The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-28 00:00:00

THE StrN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY ETENING, JANIT'A-RY 28, 1846.

i an of h- ,
itir'll.el , 'ir :is: Illties•—(Hear, hear.) That is my therefore conceived that the Right Hon. Baronet's pro-
takeo'ulit:roerniething of this already at work it, position to enter into the full consideration of the
are setae tn.,‘,"et.t.e United States, notwithstanding question on Thursday would be decidedlyL unjust and
ki,: I socn'etVons of a hostile spirein that premature.—(dear, hear.) It would oe necessary for
tlefsee atethe r ling of that spirit at work. Look all parts of the House, tilose concerned in the ma.nu-
, ell st, report lately made by the Secretary of Facturing, as well as the agricultural interests, to weigh
:•ilitripie ts-'net--,(liear, hear.) 'That shows that the subject well before they came to any final decision.
"ir. Welker"' altogether unavailing. In that re- —(Hoar.) He would remind the Right lion. Baronet
tari% the states, that in the conflict of op- 'hat when he proposed the Income Tax Bill, no less
, agrieui3sacrificed the interests of the cons- than eight weeks a ere allowed by him for the full con-
triAs well-e'
and navigation of their sideration of the question, and surely this subject was of
tre might they impose monarchical fir more interest than the income tax.—(Hear.)
trttel institutions upon their Gevern- Sir R. PEEL said that he had no objection
' ent ineree (he 4, an our G
; Ports to
s'iiaald th„
a_ll the world,
says) be as free and as to postpone entering into the subject until Mon-
overnmerit and advises them to :lay, instead of Thursday week.—(Loud cheers.)
and nation after At the same time he would state .that the Government
Var.") A
_ifollow their example.—(Cries of intended losing no time in bringing the matter to a
tilr. I begin thil.'" if the question should be asked— final issue.—(Hear, hear.) He might also add, to what
st.it is is work of removing these restric- he had observed in the course of his speech, that
Zglitud llLTl!wered (he says) by the fact when he proposed a reduction in the importation of raw
of thei
_sa already abolished the duties material, he had anticipated a great loss in the revenue,
ah,,itspor'taeJPorts: they had reduced their duty but he had been most agr,l.eati!y disappointed, for the
"‘22 alai It of cotton, on bread stuffs, consumption of these articles hid so much increased,
teed (he other articles. The reduction of that there. had been an increase in the revenue during
sa,..teloant edds) would lead to an in- the past year in that respect of 4,000,0001.—(Ilear,
til that °,:v.revenue. Here, then, Sir, is the hear.) Arid the gain with respect to articles formerly
es :feetlin:oi'ret Lb have set the example—that paying customs'-dues had also, during the past twelve
amount of duties upon your months been very considerable.
gi, Ntigers aud export, without any pre- Lord JOHN RUSSELL wished to know whether, if
e you
more
with any other Government. they adopted the resolution of the Right Hon. Baronet,
take countye with
can give a country, the question of the corn-laws would be one of the first
• eirn't libe oY, can be to the United States, now that would come under the consideration of the House?
Pe; who r-n4c,l,ivjewP• I must say, in justice o the Sir R. PEEL said, that the Government was anxious
with ea
o_ rules over that country, that to give the House and the country
banopportunity of
et, reSpeet tnurcaents written by him, contain- pronouncing its opinion upon the su jectopof the corn-
er at iiher`yreedoin of commercial intercourse, laws at the earliest periol, and they Would therefore en-
--
Men a, as could come from any mann deavour, when this question would again come
_before
s -I%) That Sovereign is constantly the House, to arrive at some great leading principle of
Pe ' d°l°n of all commercial duties, action.—(Hear, hear.)
NI if not d •
Na wishes Will
th is te•, despair that at a very Mr. LIDDELL then. rose to address the House. He
• ,atal aVn inclination carried into e ec ~
beca •deffect., t Aus- was at all times anxious to meet tha wishes of the
. to follow the same ex- House, and he could assure it that he never rose to
.ses n.-u other countries.—(Hear, hear.) Sir, I address the House with more diffidence ; but he felt
l beP It that
foii, the example L. ,bound to express his opinions upon the important ques-
tttk ewe(' b,
___ which .we are going to
in that the...ts,vvery other country on the con- tions that had been alluded to. his opinions were in
.4.111- VsitattY nail quote you as an example opposition to those of her Majesty's Ministers. The
, teLst ne fre'elda(rate°llo7e•—(l-lear, hear, rued cheers..)
.Right lion. Gentleman, he was sure, would do him the
sill
„ew bond
,s, commercial intercourse will Justice_ of adaaitting that he had not a more faithful or
t 4,mot Qpno:l peace—(Cheers)—and that this staunch supporter than himself in the House. Ever
; '4llev t" 'e any measure which may have since 1830 he had given his adhesion to him, and
will Pi'ey; f:01' the permanent continuance of never until this moment had he cause of regret.—
e4lletnatieont; us from being exposed to •,'" Hear, hear," from Colonel Sibthorp.) He had sup-
-li:titters ' and will gain for us ported him throughout the whole tariff and the adinis-
-14,-,:gleet .„ And I do think we sion of foreign cattle ; and he had also supported him
"tags "° opportunity to gain such in his measure with respect to the Canada Corn-bill.
food : by h ,
tot, in th; ng an abundance of Till the very last moment he had continued the confi-
"aid that 1,-.'s country.— (Loud cheering.) 'knee he had hitherto placed on her Majesty's Govern
itistee alO 4 have proposed these measures in went. He had even declined to attend a Protestant
' I arise th te Of gain and an accumulation of meeting in his county, so convinced was he of the con-
°n ese
it nbfw„ , °in no such principle. I believe the sistency of the Right Hon. Baronet and the Govern-
the-"e of tti'lLtn—that is the increase of ca- ment. But when he heard on the first night of the
4tl eaalineneoe fans by which we can main- session the speeches of the mover and seconder of the
lie
„et' the - 14 this country which she has address, and that the Right lion. Baronet him-
,arni to ~°ther countries of the world. But I self abandoned the principles of protection he had
tneateli. it tilue°w that
.abundance of provisions and hitherto held, he felt that the time had come
still lion ~ main thing, not only contributes to when he c ould support him no longer.—_, (Hear.)t.
ev. . ot ,
) thektiot,
of walelattn, but it is directly conducive He was perfectly ready to admit that the tiretques question
ehi. alkvi , public burdens. It leads like- which should occupy the attention. of .the Government
eO-413 of hatinn of local burdens by diminish- in the present condition of affatr3 was, the question
.that
ithk-ndeci,eauPers, but above all, and before all, the poor must be fed.—(Hear, hear) That question
17,tehe 122. the • spread of morality, by he had never lost sight of. The Premier had decla ed.
Yos`beerir:i7PLations to crime that arise from that they could no longer support the policy of pro. tee-
VtkilieliPle e°4oB4°flettar.)not I ask
you, therefore, to don on the grounds which he had formerly entertained,
an any narrow view and that if the llon. Member for Wolverhampton were
t
prth.(St illecre„.neet"d With the mere accumulation again to bring forward his measures for dle repeal o
.7%.7e'Ple of-e of the revenue), but upon the far the corn-laws, he could not conscientiously
oppose
confidently, Ai, 11,1eresse increasing morality. Depend upon the score of protection. He (Mr. Liddell)
.. 1
tent .1. ask ~6 luxury You will increase voluntary with the opinion that the poor must be fed, would main- 1
.he to thi: 11. therefore, for the sake of morality tain that an abundant and cheap supply of food might
'ktl Perhe°l which I ask you to consent to it be obtained, and, in fact, had been supplied for years.
esstft-espee2 '': have brought you, that abund- under the principle of a protective duty. On these
bees,
'fah3 diminish crime.
lta- st___ . I could give you ground', if on no other, it was proper that protection
, it (eyrntts. erethe social effects of comparative should be maintained which had prevailed throughout a 1
:tsks
klitrS:iitci recur in numbers to the mind of this long series of years. He would take the liberty.i of i,
v tieare is no danger of scarcity. qnotin; from a speech made in 1840 by the. Right I on.
, .4161,.ezttoite",,: It was a relative question. Baronet, which would materially assist him (Mr. Lid-
stlis,r trim.— ~c'Ene miht not b so to others ; dell) in the course of argument which he wished to
orice,f 4'o lapse of threeearsp of abund- pursue. "The protection," said the Right Hon. Gen-
Sro,the pep great change • habits and the tjemae . which I wish to retain, I will not retain for
. Ltiv Ple ___, ge in the
ge ~,,e eh • (eaear, hear.) Three years the ag'reindise.ment of any particular class. The only
lard it,-that, ~,,eaßless had indeed produced protection which ought to be tolerated is that which will
'ld th-Anter oe"inch was not scarcity ; in provide for the benefit of the whole class of the peo
'o4l4,i".!othe:‘,` 1842, would be scarcity now. pie." On those grounds the Right Hon. Boronet had
L ,A,ls finer that in one of the battalions of formerly supported protection, and he (Mr. Liddell)
'ot ro had se in the number of the private could see no reason why he should now depart from the
IllthPiesiW.„ Year—,
b,applied for furloughs during principles which he had. then laid down. But what had
I '(c i oe "as very
yetrs. rheas
groat, and had been occasioned the change in the principles of. the. .Premier?d
inereas° as ,con.} aced with The Right Hon. Baronet had said that his principles had
je
walk' I "PY had more than doubled undergone a gradual change, in consequence of the
aieb4 that wth" told that the reason of this benefits which he had perceived to accrue generally from
rett.te coma friends of these soldiers had been a remission of protective duties, and the immediateh
i ttr, j
e'oertable circumstances during the last cause:of the Premier having taken the steps which
hee
'istllllT'A' nress I thought this a singular had was the failure of the potato crop in Ireland '_l'
iiii
1‘,,...,
soiao.f absence vvas
i.' :CI le t'hro'w
this instance of the abundance remedy which the Right Hon,. Baronet. had proposed to
V th-ave 4 country. I also think that this meet this admitted evil was, in point of fact, no
.remedy
tteCiet "ler productive of much at all.—(Hear, hear.) If he had sent 100,000/. or
h Y of e!- fur it permitted him to en- 200,0001.. into Ireland. to be expended in the construction
k iti. 4.-131, eettereis
frends, and made him return of public works—in such case,. he (Mr. Liddell) could
‘• to." was qualified for the. performance of conceive there would be some improvement in the con-
L'Qlt t disturb ed the other night why I was dition of the poor in Ireland. It would be putting
l''' foe. hev the state of prosperity money into the pockets of the labourers, and. theyomwofourltd.
„k\ito ~-,Z 44 .e
1. alluded ? I was told that be enabled to live in a state of comparative
whichc,
on
':
B.B;.leietit pea abundance of the last three He (Mr, [Addle) would admit. the great merit
ilh:-aneete r'ea was given for disturbing the various occasions had distinguished the proposals. of
(Mr.
e - eit et!ts, for that prosperity co-existed Right Hon. Baronet, and which bad induced him
lit Ituv telttion
the in 18
3 which had bean made Liddell) to give him his support, but on the present oc-
4 prove . 42. My answer to this casion he could not conscientiously give him (Sir Robert
ikii, st „_ ray referred to existed up to Peel) his support. Wages were never so high, and never ,
4t hg year ;
h t bat in that year and during had there been a greater demand for labour than at the
' \ `,4 the4"
„have sire elapsed, all in- present moment, which was a proof that the system of
