The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-05 00:00:00

MORNING SUN

...-
Tories,,as completely exonerating them from all
.Distress has occurred betbre, employ-
, ment must be fluctuating., wages must vary, ow-
ing to changes of fashion, and their Lordships
'n'ay therefbre sleep in peace, being nowise
instrumental in causing the misery they so hu-
til 4:,.thanely deplore. Lord RIPON said--
lie agreed with the Noble Viscount that it would be
k fateterror to hold out expectations that any measure
,;; could, hi-the complicated machinery of society which E. ng-
.., i'land presents—that it would be possible by any legis.la-
.."',ltire enactment to prevent.that occasional distress which
fluctuations in trade inevitably produce.—(Hear, hear.)
We were not exactly prepared to find Lord
'1(1 1311011011 AM rtioning (to borrow Mr. G. THoilsow.s
Metaphor) after the same "red herring." But the
scent which lures Legislators away from respon-
sibility is so pleasingly powerful, that even Lord
BROUGHAM'S far-seeing mind was not prof
against the temptation, and he was led on the
);. same trail. But he accompanied his remark with
Just recommendation, which the other Noble
Lords omitted. Lord BROUGHAM said—
He believed that the distress was in its present extent
Transitory,
but lie feared he must agree with his Noble
riend that in this country periodical distress and re-
verse of fortune was almost indispensible to the highly
artificial •stute of society. For centuries, nay for
this country had been manufacturing not only for itself,
but for the world, and such a country might well appre-
hend a gradual decline of some branches in which other
nations would take to supply themselves. But that was no
reason for not making every practical effort to stay the
decline of such manufactures, and to open other markets.
Here
in theeternaarin,ethree eminent noblemen all agreeing
that our artificial and complicated
state of society—as independent of legislation,
and dependent on changes of taste at home and
abroad—is the cause of periodical distress, which
Legislation does not cause, and which Legisla-
_ tion cannot be expected to cure. It maybe very
Presumptuous in us, humble newspaper writers, to
differ from such high authorities, but, having de-
voted some of Our time to reflecting on social
e,, Phenomena, and our cOnclusions being at vari-
i„ voile
renures:
anc milli those of the Noble Lords, we' shall
nesspie.ocrtfullv but firmly to state some of
Perficial view
ntfistkieint3gr.,that they take a very su-
,ae Pa the fact
We t
prominently forward that
Tslators have a.strong interest in maintaining
doctrine so pleasing to them. " Great fluctua-
Z oZnsosCileteyrn,”tybimgrehni;'" "complicated
- .
the. convenient machinery
artificial state of society,"
phrases, which serve to conceal
their errors from themselves, and keep from
them the knowledge that they are responsible
for most of the evils the people suffer. Society,
nsbsia
le_lousntidnsg,
wives of men, women, and children ; of
friends ; , and offspring ; of relatives and
iof employers and labourers ; of masters
ritdifis'ma ceirasirants; is not more complicated nor more
now, though the individuals composing
Y he more numerous, than it was twenty
eenturies.ago •; for all these classes then existed,
and
some more, such as slaves and their masters.
i is made complicated and artificial by laws
g up
the soil, placing fetters on industry,
i
(Ilifl.Peding. the free circulation of commodities,
`men, and of money; but all the relations we
4vejust referred to exist at all times and places.
Society is not, therefore, made more compli-
,,ted and more artificial by becoming more
",a.Merous, except as it is made artificial and com-
Pneated by a great deal of perverse legislation.
N.We must also place prominently before those
bees 0140 Lords, the fact that visitations of dis-
Suei particularly • such as cannot be clearly
ed to bad laws have becme less fre-
nt
I^ „Ls as society has become numerous,. .or,
the, .
Th. express it, complicated and artificial.
con-
-- „sr.' Infnates of the forests of America,
4-4tting, some of the most. simple and inarti-
ic,i;,---states of society now known, are sometimes
Led with famines, which -root out whole, tribes
d ilatiens• In the earlier history of Europe,
I:2e,a society was far less numerous than at pre-
,.„ll!) famine—the greatest of all distresses-
1-eiicqlically desolated _our own and every other
ni°,,lintrY. The interested assertion, therefore, of
