The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-01 00:00:00

exult in their triumphs, and prepare the people
to submit patiently to their iron yoke. Already
the vulturesof plunder, never satiated, snuff, as
close at hand, a larger and a fresher prey, and
'sharpen their beaks and claws, the better to tear
out the entrails of industry.
Sir ROBERT PEEL has been reproached with
not speaking out and explaining his future policy ;
we think unjustly: At least on that vital question,
the Corn-laws, he has over and over again declared
his opinion very explicitly. He has opposed the
plan of a fixed duty, and has strenuously advo-
cated the sliding scale. He has more than once
pronounced a strong and decided opinion in fa-
vour of protection, and is, therefore, resolutely
opposed to the total repeal. He has at the
same time said, that he would not pledge him-
self to the details of the sliding scale. On snak-
ing his latest oration at Tamworth he repeated
all these opinions, and at the same time expli-
citly said, that he did not think the Bs. fixed
duty protection enough. On the same occasion
he quoted Mr. McCus.Locies pamphlet, in which
it is proved that the present sliding scale has
afforded only a protective duty of ss. It is plain,
therefore, that the consideration which Sir Ro-
BERT PEEL proposes to give the sliding scale is
to enhance it, or increase under it, the protec-
tion which the landowners now receive. That
we may do Lim no injustice we will quote a
passage from his speech, delivered at Tamworth,

on Monday :
I must repeat to you here the opinion which I have
declared heretofore, which I have declared to you
and also in the Commons House of Parliament, that I
cannot consent to substitute a fixed duty of Bs. per quar-
ter for the present ascending and descending scale.—
(Cheers.) I prefer the principle of the ascending and
descending scale, and Ido not consider, when I look to
the burdens which land in this country is subjected to,
that a fried duty of eight shillings per quarter on corn
brought here from Poland and the north of Europe will
afford a sufficient protection to the laud of this country.
After delivering this opinion, Sir R. PEEL, went
on to make observations on " the true causes of
manufacturing distress," and upon the " ABSENCE
OF ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT DISTRESS
AND THE CORN-LAWS," which, says the Times,
whose words we copy, " are so convincing, so
well-timed, and so important, that we cannot
bring them too prominently forward." The
causes of manufacturing distress, according to Sir
R. PEEL, are—
An undue stimulus given to manufactured produc-
tions by capital of a fictitious nature. Ido fear that the
joint-stock banks in Lancashire and Yorkshire have ex-
extended their accommodations too rapidly in many
cases, and it is the connection between the manufacturer,
the builder of cotton manufactories, and the joint-stock
banker, that has led to an undue stimulus for manufac-
tured productions. I believe that our manufactories
within the last two years have been more than sufficient
to supply the natural and ordinary demand. This, I
consider to be one of the causes of the manufacturing and
commercial distress at present existing. But look at the
state of various countries in the world, many of which are
consumers of our manufactured articles. Look at the state
of some of the great countries in South America. Look
at the operation, in the first place, of the internal divi-
sions in that quarter during the period of which I have
been speaking. The ports of South America have been
blockaded by France. The ports of Mexico, and the ports
still further south, have been blockaded by France, and
on account of the interruption in the trade of those coun-
tries there has been a diminution in the supply of goods
sent from this country. Now let us turn our attention
to the northern world, and in that grea; and important
quarter of the globe, one of the best consumers of our
manufactured produce, let us direct our eyes to the
United States. The United States are labouring under
severe commercial distress. The same system of
fictitious credit has been pursued there as here. The
issue of paper and the multiplicity of banks have led
to severe commercial distress in that country. Nume-
rous failures have occurred, industry has been paralysed,
and the demand for the manufactured articles of Eng-
land in the United States has, in consequence, become
less. Next, look at the state of the Canadas. I trust
that peace is restored there ; but there could not be civil
war in that country, and parties ranged against each
other, without interrupting the course of regular in-
dustry, and affecting the demand for the manufactures
of England. I now come to Europe. Look at the
Peninsula—look at the state of Spain and Portu-
gal. They, too, have been convulsed of late by in-
testine disorders. Let us next turn our eyes to the
Mediterranean, and to the coast of Syria. There
hostile operations have been conducted with great
glory to the British arms, but still they must
have affected the peaceful occupations of industry.
With regard to Egypt, the attention of that country,
too, had been diverted to war. Let us extend our views
to China. Our peaceful relations with China have been
interrupted, and of course the demand for British manu-
factures in some degree affected. Look at the state of
Europe. Prance had directed her attention to an
enormous military preparation. Look at the state of
disquiet and alarm throughout Europe. Instead of
the countries devoting their means to the multipli-
cation of capital, or the purposes of useful industry, all
have been seen engaged in levying great armies. These
things cannot take place vvi thout discouraging industry. Put
them all together: do not consider them separately. Consi-
der the combined operations of the undue stimulus, in
my opinion, given to manufactured produce in this
country, the state of South America, the condition of the
United States of Canada, of the Peninsula; of Europe,
of Syria, Egypt, and China—put all these causes together,
each to a certain extent restricting the market for your
goods ; combine with them, as you can of late, the
effects of two or three deficient harvests, and then an-
swer me these questions—ls it not probable that the
combined operation of these causes may be sufficient to
account for that manufacturing. debility, and that depre-
ciation of manufacturing industry which at present
exists ? and are we, therefore, called on to make the pro-
posed alteration in the Corn-laws of this country, and to
substitute a fixed duty for the graduated scale ?"
It is not our intention on the present occasion
to dispute the correctness of these views, though
it appears strange to us how the stimulus for
manufactured productions—the very thing now
required—can be a cause of distress. It appears
to us, also, very strange how the events in Syria
and the arming of Europe, which began only in
the summer of last year, could have had the
smallest influence on that great distress which
prevailed then and the year before, as well as
this year. Moreover, it is to us passing strange
how the bygone events of Canada could have
any influence on our present distress, seeing that
already this year the trade to Canada, accord-
ing to the following statement, which we copy
from a New York paper of the 10th instant, has
much improved :
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF ARRIVALS AT THE PORT
OF QUEBEC IN 1840 AND 1841.
Vessels. Tons. Passengers.
184I—May 3oth
1840—May 3oth

