The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-30 00:00:00

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE PRO•
TECTION OF INDUSTRY AND CAPITAL.

Yesterday was the last day allowed to exhi-
bitors for their preparations ; but the backward state
of the foreign portions—with the exception of the
Belgian, Austrian, Dutch, and Greek departmenta—
l's the afternoon, showed how futile had been the official
order. Still the sawing and hammering were going an;
statues were being extricated from packing cases; bearded
am were scraping their statues; and women in
hundreds were busily plying their needles in every
direction and upon materials of all colours. Through-
out the day the executive offices were besieged by
people anxious to learn whether or not a further
issue of season tickets would take place ; and late ex-
hibitors were everywhere making plaintive excuses for their
procrastination. The raised seats in the transept were pro-
gressing rapidly; the fountain at the north end was re•
peatedly tested in the course of the day; many musical
gentlemen, and among them Sir Henry Bishop, were test-
ing the organs ; and artists were busily engaged in every
direction. The hail-storm which fell in the course of the
day, although here and there a few hail-stones fell into the
main avenues, did no harm to the roof, and appeared to
take effect at those parts not yet covered with canvas. In
spite of the wet weather crowdsand continued about the build-
lag throughout the day ; amongst the visitors were
the Queen and Prince Albert, who inspected portions of the

Inhibition.
The doors of the Exhibition, we are authorised
%state, will positively not be opened for the admission
of visitors earlwr than 9 o'clock on Thursday morning. The
pork gates will be opened at 7 o'clock.
We are requested to state that all persons intend-
ing*, be present at the opening of the Exhibition to-
morrow Citnn7), will be in morning dress, with the
oweeption of those who will be in immediate attendance on

hue Majesty.
STRAY AT THE EXHIBITION.—Yesterday (Tuesday',
evert several preliminary trials, the claim was turned into
a a Building, and the whole of the engines now in position
Isere put in motion. The result was extremely satisfactory
—the more so, as considerable anxiety has been felt as to
the practieshility of conveying the steam through so great
a Wolk et pipe without destroyisig its power by coaden-
ailiii, ell entire range of stems-pipe, including the
illaifiratioat to the varioas enginot, being marl,
arse thousand feet, which is probably a greater
Meth than ben weer yet be= snmessfully applied.
'!M steam is singglisi from ihe beim ibeed in an isolated
building at the MOM miii of do 11111110 w roar of thew
boilers are =1111.11611111b WM II
Oh
novel construe-
Vire lif Maim W. 111. Oh of Newru Ztic-
Irillibiar is e witsebersoi
' psteTei7eltie tbe tbe kirk
6 ft:rum
fblsbruetzttbllLftarpee_ sW.
Filislien.irtearsieliemb
ig
Nom Ow istestioret
eII:WC
007
le le sower& We a g 111
est beeb mums et pipes me Wolk Am ,
deo Ow eise maw* est et sib& eimp-
ilia sadlltiberas tgela Ms=
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• Ibind•a" ZW—___.bablll, NO lia
who mem "Mm finfre
mosboiseLbspmemeat, eafek Ilk. Wriso" Ile weipata.
brim et that elm.

