The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-21 00:00:00

I will endeavour to show this House that the system of pro e
tection is not the odious system it has been designated. and has
been long assumed to be. I pledge myself to meet the argu-
ments against it on their merits; and though I may not be
able to meet those arguments with the talents that characterise
them, I shall not . shrink from the endeavour to do so.
But while I presume to offer this consideratiOn to the.Houee,
in support of that system, it would be more convenient to
notice the arguments that have been offered by her Majesty's
Government in favour of the changes that are proposed. To
clear the course, to illustrate the way ; help me to that end
which I aspire to reach, and you will thus facilitate the discus-
sion very much.—( Hear, hear.) We have been addressed in
support of the measures of Government by no less than thtr
of the Ministers of the Crown ; and it is but due to the RIP,
-Hon. Gentleman at the head of the Ministry—fron,
his position, as also from the more . comprehensive •
statement he made—that perhaps I should le Cour-
tesy, first notice what he said. (Hear, hear')
The Right Honourable Gentleman affirmed that the greater.
part of this discussion had been wasted in party and persona'
, attack. I have no wish myself to enter into the subject, nor
should I have noticed it bad not the Right Hon. Gentleman
seemed to entertain ideas different from those which influence
the gentlemen who sit on these benches. Sir, we have iridex
heard from these benches many comments on the conduct of
nerty but, for my part, I associate different ideas with th
word "party'? from those which the Right Hon. Baronet fetus ,
to entertain. Ido not understand party as anything mere
than the embodiment of public opinion—(Cries of " Hesrj e
hear.") There are, to be sure, distinctions between politic
opinions and embodied opinions ; but the embodiment of Pule
1:c opinions, whither the opinion of the majority or tee
minority, represented a great section of the community. —( gear'
hear.) In this country, Sir, where the nation is divided in.t°
parties, where great results are brought about by public
cussion, and by the e the
agencies of material interests, by titTo
agencies of reason and probity, we arrived at a solution of s_
controversies. This is a beneficial consequence of these
agencies; and however the question may be agitated, the Isaticd
yet will find, when the question has once been settbie
by the legitimate exercise of what the Right Honours al
Baronet calls " party," but which, in reality, is the nsti°9‘,
organisation—the nation is content and satisfied, and the
qua
Lion is not again opened.—(Hear, hear.) We do not en!'
plain that the Right Hon. Baronet has changed his opinions"e
what we complain of is not that he has detested too much,.
public opinion, but that he has outraged public opinienitet
( dear, hear, cheers, and laughter.) That be has prevensi4
that legitimate action and settlement of the question by thetos
of party—that he has aimed at and may achieve a reolt ..es
may not sati,fy the community- is complained of with reasea
by the great mass of public opinion which we represent, e"
by whose aid the Right Hon Baronet was raised into elm.
and by whose aid a Parliament was elected that supported h
in such power. —(Cries of " Hear, hear," and loud cheeeli;
If the Noble Lord who represents another section of P,u tesS
opinion—if he and his friends had succeeded in being in els
majority, and had settled this question, public opinion le° t,
have yielded, because they would believe that the legitiata;
and constitutional freedom of expression .of opinion bad bas
at
carried into effect. But what they complain of is this--t.,,
the question is not settled, nor can it be settled, in a constils
tional manner.—( Hear, hear.) For though we haveetv,
spectacle of the Premier surrounded by a majority, $0
while they accord him their support, profess in their hearts Its
aversion to his policy, the public opinion
professes to represent has not been fairly dealt w!t"tecl
(Loud cries of " Hear, hear," from the Protectionists, re'esee
with " No, no," from all parts of the House.) Sir, whence(
complain of the Right Hon. Baronet not treating his
fairly, we do not speak of the three hundred gentlemen. of
sit on the benches at this side of the House.—(Crleet
it Hear, hear")—but we allude to the great party lei,los
they . represent outside the House.—(Hear, hear.) act.
that is the only observation I will make on the se"eso
I conceive that the Right Hon. Gentleman, in his dessriPoos
of what should be the proper subject of discussion, at,. „ire
described and indicated the fallacy of his position and the d sad
character of his policy. The Right Hon. Gentleman ha hest
that they were not met t. 9 discuss a party question, but to
co,
an emergency, and to construct a system, if it could he, t is
be strutted, more complete than it had hitherto been: I°o
at once the position of the Right Hon. Baronet. At th:ae
step he counsels us to a course which, 1' for
consider it as the policy of a Minister
otter.
