The Express. — London, England, 1851-02-14 00:00:00

r 1 IMPERIAL -PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF I.olll)S.—Tiii:s 4 ntY, Fits. 13. The L Cittmenti.int took his seat at 10 minutes before . o'clock. The E al of CARLISLE present:3 a I IIOM f Shellt 4d t preying for tb • e seamen by a law siring them electoral privilegei. CRIMINAL LAW. 14:1'711,660"a ii•tiird papal atute•Ainn were pro-itted by L ST %%13:Y all other noble lord , Lord C.tNIPUELL preeinted a bill to simplify proeedant in tennis II trials and stated that he had been indeed to peop , a sea a measure b...-catiso the obscarity of the wan sorb as to bond discrintit on the achantistar tnnt of justice. He intended to ask knee to r.fer the hill to • whet committee. STATE OP THE COUNTRY. STANIXT Rime notice, on b7half of the Ed et Malin -hoe, that on Tneelay wise be would present a tow tn , .et of agneultural dist..., and that Ito would nu that uteasioa call the attention of the house to t h e slat , of the t. entry. Ci)ENTY COURTS EXTENSION BILL. Lard liltoroll %i 1 withdrew his County Courts Bill br.nsubt is a new one. 'te noble lord also g., , e none., ef two bills on the same subject TlN:son. then adjourned m Ital . -past lice o'clock. :Woo from th rowhioement of 1107 SF. OF COMMONS.—iIItIitsDAY, Fr. 13. T!' SraAaaa took the chair at 4 o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINEiS. Sr.(' Itraduvoc—Birmiiilbas learovement, South Racrortt.Aire Railway (eztea.ioa to Burtou-ou-Trent, Ake.) WI, PUBLIC BUSINESS. PETITION S PRP:SENT ED. A get-it mustier of petitions on the papal aggression and the window-to t were prevrlterl by several Iron lie . memr. C111'11T1( FIXA SCIA 8./Alll/I.—By nellP/A1 born a phe • in Worceoterohire ; Mr. FEI,LOWF.s, from astatingolon ; Mr. PORTAL, from a place in Hampshire ; Sir C. LEMON, from a place an l'orn.all ; Mr. 011E 1 :NA1.1, from the goiaolLuai of Ware:ll;lm Cajon; k Lamar of ?matey financial hoards. l'arret Dete.—Bor Mr. 31ACCiltE001l, ham Gla.moor ; kr O. hT lilt% LAND, front Preston; Mr. SCHOLE YIELI). from Binoingharn ; Mr. GROGAN, from Dublin; Air the alalii:aos of this duly. Swim Ilert av Notw•es.•ras.—lnv Mr. SCHOLE. 71E1.11. Pots hinnies:o am, for the abolition of this duty. Jews is I'A:C.I.OBI6NT.—Ity Mr. FELLOWEs, from Buotingobia ; Mr. FARBER, front Bivhop Middleham, Durham ; n4ainvt the sibuievio• of Jr,. to ivirlianv.•n!. AOttfI!'I.TVIIIAL DPITKICAS. -- tit-arra! Aft 11 l-Tlf- HOT, 'MIN the County of Kineanlin ; Mr. GAS KELL, from Wenlork ; Mr. I'. BENNE I% from Bury IL Edmunds: Mr. I'OItTAL, from a place in Hants; Mr. FrOLLOWE4, from the enmity of Iluntingdon,with .Iro.l -iguaatures; Mr. A. HOPE, from a place in Kent ; Mr II ES,from n pine,: in Kee: ;complaining of agri cultural or dir.,s, and praying fur relief. It:. hones, Ite.-13y Sir A. 1100 D, from the clergy of the alo onery of Crewko•rne, in the diocese of Bath and Well-, se ding that they are ...oaring under a dispropor tion ate ••.-01,1111.11t of their reiat-ehanges to the rate fur pa roclii4l ; that the torn rent-charges in lieu of tithes hail bra n abodidied without any r,uivalent exarge in such rvaitorharges: they pray that either by a general ammo ascot of all property, or by an equitable reduetion of the value of rent-ellarg , -. equal justice may duos the m ~, the di-ariluation of public burthens. Starlit STAEFORDSIIIItE RAILWAY. 1 lac set , ,md reading of this bill was motpantod. BORNEO. gave notice that nn that day fortnight he would nee v an whim., to this crown for the appointmontor • royal to inquire into a nd re p o rt on th e procerat. b ag . on at, • e 4,4 o f Romeo in 1549, :mat MOM e•pecially t o the ove l atj•a of the naval harms under Commander Parker rn the night of the 31st of July, again -t the Dyaks of h iris 14 iv, a loch it was stated filal men were killed and a still go .o,r number periahed. CHURCH ItATES. Mr. 'lf RELAW N Y wave notice that an that that fort night he would bring forward& motion foram: total abolition of ehureir rates. C BY LON. Mr. V. VIM NPII mate oriti;;:titntlie would on to-morrow Oho. day) its-4 the right hon. gentle :win. the President of the Hoard of Control, why Ito letter of Mr. lh , nnv was not printed it itb tlw ot!wr eorresponil•liee relating to Ceylon. ........ ....... U.\IIIIA '.URKI!OI $I Iu reitiy to rertrol quertion• by Mr. BAN[ ES gave MOme information reverting the re sign rtobni , ilbturbunre ut the Barham Union Workhonoe, inhere. h.,tateil, • annibir ilbturb °court...ll about thim time tnel‘earouth. CARLISLE UNION. In piy to Mr. Iftna►s, Mr. 11.1,INES .nil that the listen information rreeived from l'Arii..lo thr Tryon of Mr. Ilawlvy, the poor law aso.t nit etostinic,ioner, dated the '214 of January, in which hr .tented that the cotton trade wag in a deprenell condi tion that lamr nutulier of peeving wen• now out of em ph,)rocut, and that them nag tomiderable prea►ure on the rat:.. Tll F. AG 1." fi LI A SHOAL (0 A LIT A). Mr. 111; ME. pursuant to notice, rose to a& the Right lion. the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, after the dreadful loss of the Avenger, any steps , bad been taken to meet a lighthouse on (dada Island, or the Aguglia rocks; ar what would he • still more important boon to the misfits ties of the Mediterranean (and espeeially to vessels bound is Malta), on the Skerki rocks, Oil which another lamentable; wreck took place, the Athenian, 61, in the year IINO6 ? Also, whet lee any sealpropo t and estimates fur such a work have hen had, , I h Ine Sir F '. ' l. H.tlllMl ranged to inform the hon. member that no steps had yet been taken, w, far as the Board of Admiralty was reeneernell, towards the erection of • light hone on lealita Island. (Hear.) Among other reasons for this fart. he. me jht state that the Sardinian authorities, who lea& ofrours •, been eonsulted on the matter,were not of firemen that the ens-teem of such u structure would he either espedie la Or Sat . , lent Might lee found rather inju rious than otherwise to vessels eueling in that part of the waters of the Me diterranean. Some houses had been built loathe spot w here it had been proposed to build such •fahrie, and a ountrinion had a hesitated some local inquiries on the slater. lout no &finalise results had been arrived at. 1111: VACANT VICE-CHANCKLLORSIIII'. loot sSELL, in nply to • question put by Mr. Stuart, stated that it was his intention very shortly to in trainee a measeare for the reform of the Court eel Chancery, and that it seou:el he &is-scary, in eutssequenee of • pressuni of Insinen, to appoint a s iee-ehancellor in the plain of Sir Jame. j a rn t n. OF ICE OF " ASTER "—LAW COURTS, IItELAND. _ NI•CISI.I.Af;l1 tugged to aok the Attorney• General for Ireland whether it wr the intention of govern- Won. for the purryw• of abolishing the office of muster in ant and which of the superior courts of law in Ire land ?. • Mr. lIATCORLI. could Rive the bon. member an answer to hi. question by stating merely that it was not the inU seem et govrramrut to bring in my bill at present for the valve of master in any of the law court& in lrrl•nd WOODS AND FORESTS DIIPARTMENT.—TILE ROYAL. PARKS. . ...... lord Viscount DUNCA)i then asked the Fest Lord of the Treamtry : 1. Whether it is the intention of the government to bring in a bill this session to make better provision f.ir the management of the woods, forests, and hind revenues of the Crown, and for the direction of public works and building.? 2. In which number of the miseel lan. "es c.tionstes it is the intention of the government to include the elpeneee of the royal park.? lout I RUSSELL replied that, with respect to the best question of the noble viscount. his noble friend (Lord heynieur) who. as the Chief Conuaisaimer of Woods and Forests, was at the heed of the department responsible for such business. did intend. he believed, to bring in a hill with regaol to the better administration and management of the royal (oriole. New Forest, Ilainault, and Wychevrode. Mr. J. STUART, in reference to what had been stated by the noble lord on the subject of no re-appoiutment of a trare chancellor in the place of Sir James Wigrani; now gave notice that he would take an early opportunity of &triaging under the notice and consideration of the house the extreme cruelty and hardship endured by many parties, traitors in the Court of Chancery. in consequence of the' delays, the .nations, and the expenses occamoned to them by the vast arrears and accumulations of VAILICI. owing to the vacant judgeship of Sir J. Wigram not having yet been Wed up by a ensapetent suceeseor. ECCLESIASTICAL TITLES BILL. Lad J. ILUSBHLL stated, in answer to a question from Mr.janehe that the discussion on this hiU would he re amed to-day (Friday) ; and that the Budget would be brought on by the Chancelloe of the Exchequer on Moeda,. The CIIANCILLOR of the EXCHEQUILU (starting up) -On omilition, however, that the chafe on the gale- Titlert Bill terminate this evening (Friday). This reservation canoed some merriment. Various notices of notion having been withdrawn or ra pidly diwo.ed of—one of which, proposed by Mr. Keogh, fns have to bring in a bill to extend the jurisdiction of the Irish Prerogative Court, gave