Lord Castlereaghpresented a Petition from the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood of Belfast, setting forth, 3 "That the Petitioners have suffered, and continue to suffer, much inconvenience and expence in their dealings, arising from the excessive price and scarcity of guineas: and praying, that they may be put on the same footing with Great Britain, in any future Bill which may be introduced into parliament respecting payments in specie." The noble lord said, that when the Bill passed last session, he had opposed its being then extended to Ireland, because there were scarcely any Irish members at that time in attendance at the House; and it would not have been right to pass an act of that momentous importance, and to make it binding on Ireland, in the absence of almost all its representatives. Since that time, however, guineas had become so scarce there, that they could not be procured under 4s. 6d. and 5s. premium, making an increase of 25 per cent. besides the time lost, and trouble acquired by those who had absolute occasion for them. He was glad to understand that his right hon. friend (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) intended in the Bill which he was this night to move for leave to bring in, to continue the act of last session, to extend the provisions of it to Ireland; but he still thought he was only fulfilling his duty in bringing forward this Petition, which had been transmitted to him from an apprehension that such was not to be the case. The high premium for guineas had pressed very and on such tenants as were obliged to pay in gold, by rendering it difficult to procure the cash for their rents in time. Indeed, under such circumstances, the country could not have long carried on any branch of business, had it not been for the humanity and liberal sentiments of the greatest part of the landlords. But there were still some exceptions, which occasioned individual oppression, and it was the object of the Petition to remove such.
§ Mr. Wellesley Poleagreed that there would be great injustice, if the enactments of the Bill, which had been passed as applicable to England, during the last year, were not now extended to Ireland. He was happy, therefore, that his right hon. friend, (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had determined to extend the provisions of the Bill which he was about to move for leave to bring in, to Ireland, thereby communicating the same advantages to one part of the empire as to the other.
Mr. Stewartallowed, that great inconve- 4 nience arose from the present practice in Ireland.
The Petition was then brought up and read, and was ordered to lie on the table;