The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-24 00:00:00

ghe erpreoo.

TO CORRIMPONMINTS.

if erond !Whim of "The ISepreee," eeetatatno ;he 131710 eventere
Oasette,"is publibed every Tertiay mad Friday COI, la MN
ler poet.
I.lvetteeseestelateuded foe "The lizproe," Lett:dna pew,
taw te et the (pr
et Bouverit-etreet, Tye t.'eleek es the
C.,
of pebileedee.

2110 H WATER AT LONDON BRIDGN.
Tom DLT—Marniag, Ob Us .Arcerisnee. Oa bigh.
Thagoanow—Mornlag, Ib. I 1 as Afterimage, Ib. 20. a.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24.

Ir the spirit of Sir ROBERT PEEL could last
night have re-visited the scene of his old labours and
successes in St. Stephen's, it is doubtful whether
surprise, indignation, or disgust must have found mas-
tery in his breast. There, in the midst of some hundreds
of the men who took part in the legislation of 1846,
were the old speakers going again over the old
ground with all the old facts and arguments le rength-
ened, however, by the present national prosperity
begotten of free trade ;—yet with some circumstances
of the drama how strangely ehanged ! Mr. VILLIERS was
still asking forcommercial justice to be done, but in this
instance bisdemand was for final ratification of asystem
which a thriving nation had chosen a new Puha-
' ment to confirm ; whilst over against him stood the
old Mephistopheks in the new guise of a Nlin is. er, with
" unlimited competition" now on his lips, in-
stead of the ancient shibboleth " protection to native
industry :"—" remedial measures" and " remedial le-
gislation" being the new guise for the landlord
claim to high rents. How sternly the departed
statesman would have listened to the spes eli in which
this juggle was propounded, exhibiting as it did the
turning of a political coat :—• penitent without
sincerity, &confession without grace.
Mr. VILLIERS'S motion having provoked the Tory
amendment, Mr. 1 lime veLl has been compelled to
say something about Free Trade, but in doing so
last night, ho prefaced the very word with a sneer
about the platform, and mixed up what he h*d to
tell with ill•feeling towards a class. With an
awkward affectation of candour, be admitted that
the government could not now reverse the policy
which has saturated the country with prosperity, but
he did this without calling himself a I.' rye- trader,—and
in the very same breath denied the propriety of affirm-
ing the justice or the wisdom of the policy of 1848.
With cool audacity that would have dune credit
to Robert Macaire, Mr. DISRAELI declared that he
and the Protectionists always had hut one care—only
one anxiety—only one wish. Their sire was " for
the labourers "—their interest " for labour." This,
from the advocates of dear bread, is unparalleled.
He denied that Protection had ever, since 1816, been
asked on account of the " suffering of a class." The
Tories. he declared, had never really opposed the new
Bread Law,the new Sugar Law, or the new Naviga-
tion Law. They had never opposed anything or
anybody ' • they did not ask for office—not they ;
they kad been put there by Lord JOHN RUSSKLL,
who had gone out of his own accord, and for the
purpose of giving place to Lord Heim ; whilst
the present PREMIER'S programme was merely ono
of " compromise and conciliation." With the skill
which has recently been made manifest, he quoted
garbled passages from other men's speeches, to show
how everybody else had done exactly what everybody
in the present ministry wanted to do and meant to
do. Ho pointed significantly to the defeat by only
10 votes, of his proposition in 18.51, for tho removal
of burthens, and without giving pledges or promises
or really definite indications, he would have the land-
lords behind him look anxiously for the great benefits
which, from the same fertile source, would soon be
looming in their future. He was resolved not
to disturb Free Trade (because he has not the power),
but means to get compensation (when he can(.
The tongue that had maligned PEEL, after playing
last night fast and loose with P eels opin ion s—slavered
PALMERSTON and puffed GLADSTONE in the most
nauseous way. Mr. DISRAELI fished for Peelite votes
by baiting his hook with praise of their lenders;
but men who had courage to vote for Free Trade in
1846, when Mr. DISRAELI denounced it as ruinous,
are not likely to be hooked with the Johns-like tiat-
tory of that same Mr. DISRAELI in 1852, when the
ruin ho foretold has been converted into unparalleled
prosperity ; and when he who now desires to hold
office in the sunshine of that prosperity is the very
man who exerted all his power to prevent its yeah-
sation.

