The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-12 00:00:00

AMERICA.

LIBERAL DEMONSTRATION AT WISBEACH.
—.--
(TROIS OUR SPEC/AL coassaroxosirr.) A public dinner was given at Wisbeach on
NEW YORK, D.C. 29. Thursday evening in honour of Mr. R. Young, M.P., the
The President seems to have learnt but little solitary liberal M.P. for Cambridgeshire. The dinner was
onfecmcenirolialy attended, and four other members of the House
from his experience during the le, six months.
er
nem, Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., the
In spit* of the elections, in spite of the repudiation conservativeene were
tenant f Norfolk;
with. which
. the democratic press has visited him and Mr. G. Onslow, M.P. for Guildford • Mr. H.
his policy, he still remains, not only rooted in his M.Y. for Peterborough; and Mr.' J. I'Vyiil, M.P. Whalley,
Bedpan. After the usual loyal and complimentary toasts,
old
.creed (he cannot be expected to change his
Mr.tinakm
we Ths
enthusiasm.
proposed the health of Mr. Young, which
opinions because the majority decide against him), was
but as. determined as ever that no other policy Mr, youNG, M.P., ',pl. and said • was
than his shall succeed, if ho can possibly prevent sent to him to see many friends present twtho aift7rrld plea
tr.,: polnit;c;rn..AEltt was especially gratifyiut4 to him to see
it. The legislature of South Carolina sent on a
Colonel Weatherby, a day or two ago, as an in- cheers)—wbom he had occasionally member
tallar yfomr et int the alheHicaty.d
formal deputation to Washington, to see what were At the commencement of the past session there werei
and
great reformtailiousw in
debatesasto the
ittle plague, and then
the chances of a settlement, and whether the Sc- come
by she
more Ch"-
ceptance of the Constitutional Amendment would c.ellor of tae Exchequer. No one regretted
shoet(Mr..Yountt)ted that. that excellent measure was
really secure the admission of such States as sub-
mitted to it. He saw most of the radical leaders, abusive language wehich samedid time
depof those unnecessary
wi used it
more harmofthau it did their opponents. We had had an
and received from them the assurance that the this
The irti the taut: bhe.twdeeton Mr. Garth and
adoption of the amendment was really all that was Mr. Bright. a
neat bosiuse he had different opinions ; he went iititto°PpPep.
that it was the ultimatum of Con r.
gress
reqtured, ,
and that any State which embraced the offer might mmall
He (114aar. folandr4::botdd support
prril off for it. (Hear, hear.),
bill by ;whatever governmeaPnPtait nan igahatt bean and
barest
h t in. He
count upon the restoration of her position in the
Union. He then went to Mr. Johnson, who had a long owttotulatinnither see the
if party to which he was attached carry
of
issironn hands but itt must be
-1
remembered that
talk with him, and strongly urged the Southern the liberals triedpast
States not to adopt the amendment, as, if they session and failed. If Lord Derby's government brought
did so, he thought "it would tend to the eats- port
in • rietflifr:
wbielrel hae..feslttatodut,id to Brit tha be should sup-
whether
.Lord Dertily's governrentt Intentildtiodbariolgi4r a
blishment of a despotism." Colonel Weatherby
reformt tblittl, but .if they did not introduce a measure to
has gone back and trumpeted this news over the wingbleetaiif ear. elfongthLeoentrytt:etodil,de
the
all and of course the effect will be to confirm think it waltr°
all recusants in their recusanoy, and to atop those government. Reform wee inevitable ;it was impossible
1 gotovaetop it;it sornd whether itazazucaririiaed byt Lord Derby's
who were wavering and likely to come to terms.
He not,hould endeavour veto boat hit, "Ty-
I shall not discuss the soundness of Mr. John- :l.'o'4 tamt-•
representative liberal county ihe should coi-
tion's opinion as to the probable effect of the adop- irntaa:,,3attemppotlicy
nwhichaehetosurprZ:
tion of the amendment as a condition of admission lass sassissa and if .4
bin from tae position he held, he should not go out
to the Union. It is, of course, considered by moat without a struggle.