a foreign country, .we could not look upon , Lord
wise than as a great mistake. I think if the Drebleci save
opposite had to deal with a national emergency, it weld or
been unwise in him to have laid that he had temporary a 10
sures to meet the emergency, but that he came fervor /to
make a permanent measure to meet it. What shall we tto,
a Minister who asks us to re-construct our commercial s/ see'
and says that. we must do it in opposition to what we e'"1,0)
our duty. Will you second the Right Hon. Baronet elteesl
a proposition ?—( Loud cheering from the
benches.) As regards the present emergency' ssbicb
the state of Ireland, that is a subject on, ant
I have never spoken without attention or wt!'solieli
levity. What I have spoken of with levity is the feehle..irse
o
that has been adopted with regard to it. The great cO. bad,
policy proposed by the Right Honourable Gentleman byre
That and same other points I will pass, as will some .wrse.tre3'
of the Cabinet. I believe that there is no other fre're ,
s
Member in the Cabinet—( Hear, hear)—and if the, that
perhaps we may be favoured with the opinion ,e"
Member. It is a iemarkable circumstance 1') 1056
present anomalous state of affairs that cce rid !
at the same time a protectionist Cabinet a;he
free-trade Minister. The point I wish to press 01:1,7floo.,'
tention of the House is the fallacy under which the Big",;ersi
Baronet labours in his proposition of changing our c°°,:" 10"
system. The Right Hon. Baronet had said that l'estier,
wished that the measure should have been proposed hYo;,ese.
parties; but at the same time he informs us that he Pr ,rry
this measure to the Cabinet long before he felt it 0ce,°,,5: that
break up that Cabinet.—(Hear, bear.) He sta''',To
he proposed this measure, and in conseellea" tee%
the opposition he received, he was induced t° asst
up the Cabinet. How does he reconcile this statetnex'brtooell
the assertion that he wished that this measure bad bee°.d , )
forward by others ?—( Cheers from the Ministerial s'etegolle
will notice the commercial principles on which the Rig'? Pc°
Baronet seems to have founded the measure to which
adverted. With regard to an emergency, the Right nao• r
tleman was right to do that which would be considered Prom
by the constituencies, and which Parliament woolao
hat
mend. lam prepared to assist in doing for Ireland„reat
human judgment can do, but I do not u°7 to the
the position of the Right Hon. Gentleman with resPde,;- Ge'ed
subject. his involved in great obscurity. The Righy't,"lbtaV°
tleman says that he was for opening the ports, and 'he 0)4;
a rapid review of the commercial state of the county} it, heei,
that whenever the ports have been opened the re-° that
been beneficial. He then turned round and told tbea! iy sof
was very welt to cheer him for his resolution, he Cella") the°
11,1 e 0
prepared to open the port s, but he was nor prepared to 3 diooP,i
again. The Right Hon. Gentleman was gniteprepares,s.
the ports, but he had resolved, in the bottom of his heiT, seed
the present system of the corn-laws should ceaee.---eks ,01.,e
.from the Ministerial side.) Compare this fact with thou
went and declaration made by an Hon. Member, 1,
hustings, but before the constituency of the Midland ese'? .
What is the declaration of the Secretary for Irelan'tbee,B
said that he wished this proposition should be ma" t pre'
another party ; that was to say that the pres,end a
liament might have gone on and might have '4rsst'ol
newel of its seven years' lease of the Cee-,e a
1
majority, but now his own declaration was prematuretile rrf;
making no charge—l am throwing out no hints sod %pro;
tectionist member of the Cabinet, who may rise a° to
his opinions in the course of the debate; but I wentserret:fr;
whether it was not the foregone conclusion that the el rbe
for Ireland was not authorised to make this charge onyibea it
liament was dissolved.' The Right Hon. Gentletuse,foonclio
first proposed this rsteasure to the House, seemed !°,, I,4tt
on the last eturns, and took the posi!:7,1o0:: of
he seemed to adopt in his last speech. He said, fien be
on the returns for the last three years, but, taking sit
the commercial state of the country for many Ye2ll,'ffecte4,
seen that a relaxation of the protective duties has "reeseeesO
iiXrease of the imports and exports. It is very' ag,„' net tot
hear tLet fact stated, and if the Right Hon. r3s7ete
making an i:Nome-tax, I would not object to the ettoredsste
it, bat when a great commercial inehee tl'r
founded on. it, it . becomes the duty of. t-- prollor
to be very cautious, and to endeavour to trace thew o old
cause of these measures. There is one cause whichhieh
been mentioned in the course of this debate, and ei eecle„ of
account for the increase of trade. I will throtrit 1;040.'01
exuberant harvest, the magnificent railroads, and refesoi,
that nature, and go to one thing that has never be'tpe b
rat
to. It has been acknowledged by every person that ei
of the Right Hon. Baronet's argument was:too lite':s;ffet lib
There was an important agency omitted by thetbd
Baronet in relation to the commercial proses •s• at
country. Nothing effects the imports and the e%l3' siteo
country so much as the seasons. I will call Yeeeer 05,44
to a case relating to our exports and rsiove"im
such will illustrate the principle I am sl!ee the ire'
to impress upon your minds. Look at the'exportOne the4sl,
ports of the past year. There was a great increasecto hire
portation of sugar from the Mauritius and as lewie!!
