The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-13 00:00:00

It was: evident that ever since the Hon. Baronet
had assumed office he had never been earnest in his defence
of the cause of protection, while it had been vigorously,
ably, and earnestly attacked by the lion. Member
for Stockport. Our other institutions would be attacked,
and they would only be defended by one who was
earliest in his defence of those institutions. The Right Hon.
Baronet was not in earnest in their defence, and therefore
he would not repose any furthe r confidence in the
Right Hon. Baronet or his Government. His opposi-
tion to them was sincere and earnest, and he saw no
chance of its being removed, so long as the Right Hon.
Baronet, with his evasions of discussion, should remain
the master-spirit of the Cabinet.
Mr. C. WYNN regretted to find that on this subject
he differed from a large meeting of his constituency—a
misfortune which had not before happened to him for
nearly half a century that he had represented them. He
was aware that it had been said that our forefathers
had adopted the doctrines of protection, but he
rated their authority as very high in matters relating to
commercial legislation. On the subject of com-
merce, trade, and agriculture, their legislation
had been a series of mischievous meddling,
and it was only until the days of Mr. PITT and Lord
GRENVILLE that just principles of commercial legisla-
tion were acknowledged and acted on. He had
always been an advocate for the relaxation of
prohibitory and protective duties, but he had
always felt the weight of the argument which
was urged in favour of agricultural protection ; but it
would be unfair to remove it while protection was con-
tinued to manufactures. But now that the measure
for the removal of prat, ction to agriculture was not
brought forward as an isolated measure, but as
part of a great scheme for the removal of pro-
tection generally, he felt bound to support it.
He had no fear of famine from our being dependent on
foreigners for a supply of corn. It would always be the
interest of foreigners to sell to us, and as long as we were
willing to buy from them they would sell to us, and it
would be impossible for their Governments to prevent
them. He gave his hearty concurrence to the Ministe-
rial propositien.
Mr. G. HEATHC•TE, notwithstanding the levity with
which the Ministry treated the subject, still thought
that consistency was of some value. When his own
friends, the late Government, had brought for-
ward measures which he thought detrimental to
agriculture he had opposed them, and now
that the Right Honourable Baronet opposite bud
brought forward measures ten thousand times more
mischievous, and accompanied by a desertion of prin-
ciple unequalled in the annals of political tergiversation,
he should give them every opposition in his power.
They deprived agriculture of all protection ; they conti
nued to manufactures a protection of 10 per cent., and
this they called an equitable settlement of the question.
The compensation of which so much had been talked
was nothing. The Government would lend their money
upon good security ; any money-lender would do the
the same, and the compensation offered was perfectly illu-
sory. As to their recent prosperity, they were indebted
to the Hon. Member for Sunderland and his railways,
and not to the Right Hon. Baronet and his tariff. The
elections that had taken place of late years showed the
triumph of protection. Free trade had not succeeded
even in great towns. Free trade in England was a
farce until the other countries of the world had altered
their tariffs. It was idle to say that a Corn Bill, which
would not come into operation far three years, would
have the effect of averting the famine that was im-
pending over Ireland. He felt bound to support the
amendment.

Mr. W. MARTIN supported tl.e Government propo.
sition.

Mr. THOMAS BARING opposed the motion. Consi-
dering the grounds on which the Right Hon. Baronet
at the head of the Government had Froposed his
changes, they were inconclusive and uncalled for. It
was with great pain that he voted against those with
whom he was usually associated, but his duty cotn-
pelled him to do so. Cheap bread was a great blessing,
but that blessing would be greatly decreased if there
was a less demand for labour, which he believed would
be the result of carrying the Right Hon. Baronet's
proposition. He believed the question of the corn laws
ought to be settled by mutual concessions.