AHe saw no fear on this score.
people here as one of those silly things of which he . lit. D WHAM proposed the " Houses of Lords and
has said so many, and which make his success as a Commons"
1!!ii• I.%nHALLET, M.P., who was imperfectly heard, re.
politician up to his elevation to the presidency seem ' d spoke in very complimentary terms of Mr.
so singular. The impolicy of this kind of talk is, C'out:g. Upon the reform topic the boa. member ob.-
however, even more apparent than its absurdity. . :red that the reform bill of last session was defunct, and
1 should,
therefore,
,andoate.yderaortiru 111/ITi bosun. He
He has just been defeated, after an appeal to the anything about l"._ _ _

_ .
people, which he made himself in person with ! Mr. WYLI), M.P., also responded, and said the House of
all the energy he could muster. According to Com
was umootoLublitileess.viezirtleird assemblyt thaat ever existed,
his theory of politics and morals—a theory he has great cause of faultless,
political,u:eelisgtusa,' and commercial
the
until now never wearied of proclaiming—the majo.. ' freedom of the country ; and it was now, in spite of its
rity is always right. Therefore his duty, after the faults,
t(f7heers.) greatest
Br rittcountryical tt:inclthaenfri of
elections, no matter what his opinions might be, . might be he would hear the House of Commons :poke!' of
"rshothvaiLestoefsteoins.ti tounitio.n
hstiyhartitla would spoke! of.
Was not only to submit himself, but advise others soli
to submit. Instead of doing this, however, he but it depended upon the will of :et 'peoplenototPilVenti.
htlitabet believed there was a universal feelini in the
reiterates his slat arguments against the policy of is, seat
the legislature, and nut only this, but advises the eutoeunut.ry He was oHne of thousgof
ose meleeerre"weisipabcolepostiturneyd"
South not to accept what everybody knows are the was doomed, or if not absolutely doomed, to ansihilatims,
be 4 terms likely to be offered. This advice will heto eTymtt'atbethmeaftriedme
wtosstw.mo wtivz;nlmat he did not hesitate
that
no* kelp the South out of its scrape. On the con- ' which he rehad presented could continue to occupy the the '-
tat*, there is every probability that it will plunge toircotm eld in the imperial institutions. The Howse
its dupes into more trouble than ever. It would had come out of those had
dercire dutgageeteirnatulaisnoPra.:tilmatusit
be sensible, if it were probable that by holding out than it was befre. It wes inevitable that the house should
undergo
tefurtherpr
e;
ecnhts Isle sr; and the
thantim.
the North would give way. But everybody knowsite had y°:tmitrognewilin
that there is no likelihood of anything of the kind. feelings and the sentiments of the people of this country.te
How it is that Mr. Johnson does not see this, or He grceat pleasure in being present that evening to
trictsttitthitecoutmpirmeiotLra.:,dwtoattohne bon.member for Cain-
that he has no friend able to convince him of it, it all occasions found on
is not easy to understand. The temper of the the side of liberal improvements. (enema.)
free States is, in fact, rising higher and higher I Mr.
U.
4:IItETEL,P,I7,d. whothe
was llueuuctlry cheral enrrd, said" be
every day. lam sure lam within the mark when rose with mixed feelinti of salidaction and surprise at the
1 army that there are twice as many radicals nord la con • Treae,,, einn,4',,iv:t coursehill' It he Paandmdura va'rilluapy and
at the North, at this moment—twice as many who that a -good many present would' say, " What sbUsiness
are ready for any extreme course which Congress vhastvieveyrile Or; independent member rutting on the censer-
may nee fit to adopt, as there were a few years ago, Well,
he
came eittshoirit ,atici. because be here &it:
whatnerrialntrottn?;
and their number is increasing every week. I have seconcl4, he came in his private capacity to do honour to
pointed out to you more than once the rapid strides who, guhilygUh'irseowanniu'ini urable,u
talmentssitteannatl man,
.°6ty"
with which negro suffrage has been gaining ground. had won himself the proud position which he nowm
or:0-e!
