The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-09-24 00:00:00

THE ANTI-CORN-LAW AGITATORS AND THE
MANCHESTER ELECTION.

(Prom the Leeds Intelligencer.)
The anti-corn-law agitators are endeavouring to persuade
persons at a distance from the scene of action, that Sir George
Murray's defeat at the late election for Manchester was the
consequence of his refusal to give a pledge on the subject of
the corn-laws. It would appear from this, supposing it to be
a true account of the matter, that ministers and their policy
were completely thrown overboard ; that their friends did
not dare to appeal to the constituency of Manchester for sup-
port on that ground ; to the very constituency which on all
previous elections had been called upon to support Mr. Pou-
lett Thomson chiefly because he was a member of the Mel-
bourne administration ! If the anti-corn-law people be right,
ministers may no longer reckon upon the support of the elec-
tors of Manchester. Their "liberal" principles—their "con-
ciliatory" policy—their disinterestedness—their self-denial
—patriotism—all are forgotten, and a determined and clever
opponent would have been returned, if he would have but
yielded a little more to the " squeezing" process by which it
was intended to influence his vote on the corn-law question.
There is not, however, the slightest foundation for the state-
ment of the agitators. It is true they have errleavoured to
obtain a pledge from Sir George Murray as to the extent of
protection he was willing to afford to the agricultural interest
in the shape of a fixed duty ; but he refused to go to parlia-
ment fettered by a pledge. He is too prudent a man to al-
low himself to be caught by such a snare. He knows too
well the duty of a member of parliament to go there with his
hands tied up, and without the power of deviating from the
course prescribed to him. The agitators say that in the pro-
ceedings at the hustings, in which he was required to give ex-
planations to his opponents, he was completely " squabashed"
(that is the word) by them. Now it appears from the Man-
chester journals that the very people who 'were witnesses to
the questions and explanations asked and given, declared, by
a show of hands, that they preferred the right honourable and
gallant general to either of his opponents. Nay, further, on
the second day, when, as we are informed by the same vera-
cious authority, Sir George was more " worried" than on the
previous one—when he was " literally pinned to the earth"
by his adversaries—the show of hands in his favour was even
greater than on the preceeding day ! So much for the effect
produced upon hearers of the explanations which we are
gravely informed prevented the right honourable gentleman's
election ! But the truth is, Sir George Murray's views re-
specting trade generally, and of the trade in corn particularly,
gave entire satisfaction to the great body of the Manchester
constituency. If he erred at all it was on the side of con-
cession ; for it is a fact that a gentleman who has always been
decidedly hostile to these laws, and has written a pamphlet
on the subject, expressed himself perfectly satisfied with Sir
George-Murray's sentiments.
But if the corn law question was the test of fitness how did
it happen that the great champion of repeal, Col. Thompson,
polled only 63 votes ? Perhaps we shall be answered, " the
Colonel is a radical." Then he was rejected on account of
his politics, and notwithstanding his opposition to the corn
laws. This proves that other considerations besides the corn
law question entered into the discussion of the merits of the
respective candidates. Mr. Greg is a wholesale repealer, it
is true ; but it is well known in 'Manchester that the more
respectable whigs who voted for him did so chiefly because
they saw that the defeat of their party in this election might
materially affect the stability of the ministry ; and many of
them made no secret of their dislike of the extreme princi-
ples of their candidate. They voted for the sake of the party,
and not for the sake of its representative, nor for the purpose
of giving the weight of their influence in support of his views
respecting either the corn laws or reform.
Let us, however, do justice to Sir George Murray. As he
is a man of first-rate talent—a man of business and' of consi-
derable influence with the leaders of the conservative party,
it is right that his opinions should be clearly understood. We
therefore make the following extract from his speech on his
first nomination:—

