The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-14 00:00:00

-'-"............,..................MM111.1.‘111

THE ELECTIONS.

BURY.

Mr. Frederick Peel addressed hie friends, for
the second time, in the Town-ball, Bury, on Monday even-
ing. The adini:nien was by ticket, and there was a crowded
arembll Mr. RICPIARD Asstrox presided.
Mr. ALOOOMAN WALKER moved that Mr. Peel was a
fit and peeper person to represent Bury, urging that it
would be a greater compliment to their late townmsau, Sir
Hobert Peel, to elect his son than to erect a monument to
his memory.
thoughr ht
he wenb
lotft!u rhtehehradthanfeltbmlru.cPtieedlimase
aullryliitniciamna,kainndg
Mr. ELTON OPENSII kW seconded the Motion, and said
up his mind on that point. He advised the electors to
read an article against the ballot by the late Rev. Sydney
Smith. lie did not believe that the ballot would stop bri-
bery and corruption ; though it might modify them ; but
be believed it might put an end to intimidation and ex-
clusive dealing. Ile exprered his belief that the new par-
liament would not have a majority of protectionists, though
it would have a majority of conservatives, and, as a radical,
therefore, he urged them to send Mr. Peel.
Mr. F. Peen, M.P., then spoke at great length, touch-
ing first upon lueal matters, and then upon more general
political topics. As to the time when the general election
would take place, he said the government hail promised
that only measures which were indispenaible should be dis-
cussed by the present parliament, and that a new out
should be elected in the present year, and in such time as
would admit of the first session of the new parliament bring
held in autumn. Now, as he Ili.' ant believe the measures
which were indispensible and essential to the government
of the country, could occupy the home long alter the Easter
recess, he had no doubt that in a few weeks an appeal
would be made to the people. There could not be much
doubt an to the character of the new house, for he observed
that almost every constituency asked their candidates
whether they were in favour of free trade, and
he thought it could not be disputed, that in
the majority of instances the answer was in the
affirmative. As had been well observed, we tad for the
first time now among political men a kind of hybrid conser-
vative, who called himself a free trade conservative. When
he (Mr. Peel) was last in Bury, free Linde was comi.lered
to be rather in jeopardy, bi cause the party was in po„ar
who were cone, ived to be its mast determined nepeoeoie,
and who bad aspired to office because they were putt eti.,o-
Ws. The corn etness of the principles on which free trade
was based had received striking confirmation by the results
of experience, and as these came to light one after anuther
persons had been converted and given in their &obi sion.
There was one party, however, who steadfastly resisted that
evidence, which to others had appeared perfectly conclu-
sive. The facts whi,l were pointed to as avid-Ices of na-
tional prosperity they could only receive as the proofs of
national exhaustion and decline; and what were taken
as arguments on one aide that the coui.try was advancing in
happiness and in greatness, were by the other regarded
only as showing that we were making rapid strides towards
the vortex in which everthing that was worth preserving
was to be swallowed up. Such was the party who for six
years were in opposition. All argument was lost upon them.
But what six years in opposition could aot do, six days in
office was sufficient to effect. (Cheers and laughter.) No
sooner had they taken the reins of power, and sa ere charged
with the responsibility of watching over the interests of the
country, than they saw at once that the reversal of policy
for which they had been so long and ardently labouring,
was out of the question. (Hear, hear.) The acuteness of
their vision having teen sharpened by getting a glimpse of
affairs from the heights of otliee, they saw that they might
as well attempt to go back to unreformed parliaments and
penal enactments fur religious opinions, as endeavour to
induce the people, who had learnt what it was to live
in plenty, to put a tax upon food and starve their
families to provide a system of out door relief to the owners
and occupiers of land, (Cheers and laughter.) He did
not think there was any longer the slightest fear of a rever-
sal of free trade ; but they were now told there was to be
a revision of taxation—that the owners and occupiers of
load were paying more than their fair share of taxation ;
and that they were to have something in the shape of an
equivalent for the losses they had sustained by the fail of
prices. He thought the meeting would agree with him
(Mr. Peel) that this was a plea fur compensation which
could not be admitted, because the more they magnified
their losses from a fall of prices, the greater was the extent
of wrong they had inflicted on the country by appropriat-
ing to their own uses the wages and commits of indu,try.
(Hear, beer.) If it was meant to show that
they had more than au equal burden of taxa-
tion, then lie could see no objection to a
fair investigation of the question; but he must say that be
should enter upon such an investigation with a very shrewd
suspicion that they were wrong in thin impression, for here-
tofore all inquiries had gone to show that they were moro
lightly taxed than other classes • and the result might he to
put new burdens upon themselves, from which they were
at present exempted, while others were liable to them.
(Hear, bear.) It was probably known to the meeting that
the income tax had now expired, and after the meeting of
parliament one of the earliest questions would be to con-
sider how the 3,000,000!. heretofore raised from that source
was to be made good. The object of government for tho
past ten years had three things in view. They had sought
to take off duties as much as possible from all articles partly
raised at home and partly abroad ; because they knew
