The Sun.
London, England, 1849-07-21 00:00:00

these strong opinions, he felt it his duty to urge them upon
the attention of her Majesty's Miuieters, and to impress
them as strongly as he could upon the minds of Honour-
able Members of that 11)1160, so that through the House
might be conveyed to the country cpiuions which elvers'
to him to be incontrovertible, and which woull, if true,
sink deep into the minds of the people, ant would create
that conviction which ought, and which in ins time would,
undoubtedly achieve the object he now so earnestly urged
upon the House. He had endeavoured to avoid all irri-
tating top!cs which might naturally present themselves in
connexion with such a subject, and had carefully confined
himself to the proposition with which he had set out. it
was one of great importance in an economic it and fiscal point
of view. If it was true that they would obtain that large
amount of revenue which he had referred to without any in-
convenience or loss to the country they were bound to do so,
and when the Ministry and the House became convinced
that such was the case, then he hoped and trusted that the
labour he had bestowed upon the question, and the patience
with which the House had listened to him, would not b 3
thrown away. (Hear, hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER complimen-
ted the Right lion. Gentleman on the calm and clear manner
in which he had introduced the proposition, avoiding 2
as he had done, all those controversial [mints which
might have been introduced into such a statement, and he
expressed a confident hope that those who followed hilti
would pursue a similar course. With regard to the revenue
produceable from the Excise, he repeated the observations
he made on a former occasion, and proceeded to
show that there had not been in that departs
ment any falling off, except so far as Ireland was
concerned. There had been a postponement of the income
derivable from Excise duties, but not a great falling
off. He felt quite confident that, at the end of the year,
the income would exceed the expenditure ; and he not being
as apprehensive as the Right Hon. Gentleman, he declined
assenting to impose any duty, fixed or otherwise, on. the
importation of cern. He would not trespass on the House
by repeating the reasons which influenced him in taking
that course. He congratulated the Right Hon. Gentleman
that he had disclaimed, in the strongest manner that matt
could do, any intention to impose duties for the purpose of in-
creasing the price of corn. He congratulated the Hou
and the country that an llonourable Member of his experi-
ence, and speaking with his authority, had disclaimed any
intention of reverting to those protective duties which
never raised the price of food. When the PeePlef
of this country were convinced of the truth
the proposition laid down by the Right Honourable
Gentleman, namely, that an additional duty of five shillings
on corn would not affect the consumers, they possibly
might assent to it, but inasmuch as he did not think any
powers of human reasoning could so convince them, there
was not much prospect of their concurrence being gained.
He did not understand the consistency of the Right Son'
Gentleman's arguments. The Right Honourable Gentle'
man said taxation by a fixed five-shilling duty would be
the means of deterring the importation
of foreign corn .s,
prices were low. Then the effect would be to raise the
price, although the Right Honourable Gentleman said hie
object was not to raise the price. The proposition he Ire;
garded in the main as impolitic and imprudent, and IMP!"besides,
besides, opposed to the good sense and intelligence of the
people of this country.
Mr. SANDARS supported the motion, contendin thet
communications which he had received from influg entiai
Liverpool merchants, and his own knowledge, derived Iront
personal inquiry, convinced him that if a fixed duty Were
imposed, it would fall on the foreign producer and not c!ri
,
the consumer in this country. Previous to the year 184.0
their importation had not exceeded six or seven per cent:
It was generally admitted that the consumption of wheat
in this country was about twenty millions of quarters net,
year, but he must observe that it was very disgraceful that
they had no accurate means of knowing what the exact
amount of the produce of the country was, and he thought
that a few thousands per annum would be well spent in ob-
taining such imp-•rtant statistical information. As he had
made sonic remarks on this question before, he wished fur'
ther to explain his sentiments, and he would add that 0
their necessities should require it, he did not know any duty
that would be more advisable to impose than a fixed duty
upon corn.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. MITCHELL expressed his surprise at the statements
which had been made by the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr.ee
Herries), and also by the Hon. Member for Wakefield (Jur'
Sanders), who, as a corn merchant, must be sup posed tet
have a good knowledge of the subject. He thought ties_
nothing could be more fallacious than to place reliance 141
the opinions of corn-factors in London or in Liverpool. Nett
to the United States the Black Sea could furnish this coun-
try with the largest supply of corn, and competitors in these
markets were to be found from the South of France, from
Italy, and from Spain. Now, what would a duty of five
shillings upon the quarter produce? It would produce are;
venue of about a million and a half, but it would, at the
same time, put ten millions into the pockets of the grows
of English corn.—(Hear, hear.) At the present time
stock of grain in this country was lower than he had eve
r
known it to be, and within the last month the price of oerr,
e
had risen in the face of the present fine weather and 01,71
prospect of an abundant harvest.—(Hear, hear.) He con.
