The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-04 00:00:00

which she had been so graciously pfe;sed to direct their
! attention, and which so deeply affected the vital
! interests of the country. He mon,- particuulat•ly alluded
to the subject of the Corn-laws—(Cheers)—of the
finauces—(Cheers)—and of those duties which affected
the. commerce of the country.--(Loud cheers.) With
regard to the finances, he was persuaded that no indivi-
dual in that House would desire that system which
allowed the expenditure to exceed the revenue should
be continued.—(Cheers.) With regard to the Corn-
laws, he congratulated the House that at last a day had,
been fixed for the discussion of that most important sub •
ject.—(Opposition cheers.) He hoped whatever might
be the result of that discussion, a due regard would be paid
to the interest of the agricultural labour of the country,
at the same time that a proper regard was paid. to the
commercial interest. This led him to say a few words
on the state of that part of the country with which
he was connected six months ago. The House had
heard statements made of the awful distress under which
that part of the country was then suffering. He re-
gretted to say that that distress was now frightfully
aggravated.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear," from the Op-
position.) He would refer to the returns of workhouses
to show that applications for relief were greatly increas-
ing, and were in many instances made by persons
who had been formerly in a state of comparative pros-
perity.—(" Hear. hear," from the Opposition.) He would
refer to the Charity and Visiting Societies to prove that
many were now applicants to these charities for relief,
who had, not long ago, been themselves dispensers of
charity.—(Hear.) He regretted to be osliged to state
that, in his opinion, pauperism was advancing in
this country.—(" Hear, hear," from the Opposition.)
He rejoiced that a great measure for remedying these
evils had received the attentive consideration of the Right
Honourable Baronet in whose Government the House
had such confidence, and he hoped that that measure,
whatever it might be, would provide for the regular
einploymenrof the poor and their proper remuneration,
as unless that were done, he felt convinced there
could be no permanent prosperity for this country.
" The history of cur country proves, I think, that Parlia-
ment has often_ been called
.together in great emer-
gencies ; and happily also history proves that the Par-
liaments Of-this country have been equal to the difficulties
by which they were surrounded. But, Sir, I shall
venture to say that at no previous period were the people
so fully entitled to our sympathies and assistance as at
the present moment. The people • have suffered deeply,
but thei have Stiff,Ted patiently.=(Hear, hear.) Their
.loyalty to her .Majesty . has_. never been shaken or for-
gotten, their confidence in the wisdom of Parliament
continues unabated, and their hopes in the ability
of the distinguished and talented Administration, which
ncw presides over the destinies of the country, are still
strong.—(Hear, hear, from the Ministerial benches.)
Sir, the only hope or wish which I entertain in second-
ing the Address, so ably moved by the Noble
Lord, is that * it may receive that approbation
from thiS House to which it is entitled, and
that it may lead to other* wise resolutions and pro-
ceedings on the part of this House, which may prove to
the people that the reliance they have :placed in Parlia-
ment has not been unfounded.7--(ilear, ar.) . With
these few remarks I beg leave to second the Address."

The question beine•
Mr. EWART said he was unwilling to intrude upOn
the attention-of the House, the more so as no other Gen-
tleman had thought proper to rise—(Laughter)—but he
(Mr. E.) was desirous to take that opportunity of expre;s-
sing his approbation of the sentiments that had that evening
been addressed _to them, particularly of those of
the Hon. Gentleman who seconded the Address, and who
had pathetically and too truly. 'described . the miseries
of the people. He (Mr. Ewart) cordially concurred in the
feelings and hopes expressed by that _Hon. Gentleman,
and for those miseries which they both agreed
lamenting, he (Mr. Ewart) trusted that her Majesty's
Government were prepared to introduce some efficient
remedy. He rejoiced to observe that in the-course of the
speech from the Throne one remedy seemed to have been
already traced out, which had been suggested by a Coin-
mittee of that House, which was at least an adoption of its
principles; he meant the Committee on Import Duties. 'file
he (Mr. Ewart) were, right in his construction of
th e
Speech • from the Throne, it was the inten-
tion of her Majesty's Government to adopt the
suggestions contained in their Report ; and, sup-
ported by the evidence taken before that Com-
mittee, he would also add his hope that it was the
intention of her Majesty's Government to attend to one
important article on which the present import duties
pressed very heavily, an article which Was almOSt
a necessary of life . in this country—he meant
sugar. The anticipations of the Government
respecting the supply, and the price of this article had
been disappointed, and even during the last month had
been raised to such an amount as materially to interfere
with its consumption, whilst also evidence had been
laid before the Treasury, showing that -a redUction of
duty on that article Would tend greatly to the welfare
of the people in thiS country, and also to the increase
of the revenue. , lle also trusted that the re-
poinniendatien of .that c;l§pieriittee; 'to reduce the duty-
on coffee would be adopted, for :such a reduction
vas not more called for by. the commercial interests of
the country, and by the 'domestic wants:of the people,,
than by every principle, of just financial reform : it. must
be:satisfactory to every Member of that House to
know that coffee. and. sugar had been most beneficially
and most extensively: substituted for . the deleterious
'spirits hitherto used to such a destructive and moralizing
extent by the' People of this country. Referring to
,our
treaties with foreign countries, he would express a
hope that it was under the contemplation of Government
to enter into a treaty with Holland respecting the im-
port of Dutch produce, especially the produce of the
Isle of Java. In tho first place, such a treaty would
_greatly extend the exports of this country ; and
nexti we could greatly increase our supply of
auger, by admitting the growth- of . Java, which island
froth the production of a few tons of sugar in 1831 was now
producing 65,000 tons annually.. He.kriew not whether he
was justified, yet he could not help infertring from, the
Speeches of the mover and seconder,- rather than from
the Address itself, that it was the intention of the Go-
vernment.
p. .
te, propose something like a Property-tax.