rise to a lively diseimion of a personal character, and The order of the day for resuming the adjourned de bmte ua AGRICULTURAL DISTRBSS having been read: — The Marquis et GRANBY observed that they had pored through a period of live years, during +huh that memorable espumsent of new principles lad been com menced and maintained ; and at the end of that probation ary term they found themselves far worse °Nihau they had been in any tine years prior to such experiment. All the other great interests in the country, it had bean observed in the speed , from the tbrone.ha greatly prospered,—but the vat agricultural interest, and that alone, was stated to lave cusuiderably declined. But that much neglected, greatly maligned, and most important interest has also, in Sat time, nude some advances—if not in material pros perity. yet. at leave, in public favour. (Cheers) Now the very heavy depreciation tl. it hail taken place in the prices et British agricultural produce sufficiently stated the bud "kip of the case brought forward by the agriculturists. The mous' growth of wheat raistd in thin quarter was esti mated by the best authorities at 24 millions of quarters The depreciation of price' of each wheat between the en hremc years of the short period he had mentioned ranged thus—from Ms. to 37.. or 36.. per quarter, or very surly 14 in seek quarter. (Hear, hear.) This seals of depreciation reduced the annual aggragete et Priem "" Lined for the sweet growth of wheat it Ma *natty hp about 21,010,0001. sterling. But if from wheat alone they passed to the whole produce of our cereals, wheat and other grain, and took the avrtage of reduction of prices . at tints3o pe oti r e t e h n e t . w ri t e o a f t roduee the aggregate of the &precut praioncese,of theta whole annual p multi not hoe than G 0,000,900!. ling. (Hear, hear.) lie motile not believe that upon mature and cal h m re flection that house would be disposed to reshit the unanswered, arguments by which his hon. fri hadi supported his propuitim. Now the right b end . doe { supported of the Exchequer. in adverting to it, did net venture to designate it as as unjust or unfair on.e. lie did nut attempt to c onfute the statement in the., royal speech, that the agricultural interest WY in a condi tion of distress; but, with an apprehensive brow and a pleading free --(bmgliter).—he had reminded the house that it, was his practice to ruse revenue, and how could this revenue be raised if he listened to the case reseed upon him by the agriculturists? The right hon. gentleman had declared himself a free-trader and an advocate of the prin ciples of free trade. If he was honestly a, why did he not give a consident support for reducing exclusive burdens on the agriculturist, whilst he released or mitigated those on the other great producing interests of the country ? The right hon. gentleman said he wanted to secure, at say rate, • constant supply of cheap food, cheap corn in the market here fur the hen lit of the consumer. Of course, on this point the whole question turned. They complained that, meanwhile, he was raising a revenue on British agriculture, oa the produce of the land, h a system of local and other taxation ten tiatee more cruel than the amount of any enhanced prices teat, but for the system acted on her Mojesty's government, they might have had to pay. The right hon. gentleman would attribute all the distress of the land to the prices of agricultural produce ; without allow• ing for the effects of the system on which the revenue was raised. The noble marquis proceeded to show the fal lacy, he contended, of the right hoar. gentleman's assump tions, founded on the "natural pricei.e But what lie Balled " natural prime" were very different things in Eng land and in the corn-growing countries abroad. " Natural price." in England, inconsequence of the right hon. gentle man', .system of taxation, were necessarily enhanced by taxation of various kinds paid by the producers and 141Am:era during its production, and which taxation did not prevail to anything approaching to the same scale in those foreign countries. The weight of that charge here was a cruel aggravation of the reduced scale of 3,5. per quarter to the producer. The " natural price," therefore, in England should be very greatly above the "actual" price. Tho noble lied then showed how the charge.' for excise, payable in England on the tea, the sugar, the tobacco, of small cultivators and farm servants, an d by those who are, as it were between the producer and the consumer, necessarily rui.4ll these natural prices to a point which the agriculturists are so very far censored from obtaining, whilst they dill endured that execesive and un quid texatem,poor rate, etc., which his hon. friend (Mr. Disraeli) hullo forcibly illustrated. lu foreign corn-growing mutant* the producer was exempt from these liabilities, end the comparatively untaxed labour he motored was of course, so much cheaper than it was here. But if the right hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer would not midst the agri cultural interests by remitting taxation bearing on excess on them, or revising the general taxation of the country, at teed let him, as a free trader, give them free trade in their own land, cultivation, and produce. It was absurd to say, that our agriculture would derive proportionate benefit front the admitted and increasing prosperity of our manu facturers. The surplus, capita of that increasing prosperity would go to purchase the cheap lightly taxed grain and other produce of Poland, Belgium,and Pomerania ; but not to the heavily taxed British corn grower. Why then refuse I to our landsel interest permission to cultivate, where the soil was suitable for that growth tobacco? (Hear, hear.) It was idle fur • free trader after the policy . adopted towards the British corn grower to talk of prescriptive or exclusive right in our West In lion colonists to grow tobacco. Ile now came to the right lime gentleman's boost, that the condition of those claw: was better than it had been under • system of protection. (Ministerial cheers.) lie must say at once that Ise very much doubted the truth of that assertion. (Protectionist cheers.) Let them ask the labourers, the par ties chiefly interested, and they would find a contrary opinion general, their general rish being fur the highest possible amount of money wages. Another thine they should recollect was that the price of bread slid not imme diately follow the price• of corn; bread being now, when corn wee 36.., very little lower than when it was eels. The saving in a year's expenditure of an ordinary labourer's family would be about 21. 18s. 2d., a main which was exactly balanced by the reduction in his wages. (liver, hear.) If the price of breast hail de clined in proportion to the price of corn, the 4 lbs. loaf would now be 31d. instead of else In the higher ranks of life tile Chancellor of the Exchequer had himself stated in his evidence before the public salaries committee that he did nest think the expenses el gentlemen of ordinary for tune heed been much reduced by the operation of free trade. (hear, hear.) If that were the cue, he (the Marquis of Granby) wanted to knew how it could be expected that there should be an extreonlinary decrease in the expenses of • labourine man? He believed he had now touched upon the moat important points in the reply of the Chan cellor of the Exchequer to the speech of his honourable friend. He had avoided touching upon the prosperity of commercial classes, because every word that the right hon. gentlemen had said on that .object only increased the ne evesity for granting his hon. friend's motion. ((dear, hear.) lie wished to express his opinion that before long they would be obligee' to return to the system of protective ' duties —(protectionist cheers)—to that great principle at least, that for every tax you place on the home producer an equivaleut tax at least should be iinpoad on the foreign importer. (Protectionist cheery) That was his own con viction, and he should not he dealing fairly with the house slid he hesitate in declaring it. Sir J. GRAHAM praised, and promised to imitate, the dideveionate tour adopted by Mr. Disraeli in bringing for ward his motion. The Marquis of Granby hail made two propositions. First, that the great body of the working edam-es had not profited by our recent legislation; and, se condly, that the restoration of protection would be found expedient. On both these propositions he joined issue. Declaring that by sympathy and interest he was himself pledged re) defend the farmer aid guarantee the stability of rent, and admitting that the depreciation in price was greater in extent and longer in duration than he had antici pated, the right hen. baronet pronounced the condition of the labourer to be, in his sminion, by far the most impotent branch of the question. Embarking into this subject, he quoted the enormously diminished number of able-bodied paupers relieved during the past year, the expended reve ' nue from articles of common consumption, and the almost incredible multiplication of all kinds of industrial produce, as tests of general well-being. amount of exports and