The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-05 00:00:00

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Sir W. SONIERVILLE gave notice that on Monday next
he would move for leave to bring in a bill for malting more
effectual the art for the inmrorement of towns in Ireland.

PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.

Mr. WILLIAMS gave notice of hia intention to submit,
at an early period, a motion prohibiting tke expenditure of
any portion of the public taxation without the authority of
that house.

Till,: ADDRESS.

1 {The SPEAKER having read the speech of her "Male,ty,
The Marquis of KILDARE, in moving the address in
reply, briefly recapitulated the principal topics alluded to
therein, congratulating the house and the country on the
maintenance of alliances abroad and tranquillity at home,
and the successful result of their negotiations and friendly
offices to restore peace in yarious eountries, where serious
disturbances had existed. He coincided in regretting that
the landed interests were still depressed, rejoicing that
other branches of industry were prospering. After invoking
from the house a co-operation with her Majesty's resolve to
maintain the independence of the country against foreign
interference, while preserving the most perfect liberty of
conscience to every class of the subject, the noble marquis
moved the address, which was, as usual, a mere echo of the
speech.
Mr. PETO seconded the motion. The hon. member
dwelt espetially upon the happy prospect held out by the
continuance of peace, a blessing which wax to be secured by
every means except the sacrifice of good faith or nationa
honour; and to which the triumph of scientific very
largely contributed. Congratulating the house, on the score
of humanity, in the progress made towards suppressing the
traffic in slaves. he proceeded to dwell upon the cheering
signs of national prosperity consequent upon the recurrence
of a financial surplus, notwithstanding the large reductions
in various items of taxation. Referring especially
to the increased importation of sugar, he udd :
The duty on sugar was reduced Is. per cwt. The
consequent loss to the revenue, taking the consumption of
the preceding year, should have been 311,454/.,but it resulted
in a loss of o,lBof. only; a good practical reason for re-
ducing other items of large consumption where the duty
presses heavily, and one which I doubt not will have
its due effect in future fiscal arrangements. (Hear, hear.)
In a few days the returns of the Board of Trade will be
issued. The returns of the first eleven months of 18.50 will
enable us to anticipate the results. The exports for the first
eleven months of 1818 were 41,407,9121.; 1849, 54,089.8091.;
18.50, 80,400,5251. In what did this increase consist ? Prin.
ciNlly in British manufactures, cottons, woollens, linens,
silks, and hardware. This increase has taken place, too,
under most unfavourable circumstances. The great staple

is cotton--at least the great employing article'is cotton—
but in the cotton producing states of America last year
there was a short crop ; and a rise of price of full
seventy-five per cent. over the price of the early
part of the preceding year was the consequence. For in-
stance, Orleans cotton was in January, 1819, 41d. par lb. ;
January, 1850, per lb. It is well known that a rise in
the price of cotton rapidly diminishes consumption. It
did so considerably in this instance, but owing to two cir-
cumstanees, the effect was much mitigated. Ist. When
the material is dear, the best quality is always run upon
by manufacturers, as fora smaller quantity in weight they
get the higher price. Our skill in the application of ma-
chinery, and the hitch character of the machinery itself,
has enabled us in finer fabrics to surpass all competition;
and the consequence was, that with all our disadvan-
tages, we partially shut up the American male, and
gave our people full employment. 2nd. Full employ-
' mint secured rood wages, and good wages and
cheap food enabled the industrial classes to dress well.
The foreign market and home consumption kept the mills
going, and I find .50,000 more hands were employed in the
factories in 1850 than in 1847, the gross numbers being.
1817, 544.876-1840, 896,028. It may be said that the high
price of fabrics helped to swell the amount of exports, but,
in point of fact, quantity was in excess in reference to cloth,
while in yarn there was not only a decrease in quantity but
in value, the increased value leling principally in labour.
I have the statistics to refer to, hut will not weary the
house by doing so. Now, if our manufacturers have aceotit-
plished a result so gratifying under unfavourable circum-
stances, what might we not have expeetesl had the cotton
crop been a full one, and had the price of the raw material
continued low ? Instead of 60,000 hands we should have',
employed three times that number. The low price of cot-
ton broxight us through the year 1847, the high prise of

