The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-15 00:00:00

PROTECTION ASSOCIATION.

The dissolution of the " National Association for Pro-
tection" took place on Monday last week. The Duke
of Richmond presided, opening the proceedings by read-
ing a long letter from Mr. George Frederick Young, now
at Geneva, recommending the course pursued. Still a
Protectionist, "from the first announcement of the
policy of her Majesty's (late) Government, it was evident
to me that the cause of Protection was lost, and the
formal abandonment of the principle has therefore occa-
sioned me no surprise." Denying that the present pros-
perity of the country is owing to Free-trade, Mr. Young
insists that under Protection it would have been greater.
It is, however, " obvious that any present attempt to re-
vive a contest for Protection must be useless," therefore
be recommends the dissolution of the association, as,
although " powerless for good, such an association might
be rendered, under very conceivable circumstances, in-
strumental to much evil."

The Duke of Richmond expressed his general concur-
rence in the letter, and thought they ought no longer to
agitate, " having no party in Parliament prepared to sup.
port their views." His Grace believed fully the day of
reaction would arrive, but thought the continuation of
the association more likely to retard than assist it.

Mr. Ball, M.P., then p'roposed a formalresOlOtion that
" no rational expectation can be entertained of inducing
the present Parliament to return to a protective system."
He declared that he neither abandoned nor repudiated
Protection, and recommended what should be their future
conduct as individuals :—" For his part, be thought it
had now become their duty to demand of the Legislature
that the principles so rigidly enforced towards the agri-
cultural interest should be extended to all other interests.
It occurred to him that the wisest and best way of
shaping their course now, was to say to those interests,
' As you oblige us to sell our commodities at the same
price as the foreigner, we ask to be placed in the position
of being able to produce as cheaply as the foreigner.'
Therefore he would demand free-trade in everything."
Alderman Thompson, M.P., seconded the resolution,
declaring that present prosperity was not owing to Free-
trade, which had nearly ruined the country in 18M, the
most disastrous year it ever had.
Mr. Chowler, in supporting the resolution, said it was
a monstrous piece of injustice that the cultivator of the
soil, exposed as he was to competition with the whole
world, should be taxed upon the use of his own produce
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striction by the total repeal of the malt and hop duties.
Resolutions for the dissolution and winding-up of the
Association followed, with only one dissentient voice. in
replying to a vote of thanks, the Duke of Richmond said
he was arrived at that time of life when he could not hope
long to be enabled to take that share in public affairs he
had formerly felt bound to take, but younger men would
be found who would remember that though it is easy
enough for eloquent individuals to get cheers at one o
tvvo public meetings, yet to be uniformly well received o
the large class of the people, they must believe and know
that you are honest and straightforward.