The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-14 00:00:00

rHE SITN, LONfi6k FRTJ)AY MOB.

HOUSE OF LijitDS,Jane 13.
Their Lordships assembled) at Five o'clock.
The Marquis of EXETER presented 140 petitions
from various places in favour of protection to agriculture.
The Earl of SEFTON presented- a petition against
the Birkenhead Docks Bill. •
The Duke of . RICHNIOND presented several peti-
tions in favour of protection to agriculture. •
The' Marquis of NORMANDY presented petitions
from Nor'olk, praying for an alteration.iu the laws re-
lating to coursing.
The Duke of RICHMOND inquired whether there
was any objection to the return of the number of convic-
tions under the Act alluded to by his Noble Friend ?
After a few words from the Earl FITZ lIARDINGE,
Lord WIIARNCLIFFE said he was not aware of
any objection to the returns.
MOROCCO AND FRANCE.
The Earl of CLARENDON begged to call the atten-
tion of the Government to the occurrences which had re-
cently taken place in Africa. The friendly disposition
of the Emperor. of Morocco to this country, and his
constant deference to the advice of England, had not
prevented his, proclaiming the ".holy war" against
another European power, the ally of England. It could
not-,be supposed that the Emperor had taken that
course with the sanction of the British authorities.
However, it was now beyond doubt that' he had made an
invasion of the French territories in Africa, and that the
war had commence!. With respect to the murder of
the Spanish Consul at Tangiers, it was the tact that the
man was killed in tin affray brought about by his own con-
duct, and for whicn the authorities were not in the least
responsible. It had been suppOsed, but he did not
mean to say that it was the case, that the Spanish .Go-
vernment had been incited to declare war by France ;
but it was a curious coincidence that, after this. relations
of a hostile character should so soon take place
between France and the Emperoref Morocco. They
might have been the result of accident; but they
gave a colour to the idea that France desired to see
Spain engaged in,hostilities with Morocco. It was most
desirable that the line of coast now possessed by the
.Emperor of Morocco should be • in the. possession
of a friendly Power, because it was from
thence they derived their supplies for Gibraltar.
He could not conceive what object France could have in
engaging in hostilities with Morocco, which must be in-
jurious to France. He wished also to hear. a contradic-
tion from the Noble Earl of the statements which ap-
peared. in the French papers, that those hostilities were
excited' by her Majesty's Consuls on the coast of Barbary,
„one of which, Mr. Drummond Hay, had been particu-
larly mentioned. The question's he wished to ask were,
whether or .no the expedition to be sent from Spain
against Morocco had been abandoned? —whether hostili-
ties had actually eommenced between France and the
Emperor of Morocco?—and whether her Majesty's Con-
suls on the coast of Barbary had not taken means to
prevent a state of things which must prove injurious to
British interests.
The Earl -of ABERDEEN said he would endeavour
to give an answer to the three questions put by his
Noble Friend; but, in the first place, he would say he
could not conceive any exercise of the power and influ-
ence of. that. House more useful than the interference, to
prevent the occurrence of hostilities in every part of the.
world.---(llear, hear.) They should be equally anxious
to restore it wherever it was broken. They had, within
the last month, been the means of preserving peace be-
tween two States, at a time when it was seriously threa-
tened; and though, from the Magnitude and power of the
States themselves, the. war might not be important, it
certainly would have brought on calamities most
ha
portant and extensive in their results—he alluded to
the dispute between Sardinia and " Tunia.—(Hear.)
His Noble Friend was wrong in supposing that the only
cause, of quarrel which existed between . Spain and
Morocco was in the death of a Spanish Consular agent.
