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

the progress of private business in that llouse, there could be
hardly any objection to its adoption.
Mr.O.CONN ELL could see no reason why this motion should
be confined to Irish railway Bills. It ought in his opinion to
be extended to all private Bills relating to Ireland, and he
should move as an amendment that the words " Irish rail-
way hills" be left out, and the words " Irish Bills" be sub-
stituted for them.
Lord G SOMERSET said it was quite impossible that the
motion of the Hon. Gentleman could be acceded to, and
although no one was more anxious than himself to facilitate the
passing of Irish railway Bills, vet it was his duty to ask the
House to resist the motion of the Hon. Gentleman opposite.
Mr. STRUTT said that there were many parties in town
who were the promoters of
English railway Bills, and who had
to pay hundreds of pounds per week to the witnesses whom
they had brought with them from the country in support
of their lines. The House, in his opinion, should deli-
berate carefully before they ventured to give priority to any
Bills of this kind, unless they received an intimation from the
parties who were put to expense by the delay that it was their
wish that the Irish railways shoul be oceeded with in pre-
ference.—( Hear, hear. ) The Hdon. Member for Roscommon
had roposed that all the Irish Bills should have priority over
all English Bills, the consequence of which would be that the
agents of English railway Bills would be kept in town together
with all their witnesses, for several days, doing nothing, and
at great expense. Such a course as that would most undoubt-
edly cause the greatest discontent. On the other hand, the
Hon. Member for Dublin proposed that one Committee only
should be engaged exclasively in dealing with Irish railway
Bills. He (Mr. Strutt) should be disposed to give his sup-
port to the latter proposal.--(Hear, hear. ) Ile eertainly
wished, before the House came to any decision, and took upon
itself the heavy responsibility which this matter would involve,
Hon. Members would carefully weigh the question.—( Hear. )
Dr. BOWRING was proceeding to make some remarks
upon the motion, but was called to order.
Sir W. HE AT HCOTE said that unless a preference were
given to the Irish railway Bills, the arranghment which had
been entered into by the House of Lards, which gave
such Bills the priority would be perfectly imperative.
The expense which would be entailed by the pro-
posed priority to the Irish Bills would net be so great
as represented by Honourable Men-hers. Under those circum-
stances, therefore, he should give his support to the motion for
giving preference to the Irish railway Bills.—( Hear, hear.)
Dr. BOWRINU said he was of opinion that everything in
their power ought to be done to facilitate the passing
of Irish Bills through the House. He considered
that it would be a very great advantage to
have the Irish Bills come down from the He,pse
' of Lords, after having received the sanction of their Lord-
ships, and he hoped there would be no delay offered to such
Bills, as there were a very great number of persons con-
nected with such lines now in town at vast expense. He
considered that such persons had a claim to be
first heard, as they were subject to great inconvenience
in consequence of the distance they lived being so much greater
than the witnesses attending on English lines ; and he hoped
the Irish lines would be dispatched in preference to English
ones, for the reasons he had stated.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM ( who spoke in a very low tone)
said that he was of opinion the suggestion of the Honour-
able Gentleman was well worthy the consideration of
the House, as the state of Ireland at present unfortunately
required that some immediate steps should be taken. There
was also in Scotland distress in one district of a very serious
nature, and the proposed line passing through that district, he
( Sir J. Gaaham) was of opinion ought also to pass the House
with as little delay as possible.
Mr. B. HAWES perfectly agreed in the propriety of the
question just put to the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary for
the Home Department respecting the measure which had just
been proposed by the Hon. Member for Roscommon. He
thought it was necessary that some measure should be taken, in
order to save the disadvantage which might possibly arise from
the Irish railways Bills being began in the House of Lords. It
should not be forgotten that great expenses would be incurred
by following such a course not long possibly before it could be
known that the Bills had received the sanction of the House of
Commons. He was aware that there were peculiar circum-
stances which would guard the railway Bills for Ire-
land, which might seem to justify the adoption of any ex-
traordinary course, yet he thought it would be better that
they should be submitted to the Standing Orders' Committee,
for he perfectly agreed in the opinion of the Hon. Member
for Derby (Mr. Strutt), that the Chairman of that Committee
would be fully able to do justice to all the parties concerned.
Having passed the ordeal of that Committee and the Sub-
Committees, which were all composed of gentlemen, he thought
the suggestion might be adopted originating the railway busi-
ness for Ireland and Scotland too in the House of Lords.
He agreed, therefore, to this extent with the suggestion,
but he thought it would be unwise to pass any formal resolution
upon the subject. The gentlemen composing those Committees
would sufficiently perceive the feeling which had been expressed
on every side of that House, and the matter might, therefore,
be safely left to the Committe of Standing Orders.
Sir GEORGE CLERK perfectly agreed with the Hon.
Member that had just sat down, that it would be unwise for the
House to fetter itself by a resolution upon a matter which ap-
peared to him to be already sufficiently provided for. The
feelings of the House had been sufficiently shown to the ma-
nagers of the several companies, and hi, thought it better,
therefore, that the Bills should be sent up without fetter-
ing the Committee with any resolutions of the kind.
Sir G. GREY considered that some measure should be
taken by which railway Bills might be disposed of without
waiting for the order in which they are at present arranged.
Mr. W. PATTEN stated that he had caused notices to be
given to the Parliamentary agents to be ready with their wit-
nesses on Monday next. The present number of railway Bills
had been formed into 33 groups; and in the meantime the
various Committees would consider which project it was ad-
visab:e to proceed with.
Mr. FOX Al AULE agreed with the Right Hon. Baronet
that a discretionary power should be given to the Committees.
In the case of the Glasgow Railway, referred to by the Right
Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department,
he considered that scheme should be proceeded with as early as
possible, in consequence of the distress which existed in the
parts through which the line was to pass.
Mr. AGLIONBY did not think there would be any diffi-
culty upon the subject of the classification. He thought it
necessary that the Bills should be proceeded with in their
chronological order; but if the Government should arrive
at the conclusion that some particular Bill, on account of dis-
tress in the parts affected by the Bill, should be exempted from
the operation of this general rule, they should mention that
particular case to the House, and the House should then direct
and instruct the Committee to take this particular case out of
its order.
'1 he O'CONOR DON then agreed to withdraw his motion.
