The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-01 00:00:00

FEBRUARY l, 1 850

in
consequence.—([leer,)` It was satisfactory to know
that the ineaaures which had' last session teen 'passed
with regard- to Ireland, more particularly thf.? Eecutri-
bered Estates- Bill, had worked well. No one could
regret more than he did- the'rdistress under which
the agricultural interests were suffering, but he
was convieccel it was of a temporary nature.—(Cheerinz
and cour.te.-!heering.) He believed that tbos,! who had
kept up a protectiouist ag!tatiota who called themselves
fermers' friend,,, had acted most unwisely.—(Cherra and
counter-ebeera) Ho had received a statement front the
vestry-:kik Marylebone paaish,. s'a'irg that there
had been a savh g of 11,0C©L -in the rite.', in
consequence of the cheapness of-food; in another me-
tropolitan parizli the saving hatU- bean 7,0001., and
the rates had been reduced 2d. to the pound.—(Loud
cheers.) The repeal of • the navigation-11 Iva had
been followed by the most happy 'effects. Shipbuilding
had increased, and there were now orders froin f.,rcign
countries for the building of chips 'in this country.—
(Hear.) Ho knew nut art might be the measures;
to be proaci...ed with regard to the Ault alien col;_-,
I nice, Lut he hoped that the time was not fir
die-
taut when more liberty as regards internal legishtien
would be g,aated to all our colonies. The Noble Earl
thanked their Lordships for the 1 areat manner in
Which they had heard him, and concluded by moving
the address, which was.an echo to the Speech.
Lord METHUEN, in recording the address, said it
must be matter of congratulation to see that the efforts of
the Government to prevent the occurrence of
ho• tilities between Russia and Turkey had been
attant2c d with success. It " *as: also matter of
congratulation that thte.manufmturing .and commercial
interaets wore is a state of prusperity: He regretted
that he could not say the same as regarded the agricul-
tural interest; that interest was suffering from panic on
ponie, excited by the Protectionist agitation. But it
should be recollected that under protection, in 1522, the
price of corn had been lower than it was at present, in
oteaaequence, he believed, of the want c f money,
occasioned by the resumption of cash pay-
ments; and again is 1835. It should be
recollected that a scarcity of money ex-
isted in . consequence cf • the immense turns locked
up- in railway!. He could, not, however, but depre-
cate the violence of language of those who endeavoured
to set class against-class, and'who pandered to the worst
folitgs ( f the multitude. The Noble Lord concluded
by- formally according the motion.
The Earl of STRADBROOKE felt that he should be
witatiog in his duty, if he abstained from embracing
this, the earliest opportunity, cf declaring to their Lord-
•shipa-the existence of deep 'and great agricultural dis-
trees, the existence of which, vas admitted in the Speech
'from the Throne, but which, as he gathered from
the speech of the mover of the saidress,
was merely of a temporx4 nature.—(Hear, hear.)
11677 believed that the distress would be permanent
so 1 ,og as the present systern-r f legislation shy uld con-
tinue. In 1815 it was considered that, the British agri-
culturist would be swamped:by foreign importation, un-
less beh ad protection.' Such, was the opinion of Mr. Coke,
and in consequence the corn-law measure of 1815 Ras in-
troduced. He admitted that under the protection corn
fell in 1822. The Noble Earl concluded by moving the
following amendment:—" That we regret that in many
parts of the United Kingdom, but especially in Ireland,
Various classes connected with the cultivation of land, are
laheuring uneher severe distress in consequence of recen
legislat've eractmeotsa the operation of which is aggra
vatted by excessive local taxation."

The Earl of DESART said that as the agricultural
ntt rest had been passed over with so much apparent
coat -rept in the Speech of her Mejesty, and as their fere-
fetheta always considered that interest the greatest and
the most ituportant, and the one on which, more than
inesTsitneer, the prosperity of the country depended,
he Wiifild most cordially second the amendment.—
(Hear, hears) Ile had been fJr some time in Ire-
tancl, and as chairman of the board of guardians of
the Union of Callan, in which be resided, he had
had an opportunity of looking at the —condition
of the poorer and farming classes, and on that ace
count was able to say that that class wee, in consequence
of tl.er laws, going to utter annihilatiOn. It was said
That in order to meet f 'reign competition, it was neces-
sary to expend capital on the land, but he should say
there was little inducement to do do under present en-
ctinestances. It could not bo done oren in England; for
although the farmers were possibly anle to weather the
storm, it was not so in Ireland, of Oh e 0 marl mu
fancholy pictures were already etliOn. Now, even en
regarded the manufactures of England, see ;dam the
result was, by comparing them stitlifn *elan; Itie:lears
In 1837, the consumption of Engllish rannufatatitess Was
three: hundred millions, while in 1848 theynntero ,five
hen :red and sixth-six millions, but this should 'be bereid
in mind, that while- that consumption had increased-
tue'er restriction 38 per cent., they had only increased
13 per neat. nider free trade.-'(Hear, hsar.)