There were various complaints, into the justice of which
he would not enter, but they arrived at such a point at
last as to threaten immediate hostilities. His Noble
Friend said, that he nould not conceive it posSible that in
the present state of Spain she would declare war againsi
Morocco Unless she -were prompted thereto. He was
surprised .that his Noble Friend appeared so ignorant
of the Spanish character. • ThiS question was not only
altogether a Spanish question. but the truth of it was
denied over and over again both to the British and
French Ministers at Madrid. They were kept in igno-
rance of the intentions of the Spanish Government until
what was called the ultimatum was sent to the Emperor
of Morocco. The Emperor desired the mediation of the
British Government with the view of bringing this dis-
pute to an amicable settlement, 'and her Majesty's Mi.
nisters offered the exercise of their good offices for
the same purpose to Spain, and it showed how little
the Government of France had to do with the question,
as, the French Ministry also pressed upon the Span-
ish Government an acquiesence in that offer; and, there-
fore, as both had agreed to accept our mediation; he
might venture to anticipate a settlement. would be ef-
fected of that dispute between Spain. and Morocco. If
his. Noble Friend had asked him yesterday whether hos-
tilities between France and Morocco had occurred, he
should have said that they had not, and that they were
not probable, and although a skirmish had taken place,
nothing which could be called war would, in his opinion;
follow; and he had this reason for that belief, that the
force assembled by the Emperor of Morocco on the
French frontier was diminished to one-half in the course
of a few days preceding the events which had taken
place, and the French authorities in Algiers were as
much' taken by surprise as any. one else by the incident
which had occurred. It was clear that the Moors were
:the aggressors. The affair was brought about by the
fanaticism of a small body of cavalry who approached
the French encampment more from curiosity than any
other motive, and were. thereby drawn into the affair.
He agreed with his Noble Friend that war with the
Emperer of Morocco
.could not be desirable to the
French Government, and he thought they might look
for a continuance of those relations which, if
not friendly, had been peaceable between the Em-
peror of Morocco and the Government of Algiers.
The Emperor of Morocco was the sovereign of the most
fanatical Musselmans in the world, and how far he
could control the excitement of his own people, or deal
with the formidable personage who, when driven
before the French, took refuge in his terri-
tories, might be a matter of doubt. But he
(Lord Aberdeen) had received no information of any-
'thing like a declaration of a holy war, or that would look
as if the Emperor of MoroCco was prepared to un-
dertake a war of a serious description. He did not be-
lieve that such would take place ; but if it even did
lake place, he need scarcely say that it would take place,
not only without the slightest encouragement on the
part of this country, but in spite of every endeavour that
could be made to prevent it. He could not question
what he knew to be the intentions and wishes of both
Governments; and with regard to the conduct of the
British Consuls, he had received that very day equivocal
testimony in favour of those to whom allusion had been
made. His Noble Friend had alluded to the statements
that appeared in the French papers. Ile (Lord Aber-
deen) could only say that there was not the slightest
foundation in fact for supposing 'that her Majesty's
Consuls on the coast of Barbary had anything whatever
so do in ernating these disturbances. It might be that
the "*". ten in those Vrgnch journals had for their object
rather the Overthrow of the existing Government in
France than the siseation of a hostile feeling between the
people of both countries,
although he had no doubt that
ss. to whom
statements of
there was a large class in Frans., .hie Th
Zreldwere the kind alluded to were not unaccsptas • --
journals in this country alio, on which side he .. notT
say, which probably had the
.same object in view. AA,
could only say that there was not the slightest founda •
tion for the charge made against her Majesty's
Consuls on the coast of Barbary.—(Hear, hear.)
The Earl of WILTON presented a petition from the
Chamber of Commerce -of Manchester against the
Birkenhead Decks Bills.
IMPORT DUTIES.
Lord MONTE AGLE then rose to bring forward the
motion of which he had given notice, for a Committee
to inquire into the effect of the present system of
import duties. The proposition he had ,to make was
for an inquiry into a subject which deeply con-
cerned all her Majesty's .subjects, and in making it
he did not call on' their Lordships to come to
any resoltition 'of a definitive kind... He wished
to remove . from their Lordships' minds any im-
pression - that might exist that this question
ought to be considered as a party question. It was
niit brought forward by him as a party question at all.
