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

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I°°llld, no doubt, soon be consummated. The German
ef;lrertiercial union would extend itself, and the only.pos-
rsd'le Policy on which we could act was to extend our
iree,lo
heaties Deacon Hume: had s'alfl that
uotftrasde. Mr.e
were uselests and that we
to buy, holmthmeerecheapest market and sell in the
st, irrespective of what other nations might do.
di°pleasitcy was essentially anti-commercial ;
il
`e4ltrea.lies esammerce were not made in Downing-
ltret't, or itir sf.uilleries, but on the Hudson or e
erse
ftv 3, , T:Aile country was in distress, and two*
e 8 mould not remedy it. ; they ought to act on priii-
VLr* which would secure a remeneet and enduring
sPerity to the country, 'The Ministeriwh. o. refused to
that s ould not only not 11 be a great inist(r,_bet he
Ilht;ldbs a great The Right Hole Baronet
; eelteved was in principle, a free set.. cler, and he (Mr.
"Idy regsretted.th t the Right Hon. Baronet did.
th,a up to his principle.s Justice and the interest of
,:•:,.Tntry would iiltinaiylsy bring about a repeal of the
e,..14 laws, as they had formerly brought about Catholic
-ancipation and Parliamentary 1 e oi m,
'dr RIIOTHFRTONsaid the distress was entver.a.,ll3
llmitr~ed to exist, anc ont of doors the diet teat was
t,i;"_s,t, uniformly referred_ to
bythe Corn-laws ile had re-
e„,!_a a memorial, signed
.6,800 of his constituents,
14°'"g him to do his utmost to to the supplies, in order
Prevent the prorogation of Parliament, until the cosn,
Col:, and coffee monopolies should
ilhclebine estroyed. The
emorial, siliffeted
itiLlailligtiltcrse;r‘Oem' whohim had( Mr.st_rnoetherton) ; and lie under-
-4:""(1 that the-Members for Manchester had received a
ar memorial, signed b 3., upw trds of 60,000 persons.
fhe taanufacturers were gotng to ruin, and the general
ki4ag at the meeting, was to embarrass the Govern-
t• lie trusted the Government would adopt some
liitaaf,,sa(r.es for the relief of the. disteess. All classes corn-
ila4.l that they were . being ruined. Pauperism was
lass, nl4 ea. the increase, and he
state
there was
The for serious alarm in the of the country.
tris clottse of the destitution was manifestly the high
f
"od,rulded , to excessive and unequal taxation.
t4.lleePle complained that the Gos'ernment exhibited
lettillg but lip sympathy forthem, but fair words
,ereti no parsnips.—(A laugh.) The landlords had
ti with them, for the landlords had an interest
Ping up the high price of food. fee clergy had
tlersYlaPathy with them, for by the Tithe Act the
%prigYtlian's income was increased by a high price of
16. 4Q this
accounted for their apathy in the present
ethings,He called on the Government to adopt
kr tt measures which they must know were necessary
th he salvation of the country. The agriculturists had
tli:isl‘-wer of making the laws, and they took care that
selfish interests should be promoted by legislation,.
krdless of the sufferings of the millions ; but it the
tle:tlt Government were disposed to prevent organic
h-ies, they must legislate justly, or those charges,
to t take place in spite of them.
IZICARDO said that he perceived Hon. Gentle-
oPposite had received
horders to keep silence, and
1/,,;' determined to obey . (Hear hear.) The
tlet2te had heard much of the distress of, the country ;
ais',4"ad heard of the people e upon carrion, and
iR the weeds of the road-side.--(Hear,e hear.) But
!tie,4l.lianient there was no sympathy with those Suffer-
isF.aud the people, driven to
.desperation; were enter-
e. Int° wild combinations, which, however mistaken,
,)1,,,e determined. The colliers had.commenced a series
persevered l would altogether
which, if
theeoninit,ry.
