The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-04 00:00:00

expressed, which it was not possible for any one not
engaged in the daily struggles in the House of Com-
mons to hear, he meant the sympathies of con-
cessioa, He had never looked to so sudden a dissolu-
tion apolitical bonds as to warrant him in coming to
such a meeting as that in the autumn of 1846.—(Hear,
hear.) It gave them an opportunity of redeeming their
past sacrifices for prirciple—for it was a triumph of
thoserrinciples both over the Government and over the
country. It was not one, or two, or ten things which
had produced these effects—but it was owing to the
great and growing intelligence of the country, and to,the
increasing experience and wisdom of the nation. Almost
all public men had, at one time or other, been in the
wrong. As public men, they had not at one time
thought it necessary to entertain different opinions from
each other. The case was different now—though they
at one time, like the French merchant, might have said,
this is not fair, do not legislate; but, with some few
brilliant and honourable exceptions, all must allow that
most public men had at one time held the principles of
protection. It was the country, therefore, that had set
this question right, and amongst the growing intelligence
of the country might be reckoned Mr. Cobden, as the
most powerful organ.—(Cheers.) The sifting which this
question had undergone, the many facts which had come
under the observation of every man, and which he
could never before have explained, had shown him that
the principles of protection were unsound and hollow.
They had therefore ultimately arrived at the truth.
Now what was truth ? Why, it was the same when it
was painted by Colonel Thompson as when it was
painted by Mr. Cobden—and would be a blessing to all
for generations to come.—(Hear, hear.) But how long
a time elapsed before these convictions were forced
upon men's minds. He had heard Mr. Cobden say, that
looking back to his own career, he could hardly lay his
hand upon a single argument which had not been pre-
viously touched upon by the Gallant Colonel.—(Hear,
and cheers.) And yet all that interval the principles of
free trade were not gaining ground upon men's
minds, because there was no standard of truth.
Let them but now look at the operation of
these laws which were for the benefit of the
people. Although they were told that to some these
laws were a disappointment, and to others a benefit,
he believed there never was such a deception as the
edrnslaws had been to agriculture. He was most
happy. to say that this conviction was beginning to
spread among the agricultural classes, as was evinced
by a mistake which had been made in the passing of
the Bill for the repeal of the corn-laws. They would
all remember that beans had been omitted in the last
Act of Parliament, and Lord George Bentinck had in-
sisted that no alteration should be made. Were there
was one farmer who was a grower of beans, there were
twenty who wanted them—and those farmers who now
wanted to buy beans were asking themselves why they
had not got the benefit of free trade?—(Laughter.) He
hoped, therefore, that this circumstance would have a
salutary effect. It seemed as if dearness and scarcity
had gained a concurrence from some parties which they
had before refused to give. In one of the excellent
addresses which they had heard that night they had
been told that the tree of monopoly bad not only been
cut down, but also uprooted. Now they had never
heard of such a thing as re action in English history,
for there had been no re-action in any of the great and
beneficial changes which have taken place, and where
the intelligence of the country had been acting on sound
and healthy principles. Indeed some of the free-traders
themselves had been the bitterest opponents of the Go-
vernment, and wanted to delay the Parliamentary result
until next year; but ribw they skewed that their own pro-
tection was quite another thing, for having got cheap corn,
they wanted also cheap sugar,and cheap tea,and cheap ships
to import them; and, in fact, to get rid of every other
monopoly, now they had lost the monopoly of corn.—
(Hear, hear.) There was also a classeof converts who
were now convinced that the change which had been
made could never be retraced, but whether the protec•
tionists would give it up as a hopeless struggle he could
not tell. At first they talked very loudly, and although
the Free Trade Association was setting an excellent ex-
ample in not meaning to continue the agitation, he
would advise 'them to rest upon their arms and not to
consider the triumph of sound principles to be so good
as not to be disturbed. There might be a rally on the
apart of the enemy, not a national one, but of a contrary
' character, and if there were one, it would only be as a
last struggle. lie was therefore glad is see that there
was a saving clause in the resolution, and that the asso-
ciation could renew its arms. He had, however, no
idea that a permanent attempt would be made to renew
protection. He was fully prepared to see a certain
amount of disappointment, but England was now set-
ting an example, and progressing in a steady and right
di action. Every year would give another field for
moep extended operations, but they must not expect to
reap all the benefit at once. They would have up hill
work as to foreign countries, but there was the same
interested impressions in France, and also in Russia,
and whidh had also been here, but which had been up-
rooted by the agitation of the last five years. Although
he augured well from Mr. Cobden's visit to France, and
his reception by the French King, people must not be
surprised if they did not realise to the full, and at once, 1
the fruits of this mighty change which had been worked
among us. Until very lately men had been wedded to
monopoly here, and we were now but trying a great
experiment, under most happy circumstances in some
respects certainly. What was to become of this country
respecting the difficulties with Ireland he believed no
man could foresee, and particularly those who enter-
tained the notion that we were not to reap the benefits of
free trade for half a century to come. What he wanted
was to have no premature and hasty re action. They
must take time into account, and with it he was sure
that no reasonable expectations which had been enter-
tained by the friends of free trade would be disappointed.
