The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-16 00:00:00

been made in that code were far greater than he origi-
nally anticipated. Well, then, what did the Right Hon.
Gentleman propose to do now that he was in office? •
The Earl of Derby was no doubt a great.man. The
Noble Earl retired from Sir Robert Peel's Government,
fully aware of the circumstances which had induced
that Administration to alter its policy, and the
Noble Earl thereafter set about forming his present
party, and many of his followers, in the hope that he
intended to restore protection, had given him their
blind confidence.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Earl had
lone all in his power to cultivate that confidence, and he
wanted to know whether the Noble Earl wished now to
make an effort to realize the hopes which he had created.
He said a man of that sort acted with the greatest re-
sponsibility in this country. The Noble Earl had rank,
had fortune, and from his position he, above all men,
ought to be prepared to announce the course which he
intended to follow. According to the public prints the
Noble Earl seemed to have likened himself to a general,
and he had held oct to his followers that the time would
come when he should lead them on to victory.—(Hear,
hear.) Now, had that time arrived? He had aright to
call for• an explicit answer to that question.—(Hear.)
The Noble Earl had openly declared in public that
when the time arrived there would be no flinching or
hesitation in him, but his cry would be that which Wel-
lington adopted on the field of Waterloo, and which
was, a up, Guards, and at them."—(Hear, hear,
and a laugh.) Well, that was stated in public,
and he now wanted to know when the mo-
ment was likely to arrive when the Noble Lord
and his followers would be up and at them.—(Hear,
hear, and laughter.) The Government was bound
to relieve the country from its present state of suspense.
—(Hear, hear.) What. in fact, was the condition of
the country at this Emir ?—(Hear, hear.) At no
farmer period had there been so much peace and
contentment as prevailed at the opening of the present
year. The history of the country presented no happier
picture. Trade was good; commerce was flourishing; labour
found ample employment, while capital never was more
abundant, or the population of this country never were
more employed or better fed than they were at this mo-
ment. What had produced this happy state of things ?
Why, it was the free-trade policy which they had recently
adopted. Nor was this flourishing picture peculiar to
one class alone. It applied' to all, oven the agricul-
tural class; for, according to aIl accounts, the
farm labourer was never better off, nor
the land in better cultiration,. than it was at the
present moment.—(Hear.) Well, then, what was to be
done? What did her Majesty's Government propose to
do ? Did they propose to reverse the— policy
which. had produced so much prosperity ? But
then, - again, with regard to our mari-
time code, was it prepared to make any
hange in that? In spite Of the 'recent changes oar
hipping' interest was flourishing, and was still able to
lefsr corapetion.—(Hear, hear.) What, then was. pio-
posed to`bedone hare?-e(Hear, heer.) According, to the
weches of some member* of, the . Government souse of
them were of opinion still, that the change had produced
great evils—(Hear, hear)-e-but ‘he defied them to prove
it.—(Hear, hear.) Next, with regard tot our colonies,
it appeared to him that , what the members• of
the present Government fohnd fault with was the
abolition of slavery - for • if-' 'be • looked to the
returns and papers -on ' th 2 table ho found
that even the colonies under a free-trade policy
were improving and not declining, while upon the
continent since frisk, trade had come into existence
there was a new& kindlier feeling felt there towards
this „country than prevailed. before.—(Hear, hear.)
Well, -then, -whence came - that fear and distrust
that was felt from, one- end. of the country to
the other? Why, it was a dread that the gentlemen
now in power were pledged to reverse this free-trade
policy, and the -struggle which Was Coming' upon '
this subj,ct was tinticipateci with alarm by all classes.
The tenant fainters did ho't require a return to a
system of pronction,,beCause they tted-st lengthirrived
at the calevie!ieu i4u.s toesliding aeale2, was devised for no
other purpose than to keep up rests.--(Hoar, hear.)
