The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-22 00:00:00

fur them—a hope which the recent votes of Parliament I would, no doubt, soon be consumma.ed. 'e lie German
would go far to disappoint. He had heard, and tweed with commercial union . (add extend itself, and the only pas- - •
much concern, the Hon. Member for Nottingliamstm it sible policy on width e e could act was to axtend oareath
declare that these discussions were very inconvenient, as freedom or trade. Mr. Deacon _Hume had add that :tint !-c,
they led- the people to think that they were worse Off treaties of commerce were useless, and that we,,. en1)1,1,
than they were. This was not possible. He read an ought to buy in the cheapest market and sell ea th ese ir.:lii„
extract from Mr. Holland Hoole, the boroughreeve of , dearest, iirespective of what other nations might d9--ellil),
Salford, delivered at the Cern-law Conference, express- , Commercial diplomacy- was essentially anti-comnsercael --?0',
ing his apprehension of a popular outbreak if something i real treaties of commerce were nut mule in Dewninir- , ;-)hi'e
were not done to relieve the distresses of the people. At ! street, or the Tuilleries, but on the Hudson or tho , h'h
Bilston the people had already commenced to pillage the 1 Mersey. The country was in distress, and mere paha- ss;!..
bakers' shops, and was this to continue through all the 1 tires would not remedy it ; they ought to act on prig- ~
winter ? The Hon. Member for Oldham had stated, that 1 ciples a hich would secure 'a permanent and enduring
ilI
within the last 18 months he had paid for labour 50,000/. 1 prosperity to the country. The Minister who refused to
,h
more than that labour was worth. Why should do that e ould not only not be a great Minister,
but he )
he be called on to make this sacrifice for the would be a great criminal. The Right Honßaronet , a
landed interest?—what sacrifice were they making he believed was, in principle, a free trader, and be (Mr. : !
for the manufacturers? He quoted an extract from the Ewart) only regretted the t the Right Hon. Baronet cad .•,,s
Mark-lane Express of Monday last, showing the unfa- not act up to his principles. Justice and the interest tef el
vourable effect of the late weather on the prospects of the country would ultmately bring about a repeal of the! .
harvest, and doubting whether an average produce will Corn-laws, as they had formerly brought about Catholle : -01
se
be secured. If this paper was to be believed, there was Emancipation and Parliamentary Reform.
an end of that early and abundant harvest. But even if Mr. BROTHERTON said the distress was universally-
it were so, they could not ship off one additional cargo of admitted to exist, and out of doors the distress was ',l
their manufactured goods; then let them not trust to this almost uniformly referred to the Corn-laws. Be had re- o,i
,prospect. He contended that the motion was founded ceived a memorial, signed by 6,800 of his constituents,
..,
on constitutional principles and in common humanity, orging him to do his utmost to stop the supplies, in order -7
and ho implored Honourable Gentlemen to pause to prevent the prorogation of Parliament, until the colt, . •
before they voted against it. If the measures of sugar, and coffee monopolies should lee destroyed. Ike' '''
the Right Honourable Gentlemen shoal(' have. a Boroughreeve, who had signed the memorial, difihrse !'li
fair trial and fail, they would then, by voting for this in politics from him (Mr. Brotherton) ; and he under" 1:3,,,
motion, have the satisfaction of having done theii best stood that the Members fur Manchester had received A , jou;
to relieve the distresses of these to- whom they were tas 1 similar memorial, signed by upwards of 60,000 persensl. " j,.,
debted for every atom of property they -possessed. He . ,Die manufacturers were going to ruin, and the genesall -.,.,1;
concluded by moving the resolution of which he had feeLng at the meeting, was to embarrass the Govern-
given , 1,
notice :—. To move an humble address to her meat. He trusted the Government would adopt sumo. , try
Majesty, to represent to her Majesty that the distress in measures for the relief of the distress. All classes COrn- ~f:,,P;
the manufacturing districts, to which her Majesty was plainest that they were being ruined. Pauperism wa; '!,`,'y
pleased to allude in her Majesty's most gracious speech alarmingly ou the increase, and he thought there was ea.
