The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-29 00:00:00

as well as himself, had changed their views on the sub-
ject of the corn-laws, he concluded by expressing a hope
that all enlightened nations would join in putting down
war and promoting sound and commercial intercourse all
over the world.—(Hear.)
Mr. W. YATES PEEL addressed the electors at length.
The MAYou then declared the Right Hon. Sir R. Peel
and the Right Hon. W. Yates Peel, duly elected.
Thanks were then voted to the Mayor, and the crowd
separated.

do not manifest towards the Sovereign who now rules
over this country.—(Cheers.) Well, Gentlemen, I wish
to see the Church maintained in al its legitimate influ-
ence—l wish to see the Church gaining, upon Dissent,
but I wish to see it gaining upon Dissent by extending
its ministration among the people. I don't want to see
the Church supported by unjust laws injuriously affecting
those who dissent from its doctrines.—(Hear.) I think
it perfectly compatible with affectionate attachment to
the Church to consult the feelings and do justice to the
rights of those who dissent from her doctrines. These
are the objects of true Conservative policy, which I wish
to uphold. I wish to see the House of Lords in posses-
sion of all it just authority. I attach the utmost impor-
tance to the maintenance of an hereditary nobility. I
believe the aristocracy of the country have done as much,
at least, to vindicate the liberties of England as any class
I in it, and I believe it would be utterly destructive of
that mixed constitution under which we live, if the
House of Lords ceased to exercise its influence. I wish
to discourage the desire for democratic change in the
House of Commons. Ido not wish to see it a demo-
cratic body, acting in discord with the Throne and the
House of Lords. I compare this with other countries in
which the form of government is one resting upon a
pure democracy, and I say that you have tenfold greater
security for liberty, for freedom of opinion, for freedom
of action, for freedom of the press—you have tenfold
greater security under the mixed form of government—
under an ancient monarchy—a House of Lords and a
House of Commons—representing not the people told
by the head, but representing the magistracy, the clergy
—representing the great corporate bodies, and the
intelligence and wealth, as well as the mere numbers
of the people.—(Cheers.) I have desired to maintain
the public credit, and to extend the commerce of the
country; and in what one respect have I failed
in upholding those great principles?—(Loud cheers.)
What injury have I done to the just and legitimate ob-
jects of the Conservative policy? This was the public
conduct I pursued while the affairs and the finances of
the country were administered by me. Has the House
of Lords had its influence impaired? Has the monarchy
had its just prerogatives infringed upon ? Has the
Church had its influence impaired? If so, it was by its
own intestine divisions, and not by any act of mine.—
(Cheers.) Well, then, gentlemen, do you disapprove of
the financial policy that I have recommended and advo-
cated?—(Cries of " No, no.") Gentlemen, this is not
the place to enter into disputation about figures, but I
can make what I have done perfectly intelligible to every
man, woman, and child, who is now listening to me. I
will tell you what I have done, and -what has been done
by the last Government with which I was connected, and
you can then tell me whether you approve of it. You
are all connected with agriculture. You are not a manu-
facturing—you are not a commercial constituency.
Your prosperity depends upon agriculture, and I ap-
peal to you as men connected with agriculture to tell
me if you disapprove of what has been done?----(Hear,
hear.) I find that in 1841 there were high duties on
flour. I find that in 1841 meat was prohibited,
and cattle was prohibited. That was a state of
things that, if there happened to be a distemper
among sheep and cattle, and that your supply was dimi-
nished—and I was told that your supply was diminished
to the extent of 216,000 sheep in the number sent to
Smithfield market in the course of half a year—that you
could not procure an abundant supply. The then state
of things was this, that you could not import, for it was
illegal to bring any cow, sheep, bullock, pig, calf, or any
animal that contributed to human sustenance. You
could not import meat, or salt provisions, or bacon.
There was a high duty upon rice; there was a high duty
upon lard. All these things were now duty free.—
(Cheers.) If your own supply of cattle fails you, you
can import (although it must be necessarily limited in
amount) from abroad. Have you found the price of meat
so low that this policy has proved ruinous?—(Cries of
" No, no.") You don't then, disapprove of the remove'
of restriction and prohibition? The duties have in
many cases been reduced one-half—some more than one-
half. There were duties on batter, on cheese, on
coffee, on sugar, and these have all been reduced one-half.