.From. the • inquiries .prosecuted by,. the Committee of
1829, the present Government had drawn several of
their conclusions. It was not consistent with the fact,
or with Parliamentary usage, to represent his motion
as a party movement, or one directed against a par-
ticular interest. It was enongh for him to say that all
his interests were bound up with the agriculture,_ and,
in the very first outset, he would admit that there were
many evils and, nconveniences with required reform, in
respect to the commercial and manufacturing policy of
the country, as -well as in respect to agriculture. Many-
wise and competent alterations had. been made in the
tariff by the present Government, and, that being, the
case there could be no objection to a general revision
of- our commercial regulations.--s-(Hear, hear.) But it
was said that property would, be endangered, and that
our commercial transactions 'would be undermined by
the House acceding to his motion. He :thought, how-
ever, • that there could be no More seasonable time
for the inquiry than the present 'He would admit that
no financial alteration .ahould he hazarded, unless the
Exchequer of the country was in a condition to meet the
consequences of the change. The result of the tax upon
income, which, instead of producing only 3,700,0001., as
had been anticipated, pr0duced.5,250,0001., rendered the
the present period especially favourable for altering the
taxes which were imposed upoo a mistaken supposition
that . they were useful in protecting_ agriculture. He
thought that, he could show that these duties were no
prOtection at all.—(gear, hear.) It might be supposed.
that thediscussion of such a question was not adapted to
such an assembly as their Lordships; but he thought
that the Legislature ought to examine abstract questions,
to guide 'them in the applicationaif particular measures.
The Noble Lord then referred to Adam Smith and other
'economic authorities; who held that all taxes which pre-
vented theinterchange of commoditiesbetweentwo nations
was injurious to both.. There were three kinds of duties
-to which he wished to call the attention of the House. ;
One was a ditty for revenue merely, which every subject
was, bound to submit to, as his share of the general
burden of the State. The next class of duties was what
was called the countervailing duty—an impost intqndvd
to prevent the competition ,of foreign untaxed produce
with the taxed produce of home. The case of hops was
one in point. For the purpose of revenue the Legislantre
iiripoSed a high duty upon hops, and it would be there-
fore roost unjust to allow the hops of Trance to be 1111,'
perted'vrithont any countervailing shay, But if you di-.
vided society into ten classes, and protected prig, then the
nine would have to pay the tax of that one, and if the
whole ten were protected, then things would be
exactly, as before, except_ for the . distbaction and

_ —
h IUE W
The A—
. • EATLIER IN EUROPE AND AMEBIC
A: , sPring seems to have been one of the strangest seasons
.14i111,411"Tn botla in Europe and America. Whilst in Eenxg-..
,easivel;;;Tlea, and the north of Europe, it has beer! a
111 whi'" rY, it has been just as wet in Portugal andSpatl
e,
bluntlie4cloluanyt.ries the rain was almost incessant during has
litvere In the new world the drought has been
11°rth o'inl,he •
States, Cuba, and Jamaica, as in the
riti4 4 z.urope, whilst in the little island of I3arbadoes e
11'4
beeu ats ho+►vy in the P • ula. LiverP9l Ti. Iws'.
• %lvy 11,1 I 0/11/111 ""'"

incontenien 'e
occseionesl by an unavailable' taiiiost f millet?be appointed on the impOrt ebetiene-with the view
It waS matter or .wceider that a system so -objectionable Of corisicleeing the effect produced by protective duties
in itself should have been. so Jong continued : nothing on foreign commerce.
could justify its centinuance. It was to be regretted: Earl-DALHOUSIE said that he had to claim the in-
that this question of protection had been so long mixed dulgence of their LordshipS in answering the able and
up with party considerations. lie believed that the par- elaborate epeech of the Noble Beror; but be hoped, he
ties who now supported the sliding scale, would not do. should be able, to show that the motion ought not to be
so if they were not bound to it by party considerations. ageeed to., . The Noble Lord stated that there was More
He was; however, ready to admit that they had made thin one precedent for the course: which he was taking.
considerable progress in this subject, for which he had lie stated this with pelf, ct aecuracy-; but surely. the
to return his thanks to her Majesty's Government. lie ' Noble Lord must recognise a vast dinerenee between
thought that no one could deny that.
