The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-15 00:00:00

known. But, on the other. hand, neither is it
possible to allege that if the Conservatives had
been in power the condition of the country, both
at home and abroad, would have been as flourish-
ing as it now is, or that the finances of
the kingdom would be as healthy as they now
are. It is at all times idle to speculate on what
might have been ; and in the government of a
State it is especially necessary to avoid straying
into the realms of speculative inquiry. In domestic
life a master does not discharge a servant who per-
forms his duty in a satisfactory manner for the sake
of giving employment to some one else who would
probably do the same work equally well • and there-
fore, even assuming that the Conservatives leaders
might have steered the vessel of the State with per-
, feet success through the several perils with which it
has lately been environed, that affords no ground
for dispensing with the services of a crew whose
efficiency has been demonstrated beyond the pos-
sibility of doubt. Having filled the office of Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer. Mr. Disraeli very naturally
devoted the greater part of his address to the con-
sideration of the financial policy of Mr. Gladstone.
Finding himself unable to deny its success, he
adopted it as his own, and roundly charged the pre-
sent Government with having borrowed its main
features at his own suggestion. The paper duties
were repealed in 1861, but was it not Mr. Disraeli
who at an antecedent period obtained from the
House of Commons an abstract resolution that their
abolition was demanded ? The tea duties and the
income-tax have been largely remitted by the pre-
sent Government, but was it not the member for
Buckinghamshire who, as far back as 1852, first
endeavoured to diminish the impost on what had
become a necessary of life, and did not he, when in
office, reduce the income-tax to fivepence in the
pound, which Mr. Gladstone subsequently found it
necessary to raise to ninepence ? Again the Liberal
party have most unjustly taken credit to themselves
for having concluded the commercial treaties with
several continental States, and thereby prompted a
free-trade policy ; whereas, as all the world knows,
it was Mr. Disraeli who, in 1843, brought the sub-
ject of treaties of commerce under the notice of the
House of Commons, and pointed out to Parliament
the inestimable advantages likely to accrue from
concluding a corameocial treaty with France. Now,
to these statements of Mr. Disraeli all we can say
is that, assuming them to be perfectly accurate,they
only prove that he and his friends, with the best
of intentions unfortunately, from some cause or
other, fail to carry their designs into effect. We
may give Mr. Disraeli credit for having obtained an
abstract resolution from the House of Commons in
favour of the abolition of the paper duty, but we
cannot forget that when the present Chancellor of
the Exchequer proposed to Parliament to redeem
the pledge which it had given, it was the Conserva-
tive leader and his supporters who endeavoured to
induce the House of Commons to stultify itself by
postponing.the remission of the paper duties to the
reduction of those on tea. When, on two subse-
quent occasions, the Government proposed to remit
a portion of the tax on tea, the Conservatives were
compelled to acquiesce in the suggestion of the
Ministry ; but it is now universally conceded that
the relative order of time in which the imposts on
the two commodities were removed was the best that
could have been selected. Whatever credit may be
claimed by the member for Buckinghamshire for
his advocacy of commercial treaties, he is unjust to
the Freetraders of this country in saying that their
opposition contributed to prevent his schemes be-
ing carried into effect. In 1843 the Corn Laws were
unrepealed, and until the Conservative party had
assented to the adoption of a free-trade policy in
this country, it was useless to think of forcing it on
the acceptance of foreign States. Mr. Disraeli may
have meant well, but in weighing the merits of dif-
ferent statesmen it is natural that deeds should count
for more than intentions. The course which the
elections have hitherto taken must satisfy Mr. Dis-
raeli how useless it is to seek to persuade the Eng-
lish people to exchange a present gain for a pros-
pective advantage. In the boroughs, where espe-
cially the Conservatives reckoned on increasing the
number of their champions, the Liberals have already*
gained at least ten seats, and in the counties the
worst that can befall the Government is to fail in
ousting their opponents. For reasons, however to
which we have already made allusion, there is e;TrrY
reason to believe that at the close of the present
elections it will be seen that the tendency,to Liberal
opinions, which has been so strongly marked in the
towns, will equally be manifested in the rural dis-
tricts. In Liverpool the Government have lost a
seat, Mr. Ewart having been displaced by Mr.
Graves ; and regard being had to the nature of the
constituency, the victory will justly be regarded as
the most important as yet gained by the Conserva-
tive party.