The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-10 00:00:00

EVEN'ING SUN

Majesty's Government should undertake, upon the re-
sponsibility of a Government, to <propose a measure—
(Hear)—for the adjustment of that question, and that
no interval, which could be avoided, should elapse
between the recommendation from the Throne and the
proposal of the measure to the House.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir, the only object at which I shall aim, in bringing the
subject -under the consideration of the House, is to
state as clearly and as intelligibly as can the
considerations which have influenced her Majesty's
Governmett, and the nature of the measure which they
intend to propOse. One other object I shall aim at,
namely; to discuss this question, affecting such mighty
interests; in the temper and spirit which is due to its
great jimportance ; bearing in mind how easy it is
on each side to raise spcaggerated apprehensions, and
to fincl.topies• Of inflammation by which feelings and
passions may be easily excited.--(Hear, hear,) Sir, her
Majesty's Government have thought it to be their
duty to consider :the Corn-laws, with a view to their
modificatitin .and amendment.—(Hear; hear.) They
undertake the consideration of that question at a pe-
riod wherts there is great commercial distress—(Hear,
hear, hear)'-7-; when there are great sufferings and
privatleos-cOnnected with that distress. But I consider it
to be Mi.: duty, in the first place, to declare, that, after
having given to this subject the fullest consideration
which I can, I cannot recommend the proposal
which -I have to make by exciting a hope that it
will tend immediately or materially to the mitigation of
that commercial distress under which- we are suffer-
ing.—(Hear, hear.) My belief is, while I admit
the commercial distress—while I deplore the suf-
ferings .and sympathize with those who are
distressed, yet I feel bound to admit that I cannot
attrihute that distress in any degree in which it
has sni,‘ supposed attributable to the operation
of those raT'vi.—(Cheers from the Ministerial benches.)
I do .not ,view, with those feelings of despair in which
some persons are inclined to indulge, the commercial
prospects of this. country. Ido not believe that the re-
sources of our commercial and manufacturing prosperity
are diained; but I- do see the operation of causes acting
concurrently and simultaneously, sufficient, in my opinion,
to account, in a great degree, for the depression which has
unfortunately affected our manufacturing and commer-
cial districts ; and I have that confidence in the natural
resources of this country—(Hear, hear)—l have had
such fryquent opportunities of seeing periods of depres-
sion al,great followed by periods of revival of prosperity
as sudden, that I confidently indulgo.the hope and belief
that we May still recover by the operation of natural
causes,' ' and again witness a revival of our coin-
mercial4prosperity.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) Sir, it
is impossible to take a review of the causes which
have affected the manufacturing and commercial
prosperity of this country, without perceiving that
there have been in operation during the course of the last
four or five years several causes, the effect of each of
which taken separately would be but little, which, acting
concurrently, have produced an effect sufficient to ac-
count for the present state of depression.—(Hear.) If you
look at the stimulus given, partly through the extreme
facility of credit to great undertakings during the years
1837 and-1838, to the.connexion which existed between the
Companies and Directors of Joint Stock Banks, and the
manufacturing establishments—if you look to the im-
mense efforts that w ere then made for the increase of our
manufactures, to the numerous buildings that were
then erected for the reception of the labourers in our
manufaotories, to the emigration of labourers from the
rural districts into the manufacturing districts, to the im-
mense increase which took place in the mechanical power
of our manufactures, the consequence of the stimulus given
to manufactures in 1837 and 1838—you can hardly-
be surprised thilt those consequences should
have followed those exertions which have so fre-
quently. followed similar exertions at former periods.—
(Rear.) The same causes which were in operation here
were in'operation in the United States, at the same time;
and th 6 same consequences to the commercial interests
there, in a greater degree, have been the result,
while the derangement in the monetary affairs of the
United States has acted most powerfully on the
demand Tor our manufactures in that country.
Concurrently with that excitement and stimulus, and
with the- depression that followed from them, had
been the effect of the same causes in the
United' States, diminishing the demand for our
manufacture. There has been at the same time
an interruption it our amicable relations with that
country, causing a considerable deficiency in the
extort 'of manufactured goods at a recent period,
as compared with a former period of our inter-
course with that country. There have been also,
during a considerable portion. of a later period
of that time, the elements of war in Europe, and
the necessary stagnation of commerce, which is in some
degree inseparable from such a state of things.
The united effect of these causes will, in my opinion,
go far to account for the depression in our prosperity.
Sir, I am admitting the extent of the depres-
sion. I am equally disposed to admit the ex

