The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-01 00:00:00

MORNING ED

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be deplored, and that the Government ought not to have
suffered these defalcations to have taken place. But he
would ask the Right Hon. Gentleman sahether he,
or any one on that side of the House—there might
indeed be a solitary exception—had any right to
taunt the Treasury? He (Mr. Hume) might
do i', but they had no right. He had endeavoured to lessen
that expenditure. He had pointed out to the House what
would be the result of those extravagant and in-
creasing estimates from year to year, and he had
called on the Honourable Gentleman near him not
to listen to the voice from the opposite side, which would
hurry him on into increased expenditure. It any indivi-
dual was entitled to make the speech which they had just
heard, it was not the Hon. Gentleman, for he challenged
him to point out any one instance in which he had pro-
posed te reduce the great and increasing expenditure.
For the last three years there had been additional taxes to
the amount of 3i millions laid on, and there had been a
falling off for tne last 4 years of 5,1 millions, making a
total of nine millions increase of the expenses of the coun-
try. Teat arose from the neglect of the House and its
utter disregard for the rcduc:ion of the public expendi.
tute, and he might add that on the several divisions
be had taken to reduce the expenditure of the coun-
try, the number who voted with him seldom ex-
ceeded seven or ten.. He was gratified to think that
the Right Honourable Gentleman had been com-
pelled, by the increasing burdens of the people, to
look about and devise another mode of increasing the
resources of the country. It was now clear, that although
last )e tr. the Right Hon. Gentleman had laid on taxes to
the amount of 2,340,000/., so far from its producing
any increase, it had caused a decrease
~of 300,000/.
on the la.t as compared with the previous year. Con-
sequently the estimate of the Right Honourable Gen•
tleman baelailed. The revenue, which was 47,843,000/.
for the year ending in April, 1840, was for the year
ending April,lB4l, with the 5 per cent, additional taxes
and customs, and the 10 per cent. increase upon the as-
sessed taxes, only 47,433,000/., being an actual
reduction of 400,0001. upon the receipts of the
previous year. It appeared from that that the
Right Honourable Gentleman had miscalculated to the
amount of 2,800,0001. upcn the year. He (Mr. Hume)
had cautioned the Right Hon. Gentleman last
year against laying on additional taxes upon the
uecsssaries of lite, because he might be assured
that they were only trampling upon the interests of la-
bour, and depriving the mass cf the people of employment,
by which they were incapacitated from purchasing the or-
dinary supply of excisable articles. It appeared to him
that they should have laid a tax upon the landed property of
the country, and that it should be placed on the same
footing as personal property, by which miliions might
be obtained annually. He did not think that the Right
Honourable Gentleman bad any thing to boast of
with regard to his estimate—on the contrary he
might take the result as a lesson for the time to come.
He did think the Right Hon. Gent. had acted right on
the present occasion. He did think that the Government,
looking at the failure in the necessaries of life with which
the country was afflicted, and lookirg at the privations
which a large portion of the community, the industrious
classes, a ere subject to now, while they were willing to
work but unable to obtain employment, anxious to pay
taxes if they could, but incapable of doing so, in conse-
quence of the monopolies which Parliament had kept up,
and the murder—he could call it by no other name— of a
certain portion of the people, he did think that under these
circumstances the Government had taken toe wisest course.
Tens of thousands had been deprived of the means of
subsistence in consequence of our provision laws, which thus
ruined the people. The Right Hon. Gentleman the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer could not find one individual
who had looked to the state of the country who would not
advise him not to lay any further taxes on the necessaries
of lif . He was therefore perfectly right in what he had
done, and he (Mr. Hume) thought that the result would
meet his expectations. He hoped that the Right
Honourable Gentleman would lay before the House
for its information all those statements which be had read
that evening. If he (Mr. Hume) rightly understood the
plan of the Government it was this, that they were about
to remodel the Corn-laws. That was the first
measure ; and that they were also to change the
duty on wheat, timber, and sugar, the most important ar-
ticles. He thought that the Right Hon. Gentleman had
thus taken the best means to keep up the revenue—he
thought the Right Honourable Gentleman would
do a ell under the circumstances to leave it to
the President of the Board of Trade to supply
the deficiencies of the country. He was persuaded that
tie contemplated changes would be productive of benefit
to the consumer beyond any measure brought forward
in his (11r. H.'s) time; while they would not only not de-
crease the revenue, but greatly add to it, and the working
men would thus have the means of earning for themselves a
livelihood, and need not be dependent for their subsistence
on the Poor-law, or any other source. And let him
tell the Noble Lord, who had charge of the
Poor-law in that House, that many of the complaints
which had been brought forward against the Bill, would
never have been heard if her Majesty's Government, two
or three years ago, or at the time of its introduction, had
brought in such a measure as that which they now proposed
to introduce. By the intended change they might safely leave
the working classes to thee. own resources, because they
would throw open ti them the markets of the
world, and thus enable them to earn a sub-
sistence, free from the trammels of a workhouse.
He hailed the proposed change as a good beginning, and
hoped yet to see his fellow-countrymen happy and corn.
fortable, despising the Poor-law, because it would be a
dead letter ; he hoped yet to see that time, fur no man was
willing to lahcur so hard as as Englishman, whenever it
was possiele for hint to procure it. Was it fair, was it
honest, was it merciful for that House, to maintain laws
which pressed so hardly, and proved so destructive to
those who could net help themselves ?—( Hear, hear.) He
bailed the measure as a means of putting an end to the
sufferirgs of the poor, of creating a permanent revenue,
and of benefiting all classes in the community. He hoped,
before the discussion closed, to hear the Right. Hon.
