The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-11 00:00:00

slang knowledge. They were to be allowed to (noire
whetter • great ship had hem constructed in the cheapest
and best manner; whether the greatest amount had been
made by all the scorner mother ; whether the Ships' topsail,
and masts had been bought in the cheapest market and pre-
served is the beet manner. All thaw measures that req
prefonional skill and professional' ezperienee to give an
opium on, they were allowed to inquire into to their
Imorte content. It was very wall known that they would get
into an anonaoss pante, and Windy emit the only reel
Wised"' el ialrietaato—subeles Rhea Is this foreign policy
—etbes Mimes of powee—thie se penevared my
main it necessary IR rills- Payers of this county
to *Spend • sum 0 eighteen magma a year as a pease este-
blisbment—to keep Rage
.ea W Metes in tbotZd ? Now making
greet
parades M the • was open to sot.
victims; he was not gnaw to set himself up as an authority.
Bet If any of these rent lights who understand whet is
sesautby the " Mimeo of power," would only condescend
to ex plan it to m—if Om would cow to ask us to take
it as a men matter 1111 kilA and omfidenee—if they will only
show me it is nommary, which I very much tear
their ability to do—for any argasamit I have heard, ca
non reigned by public writers, has totally failed
to convince me of the policy of the amount of
armaments we keep on foot. (Hear, hear.) I
believe our parade of armaments in the Mediterranean and
our keeping of five and twenty ships, with 6,000 or 8.000
men, sailing about together, has pat European powers in •
fever end excitement. Why, what would to our feelings,
suppose, for Ratans', that the United States were to send
into the British Channel 26 ships, 9of thin line-of battle
ships, and having on board of them something like 6,C00 or
6.000 men, and that this squadron were to sail about, making
&grand chew and parade, sometimes before the Is le of Wight
end sometimes before the entrance to the Thames, would
not the people of this country very justly soy, " What is all
this about ? " If the reply of the United States to the ques-
tion were, "It is to give countenance sod protection to our
trade," as was said of our semadron in the Mediterranean
should we not suspect something? Should we cot imegini
that there was some object in view—(hear, hear)
and begin to be uneasy ? should we not ny, " These people •
must keen very well that is totally timesaver, to keep up
this display to give countenance
and support to their trade? "
(Hear, begs.) Yet the United Stales have a far better roes
eon for adopting such a poisey in the Britilt Channel than
we have at psuesnt for adopting it in the Medieersansan i far
the United Semite have • far larger trade, and a greater num-
ber of more nimble ships coming vp to the entrance of the
British Ussanel, and communicating with the ports of the
Combust and of this weeny, than we have coiner up the
Iloditerrasseaa Sea. (Chancy Now, it is quite right that
isiseennes of parliament shmid Inform themselves on these
I qmseloas. lad, as our statearam will net cnadeseenll to en-
plain what one force is kept up fcv, I will tales the liberty of
reading to you the preamble to ere Mutiny Act, which will
show you what parliament says it I for. This Mutiny Act
is passed every erosion, to give power to the army and die-
eipline to the various estabtiehments. The old Mutiny Act
of 1689 sets forth, " That the ra sing or keeping a standing
army in the country in time of peace, ,"deli it he with the
consent of parliament, is against law." It then sus s, "ant
it is judged necessary by thew majesties aud their parhameut,
during the present time ef danger, and for the defence of the
protestant religion, to continue and augment the toren now
on foot." (L nut laughter.) That was the old Mutiny Act.
Well, the new one, under which we now live, awns " That
it is judged necessary by the crown and parliament to
a body of forces for the safety of the United Kingdbm,
and for the preservation of the balance of power in Europe."