I,v he manufactures of Neither iron-
ter's tier potteries could go on.without coals.—m(Hear,
_
4,1 The lion. Member read a letter from a agi
there la Staffordshire, who said that_ the
_ng
aspect of affairs
*tisk was truly alarming, that des i„ i men were at
larsetai• ngst the
speedily to alleviate the
itieti. It was impossible to conjectureune whet the conse-
boor', es would be. If the colliers did not soon go to
11PWards of 20,000 potters would be thrown out of
tC the )Ila:lent, and they were quite as ripe for mischief as
til4rienlPlayed colliers. The writer of this letter stated
haat Pestcript, dated after five o'clock, that his house
061. veer' surrounded by the mob, and that he had been
iskte,ed to ride off to Newcastle-under-Lyme for assist-
kbs4t4,l9leugh he had between forty and fifty servants
lettr„,llla premises. Another letter
ingave a still more
its4itm, picture of the state of thingsthat part of the
tlassrY,- Bat, in fact, that was only the beginning of a
dreadful 'state of things.—(Hear, ) As long
ass
suiv were levied upon profits, wages meusrt. be reduced.
Cr,~oßl, hear.) It was vain to say that the Income-tax
that hot press upon the working Every tax
?hlecuytailed the employer's means classes. Every
c. don tell al-
t directly on the men whom he emp oytd.—.(Hear.)
tptreuasumption had diminished, while the burdens had
kell'ed• The manufacturers, the landowner, the
tqarers, all were heavily taxed • and why ? Why.
eeP up rents, and to perpetuate the Parliamentary in,z.
4Ce of
the ll, landowner t. He hiad trespalay before
10Ilse the state of the district which he had the honour
ktf.ll Present.—(Hear, hear.) They had waited patiently
1g that session, and he was bound to say there had
ns, measure to meet the distress. The Government
oldthey had given remedy. What was ist ? It
44:not be the Income-tax, for a tax could be no re-
:lY. It could not be the Tariff, for thef admitted that
Isst was proposed to alleviate the bsertlen of the Income-
l. could not be the Cernslaw, as food was not
Income-
} than it was beferesaalear, hear.) . file people
Itiv,it light to ask for something more, and tit was not
ils,:ltute them they would ask in a waywhich would be
*l,!ive to property of every. description.—(Hear.)
rho A•MES GIIAHA AI said the Hon. Gentleman
heir alld,lust sat down had made a direct appeal to him.
(aur',(;!httin) with respect. to the district with which
Ricardo ) was more immediate) connected, in a
that Pat to him on Saturday lot, with respect to
tasior-41,ef the country. He answered him on that oc-
trir, et n'Zat it was his opinion at that time that thendis-
,„"atitje: disturbed, but not alarmingly so. The
mo.ans.
Fiat stated to the House that the district h
es. T Narbed. the J. Graham) . had seen t e
4tft tCleatenant ofcounty that morning, he having
lkete flistriet early that day. The House would re-
els
gi4t
tilat he(Sir
J,
Graham) had admitted that
agreat
I ellsted amongst the labouring classes of the
(Pittlgrgt.f but he must say frankly that the specimen
.darward by the Hon.
n.. Gentleman who had just sat
Nth regard to-the district which he represented, if
tt'tsttl to take that as a specimen of the reality of the
tes, it would, he thought, be very unjust tow_ ardns.
:14iIt'a._,ss of the community which had shown such u
'll • patience and obedience to the law, under suffer-
:gtt-„."1 Privation. The real answer to the Hon. Gentle-
se.i• to
‘ki "1" what was the matter in dispute in thatt
It was true, that in that part of the country
NtVeh industry was so remarkable, the main power
14' `111". labour depended ,on the production of coal,
maRC as steam power was the moving power of the
tie,"'aeterers, and coal entered largely into the produc-
-111 , !'„1.44011. Now, the Hun. Gentleman had not given
th "relation to the House which he .possessed,
_
st"ing the reason of the falling cTtnit
,tdliers, and what had induced 'them sip] as
tst;,,aeogs'Y to atrike for a rise in wages. Now,. this. was
Lfs 'Pi. he a specimen of the reality of the skstrdes
rettitt-it'.'e Rouse consider what was the matter in
t tnis moment between the colliers employedshaind
sea4horict and the masters ? The rate of
tko, Rent-rally 4s, a day.—(Hear, hear.) And at thatls
he the matter in -dispute with the 'cornett.
