The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-25 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY - EVENING,

_ .
Salisbury or Grantham—or he might mention a place from
which a warning voice had that night been heard—
Windsor. Hon. Members of the other House would assu-
redly discover that there had been a great alteration since
their last visit in 1847.—(A laugh.) They would find a
marked improvement, which could only be attributed to a
decrease in the price of provisions. They would be
told all this by the women.—(Laughter.) Noble Lords
might laugh, but there was no surer indication of the do-
mestic condition of the people than the account which the
women would give on election occasions. And he declared
that if two per cent. of the female portion of the population
asked for a restoration of the corn• laws, or any egaivalent,
to deprive them of what they called the " cheap loaf," he
(the Duke of Newcastle) would surrender the question.
Ho believed that, on the contrary, tales would be heard
from the wives and daughters of working men more pathetic
in their humble prose than the forcible poetry of " Corn-law
Rhymes," tales as powerfully proving the folly of restoring
the corn laws as those rhymes showed the folly of re-
taining them. Why, the importation of corn amounted to
nearly 10,000,000 quarters! Did not the very importation
of that quantity prove that it was wanted ? Was it not
clear that the provision for the labouring classes had been
made a certainty, which before had been matter of specula-
tion ? And was there any ore prepared to take a course
welch would deprive them of this supply? Even the sign-
, cultural villages showed the improvement. The
poor-law
returns showed a diminution over the whole area of England
of 7/ per cent. in the number of paupers relieved. Nor had
the improvement been merely in the manufacturing dis-
tricts; the returns proved the reverse. The few towns
in which there had been an increase included some manu-
facturing towns, such as Leicester and Nottingham; while
among the districts in which there bad been the largest
decrease in pauperism were Berks, Bucks, Devonshire,
Westmoreland, and the East Riding. The returns proved
that in the villages and •smaller towns there had been a
decrease of pauperism consequent upon the increased
means of subsistence and the— augmented means of
employment. The case was the same with Scotland.
To support his statements as to England the Noble
Duke referred here to a return of a poor-law inspector for
one of the districts, in which it was stated that, out of a
population of three millions, only three-seventieths were in
the receipt of relief. The period of the return was for three
years after 1848. The corn-law had been repealed in 1816,
but did not come into operation till 1849. So the returns
proved that the diminution of pauperism had been con-
current with the abolition of protection. In 1843 there
were on the poor-law books in the district referred to 79,000.
In 1849 this number had been reduced, in round numbers,
to 74,000; in 1850, to 69,000; and, in 1851, to 65,000. The
diminution of crime tended to establish similar conclusions.
At the last quarter sessions there had been hardly any
of those offences which of old were used to occupy several
days. He contended, then, that these facts showed that
they were the true friends of industry who had relieved it
of its fetters, and sent the people to work either at the
loom or the plough. It was indeed said that there had
been great distress in the country. He did not deny it.
He had never denied it. He believed it was to be
looked for as the natural result of the transition
from one state to another. He had never anticipated that
such a a change could be effected without s me severe dis-
tress. He knew, however, that in some districts rents were
too high, and had to-be reduced, and he believed this to be
rather a landlord's question. He would not prejudge what
course the Noble Earl might pursue next session on this
subject. No one could raise a voice against the present Bill,
and it was very probable that a similar measure would be
brought forward again. He (the Duke of Newcastle)
wished such broad hints had not been thrown out on the
part of the Government as to direct taxation being im-
practicable without exemptions, and with exemptions
practically confiscation.—(Hear, hear.) And if the tax
were to be abandoned before therevenue had equalised itself
with expenditure, and the increase of the amount derived
from other taxes now existing, he hoped the Noble Earl
would not resort to duties on articles of trade, and, above
all, the food of the people. He entreated the Noble Earl to
abandon the idea as chimerical. He (the Duke of Newcastle)
would not deal in menace to their Lordships, especially in times
so quiet and contented. But he was much mistaken if the
people of this country, however attached to their Sovereign
and their constitution, would suffer any withdrawal of the
benefits they had obtained by free trade. He was persuaded
they would not allow any measure by which, directly or
indirectly, any increase upon the burdens of the consuming
classes should take place. He hoped the Parliament about
to be returned would resist any reversal or revision of the
free-trade policy. He did not, of course, mean to exclude
wise revision of details, but such a revision as was talked of
by " free-trade. Derbyites" at elections, who spoke against
reversal while' reserving to themselves the power of re-
vision. It was doubtless intended, by these slippery
phrases to do that indirectly which could not be done
directly ; but he believed the resistance of the people would
be equally great, and their discontent greater. The Noble
Earl had spoken of the Conservative character of his Govern-
ment, and of his being a barrier against the encroachments
of democracy. If there were ever such " encroachments"
he (the. Duke of Newcastle) would be a humble follower
of the Noble Eael ' • but he saw no symptoms pf such en-
croachments, and only observed that occasionally an agita-
tor's speech fell flatly upon-the -people's-ears.—(Hear, hear.)
