The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-30 00:00:00

. ' . "2

. ruinous prices now quoted. ...The future is -fearful to I
contemplate ; yet the present state of things has one
• • good effect---it is bringing many to think with us, who,
. few weeks ago, considered us wild and visionary.
There is an increasing conviction in the minds of the
masters and tradesmen that we must get the trade with
the United States opened again, and that nothing will
do this but a repeal of the Corn-laws. The Guardians,
at the meeting to-day, have decided to give the stone-
breakers tin it bread, meat, and oatmeal as' last week,
but there will now be a great increase to the number
needing relief. . The working men deserve great praise
for their patient and peaceable conduct under so much
privation and distress. They are now daily approaching
a star of suffering which will very likely produce what
may i?tinvice Sir Robert Peel and his colleagues that the
distress is real. I should not be surprised at our
county Members, who' have hitherto supported his
policy, uniting in a memorial for him to adopt more
liberal measures with respect to trade, which, if they
would do, it could not be long ere our wishes were
accomplished, and the country again prosperous.
" I am yours, " ROBERT BEW."
•
" To the Rev. W. H. Bonner."
He was sorry to hear it announced that the Conference
would break up on Monday next .; he trusted thit the
faraf *ailed in that letter, together with the alarming
state of the country in general, would induce them to
abandon their resolution. •
Mr. HOLLAND, from Liverpool, then said,—Sir, It is
my painful task to confirm the accounts you have already
laid before you by Mr. Heyworth, and other gentlemen
from Liverpool. of the state of trade there generally.
Although the distress of the working classes does not
Meet observation so much as in the neighbouring towns,
which are purely manufacturing, yet, on inquiry, the
complaint of want of employment is universal, especially
among the shipwrights, iron-founders, machine-makers,
sail-makers, and all trades dependent on foreign com-
merge and shipping. You have already had a report
from the Town Missions, as to the distress of the work-
ing-classes in those districts, to which I may add, that
the workhouse is crowded with a larger number of in-
mates, than is generally experienced here during the
winter months. The number of unemployed masters of
ships is increasing, and the shipping interest is labouring
under more severe depression than has ever been known ;
the numerous sacrifices which are being made in
colonial built ships, (the larger descriptions of
which arc, indeed, quite unsaleable) re-acts upon
the price of home• built ships, which can enlj be
disposed of at ruinous rates. Vessels may be chartered
for a lower figure than can be warranted in the dullest
times, the only alternative being to lose money by laying
them tip, or continue sailing them with a :Try question-
able chance of paying their expenses. The fact of this
want of employment for shipping is Conclusive as to the
inactivity which prevails generally in our foreign trade ;
nor is the home coasting trade in any better plight, the
freights, from my own experience as being interested in
some of these vessels, having fallen to unremunerating
rates. In fact, I believe that no foreign trade holds out
any profitable employment at present far the merchant
and shipowner ; nor is there any large article of
import that is now brought here to pay a profit, and with
very few exceptions, a loss is sustained by the importer,
anti low as prices were at the close of last year, a much
lower rate has now to he submitted to. The mercantile
community of Liverpool beim; mainly agents for the
transmission and exchange of the products of the manu-
fneturers, the larger share of these losses is sustained by
the manufacturer, who gets each day a less return for his
goods ; but, notwithstanding the effects are thus removed
ip seine degree from our Liverpool houses, still, a large
number who are themselves engaged in the export and
import trade are suffering extremely, especially those
connected with our colonial establishments. All foreign
Markets are glutted with our goods ; yet, in order to get
rid of their stocks, the manufacturers are compelled to
continue their shipments, thus competing against them-
selves and aggravating the evil. It is easy to say the remedy
is to be found in limiting production ; this could only be
accomplished by the infliction of still greater distress on
the operative classes, and, by the annihilation or abatis
donment of the mills and machinery of the capitalists.
Nor is it less an error to argue that an increased export
of cotton goods proves a diminution of the state of dis-
tress and uneasiness complained of. The larger propor-
tion of such exports are of cotton, on which the least
amount of labour has been expended ; and the value of
exports, when measured by the value of the imports re-
ceived in payment (the only true measure), shows a di-
minished, amount arrived in return. It is self-evident
that this must continue to be the case so long as we re-
fuse to receive in exchange in foreign markets those
articles which form the bulk of their productions, and
which are pie'cisely those that would be consumed to an
'almost indefinite extent by the now unemployed masses
of our population. The remedy, it is plain, is in our
own hands, but what Sir Robert Peel terms the existing
interests, insist on our not being allowed to apply it. I
may instance the trade to the Brazils, a country fruitful
in products which we stand in want of, particularly sugar
and coffee ; a country which, despite our refusal to take
anything of moment, excepting the cotton and hides, in
direct exchange, still consumes four millions sterling of
cur goods. The constant reduction in the price of
goods here stimulates a progressively increasing amount
of exports to the Brazilian market ; the Brazilian shop-
keeper, who is already a debtor to us generally,
• for a twelvemonth's previous purchase, is com-
pelled in self-defence to buy more of our every day
cheaper goods, ur to shut stp his shop, and be himself
supplanted by another man. The necessary result is a
r oil stun tly augmenting amount of stock cn credit, and
en increasing difficulty on the part of the Brazil shop-
keeper and trader to meet his engagements, owing to the
imposaib taking, 4)f our takin,,‘ the, only payment he can
•oller in direct exchange, arid to his being thrown upon
the already-o.aratoolied marketij!'ebtitlfiental Europe.