After the report of the meeting of this association,
given in yeaterlay's Express, was despatched,
Mr 0. G. DAY, who was left speaking, went on to
say that they were told that if they would pass free
trade they would take off the property tax. Well,
but what did the Chancellor of the Exchequer my
the other night? Why, that he must retain the tax,
in order to carry out the principles of free trade.
(Loud cheers.) With reference, now to the Peace Society.
Ile was far from sneering at peace. Ile loved peace, though
h: was not afraid of war. (Loud cheers.) Mr Sturgc hail
held nut to the country man inducement for them to pea
free trade, that universal Recce would reign, and they
would be able to reduce their expenses, because large naval
establishments would be unnecessary. Then, again, what
did Lord John Russell say the other night? He told the
Rouse or Commons that he must keep up the navy on ite
present footing, because it would be dangerous to Mane,
it, considering that we were dependent for so large a por-
tion of our food upon foreign supplies. (Cheers.)
Now, these were the statements that they made. Then,
told
Herod,thatth the
positivelys ..,auslybetheaty.liwsiculdr
They
have such a meilre7niu r law m
that the tiger would be
pared of hie claws. But, instead of the poor laws being
abolished, they all knew they had been increased. Their
able champion, Mr. Alison, mated at Edinburgh the other
day some facts relating to it, but the Economist and Times
and other free-trade papers, said he was wrong. The Leo:
monist said they should stick to England and Wales, and he
gave the figures, though these figures, properly looked at,
proved the case against free trade. The very principle of I
free trade was to grind the poor. Ile knew a free-trader
who was worth 30,00 W., who said they had not carried out
free trade as they ought, for he never meant to give 111111.
than 4s. Oil. per week—he never meant to employ a mantel
min. (Name.) And he knew another who was employing
persons 18 years of age at 4d. a day. (Name.) If any one
called on him he would give the names. A corporate body,
whom he would not name, had the other day reduced the
WARE" of their oduieckeepers 40 per cent. That was free trade.
If it was continued he should be concerned for the morality
of the nation. Ile loved to see a man that felt for his
fellow-creatures; he loved the principle of live and let live.
Ile could not enjoy pleasure if he saw all around him re-
dorsal to misery. And that was the way he looked at free
trade ; he did not look upon it ma farmer's but as a national
question. They were told that the country was prosperous,
though it was true there was one class theonaically 'offering.
But, Mr. Yount, in an excellent speech he made the other
day, gave an extract from 11PGregor himself, • free trader,
who said though agriculture, commerce, or manufactures I
could Ile carried on to a greater extent than ever they had
been before, still, if the profits were below what they Lad
been, they might confidently affirm that the condition of
ouch a nation, however prosperous in appearance, was bad
and uneemil at heart. Would they have carried this mea-
sure if they had known the result—if they had known the
extent of importation, which amounted to more than all the
rent of the kingdom ? Well, then, what did they say, had
they been dealing with honest men ? (No.) He had not time to
deal with Cohilen and 3loleeworth, and those men who had
so deceived them, or he might gibbet them. (Laughter.)
If those men were men of honour and morality, after the
statement* they hail made as to what would be the result
of free trade, hailing the results of free trade, let them ap-
peal to those men to reverie this policy. Ile would treat
them, Lord Grey, Mr. Girton, and Mr. Cobden, and the
net of them, as the jury, and would appeal to thein r a
verde tin their (the protectionists) favour. But they must
not trust them. All they had to du was is persevere,
and to resolve, and to act. What did the argument of the
free trailers amount to ? Like Paddy's coat, they were
made of holes sewn together. With those men whom no
logic could penetrate, and who were obstinate and would
not turu, they had nothing to do. They were now
on the eve of an election. l'hey had had, said Bul-
wer, a parliament which believed in prophesy; let them
have a parliament which would judge of prophesy. At the
busting, let them have no party cries, but let them all,
whip, radicals, tories, churchmen, and dissenter., unite in
favour of common protection; let them as common friends
unite against a common foe. Looking at this election, he
was reinieded of the conduct of Bruce at the battle of Ban-
nockburn, which was to decide whether Scotland should be
free. Belore the battle commenced, Bruce called his army
together, and said, let those who feared depart, for he did
not wish his army to be contaminated by examples of
cowardice or treachery. They all threw up their helmets,
and demanded to be led into battle. They were led into
battle, and they conquered; and they (the protectiouists)
would go anal do likewise. (Cheers.)
Mr. JOHN BELL, of Kent, said he did not deny that
free trade had caused some to be prosperous—it had secured
the prosperity of usurers and mortgagees; and Sir James
Graham said the prosperity of the labouring classes was
owing to their being fed upon foreign eons. Sir James
spoke of the voice of Sir Robert Peel, which spoke as from
the grave. lle (Mr. Boll) did not know whether Sir Robert
Peel's voice from the grave was less ambiguous than it used
to be In the house. But Sir James Graham did nut always
AIWA with Sir Robert Peel. In Deceniber, 1619, Sir Robert
Peel told the fanners that they might obviate the effects of
free trade by growing 40 bushels of wheat where they grew
20 bushels before. In autumn last Sir James Graham
told the farmers of Cumberland that they should
plough lee and gran more. Sir Robert Peel said
plough more, Sir James Graham said plough less.
In 1819 Sir It. Peel was in ceatacies at the large importa-
tion of foreign corn. Ile asked whether it had not all been
eaten, and whether they hail heard of any one dying of
surfeit? In November, 1817, however, he had said that
they had expended 33 millions in foreign food, which was
quite enough to account for their then existing distress.
(Hear, hear.) Sir James Graham had said plough less and
oriole more; but surely, if it had benefited the agricul-
turieta to plough leas it must follow that they ought to
rejoice at the large importation of foreign cattle. (Cheers.)
In fact, the time of the greatest prosperity to the agricul-
turist, would be, when they should be undersold by
foreigners in every branch of their production. (Cheers.)
But he had said plough less ; and yet he told them that the
ploughman was better off, so that it would seem his
gain was in the loos of his occupation. (Loud
cheers.) The right honourable baronet had spoken of
a ray of hope which had beamed upon them
from the mills of Messrs. Bright. (Hear.) Ile confident'
it to be a desideratum to be independent of foreign sup-
plies of cotton; but surely, if that were the came, it would
he equally beneficial to be independent of foreign supplies
of corn and cattle. (Loud cheers.) lle had talked of the
hopelessness of the struggle between the hand-loom and
machinery, but the case was exactly a parallel with this
country and foreign climes. Other hinds had much greater
I powers of fertility ; and therefore what Sir Jas. Graham
did was to regard the fields of England ea an old worn out
hand-loom. (Cheers.) Sir James Graham had asked them
to account for the case of France, where, though there was
a stringent corn law, the price of corn was alarmingly low ;
but surely, if that arose from the restrictive duty, it fol-
lowed that Sir James Graham ought to advocate the meet
stringent duties in order to keep corn cheap. The truth was,
that the evil was not to be traced to Sir Robert Peel's mea-
lures of 1846, or even to that of 1842, but to his first attack
upon the producers of the country in 1849. (Hear, hear.).
Mr. REID, who was introduced as a London baker, in
supporting the resolution, said he did so under the firm
conviction that this was not merely a class interest move-
ment, not a farmer's interest, but one in which the in-
terest., of all, and above all, the working men, might be
looked to, and their grievances redressed. Ile was of
opinion that every foreign article brought to this country
displaced the labour of the home producer. Take the came
of 'French slaws. To sell them in this country they must
be sold cheaper than English shoes. The wholesale dealer
then said to the English manufacturer—" You mast
sell us your shoes cheaper, or we cannot take
them." The manufacturer then reduced the prises of
workmen, and to meet this competition the French of
lecturer reduced his wages also. And thus the workmen
of each country were pitted against the workmen of the
Weer, and all for the benefit of the capitalist. He was
band to tell the gentlemen around him that the labouring
demi of England looked with great distrust upon this
merement • and he would tell them why. They said that,
when they 'had the power before, they forgot the labourer,
and they feared that if they got the power again to-morrow
they would forget the labourer again. They might depend
upon it, OA Mr. Bell had said, that unless they did justice to
the labourer they could not succeed or be permanently

