The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVE NINU, NOVE VIBE R 23, 1861.

number of persons who, generally speaking, have the
largest amount of social and political influence.
Then, again, the wealthier classes in this country
are well aware that the pulpit is still a power,
although to some extent it may share its authority
with the press; they are aware of that, and pos-
sibly it enters into their calculations that a clergy
paid upon the voluntary principle by the offerings
of their congregations might not always take the
same view of social and political arrangements as is
taken by the existing clergy. In the last century
the wealthier classes were very indifferent to clerical
matters, but the great movement of the French re-
volution startled them in their security, and alarmed
them—l will not say, looking at it selfishly, for
their privileges and position, but for the stability of
society as it actually stood ; and ever since that
time there has been a growing disposition on the
part of these classes to league themselves, in part
from higher and disinterested motives, in part also
from considerations of political security, with the
clerical power. This consideration has not been
altogether without its influence upon the Church
extension movement of the present day. Then again,
you must consider the personal influence of some
15,000 clergy, many of them highly educated men,
and the great majority well conducted and respected
in their own locality. You must consider, also the
undoubted value of the services which they have
rendered to primary education, and the immense
power which in such matters is exercised by habit
and prescription ; and although the Nonconformist
bodies jointly may equal in number the members of
the Establishment, still a very large number of the
members of these bodies, although they may some-
times see the privileges of the Establishment with
some feeling of jealousy, yet do not on the whole
wish to see it overthrown. (Hear, hear.) Look-
ing, then, at the matter merely from its political
aspect, and not expressing any personal feeling, it
seems to me that, in England at least, the Church
Establishment is as secure as any institution can
be reasonably expected to be. Ido not say that in
Ireland or Scotland the state of things may be ex-
actly the same. In Scotland the religion there esta-
blished is that of a minority of the people, and in
Ireland it is that of a very inconsiderable minority,
and I will own to you frankly that I look forward
with uneasiness and apprehension to the discussions
which some day or other will arise on ecclesiastical
affairs in those countries. But with regard to Eng-
land 4 believe the balance of power which now exists
between the Establishment and the Nonconformist
bodies, and which, I may say in passing, is not on
the whole incompatible with individual freedom of
speech, seems to be likely to endure fur a consider-
able time. If only the two hostile parties within
the Establishment itself, and who, if one may judge
from the manner in which they write and speak of
each other, have no great mutual love to spare—
(laughter)—can be kept from open war, I do not
see that there is any external power which is ever
likely to disturb the Establishment in the enjoy-
ment of its rights. As to the particular question
of church rates, I have seen and heard nothing to
alter the opinim which for some years past I
have' formed as to its only possible solution.
(Hear, hear.) I was at first not indisposed to a
compromise, for in England politicians frequently
end by a compromise ; but I have seen no plan
which appears to me to have a reasonable chance of
success. At present there is greater bitterness of
feeling, certainly greater combativness on both sides.
Both sides want that which only one can have—a
decisive victory; and that being the case, I do not
think any settlement is likely, especially as, so far
as I can see, there is no very strong desire on either
side for peace. I am not speaking of politicians,
but there are some ecclesiastical leaders on both sides

who appear not sorry to, have questions of this kind

open. It keeps alive attention and acts as a little
stimulus to party zeal. (Laughter.) I do not
think, therefore, that you will very soon see a
settlement of the question; but on the grounds of
justice and policy, in the interests of the Church,
and for the sake of social peace, I shall continue to
vote against the rate. (Hear, and cheers.) One
last word upon questions of finance. The financial
policy of the present Government has up to this
time consisted mainly of three parts—the French
treaty, the clearance of the Customs' tariffs from a
multiplicity of petty duties, and the repeal of the

