Sir C. Moncksaid, he held in his tend a Petition, which, whatever might be the general opinion of the country on the subject, he was able to say was signed by several hundred of as substantial and respectable individuals, as were to be found of the same description and profession in any part of the united kingdom. They were occupiers and owners of land in the county of Northumberland. He knew the signatures of most of them, and could bear testimony to their being most respectable and substantial farmers. The petitioners alleged that the sale and productions of this country were sufficient to support its present population, and would be sufficient to support a greater population; and they therefore submitted to the consideration of the House, the impolicy of permitting the importation, free from duty, of the productions of foreign countries of a nature similar to that of our own; because such permission tended to disable the agriculturists of the country from paying the taxes and expenses imposed on, and belonging to, the employment they followed. The petitioners prayed the House to take the subject into consideration, and refer it to a committee, before which they might adduce what evidence they could in support of their allegations, and if those allegations should be proved to be true, they prayed that the House would take such steps as might afford to the cultivators of the soil protection similar to that which the merchants and manufacturers of the kingdom enjoyed in the practice of their occupations from the existing laws.
§ Ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed.