The Sun.
London, England, 1849-07-03 00:00:00

authority of a professor of political economy, a gentleman
who, ho'ding a high official situatioe, and possessing very
great ability and a very schooled intellect, has been
allowed to generalize upon a greater quantity of data
connected with rural life than any other gentleman living.
I allude to the Tithe Comniissioner, Professor Jones. He is
a high authority, and I do not know that this question
has ever been put with greater neatness and felicity than in
his work upon rent. He there lays it down, that what are
called the "agricultural classes," after reserving from their
produce all that is necessary for their own consumption, have
left for barter with the non-agricultural classes of the coun-
try a sum equivalent to 100,000,0001. sterling. I should
think that is not an exaggerated estimate, for it is much
under many popular estimates. Professor Jones then says,
that in times of what are called "agrieultural distress," at
periods when the farmers are scared with losses, it is a very
easy, a very common, and an almost imperceptible thing
for them to diminish their cost of production by diminishing
the quantity of labour employed, so as to reduce their cost
of production 25 per cent. ; and, as he observes, the natural
consequence in a short time i=, that their pro luction is also
reduced in value to the same amount, and they have then to
bring into the market to barter with the non-agriculturists
only 75,000,0001. instead of 103.000,000/. Now, if that be
a correct description of Professor Jones, let us view the pre-
sent state of the agricultural classes of the country with
effect
fft
thee
light of his intelligence, and Rae what must be the
upon the social state of what is called the agr icu_lanwrai ce m
_
in-
terest. It appears from the reports of the Poor Law
missioners that the average price of wheat for thelastilo
years is something under Gas. a quarter-1 think
seen 595. to,id.
lt appears from the latest return I
h
average price of wheat in England at the present that the
w,let me moment is
445. ELL, being a reduction of 26 per cent, N
ob-
serve, that we are always well supplied with statistics as to
our foreign trade. We can, with attention, research, and
studs', form generally a very accurate idea as to the circuit
of our commerce; but we have no details whatever—no
etatistics—as to our home trade. (Hear, hear.) It is,
therefore, only in such calculations as I am referring to that
we have anything to guide use Professor Jones, thee, cal-
culates upon a reductionsin produce of 25 per cent.--there
being only 75,000,0001. instead of 100,000,0001., sent into the
market for barter between the agricultural and the non-
agricultural classes. I have shown you that there is at this
moment a depreciation of 26 per cent, in the value of agricul-
tural produce. Well, what is taking place in England?
Why the/ diminution of the home market of which we have
heard sff much; the withdrawal or disappearance of
25,000,000/. sterling, one-half the amount of your foreign
. trade, which under ordinary circumstances would hare been
circulating in the country.—(Hear, hear.) It .is this which
has already paralyzed the agricultural towns of this country
—ay, more than that, which has been loading this great and
-wealthy metropolis with embarrassment and ruin.—
(Hear, hear.) That is the second great cause to
which I attribute this deterioration in the condition of the
people of England,—which has diminished the means of em-
ployment of the great mass of the labouring population at a
fair rate of profitable wages, and which has made the
amount of ablebedied paupers in this country increase be-
tween 1846 and the present time 74 per cent. What conso-
lation have we under this depreciation in price—under this
diminution of onr home market? I am not going to offer you
any argument of my own ; but I wish to refer to an authen-
tic table which I trust Hon. Gentlemen opposite may deem
worthy of their notice. I have before me a table prepared
by the Poor Law Commissioners, showing the prices of
wheat in the seven years in which it was highest, and the
seven years in which it was lowest in England, and it ap-
pears from that return that a larger amount was expended
in the support of the poor in the seven years when wheat
-was lowest than when it was highest by upwards of
200,000/.—(Hear, hear.) Nor must it be forgotten, as the
Commissioners remark, that the sum of money expended
when previsions were lowest represents a much larger
amount of relief afforded to the poor than when prices were
high.—(Hear, hear.) The year in which the price of wheat
was highest were 1839, 1840. 1841, 1848, 1842, 1847, and
1838 ; and the years when the price was lowest were 1836.
