The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-25 00:00:00

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EVENING SUN.

the Corn-laws, and their effect upon the currency. It
was his own opinion that the Bank of England never
could be in security, if all the issues of this country
were to be regulated by the barometer. When the
bank felt that its bullion was extracted to go abroad
for corn in a season of scarcity, its only course
was in self-defence to check the excessive issue,
and the sympathy spread to every issuing body
over the length and breadth of the land—(Hear, hear)—
so that at the moment when the industry of the country
required the greatest stimulus and support to enable it
to contend against the calamity of an insufficient crop,
trade became paralysed, and such is the unfortunate
state to which we have now arrived. Ho apologised
for having so long occupied their time in discussing the
Corn-laws, but he must still say in conformity
with all the views which he had previously
expressed, that, notwithstanding the periods
of prosperity to which allusion had been made
so triumphantly, the evil of the system was
proceeding certainly and rapidly, although not so near the
surface as in our present unfortunate condition. In 1834
and 1835 those laws were working their pernicious effects
against the people of this country, and if it were not for the
temporary prosperity, we should have arrived two years
sooner at their present state. It was said that trade was
not paralyzed because there had been an increase
in some articles of export. There had been an
increase in cotton twist, but that always
appeared to him to be matter of regret
iatther than of exultation, for it appeared to him a proof
that we had lost a valuable branch of trade—the oonversion
of that twist into cotton cloth.—(Hear, hear, hear.)
The time was not far off when the people
of the Continent would also spin the twist
for themselves, and we should lose that branch of manu-
facture also.—(Hear, hear.) The people of the Conti-
nent justly said to us that we taught them how to encourage
their own manufactures. By our system of protection
we were driven from the markets near at home
to the remotest parts of the world--(Hear, hear)—
where oar capital was expended with the greatest risk
and the least profit.—(Hear, hears) A treat part
of our present exports was composed of goods
which our manufacturers were compelled to send
abroad at a loss, to avoid depressing still
more the market at home. He had received
a letter this very day from one of the largest manufac-
turers in Lancashire, who had never exported before,
but had lately been compelled to do so for that reason.
He wished it had ' been ' in -, his power tai- leave • . - .- . -: eeeee-..a
brought the subject under their consideration in
a manner more worthy of it. It appeared
to him that they were compelled ever since , the
regulation of the laws respecting the importation
of corn from the year 1828, during each year
to import some quantity
looked to the condition of the people at the
present moment they would see that there would
be wanting a considerable quantity of foreign grain
to meet the demands of the home consump-
tion. In considering what quantity might be re-
quired, they ought to look to what would be the con-
dition of the country, if the people, instead of being- thrown
out of work, were in the enjoyment of sufficient em-
ployment Let them not deceive themselves ; they ought
to consider what would be the healthy consumption
of the people in moderate t circumstances, and not
what would be the coasUmption of paupers. He would
direct the attention of the --House to the
effects of the reform advanced by Mr. Huskisson. Let
them look to the success of that gentleman's policy with
reference to the opening of .the trade of the
East. What were the forebodings with which
the results of opening that trade were threatened,
and yet bow futile were all those threats ? The
people cried that the trade with the East Indies would be
diminished if it were removed from the channel by which
it was then connected with this country. It was said
that the silk trade would be destroyed. The result
showed how groundless was that assertion. He would
particularly address himself to the landed propcietofs of
this country with regard to the article of wool.
When the woollen trade was protected by a
duty of 6d. per pound, it declined very much,
When that duty was lessened, it rose, and maintained,
even since that period, a higher price than it ever hefore
attained. He mentioned this, that Hon. Members might
see how satisfactory in its results was this liberal policy.
He would tell the landed proprietor, with reference to corn,
that the protection sought by them could not •be main-
tained for any length of time, because the country was
languishing under the effect of that monopoly. He be-
lieved that the best mode of putting this country in the
highest position of commercial prosperity was by at
once increasing the trade of the country by throwing,
down all the obstacles which shackled fre.! trade and en-
terprise. Thereby they would confer the most lastinggood
which it was possible for a Legislature to confer upon
a country.—(Hear, hear.) Finally, he would propose
that they should assure her Majesty that they fully
shared in the deep sympathy which her Majesty felt
with those of her subjects, who were now suffering
from distress and want of employment, and
that they agreed in her Majesty's prayer that
all their deliberations might be guided by wisdom
and might conduce to the happiness of her people. He
could not sit down without recording his honest opinion
that at the present moment the suffering of the people,
deep and great as they were, were borne with a for-
titude and patience which were beyond all
praise. They were bound to give their best
attention to remedy those evils which afflicted the work-
ing classes of this country ; and he could assure them
that the eyes of the people were fixed on the House,
seeking relief by sound legislation. He felt assured
that the sympathy of her Majesty would be cordially
felt by all those distressed people ; but great and sin-
cere as that sympathy was, it would not of itself
create relief. He would finally propose that they would
assure her Majesty that they would take into considera-
tion the subjects brought under their notice in her Ma-
jesty's Speech, and that they would endeavour to con-
duce as far as in them lay to the happiness of her Ma-
jesty's suljects. The lion. Gentleman concluded by
reading the Address which was as usual, an echo of his
speech.
