§ Mr. Hume, in presenting a Petition from the inhabitants of North Nibley, complaining of great Distress, and praying relief; stating that of 1600 persons, 800 were receiving relief, observed, that it was impossible to doubt the existence of great and overwhelming distress when such facts were continually brought before the House. The petitioners justly observed, that whether their distress was caused by legislative measures or not, there could be no doubt that it was greatly aggravated by taxation. He believed that nothing but a reduction of taxation, and the abolition of the Corn-laws, and all other monopolies would give the people relief. The evil consequences of those laws were every day becoming more apparent, and they could not possibly be preserved. In looking at the papers on the Table, it was impossible to avoid concluding, that the great increase of crime they unfortunately proved was chiefly to be attributed to taxation. In each of the five years ending with 1809, the number of persons committed for trial was, on an average, 4,692; between 1820 and 1824, that number was increased to 13,005; in 1825, the number was 14,437: it had progressively increased every subsequent year, and in 1829 was no less than 18,675, being upwards of 6,000 more in 1829 than in 1823, or an increase of 50 per cent in six years. He found, on looking over these accounts, that not more than one individual sentenced to death out of three was executed, and that thirty out of 100 of those committed were acquitted. In Scotland he believed the persons acquitted did not bear a larger proportion to those committed than one in ten. That might be the consequence of the different methods of administering the law in the two countries: but there could be no doubt, that the great increase of distress was the cause of the vast increase in petty larcenies which these returns shewed.
§ Petition read, and laid on the Table.