The disposition to govern the Southern States as lit the Houseol Cteu ()fro. Read)
'lB°
"me
member
territories is now gaining ground with equal Young might be a liberaltu of tothete ti.tifty.tahttart,
whenayletthough
Mr.the
rapidity. Their refusal to adopt the Conatittt- interests of agriculture were concerned he turned hi. back
tional Amendment gave this disposition a great neon
ti.hi; party, and ir had loted on
eard a tasigtealof theut Jeerers.
stimulus. Every word uttered by Mr. Johnson in and he (Mr. Read) was not'
one of those" owl.;
support or encouragment of the refusal increases were
believed
thatall altaiLmedevensittt tteithstatt ofh things.
since He
the determination of the North not to be beaten in the sitting of parliament "would tend toapcepennieent and
this game any more than in the war, and snakes fuse all men of moderate opinions into one great
ca.,ortituttuitvitonalanr
trrtz,yalnitt that
utweeatshoui
toll..ve a just,
tt:iteonittt.)-
compromise or conciliation more and more difficult.
There is no prospect whatever that the North will Lver y o n e had his pet crotchet, and perhaps he might be
allows!e d for
that oneo countiesmoment ventilatewtomnot
recede from the position already taken, and he has own. Itientecot
must be a very careless or unskilful observer of he did not mean to say as regards members,roerburetPasre regard;
numberso of representative.. lu the counties there WAS a
public events who does not see that every day's
delay adds to the strength of the radicals in aii,or. •orthell.'rental: of ande coinuntes.to futlx7nuepoi.of
and out of Congress. I think when Congress met, and of the boroughs 41,000,000 f. The voters in the
the impeachment project, for instance, found little ,
counties-501',ei,anhec—,..utern thean and
urreheshtegltm4eetbertelid
favour with the country, although General number of county members was only ltd! wails that of the
Butler, Wendell Phillips, and other radical leaders borough membera was 334. It hail been argued that a
were urging it with all their might. It was Cletatthiti,ulnubet roofeatthrne boroughs
etewdeerneitalr,icultuuralte,boarthugoulai
generally felt that it would convulse the country, it might have been the came in olden times that termite
that the chance of conviction would be doubtful, dealtusewiteteppre:dbtr be etetnwcaian and thatnAmane
rs-
and that, at all events, until the people had had tams did not now exist, and landownen'anal fanose
ner, had
an opportunity of pronouncing its opinion, the waohictterest had ain holroatu.gohns.affunscriet took
t) the borough.
President had a certain amount of justification in found that they 'pretty well' dividedg ' itatteiweendthbe
acting on his own judgment. Things were in a liberals and the conservatives. His idea was that we
very unsettled condition when he took office, and .01httiesto, take
ttlitemlaargteit zireeztr.....se,unutdr toostv n
members,o o
andt
the President's powers had been—perhaps lin- then sever the urban and rural voters one from the other.
properly—greatly extended in Mr. Lincoln's hands truCrrlraunfal'u'rNbe.nlyoteHrse begg"t; Scotland
he said seanv:ir the
during the war ; so that it was hardly fair to blame land, and let each was"SOW" edas .Piernde
where his qualification was.
his successor for doing as he had done, until he He would not, of course, restrict the holduig of property ;
control
inwollyilwasaky
awhethaegrh geinteitiltututria.tyts :toaeld"wnitsh to
had beau formally forbidden by his constituents.
ured
every reason
tot
But once his constituents had pronounced their to say that they never dial Take a case in his own county
opinion, of course the excuse of ignorance orlea! satisfied Ywiertlime tlithiin.:ltilthouctll he
hhireii,
precedent was gone, and his perseverance in Great Yarmouth gave him, and the majoritypwi°t: whichw
the commission of his old irregularities not only
.tathelyelector maretttiirned him, 'he did not see that it. was ex-
prevents their being forgotten, but lends them a its.OlSTZLOberSha,tgoll74llldvel,Torr to7l";owhwi;orlett
guilt which did not previously attach to them. eastern division of Norfolt. lathe civet Norwich, which
So the impeachment party is now gaining vhouradeledtheeocitbey and deeir tlyeyin wished ilfiet vtehea freeholder.
