The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-14 00:00:00

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dt (ulsli
ne agr•) I trust also that in the manner in which I
shall argue this question I may omit what be has so entirely
one word which may be disagreeable to the
feelings of any gentleman who differs from ine. The Hon.
inember who made the motion expressed a hope that there
fro ntild be no outcry about rent upon this occasion. Now,
nto me the lion. Member can anticipate no such attack
eon rent; for upon rent depends all that the person who
1,'.9v, addresses the House has in the world.—(Hear, hear.)
tallithea7r3 are increased, no one will be a greater gainer than I
eby such an increase; and, if they materially fall,
s e is no one on whom a greater injury will be inflicted.—
h„r.) Then, again, the Hon. Member said he
iiped there would be no attacks upon the English farmer.
iti;Yira.lnyshz:,aisiboen,tllie most ungrateful of men now living if,
allowed one word to escape my lips in.
k n"s to the character of the English farmer. I have
t°own theta long—I have associated with them in times of
r"PeritY and of difficulty. I can only speak with
say erfect knowledge of my own tenantry; but I must
that, high as has been my admrration of the
th'ugreelish farmer at all times, that opinion within the last
or f years has been greatly exalted—fur I have
eve? seen a body of men who have encountered diflicult.ie,
0041°,(1.the extraordinary privations attendaut upon those dill,-
Ittea, with equal firmness or equal patience.—(Cheers.) I
shonl,
ss With therefore, be the most ungrateful man living,
themulese impressions, I should fail to give utterance to
t 2., /NI at every fitting time and place, and particularly in
athosisesf Commons.—( Hear, hear.) Then there are some
. well b 'was which, in order to argue the quessiou fairly, may
• the ,e made on both sides. I admit that the depression in
t• • Price of corn has been somewhatgreater than I had an-
sl,alePatea._ g
(Hear, hear.) I also admit that the duration of
chat depression has been longer than I anticipated.—(hear,
*) On the other hand, the Honourable Gentleman who
appears the motion made a very large admission, as it
three,ars to 1119. If I did not misunderstand him, he admitted
at
thexcePting the landlords and the occupiers of the
f
this e Zeneral condition of the great body of the people o
-.N6w country was prosperous, happy, and contented.
(1./eL. I conceive that this is an immense admissimi.—
sat d' hear.) But the Noble Marquis who has just
ass Qtvh has somewhat retracted that admission ; for he
fbseed that the agricultural labourer had not partaken of the
letesai
le prosperity. Now, the question of the condition of
O . .boutes lies at the root of the whole subject, in my
Wear.) Ido not undervalue the importance of
ts 4 "nsillord—l do not undervalue the importance of the far-
the ,--out still, whether speaking numerically or as regards
estneace and welfare of the community, I cannot overlook, I
sunctl but regard as paramount, the conditian, the welfare,
the-e happiness of the great body of the people, including
itu agricultural labourer.-(Cheers.) The Hon. Member for
asitetikingisamshire ho ed that we should not be inundated
statistical returns respecting the poor-law. I had
hautiught that portion of the subject had been nearly ex-
the haul
by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and I should,
theret?re, very unwillingly have reverted to landih. ; but
N°hle Marquis has re-introduced it, it is impos-
/Le hot to recall to his recollection, and to that of. the
• able some points which have been established,hy indisput-
thee -,°comentary evidence, by the Chancellor of the Ex-
hut T 1,1,1% ni might go to any part of the United Kingdom,
ea- -aa first take Ireland. There is a remarkable do-
sinaient which has been laid on the table of the House
fettege'sthe commencement of this session, and which I con-
. ihs:
return to far exceeded m most san ex and
"?' rn refers Irelany g
d. Will theuine use House believe that
wrehllipice, In 1848, 1,400,000 ablehodied men were receiving
hou---not within the walls of the workhouse, but out of the
,th ;e--that while, in 1819, the number was 1,210,000, in
e,.e ast year this frightful and enormous amount of persons
iiiviag relief out of the workhouse was reduced to 372,000?
--fser"r.) With respect to Ireland, this is the most satis-
• lan-()rY fact which has been presented to my knowledge.
‘so-t's with regard to ;England, it will be recollected that ac-
sbir`ng to the doctrine of the Hon. Member for Buckingham-
ths-e, the Poor rate is the leading local burden which falls upon
„s' sarmer and landowner. Well, the amount of money ex-
rtra,ed for the maintenance and outdoor relief of the poor
e_J4lgland in 1850 was about 400,000/. less than the sum
jeended in 1E49, an amount of charge equal to 10 per cent.
