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

ev pressed, Ir hich it was not possible for any one not
engaged in the daily struggles in the House of Com-
mons to h ev.r, he meant the sympathies of con-
cession. Fees had never looked to so sudden a dissolu-
tion of po' Helical" bonds as to warrant him in coming to
such a m eating as that in the autumn of 1846.--(Hear,
hear.) It gave them an opportunity of redeeming their
Past sal siifices for prieciple—for it was a triumph of
those ' principles both over the Government and over the
count ,rye It was not one, or two, or ten things which
had produced these effects—but it was owing to the
gle At and growing intelligence of the country, and to:the
it creasing experience and wisdom of the nation. Almost
'Ali public men had, at one time or other, been in the
wrong. As public men, they had not at one time
thought it necessary to entertain different opinions from
each other. The case was different now—though they
at one time, like the French merchant, might have said,
this is not fair, do not legislate; but, with some few
brilliant and honourable exceptions, all must allow that
most public men had at one time held the principles of
protection. It was the country, therefore, that had set
this question right, and amongst the growing intelligence
of the country might be reckoned Mr. Cobden, as the
mcst powerful organ.—(Cheers,) The sifting which this
question had undergone, the many facts which had code
under the observation of every man, and which he
could never before have explained, had shown his, that
the principles of protection were unsound and hollow.
They had therefore eedinsately arrived at t'ne truth.
Now what was truth 1' Why, it was the sessile when it
was painted by Colonel Thompson as a hen it was
painted by Mr. Cobden—and would be a Poiemins. to all
for generatio'as to come.—(Hear, hear. e, But how long
a time elapsed before these convietions were forced
upon enee's mieds. He bad heard 'Ar. Cobden say, that
looking bite's to his own career,, -fse could hardly lay his
hand upon a single argument w rich had not been pre-
viously touched upon by the Gallant Colonel.—(Hear,
and cheers.) And yet all !1-' At interval the principles of
free trade were not gahning ground upon men's
minds, because there was no standard of truth.
Let them but now look at the operation of
these laws which were for the benefit of the
people. Although they were told that to some these
laws wore a di- Appointment, and to others a benefit,
he believed, there never was such a deception as the
corn-laws nesd been to agriculture. Ile was most
happy to ',ay that this conviction was beginning to
spread erelong the agricultural classes, as was evinced
by a mistake which had been made in the passing of
the lecil for the repeal of the corn-laws. They would
all remember that beans had been omitted in the last
Act of Parliament, and Lord George Bentinck lead in-
sisted that no alteration should be made. Ware there
was one farmer who was a grower of beans, teiere were
twenty who wanted them—and those fernsoes who now
wanted to buy beans were asking themsei:ves why they
had not got the 'oenefit of free trade?--{Laughter.) He
hoped, therefore, that this circumstance would have a
had
salutary effect. It seemed as if '!iearness and scarcity
gained. a concurrence frora some parties which they
had befo re refused to give. In one of the excellent
addresses which they had heard that night they had
been told that the tree of monopoly had not only been
cut "sown, but also uprooted. Nov they had never
heterd of such a thing as reaction in Eneeish history,
for there had been no re-action in esny of the great and
beneficial changes which have taken place, and where
the intelligence of the country heed been acting cn sound
and healthy principles. Indeed some of the free-traders
themselves had been the bitterest opponents of the Go-
vernment, and wanted to delay the Parliamentary result
untel next year; but nog,, they showed that their own pro-
tection was quite anoreer thing, for having got cheap corn,
to
they wanted also che sugar,and cheap tea,and cheap ships
import them; 'And, in fact, to get rid of every other
monopoly, now they had lost the monopoly of corse—
(Hear, hear.) There was also a class of converts who
were now eeonvinced that the change which lead been
made could never be retraced, but whether the protec •
tionists weiuld give it up as a hopeless struggle he could
not tell. At first they talked very loudly, and although
the Free Trade Association was setting an excellent ex-
ample in not meaning to continue the agitation, he
would advise them to rest upon their arms and not to
consider the triumph of sound priemeiples to be so good
as slot to be disturbed. There :n=ight be a rally on the
part of the enemy, not a national one, but of a contrary
character, and if there were one, it would only be as a
last struggle. He was therefore glad t 3 see that there
was a saving clause in the resolution, and that the asso-
ciation could renew its arms. Ile had, however, no
-idea that a permanent attempt would be made to renew
protection. He was fully prepared to see a certain
amount of disappointment, but England was now set-
ting an example, and progressing in a steady and right
direction. Every year would give another field for
more extended operations, but they must not expect to
reap all the benefit at once. They wen id have up hill
work as to foreign countries, but th,,re was the same
interested impressions in France, Paid also in Russia,
and which had also been here, leetts which had been up-
rooted by the agitation of the %est five years. Although
he augured well from Mr. C,eeeeen's visit to France, and
his reception by the Freh.da King, people must not be
surprised if they did not,aealise to the full, and at once,
the fruits of this migh',y change which had been worked
among us. Until ver y lately men had been wedded to
monopoly here, anr!, we were now but trying a great
experiment, unde,r most happy circumstances in some
respects certahaly. What was to become of this country
respecting' este difficulties with Ireland he believed no
man cold foresee, and particularly those who enter-
tained tb notion that we were not to reap the benefits of
free trade for half a century to come. What he wanted
was tr., haee no premature and hasty re-action. They
muse take time into account, and with it he was sure
teat no reasonable expectations which had been enter-
tained by the friends of free trade would be disappointed.