,the inquiry for . the precedent whieh-the Noble Lord had quoted and the
which he was asking would be productive of good. The course which the Noble Lord-was then pursuing. One
Right lion. Gentleman at the head of the Government, , of the precedents which the Noble Lord hal cite.) was
in introducing his tariff, said that he brought it forward the appointment of a Committee, on the motion of
•a Noble
to remove prohibition, and.. to relax taxation.. He said Marquis oppesite: (Lansdowne) ; but it must be remem-
he intended to relax the duty on raw materialsno redtise the tiered that. that Committee was appointed immediately
duty on articles partially manufactured, and to reduce , after the Conclusion of a long war. That Committee, it
the duty on colonial produce. Now his (Lord Mont- ' was true, under the circumstances, 'produced beneficial
eagle's) object in moving for this Committee was to see results ; but those circumstances were very different to
how far the intention of her Mat'esty'g Government, had those under which the Noble leird now moved for a
been carried out. He admitted that the abolition of the CoMmittee. Tee Noble Lord then referred, as a pre-
duty on wool was one of the Moss beneficial measures cedent, to the. Committee upon this subject which was
which had been adopted by her Majesty's Crevern- appointed in 1839. - This Comae ttee : also produced
ment. Why then could the same principle not most bene:icial results, but it was: appointed at a time
be applied to other articles of consumption?—(llear, when no inquiry had been instituted fur many ye.iys.
hear.) There were , . protections on the statute Our corconer..e had for many years been in a state of
book, which were of the most absurd character. We distress, owing to disturbances in the co!onies, and a con-
exported, for instance, annually. an immense am,runt of tinuation of war in the East and in China. These
cotton manufactures, and yet there was a protecting duty evils had troy, however, passed away, . and . now,
on articles of that description coming from the v ;otiti- when the commerce_ of the - country . was ju-t
neut. The state of our tariff was a continual reproach . emerging from the effects of those evil, the Noble Lord
to us, and we could never expect to see commercial came down with a metion for impriry. It was untea-
prosperity until it was thoroughly revised. It might be sonable for the Noble Lord to lautieli into a new in•
argued with respect to the regulations as to the imp ,r. quiry before the pulley adepted by her alte:esty's Go-
tation of sugar, that there was only a difference of id. vernment, two yeas 'ago, hid been fully and properly
per pound between colonial and foreign sugar; but their tested. The Noble Lord had said, that owing to the
Lordships should recollect that the matter was not to surplus that existed in the revenue •'f the country, now
be judged by the amount of duty imposed, but by the was the best time to inquire into our commercial system,
amount of sugar which was kept out of the market. with -a, view to the. r, duction of duties. The .Noble
Nothing could be more utterly absurd than their eb- Lord ascribed the surplus in the revenue.' to the income-
staining from importing slave-grown sugar, because it tax and the Chinese money. Why, this
.itself was an
was polluted with slavery. Why,
.they took it from answer to the argument of the Noble Lord.. The in-
Russia and other places in exchange for their exporti, come-tax was temporary, and. the Chinese money had
and in proportion as they took this sugar from other arisen out or a fortuitous circumstance, and, therefore,
countries they encouraged slavery in slave countries. could be no grounds upon which to make any investiga-
They were to admit Louisiana sugar where slavery ex- don into our commercial system, with' a view to a re-
isted, and they even refined slave-grown sugar here and duction of- duties. The Noble eird bad instanced many
exported it:to their - colonies, so that it appeared, they cases in which duties ought to, be reduced; but the
• had a conscience in England, but . had no conscience in Noble Lord must have forgotten, when he did so, the
their colonies. Hp would now pass to the subject (tithe declarations which were- made by .the Right Hon.
timber duties, with regard to which they gave facilities Baronet, the .:. First Lord of the . Treasury, • when
for the introduction of an interior article to one of he introduced his tariff. . That Right Hon.. Gentle-
superior . quality. The Noble Lord went on to show man 'then -stated . 'that the Government were
that the system of protection adopted in favour of Cana- desirous of making, large . reductions in , the
dian timber had been productive of the most pernicious duties on many articles, bUt . that, owing to
consequences, had destroyed the export trade to SWeden the latge reductions which were already con-
and Norway,, and the Baltic trade in general, and gave templated, it would be impossible to make the full reduc-
them a bad article in the place of a good one, But the tions which they were desirous of making, and therefore
inconsiderate repeal of the timber duties subjected them they had determined to apply the reduction to those arti-
to a loss of 1,000,0001 It had also a most disastrous des which were of the -most pressing necessity. The
effect on the cooperage trade of the country. The next Noble Lord bad referred to the question of sugar at
disadvantage that those protecting duties occasioned was considerable length ; but -as that question would soon
the diminution which it caused in the home production. come directly under the consideration of their ' Lord-
If they left the imports free the exports would take care ships, he did not feel that it was necessary for him to
of themselves. The Noble Lord referred to the opinion of follow the Noble Lord in • that part of his argument.