But the Noble Earl had no right to assume to himself this
position until he had " made a clear breast of it" upon this
most important question. A declaration from the Noble
Earl before Parliament was dissolved that he had finally
abandoned any intention of restoring the corn-laws would
place the Noble Earl in a proud position before the people.
But a Conservative policy at this day was a policy of rational,
steady, well-considered, and, because steady and well-con-
sidered, safe and salutary progress.—(Cheers from the Oppo-
sition.) It was impossible to stand still without danger, and
any attempts at that re-actionary policy, of which there had
anticipatedss of
been recently some symptoms, would accelerate the onward
proper
Noble
progress
policy of a Conservative Government was progress; to stand
chat democracy,
end
deprecated.the advanceH p of
repeated, thewhichthe
He
reee
still was ,peril ; and re-action was .revolution.—(Cheers from
the Opposition. )
Lord BE RNERS, after stating that in some counties the
cry was " Free-trade and starvation," referred to certain re-
turns showing that the expenditure for the relief of the
poor in 1850, which was 5,305,0001., was 440,0001. more
than for the year 1836—(Hear, hear)—and, though it was
less than for the year 1849, it walonly one farthing per head
on the population less than the average of the seven years
when there was the highest price of wheat. It might,
perhaps, be supposed that wh,en there was the lowest
average price of wheat we should have the lowest amount
of, expenditure for the poor, but such was not the feet. The
minimum price of wheat in 1e37 was 525. If then, be took
the last sixteen years, and took out the eight years 'when
wheat was above 525., and 'eight when it was below that
foundsnine that
deposited. from
price, he found a very large
prices. The expenditure for the last five years was
greater by 2,000,0001. than for the five preceding years; and
proportion in favour of high
the expenditure for 1850, though less than for 1849, was
greater than for any other year since 1836. From another
20,000 depositors leas them for 1846, and 3,206100 l• less
return
decreaseh
.deposited in amount, though last year, certainly, there Was
eoaflatohe
a little increase.
Lord WODEHOUSE said his did not lead
observation
him to the same conclusion as the
Noble Earl. The years
1848 and 1849 had been years of • owing to
184F6Ortble8r4e9w ataheasegebigeerrael
great depression,
causes quite separate from the question of free trade. He
•hardly believed that—at least in the part of the country with
which he was best acquainted, the eastern counties—it was
'at all disputed that the condition of the labouring classes had
m that vastly improved. It would see h the rise in wages
which was observable had created
some apprehension in the
mind of the farmer that - the condition of the labourer
own.
'would improve more rapidly than his oa
If the argument
anything, of Noble Lords opposite was good for • the depre-
ciation in the condition of the a riclli
eg,
d would be a
'continually-increasing deprecititn. If theo tura'
b yfarmer was
living upon his capital, he must r go more and
more towards the verge of ruin whcvery yea
frequently
ich had been so predicted. He appealed to Noble Lords who were AC.
I quainted with the agricultural distr.whether, instead of
their being in a continual state of
deicts .
there Was not
a decidedly improved and healthful toneeciation,
the
occupiers
of land. He believed that the moat among
re being
excited in the breasts of the farmers,
sanguine hopes wtehe
were
'being aroused to a greater de raerrners, and that d y
industry
• than ever. He could not helg e of energy an
P noticing the very prepos-
terous argument that had been used—not in that or in the
other House of Parliament, 'ant ' t-
'Withstanding the many hundred thousandout of doors—that, noorn
and flour annually imported into tis singlequartersaof c
i loaf, more of bread had been, eaten le country, not
__,_
w
shcive.4hat therewaalao Tear of l 7 the petwle- , Now to
,
land ing.out ef,eidanre ton,
Ihe Inergiat-stiteethaell4tiast repo-a9 t el' sure 0111
,missioners no less than 644 applications of the A h o
them • ,of these 161 had been d•-• had been made to
,isposeg of before the. last an
nual report, and of the remaining 483, 364 were Tor en-
closures of land, and the quantity comprised in the apphea•
Itions and authorised 'to be enclosed, e• the last eeneral re-
port, was 46,793 acres. Although ince n
,treated as one of reason and deliberat• - ',with the
great body of the people one of the nee ion, it was
t.
