The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-09 00:00:00

MR. GLADSTONE AT WAKEFIELD.

On Tuesday, the Wakefield Liberal Association took
advantage if Mr. Gladstone's visit to Thorries-honse,.
the residence of Mr, id. Miltreis Gaakell, to present him
with an address.
Mr. Gladstone, in reply, said :
"iiennomen, I am not less grateful for the address which
you have been so kind as to present to Me upon the ground
of the circumstance that I anticipated no manifestation of
this kind upon combo to Wakefield to pay a visit to one of my
oldest, kindest, and most valuable friends. But the warmth of
heart which distinguishes the people of thiscountry and I think
certainly the inhabitants of the northern part of this country
awl of Yorkshire possibly m a special degree, hash,' you to :svail
yourself of the opportunity of exProssing the very kind and in-
dulgent sentiments towards me, arid Ina given my excellent
and respected friend an opportunity of showing Ids courtesy
towards us, to enable on to meet together under Isis hospi-
table roof. You appear here, gentlemen, as the representa-
tives of the Liberal Association for the borough of Wakefield
and perhaps it is not too much to say that, as we have now
had in full operation a popular system of representation for
the last to years, the experience of that 441 yours has in a
great degree proved that the party which is known as the
Liberal party is upon the whole the stronger In this country.
(Cheers., Not that I think it is likely to absorb and mper-
Bede the other party. It is not desirable that it should sliper-
Bede the other party, nor is It possible RIM I, for my inrt,
always feel that every political party to .be sound mat
healthy In Itself has very great interest in having the other
political party sound anti healthy also. You cannot have
one of the two great parties which divide publi.• sentiment
In this country seriously depressed in its moral tone without
the rnintirgion, so to speak, spreading to the other ; and there-
("re, in this sense, gentlemen, I am prepared to say, 1001 I
am sure you will agree with me, that we are hearty well
wishers to our political Opponents. (lateen.) At the saute
thne, while we wish them all manner of good, I cannot say I
extend the benevolent net so far as to wish to see tht n, the
predominent party in this country." ,Laughter and cheers.)
THE SECRET OF SIR ROBERT PEEL'S SUCCENS.
°The sentiment that the people di England has shown upon
every OCCUItiOII of a dissolution of Parliament since the Ile-
form Act of 1832, with one single exception—namely, In US
is a disposition to give a predominant force to the Liberal
party within the walls of the House of Commons, and rot ex-
perienCe Or long is one that is not very likely to inc reversed.
Now, why wait that that exception- that marked exception
- -occurred in 10411 Sir It. Peel was the chief 14 the Cioiser-
vett ve party, and he was is man of very liberal tone of mind
- unfortunati ly, as it SOoll appe:ded, rather too liberal per-
manently to occupy the position which he so 114,0 occluded
with distinction, lint there was this particular feature in the
charm. to and policy of Sir it Peel which I should be very glad
to see his succe,sors, if I may an call them, the leaders and
members of the Comervative party, emulate in all times,
that their peculiar sq ' did not prevent them com-
peting with the Liberal party In rendering service to the
1/11,111ellit Interests of the country. There are various subjects
will, fir instance, take the one of a rational foreign
policy. I know no reason why the Masservative party should
not fairly compete with the Liberal party in a career of that
kind. There have been times when the members of that
party have laid too much sympathy for despotic iiistitutions
abroad, Mit they have never embraced that creed as a party.
and my friend in whose presence I have had the pleasure of
being presented to you has been during the whole, if my re-
collection one or the most ardent and one if the most con-
sistent friends of Italian freedom." (('heers.)
FINANCIAL AND PCBLIC ECONOMY.

" There Is another class of subjects of most vital import-
ance to the people of this country—the class of subjects m-
lating generally to administration of financial and public
economy. I venture to think it is not too much to say—l think
It will lie generally admitted—that at the dissolution of loaf,
when Sir It. Peel was at the head of the Consort:Aim party,
the two parties in the State did compete for tic. purpose of
bringing into operation a judicious enonomy and retrench-
ment in national affairs which was not followed op with equal
consistency and determination in all subsequent years. As
regards finance it is certainly indisputable that sir Holrert
Peel showed with respect to finance a atrietns of principle
awl a determination awl a is lU in the management which
materially contributed to give him the victory he won, and
It is moat desirable that tic's., whom we call our political op-
ponents should compete with no on subjects of this kind. I
trust that they will do so, and I trust that the competition
will induce us to make greater efforts for the welfare of
the industries of the country."
WHAT 'FREE TRADE HAM DONE.

You have gone over in the address the most prominent
subjects that have occumod attention in recent experiene,
the great subjects of Free Trade, Public lEconeetny, the
Government Id treland, the Reform of the may, the esta-
blishment ot what you judiciously call the foundation of a
national nun comprehensive system of Educatini, and the
liallet lull. I woll't take up your time by dwelling npon '
these different subjecta ill general, but there are elle or two
Upon which I wish to say a few words. And first with
regard to the subject of i'ree Trade. It would be a very ex- ,
treme assumption and, indeed, it would be as absurd
assumption to suppose that nothing but Free Trade had !
brought fibula the present development of the wealth and
material lamer of this country. We know that the agency of
steanw and the telegraph also, but certainly- the agony of
steam, in particular, has developed ill the vast railway
systetu in the eountry, has given all impetus to trade 31111
0.1111111 ree, and produced results the 311101111 i of which it is
uliliheulit to memmre; yet I conceive that we are of opinhti
that tile establishment if freedom of trade mot of a general
disposition to remove from tnule every possiide restriction
and every possible burden, excepting the hard ll of those
charges will, are absolutely necessary to maintain the
revenue (4 this country, has been the main agent In raising
the e.,oinierce If the I tilted Kingdom to that exam irdinaly
isisition it has now attained. I apprehend that 1 tun stating
the matter very nioderatcly if I put it thus, that in the
course of the last :30 years our population has Increased
sonic, hole abcut 2:i or 30 per cent, while our trade is
the smile period has increased ill the ratio .4 certahily
something not 1101011 under 400 per cent. This is a very
evtraonlinary result, and the reason I Mention it is
this, we might have hoped that the beneficial ex-
perience this country and other c tries have had of the
effects of the attempts at the liberation of commerce, we
might have hoped that the tratbs of political ceom,my
would by this time have become the truisms, mid that no
one w mild have thought of bringing them into unction,
but.would vie with each other in the endeavour to establish
that which we have already thew slid to extend and develop
it in the flame. I venture to express my regret that this is
tntl/11ite the case beyond the lillltiB of our en, ei country,
there is not that pi, :dole, of enli:zhtene.l eke, uleot tire
4101.4.• t. ti1:11. Ile 1.11,i1e 111 Alllelie3. 3!tilellell it lAi sEv.mg
Flee I'ra.le !hoty. yet the prevalence of these of-iihnis is by
3,111131. ill elle telll 1011.13....1, 1 only h with I:eett
re:4l, t our •.wo Cel•wit s there arc very tinoe, mot on-
shit rah', t,loleheies Ow arils the e6tal.:itatu:at ui wihe.no
I cull the exploded system of Protection."