also state, and he had the fact upon good authority, th,ell,
the consumption of grain had greatly increased since i.
passing of the free-trade measures— (Hear)—the calculi"
tion being that a third more had been added to the coast"
mors of bread.
Mr. NEWDEGATE said the effect of free trade would
be to depress the price of grain in this country to the con-
tinental level. Such was the end and aim of the policy of
this country; and to carry it out Ministers were willing
sacrifice upwards of a million of revenue.—(Hear, hear.).
The farmers and the graziers alone, in 1811, were more ne
merous that all the adults employed in cotton manufse:
tories, and let them recollect that they were about to sa
crifice the interest of the farmers and graziers to the interests
of the factory operative. The Hon. Member then Pr°-:
ceeded to show, in corroboration of his views, that, according
to returns which be held in his hand, the reductions 01 •
the duty on butter and cheese had the result of putting
money into the pockets of the foreigners. According to the,
admission of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a million of
duty has been wasted in the first five months of the year.
Mr. COBDEN said the Hon. Member who had jest
sat down had paid him the compliment of saying that .115
was an adept in agitation. The first thing Y
in agitating
was to have a good cause—the next thing was for people
to persevere even in a bad cause, and they could be
'
sure, at all events, to make themselves respectable.
After alluding to the course pursued by the Protec-
tionists in the beginning of the session, the Honourable
Member said their next exhibition was at W
Rooms, and the farmerS were brought from a d'stance to
attend that meeting. They were told they were going to
get protection, and the meeting terminuted with three cheers
being given for Mr. Disraeli. Then there was the meeting
at Drury-lane, where the same story was told to the far-
mers, but yet. Mr. Disraeli said nothing in his speech of re•
enacting the corn-laws.—(Hear, hear.) The session was
not, however, to be permitted to conclude without another
display to keep up the delusion among the farmers. They
0
had, therefore, the discussion of that night, but they had l.'
motion; and the Hon. Member had endeavoured to explain
why he had not made one ; but he knew he could yet intro-
duce a proposition to the effect that it would be expedient
at some time to make the duty on corn eight shillings.--
(Hear, hear.) The fact was, that such a debate was a waste
of time— (Hear, hear)—a delusion, if not worse,• upon the
farmers, who had been induced to believe that 'protective
laws would be given to them. The Hon. Member for Wake-
field (Mr. Sanders), who had been twenty-five years in the
corn trade, said they might have a fixed duty upon corn with-
out raising the price of corn in this country. But the Hon.
Gentleman had not seen one year of a fixed duty. lie
ad had the sliding scale, and the Hon. Member had ad-
mitted that:he (Mr. Cobden) was right in sayingithat in the
case of a duty, the people of this country would be paying
the amount of that duty additional, above what would be
paid in countries where no such duty existed. As to the re-
ference which had been made to the corn-factors of Mark'
lane and of Liverpool, he would remark, that they were not
the best judges in such a case. The commission they re-
ceived was in proportion to the price, and if they made a
sale at sixty-five shillings the quarter, of course they re,.