Mr. P. SCROPE said that the present system of in-
quiring into the merits of different lines was very inefficient,
and required some alteration. Last session one line of railway
was 84 days before a Committee, and spent from 300,000/. to
400,0001., and yet at the end of the session was very little far-
- flier advanced than at the beginning. The most important
,re works were, under the present system, postponed, and
the time of the Committees was occupied in the discussion
rid of trifling undertakings that were generally attended with
He little or no opposition. The real fact was, that a Commission,
ay, such as had been appointed by Lord Grey at the close of last
:he session, should be formed, to analyse all railway projects
‘g placed before them, and they should at the meeting of Parlia-
ment make their reports upon the undertakings. He would ask
the gentlemen of the House whether they supposed that the
average Committees of the House, consisting of five Members
Lnd each, were at all superior to a Commission composed of
'4‘ five of the most eminent men in the kingdom?
t Mr. GI SHORN E wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet the
• Vice-President of the Board of Trade, whether the Government
intended to adopt any measures founded on the Gauge Com-
mission ? In their report he found a resoluti in to the effect
that a gauge of 4 feet 8i inches was the most efficient. Did
• the Government intend to bring the subject before the House?
Sir G. CLERK said that he was not prepared to say that
the Government was ready to make ar.y proposition at present.
,s 1 The Commission had presented a very voluminous mass of
mce evidence, which was then in the bands of the printer. That
her, evidence would have to be submitted to the Government in its
[nth printed form before any proposition could be laid before the
ook. House.
bleb Mr. HUDSON said it appeared to him that the diffi-
Ig to culty complained of might be obviated by appointing
dbe two or three additional Committees to take those Bills
into their immediate consideration ; but he would throw
it out for the consideration of the House whether
time and expense could not be saved by assimilating the stand-
;, he ing orders of the House of Commons and the House
the of Lords. After a Bill had gone through one Standing
'ern- Orders' Committee, it was unnecessary to carry it through
• another. Under the present system great inconvenience
was inflicted on the promoters of railways without answering
ed a any national purpose. Considering the great number of railway
land, Bills before the House the as,imilation of the Standing Orders'
,hieh Committee of both Houses would be of great advantage, inas-
euts• much as it would save a great deal of unuccessary expense.
they The motion was then withdrawn.
BOROUGH OF WIGAN.
iould The SPEAKER said he had to state to the House that he
; the had received a communication from the Hon. George Lindsay,
in which he declared that it was not his intention to prosecute
were the petition against the return of the Hun. Member for the
borough of Wigan.

Derset there was no mention of a branch leaving the alter-
native line.
'lr. VENABLES explained that there were two branchoer, h
n hich, in the plans deposited with the clerk of the
peace, were both represented as leaving e ae while
in the B_ll and notices one was represented as leaving the
alternative line. There were several other allegations de-
pending on this, one of which was that there was no section
of the branch from the main line in the parish of Yetminster.
The Clerk of the Peace for the county of Dorset handed
in the plans in question.
In the course of the discussion it appeared that the
mileage was incorrectly marked.
The Committee reserved the point as to the sections till
their next meeting.
At about quarter to four o'clock the Committee adjourned
to Tuesday next
-------_

Sub-Committee No. 6.
This Committee resumed its sittings this day at twelve
o'clock ; present Captain Jones (in the chair), fill-. Greene,
and Mr. Deedes; and after having disposed of a Navigation
Bill, they adjourned till twelve o'clock on Monday next.

ARMY RECRUITS.

Captain L AYARD gave notice that he would, on an early
i
phwstoopeooiitry
ask
tNtokmy,arnteti vseohnni
Oeeteppwsit,
hritpi:ocagatu
etTtitni deobHheeueenßcoeortinnfsr, gt
inithßlehesj:aeiorn:eutfoinoyntßolegi
iseftEoe:mwLethtirehh.Aevnregi
three
eeiDaf
had given
a respect-
day, bring on a motion for the better regulation of the recruit-
H
e Secretaryag ti
ivoen
personsn _toa
o
f
ffafveoPseirssrecCoietilnG:,Rticitors for the Home Circuit in Ireland, or for cer-
:'.lesatnhtd; aittSC:hbaVtgrialAahneotiewereetcen.hrlounties belonging to it, in the room of the Crown Soli-
e and citor for that circuit, who has died ? If that question be an-
ranee. swered in the affirmative, then to ask—Whether the salaries
ilk, in or emoluments of those officers have been fixed, and if so,
at what amount; when were the appointments made; when
is and was it determined to divide the circuit into districts, with
kshley separate solicitors at distinct salaries; and whether there be
any objection, on the part of the Government, to laying before
this House copies of all documents relating to any alterations
Mame which have been made in the office of Crown Solicitor, or in
the arrangements for the oonduct of Crown prosecutions in
e, and Ireland?
Sir said he had to state, in sower
to the question of the JAMES GRAHAM Right Hon. Gentleman, that
ilway. there wild be no objection to lay upon the table
of the House the papers he had asked for. In
respect to the ether part of the Right Ron. pestieman%
question, he begged to say that certain appointments had
already been made of some Crown Solicitors, about three weeks
since, which would come into operation on the 31st March The
Home Circuit in Ireland consisted of six counties, and it was
proposed to add two other counties to that circuit, and that a
Crown Solicitor should be resident in one of those counties.
tion to The salary should be 5001. a year, two hundred a year to cover
)f Irish all expenses, making 700/. for each, and
lan aggregate sum of
d com- 2,1001. for all, being 100/. per annumess has emolu-
ls, they merits of the late Solicitor.—( Hear, hear.)
'e with On the motion that the House should, at its rising, adjourn
until Monday next,
TON
Mr. BROTHER suggested that the House should
sit to-morrow (Saturday) at twelve o'clock, in order that they
might be enabled to go at once nto Committee on the impor-
tar t measure before thern.—( Cries of .‘ Mote, move.")
The Host. MEMBER declined to move; he only wished to
throw out the suggestion.
Sir ROBERT PEEL said that it would be extremely
advantageous, both to the agricultural and
sense e commercial
interests of the country, tt the
fwr
ohmati d
ts uvsaunatla gr
rules.—(Hear.)
ecsould(
Hb e e
ade-
rived
the
mliHouse should be taken on the preliminary step,
r
but he did not see how the suggestion of the Hon. Member
would
Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN suggested that as there was
a long list of gentlemen on his own side of the House who
were anxious to speak upon the subject of the Government
measure, the debate ought to be kept open until those gentle-
men had an opportunity of addressing the House.
Ptishouhsise
The motion was then agreed to.
desires,d
e p departing
FOREIGN POSTAGES.
Mr. ROEBUCK was understood to ask the Right Hon.