Nor
, 4is this the most satisfactory circumstance, for the num-
,4 ablebodied poor receiving relief in 1850 was reduced
Angle )6 per cent, on the whole.—(Hear, hear.) The
ts-0;•',.°2-I,..arquis has referred' to Scotland ; and here also, al-
.ass L have no knowledge of the matter beyond. what
..srstallentary testimony affords, I cannot help thinking the
• -`'ogle hlarquis fell into a great error with respect to the M-
ai -aae'°f Pauperism in Scotland; for I find that in 1850 the
tlialarnbee of casual poor so far diminished as to be less
dastil: it has been in any other year since the Poor-law
zdment of August, 1845, came into operation.—
,0r hear.) Bdt, before I refer to this document, I beg
hs "a' that I sho
thereat
W sot
some have been surpris.s
be cd to have
'aril that thincrease, ause my
.owri _
tneasimpression has always' been that a very scanty
Ure
was dealt out to the poor of Scotland.—
liasear. hear.) I should not, therefore, have been sorry to
'
ht.?", h sheard. that there had been some increase of relief.
tir,ave the greatest confidence in the Board of Commis-
aloi-nera which administers relief there. I know that they are
• •i.
anxious that strict justice should be done between the
be rs—‘'` ,°f Pauperism on the one hand, and the expenses
Oat by property on the other. I know that they are
• t anxious that, on the one hand, every just claim pre-
;d ed to them should be met with mercy and kindness ;
, idleness,
on the other, everything that is an encourage-
to and to indigence arising from idleness,
Is 0
to lilbewithheld. Well, what are the facts with regard
pauperism in Scotland? So far from their being an in-
sZs_e.,nit appearsfrom 1845, when the recent Act
e to operation, and for at least 10 years previous to
seat date, the expenditure on account of relief to the poor,
clusive of other charges, has exhibited a constant annual
til.lcrease till the year ending May, 1850, when for the first
.!ni it 183 3o far decreased as to be 22,6951. less than that of
'alee preceding year and 9,0321. less than that of the year
endin At
g —llYr 1848.9" Hear, hear.) But that is not all. It
appeal furtker that— ( the number of registered poor re-
leved during the year ending May, 1849, was 106,000;
'sM during the year ending May, 1850, 101,000, showing
diminution of 5,000; that the number of poor who died,
li. ceased to receive relief, in the year ending May, 1849,
as
4,00 a, and in the year ending May, 1850, nearly
IVW, showing a decrease of about 1,600; that the number
13? or on the register in 1849, was 82,000, and in May,
1,7 v, 79,000, showing a decrease of 3,000 ; and that the
I:4lber of casual poor—one of the heaviest charges in Scot-
ari • from the immense amount of immigration from
n'"a sitnlige number of casual poor relieved during the year
Scot-
ere May, 1849, was 95,000, and in the year ending May,
1118e.1°,- 53.000, siwing a dimjn.ution of 42,000.—( Hear,
ah:r. ) But the Noble Marquis said, with great truth,
the a very large proportion of the indirect taxation of
14 country was borne by the large masses of the corn-
hrtitY• But the moment lie makes that admission it
is°ws a light on the state of the revenue. I remember,hoant
317,,1'a,er occasion, I dwelt upon the remarkable fact t
''"-s-4000/. of our revenue were raised from the great body
of +t
pri community on the necessaries of life- on articles of
t halportance sueh as wheat, and of such luxuries as
•,.°L-acco, spirits, beer, the produce of malt, &c. What could
nu,ett!,rt,sore direct test of the general prosperity of the corn-
ata,"''Y than when, notwithstanding the great remission ofd
xe; which have recently taken place, the Customs an
ti,-eise are maintained almost without any diminution,. and
,oe Chancellor of the Exchequer meets Parliament
thewitha
silashis of nearly 3,000,000/. ; and when, coincident with
M, ee of defalcation in taxation, it is admitted by the Hon.
Ls raiser for Buckinghamshire that there is prosperity
e and
)
litiViness among the great body of the people ?—( eers .
eti !surprise is very little diminished when I look to another
'l;vai return which was also laid on the table yesterday.
cla :t iS the great cause of prosperity among the working
Inept an Why, ample demand for workmen, and employ-
lab°, -11" good wages consequent on competition to obtain
ther'rers.
In the history of this great commercial country
the ne,:nver was a time when the value of exports, which are
aherd".urillbce of iUustrv, amounted to anything tike the sum
hardly:- 'ast Year. That amount is almost fabulous—it is
Ch " etedibl
aucello e. Up to the let of January, liBtswl
found that of the Exchequer informed you,
70,000 0 the 'oaualdtibiee
value of the exports exceeded the sum of
into all WI. sterling (Hear, hear.) I do not wish to go
over a fsth°,se matters much in detail, but I will justlaunetficati.
"tvciacts which bear on the question before us.