'Mr. Deacon Hume on this point. Another great disad- There was another point to which the Noble Lord had
vantage of the protective system was the impulse which referred, 'and:that . was the question of the duty upon
it gave to smuggling. He would only refer to Spain to timber. The Noble Lord complained of the reduction
show how smuggling was encouraged by high protecting of the duty on colonial timber. - Why this was some-
duties. The Cuntrabandista system prevailed there to thing like inconsistency in the Noble Lord, seeing that
the greatest extent, and Spain was thereby a loser to the when the Government with which the Noble Lord was
amount of 3,000,0001. M. Blanqua showed that connected was in office, the NOble feeel- him-self ad+o-
the same result had followed from the same cause in cated a reduction in the day on the article of timber.
France, and he need hardly remind their Lordships of The duty on staves he (the Earl of Dalhousie) thought
the effect of high duties in this respect in this country. pressed heavily on the• coopers of the country, and he
It appeared from the returns of the French Customs that -for one would be glad to see an opportunity arise of re-
-3,500,0001b5. weight of silk were entered for exportation lieving that branch of the trade of the country.—( Hear,
to England, and instead of the English Custom-house ,hear.) The Noble Lord had dwelt at considerable •
giving something like a corresponding importation, it ap- length on the question of prohibiting ' duties, and
peered that only 1,875,0001b5. came there, so that taunted the Governmentwith maintaining them. Now
1,713,0001ba. must have been smuggled, thereby he (the Earl of Dalhousie) thought the Government,
occasioning a loss to the revenue of 1,092,000/. He need since their accession to office, had not shown a disposi-
only refer to the Statute-book to prove the extent of don to' uphold prohibitory duties, but -on the con:-
stnuaing in this country. He would remind their trary had in many cases proposed their abolition.
Lordships of the case of Lord Ellenboroueh.—(" No, The reductions Made were very considerable in _many
no," froth Lord Colchester.) He could assure his Noble instances, and even in this very session a reduction was
Friend he did not intend to wound his feelings. What made to the amount of 450,000/e upon wool, and coffee,
happened to Lord Ellenborough inight have happened and ether articles. 'raking this, in connection, with the
to any one of their Lordships. He had been travelling reductions made two years ago, amounting to1;200,0001,
in France, and in his carriage was found some smuggled it was evident her Majesty's present Government were
lace,which had been concealed there by one of his servants: - desirous of giving every extension to trade consistently
The result of this inadvertent act was,in point of law,the with existing interests. ,He bud- now gone through all
forfeiture of his horses and carriage, with everything the grnnnds upon which the Noble Lord had founded
that it contained. But, perhaps the most serious evil of his:motion,. and he trusted that, for the benefit even of
discriminating duties was the internal divisions which those who were engaged in trade, their Lordships would
they introduced. Let them consider what use had been reject the motion of the Noble Lord.—(Hear,. hear.) ,
Made of the prohibition of the export of Irish cattle to The Earl of CLARENDON said he did net blame
this country, and the manner in which the wool trade the Noble Earl for nut having fully answered the speech
of Ireland had been dealt with to keep alive dissensions of his Noble Friend, which' was- so •abundant in argu-
between England and Ireland ; and in this country at .meat and so conclusive in its logic, that it was impos-
this very moment they had the Anti-Corn-law League, sible to give a complete reply to it. But it seemedi at
and the Protectionists arrayed against each other, and on all events, that in principle there was little difference be-
both sides imputing corrupt motives, which, perhaps,' tween his Noble Friend and the Noble Earle-('eHear,
had no foundation. But, however they might deal with hear," from the Duke of Richmond.). His -Noble Friend
their own productions, he contended that they had' no On the cross benches. was evidently of the same opinion.