Baronet, the First Lord of the Treasury, l
eaf there were any
hopes of the penny postage system being nded to the
colonies?
Sir R. PEEL replied in so low a tone as to be inaudible in
the gallery. He was, however, understood to say that it was

Tlii SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY MORNIN'Ci. FEBRITARA 21. 1846

not in his power to give a positive answer to the question of
the Hon. Member.
THE POTATO DISEASE.
Captain OSBORNE said that since the speech which the
Right Hon. Baronet delivered a few nights ago, certain statements
had been published with regard to the potato blight, to which he
begged to call the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet.
Those statements had been published on Thursday, and re-
, lated to the proceedings of the Horticultural Society, a meet-
ing of which had been held on Tuesday. Dr. Lindley, it
appeared, had at that meeting exhibited some specimens of
new potatoes, which bad many symptoms of disease. The re-
sult was, that it might be expected that the crop of the
elming harvest would be exceedingly deficient. He wished
to know whether the Right Hon. Baronet had received any
communication or information on the subject ?
Sir R. PEEL said that when h • spoke on Monday night, he
stated that we had great reason to apprehend that the danger
resulting from the failure of the potato erop would not be re-
ducing during the forthcoming autumn. But when he spoke
on Monday night he had had no direct communication with
i ir. Lindley ; he spoke from the communications which he
had received of a general nature from various scientific gen-
tlemen, who said that they apprehended that the next
potato season would be marked by a great failure.
He feared there was every reason to apprehend considerable
danger from using the diseased seed. It was said that some
new potatoes could not be detected as diseased by the closest
microscopic inspection. The plant was supposed to be sound,
but from recent information received, he had every reason to
believe that the disease was quite apparent ; and it rested with
the Government to give timely notice of this fact to the country
at large

CORN-LAWS.
Mr. BRIGHT presented petitions from Essex, Surrey,
Stafford, Newbury, Reading, and one from Sunderland,
signed by 4,000 persons, praying for the total and immediate
repeal of the corn-laws.
Sir THOMAS ACLAND presented a petition in favour

of protection
Mr. R. PALMER presented petitions from several parishes
in the county of Berkshire, against any alteration in the

corn- laws.
Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from the parish of
Clerkenwell. The petitioners stated that the present corn-
laws operated injuriously to their interest, and prayed for a
repeal of those laws.
ADJOURNED DEBATE.
Mr. C. BRUCE ruse and said that it had been stated in the
course of this debate that increased opposition to the repeal of
the corn-laws would give an increased force to agitation. He
(Col. Bruce) thought that if by conceding or voting in favour
of the present measure he could succeed in putting an end to
agitation, much of his opposition to the present measure would
be removed. He could not, however, so persuade himself.
He believed that if this measure was carried discontent of a
more dangerous character, and agitation more difficult to re-
press than anything with which we had now to contend,
would be the result. He could not concede the point, that
the passing of this measure would put an end to agitation

at the head of the Ministry; and such being his conviction, f which were compensated for by the corn-laws. If the mebre
be should abstain from a single observation at variance with 1 question had been one of political economy, the H, n. Merovere
these convictions. It bad pleased an all-wise Providence, to and those who coincided with him would be required to here
visit the nation, and in particular the kingdom of Ireland, that manufacturers formed a majurity of the country. Buti._
with a great calamity ; and if the corn-harvest in Ireland was ample evidence before the House that they were note majasn:ty
had been deficient, as was the potato-crop, why that would be hi it. What objection, he might ask, could there be to laww,
some justification for introducing a measure in suspension of which protected the interests of the majority. He would moo,
the corn-laws, and he, and the Hon. Member who coincided with the leave of the House, refer to the other consider:ll,os; 8
in his way of thinking, would have fully concurred in such ; involved in the question. lie did not wish to go throug .
not
but he could see no connexion between the failure in the po- various subjects in the course of this argument ; he wouid°:
tato crop in Ireland, and the suspension—much less the repeal even charge the Government with its present change of
sub'opilu
of the corn-laws.—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and cheers.) Atter the Right Hon. Baronet bad rendered this country la
The true remedy for the distresses of Ireland was not to abolish ject to foreigners in respect to its monetary system, he COluie
the corn-laws, bnt to give the people the means of purchasing harely have expected that the Right Hon. Baronet w
~,
the food already its the country.—( Hear, hear.) What he render this country dependent upon foreigners for its 510v1.
complained of was, that they did not give their own law a fair of food. Although some of the leading Members
of the lisp
trial. What circumstances had arisen to justify them in proposing sterna-lent had repudiated arguments, facts, w 6645'
Sort of
to reverse, at the bidding of the League, the decision which the speeches of times long gone by, and had committed a r'esas
country had given at the last general election ? Was that the political suicide, he was not aware that any of them had re
way they proposed to carry out the Reform Bill ? It could net diated the speeches which they made in the last session I 17ilii
be denied that the question at the last general election, when liarrent. He (Mr. Neweigate) listened to those speechensi!_te
so large a majority was returned to that House, was protection steep attention, and he wished now to show from the
the
or no protection. It was really too bad, therefore, that this de- sudden ttis change had come upon the country. What
twat ts
cision should be now rescinded, and they should be stalled upon sobstance.of the speech which the Right Hon. Barone
yea
to yield to the dictates of the League. He would ask, had not head of her Majesty's Government, delivered last roi
the country prospered under the corn-laws ? And if this had 1 upon the subject of the corn-laws. It '0,1,,,...