NI-411%er they should receive 4s. or 3s. 6d. a day.—(Hear,u
tibi,biLl\ro-vvant of employment—ample demand—f
IP, ate 'ueet for the colliers, the question at issue was
they would work for 4s. or 3s. 6d, a day.
''se bear.)- Now,. he did not wish to enter more at
kkY, a"'Llto the precise origin of that dispute, but ho must,t
thou he he said it. in justice to the working men, that
Ita.4,lll!aht the origin of the dispute arise from a
with
e't.tLai which onion of the colliers were treated
'44-114rdship•There was an established usage amongst)k
tilts e`dliers that, before any reduction in wages took
there should be a fortnight's notice.
blirsAar.l4l,,ar party to whom he was alluding, whose
;4s'''•,a would not mention, was a considerable
% atisiness employing 300 men, had departed from:,
Naldished 'usage, which was almost as binding a..
\tt Iteral reduced the wages at forty-eight hours' notice
hear,) That operating upon so large a body
% 1,-1? as 30, was taken up by the colliers throughout
klie...',l'lo district. Now, when he (Sir James Graham)
kti4:,',t the Hon. Member on Saturday that he had-
liesan-
ia,s,'tops that the differences were likely to be ad-
s'4 4' felt that such would be the case but„since
had
• 4c'ale mischievous and active interference
th .slate the part of persons not connected with
izeZtiwl‘erhleo(s,ohialindd not connected with the neighbourhood
attempted to perpetuate the quarrel.e
\l't he (Si ',I, Graham) did not despair, although h
11)4 not "sot.sanguine as he was on Saturday last, that
41111:Atter wsoaunligiuterminate as they, wished. Now, the
that .lentleinan would allow him to state, that up to
4441 he had great satisfaction in saying, not only
to htla violence occurred. hut there had been no injury
!4)l)'il:l°Perty whatever ; that although there had been
ttJ,-,s,,`efable excitement and great disturbance, yet no
e'ella;i'llad been done to persons or to property;
.and ac-
Pace to the latest accounts received that morning, the
" the district had not been violated by anygreatNr-g`'', and hitherto the law had not been broken.
that' rethe Hon Gentleman had stated that the wages in
Die 'iltriet were quite inadequate to maintain the peo-
Iva put it to the House whether such a rate of
11;ts as
RICARDO—I
HAM our pardon, I did nohet
rsaysasiod.
thatir JAMES GRA—The Hon. M. em
stia're had been no fall in the price of corn.
(Sir James Graham) was very much. mistakenhad
sbs-ee that question had been debated, and it been
Wbittethed five el six times, since the last debate,
11,(4 toWas about a week since, a very material fall had
t-},"11 place in the price of corn. He was. informed
had Murk-lane Express, that the price of corn
ery
44Ett -"eri, at least ss. per quarter, which w•ast %vuted
111, efrlttl reduction. The lion. Gentleman had attributed
(-; rzt4il in wages to the Income-tax. He
.(Sir
operation
Nati4%.%) did not see how a law not yet inthe
the , that effect. But with respect to motion
ease t-
thefc're the House, he must say that lie thoughtl thean
l\'hs presented very fairly by the. Hon. Gentleman
wen'
,‘kiii,-40°I'ed it. With respect to the distress it
y 1,- With respect to the measures brought forwardto
t'r.l\i'lliesty's Government, no one could preteniflwas
they .had been sufficiently tried. The. tan
they 'ale into operation ; yet so far as it had gone,
1
IV "ad seen something like an increased activity
13111inercial world. bWhat would be the ultimated,.
