The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-20 00:00:00

legislation from beginning to end, and that it was so in-
tended to be.—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) One ground
on which they had advocated free trade was that it
would benefit the poor. Well, he apprehended that the
poor would be allowed to be pretty good judges on that
subject themselves; and, even when he had been trying
to persuade the labourers that it was better for
them to have cheap corn than dear, he never
got any other answer from them than this—
"lt was always best for us when corn was dear."—
(Hear, hear, and cheers.) What they meant was that
when corn was dear they could be more certain of em-
ployment.—(A cry of " No'.") An Hon. Member said
" No," but he asserted that when corn was dear more
labour was employed on the land than when its price was
low.—(Hear, hear.) Some Hon. Gentlemen seemed to
think that a farm could be shut up or worked for three
days in the week, like a cotton-mill.—(A laugh.) But
this was not the case. Land was deteriorated and far-
mers suffered, because when prices were falling the far-
mers did not hold up, but let everything go to ruin; and
when prices rose they did not lay by money against
what was called " a rainy day," but they bought arti-
ficial manure, or exchanged a bad horse for a good one.
and all the money they made in favourable years was
Invested in the land.—(Hear, hear.) The consequence
was, that when any violent measures of legislation were
adopted, such as those which had recently been sanc-
tioned by Parliament, the farmers were unprepared, and
they were of necessity ruined, because they had nothieg
to fall hack upon. He would assert that free trade had
deprieed the labourers of employment. When Hon.
Gentlemen opposite were asked what they wanted, they
said they wished the taxes :upon advertisements to be
taken off. Yes; they wanted to be puffed in the news-
paper.—(Great laughter.) He insisted upon it that the
tax upon beer should be removed, but Hon. Gentlemen
opposite said " No." When a poor labourer, who got
wet through in 250 out of the 310 working days in the
year, went home, instead of a glass of ale, they would
give him a newspaper to read.—(Loud laughter.) This
was their love for the poor .—(Renewed laughter.) This
was the way in which free trade benefited the poor man.
Last year, when the Hon. Member for the West Riding
was recounting the great advantages of froe trade, he
said, among other things, " See how cheap preserved
fruits are—one of the luxuries of people in genteel life."
The Hon. Member meant to say that the manufacturers
had got their sugarplums cheap.—(A laugh.) Every
foreign trade employed foreign labourers, and not Bri-
tish labourers; and he (Mr. Drummond) contended that
t'iey ought to put a duty upon every article coming from
a foreign country. He insisted that every Englishman
should have a right to use his barley as he pleased, and
to pick the hops off his hedge, and use them as he chose;
that the people of Ireland, of Lincolnshire, and of East
Yorkshire, should be allowed, where they could, to grow
tobacco—(Heer)—and until this was (Vine there would
be no peace. Hon. Gentlemen opposite thought they
had settled the question of free trade, but he would tell
them that this was but the lint skirmish of the battle
between capital and labour, between wealth and life—
(" Hear" and cheers.) He found i: said in a publication
of the Manchester school—" We are not an agricultural
country; it is manufactures that give us our wealth,—
our population." Wealth first and the people after
wards!—(A laugh.)

"Rem;
" Si poser, recto; si non, quocunque modo rem."
It was our menufacturers who made this country weak,
—who were ready to sacrifice everything for money.
Why, did they not last year recommend the people of
Eogland to risk the burning of all the towns between
Portsmouth and Plymouth rafter than have a fleet for
their defence?—(" Hear," and a laugh.) He would sup-
port the motion of his Hon. Friend the Member for
Buckinehamsbire, but this was nothing to what they
meant to have.—(Loud cheers, amd laughter.) They
would hare the exciee done away with. Toe old cry 01
"faith with the public creditor" had lost much og its
force.—(A. cry of "Oh, oh!" fromlan Hon. Member on the
Ministerial side.) Whenever he saw gentlemen with
white waistcoats and brilliant eyes, he knew it was quite
impossible to control them.—(Laughter.) They had
heard the cry of "faith with the public creditor," and
they ha el been told that they would rob the widow and the
orpha:i ; but he: would ask Gentlemen who raised that
cry to think of the widows and orphans of farmers and
yeomen—(Hear, hear.) So far from wishing to do
anything that would be a violation of public faith, he
was perfectly ready to support any Government which
would place taxation directly on the property of the
upper classes, so long as they gave the right to the la-
bourers to make their own beer, to manufacture their
own bricks for building their houses, and to grow
whatever they chose on their land. For his own part,
he did not care for any insults to the land, for land was
as superior to manufactures as an oaken cudgel was to a
cc,tton thread.—(Loud laughter and cheers.)
Captain PELHAM believed that if they were to
have a revision of the poor-laws they must reconsider
the whole question of the liability of property. It ap-
peared to him that if the relief of the poor were to cease
to be a charge upon the land there must be a general
property tax fur defraying its expense, and that it could
not be placed upon the Consolidated Fund. If they as-
sumed that the expense of maintaining the poor
amounted to 5,500,0001., and if they took the number
of parishes to be 5,000, they would find the poor-rates
to be about Is. 6d. in the pound. But, the property and
income-tax would do more than defray the expense of
maintaining the poor. Though they might still maintain
their system of local government, it would be quite
practicable to relieve the landed interest by means of
union settlement and union chargeability. With respect
to the motion of the Hoc. Member for Buckinghamshire,
he did think that that motion ought not to have been
based on the mere fact c,f agricultural distress. Why
did he object to the basis on which the motion rested?
It was for this reason that he believed that distress to
be a temporary distress. He should not support the
motion of the Hor. Member for Buckinghamshire, but
he hoped that upon some future occasion the gentlemen
opposite would come forward ,with more statesmanlike
measures, and that they would introduce those measures
by going into the whole question.
Mr. STAFFORD then moved that the debate be ad-
journed. He proposed to adjourn it to Thursday, un-
derstanding tact to be the time suggested by the Noble
Lord.