been the case, why then were they now asked to aliolish them? I able argument in favour of the maintenance of the corn-wt about
The imposition of the income tax had restored the funds and it proved their tendency to produce steady prices, e"„est
re-established the public credit. It had given an impetus to diminishing the activity of manufactures—it proved tn! great
speculation and to ctenmercial transactions. All of these increase which had taken place in manufactures under rice
things had for a long time previously been in a state of depres- c,irn•laws—and it proved that in September, 1844, werepre
sion. This was followed by the mania for railway speculation, of wheat was 455. 2d. per quarter ; and he appealed to the.. this
which required from the nation the deposit of an immense sentatives of the manufacturing interest to say
amount of capital—more, indeed, than could he conveniently was an unreasonable price. He used the argument t,".. laid
spared. That mania caused a greatly increased demand for landed proprietors of this country did not look upon "
the
yes
labour, with an increased price for it. These things were, no in the light of mere commercial speculations, and „,eIP, leaf
doubt, very beneficial, but were they likely to continue so as his belief that it would be a great evil if they did. r'°`gtheest
to justify the changing of the entire protective policy of this could the Right Hon. Baronet reconcile that feeling se 10 that 1
country, under which this country had arisen to be the queen with his present course of action.—( Hear, hear.) eto es',
of all nations. He for one, therefore, could not consent to speech the Right Hon. Baronet said that if they we,r, was
sacrifice his principles to the opinion of the Right Hon. Ba- tend the principles of free-trade at home, they shoulud,ste)
ronet. He could not consent to embark with him on the them also to the colonies ?—( Cheers.) He (Mr. New -7,1 bis
boundless ocean of free trade, to arrive at a distant shore, heard the Hon. and Gallant Member for Liverpool seY
roe
which no person had ever explored. Even though the favour- I speech, that such should be the result with 14 tet
ing breezes of popular opinion swelled his sail and wafted him Ito their colonies. He (Mr. Newdegate) e'eu sod
whetn,e,,st,
the
over the deep, he would not follow the Right Hon. Baronet i conceive what were the motives which actuated th
.1! „rse
to the promised land of abundance; for he could not be sure 1 policy of the Right Hon. Baronet for not adhering toottVsel
that the luxurious vegetation would not by its superfluity breed ciples which, during the greater part of his life, w 5
erg. I
a noxious atmosphere, which would be poison to the English honour, and for his country great commercial prosy „ see
constitution ; for he saw in the perspective the troubled ocean ( Cheers.) Was it possible that he sought to establi' 'of 0/
of angry dispute, and he feared to encounter the shipwreck bartering of the products of that country
and disaster which it threatened; therefore he should refuse to other? Suppose that even they could establish large , oor
with thoseopse!'
fire the first gun which, booming over the angry waters, should that was a principle that could not be advocated bY °fest) it
give the signal for sailing. He thanked the 5- ouse for the ble political economist. That system would find It° ,by ,
attention they had accorded to him, and resumed his seat, de- the way that bullion relieved your monetary distreo root,
daring that he felt it his painful duty to vote against the Go- importation of it from abroad. They would nog bstfo,
vernment. by such a measure as the present the onlf by toed
Mr. POULET SCROPE said he was anxious to make a between them and the distress which would be felt'
01 oos P",
few observations. It would appear that the measure was being unprotected. He trusted the House would ea
41;
brought forward for the purpose of debate, for the arguments while he explained the basis on which he formed bls„tred
used for and against the corn-laws it would be found were the of the measure now before the House. It was an„.e1011,
same as those used for the last ten years. He thought the disagreeable duty to differ from the opinion of the n;ge sio„
object of the debate was very truly described by the Hon. Baronet, but no personal considerations should
incl,e,ches,ll,
Member for Berkshire, who said the real question was whether act against the opinions of his constituency ; almost` 0 . i,
protection was right or whether protection was wrong ? of whom would be seriously injured by that measurpooierlo
(Cheers from the Opposition.) if it was right let them main- were extensively engaged in the batting trade, au° `do
tain those laws, if it was wrong let them be abolished. These the manufacture ot hardware.—(Cheers.) If thefoeer
were the grounds on which they were to judge of the corn- those free-trade principles—if they carried them ° sad a
laws. When he understood a question, he had always the would unshield almost every class of his constitueneYooljtf°,lf
moral courage to act according to his opinions.--( Cheers from pose them to privations that their struggling tad:
_,,ijri!,,f
the protectionists.) He should say nothing of the potato rot badly endure. The great mass of trade, in th 1-.00',,1
in Ireland, because he considered the question in that House instances, in this country will be found to be hinder,7oool:e
had reference to the condition of the people generally, and for progress by the application of the principle of abane ssiol
their sakes it was to be considered whether a repeal of the corn- protection; and further, it will be necessary for ti,"s4oil;
laws was right or wrong. He should not fellow the able to be followed up until almost universal distress ti
oft, 0010';
statement of the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her Ma- lie would now enter upon the question of whetheree„ filee
jesty's Government, but he considered there were other reasons laxation or prohibition had characterised the P°ogleid e;
besides the relaxation of prohibitory duties for the increased with respect to commerce—whether or not proteeetsle 131c'e!
prosperity of the country for the last three years. He consi • abandoned and relaxtion adopted. The Right prosellee
dered that the abundant harvests which Providence had the Secretary for the Home Department thougeeeeeleo
blessed them with had aclaim in that prosperity.—( Cheers. )He for the last twenty-five years had been to insposes!,,jos 'OO
maintained if that was the argument for a repeal of the corn laws, duties, and as they became burdensome to ehi•oskiee'e)
it was as strong in 1841 as now—in fact it was as strong 20, or gradually until they had become relaxed. Mr. r))itios'/
30, or 40 years ago. The corn-laws raised the price of corn, or an advocate for protection, but not for pro," t exit %e
they did not. If they did not they were of no benefit to agri- Right Hun. Baronet had said that nothing but e:(er, ss'f i/i
culture, but were a gratuitous interference with the trade of the geney -should justify the retention of proteetio
al„ oter,ij
country which no arguments or no reasoning could justify. Take protection should only be extended to some It'sisi'see
the other alternative—the coin-laws raised the price of country that was in a suffering condition. }has? I/ 0"
corn, and it was urged that a law of this tendency was necessary treatment from the Government of a great countriieveret 0,
to enable the farmers to pay the heavy taxes not, in his opinion, bear the name of a patervals.`' ej `o#
which the Legislature inflicted on them. Now, how could the The labour of this country had been obi %eel,
farmer be the party who paid the taxes, when the consumer exorbitant sacrifice. The currency had also been, bey'
paid him an increased price for his commodities? In fact, it up to 1820, and he would inquire, how much it 111°4 olie
was the consumer, ants not the producer, who paid the taxes crated since? The late Mr. Ricardo, before he de"fiiV
whilst this system existed. " Oh," but said the protec- the curreney hid depreciated 15a per cent. 111 b rol,'e4
tionists, t. we give protection to every class of pro. Baronet had also stated that the advantage ell"ecerit.