that
tminetisiutr.e it was impossible at pre.sentto
1b i!le• The Hon. Gentleman, in the motion he had
t:t:tlitat.iettfetah
had, he thought, not unfairly
tkd that the eeffecetnosfeihose,measures yet remained. to
ad.rst:silted. The uestion really was—he did not. wish
"eth• for a moment—but really, after all, it, was
Is,wlag but
a Peg to haiig another discussion of the Uorn
ah 1111°a• 114
CRlwere really di/sirab.le that the House
diseu'•at that late period of the session, after the ample
ssio
ens the subject had undergone--if it. were de-
lays e ga'in to enter into the consideration of the
se res
-so fejt ently passed, certainly it would have been
min to hay* submitted the, question of a repeal

of the Corn-laws. But that question had been decided
almost within the last fortnight, and the Hon. Gentle-
man, recollecting that discussion, did not again return
to propose the question. Then what was ti; real pro-
position which he did venture to nt-‘43up)? vas, it was
a proposition with reaped, t'd Whian„ he would almost
say, it was absurd td Meet it. It, would be unwise, con-
siderirtg the responsibility of a Minister, to pledge the
ItoSiSe lipon a vote upon a subject of this kind. It was
the duty of the Executive Governments oft the pro-
rogation of Parliament—if there ft`lVouid be a necessity
for the representaSivet the people re-assembling—
it was ttteif duty to advise • the Sovereign
te, re-Assemble Parliament—and whenever Parliament
should so re-assemble the responsibility of it would be
upon the Government. That was the pati:oati.,wily of
dealing with the questiens lie did tflikt .t was the
duty or the policy of Parliatent Vkat a, pledge should be
exaeted—stbe. Itiettioit Vagilt to be left to the proper
parties, Sirs 'the 're%ponsible parties. It was admitted
that foir 'tole distress Government had proposed re-
sponaible measures. It was also admitted that t
short-
ness of time had not enabled their operation. to tde 'Clearly
ascertained. The Hon. Gentletnrat acted for a pledge,
that if they were found ineliectual or insufficient that
Parliament shentd le-assemble in a very short period. As
he said rre, that pledge was superfluous, inefficacious,
tetak 'itelspedient ; and he (Sir J. Graham? for 'One should
t hesitate in giving a direct metatthre to the motion.
Mr. HAWES could tvadily believe, and be gave full
credit to the sincerity of the Right Hon. Gentleman who
had ,just sat down, when he assured the House and the
public that he did not wish to discuss that question. It
was with some surprise that he (Mr. Hawes) heard him
say that one reason for not discussing the question was,
that it had hat recently been brought under the con-
sideration of the House, Now first let him call the
attention of the House to the argument used on this
subject on a previous occasion. What were they told ?
Why, they could not expect a law to be altered so re
cently passed ; therefore his Hon. Friend WAS tight in
introducing a change in the topic, to see if a change of
topic could extract anything from the Government. He
did not think it was necessary for the Right
Honourable Baronet to order the gentlemen behind
him not to speak, as it was impossible to meet
the arguments of his (Mr. Hawes's) side of the House,—
(Hear, hear.) No .loubt the discussion was inconvenient,
but these discussions could be had again and again.
They, might prorogue Parlament—it would be discussed
in public meetings ; they might call Parliament toge-
ther—still the subject -mould be discussed from time to
time until it was settled. He certainly was sur-
prised at what had fallen from the Hon, Gentleman who
had first spoken on the other side. The Hon. Gentleman
traced the distress to the Foreign-office. When he spoke
on a former occasion, he walked into Asia. He then de-
serted Asia and walked into Europe, and he was equally
unfortunate. He (Mr. Hawes) was prepared to main-
tain that the Corn-laws had caused a diminution in our
exports. Our trade to China and to Europe had in-
creased. Facts and figures were not to be dispated.
