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

.j t

mai Vlbitton

SUN OFFICE Three o'Cloch.

The speech of Lord PALMERSTON in the Hone° of
Commons last night, upon Mr. T. DUNCOMDE'S motion
for calling Parliament together in the autumn, should no
abatement take place in the general distress of the
country, will tell better in the manufacturing districts
than any delivered in Parliament since the commence-
ment of the present session. The Noble Lord showed
that but for the Corn and Timber-laws we might at this
moment be enjoying an almost nominally free trade with
Prussia, Russia, Sweden, and the German States, now
forming the German Commercial Union. This would
have given full employment to our manufacturing popu-
lation, and removed the whole of the distress which
threatens to entail the most frightful miseries upon
these Islands. But Sir B. PEEL preferred humbugging
both sides of the House to the adoption of a straight-
fOrward, honest, and efficient plan of commercial
policy. He proposed an Income-tax for which the
alleged pretext was that it would enable him
to prepare a tariff which would cheapen the price
of all the necessaries of life ; but when the Income-tax
was carried, and the Tariff was brought forward, he
turned round, and told the landholders that he had so
framed it that the price of nothing would be reduced
with which they had the means of supplying the market.
Anchovies, pepper, pungent sauces, and Spanish flies
would be cheaper, for these were commodities not dealt
in by English agriculturists ; but he would take care to
keep up the price of bread, butter, cheese, beef, and
beer. The labourer would get his bacon no cheaper,
but then warm plasters would be considerably lowered,
and a blister might be had for almost nothing ! This
thimble-rigging system has not, however, answered. The
new Tariff, notwithstanding the importation under it
the other day of four Swiss bull's, has not diminished the
general distress throughout the country. To so alarming
tot extent has it increassei, that Mr. DENCOMBE says,
and says truly, that the 'peace of the country is not worth
forty-eight hours' p'archase ; and yet the Premier will
not pledge himself to call Parliament together in Novem-
ber, should the, winter threaten to set in without any
improvement in the condition of the famishing millions-
Lord PALltEasToei expressed a wish that Parliament
should meet in October. " What !" exclaims Sir JAMES
GRAHAM, in the true spiritof the so-called representatives
of the starving people, " and give less pheasant shoot-
ing ?" The master-chord in the heart of the House was
struck. Loud cheers and laughter followed this welk
l!tead and most important query. Lord PALMERSTON
had the moral courage to answer—" Yes, I really hope
;" but he must have felt that the hope was illusory.
°The starvation of millions of poor people is doubtless a
sad thing—a dreadful thing, especially when it occurs
in novels and romances, *and the scene of their suffering
is laid in the great Desert of Senaar—but when it hap-
pens so rear the West-end as Manchester, Birmingham,
Sheffield, Glasgow, and Paisley, and is trumpetted forth
daily in the newspapers, why then it is a vulgar affair,
more fur the consideration of Poor-law Guardians and
Relieving Officers, than aristocratic Members of the
Feritish Senate. Doubtless the House of Commons is
not disinclined to talk about the distresses of the people,
and now and then condescend to read their petitions,
and occasionally print them at the people's own expense;
but such condescension is not to expected in the shooting
:reason ! If people will starve, let them choose a proper
lime to starve in, and not when Honourable Gentlemen
require to beat up their preserves.
It is now clear that however great may be the distress
of ism people, Parliament will do nothing for them. It
Les declared so almost ever 3 week since the commence-
ment of the Session. It will not repeal the Corn-laws.
nor will it call upon Ministers to let loose the millions
of spearters of wheat now spoiling in bond ! What
elten Arc the people to do ? Are they to starve ? Are
-they to die peaceably of hunger, to figure in another
speech from the Thu-one, as having died with
as praiseworthy passiveness as her MAJESTY has
told us they bore the first brunt cf famine ?
Will they glory in the acceptation of that crown
of martyrdom which Parliament and the landlords
so perseveringly ofrer them ? Goy forbid. They are
not made of quite such malleable stuff. What then re-
ttains for them to do ? We say, emphatically, abolish
,the Corn-laws themselves, mace Parliament will not do it.
'Perish all iniquitous laws rather than one valuable hu map
life should be lost. Let them only dare to declare the,
Corn-laws abolished, and there is an end of them. The
law of Goss, which is paramount to all human leginla-
tien, and the law of nature, which is but an imperfect
expression of the law of GOD, equally auth n-ise men to
preserve their lives at all hazards. This, in the present
etz,;e,is not to be done by isolated acts of outrage—by cow-
es Hy and Wicked midnight incendiarism, or i
any thos-
ses which evince y as much depravity as they do suffering
on the part of the perpetrators. They are e• in) erishinn
the open day by thousands—they must demand radress
openly, and by thousands.
They will thus compel Sir
R. PEEL, and his slaves in both Rouses of Parliament,
to do them justice. They want employment, awl pee.
nsanent employment they can only have when all import
duties upon human food are totally,' and for ever,
abolished.

The forbearance of the preent Government towards
the King of lieriovEß is quite incomprelrpible. Iherl/4)