Peach
ground. I have little doubt the conversation with county of Norfolk they had to go and get a 40a. freehold
Colonel Weatherby has doubled its strength ; and in the county. He hoped reform would not be dangled
in the new Congress, in March, General Butler will Lutethhltotnftewr
weld be
seeded
otaf
tipLliontoretiityt.anaudatthheatpe:pler,
find himself in possession of an amount of support measures of reform might be dealt with, such as reform of
which lam sure he did not look for when he was ottnjiiirun ptcytylai:?
it
fwen orm of thiebreow.w.pari.andenotf
tocumerri
elected. In like manner talk which six months the latter chject. These possible
required the considera-
tion of the legislature as much as this great measure of
ago in Wendell Phillips's mouth was looked on as reform. (Hear, hear.) He had to return thanks on
' the mere raving of a fanatic, is daily looking behalf of the ilgriculturists for the kind manner in
more and more sensible to the greater part of the which the toast had been received by the meeting.
community. In short, if the extreme radicals had last y
cessear
1:1' .htlariewultumretu,r Jr°l2kge trliethveeasettimt sentiment,
Mr. Johnson in their hire, he could not do their speech was soinewliet in this wise, •• I wish we may
work more effectually. He justifies their forebod- Ilett..veantutrit tho
suchsiy athatet agriculturist
get
td
it." Ile
ings, fulfils their prophecies, points their morals, sail privation"ss last yeer."gHehoped their prospects now
adorns their tales—in fact leaves nothing undone were net only brighter, but permanently better. The
cattle plague bed diminished, and prices had advanced;
that he can do to secure their triumph. he hoped, they would continue for at least a little time, to
As far as the liberty of the country, about which make up the great losses sustained during previous years.
he professes to be so anxious, is concerned, (Hear, near.) The gentleman who proposed the toast was
good enoughi to say that farmer.
united.l not unite.. It was
nothing could endanger them half as much as thetoooann.antLentibyeg, and
course the President is pursuing. The longer the when they' farmers
they ly
everi
ia no o was
regular operations of law are suspended at the very sorry that in the important agricultural 'countey of
South, the more danger there is of a despotism. Cambridgeshire the farmers had not rallied round the
If the South come back into the Union on any movement made elsewhere, anal established a chamber of
could state the
terms, it would of course be impossible ever to agriculture.
halear,behear.) Mr. Young could
trust it again. The idea of governing States which tserurvltieeng.cowhmtrenuent:eyw• and r'olfie°(7rmrtreeliteirl enno'''d'e'outbreltiha:
have always obeyed the constitution and the laws if the farmers were'really to Mtablish good local chain-
in any way but the regular way of course has never hers of agriculture, and then have one head chamber, as
entered anybody's head yet ; while the practice of they now had now in London, they would make their
wore respectfully attended
imposing conditions on States desirous of coming voices
h beterbeard
and
into the Union has nothing new in it. It has been (Cheer..) byA the
sen dreozneurn government analt.uc h t bly rii,orlnnunetnhte.
followed with regard to all the territories, and was malt tax, anal he (Mr. Read) would just say one or two
By all means let the present ministry
followed at the foundation of the government with words upon that subject. The gentleman said, "Test the
regard to those States which did not at the first present n"niak"
for themtotoowth and nail.
moment adopt the constitution. The Union was A.... tested ; let the farmers go in
formed at once, and they were left to come in at utioarnorwhiedirClrtmoine, IS7lS:AdmllepOina Sre'la.erillladdtelleui
their leisure, the condition of admission being the put it'to Mr. Disraeli whether he would repeal the malt
maid thie---" You mast renimaber that in 1812 I proposed
adoption of the constitution as it was offered to tit, or at least mitigate that very severe imost ; and he
them.

[TWOPENCE

to take off half the malt tax, and you turned me out."