at the commencement of the .present session, 'as having canto for serious alarm in the state of the countr)"•
,!;11,i
been borne with exemplary patience and thrtitude,' con- The cause of the destitution was manifestly the high .Al",
tinues unabated ; and that the sufferings and privations Brice of fhod, added to excessive and unequal taxation: ,;q!',
resulting therefrom, are rapidly extending from the The people complained that the Government exleibited 1,11,
working to the middle classes of society; that none of the nothing but lip sympathy for them. but fair -words,
measures hitherto proposed by her Majesty's Government buttered no parsnips.—(A laugh.) The landlords; ha',
to Parliament, however just the principles upon which some , no sympathy with them, for the landlords had an int( resti'
them have been fouaded, appear adequate to affordt a in keeping up the high price of food. The clergy -Oa ,
sff
timely and sufficient remedy fOr these great and press- no sympathy with them, for by the Tithe Ace- Pef
-ing evils ; and that her Majesty's Government cannot, clergyman's income was increased by a high price °,
without the aid of Parliament, take such further steps , corn, and this accounted for their apathy in the pre: Ow
as may be necessary for that purpose ; and further 1 state of things. He called on the Government to atheft; ;
to represent to her Majesty an anxious hope, i those measures which they must know were necessar,
that if, after the termination of the present session, no 1 fur the salvation of the country. The agriculturists 11;c1'
decisive improvement should take place in the condition 1 the power of making the laws, and the,;-- took care that
of her Majesty's suffering and loyal subjects, her Ma- I their selfish interests should be promoted by legislation,
jesty may be pleased, again, at an early period, to call I regardless of the sufferings of the millions ; but if the
Parliament together, with a view of giving fuller effect I present Government were disposed to prevent orgislh°
to those sound principles of commerce, which, if fairly I changes, they must legislate justly, or those charges
aLd impartially carriee out, more especially as regards I would take place in spite of them.
the food of the people, would, by giving an impulse to ; Mr. RICARDO said that he perceived Hon. Geidie;
trade and industry, avert those calamities which the in- 1 men opposite bad received orders to keep. silence,
stoul
clemency of winter, superadded to want and desitution, ! were determined to obey them.—(Hear, hear.) Thj'-
must inevitably produce." I House had heard much of the distress of the country
t
'Mr. WARD seconded the resolution. There was i they had heard of the people feeding upon carrion
and
never, he said, a motion made in that House to which • upon the weeds of the road-eideee•-(Hear, hear.) Bn'
he gave a more cordial concurrence. He believed it was !in Parliament there was no sympathy with those suffer-
perfectly constitutional and politic, and if it were not legit, and the people, driven to desperation, were enter-
agreed to now, he was convinced that the Parliament ing into wild combinations, which, however mistaken,
would be called together in the autumn to carry into - were determined. The colliers had commence d a series
effect the only practical remedy that could be applied to ; of measures, which, if persevered id, would a•; together
the evils they laboured under. Hoii. Gentlemen oppo- stop. the manufactures of the country. Neither iron
site had already given up the present Corn-laws in their works nor potteries could go on without coals.---V.H°_st'
minds—they must be prepared for their repeal. They i hear.) The Hon. Member read a letter from a IVI-aglis:
only clung to them as a sort of respite, but the capital 1 trate in Staffordshire, who said :hat the aspect of aSairi
punishment they could not avoid. The principles of the .1 there was truly alarming, that designing men weal ''
present Government were all he Could desire as a free ! work a,mengst the unemployed workmen, and that, unit.°
trader; the only failure was when they came to ' something were speedily done to alleviate tlhe
be carried out into detail. Thus, when they asserted ; distress, it was impossible to conjecture whet the cense'
good free trade principles with regard to .foreign meat, ,' quences would be. If the colliers did not soon go t°
it was only under the assurance that no beef at all could ! work, upwards of 20,000 potters would be thrown out of
come in to the injury of the British agriculturist. So ' employment, and they were quite as ripe for mischief al
last night, when they were discussing the question of . the unemployed colliers. The writer of this letter state
u
bonded corn, it was shown that the quantity of corn , in the postcript, dated after five o'clock, that his 11°0°
, affected was so miserably small that it could have no ! had been surrounded by the mob, and that he had been'
' effect whatever on the corn of the home grower. He I obliged to ride off to Newcastle-under-Lyme for assist-
did sincerely, trust that the Government would act up i ante, although he had between forty and fifty servents
to its principles end call time Parliament together in the about his premises. Another letter gave a still more
autumn, so as to provide the only remedy that could be fearful picture of the state of things in that part of the
effectual. He wanted to change the semblance into country. But, in fact, that was only the beginning of
5"
something substantial.—(Hear, hear.) As a Member ' more dreadful state of things.—(Hear, hear.) As 11
for a suffering town, he wished to bring particular facts as taxes were levied upon profits, wages must be reduce '
before the House. A memorial was presented to the —(Hear, hear.) It was vain to say that the Incometa%
Right Hon. Baronet from Sheffield, which informed him would not press upon the working classes. Every ta,%
that the beads of • 1,500 families were unable to find that curtailed the employer's means of production tell ar
work. The rateable property of the place was almost most directly on the men whom he employed.—(Hear),
exhausted by the drains made upon it.—(l-lear,- The consumption bad diminished, while the hardens list'
hear.) They were waiting for a revived trade, increased. The manufacturers, the landowner, t 11;
but it did not come, and . the greatest alarm labourers, all were heavily taxed ; and why ? Wl')
was felt for the coming winter. The town of Sheffield to keep up rents, and to perpetuate the Parliamentary lir
illustrated, in an especial manner, the evil working of fluence of the landowner;. He had trespassed too long:
the Corn-law. He need not tell the Right Hon. Baronet on the House, but he felt it his duty to lay before the
what effect the repeal of the Corn-laws would have. He House the state of the district which he had the lionoo
was told by. one of the Anti-Corn-law delegates that he to represent.—(Hear, hear.) They had waited patiently .