cotton acted adversely in 1850 ; and here I must pause for
a moment, and ask how important is it that we should bo
energetic in our endeavour. to get the railway commu-
nications of continental India executed. (Rear, hear.)
We aro depending on . one quarter of the world only
I for the means of employing our operatives in the cotton
factories when we should be blessing our fellow ssildecta
by the activities of commerce, and have a fresh market to
depend upon, and that, too, the 1.0,ne. I desire also
to advert to the gratifying fact that the increase.., of factory
hands to which I have referred hus not been obtained at tho
sacrifice of infantile energy. There has barn a li'Mrea.4o
since 1831 of twenty per cent. in the children employed,
and an increase of eighty-one per end. in the asistits.
think it cannot be denied that the poor of every class am
'Ater fed and clothed than they have ever been. If I refer to
the Poor-law Record, I find [fiat the number of ableduklied
paupers has largely decreased during the year, and tha
amount of general relief has been tensely lessened. True,
some of the agricultural districts are exceptions, to
which I shall he called on presently to speak. If I refer to
our criminal records I find the facts to he equally
gratifying. In the city of Manchester the tetanus
of persons apprehended for crime, in the three lust
rears are iu 1848, 6,337; 1849, 6,277 ; 1850, 1,687. (Hear.)
The West Riding of Yorkshire in its criminal prosecutions
show a similar result. I now come to another result of tho
policy of the present and the last mina-try. Two years since
London was crowded with deputation.. ardent in deprocating
any interference with the navigation I,:ws. F4wtsinately
for themselves and the country their entmities did sea acad.
'they returned to their localities to rejoice at the 111C1'.'rlAe of
the shipping trade rather than to mourn its gradual extinc-
tion. It is very true the entrance and clearing of t maga
shipping ha. increased, but it is equally troe that Itriti.h
ships have also increased. I will omit oil details of liumba
of ships and tonnage which I have before me for the first II
months of 1848. 1849 and 1830. I give you th,, gross
increase of tonnage the ilea 11 months of 1819 and 1830.

ANCREASE OE TONNAGE.
1849 over 1818. Ida) over 1849.
British 226.2.07 162,h Id
Foreign
I have taken the returns of vess.ds dearest outwards, be-
cause that is an evidence of work done. The returns of
vessels entering may he affected in a triety of ways apart,
from the evidence of work done within th" period.peeified.
I most also very briefly call the attention of hon. mem-
loers to the fact, that the repeal of the navigation haws has
not yet affected either the value of 'hipping or tho de-
mand. The ship building of the Clyde. the Tyne, the
Mersey, and tho Thames, is fully equal in its
activity to any preceding period, and within the
last few slays on eminent ship builder informed me the
orders for ships and steamers on his books eacecol.l 100,000/.
If I refer to the circulars of firms eneaged in the sale of
ships I find the same activity of trade indicated.
The old mode of ship building, it is admittssl on all
hands, will no longer do. Capacity without speed is
the n:vere., of recommendation in a What the
American ship 'milder% effected, the Scotch have surpassed,
and the result of the trial between the Sernelt-built ships
and steamers and the 17nited Stabs shows us we have
.

nothing to apprehend, but much to gain. if British skill and
enterprise be but relieved from all impedimenta. (h ear,
hear.) The merchants and traders of Liverpool are gene-
r. 7.y considered to lx well and practically acquainted with
all circumstances which regulate vonme rue. I have seve-
ral of their annual circulars before me, and I ant struck
with the unanimity of their testimony. Iler Majesty ex-
presses the sympathy she feels for the owners and occupiers
of land in the difficulties which now affect them, and a hope
that theas ?perity of the manufacturing and eliminerciftl
.in-
terests Ed
soon he productive of beneficial effects to the agri-
cultural y. And hero I taut and may fairly ciak the
question, if such is the state of the comararcial, inanufac-
turin,g, and shipping interests, can it be supposed
that the agricultural is the only interest not des-
tined to share in the general prosperity? (Hear,
hear.) Is land exempt from the great law of progreasion t
It is impossible for wheat to fall front l's. to :is. per bushel,
without causing great anxiety to owners and occupiers of
land, but no one can doubt that commerce has its ever-
growing connexion with the soil, by the substantial ties of
property, and that the interests of all arc identified, and the
Met of distress existing calls for every practical sympathy to
be shown, and that by the removing of every unjust burden
which the friends of agriculture tut show to press unfairly
an its interests. And rejoicing in the fact of the alteration of
the law. I cannot hi sitate to express my wish that more time
had been allowed to adjust the Inter. st which hail,
under the old and vicious system been plied in a false
p,eition. It Is COW to say that this adjustment is entirely
un affair of landleed and tenant.' It is so ; hut when we re-
lict: that no good tenant could farm without imparting a
value to the land which it takes year% to aletrict, a revalua-
tion at present prima is simply giviag to the landlord a
rental erasing from value imparted by th. expenditure of
capital by the tenant. I believe it to be our duty. sir, not
only to carry out abstract principles of light. but when. they
effect large interests by extensive alterations in the bays
that time should be given for the alaistment of the inte-
testa to the new and altered nat., of things. (Ileac.) But
while [make thieadmiasifm, I believe th it the good wishes to
which her Majesty hay given utter:owe iii her gracious
speech will be speedily ri ali.sed, though in the trunsition wo
MILK be prepared for difficultieri and lo.,:, o,l)4i:hilly to pie-
ties Who are flow in adjusting their cours. of 11 UNilll.l to the
altered state of things. It has, sir, always appeared to mo
that we have looked at the price of wheat ton much as a
criterion of distrese or prosperity. It is calenlated that we
have about 11l millions of acres of arable, and 38 millions of
pasture and meadow; while of the 19 million der" leas
than 4 millions are employed in growls; wheat. Agricultu-
rists, it is therefore obvious, derive a large portion of
their income roan stock, and to them, therefore,
the prosperity of trade and manufactures is a posi-
tive benefit and source of profit (infnieal cheers), and
we find that, although the price of wheat lots declined, the
price of meat has declined very little, and that it waa
cheaper during many years of protection than it has
a%eraged since. And I need not point out to the house) that
this has arisen entirely from the laraer consumption of
meat by the Inhout ina classes—a circumstance at which wo
may well rejoice. (Hear, hear.) The working men of this
country dine now us working men should dine, on edibles
furnished by the butcher. We have unfortunately in this
country no means of estimating the 111/1111AI ',reduce and
consumption of food, and we must therelbre content our-
selves with an approximation to farts. 1 collect from the
best sources that there were alauelger. 1 in England
in 1850, 00,000 • more beasts than in 1819, and wo
have local returns which give value to these
calculations. The largest cattle salesman in Liverpool
gives the following return of sale, Mr the past year. In
11319 there were 109,:e47 oxen ; in the year 18.50, 12:1,213.
They also state in their circular our imparts of ahrep have
been on a less extensive scale from Ireland, and we are now
witnessing, to us the novel feature, that store Feasts have
lean lately sent into that country. I find the prices of meat
during the last six months, and the i ernapondiag fax
months of a year since, have been nearly the same. I find
the increase of consumption in England to he the counter-
part of Scotland. The City Chamberlain of filaafrow
makes the following return of animals slaughtered
in that city: 18W, 132,160; 18110,161,527 ; la iO, 114.1,'''.5. If I
am not trespassing too much on the time of the house, I desire
to call its attention for a few moments to the cheering pro-
spects of progression in Ireland, which I doubt not will
eventually be a source of strength and contribute her quota
to the general welfare. liar comparative ;Avenel: in indus-
trial pursuits in the last 'sixteen years has been much
greater than in the sister portions of the kingdom, Seialand
and England. The number of persons engaged in cotton,
silk, and woollen factoriew, I find has increased 1.58 per
cent., while in Scotland the increase has been 51 per cent.
and England 67 per cent. ; and I find her cotton
and flax manufacturers alone give employment to
350,000 persons at the present time, and that
300,000 females are employed at sewed muslin,'
the cost of which is almost entirely labour and profit.
On turning to agriculture, I find the prospects are even
more cheering. Capital is flowing into the country, land
is being rapidly consolidated front the tail and Viti.IIIS state of
conacre, to farms of from 100 to 200 acres. In proof of thia