imports had vastly increased, that sif the former tiering risen to 70 millions sterling last year. The hon. member then went on to observe, that the rerurns presented to the house yesterday, showed a decided in crease in the amount of British shipping. Mr. LlldltßlES—Outwards. There is a diminution in wards. (Cheers.) Sir J. ORAIIAM—But who would tell him that the out ward tonnage was no test of the prosperity of British ship ping ? (Hear, hear.) Ile believed, however, the diminu tion of British shipping inwards Will not more than 3,000 or 4,000 tons. Mr. HERRIES-312,000 tons. (Cheers from the pro tectionists.) Sir J. OItAHAM—The returns he referred to had only ' come to his hands to-day, and he had not had an oppor tuaity of examining them closely, but on referring to them again he found his right hon. friend was right as to the extent of the diminution. (Renewed and prolonged cheer ing from the same quarter.) But let them argue the matter calmly. (Hear, hear.) lie need scarcely assure his right hon. friend that it was not his wish to misrepresent the facts of the ease, nor wu there any occasion for doing so. (Cheers.) But passing from the question in dispute between him and his right hon. friend, as to whether the tonnage inwards was not • fair test of prosperity, upon which he entertained his own opinion, to come to the actual figures. He found the number of British ships cleared outwards for the United Kingdom and its dependencies for the year ending the sth day of January, 1850, 17,169; the number for the year ending January, 1851, Was 17,618. The tonnage for the former year, 3,762,182; the tonnage for the year ending January, 1651 8,960,764—(hear, hear)—sbowing a considerable In come, of the tonnage outwards. (Cheers.) And now with regard to the rabies inwards. l'he tonnage of the ships entered inwards for the year ending January, 1851, in the United Kingdom and its dependencies was 4,390,375, and the amount or the year ending January, 1861, wu 4,078,444 Man (Hear, hear.) He admitted that he had been M eanest In what he had drat stated as to the extent of the de crease; he had thought the diminution Ism than it turned OM to be, but he repeated he was surprised, considering all the circumstances of the last two year, that the differ ing, was not much greater than it was. Cheers from the Mditigletial beeches.) And, talking of Political prophecies tM might be expected from what they had been told would Anew the change in our navigation laws, that the returns would show • marked Menus in the tonnage from the United States. But was it en? He found that the tonnage leatered inwards, to all the ports of this country from the United States for the year ending January 1850 , amounted to 687,986 tons, while for the year ending January, 1851, it was only 595,191, an increase quite inconsiderable. (Chem.) Yr. BERRIES—Thera is a greater increase from other envie ports. (Cheers.) J. ORAHAM—But looking at the peculiar circuit dames of the cue, the large import of gram and the ides Mika the change of our laws might have been =til. occasion on the part of foreign shippers, he t but consider these returns as a complete faLsiflat den et the prophecies of those hon. gentlemen who had (hlllll that the repeal of the navigation 'ewe would Meant upon the shipping interest of this country. .) But after all the real test of the prosperity and wollimiag of the great body of the people was one which ha was afraid hon. gentlemen on that (the opposition) side of the looms would not think with him • sure and infallible one, but which, nevertheless, he placed higher than any of the rest, and indeed, higher than all the rest put together. (Cheer.) What was that test ? It was that of which the interest war accustomed to complain—the immense loportatma of foreign wheat and flour. (Loud cheers feast the miaiaterial benches.) Millions of quarters of fo reign corn and flour had, since the repeal of the corn laws, been imported, bean paid for, and consumed. (More eheer• ing from the same quarter.) What had become of these maligns of quarters of foreign wheat and flour ? (Hear, hear.) He said that minicar of mouths had been feel by than with wheaten bread which, but for that importation, would have wanted ft. (Renewed cheers.) That fact was to him the mod inclusive evidence that could be produeed of the real prosperity and welfare of the great body of the people. (Mots eheenng ) Allow him to remind his nob le friend tie llasipsts of Granby)--(or he was not aware whether his net& *Gad was in his plate the other evening, when the km amber for Celli& (Mr. !Lodge* intodneeel to the M~ THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 14, 1851. notice of the house the condition of his (Sir J. Graham's) neighbours in Cumberland, and more particularly the hand loom weavers of Carlisle—that the hon. gentleman on that occasion omitted to inform the house of what was the peen ' liar character of the cotton trade in Carlisle and its vicinity -that peculiar character 1 , 33. in the hopeless competition Being - bn between hand loom mid machine weaving. (Hear, ear') Unfortunately, the hand-loom weaver, struggling— and stiaggling almost in vain—against machine weaving, was embarrassed at this moment by this peculiar difficulty, in addition to those naturally consequent upon the equ'al 1 eompetitioft. The lighter articles—those which required the smaller amount of raw material—were manufactured principally by the machines, while the hand loom weaving was confined to the heavier gods, which contained a very large amount of cotton. And tha recent increase in the price of cotton wool had induced the manufac turers to inerea.e the power of their machines in order to meet the difficulty consequent on such increase. The consequence was, that the manufacture of the heavier de scription of goods was gradually passing from the hand loom to the pow , ,r loom. This was a peculiar circumstance I which weighed upon the class alluded to, and which must . ' be taken into account in judging of the cause of their pre , ! sent depressed condition. (Hear.) Ho (Sir J. Graham), : however, had long thought that the days of hand-loom i weaving were numbered, and that the struggle in which it , was engaged with the power loom must end in defeat, apart altogether of the prier of cottla, and he knew he was r I not singular in that opinion. But this question of the price r ! of cotton did, hr thought, one, n up some hope for the landed p - I interest. And froia whence did it cum.!? on smuggling. The same objection applied to sugar. If it were grewn hero under the existing diity, there was pro tection. (Hear, hear.) if the duty were remitted , they wou ld incur a lose to- the revenue on the two articles, while the country gen tlemen t beat all henefitA, and the sil d u e eßar ge nv. ie na n nan e d i de w °f o bla i r il mee° l havei4 would l° o to be made good by some more ob jectionable tax. (hear, bear.) Then with regard to the Emit tax he knew not what was the feeling of the agri cultural party generally on that subject, but he knew that the noble lord the leader of that party in the other house (Lord Stanley), both in and out of office, had expressed his opinion that it would be inexpedient ti repeal the malt duty. That noble lord was of opinion, awl many shared in it, that the malt tax was a tax paid by the consumer, and that no benefit welds' result to the land from ita repeal equal to the loss which would fall on the revenue. (Hear, hear.) So much for the first class of objection. Then with regard to the second—those of a remedial character, but which were not pressed : the first was the cultivation of the land by a partnership en comnsandite. Now, so far as they had had any experience of that system in this country, it bad proved beneficial only to the gentlemen of the long robe in West minater Hall. (" Hear," and a laugh.) And it was not likely the example would be generally followed. (Laugh ter.) The next of them• subject; was the law of settlement. He believed it was the intention of the right hon. gentle man, the head of the poor law board, to deal with that ques tion in the present session, and he was glad to hear it. (hear.) He was of opinion that the landed interest would gain much by a revision of the law of settlement, and that too in a legitimate manner. (Cheers.) But the labourer would be the principal gaiaer, for the labourer, whose only capital was his labour, would , instead of being confined to one of 15,000 circles as the market for his labeur, which was the consequence of the parish system of settlement, would have that market extended, if the union settlement were adopted, to one circle of 600. (Hear, hear.) Ile rejoiced therefore, for the sake of the labourer more than for that of the landowner, that the area of settlement Was to be ex tended. But he warned his right Min. friend that there wore lions in his path. He ought expect to enCouuter the Opposition of some distinguished representatives of the landed interest, as the hon. member for Dorset, the hon. member for Oxford, and others, and he would find that the landed interest was much divided in ito views of what ars rangement was most desirable in the introduction of