The Earl of-CARLISLE was
,Wilfing to admit- the
• • ,
corgiderite,anal able matufitin.which the anseuelneee4s
w a a broureht ard by t4o,o9l4eXarl: The-gat:o'ml;
Ir f re thatir'Ss*lshipir whothet they wentll,-atitnie
44
the _Marini 'Which hid Wen so 814 11-
'1
moved-
Friend-behind him,- aria Ott an
_attiendMiat.:vrhich
did not even in terms controvert worda need In len
Ttlejeety's Speed,. Her Majesty congrattwisetel 1*:
people on the improving state c f commerces-ind ,taies*SP
fa:tures, which as the Noble Earl who hack.insinastedown
would admit, was corseeeted with the Mod _enduring:in-'
terests of this mighty empire. The Swell -of- times-Xi-
jeity admits the distress which the Nobleelnsateeillisdestr
to as existing among the a ericultursl alaseitssa:Tliaf
distress exited her aMajesty did nen dietayeetnel Therisrofee;
there was neagreat-alifference between -the
and the .44lress peeposed for tbes4depeleszt sinks Eli relens
-Lordships; 'll4.94B4hTultnent -iceedaideteeneden
to local burtheu? but acv-ii,-ragitseuviintiOstoiii,:'4nik
their Lordships well know thrit'euebnit***Sint4o
ltd conveniently consideted: when, salliannstlasies*tra' '
properly befere their Lordahi.W.l.rtnisifitikO4'"'.*:
Beside?, it was an otterly.mistalcon rind:•443o:ntiietins
. .
elusion to arrive t, that ,the countess-Wait ntrefetfed'stii.
reconsider the
_question Of :Protection nittlo3l art Ara 'ofitr
gave rise to a delusion, which :was moat diSatiretteto- the.
parties more immediately Concerned, He did let nine
derrate, far be it from him, the distress
throughout the United Kingdom, particularly, in-Xxvlino*:
Intl the horriW state ef deetinntion.in tits„`, °coal '44'
principally get-through 1;y-the plenty sinds cbseaprresonor
corn tom abruad.—(l6leat,;b6,r.) They.o64l :pet;
thercfore, condemn free trade, in connexion
that country. Isle (the
.Narl- ot
follow the Noble:kart Wbomovetl the skieettchttent
the historical review he gave :cf the &menu! hut
fie would" remind him; thats in 1815, . as well ,as itt
1828, when Corn was proteettael pet& r4Oge4 at 01
very high price, the same forebodings cf distress wenn
indulged in, as the present day, A great: deal of,
calculation had been entered into, at whet corn-could
be-grown at, and at how much reinter:rotative prices land
could be cultivated. Like most of their Lordships, most
he possessed in the world was derived from land, and hb
there fore could hardly be expected to be insensible or ins
difn rent to the sufferings which that interest now len
boured uneer. Agriculture was only undeegoing, with
every, other pursuit, profession, or branch of industry,
that change which the laws of the universe imposed on
all, and from whieh, whether unprotected or not, it could
never le exempt. When the agriculturists were basking
under the sunshine-of protection, in 1835, they com-
plained c f their distrese. That which then existed arose
from a too great abundance—(Lout cries of
" Hear, hear ")—and if he referred to the speeches
then,. made in _ Parliament by Noble Lords op-
posite, he would find the-ai filled with similar lamen-
tations to those they now heard. What ho wantcd their
Lordships to recollect was, that considering they bad,
slier serious discuision, adopted the present commercial
policy by way of experiment, they ought to give it a
lair trial, and in that conclusion all parties agreed. It
had been now in operation not one whole year, and there
never was a period in the history of tie world in which
so many extraordinary causes were leagued together, to
prevent its fair development. There was the famine, in
Ireland, the extensive, feilure of the potato crop, and a
series of revolutions on the continent cf Europe, which
were without a parallel. He said, therefore, that in our
Present situation, we were not in a position to say whit
would be the permanent result of that great experiment.