He was struck some time ago by some observations which
had been made by the Bishop of St. David's, who had
looked at this great question in a moral point of View.
He said he had seen with pain that honest labour had
not its reward, and goodiconduct was no security for
prosperity, and he saw but little change which held out
hope for the future. Though there might b' no imme-
diate realisation of the great benefits ultimately to be
expected, he hoped for a steady and grads:al progress in
social improvement.—(gear, hear.) lefe himself even
felt,it was difficult to provide adequatr4 for his children
—and he had ten of them—(Eaughtstee—and this formed
a great expense upon the fund out es; which a family was
living. But free trade would no;; Only benefit the middle
classes of society, but it would also add in the same way
to the means of the working classes, and enable them
ultimately to earn waeges to a deal greater amount than
would suffice to supply their physical wants. They
would then see the t?..llacy of the principle that wages
were lessened proportionately with the price of food
in
this country. He hoped to see both merchant and
manufacturer in thes country have less to complain of,
and more to be sateafied with, on the successful carrying
out of the great change upon which they bad entered.
If, as one of their mottoes prescribed, they would only
use the preser:c wisely, and learn from the past—trust-
ing to their 'own energies and not expeeting too much at
once—they need not fear competition, come from what
quarter of the world it might.—(Hear, hear, and loud
cheering.) Fenced in as some oth'sr countries were by
restrictive laws, they were forced to come to England
for machinery, which they could not make themselves.
In the French dockyards was a vast quantity of Eng-
lish machinery which they could not do without.
What he wanted to see was, that there should be such
an interchange carried on between us 'and other coun-
tries, that all hostilities might disappear. 'The views of
Adam Smith may be realised, and the tirste arrive when
those expensive and frightful protections must be dimi-
nished on all sides, and when people might rest satisfied
that the peace of the world was identified with the inte-
rests of the people. It should all be worked together in
one great system—and he hoped would also be as success-
fully carried out in France an fl the United States as it
had been in England. Still there were men who thought
the world would be thrown back at least half a century—
and that nobody could tell whether anything would be
gained by free trade or not. They were met that night
to celebrate the passing of the free-trade measures, and
when free-traders and their friends would give their full
sanction to them, seeing them, as they were, connected
with vast ideas of progressive national improvement,
and founded upon a better understanding with all coun-
tries.—(Cheers.) He believed he had addressed himself
fairly to the subject, and trused that all would see their
reasonable expectations more than fulfilled by the pro-
gressive application of free-trade principles. He trusted,
in conclusion, that the beneficial changes which had
taken place would be brought home to all, and that they
would feel a better effect for the future.
After the dessert the CHAIRMAN called upon Mr.. R.
Solly to move the next resolution.
Mr. SOLLY then rose, and briefly moved a resolution
to the effect, " That in case any serious attempts be
made by the protectionist party to induce the Legisla-
ture to retrace its steps, or prevent the final extinction
of the corn-laws in February, 1849, this Associastion
shall be called into renewed existence."
Mr. H. WILKINSON seconded the resolution.
The CHAIRMAN then announced that Colonel Th comp-
son would address the meeting.
The Gallant COLONEL rose, and was received with
loud cheers, and waving of handkerchiefs. When this
had subsided he came forward and said :—Till I ,was
cheered by the last speech of your representative, I
feared that something like a forlorn hope had fallen to
my share; but after hearing the statements now made by
lawn of power and station, I feel security that eyes are
open to the dangers which may still surround us. I
should have been happy if it had so happened that these
halcyon days had been occupied in searching for v 'hat
remnants of fallacies might yet be left ; that you mi ght
have trodden out the latest sparks, and not have left the
remotest chance for any advantage being gained by y our
opponents. Affairs are not:so settled as they might be :
in America the alteration of the tariff has been careeed
by a single vote, and it would be said that the cry for
resorting to the old law should be encouraged by
any shadow of success permitted here. We ht eve
too much at stake to afford to be incautious. 1 ere
cannot risk the world's harmony—(Loud cheers')_
nor give a chance for losing the fruits of the
great peace society ofeour day. Wit, in these times, -has
taken a stride in po aer ; and wit is only wisdo a i in
disguise, The Society of Friends, as you know, hese a
quiet but caustic wit of their own ; and one of El ieir
members at Bristol has best expressed the truth. On
occasion of some disturbance there the Yeomanry aver°
turning out in arms, and as one of them was setting out
his Quaker partner said to him John, take care thou
dost not cut down any of our customers.'—(ieereat
laughter and cheering). That is the principle vineich
will win—the world will be much less willing than it has
been to cut down one another's customers. In our .own
country, too, the change is equally apparent. Can ;you
not perceive in your town the softening among those ivho
may have hitherto been the bitterest ? There is no
hatred against the aristocracy now. I speak not of our
friends and leaders, but of those who have heretoGre
been the objects of popular dislike. The great ant of
Justine which has taken place has softened all hearts, and