The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-24 00:00:00

f u ffici ent. A deputation of friends,'*hom he highly esteemed,
had waited upon him and pressed upon him arguments in favour
of higher protection. Ho had not conceded to them what
they sought, because he conceived the interest of the com-
munity required that he should not make the concession. He had
a deep impression that, the population of the country increas-
ing, it would be no advantage to the agricultural body, but the
reverse, to give increased protection so far as lean
cattle were concerned. - Thev wanted to widen compe-
tition, and give the country the benefit of a large supply
of lean cattle, but there were apprehensions entertained
with respect to fat cattle. Now the passage from Hambirgh
was very different from the passage from Aberdeen. He did
not believe that the Steam Navigation Company would im-
port. cattle at less than 2/. per head. Besides, for all the
damage done to cattle during the voyage there was no in-
surance: Those matters it was that formed protection, and not
the amount of duty. It was very difficult to bring cattle across
the North Sea, and he thought that would operate to prevent
the introduction of cattle, His own interest was connected
with these matters, and if the general interest of the country
required the sacrifice, he should be proud to follow
the example of the agricultural body. He believed
it would be adverse to the interests of the agriculturists, to
insist on a higher protection. He believed that asking for
higher protection. was hut incurring superfluous and unneces-
sary odium. He doubted whether they would derive so great
a supply from the Continent as would bring down the price to
that point to which it certainly was desirable to reduce it. He
deeply regretted that he should differ from his friends on that

. .
(the Ministerial) side of the House on this subject, but he was
convinced that the interest of the consumer required increased

facilities for the introduction of cattle.