Lord J. RUSSELL wished to proceed with the debit,
on the earliest possible day.
Mr. DISRAELI hoped it might be cloud on
Thursday.
The debate was then adjourned to Thursday.
PARTY PROCESSIONS (IRELAND).

On the order of the day being read that the Party
Processions (Ireland) Bill, as amended, be considered,
Sir W. VET NER moved, pursuant to notice, that the
words from the word " symbol," in page 1, line 12, to
the words " or who shall be," in line 14, be omitted;
and, also, that the words from the word " music," in
I:ne 15, to a e words " shall be," in line 17, be omitted.
He was glad to be able to give his assent to the mea-
sure merely the omissions which he suggested.
Ilis object, and thet of those who thought with him,
was not to maintain the Orange Society in opposition to
0e law, but to see really unconstitutional associations
suppressed.
'Sir G. GREY said it was gratifying to know that all
political parties concurred in this Bill. The amend-
ment proposed by the flJn. Baronet would, however,
render persons liable to be indicted for misdemeanour
f)r having banners or music of the most innocent cha-
racter. lle trusted the lion. Baronet would not press
his amendment.

Mr. GROGAN supported the amendment, which had
f.ir its 01-jeet to put au end, at once and for ever, to party
processions, and thereby to secure the peace of the
country. He did not wish to prevent the innocent pro-
cessions to which the Hon. Baronet had adverted, but he
wised them t) take place on the responsibility cf the
parties who licensed them.
The amendment was then withdrawn, and the clauses
of the Bill wore agreed to.
The House adjourned at Half-past Twelve o'clock,
until noon this day (Wednesday).

CITY COURT OF SEWERS.
TUE SALARY OF TEE MEDICAL OFFICER.
Yesterday the Commissioners assembled in consider-
able numbers for the purpose of discussing the motion
for increasing the salary of Mr. Simon, the medical
officer of health to the City of London; Mr. Deputy
Peacock in the chair.
Mr. Deputy HARRISON introduced the subject of
which ho had given notice at the last Court, and moved
that the salary of the medical officer of health be 800/.
a-year._

Mr. Deputy EAGLETON seconded the motion.
Su. PETER LAURIE moved an amendment that the
salary of the officer of health be 5001. a-year instead of
8001.. a-year.

Alderman LAWRENCE seconded the amendment.
Atter considerable discussion, the amendment fixing
the salary cf the medical officer at 500/. a-year, was
agreed to by a majority of 27 to 20.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT WAPPING.—On Monday
night shortly after 8 o'cleck,a fire broke out in the premises
Of Messrs. Brewer and Co., the ship chandlers and sail
makers, carrying on business at 310, Wapping High •
street. The building, which was exceedingly lofty, was
of proportionate width, and extended from the front
street as far as the water side. The place being filled
with ship stores, come of a most combustible character,
great fears at one period were entertained fur the safety
of the contiguous houses. With all possible expedition
about nine land engines belonging to the London bri-
gade and that of the West of England Company attended.
Au abundant supply of water was soon obtained from the
East London mains, from which several engines were set
to Work, under the direction of Mr. Braidwood. The
fire by that time had gained a fearful ascendancy, it
having penetrated the flooring over the shop, and rushed
upt e staircase in one complete sheet of flame, doing
some h
Thedamage to every room in the spacious building.
firemen, by conveying the hose of three or four
engine 3 into the front warehouse, and of two or three
into) the orivate entrance,
flames;
enabled to cut off the
further progress of the w
but nearly three hours
elapse I Wore the fire was wholly extinguished. The
damage done is veryconsidera_ble, but fortunately the
how
firm was insure].the fire began could not be
ascerained.

Oa Monday last an elegant banquet was given to
Mr. Alderman Copeland, M.l'., at the London Tavern,
to commemorate the anniversory of his election to the
cflicti, of Alderman. twenty-30e years ago. The chair
m.
taken by Mr. Thomas Baring, M.P.; And amongst
t 1 we noticed Mr. Mastermac, m.r„ )Major
Mare, Mr. Kirkman, Mr. Hodgson, Mr. Ilarnell, Mr.
"‘teivart, Mr. Sa:mor, Mr. Lace, Dr. Ramsbcttom, Dr.
Fra,nton, and the Rev. D. Russell.
UANCHESTER TILIEE REPOR,T, FEB. 19.—The
mark, t has main been very quiet without any quotable
decline; prices have been in favour of the buyer, and
the opinion generally is that if purchasers had been in-
cliLed to make even lower offers than were current last
wqelc, they would have been accepted; but buyers con-
tinue to hold aloof.