_00)
ducers ; and in return for the high prices they pay us for our obtained over labour amounted to about 85 per ~,, c,,,c ,
corn, we pay them an equally high price for their own produc- ously to the year 1820 the depreciation in '''' it !",1 1,.
tions." In his opinion this was an argument unworthy of being amounted to about 10 per cent. Actordiogoosi% i
advanced in that House. They made them pay their heavy from official sources, the rental of land 145,755'erti
taxes, but they would not compensate them. There were 1814 to 39,555,7051., and in 1843 it Nrss, tsle.i,l
hundreds of thousands of workers in cotton and wool in this shewing an increase during a period ni„,jl, Ail's
country. They paid taxes upon beer, sugar, coffee, tobacco, of about 6,347,9101. ; in this amount were inclu"'e s e 00,90
malt, and other articles, that went towards the payment of the for tithes, which being deducted, would lea', of lit!i„
national debt. Did Hon. Members think that it would he any 4 813,545/., being the real increase. The rents., itil,ol.
benefit to those persons to impose upon them a tax upon bread Great Britain and Ireland during the same perie.°3e.,e.
in addition to those other articles. There was another large 16,259,3491. annually ; and in 1643 the rental
sva:fgs,Pfesi.,
class of persons, the moneyed interest, fundholders, annuitants, being an increase of income during thirty yeer!_t the ft
mortgagees, and other* they paid their share of the nation's From these returns then it would appear tnte iessoteig
taxes, but they could not be protected by protective laws, for land had increased 12 per cent. during thir / fraelsl
they were not producers. Some Hon. Members seemed to have during the same period the value of ho,t!!! 004,
a notion, which he thought he could best illustrate by an increased more than 40 per cent. .!Llietiotil.,Pa
anecdote. A farmer in the Highlands was building a house, Geatleman then showed that during the permessiod stoje4l,
a few miles from a very pleasant sea-port; he was met by a and 1843, the increase to the productions of tbeiose, esely
person who was on his way with a little scrubby pony, with a fifty per cent., while the increase in the pe,P,"._ i001'.,01,1
large deal hanging on one side of the animal, and a large stone rattier more, about fifty-seven per cent. 11.` isbes4
on the opposite side. The party who met him inquired of him if now whether no strain had been put on theriogisit .
it was his intention to build his house with stone? He replied, country—whether capital had gained nothing °,1., 11,101 ?1.,0
that was not the reason why he used the stone; it was to maintain to which he had referred. lf, according Cont,' 00 estoisc,
a balance with the deal on the opposite side. He never thought Gentleman, the depreciation be ten per ce, toie° le
however of cutting the deal in half, and thus making the two perty and land, the same principle would aPP'Yof el f,,a
pieces of deal balance themselves. This was just the case with intrinsic value, as applied to the purchase
to it3' ';ii,
these protectionists ; they think that by adding another burden average price for five years, from 1815 etc rid le
they are enabled to relieve the existing burden_ He put it to the currency was returning to its :4 I 1,6
the gentry of England whether they would choose to protect was 80s. 4d. per quarter. During the tw° Ye,-rof °ei
themselves from their shire of any burdens which might be im- to 1821, the corn-law being then fixed, the Pr' ;',"l, Serb
posed, in consequence of invasion or any other extraordinary from the average of 80s. per quarter to 445. ect the ?I't
expenditure, by the jugglery of a set of corn duties. He had In 1822 the corn-law was again altered, e° esip t'yees4
vainly waited, during the whole of this debate, for a single wheat had recovered to 61s. per quarter, fell ai,si es'efe
valid argument in favour of protection, and he would ask the The average price from the year 1822 to 181e.ii tbo,o,
House whether the idle sarcasm which had been thrown out quarter. During the years between 1828 and fooe fette
by the Hon. Member opposite was in favour of protec- was 58s. 11d., and the average for the last it sr.et
Lion ? Why, he had always understood that it was one of present time had been 525. per quartlgra. doete4
the very vital principles of all trade, and the very foundation of peared that since the peace, with t D rl 074
political economy to buy in a cheap market and sell in a dear country, while the rent of land had eeens.
see
one. This was, it was true, the maxim of political economy ; increased, the price of corn had fallen 5 Per
..,e cs",. err
and what was there cold-hearted in that? He had made a the official value of corn, which is the fixed, ^lO. fsci`,l,6o.
pathetic appeal to the House with a view to prevent the in- the difference of the increase. It is a singecis,reetZ,
troduction of a lower rate of paper-hangings and silk goods. 1819, the declared value,
If Honourable Gentlemen on the other side of the House which during that year had been less thanyereP eV
which was also the eel 'leg'
would only take the trouble to oarry their principles to the value, fell below, and has never since roc 131' Islgtoe r,13
extremes they would see what crude absurdities they held for The amount of difference was very great. -I,e ded toff
opinions. If they were to strip that Hon. Member of all that value, which was the fixed value, had ele`-e, is °,Ol 0,,#
he had about him, which was not the produce of British in. and actual value by about 96 per cent, °,1",, duce
eye t,/,
dustry—if they were to take from him all that he had about money bad gained a value over Pro ++ nr-ete,Se
him of German wool, of Russian flax, of American cotton,- of more, than 96
_per cent.—(Cries offs eeederlA
Italian silk, he would appear in his place in a condition Had not therefore the value of labour in th of tli','„ ,vs
more fit for a state of savage nature than civilised society. some degree depreciated? The character
ropetyot74, 1,
And if he followed out the principles of the Hon. Member for been marked by an unequal distribution of 1;t rsr,g,Vi i
Knaresborough, of abstaining from everything that was the had fallen in value in the hands of the gre'f hif eser!i;
produce of machinery, they ought to come down to the House would now address himself to another part lied, iiee, el
clothed with skins, and they should follow their prey with was his firm belief that the burdens upon tulilead,l 40,.,1
clubs, tear it with their teeth, and grub up the earth with 12,100,000/. annually, in which sum was blithe' "ore'
their nails. He would ask Hon. Members who had expressed of tithes. It was sometimes argued that qee,ssittsn
their intention of opposing the Government measures, to sup- stitute a burden on land. The Hon. Ge,", SO, e;',iy
pose a manufacturer whose warehouse was glutted with the Ricardo, M 'Culloch, Dr. Pavey, and rrseistisPestriel
goods he had produced, but which he could not sell ; whose that tithes were a burden on the land, 41% ob!,iiff,tti
' correspondents were writing him from abroad that the foreign petted the improvement of the soil, and v 14.1; tetegytg
market was equally glutted. After having vainly struggled for interests of both landlord and tenant. or /At
a length of time against the difficulties which environed him, taxes paid by the land, including the Plieietsg, iSiial'
he put his workmen on short time, and then en short wages, to 12,339,0641. Tre Hon. Gentleman tit as i'oo,,
until he finds it necessary to discharge them, and to shut up items of this amount, proceeded to say tha tas yet
his mill. Let them also imagine the condition of men, women, by any argument, to gainsay his staterne%eteree eit',
, and children, suffering from the want of food, and unable to tence of burdens on the land. It 1155 e t" y,s,.