" We have heard it stated on my right, that if Mr. Greg
were returned, he would be an advocate for perfect free trade
all over the world. That is more than I will be. (Cheers.)
I think that if we were to establish the principle all over the
world, you would have articles of the natural production of
every country, or the productions of foreign industry, com-
ing in here, and driving the productions of your industry out
of the market. To that extent of the principle of free trade
to .which the gentlemen upon my right hand have pledged
their absent candidate, I will not pledge myself at all, because
I conceive every branch of industry in this country should
have such a protection as will give a balance of interest to
our countrymen against the industry of foreigners. (Cheers.)
I think that every branch of industry at home ought to be
protected. (Cheers.) No branch of industry, however,
ought to have an undue preponderance of protection • there
should be no more protection given to. any one branch than
is just and necessary towards the others."
Such are Sir George Murray's opinions respecting the duty
of government towards domestic industry in general. Our
next extract, which is from his speech delivered on the second
day of election, relates to the corn law question. He says—
' I have been called upon to say something about the corn
laws. You know now there is a fluctuating duty ; but the
bias of my mind is favourable to a fixed moderate duty.
(How much ?) A gentleman asks me how much. Why, I
am for a moderate fixed duty. lam for nothing that will
be injurious to the operative classes of society, because they
are the base, and are the foundation of the prosperity of the
country. If you drive the capitalists out of the country,
whether they go to Geneva or America, you will ruin the
country. If you drive the operatives out of their bread you
will equally ruin the country."
All who do not wish to see british capital employed in fo-
reign manufactories, or who would have our operatives sup-
ported in a condition above that of pauperism, will admit the
soundness of Sir George Murray's opinions on the subject
of free trade. There can be no greater mistake than to sup-
pose that by protecting any branch of British industry we are
acting unjustly towards the people at large. Those people
who refer us to the lower prices of certain foreign produc-
tions, forget that the very cheapness which recommends those
productions to them, is to be attributed in most cases to the
competition of British manufactures. Let the supply cease
from this country, and the increased demand for the produc-
tions of our rivals would as a matter of course raise their
price. Should we hear so much of the cheapness of Saxony
hosiery if the manufacturers of Saxony had nothing to fear
from the competition of our workshops ? If we were entirely
dependant upon foreigners for bread, should we be supplied
on as favourable terms as when the foreign grower of corn has
to meet the British grower in •du same market ? Certainly
not. The true policy of a government, therefore, whether
directed to the object of finding employment for, its people,
or of securing to them theiiecessaries of life, on the lowest
terms, is to give protection to native industry.
With respect to the corn laws, Sir George Murray declares
that he prefer a moderate fixed duty to a fluctuating scale.
On this point there is a great difference of opinion among
men who are disposed to do justice to the agricultural inter-
est. It is contended by the advocates of a fluctuating scale
that in seasons of scarcity it would be impossible to collect
such a fixed duty as would be a protection to the growet iu
seasons of abundance.. It must, however, be admitted, That
the uncertainty of the duty makes the corn trade more a sys.!
tern of speculation than of regular commerce, and according
to the risk of the speculation the merchant will calculate his
profits. Then against the evils of a fixed duty may be set the
benefits which the revenue would derive from it ; and accord-
ing to the amount received from this source, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer would be able to relieve the country of some
portion of those taxes which press most heavily upon the pro-
chletive classes. The subject, however, is one beset with dif-
gulties, and which will require.the most cautious and judici-
ous treatment. What ought to be the amount of the fixed
duty, supposing that system to be adopted in preference to a
fluctuating scale, is a question which can only be decided after
a due consideration of all the circumstances in which the
British power is placed. Nothing, therefore, can be more
absurd than to charge Sir George Murray with " evasion "
because he refused to give more than a general answer to the
questions put to him respecting the amount of duty he should
approve.

For ourselves we desire only to see the question settled
with a due regard to the interests of all classes. But as we
believe that on the welfare of agriculture that of the commu-
nity at large mainly depends, we shall always feel it a part of
our duty as journalists to prevent the public from being mis-
led by the unfounded statements and fallacious arguments of
the shallow advocates of a pretended free trade.

TIDE TABLE.
Days. Men. Eva. Height.
0. H. H. M. F. 1.
Tuesday 24 11 42 i - 2 O 2O 2 Moon in Perigree 10h. even
Wednes. 25 I 0 2 020 20 1 Jup. rises 7h. 56m. morn.
Thursday 26 040 1 0 20 1 St. Cyprian.
Friday 27 110 140 18 11 Length of day 11h. 15m.
Saturday 28 2 2 227 16 11 Length of night 12h. 10m.
Sunday 29 251 318 14 5 18th Sunday after Trinity.
Monday 30 350 426 12 5 St. Jerome.