It was impossible to say at what price corn could be per-
manently produced in this country, or imported into it
from abroad. His own feeling on the subject was, not that
of despondency, though he was not prepared to give a
positive opinion on these points. But he would not be
acting honestly if he did not tell their Lordships that
ho did not stop there. He was bound to state to their
Lord,hips, that even if he was convinced that
the price of corn would never ascend higher
than it now was, ho was not prepared to revert to the
se stem of protection, and he would state the reason
why. It seemed to him that any attempt to square such
matters by any fixed and uniform plan would be falla-
cious. Every case must stand on its own merits. Every
farm must be a specialty. Its situation, its peculiar soil,
the amount of skill and capital applied to it, and the in-
finite variety of circumstances which marked the rela-
tions of landlords and their tenantry, must always be
taken into consideration.—(hear, hear.) If these cir-
cumstances should in future be found to be of such a
el:a-eater as to prescribe and require a different arrange-
ment Le.ween landlords and tenants, it was between
themselves that such differences must be adjusted. The
sentence of ber Majesty's Speech in which she lamented
the distress which existed in some parts of the country,
and especially rtf.rred ts the complaints of the owners
and occupiers, was followed by another, in which her
Majesty expressed the satisfaction with which site wit-
nessed the comfort which cheapness and plenty had
bestowed on the greet body of her people. Landlords
and farmers might recognize in that sentence the ex-
istence of a far higher, extensive, and more important
interest than their own—an interest to which ell others
must bow—namely, the great body of the people. The
Speech of her Majesty assumed, and he thought rightly,
the superior importance of the general diffusion of em-
ployment and comfort caused by cheapness and plenty,
and he ft arlessly asserted the truth of that assumption.--
(Hear.) Her Majesty's Ministers had received accounts
from all parts of the country showing the advantage
arising from Ihe increased import of article* required for
the comforts and ntcessarics of life. These accounts
came not only froiri the. great Marts of industry and
commerce, from Which they Were naturally to be ex-
pected, but also from quarters not to be anticipated. In
scene of these marts, indeed, peculiar causes had led to
the supposition that a permanent decline had taken place.
He might mention the great towns of Leeds and Shen
field, which from some cause had lost their former prospc-.
inty„but from which they now had accounts of great_
improvensen t that; hisd been known for many yfars ues
he Lad sail it was not only ;ram these crowded marts of
industry that. tlicy hstl these accounts; her Mejesty
Ministers had preenred a return showing the number t.);
paupers of ail classes receiving relief on the 1 st of
January, 1850, as compared with the number who were
receiving relief on the Ist a January, 1849. These re-
turns wore from 602 unions and single parishes—the

whole that were under the Poor-law Commission, and
which were hound to send returns to that board. He
wished, however, to say that he did not desire to carry
the iaference from the f.cts of that return too far. Ile
ws.s well astare tha', notwithstanding the difficulties
with which many proprietors of tho land had to struggle,
they had moot laudably and nobly; exerted themselves
for the purpose of giving employnient to the labourers,
who reigan otherwise have;h:en thekyrn upon tae rates.
He was:bob:id to do them this juitiee; but still, looking
at the whole country, he thought hd- had a right to say
that the average amouut of enitiperism had been
considerab'y din:deist:ern Taking, they, the 602
unions and I ari.hes in England, and coati aring the
number cf paupers aho were `maintained from the
lunda raixed for the relief cf the poor on the Ist
of Janeary, 1849,- and the Ist of January, 1850, be
found there was a desreaso of above 7 per cent. as corn-
-pared with 1849 That, perhaps, was not so great a de-
crease- as he should like to see, but still it was a very
decided improvement. Nor was it confined to the ma-
-1 nufeeturing districts or towns. Ile admitted that tame
towns end their rude hbeurhoode Lad most largely bene-
flue I, but even in the agricultural districts there was a
dscrease. In Pedfordshire the decrease was 11 pi r cent.