tent of the privation and suffering which have

been qv consequence of it. But here, again,

am bound to say that I cannot recommem

the measures which I am about to propose, by the hope
that any alteration in'the Corn-laws will be a remedy for
some Of the evils which, in a great manufacturing
country like this, seem to be inseparable from
society. Extend your foreign commerce as you may,
depend -upon it it is not a necessary consequence
that the means of employment for manual labour
will be proportionate to the demand. Speaking
of paiiiCtilar districts, wh.atever may be the ex-
tent ::of your commercial prosperity—whatever
may lee - the 'deinand for your manufactures, it is
impossibly 'not to feel that, coincident with the general
prosperity, there must be the severest partial dis-
tress. These have been so at ,periods of thy•

greatesL manufacturing and .1 commercial prosperity
_ _ _

The aosessary consequence "of the sudthen iniprovemen

in migtinery, and the consequent ktiminishing of the de-
mand 7 for manual labour, must to expose in cer-
tain AstFlets-: of the
.country those who are depen-
dent for their support on manual labour to great privations.
Sir, wa-find hundreds of persons occupied in great manu-
facturing districts entirely relying for subsistence on their
labour in some particular department. By the ex-
ercise of. ingenuity some improvement in machinery
is sune.ily devised, is copied by others, which
has the effect. of depriving those who so relied on
their manual labour for subsistence of the means of em-
ployment, as was the case with the hand-loom
weavers —(Hear, hear)—and with many parties engaged
in other branches of manufacture.—(hear, hear.) It is
a hare-c-Ondition, inseparable from a manufacturing
• •

country, that there must be such revulsions in the de:
n3anct.f6r nianual labour. It is, impossible, therefore, ii

any ebinmercial system that great privation and
suffering should-not frequently exist—(liear, hear)—

although it'is not to be supposed that I deprecate the
exercise of industry and skill.—(lkar, hear.) It would

be madness to interfere with tbem—(ffear, hear)—

and it would be follig to deny that in the aggregate
this country has 4eived the greatest source of its

strength from suAjmprovements in manufactures.—
(Ifeat; hear.) Wt}. attempt to obstruct it would
be Merely to ,:neneolirage competition and rivalry
already too formidable. (Hear, . hear.) Inseparably

neees-sary asl distress appears• to be from such

- . .
developrmtaAlr skill; and awl improvement of ma-
tivio not state this- for the purpose of

impressing you against the importance of improvement,
but fork.theiturpoie of disclaiming the sanguine hope
that any sext-ait. of legislative enactments can exempt
you from.the liability to such fluctuations and distress.
In proportion to, the, manufacturing excitement—in

proportion 'to the. stimuli to which I have re-
ferred, to the stimuli of specillation,. to- the fricility

of undeitaking-,4.by undue advances; the pursuits or wealth

just in .that- proportion must you expect that in certain dis-
tricts ofthe country these-privations will occur. But looking
at the general state of the country, I can neither see-
grounds for that despondency in which some are
apt to view it,- nor can I see any grounds .for im-
puting'-to- the operation of -.the Cora-laws, as some
in3PUIM' to-them, any thateical-thare in the evils which
we are TIQW suffering:-.4llear, hear, from the Tory
bencht • I think 'we are toe, apt to assume that there
must:be:A constant and-rapid increase in the amount :of
our ex-Torts to other countries. We are too apt tor-de-
spond when we find any occasional _check in the amount
of those,..wFports. The extent of our commerce during
the last year, if found to be lets, when compared to the
year iinglediately preceding it, we imagine from time
to time..that the resources of our proSperity are being
dried up:: --Now, Sir, at all periods -of the commercial
iiistoq,o(jthis country, these alternations of prosperity
and adversity have prevailed. If you.will examine, you
cannot-, deny that at the last period to which the
returns are fully made up—a period which . includes
the year •IB4l—on, comparing the state of trade in
1840, with the state of trade of preceding years,
for the inference which is sometimes
I see 'no grounds
drawn, that the Qorn-laws • lia7l.kieen.the cause of our

misfortunes, and that the repeal of those laWs would supply
iiiintediate .:remedy. -On=referring to this paper, /
find that in the year 1840 the exports of British produce
and • otitnufnetnses,--.1 speak of- their declared. value—
th_. -value of British produce exported in 1840 to
41v13, ' ,tertii of the world, exceeded the exports of
‘l* 9,365000/ • it ' eed d that of 1838 by
'mid fell. ' short oef"e
the' exports of 1839 by