i obtain employment. Let them imagine parents giving supposed that he was willing to firees ,;,
up their children to any occupation by which they commuted ;he would accept free-0110 eV i
might obtain their subsistence—no matter how de- Cation. To these he would replYf twould s/'s il° tees'
I grading or immoral. Suppose they came and so- w,,uld not only be improbable, but it
.4,ol,",.o°'illi'i'
belted assistance from the manufacturer, he would say Before he sat down he wished to express "ge wee 011.41:
. to them, "My friends, my heart bleeds for you, I regret it, by the meaning of the word protection. of theeePtgey,
il but I cannot help it ; my capital is locked up ir, yonder ware • stand that it meant prohibition, but it inea veer', I.
house, or my money is exhausted. I can send no more goods trade. Taking protection in this sense, be tifforuocli ~ A',le:,
abroad, because, although 1 may obtain corn and other commo- duty and function of the Government "'but joipor;:;Ily
. dities in return, 1 am prevented from doing so by the law."— the trade of a majority of the communitYt,he le be
( Hear, hear.) Thus their intercourse with foreign nations was as not entirely to sacrifice the interest 00..`eht to
ebstittotet
. destroyed, or, if not destroyed, rendered almost abortive. In in relaxing this system of protection, it la it', esfite See,
the Queen's warehouse, for instance, at the present moment with a view to its relaxation than a vie of , ('Ve
there were hundreds of thousands quarters of foreign coin, He could not conceive that it was profits' - 1-100,0esia_i,
bat tal el iil
which they were prevented from purchasing on account of the point of view, for the majority of t, entersos' li Ai
high duty exacted. Well, now he would ask, would it not be opinions which they had advocated an" of eel Pit Vittet i
desirable to pass a measure that would remedy this evil? They at the dictation of a Minister who had Pr fbeole,/
had at present an ill-paid, discontented, and demoralised pea- master and dictator of his own Cabinetijoeourof
Set/ )
sentry under the present system. Under the altered system expressions which fell from that Right
osecllbe
~(Is
' would it not be desirable for the succeeding tenant to be a man respect of the aristocracy and the r",°ll of ; 01;1./0
who could afford to pa better wages than his predecessor, and could not help looking at the en9g ingli'Sei etreie
employ morelabourers. He eouldnotseethat there was anything the House, and reflecting that diet ioig fe 00001
very terrible in all this; and surely if the operation of the proposed would have acted with more wsuto it/cle'ttiesJy;
measure would have this effect, it would be a most desirable a little longer ere he gave utterance outir,,,yl.,
measure to have passed into a law.—( Hear, hear.) The ( Hears hear.) He, for one, did Ot erVlrte; /it er/("4.
farmer then, instead of using his two-horse plough, and west- which he had trampled upon his .'udgrengisb! ,t if
ing his manures, and persevering in a bad system of cultiva- threats had overpowered their better ]
..t asss:ute, ,s 9
tion, and allowing the rains of heaven to lodge upon his lands i conduct of a constitutional Minister, D:f theca 110,1','Ps.
until it had rotted his crops, and produced nothing but weeds, ; freedom, liberties, and best right' egieelsti°,.otlre/V.
would adopt a very different and much more profitable system. i therefore, the Right Hon. Baronetcrooest'ai tsoo ifit
He thought it was by such reasoning as that used by the Hon. ' changing opinions to the proper a° houldi.jestYoe(jea
Member for Stockport, that they ought to consider the import- namely, an appeal to the peoples her 'her l'i!,"1; 59,,, ird ','i,'
ante of the question. If, then, the Hon. Gentlemen who 01)- Hon. Baronet was the Alinister 0 cfnlt'erst n',,l ,
posed the abolition of these restrictive laws could not convince
the country that protection could be maintained for the councils ; and likewise that he was the
who had already indicated her choice by
se.) , fittid
beea 00'0;0
oP-0,0
mutual benefit of all, they could not do better than the country, but net of its choiee'.-f iv,' a' flerda, i,f3.;
abolish those lawF, and he could not but think that the motives lion. Baronet had told them that I soe' 0 ePre 4
which actuated the Hon. Members in opposition to her Ma- they would have to yield hereafter by such: eli,ertet ~/
jesty's Government on this question were dictated by very sus- should not have been surprised to heet°'ehen, ,sfl eti, IF;e
picious motives.—(lronical cheers.) What he meant by sus- a leader of a band of agitators ;isbufsithfs' tso Ist,,,r#i
picious motives was, that they were dictated by a party and a Crown turned round upon be,etoandecieool3lo r,'e
selfish feeling, and to convince the country of the contrary, seising them by the throat, e he got tostste
they should at once support the Right Hon. Baronet's measure, yield up their principles or, mon , 'ipe J; tyre
and thereby enable the people to purchase a sufficient quantity Sip e ~. 7
of the article of life at the cheapest possible rate. what this force was, and he fors, see face. cos 00
Mr. NEWDEGATE said, the Hon. Member"who had last from them, he etas in truth ala_rne told eV seise,i"
that he was not afraid to look it i t"ef. the
...e e 4•41,,e
Minister ',, be pal tit ii 'y
addressed the House had attacked the consistency of the prin- certainly be unbecoming a whit"' oti°' es Nut"
ciples and arguments of his Hon. Friend the Member for sure if the broken-up party with
,on,sit
:.o t ~,,0,...
Northampton, In the absence of his Hon. Friend, he would sisted stedfastly and firmly in th. err 'ereservreetoolo ;70/4
endeavour to answer the Hon. Member. The Hon. Gentleman this measure, they would "1Yrg4513 °i4 tod tot:o'
had said that his Hon. Friend was not consistent on the ques- liberties of the people from shed., by sey e, Ssiss ff. ,
tion of buying in the cheapest and selling in the dearest market.