'paper duty. As to the treaty with France, I en-
tirely approved what was done by our Government
in that matter, and I have never joined in any of
the criticisms upon that treaty, or in the oppcsition
which was made to it. As to the second, the
clearance of the tariff from those numerous and
vexatious duties of which I have spoken,
I not only approved the plan when it was
brought forward, but I well recollect, when speak-
ing some years ago in this hall, venturing to pre-
dict to you that it was one of the financial reforms
most expedient to be adopted. As to the third ques-
tion—the paper duties—l want to say a word in
explanation of the course taken personally by my-
self. When in 1860 Mr. Gladstone proposed the re-
peal of the paper duty, a counter proposition was
mado by a gentleman whom we all in the House of
Commons respect—Sir Wm. Miles—substituting for
the repeal of the paper duties a reduction of the in-
come•tax to a corresponding amount. A vote was
taken upon that subject, but I declined to join in it.
When the question was whether the income tax
should be reduced to half the amount, or whether
the paper duty should be taken oft, I thought that
the claim of paper was the stronger; but the
China war intervened, and necessarily caused a
postponement of the repeal of the duty.
When the question came on again last ses-
sion it was raised in a somewhat diffe-
rent form. It was not then a consideration
whether the income-tax should be reduced and
the paper duty repealed, but the point at issue was
whether the paper duty should be repealed or the
tea duty reduced. Both those measures, in them-
selves, seemed to be right. I have not a word to
say against either, and if I had stood alone I do not
know that I should have cared to oppose a propo-
sition good in itself merely to substitute a better.
However, the question was raised and pressed to a
vote. I am not ashamed to say that I hesitated as
to the course I should take, but in the end I decided
to vote for the reduction of the duty on tea. In the
first place it seemed to me to be a more direct and
immediate benefit to the working classes, and, in
the next place, although the money lost to the Ex-
chequer by the repeal of a duty may in the end be
replaced, still I think it is not's() soon replaced as
by the reduction of a duty, because an increased

consumption naturally occurs and czrries up what
is left of the tax to its former account, and the way
is thus cleared for further financial reforms. An-
other question had also to be considered in con-
nexion with the subject, and that was that
in the event of any European complications
in which we might be involved.—and this was a pos-

sibibilty of which some months ago it was impos •
sible to lose eight—it would have been easy to raise
again a duty merely lowered, while it would have
been utitirry impossihle to put on a duty which had
been taken off, (Hear.) I do not know that I should
have recalled to your recollection a matter past and
g6Tie if it had not bnri said thatl have been guilty
of some inconsistency in voting in that way after
having been connected with an association for the
repeal of the paper duty.- Some allusion was made
to this in the !louse of:Common's., and although I
don't like to waste public time with.egotistical ex-
planations, I owe it to you to clear myself from the
reproach of having taken an inconsistent course.
Some years ago I took an interest in the repeal of
tha newspaper stamp, and I wrote a letter on the
subject, which was widdy circulated, I believe,
by an association calling itself the Asso-
ciation for Promoting the . Repeal of the
Taxes on Knowledge. The repeat of the stamp
duty being then before the public, I subscribed
to the funds of the association, but I perfectly
well remember stating at the time that I declined
to give any pledge on the subject of the paper duty;
because I considered that that was a matter on
which it was ,inexpedient to bind one's-self before-
hand. My name .may
;bif . '
finance, when the temporary ,
fear we must look forWardis
have remained upon the lists
of this aisociation
t my connection with it was
simply in reference to the
question of the repeal of
the newspaper stamp. As to the future of English
Oliver, I own I take a
ffering to which I
I
very sanguine view, I have tie d 0..u1',t that there

will be suffering and depression for the next few
months, but, extending one's inquiry over a wider
period, and looking back for the last 10 or 12
years, I believe America itself can hardly show
more rapid material progress than that which this
country has made. I will only give one proof of
this. Taking incomes of upwards of £lOO a year,
the increase in such incomes during the last 10 or
12 years has been £30,000,000 a year ; and thus,
if you were to take the increase of wealth
which has occurred in the. last 10 years, and
apply it to the purposes of the State, there would
be an amount more than sufficient to pay the in-
terest on that national debt which our forefathers
looked upon as so crushing a burden, If I look to
the future I see no reason to believe that we are

likely to fall off. The trade with India is only now
beginning to be a benefit ; the American quarrel,
probably, will not last many years, and if the strug-
gle ends in the way in which we most of us expect
to see it terminate, I think we may look forward to
an increase of traffic with the Southern States when
the restrictive tariffs imposed by the North have
ceased to operate. In Australia and Canada there
is a constantly increasing population, and many
years must pass before we can look forward to those
colonies becoming manufacturing communities upon
any considerable scale. Africa and South America,
too, are in the very infancy of their ci:•ilization,
and therefore of their commerce; and, even in
Europe, there is no country which at the pre-
sent time trades with England to half the extent
which it might. If, therefore, we can only avert
foreign war and internal disturbance, I think
after the temporary suffering of the next few months
has passed away there will be no appreciable limit
to the wealth, comfort, and numbers to which the
population of these islands may attain, lam not
going to take upon myself the duty of the Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer, and point out what taxes it
may be his duty to remit. I am afraid we must not

