The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-27 00:00:00

Perfect and Kvstettiatic -
eoni.ist. ncy in legislating on
these matters, the p-op,sition of the Government must
be sustained. But the question was now practically
this, whether a practical stanulant should be given to
the slave trade b • e•vcouragina the sugar of Cuba and
Brazil ? The questiOn„had often been brought before the
Rouse by llun. Gentlemen opposite, and often been de-
eid din favour of the distinction. In 1842 the Hon.
Member for Dumfries moved for an equalisation of the
dutie,, and similar motions had since been brought for-
ward. Ile (Mr. G.) would nut say that those gentle-
men who insisted so much upon the interests of com-
merce were indifferent to the claims of humanity. They
°tight not to accuse him asd those who agreed with the
L_G°t'erntuent in this case of being indifferent to commerce.
.-yvliose in the Present case they were willing to make some
",crelrof commerce to protect humanity. The tnajo-
t.„ltY ef the British Parliament had determined for years
that the distinction should be kept up. He regretted
itillit.t!his. question had been made.. one of party, and that
Bereall it led to a political crisis, the acerbity engrn-
v • he, bit
which had not yet passed away.— Hear,
is at) But he called upon G, ntlemen opposite to( have
%Peet for the ascertained and repeatedly-expressed
410ioa fI, •• • H iuse —Wear, hear.)
Li i o ,• the majority in that , ..
htB4o the lion. Member for Dumfries brought the
ssugetet of equalisation before the House. He proposed
sugar"/ of 245. on British, and of 345. on all foreign
i
1..• This was negatived by a majority of 95., I,
ayes to tthe question was negatived, upon. a division, of 281
the Ito 371 noe=, making a majority of 90 against
Itf„„..•••`,_°e• Member for Dumfries. In 1842 the Hon.
"auer for Taunton proposed that the duty on British
I,lllhgaatr bileuld be 20s ,and that on all foreign alike 30s.
ben" Was negatived: the ayes were 164, the
Honourable
digleg kiens a majority of 81. In 1843 the H oiunvo_vl..
; Der for Lambeth moved a proposition, 1_
r, ,
foreigq a differential duty of 10g. upon . all
occasion
was RI sugar. The majority on that
222.
That i's', the numbers being, ayes 103, noes
obit,: 8'44'411 that there had been no advance of public het?a in favour of those Gentlemen's views.—(Hear,
tne .) In
the same year the Hon. Member for Taunton
as,;eitit a proposition for the admission of Braziliaanstsug.eaarr,
the i k," negatived by a majority of 73.
245. °um Lord (Lord J. Russell) moved foraL duty 3 of
ilet,.°.l ritish, and of 345. on foreign sugar ; that wasth
tialie lYied bY a majority of 69. That was the seven
t° rec%4 fPO years-, when Parliament was called upon.
tiotto-tg°,lBe the principle of the Noble Lord's propos-
,t'site andt? night, and Parliament each time gave a deft
•
"'in ther'ensible response.—(Hear, hear.) He granted
again t t. 12 was a commercial feeling in the country
8 14;3- the Micy of the Government,:but there
.was still
of the e extended sentiment against slavery, and in favour
]Lies(.°,lll,7 of his Right Hon. Friend.—(Hear, hear.)
Slr ar.,-e'phN expressed dissent.
shake k.-ADSTONE—The Hen. Gentleman need not
ski ,• uls head.—(A laugh.) He admitted the ability
Of e itieeritY of the Hon. Gentman in the advocacy
hitt ,Mmercial principles ; but he could not agree whith
wa :tnat there was not a strong feeling in favour of u-
iattglito`nt3:i‘n, this quarter. Sir T. F. Buxton, Dr. Lush-
ofth M. Sturge, and Mr.. Scobell, were all supporters
slap Political party now in opposition, but they were
Pre",,l4 favour of the policy of the Government on the
tass,-Int question.—(Hear, hear.) And it was to be re-
to -"e red that those were the men who had put an end
Ilifaiillowery in the British dominions.—(Hear, hear.)
ap,,8% he called upon Hon. Gentlemen opposite to re-f v. the often-ascertained opinion of the majority o
oksillitete,nti he would remind them that their movement
0 • tills subject excited little interest in the country
l' is the House, and that the interest was diminishing
°Pots)? lear--(Hear, hear.) Surely it did not happen
howl 4 an question of interest that the benches
d be
oppos; , so thinly covered, when the leader of the
Chao 'tion brought forward a great motion, and the
lietcellor of the Exchequer was to answer.—(Hear,
therPd a laugh.) If he could see any likelihood that
year, eble Lord would carry his principle even next
4,11pi,,h! (Nir. Gladstone) might think it better not to
f
'eelil; 4t. But when there was such a stagnancy
.o
kent'v"t doors, and when the feeling of Par
there (sad been incontestably expressed, he called upon
°,,,Lliy ,i'„lle OPposition) not to hold out prospects w
'heyei,',°°*aged Cuba and Brazil in perpetuating slavery.