was ready to put on 500 new hands himself if the Corn- during that session, and he was bound to say there ha,
' laws were repealed. lie did net speak on this question been no measure to meet the distress. The Governrael4 , ,
as a party man, but as an Englishman. It was their said they had given a remedy. What was it ? ''
trade, and the industry and ingenuity of Englishmen, that could not be the Income-tax, for a tax could be no
!lie '
made England what it was, but by their present system medy. It could not be the Tariff, for they admitted Uwe; •
they were doing every thing to ruin it. The middle that was proposed to alleviate the burden of the Inconirt
man, and the working man, were both suffering from the tax. It could not be the Corn-law, as food Was
not
operation of the present system. 'What was the language cheaper than it was before,—(Hear, hear.) The P.e4ot
of an industrious working man on the subject, in a letter had a right to ask for something more, and if it wasine
to him ? (The Hon. Gentleman then read the letter given to them they would ask in a way which wok,' -4'
which stated, that the state of the town of Shef- destructive to property of every deserip. tion. (1-letd•)„,-,
field was in a far worse condition than was Sir JAMES GRAHAM said the Hon. Oentleal.,-
represented by him (Mr. Ward) in the House of Corn- who had just sat down had made a direct appeal to 11,1 T
mons. There were 3,000 houses untenanted in Sheffield. (Sir J'. Graham) with respect to the district 'With wine'
—(Hear, hear.) The letter then went on to detail par- he (Mr. Ricardo) was more immediately connected, in a ,
titular cases of misery in the town.) What, then, con- question put to hint on Saturday last, with respect to
tinued the Hon. Gentleman, must be the feelings of the that part of the country. He answered him on that oc-
people in such a state of things ? With what feelings easion, that it eas his opiniodat that time that the dis-
could they look upon that House, if they did not take trict was disturbed, but not alarmingly so. "The lien'
means to provide relief for the people ?. Such a state of Gentleman stated to the House that the distwict vvs:
things he looked upon with alarm and with sympathy. much disturbed. He (Sir J. Graham) had se-en 1,1.n4
He therefore supported the motion of his Hon. Friend, I Vice-Lieutenant of the county that morning, he lhevi
as affbrding to the people the only prospect of substan- left the district early that day. The House would re;
teal relief in the coming winter.—(Cheers.) collect that he (Sir .1, Graham) had admitted that g Tee'',
The motion having been put, distress existed amongst the labouring classes of tut,
Mr. D'ISRAELI said he thought the House might as country. But he must say frankly that the specie;gt
well vote a want of confidence in the present Ministry at brought forward by the Hon. Gentleman who had ins:- s'l
once, as not to leave to them the discretion to call Parlia- Idown, with regard to the distriet which he represented.l.B
ment together if they thought it necessary.—(Hear.) he was to take that as a specimen of the reality of tie;
The present motion was substantially the same as that distress, it would, he thought, be very unjust towerch'
which was brought forward a short time since. He ad- that class of the community which had shown such tin
muted the distress of the country, and he did not see ' daunted patience and obedience to the law, under suff,'l-
any likelihood of its decreasing. The on. Member for ing and privation. The real answer to the Hon. Gerais;
'Sheffield had attributed it to the Corn-law. But he be- ' man was, to ask what was the matter irf dispute in Or,'
lieved it was not owing to any single cause. Many causes , district ? It was true, that in that part of the countq
contributed to that distress. He did not think it was owing 'in which industry was so remarkable,-the main power 1,
to the stoppage of the trade with America, but he employing labour depended on the Fe duction of cos. a
thought it was in consequence of the settlement which ! inasmuch as steam power was :he moving power of in
took place after the late war, and which was an anti- ; manufacturers, and coal entered largely into the produc;
commercial settlement as far as England was concerned. , tion of iron. Now, the Hon. Gentleniau had not gives,
From 1831 to 1841 they (the Opposition) persued a 1 the information to the House which he possessehf
course of commercial policy to which in his (Mr. Iby stating the reason of the falling out
, D'lsraeli's) opinion, the present distress, was, in a great the colliers, and what bad induced them simnits;
measure to be attributed. When they remembered that neously to strike for a • rise in wages. Now, this w"
