The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-30 00:00:00

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IN F.

~SPAPER

N '
(47/ 4,14
yd star so • onourable to y self personall •44
"fkency w•' h, unsolicited, has restored to '• • • " "7- t::• 447
• its m• distinguished ornaments, and • 4,- "!""•••aea'"
tra on which has tendered ,to our ateeep ; -
admirably befitting your past career as that • tiet
sidency of the Board of Trade. While all class ePlof OWs
fellow-countrymen will join in this congratulation
if not in person and in words, it is highly probable,- Sir,
that with them, as with us, thefeeling of gratitude forpast
services is all the more profound because it is mingled with
a lively expectation of services to come. We need hardly
remind you, Sir, of the predictions of ruin and desolation
which itssailed you in the course-of your glorious anti-corn
law agitation, nor hf the-confident, and. yet, jtidged, by the
event, most modest anticipations with which you met those
doleful prophecies: • The'experience of 10 years hair falsified
them all, and So far butrah yorti own Most sanguine anticipa-
tions that it ii•onlYheie and there that a solitary Protec-
' tionist, blind lb. conviction because resolutely closing his
eyes to all that passes around, him, raises a lenient for the
abolished impost on the prior man's loaf, while those who
have derived the greatest benefit from comparatively free
trade in corn, and its consequences are the owners and cul-
tivators of the soil, many of whom expected tube absolutely
rained by it. Here, in this great emporiums of the com-
mercial world, the progress made during the last ten yeara
in the increase of shipping and trade, the extension-of docks
and warehouses for their accommodation, the improvement
in the coniition of the industrial classes, the substitution of
wholesome dwellings for dark, damp, and unventilated cel-
lars and Courthouses, in which thousands ,upon "thousands
of them are congregated, has been so great as to be almost in-
credible were not the facts patenttordl. Inthe-United ICinga
dom generally the same unmistakeable proofs of.progresl
are manifested. Exports and imports have been nearly quad-
rupled; the people have more employment at higher wages,
and, of course, are better fed and better clad ; the popula-
tion is greatly increased, and yet the amount of pauperism
has diminished, not only relatively, but absolutely; with
some millions more of population there are some thousands
less of paupers. These results of the repeal of the corn
laws, and of partial modification of the Customs and Excise
laws show the desirability of further progress in the direc-
tion of free trade. We have used the. phrase compara-
tively fTea.trade.in colas' because there. is still a tax Or
per qr..on. all foreign corn imported; whichr at the recent
prices amounts to a tax of 2 per cent; matte" that extent
is a protective duty in favour of the-Ebb:lW grower, at the
expense of the consumer_of all home .grown corn. We know
it is saidto be-levied for registration pati:POWamlly, but. we •
•
know alStsthat 'ld. per 4r. would amply. suffice to .pa.y..alf Au;
expenses really incurred by registration. j This tax ought to
be abolished ars literally a proteltive one. .B.ut it lain the gen_.77.
eral duti6 a:Cuetoms and Excise that there-is-the *atest ne-
cessity far a. sweeping reform, in accordance-with the tande-
m entalprinciples of theAnti-CornLawieertgate. Frbm these
•
duties—that is, from the shackles on commerce,manufaetures, -
and, induetry which ought to be free as air-two-thirds of,
the revenue from, taxes are raised. The British tariff still
t<niiiams between 400 or 500 articles chargeable with duty,
many of which do not realize the cost of collection ; while
all, without exception, are obstructions to commerce and to
the extension of trade, both foreign and domestic. We find
from the finance accounts for the year ending March, 1858,
that the total product of the Customs' duties in that year
was £23,299,570, and that of that sum 11 articles only con- :
tributed &2,465,145, or within considerably less than a
million of the whole amount. We, sir, are in favour of
such an entire revision of our fiscal system as shall make
taxation a fair and inevitable payment to the State for
services rendered by the State, instead of being, as at
present, mainly levied on the necessaries and luxuries
of life. We advocate direct taxation as the only means
of obtaining perfect freedom of trade and industry . We
are, therefore, for the total abolition of Customs and Excise
duties as speedily as may be, and, in the meanwhile, we
think that no person, however widely he may differ from
us on that point, can deny that in the present state of our
tariff there is ample room for further modifications, the sim-
ple fact being that it is most difficult to determine whether
the injurious or the absurd most predominates in its ar-
rangements. As we believe that perfect freedom of trade
was the ultimate object of the Anti-Corn Law League,
though it did dissolve when the first step only was accom-
plished, so we hope that in you, Sir, its most distinguished
champion, an advocate will be found for that principle in
its entirety, And, trusting that you will find that it is the
intention of her Majesty's present Ministers to persevere
in the path of commercial reform of which you were
the practical apostle, and in which the late Sir
Robert Peel was . confessedly your disciple, we do
most confidently hope that you will not permit
any mere personal consideration to deprive you of
the opportunity of officially furthering and crowning your
own great work. The statesman who does accomplish
this task will gain for himself a name above all Greek, or
Roman, or British fame. Accept, sir, our most cordial
congratulations on the resumption of your most honourable
public career, and, with them, our heartfelt prayers that
your life may long be spared, with health and strength, to
plead the people's cause in the people's House of Parlia-
ment. " By order of the Council,
ROBERTSON GLADSTONE, President."
Mr. COBDEN, in replying, said ho had had oppor-
tunities of observinc, the sound, but somewhat
bold, and he might add the audacious declaration
of principles watch have characterised the Liver-
pool Financial Reform Association. (Hear, hear.)
He believed they were as sound in principle as the
repeal of the Corn Laws. He entirely agreed with
them that the men or body of men who could abo-
lish Customs and Excise duties in this or any other
country would be the greatest benefactors that
country could possibly receive. While he must
say that he looked upon the adoption of that
principle as at present impracticable, he was
frequently in doubt whether we were not under
tho same delusion in regard to the question of
direct and indirect taxation, as Sir R. Peel was as
to the practicability of applying free trade prin-
ciples. It had always appeared to him that Sir R.
Peel was as good a Free-trader as any of them, but
that lie was under the impression that it was im-
possible to carry out the principle without inflict-
ing such an amount of injury on native interests as
no prudent Minister would do. He put it forward
as a matter of doubt in his own mind whether they
could sweep away Customs and Excise duties, and
substitute a tax upon property as a means of rais-
ing the whole amount of taxation required. How-
ever, he intended to follow up the topic, and would
congratulate them upon having kept this lamp
burning in the midst of external darkness. He
believed the time would come when this would not
be considered as an abstract truth, but would be
carried just as Sir R. Peel carried out reform in the
Corn Laws, which 30 years before was considered
mere madness. •He thanked them for the hearty
expressions of good-will which this address con-
tained.

