The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-25 00:00:00

which he believed to be right. Now he would only ask
that Honourable Gentleman to allow to those who were
the Ministers of the Crown the benefit of that
principle, and that he would not heap upon them those oppro-
brious epithets which he had made use uf, for acting on the
very principle which he had laid down for his own guidance.
He told them that the Ministers were the " most unstable of
men," " infirm of purpose," and were " Cabinet jugglers."
He had also made use of an observation, not very kind, to
those with whom he had se long acted, and which did not
display that judicial coolness which became a high judicial
character.—( Hear, hear.) . He called them " political
cowards." He (the Chancellor) might be a political coward,
for he had been afraid to maintain party consistency in oppo-
sition to the wishes and interests of the people ; and he had
been afraid to risk the subsistence of the empire for the sake of
gratifying a party. If that were cowardice, it was that of
which he had been guilty.—( Hear, hear.) He had turned
his back upon his friends, but he had only done so in
order to protect them from their own want of
foresight. —( Hear, hear, and cheers, and counter cheers.)
Seeing the storm a-head, seeing the frightful effects vi hick
famine would produce in Ireland, he had not been ashamed to
oppose himse fto the danger.—(Hear, hear.) He begged to
to 1 those Hon. Gentlemen that he painfully felt the loss of their
good opinion ; he should ever remember with satisfaetion the
period when they had been formally united, and he trusted
that when their judgments had time to cool—( Ironical cheers)
when thoy shall see the dangers with which the country had
been threatened, not merely in prospective but iu reality—when
they shall be aware of the necessity which existed to make pro-
vision for those dangers, he trusted he knew enough of them to
believe that—however inconsistent it might appear with their
present opinions—they would admit that they have been wrong,
mud that the Government had adopted the best course for the
preservation of the general interests of the country.—(Chedr.)
Mr. W. B. FERRAND believed that he was perfectly in order in
alluding to the petition that had been presented to the House a few
evenings ago by the Noble Lord the Member for the West Riding of
Yorkshire. The House would remember, that as far back as 1843,
he hid stated in that House, that the Anti-Corn-law League had
purchased signatures to the petitions which they had got up at a
shilling a hundred.—(Laughter.) Now he (Mr: Ferrand) was well
aware that when the Noble Lord presented those petitions he might
no doubt have believed that the signatures were genuine; but he
(Mr. Ferrand) was prepared to prove, if his statement were denied,
that the working men whose signatures were affixed to those peti-
tions were obliged by the master manufacturers to attach their
names, and if they refused to do so, that the consequence of their re-
fusal would be the sacrifice of their elegy bread.—(Bear, hear, and
cries of "Oh ! oh I") He was indebted to the Hon. Member for-
Montrose for the able statement which lie gave of the modes operandi
which was resorte Ito in the working of this tyranical system. That
Hon. Member said it was a regulation of the master-manufacturers in
Scotland, that if a workmen left one manufactory in consequence of
a dispute 'with his employer the owner of another manufactory would
not employ him. The consequence of which was that the most
abject slavery and subservience was created. The Hon. Member
stated that that was a glorious combination. Now he (Mr. Ferrand)
was prepared to say that that combination existed to as great an
extent in Lancashire and Yorkshire, and he had no hesitation In
saying that there was no mari in the employment of any of the
members of the Anti-Corn-law League who dared to refuse his
signature to the petitions which emanated fromithat body.—(Cries of
"Oh ! oh !") He would ask the Hon. Gentlemen who advocated the
doctrines of free-trade, and the Noble Lord, the Member for London,
if they believed thalthose signatures were genuine ? If they really
considered them to be the bona fide acts of the parties whom they
proposed to represent, they would have laid greater stress upon
them. Now he (Mr. Ferrand) was prepared to prove that
one man attached no less than 14,000 signatures.—(Loud
cheers.) Attached 14,000 signatures to one of those
petitions without ever having left his house, er employed
any one even to write his name.—(Loud cheers.) That was the way
that petitions were got up by the Anti-Corn-law League, and were
afterwards presented to that House with a flourish of trumpets.—
(Loud cheers.) So much for petitions. Now, if the Hon. Member
for Sheffield would allow him, he would iude to certain points
which he had referred to in a speech he made a few eve nings ago,
when he interrupted the Hon. Member in rather a round manner.--,
(Laughter.) As, however, he had stated his views in a very inaccu-
rate and dictatorial manner, he (Mr. Ferrand) deemed it his duty to
give the statements of the Hon. Member a peremptory denial. The
Hon. Member said that some lion. Gentlemen had engaged to sub-
scribe 2,0)01. for the recent election in the West Riding. Now, all he
(Mr. Ferranti) would say on that subject was, that if the lion.