during these ten years six commercial treaties had been stated to be a specimen of the reality of the distres'",
signed but not ratified, that two treaties had been ratified Would the House consider what was the -matter in (1.,
but had entirely failed, and when they remembered the pute at this moment between the colliers employed li_.,s
hostile tariffs that had, been framed, he thought these that district and the masters ? The rate of Wages 10.';
were. considerations sufficient alone to convince been generally 4s. a day.—(Hear, hear.) And at tha
the House, that the distress was not owing moment the matter in dispute with the colliers WI
to agricultural impolicy. He thought it would whether they should receive 4s. or 3s. 6d. a day.—(lleo4
have been very desirable if they could have formed : bean) No want of employment—ample demand--fa's
a treaty 'of commerce with the south of Germany and ; employment for the colliers, the question at issue Oh
France, which would, in a great measure, have whether they would work for 4s. or 3s. 6d. a day----t
done assay with the German Union ; and he did I (Hear, hear.) Nov, he did not wish to enter more °'t
blame the Noble Lord that he had not entered into large into them precise origin of that dispute, but he nin's
these treaties, because they had thereby lost these mar- say, and he sascl it in justice to the working men, tin'
kets. The treaty with France would have admitted all he thought the origin of the dispute arose from a circehly
Sheffield, even at a very low rate of duty ; the woollens stance in which a portion of the colliers were treated lint 't
of Bradford, and all kinds of linen and linen yarn, at a great hardship. There was an established usage among.
very low rate—in no case exceeding 10 per cent. By that the colliers that, before any reduction in wages to,n,,
~
treaty English manufactures, to the amount of between place, there should be a fortnight's notice. 'll,
9,000,0001. and 10,000,0001. sterling annually might have particular party to wihom he was alluding, glide
,
been exported toFrance. This was no treaty in nubibus; name he would not M6,ntion, was a considers
h'a
the ink was wet in the pen of the French Ambassador, I man of business, employing 300 men, had departed fr°,'
ready to sign it ; the Noble Lord was pressed to sign it the established usage, which was almost as binding.
by the French Minister and the French Ambassador, I law, and reduced the wages at forty-eight hours notw;,,
but he did not do so. They had lost six commercial —(Hear, hear.) That operat,hig upon so large a, boutft
treaties, which he calculated would have produced an I of men as 300, was taken up b v the colliers through r)
interchange:of 18,000,0001. sterling. When the Noble the whole district. Now, when be (Sir James Grahswe",
Lord found that he had lest all, he endeavoured to form assured the Hon. Member on Sate'rday that he had So'ci,
a treaty with Austria, by which they were to enjoy the guine hopes that the differences V'ere likely to be
,sc,
commerce of the Black Sea; and yet, notwithstanding justed, he felt that such would be ,tike case ; but, shiha
that treaty had been ratified, the first Austrian vessel then, some mischievous and active interference 111'th
that arrived in England was sequestrated. This treaty taken place on the part of persons not.' connected ,s,
,a
failed, and so did the treaty which the Noble Lord at- those works, and not connected with the neighbourhuLh
tempted with Turkey. He (Mr. D'lsraeli) had looked —men who had attempted to perpetuate' the quail-fie
around him for the cause of distress, and he must say Yet he (Sir J. Graham) did not despair, although 4t
that he could only attribute it to the anti•comtnereial was not so sanguine as he was on Saturday last, t 1,13
noe
policy which had been followed out by the Noble Lord. the matter would terminate as they wished. Now, uto
He did t believe that distress could be relieved by the Hon. Gentleman would allow him to state, tisat 01) If
repeal of the Corn-laws, or any isolated measure. He that time he had great satisfaction in saying, not
°.nir
did not believe the distress to be transitory, and he had no violence occurred, hut there had been no
ilVile;'s
thought the only remedy would be a recurrence to those to property whatever ; that although there had heos
principles of commercial policy under which they bad considerable excitement and great disturbance, yel oh.
formerly flourished. He should vote against the motion injury had been done to persons or to property; and the:
of the lion. Member for Finsbury, believing that her cording to the latest accounts received that morning, at.