Mr. COOKE also presented an address on behalf
of the Liverpool Peace Society, which was as fol-
lows: .

"To RICHARD COBDEN, ESQ.,
" Liverpool, June 29.
"My dear Sir,—l am directed by the committee of the
Liverpool Peace Society to tender to you their sincere con-
gratulations on your resuming your position in Parliament,
and especially on your having been called to take office in
the executive branch of the Government. We beg to ex-
press our attachment to you by ties of gratitude for your
exertions as a foremost member of the Peace Party. That
the old political leaders, who have hitherto exhibited a
hopeless lukewarmness, if not stood in actual opposition to
your views, should have been compelled by the develop-
ment of circumstances and the enlightenment Of public
opinion to invite your co-operation, knowing the terms on
which alone your acceptance would be based, is to us a
gratifying proof of the progress of the principles which you
have so ably and courageously advocated. A nest
epoch is before us. The time cannot be far distant when
nations will learn, as smaller communities have long done,
to substitute the majesty of law for the fiendish destructive-
ness and logical absurdity of physical force. As an associa-
tion founded on a Christian basis, we must admit the ab-
stract duty of peace under all circumstances, but we shall
hail with thankfulness, and support with what energy we
can muster, such a practical approximation to our position
as is to be found in the plan which you have politically ini-
tiated—namely, a proportional disarmament of individual
nations, and the establishment of a federal court or system
of arbitration, for the settlemeht of international disputes.
With the highest respect, and with a cordial welcome home
to your country, I subscribe myself, on behalf of the above
committee. "ISAAC B. CooKE, Hon. Sec?'
Mr. COBDEN said there never was a time when
the advocacy of peace opinions was
he more necessary
than now, and
believed the time would come
before long when suffering and disappointed na-
tionalities would appreciate those doctrines. He had
said before that he had frequently heard expressions
of regret in America that the preparations our Go-
vernment were mailing should be so large. His
theory was that what we found to be the case on the
Continent we should probably find true here ; that,
hiring prepared an enormous armament, there may
be a disposition to see what use may be made of it.
lie was not to be charged with any desire to see
England thrown upon the mercy or forbearance of
any Power on earth; and, to prevent himself being
misunderstood, he had no hesitation in saying that
he would rather see another national debt as large as
the present than see England occupied for a month
by a French army, even though that army came as
professed friends. He had a religious, a moral ab-
horrence of war, and also an intellectual repugnance
to it, for it was the most Stupid, as well as the most
sinful, of all devices by which to settle national dif-
ficulties. He believed the time would come when
public opinion would be strong enough to put under
restraint any nation which should wish to resort to
such a stupid course.
-

A deputation from the Liverpool Reform Asso-
ciation afterwards had a private interview, at which
they presented an address expressing a hope that
Mr. Cobden would accept the office offered him in
the Government.

We understand that the hon. gentleman was the
guest of Mr. Brown last evening.

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