Just look at your weekly bills. Take the labourer and
see what enters into the consumption of a man and
his family. Won't you find flour, meat, salt provi
sions, bacon, rice, lard, butter, cheese, coffee, sugar—
won't you find some of these articles enter into his con-
sumption? I wish you could find all. And of these
articles some have had the duties altogether repealed,
and some have had them reduced one-half.—(Hear,
hear.) The duty on timber has been reduced one-
half, and it was said that Canada would be ruined if
Baltic timber was admitted at a lower duty. Why what
has been the fact ? that there has been a greater con-
sumption of Canada timber than before the reduction
took place. There are many articles which eat r
largely into the manufactures of this country on which
the duties have been altogether repealed. The duty on
cotton wool has been repealed. The duty on sheeps'
wool, on flax, on hemp, and other articles used in manu-
factures, such as indigo, raw silk, oils of all kinds, skins
and furs used in manufactures have been altogether re-
pealed. Do you think that was unconnected with true
commercial policy? was that calculated to ruin anybody
Or diminish employment ?—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, in
1842 there was a tariff or list of articles paying Custom
duties amounting to some 1,200 or 1,300 articles.
Before the late Government left office there were 727
of these articles
,on which the duty was altered or
repealed. There were, some 508 articles paying duty,
on which the duty. was entirely repealed. (Hear.)
Of these 503 articles, on s Which the duty was alto-
gether repealed, the most of them concerned the food,
clothing, and comfort of the 'people, or else they are
the raw material fro w'hieh our manufactures are de-
rived or promoted, and which mainly contributes to the
employment and comfort of the working classes. Tax-
ation to the amount of over two millions sterling was
actually taken off ; and upon the articles on which the
duty was entirely repealed, it was evident that no duty
whatever could for the future be renewed. In the same
year there were some obstaclei in the shape of duties to
the amount of 100,0001. to the export of manufactured
articles. -After having made your manufactures, they
were then subjected to a duty on exportation—the duty
on cotton wool was repealed altogether, and a loss of
700,000/. was sustained by the revenue. The duty on
sheep's wool was repealed, and the duty on glass manu-
factures was repealed, entailing a loss to the revenue of
634,0001. ; but it appeared to me that having freed such
manufactures as that of glass, which had been subjected
to the constant and vexatious interference of Excise
officers, watching every stage of the manufactures, it
appeared to me that if you left that manufacture free,
and permitted skill and enterprise its full scope, that
our glass manufactures might enter into competition
with that of other countries, and that the loss to the
revenue ,Might be amply repaid by the increased
manufacture and increased employment of the people.
But, gentlemen, there were duties absolutely re-
pealed to the amount of two millions, and when a
man comes and says, here is a loss to the revenue upon
these, reductions, it is impossible that it should not be so.
Any wiseacre could find out, that inasmuch as cotton,
wool, glass, and other articles pay no duty now, there
must be a loss to the revenue.—(A laugh.) But the
question is, whether we do not by repealing these duties
give such an impulse to industry, and the general con-
sumption of articles of Excise and manufacture, as to com
pensate for the loss thns occasioned to the revenue.—
(Hear, hear.) It may be said that having repealed these
duties 'to the amount of two millions sterling, they were
lost to the revenue, and that is perfectly true, and if the
same principle was applied to the entire fifty millions, it
would be all gone ; but none but a madman would do so.
It is easy to speak after the event, but in February 1845,
I observed that I have that reliance upon the elasticity
of the resources of this empire, that I do expect before
the termination of three years, this repeal of taxes will
have produced beneficial effects, and that we shall find
an increasing revenue, probably enabling us to dispense
with th income-tax. But let the House remember that
the principle on which we have gone, and gone ad-
visedly, is the absolute repeal of taxation in many cases.
We do not diminish a tax on glass, for instance, keeping
on one quarter, or one half of it. We do not lower the
duty on anchors, on wool, on cotton, or on many articles
of smaller import, but we propose the absolute repeal,
expecting. from the increased consumption of other
taxed articles, an equivalent improvement in the revenue.
Now, Gentlemen, what has been the result between
1841 and 1846? Although in that interval taxes to the
amount of 7,600,0001. have been removed, yet the re-
venue in 1846 was very nearly equal to that in 1841.
