The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-15 00:00:00

made for going into Committee—of course vial n viww f
poopoe _
jag a certain fixed duty in the importation of
reign corn. He did not mean to assert that such e
tY woual be a great relief to the agricultural interest;
was rather disposed to think it would not have the
vet of raising prices, but it would at least assure the
there fa_rroers that they would not go
supposing lower, that the s nircee
of import would be circumscribed, and that consequently
Wouldt
be a more limited supply in future years.
1t
the effect to be the rising of the price to
ine what injury would that do to neighbour-
e
it b uuntries, or what perceptible increase would
wake to the consemer at home ? If they
Waited until 1851, agricultural discontent would be
ai
krin element in a complete cauldron of national
cu', tY• Then the income-tax would have to he re-
newed; and before that WAS done there must be a genera'
theie ion of taxa•ion. Would it be politic, then. to have
great landed interest injured and oppressed, smarting
buutdeir recent injury, ant indisposed to any additional
r"ell.—(llear hear.) Ministers would, then, perhaps,
bed:weed to remember that that interest supported pe-
culiar burdens, and that the d submitted to them
tinder Y h a
- compact that they were to be protected from
cieo competition with other countries. When things
tacma to extremity, Ministers could not rely on Gentle-
n on their Own side of the House, their domestic op-
P°'itten, he might call it, who, like the natives of certain
enrage countries, whipped their idols more than they
Wonr•h Wed them.—(Leughter.) They might depena
1;11 it that their main stay in the hour of trial would
„e the landed interest. Objection was made to the term
c_.ee Protection," but the protection they claimed on that
e of the House was only simple justice.—(lronical
ee rs
.) Protection against injury. —(Cheers and
ha
ti,nter cheers.) It was argued that manufacturers
if?no protection, and why should agriculture claim
if But they were not in the same situation. It so
tt7PPened that the manufacturers were able to produce
tutgoods cheaper than the continental manufacturers;
,"1` exactly the reverse was the case with the agricultu-
ral •
ier 1. interest. They could not produce as cheap as
mgners•—
of a • (Ironical cheers.) He. would take the case
countryre where the state of things was exactly the
duerse• In Prussia the manufacturer could not pro-
et cheep goods, but the farmer could produce cheap
e, 11; but the Prussian Government could not sacrifice
.ee e
klutzto Freer by letting in the cheaper produce of our
ten 3
--(Protectionist cheers.) But here it was forgot-
that there was a unity of interest between the two
tiates, and the cry was, " Sacrifice one, that the other
thaeY,„ e,,njoy a factitious prosperity." They forgot that
ne.' "ad one common country, and that the interest of
du) Wall the interest of all. The motion was, no
suppotirtto re-impose protection. He gave his warmest
to it, believing that while it would nct
meats any class, while it would not be in any way detri-
ria,Ofal to the community, it would nevertheless give sa-
laction and defence to the agricultural interest. Some-
thingtiki had been said about reaction and a change
theemtgePlace- No man surely could look about him but
telt. be convinced that there had taken place, and was
qu lag place a great change in the public mind on this
tieeqi°ll, of 'the- ultimate decision of which he had the
kedatte,st confidence. He did not know that any change
tio taken Place in the agricultural districts, but a reac-
tit° had taken place in the other classes of the commu-
thl; There were signs not to be misunderstood of a
di atel le of opinion in the industrious classes, not imme-
Y
*het Connected with the cotton manufacture. And
stoat was the reaction but a desire to return to protec-
th,:" Yet he feared Government was so entangled that
thel would listen to no such sober counsel, and that
afre Was not the slightest hope they would return to it.
thtinthout any hope of that, but with the warmest hope
D e at no distant period the object would be attained,
pre his hearty support to the motion.—(Cheers.)
ee fir ,CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was ex-
e-'ngiy gladthat this motion had been broueht for-
Ward.
the because it was much better that the. opinions of
l•
eaders of parties should be stated in Parliament,.
shape they could be discussed, than published in the,
apple): fc'f manifestos in newspapers.—(Hear, hear.) It
. red that a Noble Lord had now put forward a
ta4e4telfes.to of his principles, and that the standard of
rh ction
e, was now fairly unfurled.—(Loud cheers from
'Pposition.) He was glad that this was so..—
hedeent) The Hon. Member for South Lincolnshire
tspoken of the necessity of reconsidering recent le-
_
pren°n, but the great leader of the party confined his
kteTiiion to the transfer or removal of local burdens.
that tue„gentlemen who waited on his Noble Friend said
wee
/t nothing but protection would answer their purpose.
hs now quite clear that the object to be attained
ito a fixed duty of eight shillings.—(Hear, hear.) An
nourable Member said it would be better to post-
anY motion on the subject until a new Parliament
ethcHlki be elected by an amended constituency. But t
waedtlier the Hon. Member was prepared to bring for-
beers;,4 new Reform Bill, he must leave the Hon. Mem-
erlid' explain. He believed the greatest benefit had been
0-fi erred on the country by the policy which had been
Ile IT Years adopted.—(heers, and cries of " Oh, oh.")