Plus this year ...... 189 68,424 4,767
But, we repeat, that we do not at present dis-
pute the correctness of Sir ROBERT PEEL'S ar- ,
guments—we only insist on the fact, that he has
made up his mind—that he has convinced him-
self, by his own elaborate reasoning, that the
Corn-laws are not connected with manufacturing
distress—that he is wedded to the present system
of robbery, which he calls protection, and that
his
accession to office will ensure the continu-
ance,
as far as the power of the Government can
ensure it, w
which, e thank Gon, is not omnipo-
potent,of the
present system of Corn-laws. Nay,
there is good reason to believe that he will—and
an abundant harvest, with
falling prices may
speedily give him so me reason for making the
alteration—raise the sliding scale, and increase
that protection which he has declared not to be
sufficient. Now, the result of the elections, so
far as they have gone, ensures the return to
office of Sir ROBERT PEEL, and ensures,
there-
fore—humbling as may be the fact to contem-
plate—the continuance of the stary •
ation laws.
manufacturing The plundered slaves of the manufa • g dis-
tricts may, therefore, prepare to lie down and
die. The Tories, headed by Sir ROBERT
PEEL, declare, that they shall be pe •
rennially
starved down to the home means of sup-
ply. For the starving hand-loom weavers,
—for the suffering workmen of Rochdale,
Preston, Manchester, Bolton, and Glasgow,
there is no longer any hope. In their 1
uttermost distress they have put up their prayers
for relief; and the luxurious and opulent electors
of London and Westminster, and a number of
other places, have already decided they shall
*have none. Decaying manufacturers, whose mills
arc fast becoming valueless, must henceforth
despair. They have laboured on in the hope of
obtaining more righteous laws a corrupt elec-
toral body, under the influence of the owners of
rent, dooms them.still to be the victims of in-
justice. While they have yetanything, to save they
may gather it up and flee with it into other lands,
from a community which denies them justice,
and proclaims, by its most favoured organs, that
Britain would be equally happy, equally wealthy,
and equally great, were their energy, enterprise,
1 1 and unrivalled skill engulphed in the sea. The