Member for Tamworth repeat that he had no objection to
the consideration of the Corn-laws. —(Cheers.) Two
years sge he objected to go into the consideration of those
laws, without at the same time, taking into consi-
deration the duties upon every other article of pro-
duce.—( Chi ors.) Now he did hope that the Right Hon.
Baronet would give that satisfacion to the country by
say ittg that, in his opinion, all laws should be made for
the benefit of all, to forward the interests of all classes,
and that, if any class should be favoured, above all
others it should be the poor man, who lived
under laws in the making of which he had no voice.
He rejoiced at the change which was about to take place,
and if it could be carried out it would work the regenera.
tion of the country.—( Cheers.) He would ask what
would be the state of the landed interest of the
country ? What would it be worth, if the country were
to become a country of beggars in consequence of
the operation of bad laws ? Could that be considered a
satisfactory state of the country, when every meeting was
obliged to be held under the pratection of policemen ?How,
could the rich men of the country enjoy their comforts when
they knew that they were surrounded by others of their
countrymen who were starving ?—(Loud cheers.) How
could they enjoy their comforts and luxuries, when
they knew that by their monopolies they were pauperizing
the working classes for the sake of the landed
interest themselves? For the general interest and
security of Englishmen, they must have equal
Legislation—( Hear and cheers. )—and there must
be an end to this monopoly of the landed
interest. On that ground he congratulated the country
on the prospect before them. Instead of endless debates
on party questions, and on Poor-laws, they now saw the
means placed within the reach of every Eng ishman
of earning his subsiitence.—( Cheers.) He bad not
hitherto had it—his had teen a hard fate,
placed in the midst of the rich, whose luxuries
bad been obtained by keeping up the present
infamous system, which had rendered the poor
men miserable.—( Hear, bear.) He hoped they might
now look forward, to a better system, and ore which, con.
sidering the manufacturing capabilitities of the country,
held out the brightest prospect. The Chancellor of the
Exchequer bad alluded to the Gerrrae League to which
another State had been added, to the United States andto the Brazils. With regard te the Brazils at the
present moment, the country took from four to five
millions annually of our manufactures, and
did not take above 500,000/. annually of their we
duce. They were new about to alter the tariff andpex-
clude us. Let British manufactures he excluded from that
market and from the United States as they assuredly
would he, he would ask the landed proprietors what
their possessions would be worth, with millions in a state of
?starvation, and how could they enjoy these possessions
comfortably when they believed the people of England
bad been driven to distress through their monopolies?
He felt obliged to the Government for the manner in which
eney had brought forward the question. It was not a
Ipar;y, hut a national questile.—( Cheers.) And he
,sheuld be sorry to make use cf a single phrase
that, would have the effect of making it a party one. With
regeee to the Post-office revenue they would find that in
the year in which the reduction bad been made the total
cayenne of the country was greater than in the year pse-
*ceding in In 1838 the revenue was 46,000,000/. In 1839
47,933,000/., and in the year 1840 47,843,0001. But
Chat system would never work well in its present state.
From lkia habits and station, a Peer of the realm was
unfit he the head of that deparament—( Hear, bear)—
and as a proof of the ins
fficiency of the present system be
would merely
the tubject sever to the speech of Mr. Spring Rice on
winced as b.ewaso tu
A Noble Letel (Lowther) teas as tully con-
e necessity of Post-office reform, and
t nn'
he deficiency co •
lamed of would continue until the re-
tforms should be effected. He thought. also, that the Go-
an:lest:ereipptiroi"na-.
wernment should require every letter to be pre-Paid' e
small,
-number now paid for w
cipal expense was lettersineurreredinly
Oa the whole, although
lessening the expenditure of nothing
noon of that'
had l'eeen said about
at the spirit in which the R7,„,""_,` cry, be was pleased
Chancellor of the Exchequ •
e ea.santopellaoned.
i;Gitebnuidicfeta.n the e .t rely concurred in th,
pressor?, and I,e w' • sentimentsspec that the ywwhich had' been ex-
alla•ceur.t,y at Ihrhh:
Mr, C ISTO PI-IE R said
sobservahions which were
of calculated to lead to snake any
make
de-
bate on the sub' the Corn-laws, resery
gaervvioata he
f
would be echoed by
had to say until iti
was brought under the con
the ,house by the Noble Lord the Secretary for the COlO.
elks. Still, as the representative of a large county Con_
'stituency, he thought be had a right to complain of the
manner in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
regardoutoghtthatthapta,rticular sub-
ell:tressed himself with
th
instead of
sect.—{Hear, hear.) He
the lino of conduct which l bad been pursued, her
ewasfowrsehaiarhd
Majesty's Government
as a united Government,ose sad have hteadvewbatcoimt
avuedsta
they intended to pro
Gentleman had distiPnctl.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Hon.
stated what he intended to with respect to the dutytes propose
!Leen thrown out as s on timber and sugar; and it bad
a clap- trap to a
try, that certain mod ticertain class in this coon-
ca ions would e
on the importation of fore' b
_proposed of the duties
the House axljoumed her mretsrrn. He trusted that before
ward and distinctly state the 'lnters' llinisters would come for_
to the Cohn-laws. __set ions of the Government in
thought his Hot:. Colleague