.F
t,hat ti c,°` Propheeies.—(Cheers.) Why, Sir, I;have admitted
lizers,a„-," of the expectations I formed have not been red.
they _7,11" Prophecies are always very dangerous things when
on "til-elate to the prices'of a fluctuating commodity, dependent
• 4fall of the seasons ; but let me here recall to mind
repeal the prophecies which were made with respect to the
nut__ of the navigation laws. Is not the increase of tonnage
and. if
a proof of increased export of British commodities?
of /lir. so, I will show you there has been an actual increase
ratish sill •
alteitrss shipping and British tonnage outwards. [Mr.
vrithat -"--“ Outwards" " No, no," and a laugh.] Yes. .Not-
I still anding
all the experience of my Right Hon. Friend,
tonne challenge him to prove to the House that outward
restritge is not a test of export of British commodities-the
"Wn t. British ingenuity and labour. [ Mr. HERRIES—•
wish at '°of tonnage inwards?"] My Right Hon. Friend
thin: t° come to tonnage inwards. Well, I think the di-
. 4,000.10 n
of British tonnage inwards is not above 3,000 or
tons r, ;°s•
Laughter
I-lEnariss (with solemnity).—" It is 330,000
. geners,-""( and cheers.) My Right Hon. Friend is
feren-,7 7
very accurate in these matters, and perhaps a re-
turn -e to the returns will set the matter at rest. The re-
this 3 I refer to were put into the hands of Hon. Members
doeilaY• The Right Hon. Baronet having glanced at the
11011",-!nt which he held in his hand, proceeded—My Right
am criend is correct, and I am in error.—(Loud cheering
gen sughter from the Protectionists.) I can assure Hon.
t tlemen below me it is not my wish to mar their triumph
taistake any facts. I will come to the figures which
sstrcre in the return.'before me. As to the question of out-
rat, ~,t°,onage, there is a matter of dispute between me and
test tight Honourable Friend whether it is a fair
hats the prosperity of the trade of the country or net ;
in ;tea, sing that by, I will quote the figures of the returns
• i:nand. It appears, then, that the number of British
cleared outwards in 1850 was 17,169; the number
. .theeiet sr 'out in 1851 was 17,648.—( Hear.) The tonnage of
tress PPiog in 1850 amounted to 3,762,000 tons. The ton-
, fora In 1851 was 3,960,000 tons; showing an increase on
towage outwards for the latter year.—(Hear, hear.) We
shi„,„e.4llle to the tonnage outwards. The tonnage of British
185rg and British colonial shipping cleared outwards in
-,:4-moorialounted to 4,390,000 tons. The tonnage for 1851 was
,asuii97B tons.—(Cheers and laughter.) Now, I admit I
ont,sl3;octtrate, and that I thought the difference of tonnage
side:r 8 much less, but I still repeat I am surprised, con-
diffe7:4 all the circumstances of the last two years, that the
the._
_ace was not much greater. Why did you not suppose
InncVfoald bee great increase of the United States' shipping
towards?n When I look to the returns I see the American
tonnage cleared inwards in 1850, was 587,000 tons, while
Thtttlilage cleared inwards in 1851 was 595,000 tons.
_ conceive be, when I remember what I re-
gard
torn r I.lle peculiar circumstance of large importations of
t., ishring the last two years, a fact which on the whole is
is Ltalileation of the prophecies which have been made. But.
1,4n-sequence of the cheer of my Right Hon. Friend, I
inCeereiTa.een led further into this part of the subject than I had
tisn 17d. And now to return to the more immediate ques-
efore us After all, Sir, the test of the real prosperity
aild well •
I as, -being of the great body of the people is one which Will
afraid Hon. Gentlemen sitting on this side of the House
or, "t think with me a certain and infallible one ; but it is
se which
rest "i l put higher than any of the rest, and than all the
io._ Put together. And what is it? It is that of which the
l„!!°0 ;1 interest are accustomed to complain—the immense
:`,SP nation of are
wheat and flour.—(Cheers.) Millions
quarters of wheat and flour have been imported. They
they t'eell paid for—they have been consumed. How have
havebeen consumed? Why, I believe millions of mouths
been fed with wheaten bread which but for that
I~Portation would have wanted it—(Cheers)—and that, I
t:(nitisditidlu.e;efdoutertortfrall, is the most conclusive evidence that can be
yt.h_e real prosperity and welfare of the people of
(Cheers.) The Hon. Member for Carlisle
nelgson Cumberland the subject of the estates of my
t;sgaola urs in , and more particularly the condi-
oillnueui t tqsra'at'abt len
'll.
Rie:fvera in Carlisle. Now I will first touch on
the weavers. Now, the Hon. Member
token',icoLottinform the House what is the peculiar character
_ aon trade in Carlisle and its vicinity. He did not
wetvltgh
ant isa.achihnoepryells(s competition between handloom
atiouuwatinigurb.yeforue anicircumstancellweah
hh rmakes—atnhdis lc
urme mp
eetmi t
on
I 114Ittulate that thia handloom weaving,