Gentleman would find the individuals who were to subscribe this
money, he would give him 201. per cent. for his trouble.—(Laughter.)
The Hon. Gentleman also said that he (Mr. Ferrand) had published
an able letter on that occasion. He believed that that statement
was perfectly correct, for no member of the League had
ever yet been able to answer it.—(Laughter.) The Honour-
able Gentleman went on to say, that he (Mr. Ferrand)
had succeeded in his peculiar misslon of creating a bad feeling between
manufacturers and those in their employment. If the Hon. Gentle-
man lied read his (Mr. Ferrand's) speeches correctly, he would have
discovered that his object was not to create bad feeling, but to expose
and bring before the public gaze these cruelties and oppressions to
which the working men were subjected by the master manufacturers
—(hear, hear.) The Hon. Member stated also that his (Mr. Fer-
ran i's) friends had repudiated his efforts. Now that he strongly
denied. The Tory party, not the Conservative party (for, thank
God, that party had ceased to exist )—(Laughter.) The Tory party
had told him that it was of no use to contest the Wist Riding of
Yorkshire, for that the Anti-Corn-law League had, by their corrupt
and unconstitutional proceedings, so swamped the constituency, that
it was utterly useless to attempt a struggle. He told them In reply
that they had truth and honesty on their side, and so far from retir-
ing from the contest, he advised them to persevere.—(Hear,
hear.) He had no hesitation in saying that if Mr. Ed-
word Laseelles had boldly confronted the enemy, that
a different termination would have follewed ; or if Mr Lane
Fox had persevered in his efforts—if the battle had been fought out,
he believed tit- it Lord Morpeth would never have sat in that House as
Member for the West' Riding.—(Hear, hear, ant ironical cheers.)
Hon. Gentlemen opposite might say " Hear, hear," but he believed
that any man who would weigh the circumstances of the case, could
come to no other conclusion. The Hon. Gentieman(the Member for
Sheffield) had said that the working men had repudiated his (Mr.
Ferranti's) doctrines. Surely, if that were the case, the statement as
to his having created bad blood betwen masters and the employed
could not be correct. He would now tell the House what het ac-
tually occurred on the day of election. A friend of the Noble
Lord's (Lord Morpeth) who sat on the hustings, cried out to the
8,000 people who were assembled on that occasion, to give three
groans for Min (Mr. Ferrand). Now, how was that met? Not one
individual in that assembly responded to the call. Now, if it were
true that the working men had repudiated his docaines, they
would surely have made a response when they were called upon to
give three groans for hi n. Honourable Members were
aware that when he was in Yorkshire he had
challenged the members of the Anti-Cern-law League to meet him
to discuss the question of protection. He had given out that chal-
lenge in Leeds, Bradford, and Huddersfield, but no one had ever yet
accepted that challenge. Ile would now repeat that challenge in
that House, and he dared any of them to accept it. If they doubted
hie intention he would give it to them in writing. How then could
they say, under such circumstances, that the working men had risen
en masse fur free trade?—([tear, hear, and cheers.) Ile would refer
to the disgraceful position in which Hon. Members on that side of
the House appeared before the country. Ile remembered when the
present Government first entered upon office, that the Noble Lord
the Member for London asked the Right lion. Baronet the First
Lord of the Treasury, who at that time came in by a majority of
ninety-one, " how he intended to conduct the affairs of the country ?"