right to burden other countries by their vicious legis- =--(A laugh.) But it was impossible for his Noble Friend'
lation, which caused other countriee to retaliate and to hold to be long in the office which he now so -creditably
up their legislation, as he said before, as an object of filled without coming to the conslusion to which the
scorn to Europe. If such were the consequences which Noble Earl had evidently come. And they were ye-
flowed from this protection, could they expect that. the quisite in the present state of this country. Nobody
Government-, or the Legislature which continued such a could look to the state of the labouring population of
system, would enjoy the confidence of the country ?' It this country without seeing that it was absolutely neces
might be an easier thing to' frame a just system at first sary 'to remove the strictures' on trade, however they •
than to correct a bed system which had existed fOr a might differ as to the time or mode in which they were
long period; but this was- no argument against in- to be removed. There was only one branch of trade to
quiry, in order that they might prepare the way, gra-, which he would referolhich was omitted in the lift of
dually, safely, and impartially, for the adoption of a' articles enumerated by his Noble Fre n I—that was' the
new and better system.(Hear, hear.) lie had taken cotton - trade. In the commencement of that trade it,
some instances from their own system of laws ehe was subjected to-fiscal regulations, but as they were re-
would now advert to similar 'mistakes made by moved the trade increased, and the prices of cotton
foreigners, and see whether they were not equally perai- goods ' were lowered till they were made accessible to
cious. The first case which occurred to- him was that the poorest of the people.—(Cheers.) Well, after sucfi
of the United States. From the year 1789 to 1807 the an instance, how could they refuse to proceed in' the
foreign commerce of the United States was tolerably course which had been followed by such resultse_se
free. During that period, when there was not such a (Hear, hear.) His Noble Friend had alluded to the silk
word.as protection upon the statute-book of Congtess ; trade. When Mr. Huskisson resolved to reduce( the
and the progress of the *United States in- wealth' and silk duties he was hooted and pelted en his way to the"
power and commerce was exceedingly great--(Hear)— House of Commons, and was called. the hard-hearted
no argument was more frequently used than this,, that Minister, but in spite of all the predictions which' had
although protection might not be justifiable in the raatu- been hazarded as to' - the evil result of his measurie he
rity of things, yet protection was very necessary al the Perseverek and"the 'consequence tees, that instead of the
outset, and a great many fanciful illustrations were silk trade suffering fresh mills had been built, the con
brought forward to elucidate that point. Now, let them sumption of silk had been increased twelvefold,' and
look at • the imports of America as exhibiting Manchester, instead of employing 3,000 in the trade, gave
the capacity of the people of the United employment to 15,000, and the silk manufactured goods
States to enjoy the comforts of life. From • d
ha been raised from 450,000/. to I,6oo,oool.—(Hear,
1789 to 1807 the population of- the United States . hear.) .11e would not allude to wool, or coffee, or stigar,
was 5,300,000, and the value of the imports ninety -one for his Noble Friend had. so exhausted those subjects
millions of dollars, showing an actual consumption of ar- that he found it as difficult to follow him as the Noble
tides of import and luxury, brought from abroad, equal-Earl did to answer him. He would only say a few
to about sixteen dollars and a fraction per head for the words, and they should be with regard to the corn-
inhabitants of the United States. In 1807 the system laws. He confessed he had seen nothing in the:state
of non-intercourse commenced—then came the war, and of affairs to induce him to alter the opinions he held, and
in 1816, what was called the restriction system was had so-often 'expressed on the subject.. The evils of this
brought into operation. Ih .1828 it was carried out to .
law were as great as ever, and might burst upon them
the full extent--and what was the consequence ? Why, -any day. They made the supply of food for the popu-
that, in 1830, instead of each citizen Of the United lation dependent on the barometer, and if they.had two
States having at his command various comforts and or three bad harvests, their most deeply founded insti-.