He was struck some time ago by some observations which
had been made by the Bishop of St. David's, who had
looked at this great question in a moral point of view.
He said he had seen with pain that honest labour had
not its reward, and goodiconduct was no security for
prosperity, and he saw but little change which held out
hope for the future. Though there might be no imme-
diate realisation of the great benefits ultimately to be
expected, he hoped for a steady and gradual progress in
social improvement.—(Hear, hear.) He himself even
felt it was difficult to provide adequately for his children
—and he had ten of them—(Laughter)—and this formed
a great expense upon the fund out of which a family was
living. But free trade would not only benefit the middle
classes of society, but it would also add in the same way
to the means of the working classes, and • enable them
ultimately to earn wages to a deal greater amount than
would suffice to supply their physical wants. They
would then see the fallacy of the principle that wages
were lessened proportionately with the price of food in
this country. He hoped to see both merchant and
manufadturer in this country have less to complain of,
and more to be satisfied with, on the successful carrying
out of the great change upon which they had entered.
If, as one of their mottoes prescribed, they would only
use the present wisely, and learn from the past—trust-
ing to their own energies and not expecting too much at
once—they need not fear competition, come from what
quarter of the world it might.—(Hear, hear, and loud
cheering.) Fenced in as some other countries were by
restrictive laws, they were forced to come to England
for machinery, which they could not make themselves.
In the French dockyards was a vast quantity of Eng-
lish machinery which they could not do without.
What he wanted to see was, that there should be such
an interchange carried on between us and other coun-
tries, that all hostilities might disappear. The views of
Adam Smith may be realised, and the time arrive when
those expensive and frightful protections must be dimi-
nished on all sides, and when people might rest satisfied
that the peace of the world was identified with the into-
tests of the people. It should all be worked together in
one great system—and he hoped would also be as suecess-
fully carried out in France and the United States as it
had been in England. Still there were men who thought
the world would be thrown back at least half a century—
and that nobody could tell whether anything would be
gained by free trade or not. They were met that night
to celebrate the passing of the free-trade measures, and
when free-traders and their friends would give their full
sanction to them, seeing them, as they were, connected
with vast ideas of progressive national improvement,
and founded upon a better understanding with all cows-
tries.—(Cheers.) 'He believed he had addressed himself
fairly to the subject, and trused that all would see their
reasonable expectations more than fulfilled by the pro-
gressive application of free-trade principles. He trusted,
in conclusion, that the beneficial changes which had
taken place would be brought home to all, and that they
would feel a better effect for the future.
After the dessert the CHAIRMAN called upon Mr. R.
Solly to move the next resolution.
Mr. &may- then rose, and briefly moved a resolution
to the effect, a That in case any serious attempts be
made by the protectionist party to induce the Legisla-
ture to retrace its steps, or prevent the final extinction
of the corn-laws in February, 1849, this Association
shall be called into renewed existence."
Mr. H. WILKINSON seconded the resolution.
The CHAIRMAN then announced that Colonel Thomp-
son would address the meeting.
The Gallant COLONEL: rose, and was received with
loud 'cheers, and waving of handkerchiefs. When this
had subsided he came forward and said :—Till I was
cheered by the last speech of your representative, I
feared that something like a forlorn hope had fallen to
my share; but after hearing the statements now made by
aim of power and station, I feel security that eyes are
open to the dangers which may still surround us. I
should have been happy if it had so happened that these
halcyon days had been occupied in searching for what
remnants of fallacies might yet be left ; that you might
have trodden out the latest sparks, and not have left the
remotest chance for any advantage being gained by your
opponents. Affairs are not'so settled as they might be :
in America the alteration of the tariff has been carried
by a single vote, and it would be said that the cry for
seesorting to the old law should be encouraged by
any shadow of success permitted here. We have
too much at stake to aff ird to be incautious. We
cannot risk the world's harmony—(Loud cheers)—
nor give a chaere for losing the fruits of the
great peace society of our day. Wit, in these times, has
taken a s'aride in power ; and wit is only wisdom in
disguise. Tho Society of Friends, as you know, have a
quiet but caustic wit of their own ; and one of their
members at Bristol has best expressed the truth. On
occasion of some disturbance there the Yeomanry were
turning out in arms, and as ono of them was setting out
his Quaker partner said to laim—' John, take care thou
lost not cut dome any of our customers.'— (Great
.laughter and cheering). That is the principle which
will win—the world will be much less willing than it has
been to cut down one another's customers. In our own
country, too, the change is equally apparent. Can you
pot perceive in your toiwn the softening among those who
4" , ' may have hitherto been the bitterest ? There is no
' t hatredlst the aristocracy now. I speak not of our
e. tient* leaders, but of those who have heretofore
t.
c, i,viin the objects of popular dislike. The great act of
' wit: has taken place has softened all hearts and
Nun*
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