Altogether Mr. DISRAELI'S speech was a voluble
and crafty, but undignified and unsuccessful, expla-
nation of the conduct of the Tories from 1846 to the
present time. It was clear he had in hand a task
of difficulty : his real object being to throw dust in
the eyes of the honest Protectionists,—to cajole the
Peelites,—to bully the Whirs,--and flatter the new
members whose votes Mr. FORBES M'ILENZIE has not
been able to secure. Of course everything like plain
statement was as much as possible to he avoided.
The ingenuity of the speaker was to be called into play
to hide as far as possible—behind magnified-versions
of the admissions of their opponents,—all those points
which could tell against his party; to talk two
hours and say as little as he could on the one subject
needful,—to lead as far astray as possible those wish-
ing tobe deluded ;—and to play up to any voters whose
minds were yet undecided on the great topic of the
debate. The result was an oration much more
original than that on WELLINGTON, and certainly
very much more dull;—volable in words, but dis-
Exjointed in illustration, and illogical in argument.
Except when a personal sarcasm lighted up the
dreary exhibition, or a small joke (for the smallest
are acceptable in dull hours) gave excuse for a laugh,
an " Oh, oh," or a partisan cheer, the speech was •
dull apology for shameless political tergiversation.
Three phrases frequently repeated in the course of
his harangue told—more plainly than any vouchsafed
statement—his real views. He talked of the " Pro-
tectionist party "—he called the demand for a ratifi-
cation of Free Tracts a " vexatious proceeding "—and
he spoke of "remedial measures" and " remedial
legislation." This, with his reference to the project
for putting the Poor Law charges on the Con-
solidated Fend, explains most palpably his object.
It means not real Free Trade—not a hearty adherence
to the policy of 1846—not a ratification of the wis-
dom and jrutice of cheap food and unfettered indus-
try—but such • translation of the words "unlimited
cam lion" as shall enable Mr. DISRAELI to keep
in , and to use the possession of office for the
r:
ear l i est possible reshifting of taxation. He does not
mean honest penitence, but he does mean " compen-
sation ; " he does mean taking taxes off the land to
put it on the towns; and in this way it is clear he
and Lord DERBT have cajoled the deluded Protee-
tionists to follow him once more into the slough of
delusion and disgrace. We say delusion, because if
it were possible for the affirmation of Mr. Vatteaelf
motion :to be rejected, the country would at once
rise in revolt against any unfair shifting of taxation.,
and we say disgrace, because it is nothing less than
disgraceful for the landlords to follow any longer so
shameless and so impudent an impostor in a road
leading directly towards national injustice.
The drama of the night was fitly wound up by
the surprise of Lord YALMERSTON'S proposition.
Has the Ex-Foreign Secretary made a compact with
the Tories? or is he fearful that Lord JOHN Rrnstm
should get back again to place? or did the dullness
of Mr. DISRAELI, last night, lead him to believe a
new leader is wanted for a new semi-Conservative

party P Ile assumed last evening the character of
Peace-maker—he may prove to be a Marplot.
The verdict now to be pronounced is full of interest;
and if the present Parliament rashly decide upon
keeping itself distinct from the feeling of the country,
the consequences must some day be most disastrous.
The Tories admit that the appeal to the constituen-
cies of the empire has been favourable to Free Trade.
If the electors are Free Traders how much
ifficure so are the non-eleetoni, and how much
stronger their determination to submit to no juggle.
Yet the Free Trade supported by the constituencies
st the hosting. is that real bona fide Free
Trade involved in Mr. Viumts's motion—what the
constituencies and the non-electors have gone for, is
the ratification of the policy of 1846. If the Par-
liament could be cajoled by Mr. DISRAELI, or by
Lord PALMERSTON, or by any other leader, or
would-be leader, into accepting the sham in-
stead of the substance, they would assuredly be
sowing the seeds of wide-spread discontent and
be laying the necessary f- " •
national agitation.
night is fraught
It must be regarded
Mike of struggles, in

essary fotiodatione for another
The debato commenced lad
with tho 'greatest results.
u tho crow= act I
which one ids
°-/ t', X
•
t.,''rs:',l • ' , ...s
4 . •••'.% Ac .
1. ' ' ...-7s •
A 4., ) ! rn,
It (4 .
*A "
74
%