Mr. J. DUNDAS, in rising to second the mo-
tion, felt relieved from going at any length into the sub-
ject by the admirable speech of the Hon. Gentleman who
had preceded him. In fact, it would be a work of supe-
rerogation for him to go over thoSe topics which had al-
ready been treated of with such power, ability, and pre-
cision in the speech which they had just heard.—(Hear.)
None could rejoice more than himself in the prospect of
the continuance of peace, and he considered it matter of
good augury that the civilized nations of the world had
recently adopted the satisfactory method of mediation
for the termination of their differences in preference to the
ancient and unsatisfactory method of going to war.
He rejoiced to hear that the estrangement between this
country and France had terminated, and he was sure the
House would agree with him in feeling that it was their
duty to do their utmost to cement the alliance between
two countries whose interests were so identical.—
(Cheers.) It was almost, impossible, however, that a
country, having large colonial possessions and ex-
tensive commercial connections, could boast of
peace in all quarters of the world. It had
been necessary to provide against the contin-
gencies of war, and expenses had been incurred
which the revenue of the country was unable to meet.
No one could be more sorry than himself for the neces-
sity of calling on the country for increased supplies, but,
if anything could mitigate that evil, it was the fact that,
in consequence her Majesty's Ministers had been pro-
pelled into the adoption of a course of policy, and into
the promulgation of great measures which he firmly be-
lieved were for the benefit of the country, and on the adop
tion of which he thought the very existence of the ma-
nufacturing interest depended. It had been said that, al-
though under the present system commerce might decline,
the agricultural interest would prosper. lie believed, on
the contrary, that the different interests of this country
were so united that the distress of one. class must be felt
by all. If the consumer of agricultural produce suf-
fered distress, the producer must also suffer from a
diminution of demand. It was his anxious hope that
the House would pay the utmost attention to
the measures which his Hon. Friend had proposed for
the alleviation of that distress, and which, he was sure,
might be adopted without injury to any class. But he
was sure that no such measures could be effectual unless
they embraced a large system of liberal improvement in the
commercial interests of the country. If the manufacturing
population suffered distress, the agricultural population
must suffer also, for the unemployed of the
l manufactur-
•
l g population would be thrown upon the rural districts,
and distress would fill the union workhouses, and create
disaffection in the agricultural as well as in the manufac-
turing districts.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped that this
(la lige r
would be averted by the adoption of measures
for the improvement of the condition of the people. lie
had the greatest confidence in the measures of his
Noble Friend below. As yet they had not had an oppor-
tunity of ascertaining the views of the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman opposite.—(Laughter from the Opposition
benches, answered by cheers from the Ministerial.) But
although they had not had an opportunity of knowing
on what' measures of his they might rely, still it had
been stated that if the doctor were offered an opportu-
nity of seeing the condition of the patient, and of ascer-
taining the state of the pulse, a remedy might be found,
and if the remedy which the doctor who might be
called in should prescribe should turn out to be
the same as the one prescribed by the doctor
already in attendance, he for one should greatly rejoice.
Iln many previous occasions they had seen the Right
Hon.. Baronet subscribing the prescriptions of the Noble
k / „„dnA:r4 J. Russell) below him. The measures pro-
by 1n Noble Friend had in many instances
-`'"'`
posed"by
suffered delay, .but after long discussion they had
obtained the sanctie' n of the Legislature. Sometimes
with the adoption of the
I
Right Hon. Baronet, and some-
*
times in spite of his oppose; ion,, many of them had be-
come the laws of the land. .',
blch he trusted would be
the case on the present occasion, and although now
x.,,,,as that opposite,
the Right Hon. Baronet might delay
or in.spite of
backed by such a formidable phalan
tilos, z -
yarssurerthfoerr
a time ; still he felt that after a few
that popular feeling at,,wnst
byhis tohpep aods
iotpi
otino—n
foofr
etehde
oßni g Hon. Baronet,
byh
the Right Hon. Baronet, which his opposition to those
measures would on discussion be sure to raise—he should
see the great measures which his Noble Friend had pro-
posed carried triumphantly.—(Cheers.) He would not
detain them further than to thank the House for the'
kindness with which they had heard him, and would.
.at once second the motion of his Hon. Friend.
The SPEAKER, having then put the Address from the
C hair,
Mr. S. WORTLEY rose and said, that ho
d he would not be accused of undue trustepre-
sumption in presenting himself to their noticethat early period after his re-appearance within those
at
walls, in order to suggest to the House a different course
from that which had been proposed by the Honourable
Gentleman who had just addressed the House.
It would have been more conformable to his own wishes
if he could have remained a bystander upon that occa-
sion, and have kept his place without mixing in
the Focht debate i tout feeling as he did a most