The Earl of Winchilseasaid, he had to present a Petition from a number of owners and occupiers of land in the county of Kent, complaining of the Distressed State of the Agricultural Interest, and praying for relief. It was not his intention to make any observation on the subject at present, as an ample opportunity would be afforded him for the expression of his sentiments when the motion of the noble Duke (of Richmond) was brought forward. He regretted that he had been prevented, by peculiar circumstances, from laying this petition before their Lordships, prior to the motion of a noble Earl (Stanhope) which had recently been discussed; because he believed, that from the wealth, intelligence, and respectability of the parties from whom it came, it would have commanded some degree of attention. Being on his legs, he wished to ask the noble Duke whether it was the intention of his Majesty's Government to renew a committee which had been appointed two Sessions ago, for the purpose of inquiring into the finances of the country? The report of that committee had been received with very considerable satisfaction by the people at large, especially as Ministers had declared their intention to reduce the public expenditure to the lowest 1060 possible point. As to what had been done in the way of retrenchment, he would at another time declare his opinion. At present he would content himself with, asking, whether the reductions proposed to be made in the establishment had been carried, in the opinion of Ministers, as far as they properly could? For his own part, he was not prepared to say but that the different establishments might be materially reduced by Parliament, and yet be conducted on a scale sufficient for the maintenance of the honour, the dignity, and the security of this country. He trusted that the committee to which he had alluded would be allowed to renew its labours, and to inquire minutely into the expenditure of the country. He was perfectly convinced that either the taxes must be greatly reduced, and with them the expenditure of the country, or that some effectual mode must be adopted, to enable the distressed population of this country to meet the pressure of those taxes.
§ The Duke of Wellingtonadmitted the necessity of reducing the taxes as far as possible. He agreed in the propriety of that proposition, but he could not be expected, at a moment's notice, to enter into a discussion on the subject of the reduction of taxes and of expenditure. The noble Earl had asked, whether it was the intention of his Majesty's Ministers to revive the Finance Committee. On that point he had only to answer, that Ministers had no such intention.
The Earl of Darnleysaid, that in the county with which he and the noble Earl were connected, and he spoke more particularly of his own immediate neighbourhood, it appeared, from whatever cause the circumstance might arise, that there was no want of work. The labouring population were tolerably well employed, and the poor-rates had not increased very much. In some parishes in which he was interested, they were only four shillings in the pound. He admitted, with the noble Earl, that there was great distress, very deep distress indeed, in parts of the county of Kent; but he did not think it was so great as it was supposed to be; and he believed that, generally speaking, though wages were low, there was no want of employment.
§ The Petition was laid on the Table.