The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-14 00:00:00

1846.

of grain they produced and the general nature of the soil.]
He would come to the province of Tamboff, which conteiee,l
25,0u0,000 of square miles.—( Great laughter, and Oh, oh,"
from all sides.) He begged to correct himself ; he meant
`25,0e0 square miles—(Rt ne-wed laughter)—and the soil sea:
very fine and loamy. lie could not conceive a prospect more
dismal ; he could not conceive anything more disheartening ;
yet they were told to " cultivate, cultivate, to invest more
Icapital in the land, and bring forth more produce."—(liear,
hear.) Why, if they should, what would be the result?
Why that the farmer, after expending his labour and
capital to ensure a large yield, would find that he
was wasting his energies in the cultivation of a farm at a
merely remunerative return.--( Hear, hear.) That was his
reason for opposing the present measure ; and he contended
that his views were in accordance with the uttered sent imen s
of every political economist, both here and in the United
States. He felt certain that if the present measure should b
passed, the alarm to ihe country would be so great, that the
efforts of the farmers would be so paralysed, that nut alone he
landlords, but also the smaller farmers and labourers, would le
completely destroyed.—( Hear, hear. ) Let them recollect
the position of the clothier--that position which was the
stepping-stone to the industrious labourer to raise himself—
that position, he maintained, would be destroyer!.—( hear,
hear.) They might depend on it, if the profits of the farmer
were reduced, the wages of the labourer could be reduced
( Hear, hear.) He hoped and trusted that, thougi his side of
the House was deprived of its leader, some latent talent would
spring up to defeat the project.—( Hear and laughter. ) He
had petitions, which he should present at the proper time,
from a number of spirit dealers in Scotland, in r epro-
bation of the measure.— (Great laughter.) He felt fatigued
and uninclined to occupy the attention of the noose
further.—( Hear, and a laugh.) But he should regret mucli
the day that the issue of ail their battles since 1835 down:: ird.
proved to be disastrous.—( Hear, hear.) He would be the
last man to deprecate change of epiuion ; every man had e
right to hold his opinion ; but he insisted that, notwithstand-
ing the argaments of Hon. Members to the contrary, the
country was nut prepared for such a change.—( Hear, hear,
and "Oh 1" "oh 1") He should also tell the Right Hon.
Baronet at the Head of the Government, that every day that
passed, instead of bringing additional adherents to his reeks,
took from him his best supporters.—( Cheers, laughter, and
"Oh I" "oh 1") He could further tell him that
many of the traders were beginning to inquire
how their interests would be affected by- the measure
—(Hear, hear,)—and it was not at all improbable
that the table of the House would be crowded with
petitions against the present tariff before it should become the
law of the land.—( Hear, hear.) He could tell the House that
the operatives and labourers, if they understood their own
interests sufficiently, would one and all rise against the pro-
position ; for if any measure was ever calculated to reduce their
wages, and consequently their comforts, it was the present mea•
sure of the Preinier.—(Hear, hear; Oh, oh; and Laugh
ter.) For the last two or three years he had been convined
that this question would come to free trade or nothing.—( H ear,
hear.) If, however, it should t e repulsed by the great body
of the people, if they should rise—as they perhaps might—and
with curses regret the day when a free-trade Minister ever sat
on the bench., he was always ready to take his part in the
opposition to this measure, but he would never try to excite
anger and discontent against the Right Hon. Baronet when
this measure was passed, because he believed that he had acted
from a conscientious feeling. The Right Hon. Baronet had
adopted a course which was perilous in the extreme ; but if he
wanted a reason for the cause he had taken, he could refer
to the speeches of his Hon. Friends the Members for Liver-
pool and Cambridge. They were as great opponents of free
trade as the Right Hon. Baronet was ; and if they would
speak out, he (Mr. Miles) had yet to learn that a capable Mi-
nistry could not be formed from the protectionist party, aid
there could be found a considerable number of Members of
that House to support them. Whatever became of the ques-
tion, all interests that would wish to be protected and defended,
should look out for themselves, and array themselves in oppo-
sition to the measures of the Right Hon. Baronet. He
would endeavour, as much as lay in his power, to pro-
tect their interests. He felt and knew that originally
the constituency of this country had returned to Parliament
a majority against the free-trade measures of the Right H, n
Baronet. They had at present, if they excepted the corn-
laws, advanced further than the measure of the Hon. Member
for Portsmouth had proposed. Advances had already been
made against our colonial produce. The Right Hen. Baronet
had, in fact, betrayed the interests of the majority that had
sent him into Parliament—and should they not look with sus-
picion upon those leaders who, from intellect or capacity, had
every right to stand at the head of their party? He,
for one, sat down, stating that he felt much more admiration
for the upright bearing of the Noble Lord who represented
the City of London--( Hear, hear)--and would sooner follow
him than the steps of a cautious and temporising Minister.
