The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-23 00:00:00

PETITION FROM HE CONFERENCE.

Presented and read to the House by C. P. Villiers, Esq , on
Thursday Evening.
" That the long-protracted distress of this nation is gene-
rally increasing, and has become intolerable. That without
an immediate change in the policy of the Legislature there is
no hope of a restoration of public prosperity. The disruption
of the very elements of society is threatened, the stability and
good order of the State are hastening to an end. The indus-
trious classes are starving, and your laws prevent them from
earning bread. We call upon your House instantly to abolish
all monopolies which interfere with the rights of labour, and
to take means that you shall not separate until the Corn-laws
be entirely repealed; and, while we deliberately declare our
belief that the remedy for the existing distress is within the
powers of Parliament, we hereby record our solemn warning
that the minsequences of • rejecting the application of that re-
medy will be at the door of your Honourable House.
" And your petitioners will ever pray," &c.

DISTRESS IN THE COUNTRY.
The following is a more lengthened report of Lord
Pahnerston's speech than appeared its our Morning Edi-
tion of yesterday c--'
Viscount ,PALMERSTON. said that certainly no-
thing, so far, could be more satisfactory to that side of
the House than the debateif debate it could be called—
of that evening, the arguments having been all on that
side; while on the opposite. benches there had been no-
thing but " the agreeable silence of a friend." to use the
phrase of a well-known diplomatist. Certainly the
Right Hon. Gentleman ,had not, from among his sup-
porters that eVening, been troubled with any of those
oratorical displays, which were to him matters of such
horror when perpetrated by unfortunate leaders of depu-
tations.—(Hear,- hear.) He (Viscount Palmerston),
however, found no fault with Hon. Gentlemen opposite
for their silence.. There was. an old saying, and a very
good one, " When you have nothing to say, say nothing"
—(Hear, hear)—and acting upon this principle Hon.
Gentlemen oppnsite, 'being unprovided with arguments
to meet the. arguments of Ron. GentlemenmemberofonrhiNs o(rVis-
Count Palmerston's) side- of the House, had shown a
very sound' discretion to preierVing an 'almost unbroken
silence.--(Hear, hear.) :
olk
afforded an exception, for, he had said a few words ; and
another exception had .been the Hon. Member for
Shrewsbury, the greater part of whose speech, however,
turned upon -foreign affairs, and hail nothing what-
ever to do with the matter in hand.—(Hear, hear). That
Honourable Gentleman had one fixed idea ; whatever
happened wrong: to' the country, whether at home or
abroad, 'whether commercial cfrhittitnry; it was all the
fink of the dipkimicy of the late Government, a diple-
Macy which he had now characterized, by an expression
which it was sotnewhat.ditficult to understand, namely,
.anti-commercial diplomacy.—(A laugh.) The Honour-
able Gentleman seemed to think that the Congress itswin-
bled at' Vienna assembled to settle tariff's. lie (Viscount
Palmerston) should like to see the surprise with which
the distinguished statesmen, who were parties to that
Congress, and who thought they were arranging the poli-
tical affairs of Europe, Is otild have received the censure
with which the Honourable Menilh.r for Slinmsbury
had visited that transaction: There was one exception
to. shot Hon.. Gentleinan!s.censure—the was
of
Mr. _Canning: _Mr. Canning called into existence, the
Honourable •Gentleman said, or Mr. Canning boasted
that he called into existence, a new market, and his
had been indeed a commercial diplomacy. He (Viscount
Palmerston) fancied that Mr. Canning's boast was
to haVe called the new world into existence, to
restore the. balance 'of 'the old. It was political'
and.net merely commercial measures which Mr. Canning .
,rule 4 Himself on having
‘achieved.' As the Honourable
eilltfci wentriliiiei'stOnYliiit C