Ideetein purely agricultural illackinghamshire the de-
crease, via; more tarn 6 ter eclat. In Cumberland II
par cent., and in Derbyshire, which had often been
pointed to as one of our worst rural districts, there was
an improvement of 6 per cent. In Durham alone,
from peculiar causes, there had been no decrease. Iu
the Eat Ridiug of Yorkshire, which WRS an agricul-
tural district, there was a diminution of 7 per ceet.,
and in Nottmahaw, which war, a mixed district, the
reduction was 13 psr cena—(Hear, hear.) With
respect to Indeed, though they could not coegratulete
themselves on any material reduction of
,the dis-
tress in that country, there were many eynst bras a
improvement making their appearance, and the cost of
maintaining those who acre in the workhouses had been
reduced from 25. Id. a head per eels to le. Id. per see k,
in cor sequence of the cheapness of provisions. He said
then in the face cf such !a.es as these, the gene sal pros-
perity which marked cur manufactures and our com-
merce, the great and irereasing command over tho com-
forts and the necessaries of life, and the decreaee of
paupers in the agricultural districts themselves; be vas
justified in repeating his t el!ef that we were not in a
situation'to return to protection. Nay further, bid de-
termination was under no circumstances to do so. Even
were the 'prospects of agriculture worse than he tadmitted
them to be, he could not be a party to any measnre for
taxing the great article cf human subsistence. After
all, whert the complaints of the Protectionists' against
cheapnesi . were reduced to their real elements,
`they simply resolved themselves into this, that there
was too; much to eat in this country.—(lronical
OpposiCen cheers.) Wby, if they did riot mean
that, what was it they complained of ? They com-
plained teat the increase e f exports cheap eel their
produce, and they claimed that these exports should be
checked,
_in order that they might get higher prices, at
the cost . ( f decreasing our trade, and lessening our
'eaves.—(lie ar, hear.) It was sometimes said tl at free
trade would have the tendency to throw the land out of
cultivation, and that with the imports from abroad we
should not have more to eat at home. But Noble Lords
opposite could act say this at present. On the contrary,
he was informed that there had this year Lee i a greater
breadth of wheat sown than in any former year.—(l.lear,
hear.) Besides this, they had already seventy-two ae-
plications for enclostires—ea greater number than had be-
fore been made at one time—thus showing that alai:o,4;h
the demand for corn grown at home was not diminished.
their predictions as to the result of free trade had not
been verifiel. Manufactures had' increased, peoperisn
had diminished, wad the bullion had not been taken out of
the country t) pay f a foreign imports. He said, there-
fore,. they ought not to change a polka- which had worked
80 edvaritsgeously. Ile did not charge the landed pro-
prietors with any selfish moans in raising this com-
plaint of there being too much to eat. There might be
abundance on the vrell-maleged estates e f chair Lord-
ships, and in the swell-ordered villages under their care,
but in the by-lanes of the country, and in the courts and
alleys of our towns—even in the immediate neighlecui -
hood of that gorgeous chamber, there were to be found
hundre is of persons living in a state of misery which
gave the most flat &Biel to such an assumption. Sooner
than Le would be a party to hay proposition to restore
taxitioe upon the food e f the people, he would rather
fe.feit his position and eetatts, and the honour he en-
joyed in their Lordships' House. He believed and hoped,
however, that their Lordships would not reverse their
Panel., but that on the contiary, they would, by a large
and. everivbelming majority, give a decided z efueal to the
amend tente(Ctiters) ,
. - Vile. Dnke' of lalciat(PtlD offered the Noble Earl
op poelaaShis hey. aj thasideea for :the admission ho had
'auk' Ai 4 Pa, t4ttinii,q 014, Ovol,s. o'oo fret'-`traders.
, ne 17tIdelikook kreaOri.L,thi4_ 40 trade : was founded
, 'id t4a:litf:AeO*'sitlesata ite lifoOtkpitilimpto the ietercets
,tif `AIL, oli.l/I.4,;_viit. tuft* -if.'Aveo (.:4‘es)o4l that the' Agri-
s:m4mi interact 'must '.he itietineett to maihtain it.