IVl\Atk 'theni n- PAreeeding D‘roiPerity have dis- protection should not be further interfered with. If, in
II FY between--ll" thatnoe then there had been the course of his argument's, the Right Hon. Baronet
['o?l,ll„,ases and -tee Prosperity c the manu- could have shown that the price of grain had increased,.
'o 1.-'` the ---e Prices eo4 T con- or was likely to increase, he (Mr. Liddell) thought. it
lei feel month of October o. food. .a e -
Yr. g that a DTadoption
eat
,n hay to la,' before
I.`,eiesitsPelle, are tr,, 1845, we hau would have formed a stronger argument for the a
al Yetve e e Proposals had b brought forward.
change was necessary. of the eeurse intended to be parsued by the Govern-
als, whieh, on the part ment than any other that Pen.
of 411.11.0 thin,, t_ ~ you.—(Hear, hear.) The contrary, w
" the 'is woos b. fear from any ungenerous endeavouring to arrive at a
as the ease. In 1540, in
h°•'3ver' wprice for bread, which should
the is
f. e. There has been no ap- remunerate the vendor, and at the same time be within
set keeerta feeling on
ikh , tletn feelin question.
itii.atietlya a
preeperthisps this • The the reach of the consumer, the Right Hon. Baronet had
it • ern f gof the country is in favour taken the average price of the preceding ten years, and
If Jefie on
latenl part
Iti
spirit. There
ler- ' e can now had fixed the proper price at SS. 6d. pee quarter, which
with
has been a he. considered as a fair and just price. Now, he (Mr.
respect to this Liddell) had calculated the average price of corn for
• still settle P e you set in taking upon three months, up to this day. Jan. 270846, and found
',trill la he folio ont of this all - important that it was 56.5. Bd. per quarter, which
fairwo
111,1 jll3,.iir justred hY the rest of the world. price which had been fixed as a just
there aan appeared
\t to on this in your wisdom, the means average. On this ground, then,. 1)1)
thea exact
'st -41,44, coer'Lilson.que,sutieoahr,
hbecaus'edyou are no causei would tell
for the repeal of the corn-
steerll the Right lion. )3aronet, that if
o,' 14411,4\cl witt6 /Iliad that we ' meaar, aii:avcheers.) laws. I
kit,tn th's•t eee-rt? times than 3trheeworse in
.coreqeuence of the great changes which he had. pro-
a y material diminution should take place in the
N",, 4stilt.:4lllse }:uat the measures which present—l
have P;ricee'ofneorn, and that in consequence vast ttr
• ease 1'
that° f
tl,44i'ls, qiof sJe been brought forward with the land should he thrown out of cultivation, the
pialrhol se who
he ;veil Hating an adjustment of those great suffer would not be the large landoW
4 the attention Present so prominently occupy in the first place would be the suffereardes";vould be the
11 the b ita,: and that theY may ultimately tenant-farmers—those who h.ad
.expen o(ls:teir pital
'ty rOUghee,?f her Majesty's subjects. They in the improvement and cultivation of tluar farmsrritaonrsel,
( htt lb, will ,Torward from a sincere desire the next victims would be the small landed
,411fos,:it,rieultiirnefit all classes without who tilled their own land, and who had inviesetped their
tts airttaied with_al body. They have not been all in the improvement of their land. His conctituents
til.tteo ci, to the °e,lt the deepest consideration hay- should not have to reproach him (Mr. Liddell) forto I:nav:
t4ltileeYtn, the en nett which they will have On the ing departed from those principles of protection, P
k,,i stte ha„Nta alintrY• I therefore recommend port which he had been returned as their representative.
terk trine", that „nd dispassionate consideration, in He for one would not betray his trust, he would
Neirettlutly rcreY will conduce to the mainte- not appear before his constituents in any other
Vh,lities7,._,---te hying
between different classes of light than as the avowed supporter of protec-
k, c,:mtier ,-"th ir‘ng securities. for the permanence tion. to which principle he had pledged himself.
Stil,,'lea,•"`eieste assurance of maintaining loyalty There was another body of men that would be affected
Nk„th, .--, andsL subjects ; that they will increase by the proposed measure—he meant the clergy. The
kqeel 111* 4elie "ei,tter the condition of the whole clergy were not an overpaid body of men, yet the pro-
l'fensie4kt• *h
-i he Right Hon. Baronet then position of the Right lion, Baronet would occasion a
kat 'N ;on, 1), --.nndat loud cheers principally from considerable loss em their ineomes.—(llear, hear.) Ile
l't %Nl' 4Vhg addressed the House nearly three saw in that a very strong objection to the proposed
ti lls Ilt •
all, het lip 1,,,, change. He had still another objection to the proposi-
-11.,eilt5it413iLle_1;4rThr-4 road again in a few
.minutes tion—it would cause a falling off in the quantity of
'iells t.„l,ege 4ieitibtatstateraent, and said he wished home grown corn. If. so, that would be a very great
hde reason- evil, as a falling off in the growth of that article would
thtit „time
jorisider L.e House ;.'"ig-t .
'1i,141 kly Ili it sh atton of his pro
ti 4be nl•eas_ "Id take p,-.:49nin before occasion a diminution in the demand for labour, the
rats of wages, would fall—(Hear, hear)—and the parish
place. He did net ex" rats
up in
tkl4'ljit Ijeztitireb,unahle time would be required, but burdens it ould be increasedTlainesdewwheyrebtehe fears that
, ikrtilli,h4Lii gn:icled by the sense of the House. lie entertained en the. question,.
Nee orskt %nate he would wish to ask a ques- the House to place hie sentiments e3nutsb
joenctreocot.rdc.omlipeenwsiasthioedn
'tit.tllti:l:o`4lleis 87'eeeslitzuareonntet in,,_reference to the linen to say a few words on .
tit► to Inlis hut he should be-Lnreduction of the duty
not a had no doubt on his mind that the
d The Hon. Baronet.d had proposed by the Right Hon. Baronet. Ile (Mr. Liddell)
ytiiN-1,4 to
..._ conceived
ita cwommldercialmanossible
on a
position
be i
tl,srjqt:' ill elll''esT tPhstand its
Ptnii*NlPele ge e 'light „on in_ reference to ficial,graennat number
sabatri,ofafettonreygtroticthllswna.umnetryw. would bpearbteineue:
Vbto4blet,"e of ttilleral term? • Gentleman
, Iltiilly a :Mita: hardens tnia•nh t the colonial possessions in the same posit!on as_ Canada,
ee.n,
would lady concurred in the policy of placing the wholeoftlo.ejr
ideao'nanthe land ''S
wella as and he saw in the Canadian Corn 13i11 a
likpl'.S.lll. of ,:at renal c'f the State. For there was to measure, as it were extending the AO of protection
\ Itiq
°1:1441e 4°41°11 (if the
Fella ees,„ Ee./ _ ,e 0 revenue, fares i,,,
I;iti eonaid ea thwould wish the aggregate. connectedn them together.—(Hear,
ili e'4 qf " that at clues ~ before the Right Hon. pectations of the country on that measure la
beer.)—The ex-
d been re-
t\ear,i, thia queasy f 011, to
, ask- him whether he alized; shipping had increased in the lasta eighteen
Viet that ieec!rtinet too soon for the dis- months to a greater extent with that colony than they
tole in at it w,iiti4e4t,ll( ries of s:: Oh, oh," and had done from the repeal of the navigation laws, He
kktlitei°n•---(trihi.s Iloemacletishri,,t°,4l;ternind the Right. Hon. lookedd upon the policy then as wise, and he now con-
Itli Sues • (a b glee int `ole before that time to curre with the colonial policy laid down by the Right
it. it, snot, ehe r eat
t,,,t , e ewe or fr. the li- connected with this Hon. Baronet. But when he (Mr. Liddell) heard it
1 lii„, ar clasped „ rad, , •Baronethad
kt "etts 'rla. `e t '''•°n•
tLtt.l.44t it
we
ercee, na;'°l7 by but whatever opinion corn-laws were to be repealed—the process to go on
)of would b? e would who were opposed to gradually till then—be could not on any ground of corn-
y) I EnglandraPos *h-i saY this, that before a pensation stated, reconcile himself to the change pro-
,piStelQ was to s,ie,,for the Opinions of the posed by the Right Hon. Baronet, The sight Hon.
Iti)1"-; la in who t4tonishe'cieften this House.—(Hear, Baronet talked of the 16,000 managers connected with
01. to tl;'°llr °professed t that the other side of the various trusts and roads throughout the country
1,11,,1%11ti,!t feel: their Politic9 have the feeling of the connected with highways and local
.improvemente,
q .ppi• Nitng,
titt'^ ie,,• eats, should show an appli• the waste and improvidence they occasioned, and the
, 104 d that s far e ttq/ Itj -,e; the that
any' ° Leona being • • necessity there was for a consolidation of their powers ; but
It tii the Was tinder iously expected
afraid of such ' however true that might be, and however desirable it was to
have a change,... it was not therefore necessary to repeal the
114141. ii4b. te uod a mista.k the event.
• laws. (Hear, hear.) It could as well be done ander
t, (4 t*leechnstite any discus if he thought 'tChhaet 1
sion until th heard rti,„l.. IL Sir it vents
That i ethoern existing corn-laws. Then the law of settlement was
14, k,..14,,"tt1e) ~ • Peel ',., at would be lacng his ' referred to, . .
but however humane and proper the Right lion.
yqh,q116,,e,, 'Nis -t?Uld. never see condition Which he hoped why
improvementsmix
, -„, with the corn-laws? Then agricultural
_. .
Baronet's proposition on this subjectmighbe,
`llo.4h,l'or the ' think e nun occupy. Sir U. to, but he sees little advantage. in that. proposition.
reliefVer '1 h -.ni..-... (Cries for the peo ic referred
1 t Sir 11
td' th, d give
of ~ 0, P,,, and his If land offered a proper security to parties having money to
getting it now. And if the
s'e clay, '0 the • Peel ‘ ",
"ooh' and laughter.) lend, there was ne difficulty in .
klk tr, th e count Nould e • and encumbered that} he proprietor could not
1,,
._ et,lb t relief. 1•37, and, so f sitate to admi- land was so poor .
°'ila4e et
would °ufs'ilt to be • ar. from requiring raise money on it in the ordinary wa, lie saw no great ad-
d,'te t 4 th °ray a immediate ; and if the vantage in getting the money. as a loan from the Government,
1 lr it ebb, e ca,se b pp the principes of cc of bi:11 DOW , were to
Then other local burdens, to the amount
.. d
I°l-1 I'Z 'to e ' e Would In- ed Fund. That he admitted
t 14,, jt, ti,,,, rater at 0 not be at any loss, but be removed on to the Consolidated
ILI t4l kit It%k here rosenee upon the debate. ' I was a benefit, but not at all adequate compensation to the in.
,te,i,, eel, Pie R 0,,,. andi_ said—lf I may be allowed, i terests affected by the change. It
and
iuld have been easy for
he was aware of lis
,iti 41;1,11 is orl tiefehea:LA tleman to allow me to him to have taken another course,
el Ai eof k. oud lat,„e. ‘ - 1 peculiar situation in the county he represented ? . yet, notwith-
vco riot of great i, a..,(9") I think the - • •he would honestly state his ronvletiPPe
tNt tz' th the ,portance and the standing this,
ko , e propositi ' acceptanceought to he
this question was settled, he thought the country _ _ .
e 454 (0 at eOllntr, Gas
he
is ofgreat
lt ; but; Y oppor -7- . I should he the conse- appealed to, He, for one, was not afraid. of meeting
before his
I ill! 4% it i. t'lla'tY beine• • last person to ' constitueney those who were now raising the .
popular cry of
top 'hk tP,t°sBibi: kis° of impert given fur due conside- , cheap bread. He said this, trough threatenedwith serious
I 'wGlieutenant
,t_h, at 4zthe "me nce to man to know as ; opposition in the county he represented ;UV ~,Cr";
c_ wt. ok
Op. Vrisii,, t ',lllUrSda week Parliament intends to adopt. thinking it not inconsistent
.with his duty to make , ev ,
tiZte:llt,ration
of day
• will not be too so,n speech agalust him (Mr. Liddell). Ile would,4nevertheless,
141 tno lAilelit said, th is impeTtant subject. esition
' whatever difficulty it ;;r4r,ht eceasion, or whatever 01)P.. .
,n..
ttiltlitt ~,i; siiy, it at whatever the Anti Corgi-law ihe might raise, act up hotteetiy :Jai ißdependently to his L,
of 104 , "I" but just for the iThuse to
Ili and de • give ; ?stetsons.—(Loud cheers from the Conservative i,epplies.) ,
e . liberate consideration to the-in- , Cepieie R. 01.18 said that, seeing the wanner the Right Hon
uraiir. ~, I Baronet' it
..---knear, hear)—..and be had
beep wet by .
those behind him, he considered
• .ter to
wa.s his duty, JO LW fri01464. MS'S Pip ply of weftrains 1