luxuries of the value •f sixteen dollara per year, he tutions would be. powerless in counteractine the demands
could only obtain a quarter of that amount. Restric- of the people. They had had now two good harvetta, of
more than average produce, but could they expect a
lion, which was intended for protection, led to the' trip-'
habitants continuanee of them? There were serious apprehensions
piing of foreign trade, and injury to all the in
of that country. Then came the Compromise Act. entertained with respect to next harvest—Meer,
There could, not be more conclusive proof of • the inju- hear)—and he regretted that past experience had nut
riousness of the protective system than was presented by taught them to provide remedies against the recurrence
the example of America. It was dangerous in a despo- of such a state of things as happened in 1839, when this
tie state, but the despot might, by Possibility, be a country was on the verge of bankruptcy, and when they
wise and enlightened man.---(llear.) In a Republican were obliged to apply to the ' Bank of France for assist-
state the system wasmade subservient to the vilest, lbwest, ante, from which he believed they could expect no
' most personal motives, and because mixed 1113 with assistance now, even if they were to submit tb the
anu ._ • •
-.ions Taking the years 1841 and:lB42; national dishonour of applying for it. They had dabbled
a party un- • i •
he would eohipre the average imports which ought to with the sliding-scale,- but no useful change had been
effected. Under such
a system as prevailed at present
have been admittesi with those which were actually ad- _ •
f n countries
oreig could not be induced to grow corn fur
mitred. In vvoolleae theee onght to have been received,
and
eriod the them, the people of this country would. have barely
according to the average of 41,e PFPReding P
'•
d to depend o th • The n their own produce. Noble' Earl
value of 4,257,0001, There had• only beets rpFewe
vg. had referred with satisfaction to the reduction that had
1,400,0001. In worsteds shore augh; `to have been
been made in the tariff. He was rejoiced, also, at those
ceived 5,000,0001, whereas there had ntily been received: A that
u on
•156,0001. In cotton there ought he have been yone4Yo d—on , the ground
nas correct Fine] les had been reeo n sed, and not
6,000,0001., whereas they had had only 2,7113.0004 Fi that ~ , .P g, .
lines from attr re('
v fictions had been made, lime Rtglat Hon.
had fallen front 9,000,090/ to 2,000,0001. ; • -i" s
3,000,000/. to 1,000,000/, and in short all the great arts- _ Gent man at the heal of the Government would not
have made elaborate the purpose of those
theses for .
cles of conintraption had diminished aader the system o
little •
reductions ifh lead t some higher object in view.
eno
protection. What had been the workieg aOO iyetent , .
inkrance ? France had bean extremely eager last yetis 1.110 Right. Hein Baronet (Sir R. Peel) knew well that
for the admission of machinery from this colintr7, and, the population arapPacitiptivp power of thisoeuntry Were
to their honour, the present Government gratuitously re. daily increesing, undehat it was neoeesary to acoomtto-
pealed the export duty.
•Frence then imposed a; heavy
.date their syste mood the change of circinustances. ' No
protective duty on yarns. The effect of that was to One was foend efend monopoly 1 but they were
cramp the trade of her own Weasels, But no, always told that, if they carried free• trade into effect,
- ' injure the reven e
sooner was machinery admitted from this' noun. the would U , and matt. themselves
try free from duty, than there was a• "cry: unable to pay• the nubile creditor. It was- not. against
for protection amongst the French machine makers. A .taxes and revenue that the free-trade principle was
new protection was asked for against English iron. The directed, but protection in favour of particular
effect of that protection was to destroy the French wine classes. It was a fallacy: to pretend that free' trade'
trade. Thus they wen( round, in a vicious circle; of pro- would abolish the Customs duties, because those duties
tiction, and injury was done at every step, not ,only to were uniform, and the proceeds went into the Treasury.
the whole people, but even to those for whose Walt Tilttif Abligatiena to tha puhlio ortelitsie esiglie tti hayk
the protection was intended.—(Hear, hear.) Bet 'bp the effect of Making them more careful not
had httherto looked only at the evils of protection, to impose taxes for other purposes unnecesea,-
Fortunately, owing very much to the legislatiun of rily, . lie was 'sorrY .to see that the doctrine
NOble Lords . opposite, they were not without instances of retaliation arrived- still to find favour amongst
of benefits derived from acting on good principles many, intelligen , classeS In this country. The
with ' respect to this matter.--(Hear, hear.) In mode of retaliation. selected generally tended to injure.