He was so

deeply convinced that this proposal was not ad-
verse to the interests of the agricultural body, that
he saw with regret that he could not make the concession
which had been sought. He trusted that the decision of that
House would assist, by the influence of its sober judgment
and reflection, in relieving the agricultural body from unne-
cessary trammels, and, by a large majority, affirm the proposi-
tion of her Majesty's Government.
Mr. MORGAN O'CONNELL asked who it was that de-
ceived the agriculturists? It was those who taught them to
rely upon legislation for a measure of protection. The organ
of the Right Hon. Baronet's Government, the Morning Post,
in commenting on the Right Hon. Baronet's conduct—in de-
fending it, said that the Right Hon. Baronet had not deceived
the agriculturists, but had looked on while they deceived
themselves.—(" Hear, hear," from the Opposition benches. )
That was the language of a Paper which was considered the
Government organ.—( Question, question.) They were told
some time ago, when discussing another subject, that the
money which was taken out of the pockets of the people would
he repaid by the diminished cost of the necessaries of life. The
Bight Hon. Gentleman had been called the doctor, and he
was then about to administer a very nauseous medicine.—
( Loud cries of " Question, question ; divide, divide.") He
said that to make the Income-tax go down easily ; but at the
same time he told his agricultural friends, when the tariff came
on, that one of the prime necessaries of lite would not be re-
duced. —( Hear, hear.) The question had two aspects ; it had
the visage of Janus, and the protective face was turned towards
them now.—( trear, hear, and laughter.) The Right Hon.
Baronet told them that cattle would he brought from a circum-
scribed region, and that the introduction of foreign cattle would
produce no effect. • He ( Mr. M. J. t )'Connell) did not think
so.—(Question, question.) He was showing on what frivo-
lous grounds what was called a great question was based, but
he believed the reason was, that the Right Hon. Gentleman
did not wish to alarm his agricultural friends, and had, there-
fore, put forward the question on those contradictory grounds.
He did not think the effects of the measure would be so small
as were anticipated, for he believed that foreigners would now
grow a better description of cattle. But if that were even the
case. he trusted the energy of the native farmers would always
enable them to compete with foreigners. The same arguments
that applied to cattle, applied to corn, and the Right Hon.
Gentleman, the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, made a
most conclusive speech in favour of a fixed duty, if not for an
entire free trade.—(Hear, hear.) He said the demand for
foreign food would not only cheapen the price, but would
create art export trade, which he said would go far to compen-
sate any loss the agriculturists might sustain. If this were
true, with regard to the article which entered in the smaller
degree, into consumption, how much more was it true with re-
spect to corn, which was not confined tb Holstein or Denmark,
but might be obtained from Europe and America.—( Cheers
and " Divide, divide.") The Right Hon. Gentleman had
told them of the application of chemistry to the feeding of
cattle—(Continued cries of " Divide, divide ")—but if it
cheapened the feeding of cattle, it also cheapened the produc-
tion of corn. He hoped the panic of the farmers, with respect
to corn, was passing away, and that they would at length see it
was better to trust in their own skill than in legislative regula-
tions; and that when they saw this protection on cattle was
sufficient,• they would begin to perceive they had been misled
in considering those their enenf es who, with regard
to articles of greater importance only endeavoured to
apply the same principles now contended for.
Lord WORSLEY did not think that the motion of the Hon.
Member for East Somersetshire had been treated fairly.
Those who had argued against it had assumed that the object
of that motion was to continue prohibition. It was no such
thing. The agricultural body did not ask for the continuance
of prohibition ; all they asked for was a fair and adequate pro-
tection.
Mr. C. P. VILLIERS rose amidat loud cries of" Divide,
divide ; withdraw, withdraw." He thought with his Noble
Friend that the motion of the Hon. Member for East Somer..
setshire had not been fairly treated, because it had been treated
with great respect—( Cheers, and cries of " Oh, oh")—and if
the House had fairly represented the people, it would net have
been so treated.—( Cheers.) It asked for a still further obstruc-
tion to the trade in food for the people of this country—
that people who were starving in consequence of those accursed
regulations—((sheers)—and now the Minister who had been
chosen by the agriculturists themselves found himself com-
pelled to propose some slight measure of relief for the starving
people, the Hon. Member came to endeavour to do away even
with the slight relief which the Minister had proposed.—
( Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member was opposed to granting
even the slightest relief.—( Loud cheera.l Now ought such a
motion as that to be treated with any respect?—(Loud cheers.)
He trusted that the Hon. Member's speech would be pub-
lished, and that the Anti-Corn-law League would circulate it
through the country. A more conclusive argument in favour of
the principles of the Anti-Corn-law League he had never
heard.—( Cheers. ) The Hon. Member showed that there
were ample resources throughout the world for providing the
starving people of this country with food. He expressed a fear
that the starving people of this country would have the benefit
of these resources.—( Cheers. ) The Hon. Member throughout
his speech had never once referred to the state of the country.
The Hon. Member had talked of what he called the farmers,
but they all knew that when they talked of the farmers
they meant the landlords. (Loud cheers.) The Ho-
nourable Member had actually asked the Minister of the
Crown not to relieve the distresses of the people because it
might lower the rents of the landlords.— (Loud cheers. )
This benefit had, however, been gained by the motion—
the Ministers had been obliged to admit that the ac-
counts of the sufferings of the people had not been
exaggerated.—( Hear.) There was not one medical man
in any manufacturing town in the kingdom who would not
come forward and give evidence that there were hundreds of
people who had died for want of food, and who were dying for
want of sufficient sustenance.—(Hear, hear.) These things
had forced the Ministers to propose,some small measure of re-
lief, they had been obliged to propose some relaxation of the
monopoly, and this proposal the , Hon. Member opposed.
and they had that night consumed five hours in discussing the I
Hon. 31e.nber's motion. That would not have been the case,
if the people had been properly re presented in that House.
Such a motion ought not to be treated with respect.—(Cheers,
and cries of " Oh, oh.") He (Mr. Villiers) had heard the
Hon. Member for a quarter of an hour, endeavouring to prove
that, by the proposed alterations, the price of meat might be re-
duced to Lid. a lb. from 6d. This had been an important even-
ing. The Hon. Member's own friends had admitted the dis-
tresses of the people, though at the same time the Ministers
had told them that no result would follow their measures.—
( Hear, hear.) Just before the Right Hon. Baronet had ad-
dressed the House, half a dozen of the friends of the
Honourable Member for SemersetThshire had risen, but they
had all become quiet after they had heard the assurance of
the Right lion. Baronet that meat would not be cheaper. As
soon as they had got that assertion, Hon. Gentlemen were
satisfied. As soon as Hon. Gentlemen were satisfied that
prices would be kept up, and that the misery of the people
would continue, they were quiet.—(Cheers.) What hail
been the ease with the Corn-law ? He had seen the walls
placarded with a notice that since the Corn-law had passed
the price of wheat had actually risen 43. a quarter. They had
the statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman, that the price of
meat was rising.—( Hear, hear.) The distresses of the
people were admitted, and the people must be most servile and
most ignorant if they did not derive instruction from that
,night's proceedings.—( Cheers. )
Mr. F. SCOTT complained of the speech of, the Hon.
Member who had just sat down. It was a foul calumny to say
that all that the Members on his (Mr. Scott's) side of the House
wished was, that rents should be kept. up.—(Cheers.) They
were actuated by no such feelings.—(Cheers.) It was a ca-
lumny or. them to say that they were so void of spirit as to sit
down quietly because they had heard three or four observations
from the Right Hon. Baronet, by which they had not been
convinced.—(Cheers.) He believed that Hon. Members re-
presenting agricultural bodies had just as great sympathy for
the distresses of the people as the Hon. Members opposite;
but this he could say, that Hon. Members on his (Mr. Scott's)
side of the House understood their own interests.—( Tremen-
dous Opposition cheers.) They did not ask for prohibition—
all they wanted was fair protection. He thought fat cattle ought
not to be admitted at the same rate of duty as lean, and therefore
on principle, he felt. inclined to support the Hon. Member for
Somersetshire, but he should vote with the Government, be-
cause, as he understood that all the cattle that could be im-
ported would not amount to one week's consumption, he did not
think that a depreciation in price could take place so rapidly as
to do harm to the home producer.
Mr. WARD rose to address the House, !but amidst vocifer-
ous cries of '• Divide," so that we could not catch his ob-
servations.
Mr. 0. GORE rose amidst and general cries of "Divide."
The Hon. Member fey Wolverhampton had cast a great ca-
lumny on those on his (Mr. 0. Gore's) side of the House. He
said that several Gentlemen had risen together, but when the
Right Hon. Gentleman addressed the House they were silent.
When he (Mi. 0. Gore) rose to address the House he did so
for the purpose of opposing the ainendment. He had no hesi-
tation in saying that the farmers in his county were perfectly
satisfied.