The Hon. Gentleman said, that from the moment the
Noble Lori undertpok to change the whole policy of
England, from that time there was a decline its trade:
Now, it was a pity the Hon. Gentleman did not refer to
papers and documents before the House. He (Mr.
Hawes) would refer to a proposal made by • the
Prussian Minister in 1826 to Mr. Canning, claim-
ing, on the part of Prussia, the admission of
their raw produce, under the consideration that the
duty should not be inci eased_ on British Manufactures.
What was the answer made by the Government ? The
answer was, that after due consideration of the proposi-
tion of the Prussian Minister, on the admission of Mai
and timber, it became her Majesty's Govetninent to state
that they could not entertain such a proposition. Now,
he would call the attention of the House to the state of
northern Europe ten years ago, up to the present date. Ten
years ago it was essentially agricultural, and according
to the report of the Hon. Member for Bolton they had
become manufacturing countries, therefore less able to
consume our manufactures. Now, previous to those ten
years, the'former Government 'refused to admit the corn
of Prussia. This was evidently, against the conviction of
Mr. Canning, as was the present measure against the
conviction of Right Hon. Baronet. The Right Hon.
Baronet would do more if he was permitted to do so by
his friends. The Hon. Gentleman (Mr. D'lsraeli) said
that no treaties had been entered into by the late Go-
vernment; but there was the Austrian treaty, which was
met. with a technical objection, but which objection was
got over by an Act of Parliainent. In the shipping to
that country there had been no falling off. In .1837
there were 80 ships, in 1839 there were 114. Let them
take any other State they pleased ; they found the same
result with svgard to Prussia. In 1840 there were
222,000 ttYrft,, in 1841, 218,000. In the other German
States ikk 1840 there were 83,000 tons, and in 1841 1.
there wore 91,000. The Hon. Gentleman had been sin-
gularly unfortunate in referring to those ten years. When
the corn question had been brought forward in those
ten years did Hon, Gentlemen opposite take part in it ?
They were all opposed to any inro.,d into the old Corn-
laws. They resisted the demand from year to year, and
now at last they came down and proposed a liberal mea-
sure. The Right Hon. Gentleman, in reply to the Hn.
Member for the Potteries, had fastened upon a casual
matter in the letter which the Hon. Member read—he
fastened on a casual matter as an experienced debater
always did, to divert the subject from the attention of the
House. Yes, forsooth, it was merely a question of wages
—it was merely a quarrel about wages between the
master and his men, and then they were told that some
mist: evous persons had interfered ; but if those design- '
in; men had caused the people to contemplate the cause
of the distress, then those men had done great service to
the country. Why leave them a subject to agitate upon?
—(Hear, hear, hear.) The Honourable Member • for
Cork had agitated in Ireland, but they (the Go-
vernment) ha given him the power of agitating. He
had taught the people of Ireiand to assert their rights.
But !.t was said that this question was only a peg to hang
a discussion on the Corn-laws upon ; that might be so,
but this he would say, that he was determined to take
every opportunity of discussing the Corn-laws, What-
ever might be thought of him, of this he was sure, that
the course he had pursued would be appreciated by the
millions he representcd.—(Hear, hear.) The great
cause of the present distress was, the neglect of corn-
mercial distress, and it was not until it was found
that the people would bear it no longer that something. I
was done. As to the IVliniSterial proposition with re- i
spect to the Corri-laws, it was only a mere make-shift,
and the time would come when they would get the true
opinion of the public on the subject, and when it would
be shown that although those laws were plausible
in appearance, they were, in reality, of no benefit to the
public. He did not despair of seeing the Right Hon.