, ',lll*-44054e5ei4,4011-stkieja.";:: 04 Zliit. was prepared to
*TR *ill
..1-44 italkii:,WlLi." . i*l4vtes.- PO .the oftleu I e held,
i•Vvest '000)46 Eacic. to i'At'-'cdOtr. Ile a QUId tell, bis
.ra4filaaPet leciliai it Ito persistetio, free trade, it was
th,, beet ebeinee fo'easara' to get rid. of all he possessed.—
Ova‘liNiir.); The &hie Lord did net care whether
tide: measure tat4,ed...rianOSitKuin upon th.ousands
Ar rara",'., '5O it:frllki' 4 the' tritratt‘Cturers filled their
.
VIAL:I:* rrth iikeney; atia iiiil liemhex f..)r the West
:,hitug. Kai esteenifieds . lie considered the sentence in
ltirwg-tteealit:':spitatiseF.iilth reference to the complaints
.rrorri this'saw'near..asti et ioe:nple :of 'land, as a direct intuit
1-4!.-142-0 .4,-:-4,tra444-4asanatitalty. "..The Noble Earl bad
be.e*./Casteelsva,tikaaSolitus,:,:tk prove -.that, comparing 'one
sarsteyeastarrat_teta -thaiieei4l leis paupeeism in she coma-
tl94 illitaktmit* ~titan Jibe' to compare one day
asae*tel-kna.e4eie,latelbie 41% irtaiif such vast' interests were
att eapletteskaaear.): eTtnieNeblei Earl talked of cheap-
. 4 plat Isie• +Tel net told them one word about
~- s:3 tientia 'ell ' them taint the honest It:trek-
' tot, s - labourers- rei--
-tve:reduced- to maintain them-
r= 1 4 , .
esereWatettafamtiliere Seaton . es.; 7k., and Bs. a week. Of
seatittntian- mat cheap:teas and plenty to awn ? Besides,
,witla; .:referettee'‘to : the returns as to pauperism, it was
4.4l..,kneiptrlhatehe.overseets in many cases went to the
iks .ir4-arar4elta,-.trV intineed them to give men work on
. .th'evtemiaa`Tatlier flan stirke thorn into the workhouse;
'44* .:'fittaitkiiiiiatead of employing them the whole
'irpili-gaie. them .tivs or three days' work, suffleieet to
vr:pytut -oat& :feom going Wore the guardians. The
ver t f the Address told them that it was cot
thairhuudairattof foreign imports, but the panic which
,h,44 pataiysed, the'energies of the farmers; but in ano-
the' Emit of his speech he took credit to nee trade for
I-ewe:4v the prices. Ile was not surprised that the
lareble Lord had contradicted himself; and spoken on
• both sides of the question, because he had sat on
both sides of the House—(A laugh). Tne Noble
Laid bad rebuked the protectionist agitation. He
objected to these meetings and the exciting speeches
that were deltverei at them. Why; who set the
example of agitation? He told the Noble Lord that he
would never cease- to urge the farmers of England to
avail themselves of their constitutional privileges as
Englishmen to meet and demand redress el' their griev-
ances. Ile would advise them to make every town-hall
and hustings their battle-field, and never' cease till they
had obtaii ad a jut protection. The Noble Duke, after
repeating his determination never to rest satisfied until
the farmers of the country regained that protection cf
which they bad been unjustly deprived, in conclusion
begged to express his gratification at hearing the manu-
facturing districts were in a fleurishing condition, as it
must ever be a source of pleasure to the farmer to know
that those who were their great consumers were well of.
The Eal of ESSEX explained. He 'repudiated the
idea that his vote on the subject cf 'protection had been
other than a sincere and conscientious one, the result of
a sincere conviction e f the error of his former opinions.
Earl FITZWILLIAM commenced by taking a re-
view of the circumstances under which the corn-law of
1815 was passed, and of the alterations which took
place in subsequent enactments, but the • Noble Earl
was throughout very indistinctly heard in the
gallery. He begged to remind their Lordships that
all the great manufacturing interests were exposed
to very great competition. For himself he felt no
despondency whatever with reference to the agricultural
interest. His Noble Friend at the head of the-Woods
and Forests had referred to a piper, showing the state
of the unions throughout England, on the Ist of January,
1849, as compared with the Ist of January, 1830. It
had been complained of on the opposite side, that his
Noble Friend had selected that particular day, the Ist of
January; but ho (Earl Fitzwilliam) could not perceive
that it made the slightest difference whether his Noble
Friend selected the first of the month, any more than if
he had fixed upon the second. It appeared from the do-
cument so quoted, that there had been a degrease
throughout the unions in England, not only as regarded
the manufacturing, but also as regarded the agricultural
districts. This being the case, he could not agree with
Noble Lords who drew such a picture of the state of the
agricultural interest throughout England. He was not
aware of any district in the North of England in which
there was any reason to fear an abandonment of land.
