§ Mr. Jamespresented a petition from Carlisle, praying for a speedy Reform of Parliament. He attributed the present distress to excessive taxation. The hon. member for Portarlington had said, that the variation in the currency, occasioned by the cash payments bill, did not exceed 10 per cent. He differed from him. That hon. member had differed from himself at various times. He had at one time said, that the difference between the value a gold and paper did not exceed three per cent, then 3½ then 4, and so on till he now stated it at 10; but whoever took the trouble of reading Mr. Cobbett's little pamphlets on the subject (and they were to be had at a cheap rate), would be convinced that the hon. member knew nothing at all about the matter [much laughter!]. The hon. member had also said, that the prices depended on the supply and demand; but if he had read Cobbett, he would have found that the prices also depended upon the quantity of the circulating medium in the market; and that when the circulation was much limited; the result would be to double the weight of taxation.
§ Ordered to lie on the table.