HC Deb 13 October 1831 vol 8 cc694-5

On the Motion of Mr. Spring Rice, the Standing Orders were suspended, and the House went into a Committee on this Bill.

Mr. Hume

said, so far was he from having any objection to the Bill, that he regretted its provisions were not more extended. It would be, in his opinion, the best way to allow all the West-Indian islands to obtain food at the cheapest market, but which they had hitherto been prevented doing from the opposition of the landed and shipping interests of this country, who desired to have the monopoly of supplying them.

Mr. George Robinson

said, he must outer his protest against the principle laid down by the hon. member for Middlesex, as to the propriety of allowing the colonies to supply themselves in all cases at the cheapest markets; such isolated observations were likely to mislead people who did not consider the whole nature of the question.

Mr. Hume

said, he was always an advocate for the rights of all classes of his Majesty's subjects. It was quite clear, that if the colonies could purchase provisions, and necessaries on cheaper terms than they now obtained them, it would lessen the expenses of production, and by that means tend to relieve their distress.

Mr. Labouchere

hoped that some other means than those pointed out by the hon. member for Middlesex would be adopted to relieve the existing colonial distress, but especially the two unfortunate islands the present evils of which were so much aggravated by a natural and wholly unforeseen calamity. He was satisfied that a stronger case for the liberality of the country generally had never existed, and therefore he hoped that relief which the circumstances of the case required would be instantly afforded.

Mr. Leader

said, he could assure the House that the extent of the calamity was unparalleled, and he was satisfied that the House and the country only required to know its full extent, to adopt every measure that circumstances would permit to relieve their manifold distresses. As his hon. friend the member or Middlesex, had remarked that a monopoly existed in this country for supplying these islands with provisions, and he appeared to point at Ireland, he begged to assure him, there was no further monoply but that the supplies from that country were both cheaper and better than could be obtained at other places.

Bill went through the Committee.—House resumed, Resolutions reported, and Bill read a third time and passed.