Lord MORPETH then addressed the House. He be-
lieved that the time for compromise on the subject of the
corn-laws had gone by ; a compromise was
once offered and rejected. He believed that
the recovery of the seat he now filled for the West
Riding of Yorkshire spoke volumes as to the opinion of
the people on the question of free trade. The proposi-
tion of the Right Hon. Baronet was most truly
comprehensive, for it muddied with manufactures as
it did with agriculture. The manufacturers did not com-
plain of this, all they asked for was a clear stage and
no favour, and why the agriculturists should
wish to have unequal odds with them ho was at a loss to
imagine. He thought the Right Ijon. Baronet had
nothing to be ashamed of in having been forced to
change his opinions by circumstances over which man
had no control. No aristocracy could stand with the
existence of a corn-law which, in the time of need, would
prove to be prohibitory. He conjured those who be-
longed to the aristocracy of the country to put aside all
selfish feelings, and join hand and heart in the settle-
ment of a question, which, if not adjusted with them,
would be adjusted in spite of them. Let them be the
leaders, and not the laggers of the onward march of the
British people• He would give his hearty support to
the proposition of the Government.
Mr. GAsKILL had still to learn what circumstances
had occurred that called upon a Parliament elected to
keep up protection to put an end to it altogether. Ile
thought that Gentlemen sitting on the Ministerial side
of the House ought not to promote the measure, and that
the present Parliament ought not to sanction it. He be-
lieved that the change of opinion that had taken place in
the Right Hon. Baronet, and in many Members of the
House, would create the greatest distrust in the country
He differed from the Right Hon. Baronet, after great
consideration upon this question, and felt bound to vote
for the amendment.

Mr. ROEBUCK had nothing to defend upon this ques-
tion, but everything to assail. He thought the proceed.
ings that had been going on out of the House with re-
spect to the resigning of seats, was calculated but little
to raise it 3 members in the opinion of the people. It was
wonderful that the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of
the Government, after a long life, favourable to protec-
tion, should have fixed upon the latter end of the last
yerr to put an end to it ; and it was equally wonderful
that the Noble Lord, the Member for London, should
have adopted a similar course. It was not a question
with him what party would be broken up by a proposi-
tion to repeal the corn-laws. Whether the measure
would benefit the country it would be impossible to say;
but he thought that the great change ought to be accom-
panied by other great changes, to prevent the evil con-
s( quences which must ensue from over•population.
Mr. IlonosoN HINDE, having five times presented
himself on the hustings as the advocate of protection,
and having each time been returned as a protectionst,
felt bound to oppose the Ministerial measure.

On the motion of Sir HOWARD DOUGLAS the debate
was adjourned till to•morrow.
The other orders of the day having been disposed of,
the House adjourned.

In the House of Lords, last night, the Duke of BUCKS
INGHAM presented various petitions against a repeal of the
corn-laws, " and praying their Lordships not to take any
steps with respect to those duties until an appeal had been
made to the country, in order that the real feeling of the
people might be obtained on the measures brought forward
by her MAJESTY'S Government." By a most curious co-
incidence, almost at the very moment the Noble Duke was
addressing the Peers, his own son, the Marquis of CHANDOS;
and Lord HENRY Lmotox, took their seats for the fir, t
time in the House of Commons. May we venture to
ask his Grace, if the election of these Noble Lords
is to be taken as an evidence of the real feeling of the people?
It was hardly to be believed that even a Peer, that even a
Duke, would have had the audacity to rise in his place and
speak of " an appeal to the country," and " the real feeling
of the people," while the elections of Chichester, and Buck-
ingham, and Newark, were the subjects of general indigna-
tion and disgust. It is beautiful indeed to hear the protec-
tionist Peers accusing the Premier of inconsistency. It is
true that he is guilty of heinous offences; he has dared
to think of principles rather than parties, to con-
sult the exigencies of the times, not the pages of HAN.
SA RD ; he has dared—unparalleled effrontery—be has dared
to think less of the Peers than of the people ! Most incon-
sistent truly in a Conservative Prime Minister.
But the Noble Lords who -venture to teach him, do they
•' themselves excel ?" Are they themselves consistent?
What is now the watchword in their ranks?—"Dissolve the
Parliament—appeal to the country !" But the Noble Lords
are safe, or they fancy they are safe. Could an appeal to the
country elicit the real feelings of the people, they would be
the very last to desire it. It is well to call "spirits from the
vasty deep" when the spirits cannot answer; it is well
to talk of an appeal to the people when the
people may not respond to such appeal. Would Noble
Dukes wish for elections were there no pocket boroughs?
Would his Grace of BucKnruiLust talk of a dissolution were
the Reform Bill not fettered with his own CIIANDOB' clause?
Yet let them beware—but no, such caution is now useless.
The day of grace has paised, " concession has reached its
limits." Rather let their motto be "carpe diem," let them
rejoice while they may, let them enjoy the triumph of bring-
ing their sons into Parliament, or of turning them out ;
it is for the last time. The most violent Anti
Reformer c4P arely expect things to continue as