§ Lord Althorp, in rising to move for two Select Committees of Inquiry into the agriculture, trade, manufacture, and shipping of the United Kingdom, said, he was aware that there existed a very great wish for inquiry; and in compliance with that desire, he thought it more proper to have two Committees than one. He should, therefore, move first the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the state of the agriculture and the agricultural labourer throughout the kingdom, and of another Committee to inquire into the state of the trade, manufactures, and shipping of the United Kingdom. He thought more benefit would result from inquiry in this way than from a General Committee to inquire into the distress of the country. He owned, however, that he should do wrong if he led the House to expect that any great public benefit would arise from the labours of these Committees. Their appointment would have the effect of showing, that the expectations of the country on the subject of a redress of grievances in the way desired were impossible. There was a question whether it would be advisable to mix up an inquiry into the shipping interests with that connected with the mercantile and commercial concerns of the country. Now, he would observe, that it was most desirable the shipping should be considered as closely connected with the manufactures of the nation. With the commerce of the country, the shipping was certainly connected, although, upon some subjects, there might be some degree of rivalry. He thought that, upon the whole, the question connected with the shipping interests would be better considered in a Committee appointed to inquire into the manufactures and commerce of the country, than if it were inquired into alone; but if the gentlemen connected with the interests in question, found that the subject was not fully inquired into, there was nothing to prevent another Committee being appointed to inquire particularly into the shipping affairs. The 959 noble Lord concluded by moving, "that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the state of agriculture, and of the persons employed in it."
§ Motion agreed to, and Committee appointed.
§ Lord Althorp moved the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the state of the Trade, Manufactures, and Shipping of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. George F. Youngsaid, that the laws relating to the shipping of the country were of such a nature, as to prevent the interests of ships from being mixed up with either the manufactures or the commerce of the country. Although he admitted that the commerce and the shipping of the country were in some degree connected, yet still there were points in which they differed most materially. He could assure the noble Lord that the proposed inquiry, as far as it related to the shipping of the country, would be perfectly unsatisfactory to those connected with that branch of industry.
§ Lord Althorpsaid, that, if the business were not fairly conducted in the Committee, it would be then well to have a separate one for the shipping interest alone; but he thought the inquiry would be properly conducted.
§ Motion agreed to, and Committee appointed.