a union settlement and a union rate. (Hear.) That was not, how ever, exactly the view, as he understood, of the hon. gentle man, the member for Bucks (Mr. Disraeli). That hon. gentleman went much further. and opened up the touch larger question of a national rate. (Hear, hear.) Now, the bon. gentleman had not pledged himself to support this view, but he (Sir J. Graham) nevertheless felt it has duty to comment upon that portion of the speech in question, because no course would be more fraught with danger in every respect, as it appeared to him, than the in stitution of a national rate to supply the funds for the relief of the poor. It would be to make industry pay for the sup port of idleness, and it would moreover be socialism in its worst features. (hear, hear.) Then, the hon. gentleman referred to the question of the commutation of tithe. Now he (Sir J. Graham) contended that the less the landed in terest said upon that subject the better. (Hear, hear.) The hon. gentleman, in submitting his motion of bet scar, hall used these expressions: Upon this 4i,te of the house we believe that deprouton has been cerawoned by recent 'eglslative nactreenis, by the recent alteration n the law, by the recent repeal of the law which regulated the JOU portation of tertian pro !use. We bell-ve on thia side of the house that the sunst, the most sate, the most 'Meacham 'a ale, and the mode whi la in the lung run will be the most ade.ntairessis to the community, and the most popular in the country, would be the re cetaliashment of thew awe which, until rce, rely, regul mu d the un portution of tl at foreign produce. That, sir, being our cor.vie we may be taunted, os we have been bet .re, that entertaining that conviction Sc shrink twin asserting it and supportisa It by argument in thus house. That taunt is vary to make, snit it to not ore very dims alt to beer. Speaking for myselt mot those gentlemen with whom I have the bot.our to act, I may ,aywe do not in any way shrink from argument on the subject. We have seen nothing in our apinmet to °entitle tle conclusions whaeti though good report and ¢r--ugh evil rep-rt we have title 'Teed to advocate in the' home in weird to the great subject. We still bell ve the prireiples on which you base vonsuucted lour commercial code are fallacies. These words were strong— (hear, hear)—but they were not so strong as other words which the loin. gentleman had used in the course of the same delude. These were the worsts lie used:—" I do not bate one jot of what I have declared. I adhere to every argument I used and opinion I entertained on this subject, and think it would be wiser and more politic to return to protection, and no longer to im pose restrictions on native industry." Words more clear and explicit could not be used. (Hear, hear.) They indi catesl distinctly the policy of the hon. gentleman, and the policy which, as he (Sir J. Graham) understood, the great Wily of the party, of which the hon. gentleman win. the bead, also entertained. Now, what were the word', of the hon. gentleman in introducing the present motion? lie (Sir J. Graham) could find nothing at all in the speech of the hon. gentleman on Tuesday night, in the slight est degree at variance with his words of last year. On the contrary, the hon. gentleman had now made the following remark:—" I last year said—what I now adhere to severely, strictly, and religiously—l said then that I would not in this parliament snake any attempt to bring hack the abrogated system of protection." Let the house observe the words, " not in this parliament." (Hear, hear.) Further on the hon. gentlemen said, It would be most diaustrous for the community that the house should accord thole claims which, he believed, in the spirit of severe justice, the agricultural interest had a right to pre fer." Now, these won!, evidently pointed at some com promise. (hear.) He believed that the design was not to induce the present parliament to impose a fixed duty ; and he came to the conclusion that the real object of the motion was to turn out the present adminiatration, to dissolve parliament, to return to protec tion, and to re-imposse a duty on corn. (" Hear" and cheers.) This was the interpretation he had put upon the words of the hon. gentleman last year, and this was the interpretation to which he now adhered. He knew not what might be the Tenth of an attempt to carry out that policy. Ile was afraid it would be a dangerous attempt, inconsistent with the peace of the country and with the safety of property ; but, at all events, it was an attempt in which he could not concur. (Cheers.) Ou the other hand, he saw very plainly that we were on the eve of a great and ' serious struggle. He held it a sacred duty and trust to de fend the existing policy to the best of his ability, and, as l • proof of his siucerity, and Us an earnest of his fixed deter mination, he would give an unhesitating vote in opposition to the present motion. (The right hon. baronet resumed his seat maid loud and continued applause.) Mr. BOOKER laid that as he had been recently elected a member of that house by a large agricultural county, he felt that he should ill-discharge his duty if he did not take some part in the present discussion. Ile denied that the state of commerce and manufactures had been such as to afford a productive employment of capital and a reference to the shipping interest and the home trade would prove the truth of this denial. The hon. gentleman here quoted a variety of statistics relative to the shipping nterest, the tendency of which was to show that while British shipping was declining in amount and tonnage, foreign shipping was increasing in both respects. With reference to the home trade, he took the three staple trades of the country—cotton, woollen, and iron. The diminished production of cotton was 75,90( bales. By exporting the raw material of wool, wo were affording an opportunity to other countries to carry on a trade which would come into competition with our own, Besides this, the quantity con sumed at home had sensibly decreased. Then, with regard to iron, the quantity exported in 1849 was 727,000 tons; in 1850 the quantity exported was 809,000 tons. The increase in the export had been pretty nearly 8 per cent., but the diminished value of the article at home amounted to about 2,000,0001. The diminution, since the first year of free trade, had been 45 per cent., whileh the diminution of wages in the same period had been 571 per cent. (Hear.) He believed that other commercial and manufacturing pursuits bad suffered to a similar extent. There were, for instance, most disastrous rumours in the City that day from Scotland. (Hear.) He believed that the commercial men of Manchester would admit that their business was not in quite so satisfactory a state as they could desire. The fact was, that in letting go the substance of our home trade, we had spent too much time in looking after the shadow of a foreign trade. Ile begged it to be understood that he was not for putting artificial impediments in the way of the foreigner ; but he did ask that if the foreigner was per mitted to deal in our markets he should be compelled to pay hie fair share and quota towards English burthens. He entreated of the house not to go on temporising with and reasoning against disasters which could not be gainsaid. Finally, he called upon the minister to assure himself, and to aaaure his sovereign, in the words of one whose authority would be respected, in the words of the great Lord Erskine, that " Vain arc all your hopes for your suffering . country ; for you might as well expect a tree to be flourishing in full vigour when its roots have perished and decayed, or the human body to be in active motion when palsy has reached the heart, as to see trade or commerce or manufactures of any kind or descripti on flourish when agriculture has de clined." (Cheers. Mr. LABOCC ERE thought that the arguments and statements urged by his right honourable friend, the member for Ripon (Sir James Graham) and by his right honourable friend, the Chancellor of the Ex chequer, were so conclusive oast so complete that it was altogether unnecessary for him to attempt any addition in reply to the hon. gentleman the member for Bucks. The defence of the present commercial policy must naturally depend upon the exact results produced upon the industry of the country and the prosperity of the people. Those results were ascertainable; and whether they took revenue, consumption, pauperism, exports, or Sea ports, these and every other test which could be applied would give the one answer, that there never was a period, notwithstanding the distresses of the owners and occupiers of land, which they all deplored, when the great branches of the industry of the country, when the great body of the population of the country were equally so flourishing, well off, contented, and employed. (Cheers.) About most of the fact upon which this statement was made it was im possible that there could be any dispute whatever. There were nevertheless exceptions ; and he was ready to admit that there did exist very serious depression in the iron trade. Now it was necessary that attention should be called