Baronet the innovator of his own law.(Hear, hear.) 1
He had no wish to over-represent anything ; but looking
at the increase of poor-rates in the borough he repre-
presented, lie, must confess he was completely stag-
gered. He believed that the time was not far distant when,
by means of debates in that House and discussions else-
Where, they would make it impossible for the House to
resist doing justice to the people.—(Hear, hear.) With .
the great command the country had over machinery, if
the markets of the world were only thrown open to it,
the best results might be expected; but, if those markets
were to be closed to the manufactures of this country,
the worst apprehensions might be entertained.—(Hear.)
He believed it to be the intention of the Government to
stifle every good measure--(Hear, hear)—and, as an in
stance of that, he might state that when it was asked to
admit foreign sugar, for the purpose of manure and feed-
ing cattle, it was refused.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon.
Gentleman concluded by supporting the motion.
Mr. M. PHILIPS believed that every day had added
force to the statements made with respect to the distress
of the country. Whatever inconvenience Hon. Members
might be subjected to, he felt it to be his duty not to
shrink from bearing his part in the debate on the sub ect.
He thought the House ought to consider the evils under
which the people were labouring, and do all in their
power to remedy them. It was only a year ago that
they were obliged to bring . forward the distress of the
country, and since that period the distress had increased
in a compound ratio. The House was now about to
break up, and if they were to tell the people that the
. measures they' had passed were the only ones that could
be brought forward for their good, he thought
they would have great right to complain.—(He r.)
He was one of those who had supported the tariff; but
he had also felt that it carried out very imperfectly the
true principles of commercial policy. The tariff had,
for instance, diminished the duty upon coffee ; but that
concession was neutralised by the retention of the old
duty upon sugar. The condition of our shopkeepers,
as well as that of our labourers, was every day becoming
more lamentable. Every individual placed below the
aristocracy was suffering deeply from the decline
of our trade. The middle classes were now re-
duced almost to a level with the labouring classes,
and they must both sink to the same state of
misery if relief did not soon arrive. The truth
was that all classes must suffer if the great manufacturing
interest of the community were permitted daily to de-
cline. Sentiments of the deepest hostility to the manu-
facturers of the country had been uttered by the parti-
sans of the party opposite, and wishes had even been ex-
pressed that they should meet with total ruin. Now, he
felt that those wishes must soon be accomplished, unless
some remedy for the decline of our commerce were
speedily applied. The Hon. Member for Nottingham
shire (Mr. G. Knight) talked of suppressing the mur-
murs of discontent created by the prevailing distress, and
spoke of hanging the prophets. But the course recom-
mended by the Hon. Gentleman could not redress the
evils out of which those complaints arose. He had
no hesitation in telling the House that he saw
no prospect at the present moment of a revival
of our trade. A good harvest might contribute par-
tially and momentarily to alleviate, the prevailing dis-
tress ; but no harvest could hold out a prospect of giving
employment to our labourers ; audit was that employ-
ment alone which could effectually remedy the evils
from which the country suffered, He had heard com-
plaints of machinery ; but it should not be forgotten
that improved machinery was one of the sources of the
national greatness. He had no hesitation in saying that
.the manufacturers of England had done their duty to
their country, and if they were not fettered in their
exertions by a system of unsound and pernicious
legislation, they would still have found employment,
and consequent comfort, for those engaged in their
service. He conjured the House not to continue
insensible to the sufferings of the people. The result of
such a course would be to expose to great risk the insti-
tutions of the country. He was convinced that the people
were deeply discontented; and never, to his knowledge,
had England such appalling prospects before her as at the
present moment. He should again call upon the House
seriously to consider this subject, and to do justice to
those to whom we were mainly indebted for our pros-
perity.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. WOI)EHOUSE read a paragraph from a report
of a Committee which had sat in 1825, and of which Mr.
Huskisson was a member, to the effect that that Com-
mittee had refused to consent to a repeal of the English
Corn-laws upon any terms which had then hem offered
by Prank