He would ask them to look to the effect of Sir Robert
' Peel's law of 1842. The argument used by the Right
Hon. Baronet in introducing the measure was, that
he wished to take off the superfluity of protection. The
price of corn uas then above 565. per quarter, and it
was perfectly true that if in the bargains made between
landlords and tenants, from the years 1E42 to 1846, a
price of 56e per quarter was assumed as a basis fur
rents, and if the prices be now reduced, they must com-
pound for the difference. The present price cf grain
was owing to a variety e f circumstances, among ethers
to a superabundant harvest.
The Duke of CLEVELAND—Not an average. _
Earl FITZWILLIAM could refer to cases in proof of
his statement. In one particular parish, as an
informedinstanc .
in answer to inquiries he had trade, hfierew
it had been only
preceding
that the produce last year had been
acre, where as in the year
three quarters.
said, his remarks ap-
plied The Duke- of CLEVELAND qausarters per
been three-quarters to
only this year, the average had
to an entire co,uht, the county of Durham
the acre.
Earl FITZWILL ,TM still considered he was justi-
fiedl in the statement he had mad.-. There had been no
doubt an increased importation, caused to a great eeteet
by the distress which .prevailed three years ego. now-
ever differences of opinion might be entertained as to
the condition and prospects of the akricultural interest,
he would counsel them not to endeavour again to deceive
the agricultural interest by attempting to carry arrange-
ments into effect which could not be sustained, because
by-passing pre tective laws already the agricultural in-
terests had been deceived into arrungeanrut : which they
r.ovi four d could not be sustained. Therefore, he Loped
they wesuld net iri'roclucefany words into tho Address
which e ould be calculated to excite delusive hopes.
Tb,-,), might he assured, that in the present state of pub-
lic opinion it would be impossible to return t i a protec-
tive law in favour, as people understood it, of the ger.-
, tlemen of England, for he believed it would be in vain
4 for thou to attempt to make the people of England

•
believe that a protective law would he passed for the
benefit of the farmers and labourers of England.
The Earl of WINCIIILSEA supported the anieed-
ment. In consequence of the operation of free trestle
there had been mote corn imported into thin untry
than ever there had been at any former period, and ho
felt eery little hesitation in declaring that if matters
went on as they are now doing next year cern would be
m unfair than the
imported from America at 303. fee quarter—altar.
tr a t t
thi s e
yw country
o to
receivewere
yh,ear)—und in such a case how was it possible for the
Inglish agriculturist to compete? Nothing ceuld be
ore
posi:ion in which the agriculturists
ohhf h
protection,
placed bti,...ynt,baons
de fteoe ede-tprraid,e;
tlhawems.
Alley had laid out their money upon the underst-ndittg
of that protection was an aof h : •
e greatest injustice,
for he had no hesitation in ssc .
had alluded to corn thatcoullthneerotbe at
cultivated in this
country. He for one, therefore, we ld never rest coa-
tent until the English farmer had restored to him that
amount of protection to which he was entitled, and
which it was f r the general interest of thia yh.
should ham—Meer, hear.) Under tt,e rceosu•nt.r.t re of things, should it so happen that Providence ' was to Mate
a.dearth throughout the world, what would her theiroes.o-i-
-eion then? What wculd become e f them if they *ere
tit dep, ndcnt on other countries in Lucie en- emer-
gency. As to the question of rent, he could speak with
considerable experience. Ile let eut his leech', and re-
ceived his own rents himself; and he could affirm that
if any one took the troub'e to loi,k at the rent received
from land, as compared with the money invested in it,
such an one would find that that individual was exceed-
itgly fertenete who got three per car t. rental f r his
mercy so invested.—(llcar, hear.) Was that the ca:e
with the manufacturers?—(H am, hear.) Cm taiely t.ot.