Mr. H. BAILEY said that the Hon. Member for Somer-
setshire had certainly mistaken what he (Mr. Bailey) had
said. He had never said that he would vote for the administee-
tien of the Right Hon. Baronet, but had always stated that its
his opinion the measure was against the interests of the
people.—(Hear, hear. )
her. MILES said that he was sure that any person who
knew him would acquit him of the charge of intentionally
misrepresenting the lion. Member. Ile had taken his words
in a wrong sense

The Ea"rl of MARCH moved that the debate should be
then adjourned.—( Loud criies of " Divide, divide," arid
" Adjourn, adjourn.")
After some confusion the Members resumed their places, and
Lord NORTHLAND rose and said, that he wished to ad-
dress a few observations to the House, for he believed that
the question would not come to issue that night. He felt it
his duty to state his reasons for the course he intended to pur-
' sue with reference to this measure. His opinions were still
unchanged, and he still thought that the measure proposed by
the Right Honourable Baronet was unnecessary. It behoved
them to look before them, and to consider the question de-
liberately before they came to any final decision on the subject.
He felt, however, that it was the interest both of the English
farmer and the English landowner to have the measure finally
set at rest. ( Cheer s from all parts of the House. )
He would candidly give his opinion that he thought the Right
lion. Gentleman at the head of the Government could settle
the question better than the Noble Lord the Member for Lon-
don. He confessed he had no confidence in that Noble Lnrd.—
(Ironical cheers from the Conservative benches.) He said so.
—( Renewed Conservative cheers.) He had no confiden- e
in any Government he could form ; but he had great
confidence in the Right Honourable Baronet at the
head of the present Ministry.—( Hear, hear, and continued
ironical cheers.) He said so again, and he would repeat if,
as he believed that Right Hon. Baronet was proposing mea-
sures that were necessary for the country ; and, taking all cir-
cumstances into consideration, as the question of the corn-laws
must be settled, he thought they had best be settled
by the Right Hon. Gentleman.—( The Noble Lord sat down
amidst considerable ironical cheering and uproar.)
Mr. FERR AND—I wish to ask the Noble Lord what con-
fidence he had in the Right Hon. Baronet when he dragged
him out of the coal-hole to vote for him on a late occasion.—
( Great uproar, and laughter.)
No answer having been given to the interrogation,
Colonel THOMAS WOOD rose to address the House
amidst considerable manifestation of impatience, and cries of
" Adjourn, adjourn," " Divide, divide." He said, that from
the first night of the session he had approved of the measure
of the Government, and he was anxious to impress on the
minds of Hon. Members as short as possible the grounds and
general reasons upon which he supported the proposition
before the House. He supported the measure because he
believed it was based on free trade, and that principle was not
only true and founded on justice, but the application of
it to the condition of the country would tend to the general
prosperity of all classes ; and especially at this time it was neces-
sary for the purpose of supporting the manufacturing interests
in that degree of prosperity necessary for all classes of her Ma-
jesty's subjects. The lion. Member for Somersetshire ( Mr.