state to the House that he would support him heart and soul,
as he considered the measures proposed were for the good arid
welfare of her Majesty's subjects. On many questions he had
voted against. the Right Hon. Baronet, but never against his
general policy. Tie was not like some gentlemen in that
House, going into the gallery and voting against the Right
Hon. Baronet, without adducing a single argument, or offering
' a single remark for so doing. He recollected one case of this
kind happening last year. He, for one, would riot go there to
vote if he was not prepared to give his reasons for that course.
—( Hear, hear.) He recollected that, in 1842, he made a
speech in favour of the existing corn-laws, and against the pro-
position for an Ss. duty ; lut since 1842 he had seen good
grounds to alter his opinions. Since then there had
been a failure of the potato crop, and the imi-
nent danger—had there been a fortnight's longer
wet weather this season—that the wheat crop would
have been destroyed. This, coupled with another argument,
that the population was continually increasing, while the soil
on which their food was raised was confined to a limited area,
had operated on his mind to bring about the change. It was
said that the measure would throw two millions of acres out of
cultivation ; but, as arable land could produce three times
more than grass land, there was no proof that the land
would go out of cultivation. But if the land went out
of cultivation, and if there were labourers out of work,
they would be very glad to go upon it, and work it, profitably to
themselves and the proprietors.—( Hear, hear.) He had not
prepared a speech—he had not come down to the House, like
some Hon. Members, with a speech ready prepared against the
proposition of the Right Hon. Baronet, without hearing it. He
would, therefore, conclude by saying that he would give the
greatest possible support to the Right Hon. Baronet, and if he
failed, and a dissolution of Parliament took place, and the
Noble Lord the Member for the City of London succeeded to
power, he (Captain Rous) would support him with the same
zeal as he had supported the Right Hon. Baronet.—(Cheers. )

