The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-27 00:00:00

p1x,n,..4 .1.1,7 11,1

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u; of Our t;okulAi:,, 11,A apply thos,, ob-
servations to all of them. For instance, where they
kept up fortified places like Gibraltar or Malts, they
must pay for their garrisons. But ho maintained that
in Australia, New Zealand, or the Cane of Good Hope
—in temperate latitudes where the English race could
become indigenous, it was folly and monstrous injustice
to a=lt Oti, country ro mairuaru those
Trio commonest labourer in one of these colonies was
better off than the struggling small farmer of Devonshire.
He had read a letter from the wife of a Northampton
emigrant in Australia lately, of which the following was
an extrect:—

" The only thing that grieves us now is to think of
your starving in England, and we in a land of such great
plenty. I wi,h you would all make up your minds and
come. lam sure you would never repent coming here,
for there is plenty of work, and plenty of money, and
plenty of victuals. We never eat less than a quarter of
mutton a week for us three, and beautiful meat it
is here."

Hon. Genntlemen who thought he was speaking logicallt
and arguing fairly from the principle of free trade, mus
agree with him that they should relieve themselves from
colonial expenditure as speedily as possible. In New
Zealand they had 2,000 soldiers to 20,000 colonists, or
one soldier to every ten Europeans, who were fed and
clothed at the cost of England, though every one of the
emigrants carried his rifle, and knew how to use it, as a
matter of course. Zr. Australia, where there were
2,000 or 3,000 men, we were bound to keep them
as a sort of police as long as we sent convicts there.
But he believed the population would see the troops
sent home or disbanded with pleasure, if they were
allowed to have the management of their own affairs.
He believed that much of the force was required owing
to the policy of the Colonial-office.—(Hear, hear.) It
was used to keep down rather than protect the English
population. He believed it had been truly stated, that
only one-third of the troops were needed for the pro-
tection of this country, while two-thirds of them were
stationed in the colonies. That system required a total
change, and if it were made there would be no difficulty
in effecting the reduction he proposed. With respect to
the armaments at home, he was aware the force in Ire-
land and England was much larger than in 1835. He
was sorry it should be so. But there was a most
exaggerated idea as to the necessity for those troops last
year.—(Hear, hear.) They were all under a panic
then, and could not argue these things. But they might
reason together about them now, when they were able
to come to the cool consideration of the subject; and
trials had occurred which threw considerable light on
what they had designated with the name of a rebellion.
There were not a hundred persons coniederateet in arms
together in England and Ireland. Nut thirty were pre-
sent at any of their meetings in this country, and at
least six or eight of these were spies. This very im-
portant fact was to be borne in mind, that what there
was of threatened revolution came from Hibernian in-
spiration. If it had not been for the Lish element there
would have been no turbulence at all among the English
population.—(Hear, hear.) In justice to the great mass
of the working classes it ought also to be borne in mind
that for eighteen months previous to the outbreak of the
French Revolution they had had to pass through a
period of great privation and suffering. There could
hardly be anything more severe than the pressure on the
working classes in Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1847.
Under such circumstances everybody knew the tendency
which usually existed to turbulence tind political excite-
ment.—(Hear) But the people knew that every ounce of
bread was allowed to come from abroad without paying
a shilling of duty; that even the navigation-laws were
suspended; that the Government was not placed in a
position antagonistic to their rights and interests;—all
exasperation against the Government was allayed, and a
perfect feeling of loyalty prevailed.—(Cheers.) He spoke
not without observation. It had touched him deeply--
tt was not without indignation that he had heard it
alleged that it was the horse and foot artillery of this
metropolis, not to say the special constables, that pre-
vented the people of this country from rising last year
against the Government. He did not believe it. He
was happy not to believe it; for their case would be a
very bad one were it so. Another point he should wish
to mention in mercy to those few deluded men who were
now expiating their folly by undergoing the punishments
to which they had been sentenced, and it was a point which
he hoped would be taken into consideration that
this country, as well as the rest of Europe, was subjected
to a shock which affected especially men of sanguine
temperaments, who suffered, it might be, from fancied
grievances. It was natural that the state of excitement
and.revolution which ran through the whole of Europe
should be felt in this country. The shock and sensation
were to be expected. They had reeson to congratulate
themselves that it had taken so little hold on the minds
of the people. What he meant to argue was that they
could not take the actual condition of the people of Eng•
land as a reason for keeping up a large military force.---
(Heir, hear.) From the state, then, of their foreign re-
lations, especially on the ground that their colonial pos-
sessions might be put on a different footing, he would say'
there was no reason why the Government should not be
desired by this House, as an act of justice and mercy, to
reduce the large taxation of this country.—(Hear, hear.)
It was not his intention on the present occasion to tell
the House what they might do with the money they
might save. He did not intend to say anything as to
how much they might relieve the industry, the com-
merce, the agriculture of this country by a large re-
duction of taxation. He would not dwell on the consi-
deration that the only opportunity possible that Hon.