to the circumstances in which that trade stood, and to the reasons, which lay on the sur face, why that particular branch of industry was excluded from the admitted general prosperity. He thought on ex amination it would be found that thus exceptional condition of the iron trade could not in any way be attributed to the commercial legislation of late years. It was a fact that no branch of industry had been developed of late years with such extraordinary rapidity as the iron trade. The development of that trade had been indeed unprecedented in its must:now; rapidity. In 1830 we made only 678,000 tons of iron. In 1843, we had so far advanced, that we made 1,248,000 tons. Since the latter year, however, a great collapse had taken place. The extension of the railway system had caused a great extension of the iron trade, and when the stimulus derived from the railway system ceased, there war a natural de- Pia prima adutls Qaed mtrint verb, Omit roadster ab tuba. (Cheers) As he had said from whence they could least expect it—from Rochdale. (Hear, bear .) From the brow of Bright, brothers. (Loud cheers.) It had been dis covered through their means that by an invention in science the flax stalk might be used to great advan tage, and fa diminution of the cost in mixture with cotton wool, sheep.' wool, and even, as he had been informed, with silk wool. (Cheers.) The loss of the potato crop ve - :.s doubtless a severe infliction, but he could con sider no cis sensation of Pros idence More remarkable than that it should have become the means, by the aid of science and skill, of overcoming the difficulty consequent upon the diminution of the supply and the increase in pries of the raw material of our principal manufacture. By this dis covery we should be in a great degree made independent of ' the foreign supply of the great staple of our manufacture; and if the cultivators of flax met with due encouragement, they would hear but little more, he was confident, of the distresses of the weavers of Carlisle. But there was another important result which might be expected from it, viz., that it would lead to the introduction of new capital in the cultivation of the land, land in increasing the fertility of the soil. (Cheers.) Ile would pass from the condi tion of the hand-loom weaver, of Carlisle to the state of the landlord and the farmer. He had not for the last five years ch limed two tenants paying him a rent of more than 1001. a year—(hear, hear) —and he had not at this moment an arrear of 3001, em the whole of his property. (Hear, hear.) Then with regard to his own neighbour, and, as he was proud to call him, his esteemed friend, the Duke of Buccleuch, one of the largest landed proprietors in the south of Seotland, with whom, it might be remembered, that he had differed as to the policy of the change in the corn-laws. Had he any farm unlet at this moment which he desired to let ? lied he not, un the con trary, at this moment both in Roxburgthire and Dumfries let land on the f tiling in ofleases recently ire every case with out any diminution of rent at all ? And, if he were not very much misinformed, the fee-simple value of land in Scotland generally, so far from falling off, had positively increased since the repeal of the corn laws. (Cheers from the ministerial benches.) Ho had said that he had no farms to let, but he could conceive that since the repeal of the corn laws much competition for land had arisen from quarten.itpart from the farmers; such as shopkeepers r.tiring from business, small merchants in country towns, attracted Ily the pleasures of acountry life, and of the occupation of agriculture, per wins distinct from those who embarked in that pursuit as their means of living. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) He should have thought that the country gentlemen would have been the last to raise a laugh at that assumption. (Hear, hear.) What he meant was, that many persons of small capital in the eount7 towns were now ready, the moment being favourable, to invest their gains in farming, and that in consequence the competition for farms 119 they fell out of lease was unusually great ; and he knew that he might have men of good capital of that description to take his farms at a higher rent as the leases fell in, if he desired to change his tenants. (Hear, hear.) But he could take another test, the operation under the Enclosure Act and the reclaiming waste lands. (Hear.) Were the attempts to bring waste lands under cultivation in various parts of the country falling off? (Hear.) Ile was reminded by one ease that occurred to his memory, of a melancholy event—for it was connected with the name of a noble lord now no more, with whom he had once lived on terms of great intimacy, but betweeu him and whom various circumstances had unfortunately led to a difference, a man of great talent, great strength of mind, and great perseverance in pursuing objects, in the selection of which no man had ever shown greater sagacity —he alluded to the late Lord G. Ilentinek. (Hear, hear.) That noble lord, he recollected, was mainly instrumental in promoting and carrying forward the scheme fur winning from the sea what was now culled another English county. (Cheers.) At that noble lord's death that enterprise re mained incomplete, but had it since been abandoned ? By no means. '1 he attempt to recover from the sea Victoria County was proceeding with uudiminished energy, and 60,000 acres were about to be added to the territory of this isband by the exertions of a body of energetic men cm barkeduaretherin acompanyto reclaim at least half a county. Were we correct in our estimate as to the real cost of pro duction in this country ? lie remembered the discussion that took place in 1815, when Iffis. was stated as the mini mum of the remunerative price; but it might be said that was under a depreciated currency. Well, then came the discussion in 1827, when the currency had been placed on a sound basin; and the price then filed as the minimum was ' not 80s., but 60s. In 1812 the 60s. price was abandoned, and I Ms. was fixed as the minimum remunerative price ; and now he believed the landed interest—he used the term in the *ewe in which it hailbeen used in that debate, meaning by the landed interest the landlord and the farmer —he believed now they would be quite content to abandon 36a, and be thank ful and satisfied with 48s. or 465. as a remunerative price. (Hear.) What he wished, then, to observe was, that this matter of remunerative price was more dependent upon the skill and industry of the grower, than upon any fixed or I certain sum that might be taken. (Hear.) Then to talk of disturbing causes. Were there not under the old corn law disturbing causes, more operative and more extensive in their results than any that existed now ? The noble mar quis, accustomed to the old rule of reasoning on this sub jeet, had spoken of the natural produce of this country at 24,000,000 quarters of wheat. Grant that estimate to be correct. If in any ono year that amount was exceeded by a million quarter*, the effect on the market was more in ternee and more powerful than any that now occurred ander the system of more extended markets. (Cries of " hear, hear.") He remembered th" year 1822, when Mr. Weston moved for his committee. At that time prices Ltd risen inordinately in consequence of two or three bad harvests. The result was that a large amount of capital MIS thrown into the cultivation of the land, a greater breadth of wheat was sown, the supply became greater than the average, and down went the price to 445., as the average of the entire year, and for about six weeks he believed it was as low as 40s. But even that was not equal to the fall in price that occurred in 183.5, the average for which year was but 395. 2d. and when for six weeks the price stood below anything it had reached under the largest importations we had bad under free trade. (Hear, bear.) But in consider * this part of the question he could not lose sight of the Chet that in the Channel Islands, within sight of Ragland, during all the time of our restrictive system free trade exists , and from their vicinity to us there was t be ver t ut i r r eat ow te n mp c til s tion top retaintMn. Basut much l t w co as m tre price possible f wheat in the Channel Islands at that time ? For a long series of years it was just 40s. a qr. lie would not venture to make any prediction as to the future price of corn in this country. (Hear, hear.) But this I say (continued the right hon. baronet?), the time has arrived when it must be left to find its =tend level. (Cheers.) For any legislative in terference to enhance it, and to create en artificial price, I say those days are put. (Cheering.) I say there is no ploughboy that treads the soil of this coun try who does not feel practically his ' condition improved within the last three years, and he knows the reason why. (Loud cheers from the ministerial aide of the house.) I tell you there is not a shepherd on the moist distant and barren hills of Scotland who does not now have daily a cheaper and a larger mess of porridge than be ever had before ; and he also knows the reason why. (More cheering.) I tell