fifty-three claims and objections iti East Surrey,' and' itidly
requires vigorous ,!Torts to be made to rescue the representation
of East Surrey out of the hands of monopoly. lam there-
fore directed oy the Council of the League to take the liberty
of urging upon you personally "—I directed, sir, said the
Hon. and Gallant .Member, my butler to lock up every silver
spron 1 haul in the house—( Roars of laughter)—" the im-
portance of your immediately obtaining a freehold qualification
for East Surrey—( Loud laughter)—and that you also suggest
the same to the members of you, family and to your friends
and relations, who it is hoped %sill, by your strenuous recom-
mendatien, be induced to follow your example.—( Great
laughter.) In all probability, upon the registration of 1846
and 1847, will turn the legislation of the country for the next
seven years, and you are therefore reminded that the qualifica-
tion must be obtained before the 31st of July next. Re-
questing your early attention to this commuication, I
remain my dear sir, by order of the Council, W. PAULTON.—
P. S. On payment of 561.—(Laughter)—at this office,
40s. freehold qualifications will he obtained for you, which will
enable you to vwte for the Eastern division of the county of
Surrey. The sum will include the cost of conveyance." Now
he received this letter that morning, and he read it, hut whe-
ther it came by the direction of the Right Hon. Baronet be
knew not, but he strongly suspected that it did.--( Hear, and
laughter.) For a number of years he felt an honest prde in
supporting the Right Honourable Baronet, and he should now
as faithfully oppose him.—t Hear, hear.) Ihe Right Hon.
Baronet had ventured to submit to the consideration of the
House a measure which, if carried, would strike at the root of
society, and without trespassing long upon the attention of
the House, he should sit down observing that a greater insult
had never been offered to the count! y than had been offered by
the Right Hon. Baronet that night.—(Hear, hear.)
The Earl of MARCH said, in the present state of their
proceedings, he did not intend to take up the time of the
House by entering into arguments upon this great question.
It was a subject of such vast magnitude that they could not
be too careful in approaching it. At the same time, he must
say, that never, in the whole course of his life, had he been
more horrified, more distressed, or more astonished, than
when he heard the proposition which hail been propounded by
the First Lord of the Treasury. He was perfectly certain
that he could speak for his constituency, for he was sure he
knew their opinions, and he was convinced they would not
assent to, or accept in any way, the proposition which the
Right Hon. Baronet had made that night ; and he now begged
leave to tell the Right Hon. Baronet that he would meet with
his strenuous, his violent, and most consistent opposition.—
( Hear, hear.) In the course of this session they had heard
statements, made both in and out of the House by the
Right Hon. Baronet, of the reasons which had changed
his opinions on the subject of protection, and he
must say, that when he heard the Right Honourable
Baronet, in June last, resist the motion of the Hon. Member
for Wolverhampton, he certainly did not expect that in the
following November the opinions of the Right Hon. Baronet
would have undergone so serious a change.—( Hear, hear, and
cheers.) But they had had the Right Hon. Baronet's state-
ment that his opinions had undergone a change, and they were
bound to take that statement in the way in which it was offered.
(Hear, hear.) He should be the last person to attribute im-
proper motives to the Right Hon. Baronet for that change, but
he did think the House and the country had a right to demand

Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN said he would not have
occupied the attention of the House had he not been so per-
sonally referred to by the Hon. and Gallant Gentleman who
had just sat down. Ice had referred to his going into the gallery
and giving a vote without a speech. Surely all reason for a
vote was not to be found in a speech, but that it was possible
for there to be such without resorting to a declaration of that
kind. With respect to past votes, and past pi oceedings, there
was not much reason for many of them to congratulate them-
selves, as even the Hon. and Gallant Gentleman had himself
referred to his own proceedings on the duty. They ought
to let bygones be bygones, and not enter into matters in
which so many of them would present so very strange a
figure. He might remark, that if the Hon. Member for
Stockport took credit to himself for the change of opinion
that had taken place on the corn-laws, the Right Hon. Baronet
denied that either the speeches or the arguments of that Hon.
Gentleman had had the least influence on his mind, in making
the present proposition. The Hon. Member for Stockport
talked of the obtuseness of intellect that characterised the
country gentlemen, who would not he influenced by his coun-
sels, but it was curious that while they (the supporters of
Protection) and the Right Hon. Baronet differed, they should,
according to the logic of the League, be therefore equally de-
ficient in mind, and incapable of appreciating sound argument.
—( Hear, hear.) It had been asked by an Hon. Gentleman on
the other side (Mr. Hume) when it was remarked that they
should go to the country before settling this question—" Were
they delegates that could not act without first consulting those
who sent them ?" He (Mr. S. O'Brien) to this would say,
that all he wanted was to go to his county (Northampton).
He did not wish to enter the lists elsewhere. He did not wish
to be like that gentleman, the butterfly of the House.—( Loud
laughter.) Not confined to one borough or county, or even
one kingdom or island, but extending his flight to the sister is-
land, and finding, when driven from everywhere else, a refuge
among the pc,tatoes of Kilkenny.—(Laughter.)
Mr. HUIVE— I never was in Kilkenny.
Mr. S. O'BRIEN—If the Hon. Member was not, it did not
mend the matter, and now he had sought a shelter among the
heather of Montrose.—( Laughter. ) In conclusion he would
say, he remembered the principles on which he was elected,
and would act up to them ; when he could not do so, he would
resign his trust.
After a few remarks from Mr. NEWDEGATE, which was
inaudible in the gallery,
Lord INGESTRE remarked that the Right Hon. Baronet
had said nothing about how the averages of tithes were to be
taken ; he should like to know ?
Sir R. PEEL said the averages could be kept in perfect
consistency with the proposed law.
Lord INGESTRE very much regretted that he felt it his
duty, in accordance with the principles he professed of protec-
tion to industry at large—not that he had any selfish aim in ask-
ing protection to agriculture, but because he conceived pro-
tection, as a principle, to be necessary for the salvation of the
country—to oppose the Right Hon. Baronet. He felt that, in the
speech made that right, as also that made at the opening of the
session, there was not a single argument to convince him of the
necessity of the organic change that they were doomed to forgo.
He could not conceive, he repeated, any necessity for the
change, for, since the year 1842, agriculture had been recover-
ing—grain was obtaining fair prices—ample employment was
afforded to every person, and therefore he did not consider
that at present there was any need of this organic change.
His own opinion was, with the Hon. Member for Durham
(Mr. Liddell), that all these things were good in themselves, if
they did not make themselves dependent on foreign nations
for the food of this country. He could not, at the same time,
conceal from himself that the country at large, and those with
whom he associated, owed a heavy debt of gratitude
to the Right Hon. Baronet. They could not forget his exer-
tions in the famous crisis of 1831-32, the period of the Reform
Bill. He (Lord Ingestre) did admire the expressed deter-
mination of the Right Hon. Baronet on the first night of this
session, that he would not guide the helm of the State unless
that helm were allowed to traverse; but he (Lord Ingestre)
had joined the Right Hon. Baronet's ship when it was sailing
under other colours.—( Hear, hear.) He did not then expect
that the landmarks of the people would have been removed.
He would not lend a hand to hoist the topsail when they were
going down the stream of destruction. They were, indeed, to
have some further time for discussion, but he had taken the
very earliest period to express his objection to any alteration of
the present corn-laws.
Mr. F. R. SCOTT said, that he had never risen with
greater regret than now in opposing the proposition of the
Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government. He
(Mr. Scott) had come down to that House determined to hear
the case before pronouncing a verdict upon it, and he exceed.
ingly regretted that the statement he had that night heard was
not such a satisfactory one as to induce him to alter the opi-
nions he had previously adopted ; namely, that support to
native industry was the safest guard to the prosperity of the
country. He had not pledged himself at the last election to
any particular course of policy ; but as he considered that a
promise should be held stronger arid more sacred than a bond,
so did he consider that an implied understanding was ever, in
an honourable man's mind, to be held equally strong.—
(Cheers.) The statement of the Right Hon. Baronet had not
convinced his mind that there was any necessity for this change ;
at no former period had there been more work or higher wages
foe it. That was the case, particularly in the northern districts
of England, and in the south of Scotland ; at no former period
were the prices of grain so steady and so accessible to the
poor. Surely that could not be a reason for abandoning the
system which had led to that prosperity. There might be
causes to lead to this change in the mind of the Right Hon•
Baronet, but he much deubted if the same causes would con-
vince his colleagues. He would not deny for a moment that a
cheap rate pf grain had contributed in no small degree to the
welfare of the aountry ; but he contended also that grain from
their own soil was the greatest benefit to their country. He
(Mr. Scott) was sure that if the present system of protection
were continued for ten years longer, there would not be in that
country u disPntented people. When the Right Honourable
Baronet, at the last aettlement of this question addressed the
House, he assured the agriculturists of the Pontitry, that by
agreeing to his measure they would fortify their position to suet)
a degree that they could defend themselves against all foreign
commerce, They (the agriculturists) were snot placed: on
equal terms with the manpfactures in the changes which were
to take place. A manefaeterer would change his works, but
the stock of the agriculturist was sunk in the ground, and could
not be recovered. But the Right Hon. Baronet, although he
had informed them that the duties were to be taken off the ex-
cise and the pasterns, had not informed them how the deficiency
was to lie supplied, whether by a property-tax, or by some
other means. He again expressed his regret at the conduct
pursued by the Right Hon. Baronets and his own inabilityto sup-
port it.
Lord G. BENTINCK wished to know how the Bight
Honourable Baronet calculated the tithe averages. The present
law supposed an average of 58s. Bd. a quarter, and tithes were
paid upon that amount. It would take seven more sears before
grain would be reduced to 455. Were the agriculturists to
pay on 58s. Bd. when grain was only 455. a quarter ?
Sir R. PEEL explained that the proposition he had intro-
duced to the House would not, as anticipated, have the effect
of reducing the. price of grain to 455. per quarter. It was,
however, at present quite uncertain what the result would be ;
but he did not think the question of the Noble Lord required
an answer. The same question might with equal reason have
been asked in 1842. He hoped that the reductions he cons
templated would lead to an increased demand for labour, and
that wages would in consequence so increase that grain would
remain at steady prices, If otherwise, the House could take
the matter into consideration at a future period.
Sir JOHN TYRRELL (whose appearance on the Oppo,
sition benches was greeted with roars of laughter from all
parts of the House) said, that he once had the honour of being
one of a deputation who waited upon the Right Hon. Baronet,
on the question of wool. The night Hon. Baronet on that occa-
sion had, as be might say, presented a pistol at the head of
his Grace the Duke of Richmond, by holding to him a docu-
ment, which had reference to the price of wool, and he asked,
with an air of triumph—'. Look, since the duty on wool was
reduced ld. per pound, prices have risen." But the reason
that the prices had risen was, that English wool was required
for the manufacture of coarse cloths, while for finer fabrics fo-
reign wool was imported, He regretted that this discussion
had gone on, because it would end in nothing important,
but the Bight Honourable Baronet complained that this
the part of his
portents. He 6onfessed that he SirJohnTyrrell) e
(S.
•
• the Peninsnlar war, who might see
argument had only been met by vituperation on
the over to Nlarshal
the Duke of Wellington and his staff going
Soult.—(Laughter. ) He believed that that was precisely as
position of a person in
the agriculturists felt now. He felt that the Bight Hop.
Baronet in his speech from the throne.—(Laughter.) He
would rather tiel4 them what a farmer said to him one day
when he was out hunting.—(Continued laughter.) He
said Sir Robert Peel will only pull in front, he will rot go
into the shafts, and he want pall in the middle.—( Roars of
laughter.) The Right Hon. Baronet would forge his diction
&Etna the country, however much it was averse to It, He
could riot forbear expressing his opinion that the Right Hon.
Baronet was not doing well inthnsforcinghis opinions on them.
It was perfectly true that the measures of the Bight Hen.
Gentleman might turn out as he anticipated, but he ( Sir J.
Tyrrell) did not think that the supporters of the Right Hon.
Gentleman hod been well treated by him. He was surprised
that the other Members of the Hight Hon. Gentleman's Go-
vernment hail said nothing in the way pf explanation upon this
subject. All that they at present knew was that the kjohle
Lord the Member for London had written a letter from Spat-
land which had put the Right Hon. Baronet in a pretty poor
siderable fix—such a 4 that he has been compelled to resign
his office. The Lord
Noble himself then came in, but he was
.
obliged to resign in consequence a. demand made by some of
his friends, that the fines. member for Stockport should form
one of his Cabinet, a step violently opppsed by the constitutional Whigs. And this was all they had beard. rip 4igbit: [ion.
Gentleman at the head of the Government had not then&
proper to say anything oboist the potato disease. It was no
doubt the potato disease which had brought about the present
measure, and therefore he (Sir J. Tyrrell) called the present
the Potato Peel Government.—(Laughter.)
Colonel SIBTHID RP rose to read a letter which he had that
Morning received. The letter came from the Anti-Corn-
law League—(l-Oars of ltughter)— and wall nlarkfti "prly,ltt,
and confidentiil,"—(C-Ontineed lai4ghler: ) COreing front such
a quarter "private and confidential" to him was something to
be admired.—(Laughter.) Of course, if he received a letter
marked "private and confidential," respecting a conspiracy
to 4-1104er arty Member of that House, of course he should not
scruple to matte it public.--( Heart hear.)
And so he would
The
ci; ey rtehoi ms
iegnhcte
bd
vI Ttidreianr
ntS iord.
proceed to read the letter he held in lics hand..--(Laug=hter.Rt
i°tavir s•
was not an
Itl74lit fisrtiterer.
e
Me erivre.tiees of theLeagne in Lancashire,
Yorkahire
Cheshire, Itlidd,rsex, and. Lineolo,ll4; other illpoFtaa
onstituencies, having secured a majority in favour of the prin_
ciolee of the Leare in those important constituencies; the
council feel justified in appealing to you to co-operate
With them in their endeavour. Within the last two
months they have racqd!34 elital)l five ilandred 4 d
.4hinf