Members opposite, representatives from the agricultural
districts, who were anxious to promote the agricultural
interest, might have of placing themselves in the way to
gain the end they had in view might now be presented;
he meant by abolishing the hop and malt duties in terms
of some proposition such as he had made. They com-
plained of being obstructed in the way of their industry.
He acknowledged the justice of their claim. As a con-
sistent free-trader he would do anything to remove every
obstacle in the way whether of the agriculturist or of the
manufacturer.—(llear, hear.) But it was of no use
going to an agricultural meeting and talking of the re'
duction of the malt and hop taxes unless they looked at
thet arithmetical table which he held in his hand, and
from which they weuld see that it was only by reducing,
and largely, the military establishments of the country,
that they could make room for a large reduction of taxa-
tion.—(Cheers.) There wasethe taxeon timber, which
the Government, helieubtedenot, would make a corollary
to the abolition of the corn-laws.—(Hear.) Then there
were the duties on tea, and so on. lie heard gentlemen
right and left of him whispering some favourite
(A laugh.) It was not necessary that he should dwell
on the advantages which would accrue from such rechle"
Lions. He would have plenty of opportunities.
But he-could 'not conclule without urging that while
they maintained this enormous establishment they were
incurring far greater risk to 'this country than any they
ran fre m foreigners by reduction. He would say to those
who saw dangers abroad, and anticipated in other times
a combination of foreign Powers which might threaten
the security of the country, that if he had nothing else
to look to than the chance of collision of foreign Powers,
he might take the same view as they did; but he hope"
in justice to him they would bear in mind that the ques'
tiona to be weighed were, what was the danger to h°
apprehended from the diminution of the forces:
and what was the danger to be apprehended
to the country if they maintained this ea"
ormous amount of taxation. When it was from the
pickets of the people, and chiefly of the labouring classes,
that the revenue was drawn, when it was taken by inn'
posts which obstructed the trade and industry, commeres
and agriculture, ofthe country, it was a serious considers'
tion whether they would not run a little tisk of danger
from abroad in order that they might be a little better
prepared to meet that danger when it occurred. Though
he had shown that an increase had taken place from thy°
to time, as particular causes suggested, yet it had bee°
said ether countries had increased their armaments. But'
in the first place, be was of opinion that, with respect t°
the navy, they had in this country been the great offers'
ders in the matter. They had been the first to increase'
and they had kept increasing in a greater ratio thou
their neighbours. Judging from the tendency of opin!°l2
in France, he thought there existed a pacific dispositit!
on the part of that people, and any approaches or over
tures made by this House and country would gladly)),"
met by France in a reduction of their army; seelui
they had now acknowledged through all their org,°
of public opinion that their finances were the great dap':
culty andvianger of the new Republic; and the only re.
medy that remained for them as for this country, v/113
a large reduction of their military:establishments. it
was was not merely to military and naval reductions thatll
proposed reduction applied. It applied also to the civil
expenditure. The sum was a small one. It was not
only on the miscellaneous estimates and the consolidated
fund that they were to carry out their economy; but
there was a large amount of disbursements for the COf
of collection, which if they could reduce they would to
proportion increase the amount in the Treasury. Ther,
was one item to which he looked for a considerable sal;
ing. The Noble Lord the Member for Bath (Lore
Duncan) had said he would go into the Committee 0?
the Woods and Forests with the hope of saving 600,0004_
It would not be difficult to reduce the public expenditur!
to what it was in 1835. If it were left to him to tir
y
it he would spend not more than 10,000,000/, on their
armaments; and while he would have 1,500,000/. more
for the civil branch of the public service, he wail'a
have 1,600,000/. less for the military and WI
establishments than he had in 1835. If the course
he proposed were followed, he was confident they
might return to the expenditure of 1835. .1.-0
House itself bore witness to the growth of opinion t
the subject ; and seeing the opinion, or progress ti)
opinion, such as it was, he had no doubt a great reforo
would be effected, and the expenditure brought Wirt!o
that of 1835. By the reduction of that expenditure, "l
the removal of those impediments which obstructed the
free action of trade and industry. and caused listresi;
disease, and pauperism to preiail, they would fclitea
these influerces which tended to make men happy and
contented eiez,,ns, instead of miserable, dejected, ene..
disaffected; giving them something to fight tor, to Prof
serve, and to love, instead of making them enemies
the public institutions, mitigating the pressure of ta9,
ir.
tion on the people, and showing them that a sever he
ment of this kind might be carried on as cheaply as t
government of another country. Parliament hy so a,e
ing would do more to maintain. the l
institutions of tt,'
country, and to preserve it from foreign attack, thal,e by'
any expenditure they could bestow on warlike estabil°
mere s.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. HUME seconded the motisn. •
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, 'Lo,
he could not concur in the conclusion at which the .!re_ e_
Member for the West Bang of Yorkshire had arrisa;
must yet bear testimony to tne fair and temperate
nor in which the lion. Gentleman had stated his view
—(Cheers.) The lion. Gent'eman t, in perfect Ftioa
sistency with his conduct on former occasions, abstawst
from making any attack on the present or aeY.m
aea P
Government. When the Hon. Gentleman truly eta
that the increase of the estimates had been made