They took care that they were beet g remunerated. If,
then, that rate of rental was reduced, how could thu
landlords be able to rmploy libocrcrs t.) improve their
pro' erties, or even to pay interest on mortga4e,? lie
weird contend, however, that no Government had any
right to pass leas which reduced to misery a large por-
tion of the population, and he could tell the present
Government that the time was come when the titexon
blcol weeld chow itself in the English peasant,
who 'would net much long .r submit to be trompled
upon.—(Cheers.)
Earl GRANVILLE sail it appeared to him, that the
language which had been held in that House in the
course of the debate differed considerably from that wl
bad been held of lite out of doors, in reference to this
subject. At all the public meetings, calle I upon the
subject it had been 1 eld that free trade had prcdutel
general depression; but to-night, and in the amend-
ment proposed, which he confessed was eotnewhat veva,
as it mentioued no measures necessary for bringing
about a better state of things, it was those cornea el
with agrieuhuro that Wel e specially alluded to. These
classes were the landownerP, the occupying teeante, la-
bourers engaged in agricultural pursuits, and 8, me
smaller towns situated in agricultural districts. In the
latter he had no doubt that son e distress exiEtel
lle
did not wonder that some upprehensiens should exist in
thee, when the shopkeepers were assured by the far-
mers, that they were on the brink cf ruin; but what
he was informed was, the greater complaint on the part
of these eat, that now the farmer came and bought
what he wanted, and then went away ; where as
formerly, when times were better, ho sropt el and
spent the eve nirg emortget them. Now he held that to
be one of those instances cf economy which free trade
inculcated, and wbioh, if practised, would in the long
run be far from detrimental t, the agricuhural interest.
Bat to come to the most important part of the questiur,
viz., ti at affee'ing labour. It was right and proper every
one admitted that the labourer should have fo d and
clothing, and other comfort-, as cheap as possible, but
then it was said by the Protectionist party, what is the
use of all these being cheap if you give the labourer no
wages to purchase them? There was ore fact which
ought not to be lost sight cf, and it was this, that the
increase of population in the agricultural districts was
greater than the number employed in agricultural pur-
suits, and hence the influx of those into the manufac-
wring districte. That being the case, therefore, any Et p
taken to injure those large manufacturing interests must
bear upon the labourer. With regard to the farmer, no
doubt the present in respect to him was a moment of tran-
sition. A change was going on, and a stimulus was
being applfei, and should ho take advantage of the let-
ter, he would be the more able to staid his ground.
No one could say that the state of agriculture at the
pie sent time, by many degrees approximated to pelf c-
tion ; and in his opinion the stimulus now being applied
would make the farmer exert himself so as to work
his firm cheaper, and to geet.t :r advantage. Ai to
the agitation . which the landlords were at pros: nt
carrying on, ho did not wish to quarrel with the en
so f /IS their right to agitate was concerned. That
right no one would deny tarn-. The only
question was, whether their meeting together hus
hien for the purpose of obtaining a practical oleFct, or
'whether they were not following a course diecourag:ng
to the farmer, and calculated to prevent him from :mc-
h% those efforts which it is most desirable be should
do. He considered that the land at present was
over-rented, and that there was no cause for a re-
duction. Since 1815 the general land rental of the
country bad been raised about five millions iu value.
The remur oration price settled at that time for the ad-
mission of foreign corn was 803. At the change in the
law in 1522 it was 705.; and in 1842 it was reduced to
54a, while he beneeed under the operation of that law it
never averaged 50 . If, then, the rental had risen five
millions,- he did not think the fall in price was so gnat
as to justify any charge of unreasonableness so far as
rent was concerned, lie believed tint 40e. was at that
moment an, unnaturally low price of corn, but that low-
ness did not arise entirely from free trade. When
lately in France he had seen some cf the farmers there,
and they were suffering far worse than those of this
country, although they bad a protective duty e f
pr quarter. It could net there ihre be free trade that
had done all the evil; and although Noble Lords coming
up from the country, from amongst their tenants, seeing
the distress which in several districts existed, might feel
warm on the subject, and press on Government t r apply
a remedy, yet he thought on reflection they wend hod
it the better course to give this free trade a fair trial.
They could not judge of its effect from its operation
during one year; but he had a sanguine hope that it
would be the means of ultimately benefiting the general
community. Hardware was 50 per cent. less in price
now than it was in 1815, and cotton yarn was ene-fitth
less; yet there had not been one of these productions
which had been cheapened by comeet.teon, but of which
the trade had been immensely increased.--(Hear, hear.)