you there is not a weaver in the humblest Lancashire who has not a fuller and a better meal C°th2.34rC in ever had before, and that without any fall in wages, and he also knows the reason why. (Renewed and reite rated cheers) We must tell truth now. (Hear, hoar.) The time has arrived when the truth must be fully spokes. (Cheers.) I will mention one other clam: there is not a soldier who returns to England from abroad who does not practically feel that his pay is augmented, and that he has daily a cheaper, larger, and a better mess, and enjoys greater comfort) than he ever did before—and he also knows the reason why. (Cheers.) The objection he entertained to the present motion was that it implied, though it did not state, an approxima tiou to the reversal of the present policy. (Hear, bear.) Be objected to it on that ground; but he objected to it also that it was vague, illusory, and presented nothing tangible. (Cheers.) It had been said by the mover of it, " rdo lot mak your vote in favour of any specific proposal—that is not my objet ; but it is right to ask you to COON to a specific con clusion. I ask you by your vote to exprrea • strong opinion that it is the duty of the government to consider fully throe measures and methods of relieving agricultural distress at which I have glanced." He (Sir J. Graham) thought It lie duty to vote against a proposal the certain extent and tendency of which he could not understand. (Cheers.) Not only was the motion vague, but the speech bywh it was preememi tens ogpally so. It presented to the tonal _ of dm brow a great many things which were de siSred bat which the mover did not seek to eimmen; liphigray things which he thought desirable, and Ir ma be yawed as remedies, but which he refused to =Tgthetrs.) Now, he would deal with th e fi rs t wasert which was the prohibition to grow totem*. New, it meet be apparent that the existing duty on tobaceo, either continued or remitted, must produce one of two son sequences. If remitted, tobacco would be of impala:de j=sin this country, and tobacco from all quarters, from sad from many parts of "Europe, would come in at mutat& lower price, and the revenue would be sacrificed without any advantage to the landed:interest. (Hear.) If, en the other hand, we were to propose to grow tobacco, matinuing the present duty, we should have protection in its most absurd and objectionable form. They would, in bet, be offering a premium to the full amount of the duty pression in the iron teethe The hoa. gentleman (Mr. i Under these circumstances he could not deity that Booker) was aware that some two or three years ago the it had become necessary for any one who wished to do iron tweeters had erected new furnaces, and that, though ' justice to vote with the hon. member for Buckinghamshire these furneces were no longer required, they could not be . —nay, if they meant to do c omm o n justice—if they = in fact, stopped without a very considerable loss. As it was, how- meant anything hut barefaced and malignant injustice— ever, the iron furnaces now established in this count 7 they must take that course. (Cheers.) He had sty rag be were capable of producing 2,000,000 cwt. of iron at this lief in the energies of his countrymen ; they could bear moment. But the hon. gentleman ' omitting all consideration great burdens when they believed they were imposed as to the aitered position of the railway system, seemed to equally on all shoulders. (Hear, hear.) But nothing suppose that the distresses of the iron trade had their createdsuch a feeling of dissatisfaction and discontent as engin in diminished imports and exports. Now this was the oonsciowness on the part of any elms of the community contrary to the feet. He (Mr. Lahouchere) nnind that the that they were singled out to bear the heaviest load. exports of iron in 1845 were 352,000 tons; that in ISI9 they (Hear, hear.) He should support the motion, for every were 70,000 tons; and that, in 1810, when we exported a man who would act upon the sunset of doing unto others larger quantity than in any other year, they were 772,000 as he would they should do unto hint had no alternative tons. This rendered it quite clear that the difficulties of the hut to vote for the motion. irou trade could not be attributed to any falling off in the Mr. CARDWELL said that his hon. friend the member foreign demand fur English iron. There was no doubt that I for Yorkshire (Mr. Cayley) had begun his address by saying if foreign countries liberalised their tariff in this respect i that he asked for justice and not for protection, and had they would contribute to our advantage , and doubtless, l passed on to a speech of continual impeachment of those also, secure same great advantages for themselves. And if great measures by which he (Mr. Cardwell) contended that it were for the interest of this country to cripple and confine the pressure of a crisis unparalleled had been greatly miti the manufacturing energies of other countries, of France gated, and the peace, the loyalty, and the safety of this and eiermany especially, then, as an Englishman, there country had been insured in times of more than ordinary was nothing which he would so much desire as to see difficulty. (Hear, hear.) The honourable gentleman our cuntiueutal rivals taking iron ut double the natural (Mr. Cayley) must have been in some Arcadian place price, and so placing on themaelves a burthen and restric- of retirement if, after the repeal of the duty on bricks and tion which would effectually prevent them properlydevelop- the alteration of the stamp and sugar duties, he expected ing their resources. That restriction he would 'Loire to see the revenue of the country to be larger than it hid been in rival commercial and agricultural nations, but he would before thole alteratiens hail taken place. (Hear, heir.) It more especially desire to sec it operating in ship-building was a circumstance most encouraging and confirming to the and ship-ovrinug countries. But, as it was not the interest political philosopher to find that the value of the exports of of Englund to dieable her neighbours, so he did not rejoice this year have reached the extent which they have done. at vieoing the restrictions which were maintained : for it The hon. gentleman (Mr. Cevley) had raid that in the days was now being every day more and more admitted that the of protection he hail recollectid of an increaeo of 11 millions. prosperity of Emitted depended upon the concurrent pros- He (Mr. Cardwell) had before him a table of the exports, perity:of her neighbours. 'f leers was a considerable increase and he could find no such case on record. Beene these free both of foreign and English shim, during the last year trade measures had begun the highest amount of exports He found that the total tonnage of vessels entering inward, on record was 53 millions per quarter, while in the year and clearing outwards with cargoes, during the three last juat expired, the exports had exceeded 70 million.. (Hear, year* was as follows : In 1848, it was lueel o , o oe tons (in hear.) In 1841 the exports had been 53 million., and in round eueileoe) •In 1849, it was 11,501,000 tons ; in 18es0, 1810 they had risen to 70 millions. He (Mr. Cayley) had it was 12,001 , 000 tuna. Now this showed a considerable gone into an argument to show that the profits had gone increase, and on which the country had reason to congratu- into the pockets of the foreign: r. If they had miumfac tete itself. It was true that the increase was greatest in hired 70 millions where they hid before only manufectured foreign ships; and that was naturally to have been expected, 53 millions—if they had made such au increase in nianufac seeing that we had just, for the tint time, opened our trade twee, he (Mr. Cardwell)) would ask where hail the profit to foreigners. But there had been no diminution whatever gone? (Hear, hear.) How many homes hail liven tied on the whole in the employment of British ships over the &nest by the additional wage's tines circulated ? (Rear, world. On the contrary, he believed the effect of the repeal hear.) The honourable gentleman (Mr. Cayley) hail told of the navigation laws had been to tend largely to an in- them that the increase in the value of their exports was crease in the employment of British ships. lie would eon- owing to the increase in the price of raw material. Ile (Mr. firm what had been remarked by the right hen. gentleman Cardwell) would ask- what had become of the large crop of the member for Ripon, as regarded those who had been cotton grown in America in 1849 ? It had all bee* spoken of as our most formidable rivals—the Americans—. manufactured, and the people of this country had derived that the increase of their tonnage trailing with this country the lion's share of the profits. (Hear, hear.) But was had been most inconsiderable ; and that whatever increase there no distinct evidence WI to where the advanteg,o had there had been, had taken place in vessels of come to ? Was there ne evidence that the coinforte of the European nations. The number and the tonnage of working classes had been increased? In 1811 the con- United States vessels in trade with the United Kingdom