The Rigid, Hon. Baronet replied—" I am asked by the Noble Lord
how I propose to carry on my Government"--and turning round to
the men who placed him in office, he said " I will walk
in the direct path and in the light of the British Con-
stitution." He (Mr. Ferrand) believed that it was in the
spirit of the Constitution that candidates, when aspiring to re-
present electors in Parliament, should explain to their constitu-
encies what were the political principles by which they proposed to
guide their conduct; and not only that, but that they should be sub-
jected to a searching examination, so that their electors might be
able to decide clearly what political principles their representatives
adopted. When Parliament was last dissolved, the Sovereign had
salt that her intention in dissolving it was to ascertain the opinions
entertained by the public on those points which were then agitating
the country.—(Hear, hear.) There can be no doubt but such was
the intention. Shortly afterwards, when he stood before the peop'e
of Leeds, he heard the Noble Lord (Morperh), on the 23d of June,
1341, giving expression to the following sentiments. He said—
" The struggle which I am now about to commence is
one against monopoly, and it is not in the town-hall
of Leeds that I am going 'to cleseair of a triumph."
What was the deelaeation of his Hon. Friend the Member fur Yerk-
shire, who was going to speak against the measure, and to vote
against it also, and who 'sad been deceived into seconding the ad-
dress ?—(llear, hear, and laueliter.) Noble Lords and lion. Gentle-
men had once been charged with " thimble-rigging," but he thought
they might with justice on the present occasion turn round and
charge their accusers of apostasy, who threw out the bait ofcheap
corn and cheap bread, and humbugged the people with notions of
free trade.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) What, said the lion. Gen-
tleman the Member for the borough of Leeds? He said, "Gentle-
men, stick fast by English agriculture in the first instance, and then
try foreign agriculture."—(Hear, hear.) Now his (Mr. Ferrand's)
advice to lion. Members was, to stick tss English agriculture.—
( Hear, hear.) He had heard words used that evening not credit.
able. in his opinion, to the Hon. Gentleman who uttered them —he
alluded to the Hon. Member for Montrose, who called the landlords
monopolists." Now, in reference to a former speech of that Hon.
Menab,r, he found that lie had made use of the following
language :—" Stick to English agriculture, because it is
your interest to do so." Now if the Honourable
Member were present, he would not ask him how he intended to vote,
but he would say to him, if he was an Englishman, he should stick
to English agriculture ; if he was an honest man, he would redeem
be pledge ke had made to his constituents; and litre was an honour •
e' I, men he would resign the seat he then held in that house, for he
.:coati not forget that he once stood beneath the !minus, on which
was inscribe,! " Protection to native industry."—(Hear, hoar.) He
should then tell him, that if he betrayed he trust and deceived the
people, it would add epithet to his appellation—namely, that of (Its-
honesty.—(llear, hear, and cheers.) He shoal] next turn to the
benches immediately behind the Treasury benches ; and he had no
doubt but several llon. Gentlemen were beginning to tremble in that
quarter, and ask themselves, "Is it I that tun alluded to ?"
(Lirighter.) He alluded at the outset to the lion. Member for Win-
cliester--(llear, an I laughter)—and he begged to ask him how he
had obtained his seat?—(Hear, hear, and renewed laughter.) 114,1
he forgotten the visit he paid to the Buckinghamshire farmers, the
a-lire-drinking amongst them, the putting them on their
backs, and the " Hip, hip, hurraying," he created amongst
them in flavour of protection? (clear, and shouts of laughter.)
Did the Hon. Gentleman recollect all that, and how he subsequently
marched in for Winchester with the free-traders?—(Hear, hear.)
Was that a fair way of deciding an election?—(Cries of "No, no.")
Ile (Mr. Ferrand) loved honesty in public men; and if he had been
guilty of such conduct as that to which he called attention, he would
scorn to tread the floor of that House.--(Hear, hear, and cheers.)
The Hon. Member came before them, reeking from the hustings,
ready to stand or fall by protection to agriculture..—(Cheers and
laughter.) He recollected that on the 22d of February, 1842, the
Hon. Gentleman made a splendid speech in that House. lie stood
there, directly in front of the agricultural benches, and quoted Latin
passages by the page, in defence of protection —(Great laughter.)
He, next day, published the speech, corrected from the short-hand
writers' notes, at Mr. Liddell's, Pall-mall, and presented him (Mr.