Ile firmly believed it would be the same with laud.
Lord BROUGHAM said he would not delay the
House long, but there were a few points to which be
must refer. That a very great amount of distress existed
at the present time among the agricultural classes cf the
community he took to be a proposition too clear to admit
of doubt; and he was ono of those who would not
ascribe that distress to agitation, on the part of one
party or another, or to a panic created by one party or
another. He should, therefore, he most slow to deny
the existence of this distress, or to diminish its amount,
for the reason that he knew from long experience that
there was no one thing gave greater offence and real
pain, than to endeavour to persuade anybody that he was
less ill off than he was, or any class of the community
that they were less ill off or better off than they were.
No doubt, then, distress' did exist, and in defence of his
own doctrine he felt called upon to examine into its
cause. The change which had taken :place was an
experiment, as all great changes were. If the experi-
ment failed, no doubt those who tried it would be
ready to tetrace their steps, but far himself he must
say that he had seen no reason to alter his
opinions ; and that he held as firmly the doc-
trines c f free t-ado now, as he did in 1846.
This distress, complained of by some of their Lordship',
was by no net ans confined within the limits of this island.
He spoke with confidence, because he spoke with know-
ledge, when he said that in their great neighbouring
auntry—in France—with a population c f 33,090,000,
.fur the most part agricultural, tie very class wbo were
now most complaining in this country, though a smaller
class as compared with the rest of the population—ha
spoke a fact which came within his own knowledge
when he said they were suffering at that hour, and had
been for months past suffering a deep distress, as much
as ever this country had suffered in its worst moment,
'and very considerably more than we were suffering now.
The Ncble and Learned Lord then proceeded to :tote
that ho would give them the results of his inquiry and
knowledge as to agricultural districts in a corn-growing
region of France. He might most truly say that it was
now in the most complete state of agricultural suffering;
the rents were reduced, but none were paid; the farms
were being thrown up constantly, and there was no
possibility of even finding successors to outgoing
tenants, and the labourers, of course, in very many
instances, remained unemployed, without the auxiliary
aid of a poor-law to fall back 'upon. Now, to show triem
the cause of this, he might state to them that seeing corn
landed at the port one day near his residence, he went
down and inquired whether they ever importer!, anyh
corn from Odessa, the granary of the Emperor?
no," said they; " there was plenty of corn there for
not bring
them if they chose, no doubt, tut they could _
country,
it into the country." France was a
pardotected
yet distrese
agricultural and had nothing to do with free trade, n
distreg, was found prevailing
in every
quarter. The Noble Lord then stated that, desirous of
obtaining the most satisfactory information of the con-
dition of the French people, and the amount cf their bur •
dens to the states he had placed himself under the tutor-
ago
of an in
of revenue for a district near Paris,
containing 10,000 souls, and with him he carefully in-
spected° the tax books and the last year's receipts. Of
these 10,000 there were 2,600 proprietors of land, which
they called their estates, submitting to the evils of sub-
division for the fiction which they hugged under the
name of " equality."—(Laughter.) The direct taxes
were !oriel in these cases on the rental; but as every
proprietor was his own tenant, the nix was levied on the
actual I elite of the land. The land was valued on the
books which he inspected at 136,000 f., yearly value, and
the inspector showed him the receipts of last year for
40,000 f.; that was more than one-fourth, and nearly
one-third of the actual value c f the laud. There was 11
per cent. of direct land-tax, 8 per cent. upon the doors
and windows, and 8 per cent. on what was a curious
speculation of the financial mind, on the amount cf rent,
be that rent received from the house or not, for the tax..
gatherer said they ought to receive it.—(Laughter.) In
other word, supposing the yearly Value of en estate to
be 3,8001., 2,700/. was the amount which had to be paid.
It was in the proportion of 12 to 19; so that if any one
f their Lordships should have an estate of 19,000/. a
year, as tmny of them had estates worth tea times that
amount. or had Lc'ore this distress—(Laughter)-.-
then they would have to pay 12,000/, for the sup-
port of Government. The French people, however,
were quit- content to pay that amount, so that they
were allowed to have liberty, equality, and "'rater.
nity.—(Laughter.) In Germany the taxes amounted
,to 25 per cent.; and people who pointed to the United
States as an exception seemed to forget. that they
cited the taxation of the felefal Governmot, and thel