183'e 1845, 1844, 1837, 1846, and 1843. I have shown you the
effect the diminution of your foreign trade has had upon the
people, and the little hope you have of increasing the profits
of that trade. I will now show you what effect has been pro-
duced upon the condition of the people by the fall in your
home market Ms Poor-law Commissioners in their report
for 1848 attribute the increase of pauperism to manufactur-
ing: depression and to emigration into England from Ire-
lend. Now why, I ask, has there been emigration front Ire-
land to England? Has it been the consequence of that par-
tial famine of which we have heard so much, or is it not
srauther the result of the policy which the Government as-
waarnetll in consequesce of that famine ?—( Hear, hear.) What
when the
ehpoe position of the Government with respect to Ireland
them? The hapless state of that country was placed before
,oyeie
jamhapdatient was in a state of exhaustion, and the
instead of stimularecourseting the industry of the country by the
ion of thew tate—instead of grappling wit the question
of emieration, which was then singularly opportune—all
the Government did
ingeniously exhaustivele!l.s to administer a poor-law so,
ceeded almost in roan)eviiang istsociceht_aracter that it has suc-
elements.—
of the land toes'naakeartt y there into its original
saceriacea, while oaly a
sheritrteiamtees
They callei upon the proprietors
tbeeffforo
efforts and the greatest
y had deprived
ts,,ceroprerty of Ireland of the sui est market for its produce.
_ keoun a.) I say that it was the duty of the Government,
.i.-ae sequence of the state of Ireland, to have encountered
they
question of emigration. I say so, because as statesmen
q n eys t ieounght to have known it was impossible to evade that
; that it must arise, whatever might be the opinion
-o._t. Hi? Cabinet. And what has happened in Ireland? The
question has arisen, but instead of a Government emigre-
.7l, you have had a spontaneous emigration. Instead of
als_
emigratione which, by the aid of the State, would have
a great portion of paupers to a rich land, which they
night have cultivated, aon have had a spontaneous emi-
gration of those who left their country because they were
altertnined to save what they possessed.--(Hear, hear.)
)tree years ago Ireland was like a poor man struggling
a'ust entering the workhouse. It is now a content
pauper.
Its demoralization is complete, and the very individual
;ron.prettitee years ago would have accepted a very little aid
self for lifea to
Canada or to Australia now looks upon him-
loss all as the recipient of a Government dole, and has
~ that seltareliance which it has been avowedly the
objeet of our legislation to creat& Why, then, has there
been-this enfgtration from Ireland? In my opinion it has
ibeo,et3n
,oswilui gn i
st
to'ersia.e inconsistent and feeble policy of her Ma-
Why the
has been a paupeasta(;ar• hear.) That is the third reason
deteriorationbr
brevitytheEnglandhasincreased—whynation. there
forreigul 'trade, its than so solemn a subject re-
agrin 1 on of the country as regards its
whenl !land; but when youru pral condition, and the state of
Your agricultural ()reign commerce was declining,
reland was so mix interest was severely injured, when
into Liverpool likeegoverned that she was pouring her paupers
fall of the Roma some wild nation that appeared at the
quences that
havethe
occurred? But let me ask what has been
anitieaand ulmost • Ministers amid all these wide-spread cala-
conduot in
the universal suffering? What has been their
Prepare f_
er themanagement of their finances? Did they
Well-filled Ex ch coming storm ? They were left with a
therefore thate equer. Taey supplied Ireland by loans, and
be emptied.wa'' not a reascn why the Exchequer shou:d
, They met Parliament •
only a year ago in the
midst of all
heard those European convulsions of which we have
SO much, in the midst of the consequences of those
rash
lecommercial speculations which they stimulated by their
eation, in the midst of the disasters of Ireland, and did
y then come forward with any propos all conso-
nant with our depressed and emb.arrassedition state? lncreased
expenditure was the psoposition placed before the House
and, strange to say, increased taxation was the remedy.
No
Hon. Gentleman can have forgotten the financial campaigns
of of last year. The Hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume),
who has given notice of an amendment for to-night, be-
longs to the school which prophecies the increased prosperity
of England. He is the leader of those prophets of statis-
tical celebrity who foretell the future renovation of the
country.--(Hear,
hear, and laughter.) It is he who told
us, independently omarf the great pe
world that we were to receive
from' hewere to be
opened to us, we were to acquire by sober domestic economy
at least 2,000,000/. a week by the rrpeal of the corn-laws.