thie‘"(l not believe that the great body of the people of
• idcountry who had tasted the benefit of cheap food
to three years hence, or at any other time, return
the Itrilarefint a body of gentlemen who would reverse
• PalieY,—(llear, hear.) It had been said that he (the I
'uanc 11 went e or of the Exchequer) considered this an experi-
Now he denied, in the strongest terms, ever '
ieft,,',"g used a single expression which could lead to the
(Gear that ho considered this an experiment.—
stated, hear.) hear.) The Right Honourable Gentleman bad
0r,." very clearly what he conceived to be the object
ite'oteetion. He stated that be did not think the
benefit of an Bs. duty would be of any great
teis "t to the agriculturist, or that it would materially
thee p the price of corn. And he (the Chancellor of
Luria must say that supposing the agricul-
the look for comfort to the other side of the House, '
tlee,Y had derived very little from the Right Hon. Gen-
itie:lll,,_tretiato,u
toc: from an admission on that side of the
Coulee that the large importation of foreign corn in 1849
could. not be supposed in the slightest degree to have
to the alleged distress, which was the sub-
areet,°„l two motions the last session and one during thehe
as `"f• The Right Hon. Gentleman put the case of the
Can et:4 ahurists in this way. The English manufacturer
P, Produce cheaper than the foreign manufacturer; the
s °hea •
iosti agriculturist cannot produce corn as cheap as the
keielli.Producer; and the Right Hon. Gentleman
.would
the rh—fila Protection on English corn in order to maintain
—onopoiy for the English produce—that was to say,
lelit:°111d raise the price of corn to the consuming popu-
kee,lit'ss(Hear, bear.) What the Right Hon. Gentleman
Prot„ ,was that the price of food should be raised by
eee -s•t`ng laws. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer)
price Bred it manifestly unjust and impolitic to raise the
areel;ief bread to the consuming population, and that
*hen" Principle on which the Government proceeded
teppo the alteration in the law was proposed, and it was
The measure
by the members of the present Government.
Govre—reasure was not proposed as an experiment by the
hat •
reel:cement then in existence, or supported by the
rera of the present Government on that ground,
knell was supported by them on the principle that the
food' e of this country should have the main articles of
Thatas cheap as the world could produce it.—(Cheers.)
went Was the principle on which the present Govern-
lei," were prepared to stand, and there was not th.e
Nreteut shadow of misgiving on their part that their
date Was just.--(Cheers.) With respect to the re-
sho: of the Hon. Member for Wakefield, they went to
than that the importations of last year were not more
felet."°",cient to supply the deficiency occasioned by the
import of the potato crop. Upon his own showing, the
the -rtation of foreign grain had nothing to do with
Was ride of produce in this country.—(Hear, hear.) It
of
41Infair to compare the price of a year with the price
1849 week- If they compared the average price of
lien With that of 1835 it would be found that the varia-
tieer,," 41. lld , the prices being 445. 3d. and 395. 41.
lona Y, was enough to show that it by no means fol.
tore: that it was simply from the importation of foreign
Pealed bat statement in one of the London papers it ap-
han wheat was now 4s. or ss. a quarter higher •
%Ural was a month ago, and other species of agricul-
arise Produce was also advanced in price. That did not
Journal t° any extraordinary demand, for the same
slier k observed that purchasers were manifesting con-
had Ve caution. It was manifest, therefore, that there
as it, a considerable rise in the price of wheat as well
tlot t.fli other sorts of agricultural produce. He would
teentrolible the House by giving them any detailed state-
Lord
013 f the average price of barley and oats. Tho Noble
clateerf?Pnsite told them that there were considerable
logos
of grain accumulated in the continental
That
and the same thing was alleged also of
ealet 'rated States. Now, what was the fact?
It bY the last quotations from New Orleans
to PPeared that the price of wheat had advanced
Liosenis and 445., and that it could not be laid
,Friend this country under 525. per quarter. His Noble
`ngly had also stated that there was an exceed-
,able n!°nd harvest last year, and therefore a consider-
-ISt° Zati,titY more of agricultural produce was brought
dust Craet than in the previous year. That certainly
Mee. 5,,,ve had a considerable effect in reducing the
there His Noble Friend had told them further, that
an was considerable distress existing in the country,
thateotra that distress was pressing on every part of the
tseed "itY• Now he defied any Hon. Gentleman to
Latitg ;IP in the House and assert that distress was ex-
who 'll every part of the community.—(Hear, hear.)
Dre,,a7oald Venture to get up and say that distress was
kW, ttt in the manufacturing districts?—(Hear, bear.)
-Ina - same allegation was made in the previous ses-
t,alteti t,enth after month, and early in that year he had
'he Do ue ePPortanity of stating what was the result of
r_,. or-law ex elteveeexpenditure and of the number of persons
25t1 fie had showed that in the year ending
ess M 1849, the expenditure had been
year i,erial in the preceding year—that in the half-
:been Michaelmas last the expenditure also had
itedingei,Lthan in the corresponding period of the pre-
t tehtet e felt at the time that itmight be oh-
Dee° low price of corn made a difference as to
r aillf "nt expended, and he took, therefore, the num-
184' Persons relieved. the year ending sth July,
il:.hataitiasoc°rnorPared with thein year e-nding sth July, 1848.
'test Period to his assertion. Even up to the
nateer"lod to which the returns had been made out—
gilBso, the hefirat January, 1849, and the Ist January,
ven untereace was in favour of the latter period.
ho wet©'en they Caine to the able-bodied poor, the class
lisved suPos d
e be thrown ot of employ men
greatest p
extent, to
he found thatu the number re-
t
'rrel al 1.c.88 than in the former year. But a Noble
_area, tlotn r place was not satisfied with those re-
Perioeuu moved for others up to the latest possib'e
!he titciicilWhich they could be made out—namely,
eorro eof February ; and the result was entirely
, borativof
''tzehen„ , the statements he (the Chancellor of the
ePr°*ite Caedr
ohiadd Previously made. The Noble Lord op-
.ehe House that there was great and in-
Les distress
°eat the midland counties of England.
take the returns with regard to Lei-
,tl sc'era,;i_re_, Northamptonshire, and Rutlandshire, as
toed was Probably the counties with which the Noble
140‘10e lei,rat acquainted. He would not trouble the
"vm SU the detsila, Nit !Yu rather late ; but