from the other Members of the Administration their reasons for
their change of opinion.—(Cheers.) They had a right to
demand this, because it had been currently reported that the
minority of the Cabinet had voted in favour of the Right Hon.
Baronet.—( Hear, hear.) He held in his hand a paper, con-
taining a speech of the Right H.n. Gentleman the Member
for Wiltshire, which he made to his constituents on accepting the
office of Secretary-at-War, in which speech he found
the following passage :—" He was not about to excusa
himself for his vote upon the corn-laws, because, at the
time he gave it he thought the amount of protection was ex-
cessive. He was, however, mistaken, for he had since dis-
covered that the amount of protection was not larger than it
ought to be, and it was, he thought, the opinion of the people,
and of the Ministry, that this protection ought to be uphold."
Now this was spoken on the 15th of February, 1845, but what
would be the Right Hon. Gentleman's reception if he went

amongst his constiiueney, in February, 1846, as a supporter of
the proposition of the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the
Government. He repeated that they had a right to demand of
the other Members of the Administration the reasons for their

changing their opinions which they supported, he would not
say in lt-42, but which they promulgated in 1845.
Air. SIDNEY HERBERT—Sir, I think the House will
agree with me, that, in this stage of the proceedings, it will
not be for their convenience that I should now enter

and ihotild,7on that account, be abolished.: tie wis convinced,
in his own mind, from something which the Right Hon.
Baronet had thrown out as to the oppressiveness of the malt-
tax, that its repeal would have been one of the boons to be
held out to the w&king population ; and not to them alone
but to the whole agricultural interest.—( Hear.) He con-
fessed he was deeply disappointed that the Right Hon. Baronet
had not proposed a rep,al of the malt-tax, because, when he
heard the Right Hon. Gentleman professing to do all that
lay in his power to relieve the labouring population,
he expected that he would have reraled that tax a.'s one of the
boons to the labouring classes. They were as much worthy
of the attention of her Majesty's Government as any other class
in the community. He knew the country from long experi-
ence, and knew that wages invariably followed the price of
provisions.
Mr. B. ESCOTT wished, in one word, to express his ex-
treme thankfulness to the Right lion. Baronet fur having in-
cluded in bis schedule of reductions the article on Indian
corn, for which he gave notice last session. There was no
one measure more likely to promote the interests of both the
farmer and agricultural labourer than the free importation of
that article of food.

Mr. WAKLEY said, it was utterly impossible for Hon.
Members to have heard the scheme of the Right Hon. Ba.
ronet without feelings of the strongest approbation and ap-
proval. They could not have heard the whole plan as he
(the Right Hon. Baronet) had laid it down, without in the
main agreeing that the scheme was a good one, and one to
which they should give their support. There might he some
points of disagreement, of difference of sentiments, which might
call forth considerable discussion in their future debates on the
question, but when they reflected that at the end of the next
three years there was to be a total repeal of the corn law s, and
also a considerable and immediate reduction in the other ar-
ticles which constituted the food of the country, they must
feel and express the strongest approval of the scheme as a
whole.—( Hear, hear.) Now the lion. Member for Wilt-
shire (Mr. Bennett) had expressed his astonishment that the
Right Hon. Baronet had not proposed a repeal of the malt tax,
and he had expressly stated that the working classes of the
country would, by his (the Right lion. Baronet) silence
on that head, be deprived of those benefits to which they were
entitled. But be that as it might, he (Mr. Wakley) was per-
suaded that the scheme which the Right lion. Baronet had
proposed would be for the benefit of the millions of this coun-
try.—( Hear, hear.) It would be for the benefit of trade ;
and it would likewise be the basis of the peace of the world ; it
would advance the social condition of millions, and also create

for them markets for their labour.—( Hear, hear.) For his
own part he represented nearly 3c0,000 of the inhabitants of
the Northern part of the metropolis—( Hear), and he would
venture to say that his constituents would express their entire
approval of the Right Hon. Baronet's proposal.—( Hear, hear.)
He firmly believed that no proposal had ever been made to Par-
liament as a whole, which would be more conducive to the
happiness of the people of this country than the schemes of the
Right Hon. Baronet. Did the Hon. Gentleman the Member
for Wiltshire conceive that the scheme was not calculated to im-

prove the condition of the working classes ? Why did it not at

once go for the reduction of the price of bread and meat of
every family in the kingdom ?—( Hear, hear.) If a proposal
bad been made for the repeal of the malt-tax, what would have
been the conduct of the Honourable Member for Wiltshire
with reference to the other.branches cf the proposal ?—( Haar. )
His (Mr. Wakley's) 6tm conviction was that it would have
met with his decided opposition. He (Mr. Wakley) clearly
saw that the next fortnight would be expended in agitation—

(Hear, hear), and they might depend upon it that it;ould not
be very peaceful agitation.—( Hear.) He could see clearly
enough that an appeal would be made during that

period to the passions of the electors of this country, and
in carrying on that agitation the Hon. Gentleman on the

opposite side of the House ought to bear in mind under what
circumstances it would be made. He would wish them to
recollect one little fact in reference to it. Let them bear in

mind that if they did excite the passions of the electors in the
electoral districts, and if their agitation should extend, not
only throughout the most remote parts of the kingdom, but
also into the cities, there were hundreds of thousands of peo-
ple in the country who were tie consumers of food, and not
the sellers, and who had no votes at elections. He would wish

to ask Hon. Gentlemen opposite if they were prepared to meet
the cries of those consumers at every hus'ings in the king-
dom? He would beg of them to bear in mind that they were
about to make an appeal which, in his opinion, would be one
of the most dangerous kind. The consumers of food, who had
no votes, would say to themselves, " Those gentlemen who are
merely the sellers of food, have votes, whilst we, the con-
sumers, have none." They would immediately set about pull-
ing down the system of class legislation, because they have
no voice in making the laws which they were called upon to
obey. They would say that they were the victims of
class legislation.—( Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Wakley) merely
threw out this intimation now, because he was convinced that

