The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-19 00:00:00

otti navigation, our capital, and our geographical posi-
tion, if trade #n this' country was perfectly free, and we
were enabled to obtain in the cheapest markets, upon
even terms, all the commodities We want, I can see no
teason why this should not be one of the cheapest
lo life in that any civilized popal&ro country
can be. 'litre are many matters in which density of
population leads' to cheapness.
Then when you speak of competition from cheaper
labour abroad, you mean when the people here betog
tertvily taxed to the State, their burdens are increased
by taxes to topport particular interests 7—Exactly ; I
conceive protectiot to be a positive increase of taxes,
not less positive than if an additiocal tax were put upon
the commodity itself ; whatever the compulsory amount
which you pay more than the natural amount, it is to
the consumer as effectual a tax as if it were collected by
the tax-gatherer, the custom-house officer, or the excise.
You did not mean to say that general taxation did not
affect prices, but that it afforded no excuse for protec-
tion ?--Certainly ; what I mean is, that the general
taitation is not a ground for taking the burden off one
portion of the cemmunity,• and laying it, as it must be
borne by sonic one, on another portion, that second por-
tiOn paying double, the other paying none. If I might
illustrate this, I would take the article of corn ; suppos-
ing the taxes paid by the landed interest in their perso-
nal and domestics expenditure should amount to 10s. a
quarter upon the earn raised upon their lands, and you
put 10s. upon foreign corn, while you habitually import
it and pay that 103., thus raising the puce of all that is
produced at home by 10s., I conceive that J Os. to be a
burden thrown upon the other parts of the community,
and that the landed proprietor literally lives in this coti.n-
try without paying any tax at all.
You observed, in a former part of your evidence, that
one protection was constantly a ground for claiming
another ?—lt furnishes a plea always to parties who
are ever seeking pleat ler asking for protection ; it is
particularly and everlastingly, as far as my own ob-
servation goes, alluded to by the landed interest.
And it frequently occurs that when one interest has
thus got itself exempt from taxation, it has reimposed
the tax upon itself by having to pay it as protection
upon other productions ?—Witatever the proportion may
be between the protected goods produced by the party,
and his expenditure in the general articles of consump-
tion, he gives and receives in that proportion ; if they
are equal, then he certainly does, in my opinion, restore
the money back again to the other protected parties.
I will suppose that there are 100 trades and It;0 com-
modities, and that you give a certain measure of p:0-
tection to every one of them, well measured, as far as
the nature of the goods will admit ; then I conceive
that those 100 parties would find all their cases com-
pletely neutralised ; each would receive from the system
a benefit as one, and would pay it away in driblets to
the ninety-nine, and thus they would all be brought to
the same position as if none were protected at all.
But if one interest was more powerful than the other
ninety-nine, it is possible that it might get some advan-
tage over the others ?—The great evil of protection is,
that it cannot be made just, equal, and equitable. In
my illustration just now, I supposed that you could find
a way of protecting each in an equal proportion, but
that is not possible.
Sir C. Douglas—ls the abolition of the Corn-laws
inseparable from the opinion you entertain that the re-
moval of import duties ought to take place ?—Just so ;
that is the great article, and I conceive that otherwise
we should expose our manufactures to the most unfair
competition with foreigners, not because of the light
taxes which foreigners pay, but because of the general
cheapness of living, from having corn and other pro-
visions upon better terms than we have. I think that
the first necessaries of life should be the Srst articles to
be set free.
Then from that last answer the Committee may un-
derstand that you mean a total abolition of the Corn-
laws ?—Certainly, and I should prefer the total aboli-
tion ; I cannot see any ground whatever for any coun-
tervailing tax upon corn, I cannot perceive anything in
the principle of protection that is peculiar to corn.
British corn does not contribute to the public revenue ;
there is therefore no charge upon it to be countervailed.
Then you would not even allow a small fixed duty ?
—My opinion is that there is no ground for any duty ;
the only ground I can perceive is to countervail charges
in the production of corn. I know that there are
a great many charges which the landed interest con-
ceive to be peculiarly on them, and to fall upon their
productions ; but as far as I have been able to investi-
gate those charges, I think they have services in return
for them, and they do not go to the public revenue ;
they are of a local nature, and I think the farmers are
so much better off, and so much more enabled to raise
the commodity with advantage by reason of those local
charges, since they have facilities in return equal to the
payment : and I do firmly believe that any country
that has not the system of raising funds for the purposes
for which those local funds are raised, would be at a
great disadvantage in the production of agricultural
produce.

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sta,—The late concussion on the above Railway—
although not attended with loss of life—still shows the
inefficient management pursued on this line, and undoubt-
edly proves its directory to be either careless in action, or
deficient in judgment. It appears to see that there is but
one method or plan to be adopted which can prevent simi-
lar accidents, which is, that either the Northern and
Eastern, or the Eastern Counties (both running on the
same line for some few miles) do agree to start at the
same time from the London station, and that one locomo-
tive engine do convey both the above trains up to the
point where they have to separate, one of the Companies
having its engine in readiness; at this point it can be
attached to its own train, and each will pursue its oppo-
site direction. To effect this the two Companies have
only to agree which do find the locomotive power for the
few miles both use the same line, and which would be
a certain preventive to these appalling accidents.
Your's, &c:,
A PROPRIETOR.