se a
ell noble Legislators is not warranted by any
known facts.
d• z..4s they apply these doctrines to the present
(Taistress,
, may, however, discard a 4 notions of
ti Priee and fashion, and come to the plain facts,
elalt the bulk of our manufacturers, and parti-
11i.Y those aMongst whom distress now pre.-
. 0 rails' are engaged in preparing clothing, or aro-
dad as essential as clothing, for their well-being,
e that they want food, which is even more
tbssential than clothing to subsistence. We may,_
tuZfore) confine ourselves to consider the flue-
the demand for food and clothing.
c~n°ale Lords talk of " employment fluctua-
colr '" and 9f the uncertain demand of foreign
thentries,
uo they mean that the capacity of
auetstantaelis of the manufacturing population
of•Allates, or that the backs of the inhabitants
anon eh tner are now as large as the Andes , and
lea
at_ to a pea ? The appetite of man,
anyesastriv d
°.e e e
numerous bodies of men,
th se °f
degree, not, to
abe b
a fluctuating quantity, and.
and bread peiday, _the ordinary
°I) 411 41-a e °t a sailor, may suffice for the average
" I
cloth. na°l'ind throughout all time. The want
„
season_ i;
eny vary with the cl,imate. and the
°linost'as lit in general it may be described to be
demand Per.inanent and little fluctuating as the.
appetites food. On these great all-pervading,
great and. wants are founded by far the
and
ner Portion of the employment of the people,
°t°l
-Ay that portion which is at present de-
, ent,
nr because the Legislature leas interposed
fond and prohibit the exchange of clothing
or n 0,.; and food for clothing. As there is little
little Ilactuation- in the wants, so there can be
silo,
_Or. no fluctuation in employment, except
the %as is caused by legislators interfering with
,euernnd and the supply.
4her • •
we
tiricinec:st,Cianldl indeed, one remarkable—fluctuation.h
but—change going on, which
l ink the three Noble Legislators have over-
ooked.
°cedilla Backs in want of clothing, and hands
in • axes and knives, plates. and dishes, are
pitlereasin •
g to America With unexampled ra-
,- tho ; in England the power of producing
4448. e commodities seems almost boundless,
stomach4B it can be brought into use here,
s
'kis,craving for food come also into
etn s,eite,e. Why, the Americans are rEA allowe
cipPIY themsWl,elves with clothing and cutlery,
fri-d Y °lir people are 'not allowed to obtain
from them, is best known to the legisA
--ta'C'r% who find an excuse for 'time didtress they
in alleging that employment fluctuates.
PerhaPs, the aingle exception of an
agri-
rinit Population, living in the immediate vi-
al'
whose
a thriving manufacturing population;
v,llOSe Wants the agriculturists are unable to
801 Y, we can conceive no condition of society
Weil calculated never to experience any
Ilevetuation, but steadily to advance in
tFie. r-ending Prosperity, as the manufacturing
i-ipulation of Great Britain engaged in supplying
„! ever-growing wants of the rapidly-increasing
I;lln:dation of Atneriea. The beautiful wisdom of
„,s7,atiaPtation of our great manufacturing power
_tne wants of the inhabitants of America, and
Zas want of food to their rude produce, seems
aWholly lost on Corn-laW making legislators, as
13rtiony is lost on one void of hearing; and they
din rudely and savagely crushed what they
not comprehend. Lords MELBOURNE and
Eell'oN have, on several occasions, shown them-
th:,es so fatuously ignorant on these high topics,
biil.L_;ve do not wonder at their holding up any
that might shut out the light ; but it
i_caves us to see. one of the mightiest spirits of
ge following, thouh it be but a moment,
4' tie wake of these two for
Perhaps/ and
Krel cable, but not wise and reflecting, Peers.

It would be preposterous in us to speculate in
. oitr citirkness on the Ministerial plan for im-
k(l4.))r°vinv, the Corn-laws, when
'%.:ille shall have all the information Sir itOBERT
"\I i‘Pt on Wednesday
if EL can give. But we notice in the Votes of
L ' the House ofCommtlus a tone list of complicated
Ll 4, , records and accounts as to the
'' Various places and times, and which have been
.ordered to be laid betbre that HoUse ;Sand we
Twiau of corn at
,bust say at once, that the question cannot be
;.,settled.' by statistical details. They are very
lkelSr to serve the Purpose of complicating the
)Ilatteri and. confusing the public mind. They
Itantiot throw. any light on it.
What we want is the statistics of what would