at length, and in detail, into the reasons and grounds
upon which I have formed the opinion I hold upon the subject
now before the House, or to explain the grounds which induced
me entirely to change the opinions upon the commercial
policy of the country which I have hitherto advanced in this
House.— ( Hear, hear.) But this I will, and I hope it will be
satisfactory to the Noble Lord and the House, that when the
discussion comes on in a future stage of this proceeding, I
shall be enabled to state explicitly, simply, and undisguisedly,
all the grounds which induced me to change my opinions, and
to give such an explanation of my conduct as to be perfectly
satisfactory to the House. I think it will be more for the
convenience of the House that we should not enter prematurely
into the whole bearings of this vast and great question, or to
put forward at the present moment the many arguments
which may be urged in its favour. But at all events I think
it more for our convenience that I should not go into the
reasons and grounds which have induced me to form the
opinions I now hold, because, while entering into those
grounds, it will be necessary for me, after what has fallen from
the Noble Lord and other Hon. Members to enter upon a
discussion of a somewhat personal character.—( Hear, hear. )
I beg leave to assure my Noble Friend, who asks me
what sort of a reception I expect when. I again go amonst my
constituency, that no man can impute to me any but disin-
terested motives, or that I changed my views end opinions for
the sake of power, and certainly I could not have changed them
for the purpose of currying favour with my constituency,
because nay constituency is a peculiar agricultural one. But,
when I do again go amongst my constituency, I hope they wit
so fairly and dispassionately have considered this question, and
the many arguments in its favour, that there will be
little or no difference between their opinions, and my
own.—(Cheers.) Let me further tell the Noble Lord that on
my reurning to town last autumn, I found the affairs of the
nation in such a state as to induce me net to hesitate for a mo-
ment in making up my mind as to the course I should pursue,
and I joined with my Right Hon. Friend, the First Lord of
the Treasury, in advising the Council to adopt the measure
which has been brought forward to night, and when proper and
convenient time arrives I shall he ready to explain
my reasons for doing so, without any reserve on my part.
When, therefore, 1 shall again present myself to the
notice of my constituents, I have the firmer conviction
that—this question having been in the meantime calmly and
dispassionately considered by the country—those who now take
the sincerest interest in agricultural protection will think that
I have never neglected my duty to them or my duty to the
community at la: ge, in giv.ng my hearty, disinterested, and
honest support to the measure which has been brought forward
this evening.—(Cheers. )
Mr. P. HOWA RD said that, connected as ho was with the
lauded interest of the country, he must be allowed to address
a few words to the House, on the important subject
which had been brought before them. He had
listened to the able and elaborate explanation
of the Right Hon. Baronet, and he confessed that the equiva-
lent the Right Hon. Baronet proposed to afford to the landed
interest for the change he was about to make, was much less
than was justified by circumstances ; but, considering the suc-
cess which had hitherto followed free-trade measures, he was
prepared to give his support to the resolutions which were to
be submitted to them.—(Hear, hear.) He confessed that he
would much rather have had the change made less suddenly,
and while the period of three years was much too limited,
he thought the maximum protection to be afforded in the
meantime was no less scanty. There was an alteration, how-
ever, which he hailed as a boon to agriculture—he meant the
alteration in the law of settlement. Only those farmers re-
siding in the neighbourhood of largo towns could appreciate
the importance of this change ; but nevertheless he begged
moat heartily to thank the Right Hon, Baronet for the con-
cession.
111 r. EDMUND WODEHOUSE begged to ask the Right
Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government,
whetherllouse anyit o
Nfca the communications intention to lay upon the table of the
ommunieations he had received from the
crowned heads of Europe respecting their opinions upon free
because upon that subject they had no assurance ex-
the flopograble gentleman, the Member for Bolter),
tereapdte
iron
(Dr. Bcwring)
Sir ROBERT PEI[.. hoped to be enabled in a few days to
lay before the House a formal eonvention from the crowned
heads of Europe favourable to the relaxation of protective duties.
Hear, hear.)
Mr, GROGAN observed that, as an Irish Member, he
wished to state that four articles, tn whieh protection was most
essential, would be seriously affected by the Right Hon. Baro-
net's proposed reductions. The first of these, linen, was one
of the chief articles of home manufacture in Ireland, and pro-
tection was to he withdfawn front it. The provipqn trade was
also a staple article of commerce, which would be thrown open
to the competition of foreigners. The article of butter was
also a main feature of frish traffic, and although it was one of
the items left unaltered in the last tariff, it was now proposed
to reduce the duty one half. There was not, he believed, a
single article of Toth manufacture whiph thp fiegisl4t4re ought
to ba more anxious to encourage than the butter trade.—.
(Hear, hear.) With respect to corn, the people of Ire-
land were in the same condition as the people of Eng-
land, with this exception, that they had no manufactures
to fall pm when there was a scarcity of agricultural em-
ployment. Consequently any withdrawal of protection from
corn would be very severely felt in Ireland, 4s the Right Hon.
Baronet (Sir R. Peel) had stated that they were to have on
the following evening a schedule, comprising the names of the
articles, and the amount of duty to be reduced upon each, he
Wished to know rrhether thh schedule would contain an are-
ate amount pf the reduptiops, and also tq kposy in what way
toile deficipney in the nations revenue was to he met.
Sir It. PEEL„ in reply to the Honograitjle Meml2Pr, said, be
was in hopes that some of the reduction, in duty would, so far
from creating a deficit,
.t 914 to Increase the
Hear, heart) He could show that in
the years when there was the greatest importation there had
h d etrncothdc, bricesyte in
iiracciduneQttioi?neeinn
adnuytdyimlediotitotion increased
the
quantity of home produce. As Ileiref4l gentlerpep
prices.rthls there The
"
hP
peared anxious upon the Would now
rema4 that it was P9t the intention of her
Majesty's Government to make any proposition
wiith
Hear, hear.) Although the
respect to the income-tax.-.-(
great reduction which he had proposed upon the yarioes article
temPeTant effect upqn. the
Re had mentioned Would P I
• "it qcPcah cob dente in' the increased
revenue, nevertheless lie had su
reductions, and the a
demand that would result from these
°,
iv that the revenue .ddi-
could
tic. t pniPlAY.Ii Ftth4t w°lo ilett'oceal taxes.—(Cheers.
be met without proposing any ad
Mr. H. HOWARD expressed a hope that some attempt
slave-trade sugar,
would be made to make a reduction is inentative of •
Mr, CURTISI as the !PR. in the ctiltivaatrir
number of persons intar°Le• e attentionof
, , •
of 1)(:ps, trusted to draw
tt. He there would
Bight flaronet tg that ipterps
f not it would be unf •
be an entire free trade ill hops, for .
gn hops. Ho unfair to
take away half the protection fromf
frorferiee trade in ho asked,
the name of the hop growers,
nber fur East Supss'eand
n 9 duty, and called upon the Hip.
~lrlirht Hop. came et, to
support him in that object. If the 4 r d t' "ad
tie from Qs
nroposed with respect to corn, general._ as .
can would have given him his support! Wit it. was now
would net commit himself, hut foe his triuspuntstletrl!_a and
candid consideration, while he wollnl1.1)? - —nit to be
his opinion. to concur with those
ifs Right Hon. Baron'ent-
-(Hear, hear. N
or his part ho was most anxious to have.
the question of the corn-law; finally set at rest. Considerirns
the enormmts cloy that was now paid on hops, he hoped the
Right lion, Baronet would turn his attention to the subject,
w,th the view of repealing the duty altogether.—( Hear. )
Sir 11. PEEL observed, that after the very candid speech
of the Hon. Member (Mr. Curtis) he ought to make him a
reply. It he were in private conversation with the lion.
Member, he would tell him not to encourage the hop_growers
h Stir tills )145stion. Vpon a former occasion he ( Sir Robert
Peel ) hat proposed to reduce the duty on hops from 61.
'
41. 10s., but he had been opposed in such intention, He really
thought there was now a very fair protection on hops.
Mr. BENNRTT
rernarlted, that the Right Honourable
Baronet had forgotten the labouring population who
consumed both the malt and and the hops. He did hope
that the Right Hon. Baronet, among the other duties which
it was his intention either to reduce or abolish would have pro-
posed the total repeal of the malt-tax.—s Hear, hear,) That
tax! be Fain4ined; was tl4 nun file I .qtinwing population,

if the appeal to which he had alluded should be made ; and
if the considerable excitement which he anticipated would be
made to maintain the principle of protection, the results would
be most injurious to the country.—( Hear.) If Hon. Gentle-
men were sincere with reference to what they said, and if they
believed that the scheme proposed that evening by the Right
Hon. Baronet, which really interest the public to the extent
which they represented, he would ask them, were they pre-
pared to extend the power of voting to the consumers of food?
He would advise them to be cautious, it they were not pre.
pared to answer that question in the affirmative. They should
beware how they excited the feelings and indignation of the
millions of the manufacturing inhabitants of this country
Believing as he did, that the scheme of the Right Hon. Baro-
.