Mr. HUME rose amidst great uproar and cries of " Divide."
He said, if he was not allowed to go on, he should move that
the Chairman report progress. He thought many. Gentlemen
came there that evenhig to interrupt the business of that
House. It was not his intention to address the House.—
(Cheers.) He should not have done so but for the charge
made by the Hon. Member for Roxburghshire against the
Hon. Member for Wolverhampton. If it was a calumny to
speak the truth, then had his Hon. Friend spoken calumny.
The motion of the Hon. Member. for Somersetshire was to
render food dear. It was to obstruct the Right Hon. Baronet
also in the difficult situation in which he was placed, in his
attempt to alleviate the miseries of the people. He (Mr.
Hume) hoped Hon. Members on the other side of the House
would attend to the arguments of the Vice-President
of the Board of Trade, or eren the arguments
of the Right Hon. Baronet himself, and they must be con-
vinced that the state of the country required that the food of
the country ought to be cheaper. 'this motion was to prevent
food being cheaper. He, therefore, agreed with his Hon.
Friend that it was an attempt to add the misery and suffer-
ing of the pe—(Uproar, and
What was it then? He could only say, that if the Right Hon.
Baronet was anxious, as he stated himself to be, that animal
food should be cheaper, let him adopt the proper course—let
him make corn cheaper. It did not require argument.—
(Loud ironical cheers.) It did not require argument.—
(Cheers.) It was necessary before they had cheap
rattle they should have cheap food to feed them with.
He believed that those Members who sat around the Right
Hon. Baronet would not allow him to give that relief to the
distress in the country which he was inclined to do. Distress
never was so prevalent in this country as at the'present moment,
and what was the effect of the present proposition? Why to in-
crease that distress. He agreed with his Hon. Friend that the
whole proceedings of the House were calculated to starve the
people ; every act they performed had that tendency.—(Cries
of, " Oh, oh.") They could not think of the suffering mil-
lions, and act as they had done. He thought the Right Hon.
Baronet ought to be supported against a party who seemed to
him to be only looking to their owa interests. He thought the