Ferrand) with a copy of it, which, with the permission of the House,
lie would then, for the first time, make use of.—(Hear, hear, and In-,
creased laughter.) In that speech, the Hon. Member declared, that
if ever there was a scheme fraught with danger, and concocted by
bad men for the destruction of their own interests or the interests of
their country, they could not have hit on a better expedient than the
cry of cheap food ; and that the man would be mad, or something
worse, who sided with such a cause.—(Great laughter.) Now he
(Mr. Ferrand) was not going to say what the phrase, or something
worse, meant.—(Hear, hear, and increased laughter.) The Hon.
Member, is -another part of his speech, sa-d, the question of the
corn-laws was one that did not alone affect the constitution
of that House, but also the constitution of the country.
Now, he could tell him that the present question was
one that affected his honour, and lie was bound to give up his
seat and appeal to his constituents anew.—(Hear, hear.) There
was one more extract in the speech of the lien. Gentleman, to
which he begged to refer—it occurred in the peroration.--(Lazgliter.)
It was this --=" I am resolved, for the good of the country and the
preservation of its liberties, to stand by the landed interest, which is
only another name for English interest, and I will uphold it by the
bast means in my power, and by voting for the measure of her ma-
jesty's Ministers."—(Hear.) Let thorn mark that vote in favour of
her Majesty's Ministsrs, but not against them, as he
wan bound to do on the present occasion.—(Hear, hear.)
That then, was the speech of the Hon. Member for Winchester, who
now sat behind the First Lord of the Treasury as one of his sup-
Porters.—(Laughter and cheers.) There was an old proverb, but a
very true one, and in very familiar use in his (Mr. Ferrand's) part of
the country, and which, perhaps anlied in the present case. It
ryas this, " That birds of a feather flock together."—(Great laughter.)
I hiLe did not know whether the Hon. Member for Cirencester was in
house
at present, but if lie were he hoped lie would tell the
e, the place he did really represent.—(Laughter.) That lion.
Member
er was now what he would cad the last Lord of the Treasury
eiteliber then rertedratr
that had been I
member went elected.
speaker said he could not Upon the 14th of August, 1845, that lion.
) would here read an extract. The Hon.
„led, (mr. 'Sown to his constituents, and made a speech, from
vote for the abolition ofnlla
extract, which was to the effect that the
without dishonour and loss of character,
e
peectehlion. Member the Vice-President of the
attentionar ofTtroatdhee speech os f corn-laws.—(Eenr.) He would next call
very business-like, but he fearewdls certainly one of great ability, and
failed in carrying the House with
it .—(Laughter.) But at the veryt
that the Right limo, he delivered it, he (Mr.
tilseman had at diet very mo-
lusetarnts, calling, upon
Ferranti) knew
meat in his red box an address from
jotsmhiai.ed made this
would call
him to resign his seat.—(Greatiaueleter ain.l
would not say why the Right lion. Genilema.
nheele:re-41t3a:y :or leer, 1,21r;"1L1,2
to do so, but he knew the reason why his e,onste ettenbeen "'""
demand.-(Cheers.) The next lion. Member to w
attention was the Member for Wiltshire, the S
he would say to that Hon. Member that he thought his honour to
Was at stake.—(llear, hear.) About a e ear ago that lion. Member
went down to his constituents, and in asking for a renewal of their
Supllrt, lie reminded them that it was twelve years since he first
appeared before them in the position of a candidate for their
corn-laws he looked
suffrages—that it was true that all men were liable to make rale-
takes, but that in reference to the
giving great stability to the agriculture
country.—(Laughteroufpotnhisprohibitions
acid cheers) Well he now came to
deal with the Eight Hon. Baronet the Secretary of Stete for the
his constituents, and lie (Mr. } errand) would ask the Right Hon.
Home Department, who had also recently been obliged to go before
tell th'e Right lion.
his personal honour at stake ?He be to
Baronet did he not stand pledged to his constituents, and was not
Baronet that lie was botlnd to redeem the pledge he had made to his
moment he had changed his opinions upon this
constituents, and the
question, he was bound in honour to resign his seat, in order that hits
constituents might be fairly and honestly represented.—(Cheers.)
He (Mr. Ferrand) had read the Eight Hon. Baronet's speech, and
he should say it °tight to have been printed and circulated for the"