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

EVENING EDITION.

amount of 2,800,0001. upcn the year .He (Mr. Hanle)
had cautioned the Right lion. Gentleman teat
year against laying on additional taxes upon the
necessaries of liie, because he might be assured
that they were only trampling upon the interests of la-
bour, and depriving the mass of 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 ehich 13- millions might
be obtained annually. He did not think that the Right
Honourable Gentleman had 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 looking at the privations
which a large portion of the community, the industrious
classes, were subject to now, while they were willing to
work but unable to ohtsin employment. anxious to pay
taxes if they could, but incapable of doing so, in conse-
quence of the monopolies which Parliament bad 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 the wisest course.
Tens of thousands had been deprived of the means of
subsistence in consequence of our provision laws, which thus
ruined the people. Tue 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) ohonght 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 he had read
that evening. If he (Mr. Hume.) rightly understood the
plan of the Government it was thio, 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 Host. Gentleman had
thus taken the best means to keep up the revenue—he
thought the Right Honourable Gentleman would
do well under the circumstances :o leave it to
the President of the Board of Trade to supply
the deficiencies of the country. He was persuaded that
the contemplated changes would be productive of benefit
to the consumer beyond any measure brought forward
in his ('dr. H.'s) time; while they would not oeily not de-
crease the revenue, but greatly add to it, and thee 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 Drought forward against the Bill, wo aid
never have been heard if her Majesty's Government, two
or three years ago, or at the time of its introduction, bad
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 their own resources, because th ear
would throw open to them the market:: of t'oe
world, and thus enable them to ears a sub..
sistence, free from the trammels of a workhouse.
He hailed the proposed change as a good beginn.'ng, and.
hoped yet to see his fellow-countrymen happy ami cons,-
fortable, despising the Poor-law, because it would be a
dead letter ; he hoped yet to see that time, for no man wa,
willing to labour so hard as an Englishman, whenever it
was possible for him 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 tee
those who could not help themselves ?—( Hear, hear.) He,
hailed the measure as a means of putting an end to thee
sufferings 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 cf the Corn-laws. —( Cheers.) Two
years ago 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.—( Cheers.) Now he did hope that the Right Hon.
Baronet would give that satisfaction to the country by
saying 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 regenerae
tion of the country.—(Cheers.) Ho 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 meeing was
obliged to ba held under the prate ction 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, whea
they knew that by their monopolies they were pauperizing
the working classes for the sal c of the landed
interest themselves? For the general interest and
security of Englishmen, they mest have equal
Legislation—( Hear and cheers. )--4, nd 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 Evg'ishman
of earning his subsistence.—( Cheers.) He had not
hitherto had it—his had been a hard fate,
placed in the midst of the rich, whose luxuries
had been obtained by keeping up the presea
infamous system, which had rendered the poor
man miserable.—( Hear, hear.) He hoped they might
now look forward to a better system, and one which, con-
sidering the manufacturing capabilitities of the country.,
held out the brightest prospect. The Chancellor of the
Exchequer bad alluded to the German League to which'
another State had been added, to the -United States, andl
to the Brazils. With regard to the Brazils at the
present moment, the country took from four to fiver
millions annually of our manufactures, and we
did not take above 500,0001. annually of their pro..
duce. They were now about to alter the tariff and ex-
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 bow could they enjoy these possessions
comfortably when they believed the people of England
had been driven to distress through their monopolies ?
He felt obliged to the Government for the manner in which
they had brought forward the question. It was not a
party, but a national question.—(Cheers.) And ho
should be sorry to make use of a single phrase
that would have the effect of making it a party one. With
regard to the Post-office revenue they would find that in
the year in which the reduction had been made the total
revenue of the country was' greater than in the year pre-
ceding it. In 1838 the revenue was 46,000,0001. In 1839
47,833,600/., and in the year 1840 47,843,0001, But
that system would never work w ell in its present state.
From his habits and station, a Peer of the realm was
unfit to be the head of that departelent—(Hear, hear)—
and as a proof of the inefficiency of the present system he
would merely ret'er to the speech of Mr. Spring Rice on
the subject. A Noble Lord (Lowther) was as wily con-
vinced as he was of the necessity of Post-office reform, and
the deficiency complained of would continue until the re-
forms should he effected. He thought, Also, that the Go-
vernment should require every letter to be pre -paid. The
number now paid for was exceedingly small', at id the prin-
cipal expense was incurred on letters of that description.
Oa the whole, although nothing had been, said about
lessening the expenditure of the country, he was pleased
at the spirit in which the Right Hon. Ge ntleman the
Chancellor of the Exchequer had opened his budget. He
eetrely concurred, in the sentiments which had been ex-
pressed, and he was sure that they would be echoed by
the country at large.