ceived a larger commission than if the sale' had been made at
fifty-five shillings.—( Hear, hear.) It was very extraordi-
nary for llonourable Gentlemen ,to ask the Chancellor of the
Exchequer to put on duties, when their business in that
House was to prevent taxation.—(Hear, hear.) It was 6,1'4
that a million could be got for duty on foreign corn, bit
they forgot that, for that one million, four would be added on
the people of this country in the additional p w
rice charged
corn. If they wish to impose a tax the best way they cot
act was, to go and impose it at the mills at once.—( Hear'
hear.) Ile saw several petitions presented for a fixed ell
on corn, on behalf of the farmers. That was the " nee
dodge"—(A laugh)—in order to
give what was called rpro-
tection to the farmers. For his own part, he wondered
when the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Stainfora
was making his statement, why the Protectionists bad O
face to bring forward such a proposition; and he was really
astonished how they could act such a sham, or could face
the farmers after such statements. If the Right Hon • Gel:
tieman came to him, he would give him a lesson in agric,.
tore.—(A laugh.) The Hon. Member for Buckinghamsh' r
was the head of a party—a protsetionist party—and lie abl'e
they were, no doubt, about going to the country with t
cry of fourpence a loaf additional on the poor man's bread,
Now, he would advise them, if they wanted to be a Party
at all, they must find out some popular question; the far,
mers wanted a re !uction of expenditure, and let them go on
that. The Hon. Gentleman, the Member for DuckinghSl"_,
shire, said, in the course of phis speech on a former occaslt
that he would never join for a reduction of expenditure u,T;',h,
he saw the country doomed under the present system.
farmers, however, saw through them ; they said that they
had one side for that House and the hustings, and anoth r
for the day of audit. If they got 455. a quarter for their
wheat, he should not object; and would it not be better to
advise the farmers to exert themselves in the proper cultiva4
tion of their farms than delude them by the course chef
were pursuing? He looked on their whole proceedings es 8
chimera—as a sham, and had no dotibt the country under'
stood them in the same way.
Mr. DISRAELI said that the Hon. Member who had )tat
sat down had been so kind as to offer Hon. Gentlemen ea
that side of the House a lesson. in the art of agitation: O
re
he (Mr. Disraeli) was ready to admit that if they wished
v;
obtain any knowledge of that art, they could scarcely gave
recourse to a more consummate master for their iostructie-
s,.
—(Hear.) The Hon. Gentleman seemed to take some tf.l.
7
ception to the conduct which the patty with which he (Se
Disraeli) had the honour to be associated had pursued'
cause they had, according to his allegation, used one lane
guage in that House and another in other places. But t.
Hon. Gentleman himself had admitted in a celebrated era'
tion, if he (Mr. Disraeli) recollected aright, that that way
one of his own universally acknowledged characteristics;
Ile had said that it was a general accusation brought against
him that he made use of one kind of language in addressing
the House of Commons and another in addressing his
fellow-countrymen in other places. The Honourable
Gentleman had, however, told them that they could 13,°,
expect to have their opinions generally accepted by
country, because they wanted earnestness in the advocacy d
those opinions. Now, if they (the Conservative party) ,110
come forward this session to state in that House onle'
which they had not stated elsewhere—and he utterly denies
that they had done so—he wished to ask whether the
were not other political gentlemen who, before Parliament
met, had aeitated the country in favour of measures which
they had declared to be absolutely necessary for the nations
salvation, but who, the moment that Parliament met, 0a
become as calm, quiet, and docile, as if they had been Ve..
pared to sit. behind the Treasury benches for the rest of MT,,
..
career.— ( Hear, hear.) Ile wanted to know what those gir d
tlemen who had called meetings in the north of Enland,
had submitted financial plans to the people of Liverpool-
be
wanted to know what they had done during the last
months to vindicate their opinions and to ensure the triumph
_„
of the policy which they advocated. Why, less troubleso
_if;
opponents to a Government, less ardent aria earnest advocates
of of the principle they professed, he had never known.
only with the greatest hesitation that the Hon. Memberat
the West Riding of Yorkshire had the other night gene fur
into the same lobby with his Hon. Friend the Memberoo
Oxfordshire (Mr. Henley) on a motion for a reduction
of the most moderate character in the public expennre
although • lie had himself formerly declared that that t
least
5 ought immediately to be reduced by at
tactician
5,000,000/. ThVgreat financial reformer—the great „nu
—the great agitator—who had come forward with a 41°14;