The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-28 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING,

The Hon. A. F. Kixtratati, seconded by the Provost of
Dundee, proposed • vote of thanks to the town council for
inviting Lord Palmerston, which was sat heartily re-
sponded to.

The noble lord was afterwards presented with the free-
dom of the incorporation of the Gelidity of the " fair city."
On the ceremony being completed,
Lord Pa LUZUSTON said I beg to return you my molt sin-
cere thanks for thus having completed my creation. (Ap-
plause and laughter.) Imperfection is the lot of human
nature, but to be an imperfect citizen of Perth would, in-
deed, be • great mortification to me, or anybody who
. esteems as highly as I do the people that inhabit this most
distinguished town. (Hear, hear.) I only hope that I
shan't be too hard pressed to execute and fulfil the decla-
ration which I have just made, and that the duties which
I may be called upon to perform may in some degree be
measured out to me with due consideration of the distance
at which I have to execute them. (Laughter.) With regard
to the topic which the dean has just adverted to, I certainly
think all parties who have concurred in these improvements
of our commercial system may be proud of having done a
good work, the results of which will long, I trust, be felt
for the benefit of the whole country ; and there is this re-
markable circumstance, that I believe no question which
ever so mach divided the opinions of mankind, hiving been
carried one way, so quickly made converts of these who
during the discussion had held an opposite and contrary
opinion, for we are now all free-traders. There is no party
in the country that now holds the principles of free trade
to bo a mistake, and an injury to the country. (Hear,
hear.) I had, not very long ago, the good fortune to meet
an old friend of mine who had been for five or six years
absent from the country in a far distant situation, and who
sail he could hardly believe that he was come back to
the same country from which he went, he found such
an entire difference in the general feeling of every-
body with whom he communicated. When he went
away people were complaining of this, and find-
ing fault with that, and discontented with something else ;
but now he found all classes admitting that they were suf-
ficiently flourishing, and there was a general feeling of con-
tentment and satisfaction pervading all classes with whom
he communicated. (Applause.) It is true that national
examples are slow of imitation. There are in other coun-
tries that which existed here, namely, private and particular
interests which conflict with the general good—honestly
and sincerely often, as well as sometimes foun led in selfish
motives. But in the countries abroad, there is, lam sorry
to say, still great prejudice against those principles of com-
mercial freedom which have been established so much to
the advantage of this country. But depend upon it that
the example of England will, sooner or later, tell. (Hear,
bear.) They may at first be frightened at the consequences

of the perfect freedom of commerce which we have esta-
blished ; but though at first they may be slow to fellow
our example, depend upon it that that exempla will,
sooner or later, produce its good. (Applause.) But even
if it did not—supposing other countries were still to per•
shit in maintaining a restrictive system—why, all we have
done is benefit to ourselves—(hear, hear)—because it
lignite plain that while you pursued a restrictive system
with other countries also, you were suffering a double
injury; you got dear that which you bought from other
countries, and you sold at a disadvantage that which you
sold to them ; while we have gained half the benefit by
buying cheap that which we want from abroad—and, there-
fore, it is no argument against the sound principle of fne-
trade that it has not been followed by other countries; for
if other countries still persist in injurious restrictions,
depend upon it that they do themselves much more in-
jury than they do to us. We have done to ourselves so
much good as it is in our power to do by untying the
shackles which fetter national industry. Therefore
whether other countries follow our example or not, our
course is a wise one, and will never be retraced, for the
longer we continue to panne this course, and to ex
tend, so far as circumstances may ena►le us, or justify us
in doing so, that principle of free commercial intercourse,
depend upon it that in that proportion will the prosperity
of this country increase ; and in spite °Piths prejudices of
other countries—and we derive benefit from them even with
a restrictive system—we shall sooner or later unite in
levelling at once all those barriers which the prejudice and
ignorance of mankind have in former times established to
mist free iwercoune between nation and nation—an in-
tercourse which tends not only to the national prosperity,
but to the progress of civilisation and to the happiness of
mankind. (Loud cheers.)