prosperous.
The resolution was then put and carried unanimo,
were all the others.
Hr. C. WOKSLEY, whom the chairman described as a
Sussex man, moved the third resolution, to the effect that
unless free trade be abandoned, and equal protection be
restored to British labour and production, the most de-
plorable consequences, both political and social, ending in
national convan and bankruptcy, must ensue. lie had
the honour of appearing before them as the representative
of British farmers, wbo, having suffered as they had, did not
intend to leave that house and go home and fold their hands
and leave their cause to one day's exertions. They had
borne the brunt of the battle of fine trade, and they had
beard so much of the distress it bad nosed, that he would
not dwell upon that, but he would proceed to the causes
of it. In the first instance doy were told in the
House of Commons that the Mange would cause
them a reduction of twentr per cent. of their
profits in the find year. Why since the peace
their profits had not exceeded 10 pes cent. Who sustained
the loss ? Not the Iliadic/4. He lest set
all • OM did the
mortgaLee, or the enotniteatinThey Wen all pllid frm the
itYilittat atheir 3tM
0. per rostit!, but the clois second Tearter he badw
named lost sot. They wen paid to the full as before. In
the third year they head that the real difficulties of the
country had camel a tedmillea el 10 per cent. ; that was,
during three yeses the farmers had been losing 70 per cent ,
while the rest of the ersenery had been profiting at their ex-
pose. At last, levrever, it hod ems to the touching point
'tether clams. TM Me-trade majority woo decreasing in
the House of ColliaNei Med there wsa a different tone I
at the dun. They led toothed the ?whet argument.
If they. wished to ionnue in the position in which they
were placed, he led me doubt that the country would coo.
dun very comfortable. But would we be made the stalk-
inchenes of the test of the community? (Loud cries of
•llisa with respect to the tithe owners. Had
they not received their fell share ? (Cries of " No.")
Well, hee. the Isademmes lad some to London and spent
t
their money in 111,111by—dor *Mammas had gone into the
lawns sad Mid ant their measy—std so trade had been
kept up as Issued ; bet let them be usable to get their
rents and the traditions would mesa lad out the effects
of free trade. There was a amMeity ef landowners in the
house now ; and, in int, there wars no fewer than 39
county members who voted *Oast Yr. Disraeli's motion.
(Cheers.) There were liaLoll. a awes of virgin lead