Unless a change speedily fake place the inevitable .re •
suit Must be the rein of our Brazilian debthr, and the
lies of great part of what he is owing to us. Sugar from
Brazil is now offered in bond at the miserably low price
of thirteen shillings per cwt., or less than I id. per lb.,
whilst our colonial sugar is charged to us at three times
this price. Nor must we forget that we thus lose nearly
all the carrying trade back from the Brazils, foreign
bottoms competing with us at extremely low rates to
the continental ports. This result, too, is obtained after
paying twenty millions to our colonial monopolists, and
!lifter a loss of twenty-five millions to the public during
the last seven years in the shape of the enhanced price
of sugar. Nor has a proposition which was lately made
fur allowing sugar to be used here, for feeding cattle, and
other agricultural purposes, been listened to. Is it
strange that distrust of our motives, and a gene-
ral outcry against our one-sided intercourse, should pre-
vail ? The same picture may be drawn of our operations
in llavannah and other markets. I shall not now dwell
on the pretext sometimes advanced about not encou-
raging slavery ; this subterfuge is too gross, and has
already been sufficiently exposed ; and all such attempts
at coercing nations must be stigmatised as they deserve,-
whilst we continue to violate the principle we propose
whenever it suits our purposes. In our trade to the
River Plate the same results are manifested ; we refuse
to' take what would prove the most valuable article they
produce—namely, their beef, except after paying a duty
. of Ss. per cwt., which becomes almost prohibitory,
IA hen the value of the article here is considered, my
opinion being that it would become of very large
consumption at a selling price of 2d. a 2.1 d. per lb., but
cannot come within the reach of the class who would
consume it, and who, at present, seldom or never taste
meat at a higher rate. Thirty thousand tons of this
laid were exported last year from Montreal alone,
nearly all which went in Brazil and Spanish ships to the
Brazils and the Havannah, thus depriving ourselves of a
most valuable trade, and furnishing the slave holder
with a cheap and nutritious food to promote his
business. If a market were afforded here, 50,000 tons
of this beef might be brought from those countries
in our own shippins; giving at the low price of Id. ster-
ling per lb. an exchangeable value of about half a mil-
lion sterling, all which would be paid for in our
goods. The same argument applies in a still stronger
degree to our intercourse with the United States (whose
agricultural pro2ucts we have hitherto proscribed), and
although the new tariff may, we hope, open some
trade in this quarter, yet it is-evident the high duties
retained must naturally abridge any benefit that would
otherwise be obtained from the vast amount of food pro-
ducts that she could give us ; and which, if permitted to
be exchanged on terms of reciprocity, would, we have
every reason to believe. raise up such a powerfulinterest
in favour of a free trade with this country, as would
cement our friendly relations; and settle the tariff and
boundary questions far sooner than any diplomacy can
effect. I might extend these remarks to almost every
country with which we trade, and point out the same re-
sults, but I should be occupying too much ofyour time,
and probably re-stating what you have already heard be-
fore.
I shall limit myself, therefore, to the foregoing
remarks applied to those countries with which I am myself
acquainted, hut I cannot refrain from observing, that a
complete reply is furnished by these facts to those
like Sir Robert • Peel, advance the ' proposi-
tion that, under present circumstances, improvements
in machinery may prove an evil. It must be evident
that, were exchange unfettered, such improvement in ma-
chinery, by producing a larger quantity of cheaper
articles of clothing, is equivalent to breaking up a new
and fertile soil, for the production of food, inasmuch as
you can thus present the settler in the new country with
a great amount of stocking in exchange for his food and
stuffs, thus inducing him to throw his labour into this
new channel ; thus every improvement in machinery
would be hailed with delight by all parties,
as conducing to increase the amount of com-
modities which each party can offer in exchange;
and the improvements in machinery can only be nega-
tive in their beneficial results, when, as in our instance
here, a constantly increasing 'production of clothing
stuffs is met by a stationary and non-progressive
amount of toed commodities with which to be ex•
changed. This is is our case. An immense inequality
exists in this country bots'veen articles of clothing and
those of food. We are not allowed to pass a limited
field of production to correct this, but are told to trust to
the eliances of the season, and when, as in this instance,
an adverse season occurs, the disease presents itself in
an aggravated shape.--(Hear, bear.) it is. true
that a remedy- is attempted to be found by a relax-
ation of the prohibitory system in the new Corn Bill,
but this cannot prove effectual; and if we look at the
present working of the new law w.s find that the pro-
visions which h holds otit`to the gambler must prevent
it from ever becoming a trade of barter for the regular
isterehant.. A large amount of corn, probably 1,500,000
quarters, have been bought in foreign markets by the
speculator under the impression that the crop here might
hrove a small one, in which ease prices might rule high
ere, and the duty proportionably low. The foreigner,
slimily alive to these schemes, obtained a much higher
price than would have been paid under ordinary circum-
stances of a free trade ; but with the present prospects
of' a fair average crop here, the speculator is now paying
a duty of Bs. per quarter, besides having:lo take tahnv.,
price afterwards, thus suffering a serious loss in the shape
of the firm price paid to. the foreigner. In short no