The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-23 00:00:00

CORN-LAWS.

Sir G. STRICKLAND presented a petition against
he Corn-laws.

Mr. J. S. WORTLEY presented a petition from the
confectioners of London, praying that some steps might
be taken to prevent competition in the trade, by the
inhabitants of the Channel Islands.

Mr. COBDEN presented a great number of petitions
from Scotland and other places against the Corn-laws.
Mr. AINSWORTH presented a petition, signed by
11,000 persons, from Bolton, praying for the total and
immediate repeal of the Corn-laws.
Petitions to the same effect were presented by Mr.
J. Fielden, from Oldham ; by Mr. Villiers, from several
parishes in the cities of London and Westminster; from
the town of Paisley, in Scotland ; from places in Derby-
shire and Somersethire; seventeen from Lancashire; also
from places in Yorkshire, and from the borough of Wol-
verhampton; also by Lord John Russell from the town
of Harwich, and from places in Forfarshire.
Sir ROBERT PEEL presented certain papers by
command of her Majesty, which were ordered to be laid
on the table.
COLONIAL DIFFERENTIAL DUTIES.
Mr. LABOUCHERE seeing the Right Hon. Gentle-
man, the Vice.. President of the Board of Trade, in his
place, wished to ask him a question on a subject which
had out of doors created considerable anxiety. In the
measure which he (Mr. Labouchere) had introduced last
year for regulating the commercial relations of the
colonies, he had proposed that there should be a protect-
ing duty of 7s. per cwt. in favour of British manufac-
tures. He was desirous that in all other respects the
renittilsehrn manufactures.ai intended
to llehoped
that the legislate
Colonial Legislature should be allowed to form their
own fiscal regulations, but he thought it was the
duty of the British Legislature to secure a protec-
tion of 7s.tpigerht icwton. GB
. fo r
upon the same principle ; but the resolution was ambi-
guously worded, and great anxiety existed out of doors
on the subject. He wished to know, whether it was the
intention of the Government, in their proposed measure
on this subject, to socure a protection of 7 per cent. on
British manufacturers.
Mr. GLADSTONE was much obliged to the Right
Hon. Gentleman for giving him an opportunity of allaying
any anxiety which might prevail out of doors on the sub- '
j act, although he was not aware of the existence of any
such impression. Nothing could be further from the in-
tention of the Government than to leave the differential
duties imposed on foreign commodities imported into the
colonies, liable to be neutralized by the Colonial Legis-
latures. It was the intention of the Government
that
the protection of seven per cent., or whatever
other protection might be given, should be a bona
fide and real protection for British goods. That
was the principle on which the Government pro-
posed to legislate, and he had no doubt or hesitation in
stating that it was his intention to carry that principle
into effect. Tho language which had been used by the

Right Hon. Gentleman last year had been altered, not
for the purpose .of narrowing the principle, but for the
purpose of increasing its effect. There were certain
cases in which the Colonial Legislatures had themselves
imposed differential duties on foreign articles, and the
Government did not propose to interfere with the pro-
tection which the Colonial Legislatures might be disposed
to give, in the shape of differential duties. They merely
intended to give to the Colonial Legidatures the power of
continuing any differential duties they might think
proper, in addition to the protection of 7 per cent.,
whicl• , by an act of the British Legislature, it was in-
tended to give to British manufacture, in all the Colonies
For this reason, instead of the words of the resolutions
of the Right Hon. Gentleman, he (Mr. G.) had intro-
duced a separate clause, which would have the effect of
securing independently of colonial enactments, pre-
ference to articles of British produce or manufac-
tures, and in case the Colonies themselves should lay on,
or wish to lay on any further differential duties on ar-
ticles of foreign manufactures or produce, under parti-
cular circumstances, the Bill which the Government
meant to introduce would not interfere with such a. course.
SPAIN AND THE GREAT POWERS.

Mr. HINDLEY begged to ask the Right Hon. Baro-
net, at the head of her Majesty's Government, whether
this country had made any efforts to induce Russia,
Austria, and Prussia, to recognise ,the present constitu-
tion and Government of Spain, and whether the Right
Hon. Baronet could say when such a recognition was
likely to take place ?
Sir R.' PEEL—It is not easy to give a simple and
brief answer to questions of this nature. The Hon.
Gentleman asks, as I understand, whether any communi-
cations have taken place between her Majesty's Govern-
ment and the Great Northern Powers respecting the
recognition of the present Government of Spain, and
whether there is any prospect of such recognition
taking place ? I wish to take this opportunity of stating, in
answering the question, that our policy respecting Spain
has been perfectly simple and open,and without any reserve.
Our anxious wish has been to see Spain a prosperous,
a powerful, and an independent nation.—(Cheers
from both sides of the House.) Our wish is to see
Spain independent of all foreign protection, and
that no power which she can possess for her
own just defence, should be an object of jealousy
to any other power.—(Cheers.) It has been our desire,
certainly, to give strength and stability, as far as is
possible, by our councils and by exerting our influence,
to the present Government of Spain ; for we thought
we saw under that Government growing indications of
advance of civilisation and prosperity; and certainly we
have exercised our influence as far as could be done with
propriety to induce the Governments of the Continent of
Europe—to induce the three Great Powers to recognize
the Government of Spain.—(Cheers.) We have thought
that such exertions on our part would give effect
to the advancing civilization of that country
and stability of the Government which, in the
present general condition of Spain, seemed to
us best calculated to promote the interests of that coun-
try. It is impossible to answer the Hon. Gentleman's
question as to the period when the desiretl recognitions
are likely to take place. All I can answer is, that our
exertions have been made in an amicable and friendly
way, to give that stability to the Spanish Government
which we thought would result from such measures.
Sir, we have no interest to serve, but I think that one of
the greatest objects in promoting the tranquillity of
Europe is that the state of that country should be re-
stored to prosperity and independence, and that Spain
should hold the place which she used to fill amongst the
family of European States—(Hear, hear)—and no exer-
tions on our part shall be wanting to bring that about.