not usual to lay before Parliament the opinions of law officers; but having consulted the King's Advocate, that learned person did not object to his opinion being produced, provided a case was made out to render it necessary. Under those circumstances he (Earl Grey) was willing to lay the opinion on the table. The Earl of Eldon corroborated the statement, that it was contrary to custom to produce the opinions of the law officers of the crown, and ap