Parliament assembled on 18th November, and, after the transaction of some business relative chiefly to keeping the English militia embodied, and pre serving the peace of Ireland, adjourned on 9d De cember. They met again on 9th February, and were soon after called on to discuss a most import ant department of home policy,—the Corn Laws. The prospect of the return of peace and of large imports of corn from the Continent, had early ex cited the attention of the landed interest; and a committee, appointed in the spring of 1813, had made a report to Parliament recommending the prohibition of foreign corn, except when Wheat at home should be at or above the very high price of 105s. the quarter. No proceedings on the alibi** took place that session, and net year the sense of the public was so unequivocally declared against this extravagant proposition, that a great reduction was indispensable ; and, on bringing forward the resolu tions connected with the subject, it was proposed to allow the import of foreign wheat whenever our own should be at or above 87s. Still this limit appeared too high ; the debates were warm, the petitions against the bill numerous; and, ministers suspend ing their support, the main part of the question was adjourned to next year. In the summer and autumn corn underwent a great fall, and the farmers expe rienced much distress ; the consequence of which, and of the evidence given before the Parliamentary com mittees, was, that Government determined to sup port a corn bill on a reduced scale, foreign wheat being admissible when our own should be at or be low 80s. Resolutions to that effect were moved (see our article on the CORN LAws) on 17th February, and a bill founded on them was soon after brought in. It still experienced opposition, particularly from Mr Baring and others, who argued that the limitation price ought not to be permanent, but subject to a graduated abatement during a series of years, till at last the corn trade should arrive at that unrestrained state so essential to commerce at large. But notwithstanding these arguments, and a tumultuous opposition without doors, the bill was carried by large majorities in both Houses.
But from discussions of internal policy, the atten tion of Parliament was suddenly directed to a more urgent topic,—the return of Bonaparte from Elba, and a notice of an immediate augmentation of our forces. An address to the Regent, in support of this augmentation, was carried by great majorities; and a subsequent motion, by Mr Whitbread, to pre vent our interference for the reinstatement of the Bourbons, was lost by 278 against 72. Finally, the addresses in approbation of the treaties with the Continental powers were supported by Lord Gren ville, Mr Grattan, and other oppositionists; the numbers in the Lords being 156 against 44 ; in the Commons, S31 against 92. Next month brought intelligence of the battle of Waterloo, which was followed, in a moment of exultation, by a grant of L.200,000 to the Duke of Wellington, making the sum total voted to his grace L.700,000. The farther proceedings were an approval of the treaty of peace with America, and of the very questionable trans fer of Genoa to the King cf Sardinia: the session was concluded by a repeal of the law for fixing the price of bread in London by Assize.
Parliament met on 1st February, and, after some business of minor importance, proceeded, in March, to discuss the interesting question of our military peace establishment. The navy had been reduced with sufficient promptitude, but there seemed, on the part of Government, a disposition to keep the army on a scale neither required by the general tranquilli ty of Europe, nor justified by our financial means, which exhibited several symptoms of decline. Yet a motion for so moderate a reduction as 10,000 from the proposed number of land forces, was negatived by 202 to 130 ; and, id long debates that ensued re lative to the army estimates, ministers carried every, point, and were likely to keep up the whole on an expensive scale ; when, on 18th March, after a long and animated discussion, the question of continuing the property-tax, modified to 5 per cent., was decided against them by a majority of 37 ; there being 238 against 201. This signal and unexpected defeat ne cessitated a relinquishment of the was malt duty, and a general reduction of expenditure, which we should have in vain expected from the reason or reflection of our rulers.
Another measure of importance was the regula tion, after a long investigation, of the ,civil list, on a footing which was adopted as a standard on the be ginning of the present reign. This was followed by acts for the consolidation of the English and Irish Exchequers; for the exemption of the bank from cash paymentk during two years ; and, finally, by an act for striking off a new silver coinage. Among the minor proceedings of the session was a grant of L.60,000 a year to the Princess Charlotte and her husband, with a provision, unfortunately too soon required, of L.50,000 to the latter in the event of her demise.
A general want of work and reduction of wages continued during the year, subjecting the lower orders to, great distress, and exposing them to the arts of designing demagogues. Large assemblages, particularly in Spafields, took place previous to the meeting of Parliament ; and, on the day of its opening (28th January) the Regent was insult ed on his way to the House. A secret commit tee of each House was soon after appointed to examine papers in the possession of Government, bearing evidence of serious projects of insurrec tion, and each made a speedy report, declaring the existence of very dangerods societies. There was, in these reports, a strain of confident al legation, unaccompanied by specific proof or tem perate reasoning, which brought to recollection the declamatory state papers of the French Revolution, . and gave the reports the appearance of documents framed to disseminate alarms, and justify extreme measures. They engaged, however, the serious at tention of the House, and the result was a bill for the suspension of the Habeas Corpus act during the current session of Parliament,—a measure carried in the Lords by 150 to 35 ; in the Commons by 265 to 103. Towards the close of the session, a second report from the secret committees produced an act for continuing the suspension of the Habeas Corpus to March 1818.