1820, . the Prime Minister of England, Lord Lieerpoel, themselves as well as foreigners. By imposing retaliaa
stated in that House that •he wished there had been no tory duties they compelled themselves to buy dearly what
such thing as a silk trade. Yet what were the facts re- they might otherwise buy cheaely. If other countries
specting that trade? It employed capital to an . amount refused .to take their. manufactures in exchange for their
of 12,000,0001 a year, the greetest portion of whislewas own produce they must seek to attain their object by
expended in wages of labour--(Hear, hear.), • There Other means. All attempts of foreign countries to in-
never had been a trade so . much the Victim of protection jure them were greatly assisted by a system of protec-
as that of linen ; but, after withdrawing the protection of tion. Free trade was the best means of promoting peace
4,00,000/., the trade had reached, in the north of Ire- aniongat the nations of the earth—far better than earn-
land, the highest state of prosperity, and the fabrics
_pro- mercial treaties, Which were always accompanied with
duced in that part were equal to the finest productions • distrust., and in which one or the parties elvveys_consi-
of Canabritere-7(Hear.) In the case of West. India produce. dered himself either a victim or a dupe.—(Hear,
the protective duties had failed. After the abolition of -bear.) -He should rejoice if it were proclaimed. to
slavery and the equaliSation of the duties upon East._ thee world that , henceforth they would engage
'and West India sugars, introduced by him in 1834, the: in. no, more coniniefolal titiaties,---(Hear, hear,) -They
West Indiacedonlesbad improved in their ProsPerity, and phi, some reparation to the world. for the bad example
he had lived, to see the day when those who anticipated • h they had hitherto set them. He believed that the
only their own ruin 'from those measures, acknowledged carrying of the motion would be the prelude to a change
that they Were 'the most . benefited by them. With-re- :which would be M°*t beneficial to all commercial
'
spect "to the article of tine, the reduction of elreduty : nations. -- •
from 18s. to' 2s.' had led to the introduction of thite'eme : The Earl of 'COLCHESTER said that if mankind
toilet' into many important branches of manufaanre. .were likely to forget their jealousies lie should concur
He
.had laid beTore their Ltord§hips the whole o' his , with the Neble Earl in the sentiments which he had
facts,•and all -he asked of them was to give him altopir
‘i**4.loo4 i btits believing that eeeh a resn't was not to
portunity of laying the evidence 'before their Committee,
.be• expect..d, he could not agree with the principles of free
and he humbly prayed then( to give lion their support,... ..trade. .lie"thought it would be very unwise to deprive
Vortunately for mankind there had been twenty-three: :colonies of the discriminating duties :which at present
yeare of general peace, and during that time the. severel ' existed, in the nneertain.hope that they would eventually
nations of' the world. had - been Mil tieeting Inert eh es of : be benefited.
industry, of .which England had before the eesfush el 'la D 1 . f RICHMOND was ve 1 • d
. IP- .0 flan _re, mum 1 Furprise
possession. Why, theneshquld the industry of Eitglitiel ,te i. ar-from the 'Noble Earl (the Earl of Clarendon) th it
.be excluded .from a fair competition?-(Hear, hear.) ; th. agriculturists hatlit all their QWn way. - If he stated
America, France, and Switzerlaml, had, twee=
,oureteliat :against fsrtners, they would tell. tins that he .mu:t
rivals, but he believed that it' the industry of Englund have dreamt it. Would any mare say that th 2 fawner
were frpg it Would be able to maintain itself agitinststlitie was net taxed" more than any•nlnn Li •the country?' .T 1 a
competition. Tlip 140i4e 44 cpnpludpd by nipviog the caFineF who did Ligi make 3004 a year by his farm p Lei
refOlUtipnr which was to .the ed'i'ct. that wSoko cent,. were than the mannfactWer Wile usede 30,000/.—(llear.?
-