(Renewed laughter.) Here we have what =misters will not
tell us; here we have • reason given fir the main-
mimeos of a standing army. Is is for the preservation of
the balance of power in Europe. (Hear, hear.) Now, I
woe with my hon. friend Mr. C Men, that if there be one
aberration of the mind more melancholy to labour under Una
another, it is to suppose that we are to embark in that old,
1 worn-out policy, of maintaining the balance of power, and
metieg out to the different powers of Europe the exact
amount of dominion which each in to possess. (Cheers.)
1 The balance of power is an old, exploded doctrine, like that
of the balance of trade. (Hoar, hoar). It is an antique ab-
surdity—it is a strange relic of put times ; and I hope that,
when the next Mutiny Act is about to he passed, my hon.
friend, who hes taken such a deep interest in this matter,
will have it expunged from the statutes. (Cheers) Do not
let it be put on our statute-book every year that we are
Imbibition for the purpose of keeping up the balance of
power in -Europe. (Cheers.) I know that authority has
great weight with an assembly such as that which I now see
around me—and, in fact, anywhere else; and we have great
authorities in fawner of the reditction of nor forret. What
said Sir R. Peel in 1841 ? Why, 1 will undertake to emelt
that Sir Robert Peel, in 1841, made use to sumiger laaguage
on this subject than perhaps any other gentleman who has
spoken upon it in parliament. I will take the liberty of
reading to you what he did ay upon this subject, because,
when certain great people will not condescend to explain, we
like to have authorities. What I am about to read was
uttered is 1841. Sir Robert was not then in office.
(Laughter.) "Is not the time come," asked he, "when
the powerful countries of Europe should reduce those
mtlitary armaments which they have so sedulouil
raised ? Is not the time tome when they should
be pressed to declare that there is no use in such overgrown
establishments ? " (Much cheering.) Yes, Sir Robert Peel
Auks if the time had not come in 1841, and we sok, in 1849,
if the time has not come ? Sir Robert went on to say—
""they are, in fact, depriving peace of half of its advantages,
and anticipating the energies of war, whenever they may be
required. Ido not mean to advocate any romantic notion of
each nation trusting with security the profession% of its
neighbour • but if each nation were to commune with itself,
and ask what is at present the danger of foreign Invasion,
compared to the danger of producing dirsatisiection end dis-
content, and curtailing the comforts of the people by undue
tandem, the answer must he this, that toe danger of ag-
gression must be infinitely less than the dente' of those suf-
ferings to which the present exorbitant expenditure must
give rise. (Much cheering.) With states, as with indivi-
duals, that most unpleasant day, the day of reckoning, c' mes
round, and when, in their sober moments, men calculate
the relative advantages of immense armament., and the Mu-
slims of military glory, with the cost of the taxes to pay for
such explode, they come to take • calmer and more discreet
view of the comparative advantages than they could be ex-
pected to do in the moment of excitement." (Cheers) That
Is precisely what we are now doing. We are taking a calmer
and more ditereet view of these things then has been taken
at former periods of excitement. We prefer a reduction of
armaments to the present amount of taxation levied upon us
to pay for those armaments. We should still do p in our
beds, even though we were told that some of the line of
battle ships were coating home from the Mediterranean.
(Laughter and cheers) I would brig them borne,
put them up in elbeernees or Portsmouth, give them
• con of white paint to prey, at the sun from
penetrating their sides, and there they might lie,
moored side by side, until the day came that we
wanted them—a day which, I hope from the bottom of my
heart, may arrive. (Cheers.) If I am not trespassing
upon your time—(cries of "Go on")—I will take the
Liberty—nay, I must take the liberty—of giving you a
poetic quotation which Sir Robert Peel made use of on the
ermston when he was advocating a reduction of overgrown
military establishments He said :
"Not high-raised towers nor masted gates,
Not eines proud with spires,
And turrets crowned t Da bays nor bread..armed pop
Where, laughing at the storm,
Ruh maim ride ; not gay end spangled courts,
liters low bowed brooms
Waft. perfume to pride. No, but man,
Nigh-into .ed man, with powers
As far shore dull brutes endued,
1 In forest, brake, or dell,
As these and cold rock, or brambles rude."