Last
;year when the Noble Earl had not tlest interes
of a
'Government upon his shoulders,and responsibility_
in
ample had not succeeded in
ample a
iforming
nd andeli Admberateim *strationand "open
given e had them a very
what eZbu r
he was going to do, but of what he what
done. He
stated that he should have
proposed a r d al diminution
and extension of the income-tax, pledcen a 1-
moderate
duty upon corn. That was a pone, with..l a
shadowed
'forth, but clearly and distinctly I not aall 3'
enunciated. He wished ,
'the Noble Lord would adopt the seine •
now. It was
lan extraordinary state of things when coursethey
'Mieister of the Crown making en elaber he•Finarice
had t • _
ate statement of
•
principres establishing the free-erede
,Government, and then they had the policy of the late
Noble Earl at the
,head of the Administratiens-snotin that House but at the
, Mansion-house making an elaborate , of
the facts used by his chanCellor, of the _mystification
On
the eve of an approaching election, it apxchequer. 0 ,
that they should have some explanation of policythmeasteesential
of the
Governmeht—whether it was deemed advistabl I' eve
the policy of the late "Sir Robert Peel, -or adoptoit in its
entirety,and carry it out. • There were other matters, such
as the navigation-laws, the timber duties, and the test duties;
upon which it would .. be very desirable some opinion
should be pronounced; and he believed other states were
anxiously waiting to see whether this, country would con-
grilse: to-pursue the policy it had commenced. .11e could
the Noble Earlehat. by the silence he had assure adopted
' • tote caul of the great party which
he headed; and however much Lne might differ from that
party, he did not wish to see it destroyed.
. •
The Earl of A.LBEigARLE trusted the Noble .Earl ;would
give the,Hovee some.,littie
_inkling of his future policy. <ln
other Places he was not so chary of his, opinions, for at the
Mapeionelspuse he ,bad indulged in what his Noble Friend.
called an elaborate mystification; and he hoped it would not
beSaid that his policy could only be elicited by turtle and
champagne. The Noble Berl had there spoken of a large
class unconnected with manufactures. Would the Noble,
Earl.inform them whom be meant ? There were three deno-
minations of persons in the agricultural class=the labourer,
the tenant-farmer, and the landlord. He would assume at
once that it was -not the landlord, and he inferred that it
could not be the labourer. Ha feared the House was
"No," impa-
tient,—(Cries of
"Go on.") Well, then, would the
Noble Earl inform him of any period when the labouring
man—thanks to the bleasings of free trade—enjoyed a larger
supply o
f bread, butter, bacon, eggs, tea,sugar, and coffee?
' (Cheers.) Then there was the poor roan'sluxury, tobacco;
and he would call their Lordship? attention ?o the increased
. consumption of that as an evidence of the improved
condition of the labouring classes. ‘
the calculations
of the consumption of tobacco per head in the
five last decennial periods was, omitting fractions of
ounces, in 1821, 11 oz. per head ; 1831, 12 oz.. ; 1841, 13 oz.;
, and 1851, 16 oz. He believel that more skill and capital
had been expended in agricultural pursuits by the tenant-
farmers• of the free-trade measures than since the passing
Noble Friend had spoken of
His
at any previous period.
the-consumption of bones and foreign manures—he found
' that in the laSt five years the quantities imported were, in
. 1848, 103,000 tons • in 1849, 112,000 tons; in 1850, 144,000
' tons ; and in 1851, 274,000 tons, showing an increase of
137 per cent, He admitted that there was distress among
. the tenant-farmers here and there, bet the present was a
transition state, and the improvements going on in all
Planers ee.ae Am esiedeeoe that they werarecoYeripg from it,