The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-24 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE:

LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S ADDRESS TO TILE
ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF LONDON.
Lord J. Russell has issued the following audress to
the electors of the city of London:—
Gentlemen,-=More than ten years have elapsed since
I was requested by a deputation of electors to relinquish
the seat which I then occupied and become a candidate
for the city of London. I was at that time in the en-
joyment of the confidence of the electors of Stroud, and
I had no reason to fear that I should lose that confidence
at the ensuing election. But I was urged to quit that
honourable position on the ground that the battle of free
trade was to be fought, and that the beat field for such a
battle was the metropolitan city of the United Kingdom.
I accepted your invitation, and after a close contest was
elected by a narrow majority.
The proposals which the Administration of Lord Mel-
bourne had laid before Parliament bore the character of
a marked but gradual advance to the policy of free trade.
The heavy tax on the importation of corn was to be ex-
changed for a fixed duty. The differential duties on the
imports of foreign sugar and foreign timber were to be
greatly reduced. These proposals were virtually re-
jected, and the Ministry of Lord Melbourne was at an
endT.he
policy
of Sir Robert Peel from 1842 to 1845 was
bbyeeolnifght thief',
obrfeytophteehn.alwt
ohfpooitlehi policy;
id;
bue
trbiaoulet
on
nt o theor n . end
He o f
receivedlB 45
tShi
er
based on the most enlarged principles of commercial free-
dom. The articles of corn and sugar were indeed little
Robert Peel proposed to his colleagues the total, though
party in carryiug a Bill for
affectedgradual,sop port
this purpose through both Ilouses of Parliament. In
June, 1846, Sir Robert Peel, after accomplishing
great measure, resigned office. In announcing his re-"
tirement ho expressed a hope that his successors would
continue his policy, namely, the promotion of a free in-
tercourse with foreign nations.
The late Ministry fulfilled this hope.' In 1946 we in-
troduced and carried a Bill for the gradual repeal of the
differential duties on sugar. The principle of that Bill
is still in vigour, and in July, 1854, the duties on foreign
we equalize
and colonial sugar will be equal.
diffe-
rential duties on timber.
t protection was with-
drawn;At the same time, we have not been unmindful of those
galannt
di
01r8cfeso.,
.4diil9crul
followed
I twwes
de.;e
ditpl
,harebesoeytpLd
year
fs,ereaerhd
a r
interestsr ied dth et
from
.eo md repeal
cwti he oiecf
onh the
a n coffee,
u nnaj vis
contained in the report of a Committee of the House of
greatdact
Lords, we reduced, by 500,0004 the stamp duties which
pressed heavily on the sale and transfer of land.
for instance, in conformity with the suggestions
With
similar
drainage vi eawcsd,
swgerieexutletnudr
ae
ld
improvements
enlarged
wh advances
ich had
beenfor
sanctionedrdfnpoetaiolno fof theunderthoo
av
burdensitgh navigation
tioo laws.im Administrationpoeheedc
which
have been diminished in the case of the coasting trade to
little more than one-fourth of the previous
Other important changes have been made, amount.
raise the character, and promote the intended to
interests, of the
merchant shipping of the country, Th
Merchant Seamen's Fund, which bade question of the
so long been a
source of discontent among our sailors,
to a satisfactory conclusion, with the _ has been brought
aid
con-
tribution from the public purse. The general commerce
of a liberal
of the country has been assisted by the
provi-
sion made for colonial and foreignpackets.increased
.to our sugar colonies, we favoured i ln respect
public works by loans guaranteed by mmigration and
ment. the home Govern-

It is not necessary for me to celebrate the success of
measures intended to continue and complete the policy
of free trade. You will find the more recent facts, fur-
nishing the most conclusive proofs of the wisdom of that
policy, in the financial statement of the present Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer. That speech deserves your
attentive study.
The financial results of the Policy of the last ten years
may be thus summed up:-
1. Customs' duties have been repealed or reduced to
the extent of 9,000,0001.
2. Excise duties have been repealed or reduced to the
extent of 1,500,000/.

3. Stamp duties were reduced, in 1850, to the exten
of 500,0001.

house tax, by which relief was given to the
4. The window duties have been commuted fur a
1,200,00011
and Taxes
5. The produce of Customs, Excise, Stamps. Thus,
was, in 1842, 48,000,0001.; in 1851, 46,600,001.
loss
the relief to the country has been 12,200,0001; the
to the revenue only 1,400,0001, information and
With these facts before us for our t the
in weep
ling.
guidance, I can have no hesitation
it. d conclusively
challenge to decide finally, oomplete•J'
4. „ "de.
the contest between protection and ire- "se to the next
What the present Ministers meY poprolsoelf, I shall be
Parliament I cannot divine. For - -
ready to contend— apd on the import of
1. That no duty should be impon-,;. - •
corn, either for protection or'
l'evtilof the last ten years is
2. That the commercial polio,'
good to be extended—
hot an evil to be mitigated,
biet which-ought to be
not an unwise and disastr
policy,but a just and beneficial
reversed, altered, or modified,
strengthened, and
system, which should be supported,extent of
upheld.