He repeated, tbee, ;that the, present uncertainty
would be ruitivaa ~; the country.,. Trwie
was conning to a, stand-stille while abroad naerehunt4
were accepting the charg, of- Ministers as' a rt vereet
of the free trade policy —(llear, hoar.)' For three
weeks the country hact bye t, reduced to a state of
paralysis; it appeared to tabour - under Shetread
of some coming evil, atol wanted the Flousv
to strike the blow at once, and insist that this- terrible
state of uncertainty etettlear should be put a stop to.
He asked him to tell the House. distinctly whether he
meditated, under any pretence or' reason,' to impose a
duty on foreign corn ?—(Cheers.) And he wished also
to ask whether, in the case of a dissolution of Parlia- '
ment, Government intended to propose any scheme of
fiscal or commeceial legislation' ahich should again raise
the question of protection, so that the- judgment of the
erectors may be taken un the subject?—(Cheers.) He
assured the Right Hon. Gentienlan that he was actuated
by no factious motive, and that it would be satisfactory
to him, and gratifying to the country, to hear that there
was not the smallest intention,now or hereafter, of dis-
turbing that policy which had produced sach benefits,
or under any pretence et imposing again a duty on corn.
—(Cheers.) He did not want, neither did the country
want, a dissolution at present. Ete wished to'avoid any
struggle which would interfere with the present prospe-
rous and peaceful state of the country; and on that
ground they wished the Right Hon. Gentleman to come
forward and say that the Government had no intention
of disturbing the free-trade policy of the country.—
(Opposition cheers.)

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, who on
'sing was received with cheers, spoke as follows: —The Hon.
ndLearned Gentleman who has just addressed the House
has noticed the extraordinary contrast which he fancies
exists in this country between the condition and feelings of
the people in January last and in the present month of March.
The Hon. Gentleman stated—not, indeed, with that definite
detail which perhaps might have been expected, yet in lan-
guage sufficiently strong, and evidently impressed with the
conviction of its truth—what he imagines to be the condition
of England at this moment. It is, says the Hon. Member, a
condition of distrust, apprehension, anxiety, and uncertainty.
Warming with his subject, the Hon. Gentleman soon found
ut that the feeling of distrust amounted even to a state of
paralysis.--(Hear and laughter.) I must confess I listened
to this announcement with some apprehension, but more
surprise.— (Hear, hear.) No information has yet reached
me tending to show that the condition of the people or the
state of public feeling at all corresponds with the description
given by the Hon. Member.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") I
do net find in the commercial transactions of this country
any of those symptoms which the Honourable Member
dilated on as a consequence of the change of Ad-
ministration. I, necessarily, have communications with
many persons of great eminence in the commercial world—
rten who are the highest authorities in matters of trade and
finance. They are persons familiar with scenes of the most
Active ooramercial life, and neither from their words nor
countenances could I have inferred that the country was in a
state of paralysis, or that even feelings of distrust, appre-
hension, and anxiety were influencing those whose interests
they represented. On the contrary, the inference I draw
from the representations of these gentlemen is, that the peo-
ple are in a state of contentment and prosperity. - (Hear,
hear.) I can find no confirmation of the Hon. Gentleman's
gloomy views in the present price of the public securities.—
(Cheers.) That barometer of public opinion certainly gives
no indication of distrust and anxiety. Every circum-
stance to which I direct my attention impresses me with
the conviction that the public mind at the present mo-
ment is in a state of peculiar tranquillity.—(Hear, hear.)