IV, hJa Sir, the Hon. Gentleman ought to be ashamed
o' binlseli)—(Laughler)---to come forward with his petty
savings, hticheessaparing policy, after the visions of El Do-
to_clo in which he then indu'ged. I have not got the Hon.
tember's amendment in my hands at the present moment;
eu
is us very language is a verdict against the system which
sttorting.—(Elear, hear.) flow does the Hon. Mem-
ber
describe those great changes of which he is the ardent
atsupporter,r and which were to accomplishauch •vast and in-
stantaneous benefit? Why, he says that he once thought
. they-had a tendency in his opiniondropping the delu-
sion with l
gent eness, and parting from his errors with that
graceful amiabt-
,in,...., i ity which always characterizes him —he 7tBantietra)—to improve the country; but at the same time
experiments in
reform a safer card than any further
~..._ , ants in what he calls free trade--(Hear. hear, and
'4Uglater.). Now,
men who we are told by . those Honourable Gentle-
that we promised unbOunded prosperity from that system
forsooth, because
add rigid • econoany, and we are taunted,
'What we eacNause we do not support them in their plans.
aeur...e
nab
to follow
of their schemes certainly does not en-
their', had their example—(Hear, hear)—and if
Butt sueeeeded in their
former measures we might have
ed their
1 protest propositions with more favour.— ( Hear.)
Gentlemen ontt against my Hon. Friend opposite holding
his Bench up as the advocates of extravagant
°xPenditure; for I
-Berland,. in the agree with my lamented friend Lord t'.
Mons, that if statement he made to the House of Com-
adopting, he amountthey persisted in the measures they were
(liters to the d support a reduction in all public expen-
let this Hense of twenty-five par cent.—(Hear, hear.)
ing in those _eand those out of the House decide on persist•
Merely as aemhemes, and I shall support that reduction, not
<Cheers.) I
You
of duty but as a matter of necessity.—
succeaded. arm, acknowledge that your schemes have
such 1 ha,v:Zal;e,
,ought them forward as experiments; as
lnents only you
vindicate
and criticired them ; and as experi-,
agree e cate them and.defend them. I will not
so accept th are called accent 1. ern as what, to use the slang of the day,
great body of the 'shed facts ; and I firmly believe that the
(Cheers.) But I people will ultimately repudiate them.—
esenuntilshall not join •in your plans of retrench-
• the doom of this
is precipitated i great country is sealed—until
Claange a first-rate .ate
that course which would
=ate.e republic.„....( Hear monarchy into a second-
tiatestate of the nation ' hear.) Now I have examined
ince_
,ree st, the state of lars.regards free trade, its agricultural
anatil
tteon by the Geverneland, se-
e spirit of the policy pro-
_ conduct of
thernent with regard to that country,
linancea
t. of the em • Government with regard to the
into
iiilthad inb • ryas 1 have show
,_.O
a deficiency erited was cony n that the surplus which
a. le
of
simile erted, under- their management,
by the inatatisearneu that thrataalailat; and I need not remind
'ration of theereace of
the
___eduseficiency was only terminated
state of our I count_
......hl:
~... e Of
Commons in the adminis-
co oniea i-) • t "ear h
colonial relation ice. Wi hat t; What, too, is Vie
a measure, beforea tahey— 13,!6 ?e Ichaeadias taken place in our
' golate the industry oa ow- 8 well overnment introduced
the consequence of thar sugar
colournjesin. theirl seats, to re-
authority—one well ac Measure, accordin V hat has been
ted
colonies, and who for forty y a with the glatoo trhe highest
with the sacred cause of anti-eslriasee-48 connected othose
time e a strong free trader—l mean Sir- ' sing at the himself
a cording to his onion—nt a Stepbe, Lush' same
prejudic but contained in evidence ld one--not ington ?
unites of this given b a a musty
e ore a
foaa., , House but a few days Com..
eaa in the first reportofthe ago, and to b.
--according to his. •
IVith res opinion the measure of the G irnittee
oar.
ee. pct to the sugar duties has given the d overnment
Sir
~..lonies.—( Hear, hear.) Wh is eathblow to
.. t-% Grey with respect at, too, the language
willed in the blue-bookto the colony he governs, conef
P,l,anters of
Jamaicaha just arrived? He says that the
i'..! ho of
ruin.— (nye before them the blank prospect
measure of the Gov ear, hear) Thus the first great
to air s ,
.Government has 1348 • 1-411311mt0 had the effect, according
aoto the slave n, of giving the greatest possible Bantu--
ault of
slavestrade; and inters ppears before us that the
s's sountr • at this o exported from their na-
Wts e„.,..
~7 Is exactly the 8
Tho.B—,::leu on by all the nations of wh'
n the slave trade
stireapr:e bigilificsnt facts—cue nEturope.—( Hear, hear.)
eahicilw.',_of the slave trade.—(bear h your colonies and the
the
people of P. 1 , ear.) Is that a policy
—l2B.and Are prep 4
Itre to sanction, or