The spirit of this quotation is that which Mr Cobden has
advocated with eo much eloquence to-mght, that it is not in
a; angled courts, in towers, in cities, in navies, or Vulvae, or
spires, you can depend for safety ; but that it is in that gene-
ral attachment to institutions which arises from a conscious-
new of their justice—lrom a feeling implanted in the breasts
of the whole community that the taxation is really levied
foe their benefit—that they derive advantage from that taxa-
tion in (pod and efficient revemment, ono ;hit not one far-
thing is taken from their pockets, either to panda rto some
particular clam who may have an interest in military glory
or exploits, or to be given away to noble families or to an
aristocratic claw who may need it. (Prolonged and vehement
simians.) We know, as the old proverb tells us, that " a
minty title butters no parsnips.' If you have titles,
you must have money ; you must have power,
also, to Rive what is called respectability to titles.
And let us take care that a knowledge at this
tee h is not the ground upon which the ex. curive govern-
ment of this country, from time to time, put- its hand into
.he veleta of the people, and takes out their hard-earned
money—money earned by the sweat of their "rows—to be
masted upon use ess pensions and sinecures. (Loud cheers.
Now, there has been an assertion male that we cannot effect
reduction+ to the extent of 10,000,4901. a year. But why
not ? I mean ro say that it has been done before. In 1827
the expen.:i,ure of this country am mend to 55,000,0001. per
annum,
_and during the period which elapsed betoeen 1827
and 1835 it was reduced by a larger amount than 10,000,0001.
--it was reduced to 44,000,0001 At 'het period there was
only the same "margin," as it is called, to op rote upon as
paid on the national debt ; you had all the difficulties to con-
tendoe arecompliebed io former times by app-als to parliament, as
they
the leading
whiff statesmen of those days—surely, I say, if it could be
accomplate d in times goo, by, it could be sec implished
there
were:itah o that
iwh ; 0
made, session alter session, by there was the same amount of severest to be
you have now ; and if such a reduction could
now. (Hear, hear.) But it has hewn tweeted that, in order
to enable the goverment to effect this large amount of re-
dueti:ni, Sir .1 meg Graham sold off all the stores—that he
left the dockyards in a state of dtatitution, and that we
this " false and dangerous mammy." as it was bulge i. But
Sir James Graham does sot admit the truth of this
it,
i asilify the mi -d tot every
in 1R35. to eons. qurnee of
cochtulrdgen;ot
nay,have fined oduetnahi
denies
pa
(Hear, hear.) I m • you a will V ou a re, ain chy it
comet be true, and one which w l
in thin assembly. Sir Jam a o!aliam left ts e Ad-
man and Sir Robert Pe.l wt; the Doke of Wei-
n:Wally in 1834,
it in the fullest and . most and
se tishiace torha's manner,rl'futed
lingoin brnu ht in the estimates of 1834. 1:11. y proposed •
'election co 1,000 men on the number which h., I Gra-
ham r at peep red, and also a smaller vote by nearly 100,0001'
art• h. se slur. s van he was 'Whig to atomic to p.m .meet.l
there were no stores, and if the force WWI t .0 !raw, why
did the Duke of Wellington propose to do with 1.000 men
new, an' ti lay out less money in stores? I will eve for
your edification a droll paragraph from ote of S.r J. Gra-
ham's speeches about this question of stores—fur really it ill
• strange thing. Glatt the leading articles neees•ary for the
[Wing out of ships—for instance, the timber, I believe, the
hematite deck planking, and other articles which I could
name—Sir J. Graham left in the do Icsarits • la •ger stock
than was usually kept There was, I believe, a greats per
centime of each article left. To show that he tied not re-
iduced the quantities too low, he referred to the amount of
stock on baud, and to give you some idea of wrist h e satd,
I will Wade his statements as to some small mitts Of