sumptiun of sugar had been four million cwt. ; in Isitt it during three years, exclusive of vessels in ballast, was as had been six million cots. In 1841 the oineumptiou of follows:—In 1818, 598,000 tonsentered inwards and cleared coffee had been 1,940,0001h5.; in le ill it hail risen to outwards, 551,000 tone • in 1849, 587,000 tons inwards, and 3,215,000110. (Hear, hone) In the former year the con -608,000 outwards ; in lisO, 595,000 tons inward., and 776,000 suiuption of brandy had been 1,165,030 el! lons ; lag outwards. This made it apparent that such iwrease as year it had been 2,187,000 gallons. The amount there had been in American shipping was most ineunsider- of tea consumed in 1811. had been 36,0:81,0001es.; able. But he would ask, bad there been no compensation last year it had risen to 50,000,000 its. (Hear, hear.) to the English shipowner from the opening up of new ehan- These were mostly articles on which a remeedim of duty had nets of trade? (Hear.) Ile was prepared to say that the taken place, and had the profits of our inereueed export results to British shipping in this respect were commeneurete trade gone into the pockets of the foreigner it was not at with the must sanguine expectations. Having quoted eta- all likely—nay, it was not poesible—that owls an increase fishes to prove his position, he took upon himself to say, of consumption would have taken place. The increase of without the smallest tear of contradiction from any one consumption was to be attributed to the larger amount of acquainted with the facts, that there never was a period in wages paid, and Haglund and not the foreigner hod clearly our higory when our building-yarde weremore fully occupied, secured the profit; of the increased exports. If they ex when so many ships were being built, but, above all, when ported 70 nation, of manufactures to foreign markets they such good ships were being built. (Hear, hear.) The must sea them at foreign prices. The weight of 70 millions effect of the ant-Mien in the navigation laws hail most un- of manufactured goods was a compulsory power to make questionably been to stimulate and to eucourage the inter- them evil them at the prices which prevailed in foreign glee of the English ship-builders ; and he was satisfied that markets •, and if nature compelled them to sell cheap ho the ships which now left the dockyanls of England, both a. (Mr. Cardwell) asked if the greatest entliusiaet amongst regarded sailing qualities and strength and capacity—as the protectionists would resist it. lie (Mr. Cayley) lied regarded, in fact, all those qualities in which the merchant said that in future they could not depend on the home navy should excel—were such as would successfully cone- market in slays of revolutions. lie (Mr. Cardwell) would pete with the vessels of any country in the world. (Hear.) suggest to the house that the pressure of the crisis on trade, And the house would see that this activity in our building- the crisis of railneeil expenditure, and continental revul yards was, after all, the best powilile proof of the general kens, never could have been got well over, had they not, geed effects of our r e cent commercial policy, since it was in 1812, relaxed those cramping restrictions on the trade very obvious that gentlemen would not go nit building ships end industry of the country, which bud tended im much to if they did not see a very good prospect of getting full em- produce an artificial and a dangerow state of matters. ployment fur them. He would acknowledge that there was If on the 10th April, 1848,the corn laws hail been in existence one class of British ships which at this moment were not would they not have felt that they were sitting over a vol well employed. The small and the inferior ships were cane, fearful of its explosion ; and under such circumstances lying idle; but the simple reason was that the great excl.- would they have inveged such large sums in the improve ton now being made in the improvement of our marine mcnt of agriculture? The lion. gentletnan the member for threw such ships out of the market. lie now held in his Yorkshire (Mr. Cayley) had told them that protection was hand a retum of the number of chips built and registered the remedy. during the last year as compared with former years. He Mr. CAYLEY denied that he had said eo. (Laughter.) found that in 1847 there were 9'22 ships with an aggregate Mr. CARDWELL said that if he were to understand tonnage of 145,000 tons; that in 1848 there were the hon. gentleman had abandoned protection, then ho 877 shim with a tonnage of 112,000 tons • that in 1849 must indeed say that the prospect of its being motored was there were 730 ships with a tonnage of 117,000 tons; and eneediugly small. (Laughter and" Hear, hear.") There that in 1630 there were 639 ship. with a tonnage of 133,000 were, however, gentICIIICII who were more sanguine than tons. It was remarkable in these returns that the number the hun. member. The bon. gentleman who had introdued of ships launched from our yards was decreasing, but that the present motion (Mr. Disraeli) intended to du away with the amount of tonnage launched was yearly increasing. the duty on tobacco, to repeal the malt tax, to weimilate (Hear, hear.) The explanation was that the average sire local burthens, to amend the Bank Charter Art, and then of thine ships was increasing, and the eystein now pursued iu the next session of parliament he would propose a pra wns certainly the most economical, for while a vessel of 600 tection duty of 10e. per quarter as some moderate compen tons would carry more than two vessels of 300 tons each, within for agricultural losses. she would only need one captain and one crew. lie was Mr. DISRAELI was understood to deny that lie had teething constant information on these points from the promulgated such views. Commis:Minot of Customs, and he did not hesitate to cx- Mr. CARDWELL said he was very unfortunate in re press an anticipation that next year would show a large in- gaol to his understanding of the hon. gentleman, sad tho crease in the number, the tonnage, and ale', in the quality motion he had made. (Laughter.) Ile (Mr. Cardwell) did and character, of the ships launched from building- not feel disposed to follow objections which he did not yards in Ore at Britain. (Hear, hear.) comprehend, but he did comprehend what would be the Mr. CAYLEY considered that though the statistics which effect of a Ios. duty on wheat. Mr. Cardwell con they had just heard might deceive the house, they would eluded by saying that he had a sincere, honest, surd unalte fail of deluding the country. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) ruble eolleieLloll On his mind of the propriety and the The question was not an to the navigation laws, but as to roundness of the foe trade principle, the adoption of which the burthen on land : and it was that question to which had, he believed, enabled this country to pass—not, cer the right hon. gentleman who had last 'Token, as well as tinily, without sultioing, but with mitigated sutiOring— the right hon. gentleman the member for Ripon, seemed through the greatest crisis in its history, and had enhanced strongly inclined to give the go-bye. (Hear) The latter the stability of the foundations of the crown and goveru right hon. gentleman had favoured them with his infer- ment. emcee andwith his warnings. They (the protectionists) would Colonel DUNNE supported the motion by various state much rather have had his vote. (laughter.) The first in- mints regarding the condition of Ireland. Pauperion, he &melee which the right hon. baronet had drawn from this admitted, had decreased in that country, but the reason motion was, that protection was the demand which they had was, that emigration or death had removed the paupers. made. Now, what the hon. gentlemen the member for Viscount JOCELYN collected, from all the !statements of Bucks had demanded, and what he (Mr. Cityle)•) seconded general prosperity with which they had been indundited, hint in demanding was .' justice." (Cheers.) Was it their only a stronger proof that justice was due to the class now fault if justice and protection were convertible terms ? suffering under exceptional distress. He saw in the motion (Hear, hear.) Did free-trade exi& ire the United States no insidious attempt to foster special interests, but only a or France? And, did England progress more rapidly than the p roposition affirming the propriety of discussing measures United States or France? And whentheytalkedof the amount ofjuet and necessary relief. of our bullion, and of foreign investments here, what good Mr. B. COCHRANE briefly supported the motion. had they done ? We were toeing our bullion, and our ex- Mr. COBDEN.