look forward to much remission of taxation next
year, but whenever that operation takes place there
are three or four taxes which seem to me to have a
stronger claim than all others—viz,, a reduction of
the tea duty, a reduction of the sugar duty, to which
precisely similar arguments apply, and a reduction
of the duty on insurances, which, although I fear
it cannot be abolished, is at the present rate far too

high. If our neighbours allow us to reduce our
armaments by reducing their own—(hear)—which
seems now more probable than it has done for a
long time past, I think we shall all of us agree that
the income tax ought not to remain at its present
height. (Cheers.) As to that income tax I have
never held out hopes of its entire abolition, but
I confess I am anxious to see it reduced, not merely
for the reasons which lead us to be glad when any

tax is reduced, but especially for the reason that,
do what you will, it seems not to be in the power
of man to make the tax a perfectly equitable one.
Some rough approximations to justice have been
made, but I believe you cannot prevent the tax
from falling very unequally, not merely upon indi-
viduals, but upon different classes. Men will bear
a considerable amount of inequality when a tax is
not large; they will bear it with tolerable patience
when it is only 2 or 21 per cent., but it becomes a
serious matter when it is 4or 5 per cent. Serious
complaints begin to be made on the subject, and the
worst of those complaints is that they are to a great
extent well founded. In ordinary years of prosperity
—although I am afraid we cannot reckon the next
year as one of them—it is calculated that each
year's revenue ought to exceed the last by
something like £1,000,000, and if the ex-
penditure does not rise in proportion there
is a margin sufficiently large to enable reduc-
tions of taxation to be made, if we have patience
and are not anxious to do everything at once, or

adopt the counsels of a school of financiers who
would relieve us from existing taxes by putting on

new ones quite as inequitable in the working; In

conclusion, let me thank you for the patience with
which you have listened to my address, for the un-
varying kindness I have received at your hands,
and for the confidence you extended .to me when
that confidence was most valuable. So long as you
favour me with the continuance of that confidence
and support I shall new% seek the suffrages of any
other constituency. (Loud cheers.)
A vote of thanks to his Lordship, proposed by
Mr. It, BAGGE, and seconded by Mr. ARMES (a
prominent member of the Liberal party in Lynn),
was carried by acclamation, and a similar compli-
ment having been accorded to the Mayor for his
conduct in the chair, the proceedings closed with
three hearty cheers for the hero of the meeting:

ART TREASURES EXIIIBMON AT

EDINBURGH.