tv
ports. It is impossible to attribute this great hee' p
traffic to the alteration of the sugar duties. ,f ter
be accounted for by the abundant crops to flea ere
in in the Mauritius and the East Indies, and which ' bile ea.
cargoes of that article being imported. Nevlitbfre Welt
shad been a great-abundance in the sugar crop On
of serifce
arid the Indies, there was a total deficieneY, feibie oibrj
the Havannah. I will now trace the inaportans With
end
the seasons on our commercial relations deP..rel •
countries. In Russia, sugar refiners
for their supplies on the Havannah. What the_l P
An Imperial decree was issued by the Govertlenaodsnof:
authorising the importation of sugar from Exlarge 1
practical effect of this was, that while there was a the 115;
tation of sugar from . the Mauritius an.d. theerlio,e"
Indies, on account of the deficiency '" se.esd
ainlY owe- 10
vannah, from which Russia was °I foe tri t
there was as great increase of exportation frO_creoee,,e;
Russia. The imports and exports were thusjorre;re fl 0.0
influence of the seasons. No one can say that t details ositt°At
in consequence of the tariff. I know that these the
and uninteresting, but I am bound to enter °P.°--1 trete the
though I represent fallen party.—( Hear, hee,f 71 Ms.!,
gain the attention of Hon. Gentlemen seplefi„seeeice
statement... Suppose that there had been e , frog, iv 010_,14
cotton crop of the United States of America,
that, thee e'stn
mainly derive our supplies, do you mean to el.lceed el'etetsfe
reduction you have made in the import duty ".io iosee 007
wool would haves led the great increale seesvo..
which has taken place in the prelem year ? 1.),11,Y11 tPere
that there would have been an increase
a.,rieete fra),
bales? No. But that increase must be tt_ aro,
favourable season alone In the wool trade vee ese?;t:o tr;
the influence of season. In fact, in all our great
ou ll PM
foreign imports, cotton, wool, sugar, and eefte,(heaqateataetatiti;
season is a most important consideratio.ne.✓
ans.thee...tha base,
risk of wearying the House I wish to make callec(,e, of fc'tee
The Right Hon. Baronet referrewdetob:ur7oe. e:saorc,a:ittietee
cl 100" e,
of the silk trade, and said that whenever
~tuhet forw.triuck alluob,,•
trade advanced -their principles,
of the silk trade. The Bon. Member t rto what ,
as
ope
to this subject, and I will make reference
toe.
Honourable Baronet stated in referencerocitive suyisttfo'n
tration of how the relaxation of the
.13 te
in cale6d. t° fro.
rated against it, I will not includefratt dia the
refuse or waste silk imported, and averaglkg avers :oral 82-4,
1/ will ewe, in woo
a pound; but only the best )
15s. to 255. per pound.—( what the ,g 441
importation of raw silk last yelt:reaevnita,l64,oool.oo., en
elasse
The amount imported in 1824 was
vie years leo of r state'
twenty-a ulndet.„ coo the
fo-
under the protective system,
twenty years after that period, differs fro nth The
tion, we imported 4,260,0001b5. en
n, but 1 make.itrote" rotes'
ments of the Ftight Hon. Gentlema t w
ite dodo tee P arta'
thority of those well conversant
is,
iTiP 0 °I
t statement
tve
system,of tehre
tßighthe
fo Ppearrioo
and unded
erarinn" et eeehtel
tion of raw silk was 3,000,000 reerieler.ontl3:hneerease6l. -eAj3;
the Rig...
Iluchtbe".°tarti'Ph'ill
relaxation, 6,000,000 lbs. that al' semale
vouring -to make it appear, „„„ 000 per de i.int;
tatokrria,ce
stuakpepnosipnigaeaenfroinmel,
re 'll°a°d°
of the people, hass.......(geltered'des
energies and perseverance
lates cornieercci; . pros ie.
cannot the Right Hon. Baronet
_ trace it te:temi of It 'WWII.
it to the principle that regdu
and e le,
and on.
If the country has prospered, 107 the
..."fiL.traOt 00.11
is attributable to the
haect
rotection %entry
fofeiercla
pendently of either t shea..eteee „leer.
ciple.—( Hear, heir.) . vu
es r vu"'s with to
and I beuer
vrineiple be in operation ; • '
has prospered, but • will Pr „ tow,