that only part of the produce of such taxarioti went
into the Exchequer, while the other half went
into the pockets of the producers at home at
the expense of the home consumer. The second was to
reduce the duty on all such reticles as came entirely from
abroad, and entered into the consumption of the masses—
as sugar, coffee, and (be hoped before long would be) tea.
(Applause.) So also, he hoped, the doty on timber, which
was mammary to the improvement of our dwellings, would
be reduced. (Hear, hear.) And the third clam were those
articles which formed the raw material of our manufactures
.—such as cotton and wool. Now, such a policy could not
be carried out without sacrifices, sad in doing this they
had sacrificed millions and millions of revenue, and given
back to the people those millions. The vacuum bad been
partly supplied by the increased consumption of those arti-
cles which had resulted, and through the expansive power
and enterprise of the country ; but those circumstances had
not been sufficient altogether to till up the void, and the go-
vernment had been obliged to raise 6,000,000/. by means of a
tax upon the rich, that flee millions was the income tax, which
had just expired. The question now was, whether that live
millions should now be laid upon the poor, or again be
placed upon the shoulders of the rich., (Hear, hear.)
Now, he had no doubt as to how he should be ready to
meet the question. He should certainly feel no disposition
to raise it by a tax upon those articles which entered into
the consumption of the muses of the people. (Applause.)
Twenty-two millions of our revenue was already raised by
taxes upon six articles, such as tea, coffee, sugar, wine,
spirits, and tobacco, all of which were raised upon the
energies of the people, and be was not disposed to carry it
further. (Hear, hear.) He did not care how the money
was raised by the richer classes—whether by a tax
upon property and lucerne, or whether they tested
a man's means by the size of his house, so
that it was shown to I3C equitable. Heretofore they had
gene upon income, and he was aware that it was said to be
unequal, because uncertain and precarious incomes were
taxed to the same amount as those which were fixed and
'ordain. That subject, however, was under the considera-
tion of a committee, and they might expect that all such
inequalities would be provided for. Another question
which had engaged the house since he was at Bury was the
Militia Bill. Her Majesty's government had told us that
though this island was girt with an ocean upon which rides
a navy more powerful than ever, yet they could not give
on astannee against a hostile descent upon our shores, and
they thought that though we maintained a regular arm
equal to our. wants, !yet part of it being abroad and
in the colonies, we could not collect more than '2.5,000
troops in an emergency, and that that would ho
a force quite inadequate to resist an enemy under
sub circumstances. lie thought every one would
agree that it was desirable to make such a provision,
bathe thought it ought not to be forgotten that we already
pay about 15,000,0001. a year as an insurance against this
terrible risk, and if this was not sufficient, he thought wo
ow& to see if some arrangement could not be made by
width the colonies could be induced to organise local forces
taw their own defence. But if our defences must he in-
sured, the question was whether it would not be better to
make that increased provision by adding a small number of
disciplined soldiers to the regular army, rather than by
raising a large number of undisciplined troops, who he be-
lieved
effective forces of the country. ,He behaved it would be
impossible to draw 80,000 men from the pursuits of trade
and industry without great derangement. Then it was
said that counties wero to contribute according to their
population, so that Lancashire would have to provide 8,000
to 10,000 men for the militia ; and he did not believe that
thin county, where wages were geed and labour abundant,
could afford anything like that number of men to engage in a
service which was to be so transitory and the wages of which
would be so unremunerative. (Hear, hear.) He thought,
therefore, they would have to rely upon compulsory mea-
sures, and in that ease the service would be PO unpleasant
as to neutralise its efficiency. (Hem, bear.) The hon.
gentleman concluded by saying he was averse to altering
the provision for Maycooth College ; he was of opinion
there ought to be other tests of fitness for the elective fran-
chise besides property,
such, for instance, as education and
intelligence ; an he was desirous that bribery and eurrup-
lion should no longer distinguish our election., but doubted
the efficacy of the ballot. (Cheers.)
The resolution was carried unanimously, and the meeting
separated.

AannuaTON.—There is now no chance of an oppo-
nent to Mr. lilotTat (who is a candidate for this borough,
vacant by the retirement of Colonel Matheson) coming
forward. The hon. gentleman is a staunch free trader
and a liberal, and his principles are warmly appreciated
by a great majority of the burgesses.
BATII.—A wry large and crowded public meeting
was held at the Guildhall, Bath, on Monday afternoon, to
' hear Item Captain Scobell a report of his parliamentary
conduct, and to take steps for securing his re-election in
conjunction with Thos. l'hinn, Esq., at the next general
election. Upon the platform there was a eery large attend-
ance of the lending reformers of all shades, from the old
whigs to the ultrao ndicals, and the greatest unanimity
marked tke proceedings. W. Hunt, Esq., having been
called to the chair, Captain &obeli addressed the meeting
at coudderable length, and a resolution pledging the meet-
ing to support him was adopted. Mr. rhinn also addressed
proceßEetiDngsLEATTAreNeDhasrTactiotriseditpoubTy.—unmanirm,irt!
.Bandare, the electors, and experienced a most cordial reception. The
be-
longing to the recently baked hatch of Lord Derby's " free
trade conservatives," and at present M.l'. for Omit Yer-