MAYOR'S DAY-AT GREAT YAR

MOUTH.

In the good old times of rampant Toryism, when the
then self-elected Corporation rode roughshod over the
town, the Mayor's-day was celebrated with all possible
" pomp and circumstance to give effect to the scene."
Flags and banners were displayed, guns were fired ;
the Corporation paraded from church dressed up
with crimson gowns and cocked hats, accompanied
by a band of music ; and to crown all there was a
dinner at the Town Hall, to about 200 gentlemen of
the town and neighbourhood, of whom about one-third
were parsons, who sat at a table by themselves. At this
dinner the Mayor presided, and he also invited all the
guests; but he did not pay for it—the expenses were de-
frayed out of the Town Funds, and thepoor devils who did pay
never even got a smell of the good things which these Tory
parsons and aldermen yearly assembled to feast upon. At
night little boys let off squibbs. more for mischief than for
joy, and notwithstanding all the pageantry and feasting,
there was a heartlessness and want of spirit in the whole
proceedings. and a feeling of disgust amongst the inhabi-
tants in viewing them which plainly told of their aversion
to living under the "cold shade" of a aelf-elected Corpo-
ration. Now mark the difference. On the ninth of No-
vember, the Town-Council met for the purpose of electing
a Mayor for the ensuing year. That Town-Council, which
is chosen by the free voices of the rate-payers, which con-
sists of 48 members, amongst whom there arc but two To-
ries, and amongst whom there will be no Tories at the ter-
mination of the period for which those two are elected, for
they will assuredly be ousted if ever they try to regain their
seats. There were 42 members of the Council present.
Their names having been called over,
RICHARD HAMMOND, Esq., rose to propose a fit and proper
Ferson to fill the Civic Chair for the ensuing year ; and
after paying a high and well-deserved compliment to
Samuel Palmer, Esq., proposed that gentleman to fill the
office of Mayor the ensuing year —( Loud cheers.)
Mr. C. Davie and Mr. JOHN BRIZ,;FITWEN supported the
motion, which was carried unanimously.
The Mayor having been invested with the chair by the
late Mayor, then qualified and took the usual oaths, after
which he returned thanks to the Council, and requested
their punctual attendance at the Corporation assemblies,
and a vote of thanks having passed to the late Mayor, and
some routine business transacted, the Council adjourned.
The Mayor, who is in every sense of the word a" Libe-
ral," was attended to his residence by a numerous train of
gentlemen, and in the evening there was a public dinner
at the Star Inn, to which about seventy gentlemen sat
down, to commemorate his election. Much disappoint-
ment was felt by many persons, who were not able to ob-
tain tickets, the room not admitting of dining a larger
number than named above. During the day the bells
rang merrily, the shipping in the harbour displayed their
flags, and a general expression of satisfaction was mani-
fested by the inhabitants at the choice which the Council
had made of a Chief Magistrate.
The dinner was most sumptuous. The Mayor presided ;
Mr. Johnson, Mr. R. Hammond, Mr. Barth, Mr. Bur-
roughes, and Mr.T. Hammond, acted as Vice- Presidents.
The cloth being removed, the MAYOR gave " The
health of our beloved Queen, and a long and prosperous
reign to her"—three times three; " Prince Albert"—
three times three, and many other loyal and patriotic toasts.
Mr. W. JOHNSON, in proposing the health of...the new
Mayor, said he might be reckoned among those very rare
individuals whom cne finds once in a lifetime—( Cheers)—
a faithful friend. They had found in him a faithful poli.
tician who had never once swerved. He had been found
among those whom the fiercest opposition tended to render
more firm to his cause. He doubted not but he would
perform the duties of his office with the greatest diligence,
and he would at once give the health of one for whom they
all felt the greatest friendship—The Mayor of Yarmouth.—
( Loud cheers.)
The MAYOR, in returning thanks, said, that he told them
that morning when they paid him the compliment to elect
him Chief Magistrate, he felt it the proudest moment of
his life ; but now he knew not how to express his feelings or
his gratitude. He bad that day been elected by a Council,
returned by 25,000 ratepayers—and not to acknowledge and
feel deeply so high an honour would be base ingratitude in
him. He trusted he should perform the duties of his of- I
flee with credit to himself and benefit to the town. He
hoped that should he err they would give him the credit of
erring rather in the head titan the heart.:—(Cheers.)
The festivity of the evening was continued in good hu-
mour till a late hour.
The election of Mr. Palmer to theoffiwcheicohf Mheaycoarrrhicass
given general satisfaction in this borough. His munificent
hospitality, and the spirited manner in
out every thing be enters upon, give a.asurance of a year
of unusual gaiety and bustle.