Mr. CHRISTOPHER said be should not make any
observations which were calculated to lead to a general de-
bate on the subject of the Corn-laws, resel.ving what he
had to say until it was brought under the consideration of
the House by the Noble Lord the Secretary for the Colo-
nies. Still, as the representative of a large county con-
stituency, he thought he had a right to complait i of the
manner in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
expressed himself with regard to that particula r sub-
ject.—( Hear, hear.) He thought that, in ste ad of
the line of conduct which had been purs,xed, her
Majesty's Government should have come forward
as a united Government, and have stated what it was which
they intended to propose.—( Hear, hear.) The Right Hon.
Gentleman had distinctly stated what he intended to propose
with respect to the duties on timber and sugar ; anal it had
been thrown out as a clap-trap to a certain class in this coun-
try, that certain med•fications would be proposed of the duties
on the importation of foreign corn. He trusted that 'before
the House adjourned her Majesty's Ministers would come for-
ward and distinctly state the intentions of the Government in
reference to the Corn-laws. He thought his Hon. Colleague
opposite (Mr. Handley) should put the question to the Go-
vernment no less than himself. Unless some declaration were
made, the announcement would be received as it ought to be,
namely, as an attempt to conciliate those who differed from the
Government.—( Hear. )
Mr. HANDLEY could assure the Hon. Gentleman who
had just spoken, that he did not represent the whole county
of Lincoln, in his opinion on this subject. Whenever the
question was fairly brought forward, he would be prepared to
perform his duty to his constituents.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. GOULBURN wished to put a question to the Right
Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The
Right Hon. Gentleman had stated that there was 1,800,0001.
to be provided for. He further calculated the deficiency in the
next year to amount to the aim of two millions. He had told
the House how he intended to provide for the Comm.,n
defici-
ency, but he (Mr. Goulburn) would be glad to be informed
how he meant to provide for the deficiency in the last year, as
the Exchequer Bills were so reduced that there was no fund
for that purpose ?
itilhse EXCHEQUER
forthatpurpose.
wished to put a question with respect to
replied that
he
aTs throe. u
Gtl d. I i
As As
upNe
sCE:xoLe hNi
EOq uRe f
the import duties on sugar. The Right Hon. Gentleman had
advised the House that he intended to alter the duty ou foreign
sugar from 635. to 365., the additional duty of 5 per cent. re-
maining in each case ; and he had stated that he expected by
that alteration to realise a sum of at least 700,0001. He (Mr.
Gladstone) wished to know upon what data that calculation was
founded. He would put to the Honourable Gentleman
three questions on this subjoet. First, what did the Hon.
Gentleman calculate would be the amount of sugar imported
from the British possessions in the East and West Indies and
the Mauritius during the coming year? and, secondly, what
did he calculate would be the consumption of the United
Kingdom during the coming year ? His third question re-
lated to the time when this object was to be discussed He
sincerely hoped that there might he no unnecessary delay, as
nothing, could be more distressing to those who held sugar in
this country, as well as to those, who purchased it, than the
uncertainty which prevailed with reference to the intentions of
her Majesty's Government. Therefore he hoped her Ma
jetty's Government would fix an early day to bring for-
ward their proposal for altering the duties on sugar.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he would
look at his papers for the purpose of seeing whether he could
answer the questions.
Mr. WARD said the subject of the Corn-laws was too large