The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-30 00:00:00

TILE .RIGHT RON. FREDERICK PEEL

AT BURY.

Last evening the Right Hon. F. Peel, M.P., ad-
dressed his constituents in the theatre at Bury.
The building was tolerably well filled, the committee
having issued 1,500 admission tickets. The chair
was taken at half-past 7 o'clock by Mr. 0. Walker,
the chairman of Mr. Peel's election committee. The
CHAIRMAN having briefly introduced Mr. Peel,
The Right Hon. GENTLEMAN, after the cheering
had subsided, said he understood the object of the
meeting was to afford him the opportunity of
addressing his constituents on the late session of
Parliament, and the course which he had thought
it necessary to pursue as their representative. He
was ready to attend the meeting because he felt it
to be the only opportunity he had of acknowledg-
ing their kindness to him, They had always left
him a wide discretion to vote as he pleased on any
question. Very many members of Parliament had
addressed their constituents on the last session, and
he thought their speeches were generally unfavour-
able to the work that had been done. •He saw no
ground for the complaint which some people had
made respecting the length of the speeches that had
been delivered in Parliament, except so far as re-
lated to the Reform Bill. The statute-book for the
last session of Parliament was a bulkier volume
than any that had preceded it, and that was a pretty
good test of. the quantity of work done. Where
was the promised Reform Bill, that for the conso-
lidation of the law, and that for the consolidation
of the bankruptcy law. It was a misfortune that
they had not been passed this year, as they must
again come before Parliament on a future session.
The first vote he gave during the last session was
in favour of the French treaty. With regard to th e
wines of France, ke thought they would never dis-
place the hold which beer had upon the people of
this country. He did not hesitate to vote for it,
because he thought it would enhance the commer-
cial intercourse between France and England—
(applause)—and would promote the interests of the
people of. both countries. It was surprising how
small had been the commercial intercourse between
England and France hitherto, but the treaty would
turn the thoughts of the warlike people of France
to peace and commerce. It had been said it was a
one-sided treaty, bundle fact was that if free trade
was what they had found it to be in England, France
would not rest till she had more of the advantages
of free commerce. Speaking of the financial mea-
sures of the past session, he said they obliterated
the last traces and vestiges of protection ; they did
away with the differentia? duties in favour of colo-
nial timber growers, colonial wine growers, Eng-
lish clockmakers, riband makers, silk manufactu-
rers, and many other branches of trade. These
duties were the remains of a once powerful family,
but they were not less at the present time injurious
on that account. He thought it to be his duty to
vote for the Customs' duty on paper to be the same
as it was to the English papermaker, for he saw no
reason why papermakers should not be put on the
same footing as regarded protection as every other
trade. (Applause.) Nor could he see why the price
of paper in this country should be made dearer than
it otherwise would be through the medium of a tax
which took more out of the pockets of the people
than it put into the Exchequer. .The financial mea
sures of the last session were remarkable for the
work of simplification of the Customs' tariff, which
was commenced some 20 years ago under the
auspices of the Government of which his father was
the chief. In 1840 the Customs' ditties were levied
upon 1,000 articles, but at that period indirect
taxation had been carried to its extreme limit, and
then it was that that Government resolved to have
recourse to direct taxation, and the plan was then
commenced, which had been carried out ever since,
to the complete relief of industry from that burden
of taxation; and no sooner was that course entered
upon than the trade of the country revived. Now
they were only levied upon about twenty articles.
(Hear, hear.) He thought these changes rendered
memorable the past session. He held that the
House of Commons could not too jealously maintain
its exclusive right over the taxation of the country.
(Hear, hear.) Through their representatives the
people now taxed themselves ; and with regard to
the repeal of taxation, he thought the House of
Lords ought to be satisfied with a mere passive
acquiescence. The House of Lords, he believed, had
been led to pursue the course they did on account of
the majority respecting the repeal of the paper duties
having dwindled down to what it did. He thought,
at the same time, that the House of Commons
had consulted its own dignity in recording the
protest which it did against the course pursued by
the House of Lords. He believed such large sums
had never been voted in any session as in the last
for the army and naval defences of the country ;
90.000 seamen and marines, or just double the
number voted in 1853, were voted for the navy.
The great expense that the navy had entailed upon
us mainly resulted from our having to reconstruct
our vessels of war in order to enable us to sustain
our maritime superiority. The same thing, to some
extent, might be said of the army, there having of
late years been a complete revolution in the con-
struction of our firearms and ordnance. It was
doubtful, however, after all, whether the Volunteer
movement had not been the means of winning from
other nations that respect in which this country
was now held. The failure of the Reform Bill was
I mainly attributable to the indifference of the coun-
try. It was a question surrounded with difficulties,
but could not be allowed to sleep. Finality had
long been given up. If they wished it the laws of
this country could no more be stationary than the
progress of the people. If they could not have
progress at the rate they could desire, at least they
I should have some progress. Progressive legislation
was in favour at the present day, and he held it was
wiser to remove them gradually than to remain
until a demand would be made to wipe them all off
in a day. The country felt alarmed at the numbers
which the late Reform Bill would have admitted to
the franchise ; but the mere hands holding up the
State the stronger it would be. He did not think
the working classes wanted more than a fair share
of political power—(hear)---or more than would
enable them to act in harmony with the other classes
for the common wealth. (Applause.) What had been
the sympathies of England with regard to the ques-
tion of Italy all well knew. The amalgamation of
the Italian States had been the act of a great man.
(Cheers.) The one opinion had been that England
ought not to have interferred with the quarrels of
the Italian people, and while being passive herself
she should Also insist that ether nations should
be the same. That was the principle of non-inter-
vention enuncieed and laid down the very first
night of the session, declared repeatedly through-
out the course of it, and steadily adhered to since,
and they could only wish that it had been observed
in former times as it was likely to be in the future.
(Applause.) The right hon. gentleman then pro-
ceeded to justify his having taken office in the
present Administration, ;and afterwards resumed
his seat amid loud applause.
In reply to several questions the right hon.
gentleman stated, on the question of the ballot, that
when before the house he voted against: it ; he was
in favour of interference with the hours of labour, so
far as regarded women and children ; that he was
opposed to the flogging of soldiers for trivial
offences, and that he was in favour of soldiers, as
he was of all other men, rising by merit in the
trade or profession they had chosen.
A vote of confidence in the right hon. gentle-
man having been passed the proceedings termi-

nated.

A recent number of the Toronto Leader, one of
the organs of the Canadian Ministry, states that the Go-
vernment, in view of the Grand Trunk Railway o
threempany' coma
application for relief, will immediately appoint
missioners to institute an inquiry into the affairs of the
company. The commissioners are to be Mr. Grant,
manager of the Northern Railway, and Messrs. Langton
and Thudieu. The same paper mentions that the advances
of the Bank of Upper Canada to the company were made
upon the security of its property in Vermont, New Hamp-
shire, and Maine. It consists of the rolling stock property
and entire interest of the company there,
and fully and
unquestionably ample to cover the amount. A previous
judgment is removed in favour of the banki,osftheaaasit,etbeheaeinnredg
is no creditor before it.
P
Probate of the will of Miss. Maria Pearce was
yesterdaycorritz,o
f Long granted.
acre.tolNlr.
The Pear cweillo fwtahs
e disputed,firn
drawn up contrail to the act, and also as MY. ingbeen mad°
Wader undue influence.