Majesty's Government would, during the recess, give this peace of the district had not keen violated by any 're
important subject their most earnest consideration.
Mr. EWART thought he might congratulate gentle- Now, the
eanHdonhiGtheenrttolemthaen
hlaz
nee'
men on his side of the House in having gained an. ally in that district were quite inadequ ate to maintain the e f
the person of the Hon. Member stated had
. who had just sat down, pie. He put it to the House N whether such a rays
''
were it not that he was at such dreadful issue with the wages as 4s.— so.
late Foreign Minister; and he (Mr. Ewart) feared there Mr. RICARDO—I beg your parehen, I did not .07_0
would be no way of settling that difference but by ap- Sir JAMES GRAHAM—The lion. Member
cs:(0.
pointing the Hon. Gentleman to the situation which the that there had been let full in *,l price of.' ir,ea
nottha
tbtebeenybar:oekse
in
Noble Lord had recently filled.—(Great laughter.) His Now be (Sir James Graham) was ver v much mistae_a
Hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield had done his duty if, since that question had been debates and it bade.ha,ae .
in representing the distress which existed in that town, debated five or six times, since debated,
s last
fell hen
but he (Mr. Ewart) could inform the House that it was which was about a week since, a very ma,.eri4l,f`fore3ect
not in Sheffield alone that distress existed. In Liverpool not taken place in the price of corn. Het 'es in._, ore
the poor-rates had risen to a frightful extent, the ship- by the Marh-lane Express, that the price 1" hay'
ping interest had suffered immensely, and emigration had fallen at least ss. per qearter, e hich w:" Ibuted
to the United. States—not of time poor and needy, but of umterial a duction. The i!on. Gentleman had At, crib
men of substance—was g! 'jag on to a greater extent than the fall in e ages to the Income-tux- He (S'T ' , hugeftw
waseverknownbee at this time of the ) ear. Somepeople Graham) did nut see how a law not yet in
ore' hoon
were apt to say, "let us have an abundant harvest, and could have that effect. But with respect to the ,Ol be
it will be all right." Were the destinies of this great then before the House, he must say that he thom..t:ert;c,
empire to depend upon the weather ? Was the Minister of case was prest reed very fairly by the Hon- Gento sot
a great nation to let the barometer alone decide as to the who moved it. With respect to the distress it h-)..i.ora
prosperity or the suffering of the country ? Hon. Meru- denied. With respect to the measures beought:!,`nd to
bers opposite had it in their power to render us lade- by her Majesty's Government, no one cott.d praereiff
h,-,
pendent of the harvest, by allowing the importation of say that they had been sufficiently tried. The IA eve',
foreign corn f yet
,they insultingly refused to de so. In hardly come into operaden ; yet so far as it huvi7,, in
allusion to what the Right Hon. Bat onet had stated the , they had :een ,-,m,-thing like an increased' aeu,rin",ate
other day, to the dermta,ion wtoch had waited upon him. the commeicial world. What would be thenth
~0 de,
he (Mr. lewart) would admit that our exports had been effect of that measure it was impossible at pros" 11 t 1 Ihi,a
increased, but that was owing to the depreciation of the termine. The Hon. Gentleman, in the inotio ne
f irlY
home market, in consequence of the people not having submitted to the House, had, he thought, not 1-°_,,:ti` to
employment. If the trade were opened with America, • stated that the effect of those measures yet in-tu wig.,
the people would have employment, and the demand be ascertained. The question really was di,' '3
for manufactures in the home market would increase. to discuss it fol. a moment—but really, after alhiat 14.,,°6:.
Let them look to the increase—in the home demand of nothing but a peg to hang another discussion of the Y-!,.,e'me
France. the tonr
' esmt, after
Sir It PEEL--Franey has a Corn-law. should. :It 111:1! :,.' : • i ' ,
there-
:' i'. EwART--Tri.• but Franer. grew plenty Of dist•ti,-- - - ,H, -', - huh ti,,i'-'.::-'"O7--, • ' '.:C
laws upon. If it were really desirable that the elo 1
1• I • "di 1 .
her own c,,!,- ',...:1).t10n; W -11 C 1W e , O.UL ; . would have been
fore, the French Corn-law was practically, inoperative. law so
.recently passed, certainly it . 01
he question of a repeal
commercial treaty between France and Belgium more fair again to have submitted t
he consweration di