—There have been a great many attempts changes were gradually declining. lie suspected that the to explain what is the nature of the motion before the right hon. baronet expected more from California than he house. Sonic gentlemen say that it is favourable to proWc had avowed. The bullion of France, he said, had increased tion; others, on the contrary, say that it is not; but if we in spite of her difficulties, while in the last three years our look at it with the eye of common sense we shall see that it revenue had upon an average declined, and the hon. mem- involves one of two things. What is really the object of it t her read items from the returns te show a falling off during it is either a motion to return to a duty on corn, or it is a that period in the ordinary sources of internal revenue of motion for compensation for the lows of that law. (Hear, 244,0001. The right hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer hear.) I apprehend that the object in either ewe will ho had taken the last ten years, and said that on the balance protection. (Cheers.) Now, Ido not know that I should we were 5,000,0001. better. But the same symptoms always have troubled the house after the able, comprehensive, and appeared at every period of revival after a momentary lapse, exhaustive speech of the right hon. baronet the member for and he denied that we had risen more quickly or so quickly Ripon, if it had not been that the hon. gentleman the as we had risen on every other occasion. (Hear.) Such lapses member for Bucks, in introducing his pmposition, seemed had occurred in 1822 and 1824 ; in 1636 and 18.37, from the to ground his claims on the assumption that in passing the distress in 1834 and in 1846 from the distress of 1845. act of repeal we had agreed that certain prices should Twee were repealed in 1822 amounting to two million, odd, thereafter be obtained for corn. Ile then quoted the' and in 1823 to four millions odd, making in round numbers speeches of right honourable gentlemen on the Treasury upwards of six millions of taxation remitted fn those two bench, and of other hon. gentlemen who had expressed years. The hon. member here recapitulated the varying their opinion that prices would range at a certain level. amounts of the revenue from the year 1831 to 1846, showing Having shown that those prices could not be realised, the that it had risen even iu those years when considerable re- hon. gentleman then comes before the house, and before the ductions ware made in taxation, WI in 1836 when 985,0001. country, and thinks that he has got a fair claim for cora of taxes were remitted; and in years when the expenditure pensaton. Now, as I had Rome share in the long and of the country was increasing and the price of corn also ; wearisome discussion previous to the pawing of the mea and he argued that the figures showed a tenfold rise in the sure, and subsequent to it, I must be allowed to state my revenue during those days of protection than they had en- own principles and my own views upon the matter. I have joyed under the present system since the inMosluction of never, then, given the slightest encouragement to such a free trade. He took a similar line of argument with respect doctrine; and I cannot proceed to grant compensation on Ito the alleged decrease in the poor rates. A comparison any such assumption, because lam prepared to show that of amounts between different districts had been made, in the whole course of my arguments upon this question, I and the reductions shown were saluted with a flourish of never so much as offered an opinion what the price of corn trumpets in honour of free trade as having been the cause of would be. (Cries of " Oh, oh!") Let hon. gentlemen them; he argued that the facts showed the reverie, and who cry " Oh, oh!" only have the industry to look quoted the figures to show that the average of the poor rates through the records of my opinions in " Hansard," and for the three years prior to the introduction of the new coin- then I challenge them to bring a single instance where I martial system was less than during the three lag years of said any thing about price. (Cheers.) I always argued the het trade. The average of the year' 1844, 1645, and 1846 question on totally different principles. I said again and was 4,969,0001., while the average of 1848, 1849, and 1850 again, I don't care what the price of corn may be so that we wee 6,738,0001., showing an increase of nearly a million. have corn at the price of the world's market. That was the This result surprised him, for no man knew the country argument I always took. (Cheers.) Will the hon. gentle better than the right hon. gentlemen, and if a minister were man tell me that the landed proprietors have, one with wanted for this country whose qualifications should be another, made a reduction of 10 per cent. on their rents? pounded on a thorough knowledge of the whole country and (Load cheers.) Well, but I have information which 1 will Lb affair's, he should say that the right hon. baronet was the not make use of at present, of many distinguished per m= ; and, knowing the extraordinary extent and accuracy swages who have made no reduction of rent ut all. 'of the right hen gentleman's information on such subjects, (Cheers) But let me ask you farther, if you have suffered he was the more surprised at some of the statements he a reduction of 10 per cent., do you think that you are the had made. The hon. member then went into the cotes- only class in the community, during the last four or five tion of exports, denying, what had been alleged, that this years, that have had leases? (Cheers.) Take those, for in n was the highest year ; that was, if they reckoned in the stance, who have capital in mines. Don't you think thateoal ' calculation the advance which had taken place in the raw mining has not been subject to these losses during the lad material—and he supposed that the right hon. gentleman four years ? (Cheers.) Take again those who have invested would admit that the price of the raw material had some- their property in railways during the last three or four , thing to do with the ultimate value ; and then the question years. Have they suffered no losses ? (Cheers) With arose, how much of the raw material remained to be con- respect to the iron trade also, there are hon. gentlemen who sumed in the country : and if three-fourths of the gross will tell you that it has not been all profit during the last amount of cotton imported here went abroad, there would three or four years ; and even some branches of the cotton be some eight or mne millions to be deducted from the trade have not been so very prosperous. (Cheers.) If that exports. He had already told them that in respect of the be so, will any hon. gentleman come to this house and pre poor rates also they had suffered by comparison with sumo to say that the owners of land end farms alone have former years, and all these turns and collapses were in any right to be compensated for their losses ? (Cheers.) , fact the result of our own mal-legislation. (He ar , h ear .) The e ff e cts of free trade on farmers have been very various. ' There was much distress in 1821; but in 1824 there was In some very heavy dry lands the farmer will have prosperity. The increase between those two years in the great difficulties to encounter—(hear, hear)—but near large lexports was 1,777,0001. In 1831 there was distress, in 1836 towns which they have to supply with potatoes and other prosperity, and between those two years much depression produce the farmers have not been doing a bad or unprofif prevailed. The total increase of exports' in years of proles. able business. (Cheers.) But you come to the house and ties he estimated at 12,760,0001. If that w er e so, what ask to give a general compensation to all landowners and beam of all the boasting when he showed th a t the poor farmers. (Hear, hear.) What you ask us to do is, that wo rates had not in fart decreased, and that the revenue had not who represent shopkeepers, merchants, manufacturers, and 1 inwowed ? Did not the facts show that under the protec- others, should come here and legislate for the interests onl elm system the revenue had increased more rapidly than of the owners and occupiers of farms. (Cheers.) Now, I , e w xpo he rt n it tr zs e, sai t d he t re hat w th a : ' under the system of free trade? The right hon. the Press- object to this attempt of the hon. gentleman, and to the w to e ld ni ns us dent of the Board of Trade, had remarked that in 1847 and proposition of a right hon. lord, who, in another place, has that : ha t we it m f us rom tm th ak cnn tio e n r. , and w . th the . t our lB4B re nt w reast a p ulia r"Tec ea t ti o s f fa h rtn in ry g make a oftheta taxation , reflection, that the home trade remained healthy of other classes. (Cheers.) But the other classes won't in consequence of high or at least remunerating prices. endure it. (Cheers.) Betides the hon. - gentlemen does But could it be expected in th e present day that home trade not tell us exactly what he wishes to do. He says he does profits would keep us up unless California came to our aid? not intend to increase the property tax, and he does He foresaw there would be a monetary pressure e it was not intend to increase the taxes on articles of con already looming over in the distance, and if it should come nunption. Then what is he going to do ? You there would be more reason to complain of the want than are all mute. I ask you, do you propose to there had been of the presence of protection. (Hear, hear.) increase the income tax, or tho duties on the custom' ? You