(Cheers.) That is excluding the income-tax altogether,
and speaking only of the revenue derived from the cus
toms and excise, and the ordinary sources. I prophe-
sied that if industry was left free, the loss to the re-
venue would be amply supplied by the increased con-
sumption produced by the increased employment and
content of the working classes. That expectation has
been fulfilled. The present Government has wisely fol-
lowed out the same principles, and have reduced the duty
on foreign sugar, as we reduced that on colonial, and
therefore- they are entitled to share the credit of the
result. But look at the state of the revenue, and com- DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN THE NEW KENT-ROAD.--
pare it with that of 1841. In the year ending the sth
April, 1847, petting the ineeme_ta, out of the question, destructive fire broke out upon the premises in the oc-
and remembering that eigh_t.niillions of taxes have been cupation of Mr. Prince, toy and fancy workbox-dealer,
repealed, the revenue was one Million better than thatof Providence-buildings,New
Last night, about eleven o'clock, a very. alarming and
1841.—(Hear.) Yotelitiw; however, that these reductions
the Government in-resisting improvident demands for the gent-road. • ad. The discovery was made by police constable
must not be carried too far.and-I shall therefore , support 107. Smoke which he saw issuing
" from the shop front,
madecarrinhimon
acquaintedle,usinessat No. 8,
theaiarraingfact.
The
reduction of taxation' after some time he
„and shall give them my support in
officer raised an instant alarm, and
their efforts to uphold the • credit. their slumbers the whole of
public But it is said succeeded in arousing from by some that this prosperity is' not theresult ofhowever, that he had ac-
policy, but of good
,harvests. Now, I don't our the inmates. By the period,_l fthe lower portion of
deny the effect of good harvests. I believe that when to eonaplished his object, the who e o
enveloped in d i flame. By
the benevolence of 'Providence gives us good harvests the premises was completely
henrvesidents succeeded in
and a succesion of them, that there is exercised the mosts great perseverance, however, t e
blazing
pile, some by
material influence on the enjoyments, happiness, morality, lea
a safe retreat from the
others by precipitating
and peace of this country, and also on the revenue. --
3n leaping out of the back windows,fhe
house. Fortunately no
(Cheers.) But is it true that we have had a succession themselves from the front of
flames continued to progress
of good harvests, from 1842 to the present time? We one was injured, but. the.
on everything of a
with unusual rapidity, seizing up
last year lent ten millions for the support of the Irish combustible nature so that in the space of a few minutes,
people. When the people are starving is that a sign of the building from 'the ground floor to the roof, pre-
a good harvest? When wheat is 90s. or 100 s. a quarter sented one wide sheet of flame. With as little delay
is that a sign of a good harvest? Why, last year was a as possible, the engines of the London brigade from
bad harvest, and yet, really one can hardly believe tho Southwark Bridge-road, Waterloo-road, Chendos-street,
figures when they see them, although the harvest was and Farringdon-street stations arrived, closely fol-
bad, the revenue of 1847 was increased over that of 1846 lowed by that belonging to the County Office from
by 2,600,000/.—(Cheers)--and all this, notwithstanding Regent's
Quadrant. The mains of the Water Company
the reductions that have taken place.—(Hear, hear.) yielded an abundance of the antagonistic element,
But I am glad to hear the argument that good which being thrown over the flames, happily got them
harvests are the cause of increased revenue. extinguished before twelve o'clock, but not until the
What is that but an admission that cheapness and premises were burned out, and the whole of the stock in
plen:y of feed are essential to the happiness of the trade, furniture wearing apparel, and other effects were
people, and also to the prosperity of the revenue. Well, reduced to ashes. The origin of the calamity is un-
he it so. Attribute it, if you please, to the good bar- known. The police, under Superintendents Evans and
vests. Is not the fact a deserved condemnation of the Robinson, of the Al and P divisions, rendered essential
restraints upon the importation of food? If cheapness service to the firemen, by keeping the immense crowd
and ple.nty be so essential to a productive revenue—if out of danger.
eheapneas be to important to-the comfort and enjoyment a THE NEw n
.1)0-rTLE CONJURER. —MR Patriot
of the people—does not that very fact make us doubt 1
having sluLk from Maryl,,bono --has not only I
whether °tenet it is win) to iinpeeb by legislative re-,
eaten his own winos but jeceped down his owl throat,
stra;ntst the b;) :ivy of Provider-T? Right says i„ his • might " be
Baronet e, test tee e eeteon e
en proceeded at some tengtft tO review his coveted by the highest and purest pretensions." It is
Mr. commercial policy, and after referring to the opinions of then no wonder
periods,
for the purpose of showing th4l otber 614060en'