tr,ilail.;,-4„ it in their power, by keeping up hopes of
(low 1,,-„,°°, to prevent the success of the policy of
~`°wtterr-"kent in discouraging slavery in those places:-
-44 'I, hear. With respect to the imputation
ttitieitcP°; ° the British people of being hypod
d;,_.•,1 ~,,'ll their professed desire to put an. en
‘l4 3'--those imputations were more disc!e-
Now: to those whomade them than to the British
‘4°-1'1141.---04(ell, ei', hear.) He could not admit
.that Mr.
ft(.41.• s book was, as it had been characterised by an
t,,tatioilluth.er, a statesmanlike Production, and its im-
b:atlea n the people of England were wholly un-
e'la ol '114"Po :r contradicted by the facts. ; for the English
made great commercial. sacrifices, in ex-
eol;4llrist the trade of Caba and Brazil rather than ea-
G -so slayealeery __
Pro toes • (Hear, hear.) He begged of Hon..
to ~,,Pe4ition°&Posite to csnsider what the effect of their
Wrqt dos,' carried, would have upon the efforts made
lifetth,svlitttllthe slave trade by means of an armed navy.
estd . e ‘t,
ti 'ill
th eeencY could they shed blood and take
duet,,,lt Dee:toPs to suppress the trade, if they ren-
Pl' sii-118 of "stli4rY by the increased demand for the pro-
lasen,;`ea was ;lave labour. The question of armed suipe:
%la of ti.i'll a great measure prejudged by tlemo
on
(liee.: the ieogkeintlemen who supported the principled
'Pol..' "oar, \ '''e Lord's proposition was founde .
to hetisiot,'Li The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by
like-pioneers- thei House for
.having detained them so
ofb .114t-lAtsian he had intended.—(Hear, hear.)
"its4"l,-,`'ULAY said, if the. motion had been one
lile4, °NI' .nancial or commercial character, it would
the I,' beta teore becoming in him to have remained
tooouse4se there were Gentlemen on both sides of
tor,.."lkio Illore competent to deal with financial and
seT.ive tht matters than himself. But. he could not
fraud the question before them was. either one of
!Ipq4 that tlhor financial nature, for he did not und.er-
Itfo,Parei„ eY were called upon to decide the question
°Y ".traot e°lnmercial or financial grounds.. He took
etllllls zioo, that the objection to the motion proposed
oLli told e Friend was one purely moral. They
tledtstio that they were under a moral
o*-4,e otlff,t_° . make a distinction between the
ttlik• I,oeli,n cc-labour and the produce of
.slave labour._
1404'1%8;1 as__ much averse to the abominable traffic,
tte 0 as th present carried on between
.Africa and the
'utttP hewes , 0 Pon. Gentleman who had just sat down.
'soh bosom' es' tuought that it was in his power to show
tletti moral, rounds existed as those alleged by
mitt tii,:essra oppogsite existed. The Right Hon. Gedn:
lass, that pa
of the Board of Trade had a -
14osskis In tele moral obligation restricted the corn
I,c'tlit,rt thir,ests of the country; and he (Mr. Macaulay)
Thrtioo -",if he Succeeded in showing that no such
stobes'ti 0 „h"4l exist, he proposition of his Noble
I,4kt'ipoll'it to be adoptedt by the House. The Right
I,'? ti'
Elbe
t liett'lla who had just sat down had said
:I'lleitt-•°414; °use were to agree to it, the Government
to 0h
tititite,..i.ZlGiennatlposaintion of considerable difficulty.
krke 'owrstneetem dwelt upon the inconsistency
k the Do tits would be guilty of, if they were
At 1, Prod,, 4deletion between the produce of a slave
AN' t° rs'ee of a free state. If they did not, the
s,'lwe° coot`.4entieman said it would be impossible for
?/4 osh i-g:°,e,their present measures for suppressing
t Italt t° say high seas. Now it was impossible for
allos to at, t; at a person, or a body of persons, pro-
iN''' es 1, certain thing, for a certain moral
'kii. lidtliq be acting with consistency while
tr, sr °Pted
tI4L eisse another course with regard to a
e-`liews in' It
,s was impossible, if this were so,
lit . %ski' -oe sin 't of those persons, or to
It ene . Ceti y
NS 6 10 their powers of discrimination.