He did not understand the argument of buying in the cheapest agriculturists had such
mcielioubt as to tn.o'ci c r
,I,,ii
and selling in the dearest market as implied by the Hon. they need not entertain any. - noles, • liffilY),
The Hon. Gentleman concl
asisthteswristr
oltee
1;
Member, the principle was indeed true as respecting trade, but (Laughter fectlfv, svelte/
it did not hold good in Legislature. He denied that the Imotectionists. ) s, idle, to es c 011;1(
as ver, cecl •-. 0 600 '(,
functions of Government were merely to increase the wealth of Mr. BARKLY (who
wcircurnstan goo° a, e. ~,
on the Opposition be
the -country, he conceived rather that it was the dutygallery) said that he was
osfo
this rest %titer rt° cliOi
po 0
vernment to secure the happiness, the peace, and the welfare upon the consideration . ,_
upon anYeiet inlea b ees4
of the population. He denied that a case which might be true deliberately as he should ode
when applied to trade was as universally true when applied to with the Pe svh° eVre.id.iil/
Government. Were this principle applied to Legisla- true that he was connected
that tho'.. their rtieolf pe
tore now, could they justify the expense in provl• dustry, and he mu" is
bat rl,',enar't "%$1;0101 r II;
magnitude and equal cornemdereial °l's° r°teettid u ,eve (14
ding for the national defence. The same justifies,- honour to send him to .
g ve his sus isessoos 00 .ei se,
tine might be equally applied by the Legislature to the lieved that he would "'ere only ' the ii seh'etr,Ss
defence of labour and prosperity, that the military establish- tion• but those her free
"reee"l tiiiil;re%
ments would apply to the preservation of personal safety. be more likel Hear,
How could it be said in the case of an army that they should or self-interest.
( in the consiue ~e ° !pes ``by ttcel
buy in the cheapest market? No doubt they might get men itself to his mind,
more c°i'clue" doctrlei to to&
hear.) lr ratio the i° itti 1,1 ,)
whether it would be
cheaper in some parts of the world than at home, but could
bad befnoe the Y, roo„tio„°.?)
they place the same dependence on them. Would the same British empire to
freedom of trade
men possess the same motive or quality ? It had been said that which
or to c°nt"'eenturiteest "rdbetilf+st
the repeal of the corn-laws must reduce the prices; or it must Honourable Baronet,
e_tstee for. . 0a .Me
oat
,t...,
not. reduce them. But if they reduced the prices of corn, agriculture, which had
ea; with tethe f.10t0,1, el' lel efei
did they not risk unsteadiness in the markets. The Hom tion should be approabehene
said that is oeleparoPecsteetoel
Member seemed altogether to have overlooked the fact that liberation. It had ,
changed °curable ,d'a sl a,',
these laws were enacted to ensure steadiness of side of the House hetet, „,_ht ga.nod 0 loilhollocNoy;
prices. Even if they bought in the cheapest tion merely because the suit;
which he r2l those bi, 00,i eeefi P
market, it might so happen that the market, even the cheapest Proper to change took, beg t "eitieencett,„%son °f 0114/
market, might be an exceedingly dear one, and the country (Mr. Barkly) "himself Was "" she ePTiaeta tce :11A
might again find itself in the same state as in the years 1841 say so, that he .
geenced bY f„r e' oneotisie e
and 1842. The distress of these years was produced by their He would not be in
their characteLcsooi .in re,,,,,,,
commercial relations with America and the reaction on the mone- men, however htighth at the sitire"a't le'Lder'vertel°4l4°
tary system athome. He begged political economists, who were It did strike him by
the t"° --r was Jstbst 'OO
earry out those
lotto
reop , 1
0,
the strongest advocates for the extension of their trade, not to been lately made
Of free-tradeliotatge
ioo 10. 0,00
direction
refer to this argument, because it was a most unhappy one for the ) Fe of opin. , b 54.001
Hear, heart) ounce „lister ~ i
themselves. But the Hon. Member said that it was very hard fact.—
The Hon. Member
listened
to
that the manufacturers should pay a duty on corn in addition change(' but merely an for I'l h.—
to their other taxes. He was prepared to prove, in the trade..
.
...
first place, that the manufacturers paid only those taxes evening, said that be hid It
. , , .. • . a esiosinosl s"
I

He feared that they could not but expect that the great masses
of the people would be occasionally visited by distress. He
feared that if the present cause of agitation were removed,
there would not be wanting individuals who would point out
other alleged causes of distress. There would be little diffi-
culty in indicating other of the most valuable institu-
tions of the country which would be exposed to the
same danger as the corn-laws. The existence of tithes,
the Established Church—the aristocracy—the existence of the
great mass of property in the hands of the few, and the neces-
sary expenses of the Monarchy, would be made the most of by
designing persons, in order to excite agitation. He certainly
did not think that there would be much to be apprehended from
such agitation, if they had a firm and steady Government, be.
cause agitation always derived its principle from the weakness
or strength of the Government. He for one could not attach
such importance to the association of the Anti-Coven-law
League as would induce him to withdraw the protective duties
on corn. The experience of the Right Hon. Baronet must
have shown him the danger of any concession. The experience
of every gentleman in that House would tell him the necessity
of keeping up the national institutions. The country was
teeming with an energetic population, and an occasional popu-
lar agitation would arise, but they should not concede to it
when their reason and judgment were not convinced.
Ile thought that the advantages derived by the people
were generally in an inverse ratio to the strength
of the agitation. He did not intend to go into the question of
the corn-laws, as so many gentlemen had preceded him in the
arguments that he could use ; and if they went on at their
present rate of discussion, they would arrive at a conclusion
soon after Easter. He did not blame those Hon. Gentlemen
who had gone inte the discussion of the corn-law question, be-
cause " Quand le cur est pleine, la bouche pane." It ap-
peared to him that ever since the members of the Government
had taken upon themselves the task of acting upon the princi-
ples of political economy, they had made up their minds to act
as if they had neither hearts nor feelings. It was upon this
principle he presumed that the Right Hon. Baronet at the
head of her Majesty's Government was now acting : and when
his Hon. Friend the Member for Northamptonshire had made
the speech which he supposed might have been addressed to
one of his tenants, he had assumed to himself the character
of a political economist. Now the fact was, that
the friends arouud him were in the habit of acting
as if they had hearts as well as heads; and had his Hon.
Friend the Member for Northamptonshire spoken in his natural
character, he would, instead of his own, have uttered the
speech that the Right Hon. Baronet had made for him. Now,
if the Noble Lord the Member for London, when he failed in
forming a Government, had declared that the measure now
before the House would be carried—if carried at all—not by
the votes of those who had the pleasure then of supporting the
Right Hon. Baronet, but by the votes of those who sat around
himself, he (Mr. C. Bruce) thought after the speech of the
Right Honourable Baronet—which he could not help de-
signating as a most imprudent one—there would be less
inclination ,than ever on his side of the House to sup-
port the views which the present Ministry entertained
Now he was not disposed to think that there were not ten or
twenty men to be found in the country able to undertake the
management of affairs—( Hear, hear)—for that would be re-
ducing them to the condition of his poor country (Scotland)
after the battle of Chevy Chase, when ail their great men were
slain ; but when the jolly English monarch heard of the death
of Earl Percy, his words were—
" Now God be praised, said the King,
Sith 'twill no better be,
I trust 1 have within my realm
Five hundred good as he."