Miles) had appealed to the operative classes to come forward
and aid him and the landed interest in maintaining protection,
which he considered necessary to the security
and prosperity of the country. He (Colonel Weed)
believed the operatives thus appealed to, though
some of their trades might be affected by the proposed
measure, yet were willing that the same justice should be meted
out to them as was meted out to the great and important inter-
ests of the countey, and would willingly agree to any measure of
a comprehensive character, though it might be accom-
panied by some temporary inconvenience to particular
trades. When the former alterations of the tariff Were
proposed, several deputations waited on the Board of
Trade, and though they complained that the measure would
operate to their disadvantage, they were willing to agree to it.
if they (the Government) gave them fair and free competition;
that conceded, he must in justice agree to it. In 1838, he
duty was reduced on fruit from twenty per cent. to
five per cent. On that occasion our market-gardeners
said, and said with justice, only put corn on the
same footing, and they would be satisfied. At that time the
supply of fruit to this great city was most inadequate, but in
c insequence of the reduction in the duty the market had been
much better supplied than before, while the market gardeners
received as good prices as formerly. If they took potatces, the
duty on which had been reduced to one penny per cwt., they
would find great increase• of importation, yet the prices
had been maintained. So he believed would it he
with the article of corn. ( Hear, hear.) The
Noble Lord the Member for the City of London had
stated that the question might have been easily settled, had
the supporters of the present Government not opposed the mea•
sure which he brought forward towards the close of his offi-
cial career. No doubt it might have been, and he for
one regretted the course of opposition which he and his party
pursued on that occasion. Did not the fact that labourers in
Lincolnshire received 14s. per week, and in Buckinghamshire
Ps. only per week, show that in some parts of the country there
was a superabundant population, and how could they
find employment for this superabundant population
if they did not hold out some encouragement to manufac-
turers?—(Hear, hear.) The question before them was one of
time. Were the circumstances at the present moment such
as to justify the change proposed by the Government?
It was his opinion that they were.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.")
Mr. S. O'BRIEN rose to protest against the extensive in-
convenience which arose from Hon. Members rising to speak
upon the main question upon a question of adjournment.—
( Hear, hear.) Now it was perfectly competent for him
(Mr. S. O'Brien) to answer all the arguments of his Hon.
and Gallant Friend, although he had spoken already on this
debate. What would be the effect of his doing so ? Why that
three Bills which were on the table, all calculated for the relief
of the poor, would be delayed, by which great injustice would
be done. He again protested against the habit to which he
had referred gaining ground.
The debate was then adjourned.
THE DRAINAGE (IRELAND) BILL.
The report of the Committee on this Bill was then brought
up, and after some discussion,
Mr. F. FRENCH consented to withdraw the clause of which
he had given notice.
The report was then agreed to, and the Bill ordered to he
read a third time on Monday next.
Mr. MORE O'FERRALL slid that the sum was a very
large one, and was, he understood, to be expended by the votes
at the sessions. He considered that some other measure
ought to be adopted in the outlay of the money, as the cess-
payers, he was sure, would not be free to vote it..

Sir J. GRAHAM said that the power of the Treasury
would be a sufficient check, and that he was not apprehensive
that any improper interference would take place in the expen-
diture of the money, which was now much wanted to meet the
distress which, he was sorry to say, at present existed in Ireland.
Mr. REDDINGTON said that persons may be influenced,
but he was not inclined, in the present state of Ireland, to
throw any obstacles in the way of carrying this measure.
Mr. HAMILTON obserl ad that it would be impossible that
such a pressure on the cess. payers as that feared by the Mem-
ber for Kildare could possibl occur, as the grants must also be
approved at the county sessi.ns meeting.
Mr. WYSE considered that it would be of importance to
know whether there was an extraordinary grant to be advanced
from the Consolidated Fund; if it was not, the objections of
his Hon. Friend possessed much weight ; but if it was an
additional grant, as it would give an increased means
of relief, he would support the Bill ; he begged to put the
question to the Secretary for the Home Department.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that, as he considered the Bill, it
certainly was an increased grant.
The resolution for a grant of 100,0001. was then put and
carried. The Bill went through Com.nittee, and the report
was ordered to be received on Monday.
The House then resumed.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, an 1 the
House adjourned at half-past One o'clock.