tqk Atirs, Moral
Litist, so so?, obligation were
ledto'elal x,7,Be,luence would be to
.throw the whole
is ut,,ee the urill . into a state of confusion, and he was
(,` VA rho 'gilt lion. Baronet's Budget was not
ttls'the-ie,,kisteLeame principle. He was far from deny-
'l.t,ll% Wlisblietris of this moral obligation ; but it could
11."°04 011 woo ' every case. He would give one in-
%114.11= Otte th_dd not only illustrate his argument, but.
itleie sstie,4 w discriurinating powers possessed. by
the ')f . en ,;) •
Ghl t t ~obae Pposite. He would take the simple
o/ by o;tea St Not only did they take the tobacco sftleti Nte, k4tes and of Cuba, which was grown not
i 11 14
(1 ' but
by slaves who had recently been lin-
t% Ilaht • efitttle
% lq)ohlty, b e of every principle of justice. tioier
tt sett,. tire, slut they positively interclictea .
liktt:ltts,_ I's, ? the 'United Kingdom from growing ki ,th:oolteli'lwo centuries they had had. upon th
Atkot 01 41 England
which provided that if any tobacco.t
iq°lle." den'', ttl.,t,thdi except for gunk') purposes, i
tli et() like 'le"- This applied only to England.
ts_ . i Ires s
the cultivation of
the enpo.tul if, elan
commenced
ietttgetAlisit .„ of. that country. At length, however,
lrlkteltie atsi:el,llslature took alarm at this bold and
11)1' Ilse the Irish they immediately and positively in-
It las,te?Deei„4h freemen from growing the plant.f
teikl!latiLitres ss this was an exceedingly fair test ot 41 ill -"tertained by Hon. Gentlemen opposite.
Illos to em
!is, -iiiti cart. t° ascertain to what degree they in-
if seteally Y their consistenc which had been so
tanytheytawy sr
ke° of by the Right Hon. Gentleman
ohse 'erci ~th,° hoard of Trade. It he were to ask
tiltitftrfiels%tr?ared to give this restriction up,
this 'te Ise Trea e Right Hon. Gentleman the First
Fatly ,t *side:,.lll7, and the Right Hon. Gentleman
I,"'llipYklheetlnswer, t:,,21 the Board of Trade, would in-
who'lesittnit, wools'''' 0 certainly not." And why not ?
4wea itort injure the revenue. The tobacco
lisit,rese Beth
ee(' from abroad they knew was grown
:rtes to k towPeonYl.4 also that the Custom-house,
stew- 120-e guiiro ' g ,
t e ..Y derived a duty from, this
kbtsis_4 by p°l Per eu,s„e; ° 600 L per cent., and in some
"t1l) 9t s"Rli h-'"‘• If, however, this tobacco were
*fh s
114, ,it to
to
Moen or Irishmen it would lead to the
11 sere
t'sst, the 1041 arid for this reason they would not
tioe,ere
rt,he ittoiltiothe revenue; and for this reason also
ittekt stt,';h, if ti,P.,°l.Y in tobacco to slave-owners. If
too or e "emelt this
were the moral obligation which
‘lis e°4l4(lnitaerei °J)Posite thought paramount to all
tvtilesltd• Jhere sa' considerations, what feasible objcc-
fo obe Ue t() ti,
b lee ,aud these sill, ..e Proposal made by his Hon.
Osltlit's,4l4 still things gilt be. said, and he admitted. it,
tt '' 04,1 II if ~6 existing when they came into
0 11044 11°04t t°
b:"Y maintained consistency, these
1,, ssi,, Dourtthi put down. But !his could not be
th, ? 11,1eraa e °bieet.
bhp s gh so the -,,.• ion, for what was the Right
t 4.3, y, he
~r.eirst Lord of the Treasury about
tsi, \ this upon v °Posed to take awa completely
kitts'i it eutt°°•N did he k w
44 ,t this 014 °il is, • ow, not no
asas 8 ? 11.1 he siThege°wo by slaves ?—(Hear,
ilgst at it was . out a case of consistency
Lope' h Islo e Cotton said that cotton was not quite so
i 4itss°ois was less destructive to life than
tY ‘qt 4 misery °n the fa 44 the 445 y in COL of the earth produced
4i 11 t sint ef 44.4. r, .lavery than the republic of the
t4„,ct Wet 1104. Barone`rd the produce of that cow -
4,4 ts as th aot the proposed to admit free of
ti,at Ott 000 h% afkirs P‘Fevince of Members of Parliament
me a.. 4. eos. a eotts°! other nations, nor could they ex-
oty siititoees"e Could have any salutary effect; .
ww Aril .eY mi.
etis 044
e3thtot silk why they should
.ta.ke
ti in preference to Brazilian