The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-13 00:00:00

DIR. CHAPLIN ON PROTECTION.

On Tuesday a meeting of the landowners, tenant
farmers, and labourers of Lincolnshire was held in
the Mission Hall of the county town, under the pre-
sidency of Earl Brownlow, Lord Lieutenant of the
county, in reference to the present agricultural de-
pression. Amongst those present were Mr. Chaplin,
M.P., Mr. Lawrence, M.P., Mr. Heath, M.P.,
Colonel Eyre, M.P., Mr. Fitch-Hatton, Mr. Kerans,
M.P., and Sir John Astley. Mr. Chaplin, who was
loudly cheered, supported a resolution urging upon
the Government the necessity of averting by ade-
quate measures the dangers arising from the
continued and increasing agricultural depression,
especially in the corn-growing districts of the
country. The right hon. gentleman said that at
last the prophecies of those who objected to the
repeal of the corn laws were beginning to be literally
fulfilled. (Cheers.) The depression in the corn-
growing districts wasincressing rather than diminish-
ing. The result. of the destruction of the wheat-grow-
ing industry would be a heavy loss in the annual pro-
duction of wealth, an enormous displacement of
labour, and the practical dependence of the English
people for their staple food on importation from
foreign countries. No Government could ignore these
dangers. Some people advocated an import duty upon
wheat. (Cheers, and a cry of Shame.) He desired
to be absolutely frank. The question of imposing
taxation which would increase the price of food to the
mass of the people was so grave that it should be
settled by the people themselves, and until he had
proof that the people of this country desired it and
were prepared for it, he, for one, was not prepared to
impose an import duty upon wheat. (Hear, hear.)
There was another thing which would place the people
of this country in a different position in which tney
would not be dependent entirely upon foreign supplies
--viz., a duty upon fcreign manufactured articles im-
ported into this country. He did not see why there
should not be a considerable reform in the
fiscal system by which their taxation might be
lightened, and the foreign producer who used our
markets be compelled to pay his fair share towards the
revenue of this country. (Cheers.) We had not for
many years a Chancellor of the Exchequer more
likely to lend a sympathising ear to their complaints
than his noble friend Lord Randolph Churchill.
(Renewed chem.) In a singularly able speech
delivered in 1884 Lord Randolph Churchill, describ-
ing the present condition of British industry and how
it was affected by our present methods of raising
revenue, said, "Turn your eyes where you will, survey
any branch cf British industry you like, you will find
the signs of mortal disease," and then later on, "What
has produced this state of things? Free imports?
lam not sure. I should like an inquiry, but*l sus-
pect free imports of the murder of our industries
much in the same way as if I found a man standing
over a corpse and plunging his knife in it I should
suspect that man of homicide." (Cheers.) That
was a very significant statement, which showed
the direction in which the ' natural sym-
pathies of their present Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer pointed. He was a man of courage, and
if he once convinced himself that a reform of this
nature was really for the public good and that it was
possible he would not shrink from the task because of
its magnitude and the difficulties it presented. (Hear,
hear.) It would not be right for them, however, to
expect too much from the Government. No Govern-
ment could carry out a reform such as was indicated
in the resolution against the public opinion of the
country. On the other hand no Government could
resist it if public opinion was in its favour. (Cheers.)
What then was the moral he drew from this? It was
that what they had to do was to educate public
opinion upon this matter. He trusted their example
would be followed by many other counties throughout
the country, and earnestly did he trust that they
might be instrumental in paving the way for the re-
storation of the commercial and agricultural pros-
perity of the United Kingdom. The resolution was
carried, and other resolutions were passed.