And he did not doubt that England was not in worse position
than she was then, but that she could easily find many able
statesmen to guide her destinies. He considered that if they
did pass this measure of the Government, they would see before
two v ears elapsed an agitation which would compel them to repeal
it. Ilut, in his opinion, those considerations were overborne by
considerations of public morality, and by that respect and con-
fidence which should ever be maintained between constituents
and their representatives. In his own case many of those who
voted for him were tenants of the Gallant Officer to whom he
was opposed, but they had confidence in his support of the opi-
nions in which he sought their suffrage—namely the sliding-
scale. It had been stated by the Hon. Member for Bridport
that the landed proprietors of Scotland were in favour of the
proposition of the Gcvernment. Now, he (Mr. C. Bruce)
was of opinion that they were extremely dissatisfied with it.
In Scotland the carrying out of this principle had been the
means of creating the greatest alarm amongst the tenant
farmers, and, in order the better to prove the truth of this as-
sertion, he would take the liberty of reading an
extract from a letter which he had received
from a friend of his, a considerable landowner in
Inverness and Ross-shire. The Hon. Member then proceeded
to read the extract, which was in substance to this effect :
" That the announcement of Sir Robert Peel's measure had
been the means of casting a gloomy sensation over the inhabi-
tants of that large district." And he (Colonel Bruce) had no
doubt that that was the general feeling of the entire people of
Scotland ; and he looked upon such a fact as a set-off against
the assertion of the Hon. Member for Redford. If he (Colo-
nel Bruce) were to pass an opinion on the attempt of the
Noble Lord the Member for London, in his late endeavours to
form a Government, he would say that his conduct was such as
highly became an English gentleman, instead of an advance-
ment for office, as it had been called ; and, therefore, he was
entitled to treat his Lordship's letter as a speech from the
throne. The Noble Lord, however, failed to form aMinistry,
even for the temporary misgovernment of the country. His
Right Hon. Friend at the head of her Majesty's Government
adopted the Noble Lord's letter. He found all that that
letter contained was very true ; but he wondered the
Right Hon. Baronet had net found it out before.—( Hear. )
(At this time the Right Hon. Baronet Sir James Graham
entered the House.) He was glad to see the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet come in, because he wanted to tell him how exceedingly
anxious he was to say how his speech of the other evening
read as compared with his admirable and conclusive speech of
1839. He well remembered the cheering with which that
speech was received by the Members on that side of the
House. He (Mr. C. Biuce) acknowledged that he had him-
self cheered until he was quite hoarse. It had created an im-
pression upon him which had never been effaced—certainly
not effaced by the speech of the other evening. He was
ready to acknowledge that the speech of the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet of last year showed a great modification of opinion. He
would apply to the Right Hon. Baronet the language which
had been used by the Ayrshire farmer to a Scottish Noble
Lord. The farmer happened to meet in the street the Noble
Lord, the proprietor of the farm he held, and the Noble Lord,
anxious, like all Noble Lords, to be exceedingly kind and
courteous where his rents were regularly paid, invited the far-
mer to his table, where he was placed, an honoured guest be-
side her Ladyship. Unaccustomed to the spendour
which surrounded him, he permitted the first course
to leave the table untouched ; but when he got a
little more familiar, he was anxious to express his satisfaction
in the most delicate manner to the lady beside him, and turn-
ing round in the most engaging manner, he said, " I need na
ask yer Leddyship wha made the pudding."—(Laughter. )
The pudding which had been dished up for them by the Go.
vernment plainly exhibited the master hand of the apron and
white paper cap of the homesoffiee.—(Continued laughter. )
This measure, in his opinion, would touch most seriously in
the department of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, arid he
should like to know what that Right Hon. Gentleman would
have to say on the subject, because he knew of no one on whose
opinion, experience, or ability he should be more ready to rely
than that of the Right Hon. Gentleman himself. An illus
trious Duke in another place had announced that he sup-
ported this measure, not because his opinion had undergone a
change, but because his feeling were in its favour, and he (Mr.
W. Bruce) regretted exceedingly that that noble personage had
allowed his Letter judgment to give place to his feelings.
He thought that the Right Hon. Baronet had made one part of
his speech plain, but in other parts he signally failed to show
the truth of his position. He also thought that the Right lion.
Baronet had signally failed to show that corn would be subject
to a much greater amount of competition when the corn-laws
were abolished. He failed, in his opinion, to show that this
country would not be deluged with such an amount of corn as
effectually to destroy the agriculture of this country.—( Protec-
tionist cheers.) The Right Hon. Baronet had said that he be-
lieved that such would not be the case, but he had entirely
failed to show any grounds for his opinion. He had also failed
to show that he might not, with perfect certainty of success,
have made a great modification in the existing corn-law, which
would have met with the general assent of the House.—
(Cheers.) He had also, in his opinion., failed to show that
there were circumstances in his position which, on his re-
sumption of office, justified him in bringing forward the present
measure. He bait tailed to show whether it would be either
wise or expedient to leave this country dependent for its sup-
port on foreign countries, which had already adopted hostile
tariffs with regard to the manufactured articles exported from
this country.—( Protectionist cheers.) Far be it from him
( Mr. Bruce) to join with any Hon. Gentleman in accusing
the Right Hon. Baronet of any improper motives in bringing
forward his present proposal. He had too deep a regard for the
high character of the Right Hon. Baronet to make any charge
against him of improper motives; he had too strong a regard
for his integrity to do so.—(Cheers.) He believed that his
motives were upright and honest. He well knew
that the Right Honourable Baronet had at all times
hitherto enjoyed the high character of being tl-e most
distinguished advocate in that House of the rights of the
people of this country. But whilst he honestly made this con-
fession, he doubted the policy of the present proposal of the
Right Hon. Baronet.—( Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Bruce) gave
every due weight to the obligation of consistency, and to the
opinions that emanated from such ; at the same time he was
bound to say, that he could not recognise in the present
course of policy any such honest observance of former con-
sisteney.—( Hear, hear.) He should say that he could not
urge anything like unfairness against the Right Hon. Baronet

ral •,19Y