An exhibition of industrial and decorative art at
Edinburgh was formally opened on Wednesday
evening, when addresses were delivered by the Duke
of Buccleuch, Dr. Lyon Playfair, Lord Elcho,
M.P., the Lord Provost, and the Lord Advocate,
M.P. The exhibition, which takes place in the east
side of the National Gallery,has been got up by the
exertions of a committee of the Hon. Board of
Manufactures, of which committee Dr. Lyon Play-
fair is chairman, and Mr. W. B. Johnston, curator
of the National Gallery, is art superintendent of the
exhibition. The collection, both in point of value
and illustrative character, is undoubtedly the finest
of its kind that has yet been exhibited in Scotland
surpassing, in nearly all respects, the two exhibi-
tions of the Art Manufacture Association in 1857
and 1858. The Queen, the Prince Consort, and the
Prince of Wales have given a more than nominal
patronage to the present exhibition, having sent
numerous and valuable contributions; the Dukes of
Buccleuch and Hamilton have given munificently
towards the display ; the Earl of Elgin and Sir J.
Hope Grant have sent their Chinese collections;
and among other liberal donors are the
Earl of Wemyss, Lord Elcho, Lord Wharncliffe,
Lord Kinnaird, Mr. Marjoribanks, M.P., Mr.
Napier, Mr. Webb, Mr. Barber, &c. The circulat-
ing collection of the department of science and art,
under the care of Mr. Worsnop, also forms part of
the display. A great many antique and curious
articles are exhibited, many of them having histori-
cal or traditional interest. Her Majesty sends the
Cellini shield, given by Francis I. to Henry VIII. ;
and the Prince of Wales exhibits the splendid
shield which was his baptismal gift from the King
of Prussia, and which has only once previously been
shown to the public—namely, in the Exhibition of
1851. The walls of the room are richly clothed
with Gobelins and Flemish tapestries, the Depart-
ment of Science and Art exhibiting the beautiful
specimen of Gobelins gifted to it by Prince Napo-
leon, and which had been presented by Napoleon I.
to King Jerome in 1806. The tapestries of New-
market Palace have been sent asillustrations of the
Flemish school- The walls are also decorated with
armour, and with cartoons, drawings, and costume
pictures. The contributions of Mr. Marjoribanks
include his famous Limoges enamels, and also many
fine specimens of Chelsea and Sevres wares. Among
the latter are two cups which belonged to the Em-
peror Napoleon 1., and are now in the possession of
Sir W. Gibson-Craig. One of these, it is said, was
presented by Napoleon to the Empress Josephine,
and treasured by her to the clay of her death.
It is ornamented with a portrait of Napoleon by
Isabey, the celebrated French miniature painter.
The handle of the cup having been broken by acci-
dent, it was replaced by a similarly shepedhandle of
solid gold. In all the departments of the ceramic
art, as also in glass, there is a most illustrative dis-
play. Of ivories, principally owing to Mr. Webb's
contributions, there is a fine collection ; and there
is also a case of Greek and Roman coins and medals
curiously illustrative of the ancient numismatic
arts. A splendid case of weapons has been arranged.
Among the articles it displays arc a pair of pistols,
richly wrought, contributed by the Due d'Aumale,
and also some exquisitely enamelled and jewelled
arms, sent by General Malcolm and others. Among
the principal objects in the cases of plate and jewels
may be mentioned a gold drinking cup, sent by her
Majesty ; a set of enamelled sleeve buttons, each
with the head of an Indian monarch, contributed
by Sir G. G. &laic ; two very rich jewels, shown
by Mr. Varier; one representing a Greek ship in
gold, with the figures of the crew and the rigging
of the vessel exiiaisitely wrought, and the other a
gold jewelled hoot. One of the most interesting,
though one of the smallest jewels, is a gold head
and bust about inch iwsize, said to represent the
Tauric Diana. This curiosity, which is exhibited by
Capt. Crease, RIK, was found by Mrs. Crease while
watching some excavations in an ancient tumulus
at Kertch, while the British army were in the
Crimea. The head is of exquisite workmanship, and,
as a curious instance of the revolutions of fashion,
the hair is dressed a l'lmperatrice. In the same case
are several very curious old watches sent by Mr.
Alexander Bryson, one of which is said to have be-
longed to Sir Walter Raleigh.
In illustration of the art of bookbinding, the
Duke of Hamilton has contributed a number of rare

and valuable books, in rich and elaborate bindings
by Grolier, treasurer to Francis I. (from the
King's library), the celebrated Diane de Poitiers,
the ' Majoli family, and other famous binders.
Several rare books are exhibited by Mr. James
Gibson-Craig, including a volume with the arms
and initials of Mary Queen of Scots, and another
which belonged to the Earl of Bothwell, with his
name, title, and arms impressed on the boards.
In his speech at the opening of the exhibition,
Dr. Playfair stated that after the Exhibition Com-
mittee was organised their first step was to apply
for the approval of the Queen and the Prince Con-
sort, which was given in the most ready and gene-
rous way, the terms of the reply being to this effect
—that so anxious was her Majesty to promote the.
success of such an exhibition in Scotland that the
committee might visit the Royal Palaces and select
for themselves what they thought best adapted for
the purposes of the exhibition ; and accordingly
some of the most valuable contributions to the pre-
sent exhibition were made by her Majesty. Dr.
Playfair also specially noticed the generous manner
in which the authorities of South Kensington had
aided the Exhibition. On the motion of Lord Elcho,
a vote of thanks was warmly tendered to the con-
tributors.