Mr. Disraeli very naturally said that he did not wish for
• repetition of that—(laughter)--but with an adverse ma-
jority in the House of Commons of nearly 00 against the
proposition—and surely it was a reasonable one—that the
future surplus should be devoted to the reduction of the
malt tax, it was the opinion of the house that the
national debt should be paid off before farmers had a
slice of the surplus at all. Therefore, the farmers
had a very up-hill game to fight, and it
would be folly on the part of her Majesty's
ministers to bring in a bill to abolish the malt tax when
there was a majority of 80 who said they should not even
have the surplus revenue. He did not think there was
any other interest of so great importance and magnitude as
agriculture which had so little weight in the kingdom.
By the recently published agricultural statistics it would
be found that the capital employed in the cultivation of
the soil of thekingdom could not be leas than 300,000,0001.,
while farmers had to spend something like 75,000,0001. a
year in wages to their agricultural labourers. If we took
any other interest of not half that amount, it would be
found that by organization and unity they obtained their
ends. If the farmers had, however, to go to the gorses-
went, they really did not know where to go or what
to do. They were, perhaps, told to go to the Privy
Council, or to the Home-office, or to the Board of
Trade, or to the Veterinary Department of the Privy
Council, and they were bandied about from pillar
to post, and got no sort of redress. He thought the
time had arrived when we wanted, he would nut say •
minister of agriculture, but some special department of
the Board of Trade which really understood the wants of
agriculture, and to which farmers would not when they
went to it have to speak in such an unknown tongue se
they now did. One word more as to the malt.tax ; it was
supposed by some to be a sort of protection to the growers
of the best barley. Now the best barley was grown in
Norfolk, but the Norfolk farmers were so • man In favour
of the repeal of the malt tax. Barley might be sent into
England free of duty from all quarters of the globe, and
lastyear we received something like 7,000.000cwe of barley.
But take the case of the rnaltaters. We exported some-
thing like 60,000 quarters of malt last year, and we did not
import • single quarter, although the different* charged
upon foreign malt art oompared with the excise duty was so
miffing that it was just about sufficient to counterbalance
the advantage the foreigner would have in keeping
his malt any length of time. Then in the case of the
brewer ; there was no beer, except a little for medicinal
purposes, imported into the kingdom but the value of
the exports of beer last year was over 2,100,0001. There-
fore be (Mr. Read) said the protection which the malt tax
was supposed to be to the agricultural interest was
nothing. The protection was really to the =lister and
brewer. If we could by any possibility give agricultural
labourers good, wholesome, nourishing beer, instead of
the adulterated bad stuff they had at public-houses, be
believed that more would be done to regenerate them than
anything yet seen or attempted in our times. When he
considered that the malt tax pressed so hard on the agri-
cultural labourer, mid that in other countries they bad
their wine and oil untaxed, be coutended that those liberal
gentlemen who had imposed upon the farmers free trade
were bound to give thew free agriculture also. (Cheers.)
Mr. Willow, M.P., subsequently responded to the toast
of " The Visitors," and, referring to parliamentary De-
form, the hon. gentleman expressed his belief that it
must come. He asked, however, how it was possible for
the present eovernment to bring in a reform bill leann its
members were bitterly hostile to reform in the last SW'
sion. The conduct of the conservative party towards
Mr. Gladstone was disgraceful to the House of Commons.
He hoped that, the liberal party would go to parliament,
when it met in • few weeks, much more united
than they were last year. He believed the son-
servative party was on its last legs. Referring to Ur.
Read's views on the reform question, Mr. °aglow
said the effect of any proposal for taking populous
towns and borough freeholders out of counties wouldbe
only to increase the Power of the landowners, and it would
deserve to meet with the strenuous opposition of the liberal
party. Touching seat upon the malt tax question, the hon.
gentleman ridiculed the idea of Mr. Disraeli repealing the
tax, although Mr. Disraeli would have a surplus of
2,000,0101., thanks to Mr. Gladstone's financial measures.
The only man who could repeal the malt tax was Mr. Glad-
stone, and he was willing to do it. (Hear, hear.)
The " health of the chairman of Mr. Young's election
committee, Mr. Hampden," the " health of the chairman
of the day," the " vice-chairman," and other toasts fol-
lowed. A number of the visitors returued to Cambridge
by a special train.