net had-been propounded in sincere discretion, and for the
benefit of the nation at large, without reference to any parti-
cular class of individuals— ( Hear, hear)—believing that it was
one of a just character—believing, in fact, that there was no-
thing of injustice connected with it, he should give it his most
cordial support in every stage of the proceedings; and he was
,ure that if the Right Hon. Baronet persevered in the course

which he had prepWsed, he would be supported by the millions
of the people.—( Cheers.)
Mr. BENNETT said that he came to that House fettered

by no busting pledges, and he would have the Hon. Gentle-
man who had just sat down to understand that he intended
voting on this and all other questions as his conscience
guided him.—( Hear, hear.) Agitation had been spoken
of, but he wished to know whether, if there Lad
been no agitation through the country on the other
side of the question ?—( Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") The
Anti-Corn-law League had sent its agents into every toAn and
village of the county which he represented; but he -had much
pleasure in saying that the public papers would bear him out in
saying that they had met with the unanimous indignation of the
farme►s and their labourers, and that, in fact, their attempts at
" anti-corn-law demonstrations" had been complete failures.—
( Hear, hear.) At one of those meetings which had been
called in his own village, there were scarcely 300 present.
He would wish to inform the lion. Gontleman who had
last addressed the House, and also all others, holding the
same opinion, that the gentleman connected with the agricul-
ture of the country had deep rooted dislike of all agitation of
the kind alluded to. They would, however, on this question,
use all the constitutional exertions within their power, and they
would take care, in their agitation, to do nothing which might
prove detrimental to the interests of any class in the country.

were the principles on which they defended protection; they
were not narrow and mean, and -upon those—print/Ow they-
claimed to go to the country. He would again report, that it
was on a great general principle, that%they defended
protection, and not on any principle of compensation.
Why, they repudiated the term, and if they did not so repudiate
it, they would say the terms were too mean, too paltry.
for their acceptance. And again he would say, adopting the
words of his Right Hon. Friend at the head of the Govern-
ment, that this was a question which must be settled by the
voice of the nation.—( Hear, hear.) But the vo:ce of the
nation was not heard in that House upon that question.
The House then resumed, the Chairman reported progress,
and obtained leave to sit again on Monday, the 9th day of
February.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned at Twelve o'clock.

If they should become agitators, they would not be agita-
tors in the cause of mischief.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.")
Mr. GISBORNE stated he wished to make a remark upon
an epithet which fell from the Hon. Member for Finsbury.
He stated that the friends of the Anti-Corn-law League re-
ceived the announcement of the Premier with " stubborn
silence." He stated that he had no authority to speak on
behalf of the League. He. in common with others, left the
House under the impression that the House did not intend to
raise a debate upon the question, and it was only by accident
that he heard of this debate. He hoped, therefore, that the
silence connected with the League would not b 3
construed into " stubborn silence." Mr. Newdegate
said that he should connect himself with the one
question which he had proposed in the former part of the
evening to the Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Go-
vernment. He would, however, just make one remark upon
an opinion of Mr. Vi'akley. Why did he deprecate agitation P
Had he ever known gentlemen on this side of the House en-
gaged in exciting those feelings ? He would also call the at-
tention of the First Minister of the Crown to the circumstence
that, perchance, with the best intentions, but with no distinct
view, as the Hon. Baronet had himself admitted, of the otiose.
quences of his measure as to the agricultural interests, they
might find themselves placed in the position that the yeomanry
of England, who now contributed to the preservation of the
peace of the country, would, when danger threatened them, be
not so ready to afford their wonted assistance. Did the Hon.
Member for Finsbury consider that the agricultural interest
did not understand their interest, or that they should nAt appoal
to their constituencies? He considered that they had reason to
demand time for full inquiry into the matter,
Mr. WAN.I.,EY statcd that ha never attended but one meet-
ing of the Anti-Corn-law League, and that a parish one. He
considered that that body had been of great service to the
country, and deserved its gratitude, He did not intend that
any expressions which fell frquil him should be hurtful to the
feelings of Hon: Ambers on that side of the House.
Mr. 14 EWDEGATE rose to explain.
Colonel WOOD said he did not intend to express his opi-
nions on the details of the measure before the House. Ho con"

sidered the proposition of the tlon, Baronet bad a ten.
dency to settle that queation ;Thiel; now divided the two great
interests of the coehtry—and he hoped that his endeavours
would prove successful in the settlement of that great question
an I he would give his most cordial and hearty support to the
measures of the Right Hon. Baronet. He believed hlm to be
actuated by a patriotic spirit, and he would give him his sup-
port in CangeqUellee•
Lord NEWPORT said he could not agree with the senti-
ments of the last speaker. He thought the supporteres:oofseeatdh:e
Right Hon. Gentleman adopted a new policy, contrary to their
own convictions and the pledge they gave to their constituents,
He considered they ought to appal to the country.
Mr. AGLIONEY saki be bed sat fur many hours in that
He
Hnuse, and heard the opinions stated out of doors repeated
posedstere. in
oF trthoheme
erofaenlic
leritnlasetrehmosin,bsewetrhmstohei
on,:a,Ftuphori aersstetdHwtiaohosul
measures
satdprraanzproin:
arßgethfr:gacthtqhtimtUtit
he saw many Members in that Houle who were not connected
directly or indirectly 'AO commerce or manufactures, conscien-
tionsly advocating the abolition of the corn-laws. A great
change had come over those, and he believed a great change
had come ever their constituencies also.—( Hear. ) He believed
awerliasgiucgmhgeheneetssbt,ieemlni
ea.vdeeduvteeor
wybaems
aaenieopQeieletic::4neartlthSaoptsci
awttheer
that the gentlemen of the Anti-Corn-law League had, their
go—o
who
causeou chha da
i presentwe't
adopted it as a class question. It was a great atop In the cause
which he believed to he essential to the free trade of this
country, and he woqlcl, :and did, tender him his cordial and
hearty thanks for the proposal of such a measure...... 4 Hear,
hear.) He would express a hope that before long he would
see another tax repealed for the salvo of the labouring classes
of this country, which waa essential for their comfort; he alluded
to the tact uppn malt. In many parts of England farmers i
would bq enabled to make malt of tijored or inferior wheat,
which they were new unable to do,-1 Hear, hear.) On
these grounds he hoped before long he would see the malt tax
repealed. Further than this he could not go now, than to say
that he cordially approved of the measures propounded 14 the
Right Hon. Baronet, and tendered hire, his. thanks for that
great step.
*
mr. 84N4E4 said he was of opinion that
this measure
ought to be decided by the country, 10'4.
a legitimate manner, The The 11 was not introduced in
.7„, Member who had just con-
taking/
cluded his 4,ksveh •
ne was glad
that the country was ob-
easure of relief, and that it ought to con-
vince
-all that"ena the scheme included the interests of
the asriculturists; but with that opinion he did not agree.
The compensation the farmers were to get was a relief from
highway rates, and the payment of medical officers, but he con-
tended this was no relief, and read a document to ahow what a
farm in his county paid for highway rates. The great land-
owners would receive no injury at all by this measure, as it would
only affect the smaller classes of farmers. —( Hear.) There
were three rents paid, it was a well-known fact; the rent for
the landowner, the rent for the tenant, and the rent for county
charges. He was sure the Right Hon. Baronet's measure
would sweep away the small classes of farmers from this country.
They did not desire any compensation if they were not allowed
to maintain their right to the existence of those protective
duties; as a national right they would repudiate the idea, for they
considered if they were not so entitled, they were not entitled
at all. The ground of their opposition was founded on no class
right, nor was it by reason of their peculiar burdens that they
claimed a continuance of protective duties. They considered
that the estimates voted for the army and navy were not
so much to defend their corn-fields as to pro-
tect Oregon, and the sources of their commercial
prosperity in which they were an deeply Interested. Those