I need only refer to Captain Lareonis returna. Largo
breadths of land are being aown with o reals, the value

stlek is increased, and that too much neglected, but moat
valuable link between the agriculturist and the minutiae-

turer, flax, is being more extensively and proetribli eu Fit -
vated ; and I note with hearty pleasure the great eagerness of
the people to establish packet stations, and manufactories, as
evidencing the desire which is always the precursor; of MC,
et,. We see also in Ireland the railways Itiakiegr
its natural capabilities available and rapidly opening up ilk
resource.. Soon will its most dist int parts he placed in
ready communication with England, and here, Sir, I cannot
but regret that the advice of a late illustrious statesman,
whose untimely loss we deplored near the end of the last
cession, has not been more extensively carried out and espe-
cially that the City of London to whom we look for the ini-
tiative in this matter has not prosecuted her intention be-
yond a public meeting. That corporation holds very large
estates there by the fivour of former sovereigns. They pas-
MIA, therefore, a personal interest in the country, and I had
hoped to have seen large tracts of country named by pur-
chase to them and to other corporate boilies who could
invest capital largely, and who, while blessing their country
by the enterprise, would have left a valuable investment to
their successors, and an enduring monument of their pa-
triotism and public spirit. I cannot but point with admira-
tion to the conduct of a brother of the noble lord the mem-
ber fbr Evesham. (Hear, hear.) lie has turned a desert
into a garden ; a large estate from which no rental was de-
rived into a remunerative property. He deserves well of
his country, and his conduct is worthy of imitation, There
are most false impressions abroad as to the Irish character.
I know from personal experience that if you pay the Irish
ilabourer well, and show him you are for him, he is the most
faithful and hardworking creature in existence; but if you
find him in one part of his native country working for
fourpenee per day, paid in potatoes' or meal, and that where
1 most of the misery exists, can we wonder that the results art
as we find them ? But give him legitimate occupation,
remunerate him for his services, show him you appreciate
those services, and you may be sure you put an end to all agi-
tation. tier Majesty next refers to the assumption of certain
ecclesiastical titles, and to a bill to be hereafter laid on the
table of the house ; and on this point I trust that the word-
ing of the address will commend it'elf to all. No hon.
member by giving his assent to this address is bound to ow
sabsequent course of action, nor can I think that hon.
members professing the Roman catholic faith are
by it committed to any course of proceeding until
the hill to which it refers is laid oa the table
of this home. Her Majesty refers to a fact patent to all,
and while we all feel bound by every tie to protect the civil
and religious liberty of the subject to the utmost, we are all
equally bound by our devoted loyalty and lave to oar
sovereign to protect her prerogative from aggreseion of
every kind also, and that to the utmost. (Hoar.) We are
not called en, sir, to adopt any reactionary course—the ante-
! eedsuts of the first minister of the crown are a pledge sore

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