Certainly taxation was hinted at in those speeches, and
it was not contradicted•by any Gentleman on the Minis-
terial benches. No • it was his conviction, as he had
-again and again stated,: theta fair and honest Property-
tax, equally affecting landed, funded, and personal pro-
perty, would afford the most efficient relief to the com-
mercial industry, and sufferingpopulation of the country.
The Right Hon. Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury
had just stated his intention of disclosing his somewhat
long-concealed views on the Corn-laws. One portion of
that subject appeared to him to be of pressing import-
ance ; it was that which related to our trade with Ame-
rica. It was most galling to reflect that the portion
which was the most valuable, that is, cotton, indicated
marks of suffering and gradual decline. The average im-
portation two years ago was 24,000 bags per week,
and last year it was but 21,000 bags. It was most de-
sirable, therefore, seeing that this was the most impor-
tantliranch of our trade, and that America was our best
.:customer, to draw closer the bonds of commercial inter-
course with that country. But he feared that the con-
templated alteration of the Corn-laws would not be
sufficient to bring to us the natural produce of
America. However desirable it was to accomplish a
closer connection it could not be effected, unless we took
besides cotton some other of the natural produce of that
country, and especially corn. In a recent Report of a
Committee of Congress, it was expressly stated,
that if foreign countries would not take Ame-
rican corn in exchange for their manufactures,
it was incumbent on'the Legislature to provide for the
American agriculturist a market at home. So long,
therefore, as we continued our system of prohibition,
they would continue their system of protection.
With respect to Germany, from which we had the
most dangerous rivalry, so far we were now excluded
from the markets of territories containing a povula-
tion equal to our own, being 26,000,C00. 'nese
were included in the Confederation ; and he
'held in his hand an extract from a distin-
guished writer on Prussian statistics, who said,
" Since the Confederacy has been formed, and the Cus-
tom houses abolished, there has taken place an immense
increase in the cotton, silk, and woollen manufac-
tures, for which hitherto we were dependent
on neighbouring countries, and especially England.
in
Gerany is now not only independent of other countries
for these manufactures, but is able to supply her
neighbours." That confederation was, .to some
extent a recognition of free trade.—(Hear, hear.)
It was as much so as the abolition of the dis-
criminating duties between Scotland, Ireland, and Eng-
land; and it was his opinion that the only way in which
we could oppose the rivalry of the confederacy
was by the adoption of free trade.—(Hear, hear.)
The effect of the increase of manufactures in Ger-
many, in consequence of the union has been an increase
of the materials supplied by the agriculturists, and this
increase of manufactures in Germany has been in con-
sequence of the extension of free trade: So far front
lowering wages, as Hon. Gentlemen on the other side
seemed to think, it had the effect of increasing wages, for the
same writer to whom he alluded continued to observe that
there had been an increase of employment and a rise of
wages. He trusted, therefore, in common with many
others, that the doctrine of free trade would be carried
into operation by her Majesty's Government, which,
after the most sincere conviction, he v. as induced to
believe would so materially benefit the country,
and which' had been so ably put forward by
the Committee on Import Duties which sat during
the last Parliament. With great anxiety, therefore, he
looked to the development of those 'principles of free
trade, and he hoped he might do so with confidence also.
But at the same time he must express his regret, that,
although alterations in the fluctuating scale would be
beneficially set aside, and the sliding scale be
subjected to alteration, yet still that it would be
a sliding scale, and that the inherent effect of the
bad principle on which that scale was founded
was still to continue, and which was the occasion of un-
steadiness of price and uncertainty. But if it were the
intention of her Majesty's Government to develope a
more extended measure than any which merely involved
an alteration in the sliding scale, he should hail it with
satisfaction, and he would assure the Government
of his most sincere support. He might be allowed to express
thet hope that the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for
Tl mworth would take a standfm - I and boldly upon
e t
what he believed to be the
permanent and real interest
of his country, and that ion e
npthis most vital question he
interests
to not allow a desire of conciliating various
to interfere withthe exercise of his sincere conviction:.
H
m hear.)e! n t I
when
( epaarr,was his (Mr. Ewart's) lot to come
into
the Right Hon. Baronet was
compelled to alter
his policy on the important sub-
ject of religious freedom.At that time he entertained
no doubt, from sincere
conviction, of the policy of
be
religious ascendancy ; and trusted, that in
these important titles,
would not maintain a the Bight Hon. Baronet
nt at -the expense
systemersystemof
.social ascen-
dancy—upholding one
cf another, and he believed if such -a system of social