The Sun.
London, England, 1830-09-18 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF: TIM PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The deallotMr tykisson will be deeply felt
thrinighOiettlacriuntryoits the lost, of one who exer-
citied,.sithithet in opposition, a powerful
fto,protecting autltorityi over one great branch of
'the` national interests of Great Britain. Mr. Hus-
kiesrin, beyond all contemporary politicians, deserved
the of a pitietical statesmen—one
whose • knowledge'wes conversant with realities--
whose reasonings on Matters of
,political economy
and finance might be taken for a 'manna] by those
who desired to render, the mercantile intercourse
between men and states as productive, and the fiscal
regulations as little oppressive, as the nature of
things would allow—one, moreover, whose industry
and sagacity were made available to the kingdom by
great boldness and steadiness in his measures, and
whose good fortune it was to have almost lived
down, within the short period of' four or five years,
the loud, confident, overbearing, and dexterous—
though is some cases ignorant, in others factious—
clamours with which the country resounded from end
to end, against the introduction of that new system
of navigation laws, and of importation duties, which
were falsely represented to heve for their motive a
preference of foreign over ::„British ships- and
goods, but which are now admitted by ninety-
nine out of every hundred'Svell-informed men
: throughout the empire, to. 'have been diatitted
by an accurate perception in the. mind of
Mr. Huskisson of what 'foreign Government"
had it in their power to accomplish egainet England
under her former policy, and of their probable. res.
luctance, as well as certain incapacity, to make:war
successfully upon her maritime and commercial groat-
ness, should that policy be abandoned or relaxed.
Mr. Huskisson has been much calumniated for a
measure by which England appeared to give up her
ancient defences against foreign shipping, no longer
denying them, by means of prohibitory duties', ad-
mission to British ports. The answers of Mr.
Huskisson were two, and both triumphant. lie
said, that first, many neighbouring Governments were
upon the point of retaliating upon England, by exclud-
ing her vessels from their dominions ; second, by his
preventing that retaliatory system, and inviting other
states to one of reciprocal hospitality and unrestraint,
the shipping interest of England had not merely
escaped the severe punishment then in store for them,
but that British vessels had positively increased
and multiplied through the accommodation afforded
here to their mercantile rivals; which latter had
increased likewise, though in a far less proportion.
So with the silk trade. Furious and frequent—and
now, as the event has proved, quite scandalous,—were
the reproaches cast in the teeth of Mr. Huskisson, for
breaking up the close monopoly by which that ma-
nufacture had been retarded, and the policy of Eng-
land disgraced. The public, it has for some time
been acknowledged, have in consequence of the te-
location had better goods at lower prices than bes
fiii& France, instead of furnishing our market with
silks, is actually, in some instances, supplied with
those of England, made to imitate completely the
silks of Lyons ; and the silk-manufacturing esta-
blishments of this kingdom have extended into
numerous districts where the article, as a home-
made fabric, never was beard of so long as the
monopoly existed. We have selected two cases,
because they are prominent and important, of Mr.
Iluskisson's services to the nation in that depart-
ment of public affairs over which no man of the pre.
bent age has presided with any thing like equal credit
to himself, or solid utility to the public, Looking at
the materials from which the vacancy left by this
lamented gentleman is to be filled up,---we mean
the vacancy in public opinion us to the ampli-
tude of his knowledge and resources,—we can-
not anticipate that ft will for I,ears be supplied.
The political career of Mr. Huskisson requires but
little narrative or comment. He was one of the
Secretaries of the Treasury under Mr. Pitt, -and is
supposed not only to have enjoyed the. confidence
of that celebrated Minister, but to have drawn from
Mr. Pitt's suggestions or avowed intentions the
principles which Mr. Huskisson many years after-
wards developed in his measures for establish-
ing whet Is called the " free trade system." Mr.
fluskisson's political intimacy with Mr. Canning, and
supposed dependence on him, endured until the
decease of the latter statesman. On that deplored
event, it was expected by most people—undoubt-
edly it was by Mr. Canning's family—that Mr.
Huskisson would continue to cultivate and abide by
the political friends and connexions who had been
united with his late friend in an attempt to carry on
the Government in defiance of the Tory party.
Mr. Huskisson did join the short intermediate
Government of Lord Goderich ; but his junction
with the Duke of Wellington, however justifiable
on abstract grounds, was regarded by the Canning
connexion—(perhaps the impression went much
further)--as a desertion of his patron's, or rather
chieftain's memory, for the paltry consideration of
holding a Cabinet ogee. From that hour Mr. Hus-
kisson erased to be looked upon as
,a straightfor-
ward and trustworthy member of a political party.
His reception from the House of Commons, when
he addressed it, was for the most part cool for a
man who seldom uttered what was not worthy of
attention. Ills breach with the Duke of Welling.
ton—or the Duke's desire to make a breach with
him—threw Mr. Huskisson among the number of
those who expressed a keen and strong dislike to
many parts of the policy (foreign policy chiefly)
pursued by the Duke of 'Wellington's Government.
Mr. Iluskiiismi's speeches, in animadverting on the
Ministry, have not been frequent, however pointed
and severe. Report says that lie, and certain
others Of the same views on foreign and domestic
policy, were soon to have been announced as Mem-
tiers of the Duke of Wellington's Cabinet. We
neither confirm nor deny
.that rumour. If it be cors
tact, the truth of it will be speedily aecertained by
the destination of Mr. speedily
surviving
friends, who, if flat of equal weight with him on
questions within that range to which he principally
confined himself, might still be desirable accessions
to any (but an Ultra-Tory) administration. The
loss, nevertheless' of such 9 man, so enlightened in
his d opinions, an so practised in affairs, must at
such a time be irreperable,sseTimcs,

The account which we yesterday laid before our
readers of the calamitous accident whiali betel Mr.
Iluskisron must have prepared them for the intelli-
gence or the death of that distinguished Statesman,
which it is our painful duty to communicate. Our
readers wilt find br another column an ample
count, transmitted to .us try our reporter, of the
circumstances connected with this melancholy event,
es disclosed at the Coroner's Inquest, arid commit-
"limited .by his friends. We also lay before our
readers the following observations, 'transmitted to
us by a friend on the spot, and written with a view
to their odoption by ourselves in our editorial cepa-
city:—" It is our melancholy and moat painful duty
to announce the calamitous and sudden death of Mr.
Huskisson, by an unfortunate coridcot. at the open-
ing of the Liverpool Railway, on Wedoesday. In
the state of parties, and In the preterit political po-
sition of the commercial policy of the nation, espe.
Jelatly in reference to the East India arid Dank harter
,i•tiestions, this unforeseen and unhappy itientninnit be
reg.Yrded as a great national calamity. On the two
latter szthjects of approaching inteßst, his loss may
be said to lie irreparable. The moral effect of
his principles on the aelject, of free trade had an un-
questionable irilluenea on the Administration, not-
withoomding he had ceased to he 4 member of the
Councils of the Duke of Wellington t cudd it was a
remarkable testimony to the integrity
thou print ililes, that since
this retirement front fi•ovirailunellicoef
`,1,7017d:47.6 termed "hatvie ihearattro lido of ministerial
bridi the particulars from "" q7itn"'
ac-
cident. The loconlotivo chmield"le
seeded *lateen miles, to 1,1:14,1,1:41,1 bad Nisei
route to Manchester, with the s'er4:lll Lieu
of carriages, when they all. Stopped rt-rna
ing to previous arrangement, for fresh aupplZ3l-i'
water arid fuel. On this stoppage, many perso::
descended from the carriages and walked about.