Ottetn4 in the Hon. Gentleman's speech surprised me,
t was the discovery he has made, not only that
Gov' as . -
the very,,,- ,intends to propose a fixed duty, but
,aetno'un't of that duty, and also its certain
effects duty it Rem • i
the price of wheat be 3s"*Which will raise
t
the 'UM Menge only 2s. quarter, and on that account
things result front sir' the farmers. will not have it. Two
absolutely thisirnpo„Ve. statement. In the first place, it is
that a- duty which will enhance the
price of wheat only
2aier-quarter can produce all the evil
consequences the Hm e
predicted; and, secondly,
if the farmers will not. have the
have deceived them if
irresistible
we'T tke
houldd"tY; they cannot say we
.netpropose it.—(Cheers,
and laughter.) These are the
conclusions which
must he drawn from the matured The lion. meine""t' eesa ergnment of the Hon.
Meath er. Ye the present. Government
are bound Co state frankly and fully their • -
tto what he calla the food of, t,. intentions with
respect
disiZenuous perversion of
People. I will not
be permitted to call a provincial jest perpetrated
stop to notice the Ho.o. Mem
what 1 may
by me. I never talked of a poor man ordering mutton-chops
h
in a coffee-house; and I really must. express my surprise
that, when we were expecting to ea from the lion. Mem-
leer a high discourse on sublime political r
se-O,IOIIIY, be should
condescend .o such a misrepresentation. le;
—siniesing that
matter, ntewever, .1 feel it my duty to respond to the Hon.
Mena,leer's challenge. The honourable Member says that
we are bound, now we are in power, to carry into effect the
opinions we declared in oppo4ir ton, and he quoted some words
with which I concluded a epacob or mine, in which I pea_
dieted that it the then Government refusal to listen to the
claim of justice they would ultimately be defeated and jue..
tiet would be conceded. 1 cannot think that was a fortu-
nate quotation to make, considering that the motion I then
brought forward was not tor a fixed duty on corn, consider-
ing that it had nothingto au with taxing the food of the
people, but was recommended to the House as a measure
of conciliation and 'curapromise, and as a probable
means of terminating the fatal controversy between
great political interests. As far as regards my conduct
en the occasion referred to,
my task would indeed
be easy. I might take the expression which the Hon. Gen-
tleman quoted, and say 1 am prepared, to the best of my
ability, to fulfil the spirit of the policy 1 recommended on
the evening when I made that speech.—( Hear, hear.) But
with the permission of the House I will not narrow my ob-
servations to that issue. I wish, without reserve, fairly and
frankly to express the feelinge of the Government--(Hear.)
I think that, in the first place, the House should consider the
position of the Government and the circumstances under
which gentlemen sitting on these benches acceded to office.
That is an element of consideration which must not be
omitted. Since the repeal of the corn-laws a controversy
has been maintained in the country as to the policy or im-
policy of that important measure. Various efforts were in-
eprectually made to induce Parliament to mitigate its effects.
At lath the question arrived at this point : —The present
oParliament. which was elected in 1847, when the effects
class most
"Peal of the corn-laws had not been felt by the
conclusion, interested in the measure, approached a
loomed in and
the
The the natural termination of' its career
the (listen T Fad of Derby, after various
efforts to • •
mitigate the effects of the law, declared that it was
necessary an appeal should be mado to the community at
large to settle a controversy which in Parliament had been
sufficiently prolonged. It
perhaps will not be thought ar-
rogant on my part,
after the allusions made by the Hon.
Member, to refer
to what I have done on the subject. More
than two years ago I
Hones
ia
said thatl as far as protection was
concerned, after the
by large majorities nega •
tived the motions from our side:,, I
,would no longer raise the
question, but would confine in ei to introducing measures
which were totally independd of i
tthe abstract principle of
protection. I also Stated maybstorapetinion that. the ques-
tion of nylonprotectio as an
which could no IAT be consideregcluesationl was one
but must be settled by an appeal
to
thei
country.
House,
uestion being in that state, there is suddenlyte raynd he
a change of Gevernment. If the un-
expectedlyovernmenthid been changed by an expression of the opinion of Parlia-
enent upon the condition of the m agricultural t
had been upon a motion asserting the ex interest—if it
expediency of imme-
diately returning to the principle r
a proteCtiVe policy-
0.