The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-05-14 00:00:00

MONDAY

conferred upon the country. He would, however, in com-
mittee vote for the exclusion of all foreign sugar, the produce
of slave labour.
Sir J. R. REID said that a more reckless, injudicious, and
inconsiderate Government than the present he had never
heard of. He hoped the house would very quickly come to
a decision, for since the proposition of Government, trade
was almost necessarily at a stand.
Mr. GISBORNE opposed the resolution of the noble lord
the member for Liverpool, and contended that the fate of
the corn-laws and of the present duties on sugar was sealed,
inasmuch as,these alterations had been proposed to the house
by the ministers of the crown. This opinion was not his
own, for he quoted it from a speech of Sir R. Peel's, who
declared that no existing regulations could be maintained in
their integrity after being once condemned by a minister of
the crown, supported by the authority of the crown itself.
Mr. S. HERBERT said that no one would dispute the
theory of free trade, but there were circumstances of mode
and time which should be taken into consideration in con-
nexion with it, for otherwise any counting-house would sup-
ply from amongst its clerks chancellors of the exchequer and
statesmen quite as efficient as any which could be found in
that house. Admitting the correctness of the doctrines of
free trade, he, notwithstanding, contended not only that the
mode of alteration proposed by the government was injudi-
cious, but that it also was imprudently timed. It was not
just that, because hon. gentlemen on his side of the house en-
tertained this opinion with respect to the mode and time of
the introduction of these measures, they should be therefore
taunted with acting under hypocritical pretences.
Mr. V. SAIITII opposed the resolution of Lord Sandon on
the ground that it advanced a proposition not founded in fact.
It assumed that the people of England had advanced the
£20,000,000 for some purpose to be yet effected, instead of
advancing it for a purpose already accomplished—that of
abolishing slavery in our own dominions. The bargain was
completed, and the West Indian colonies had no right to
claim the continuation of a tax on the people of this country
for the purpose of increasing their own prosperity, which, by
every account, was already very great—indeed, far greater
than before the passing of the emancipation act. They had
the choice of relieving the distresses of our own population,
with the chance of injuring the population of some other
country ; and for his part, he thought they ought to confer a
great and certain good upon our own labours when it was ex-
tremely doubtful whether by so doing we should inflict any
injury whatever upon any other people.
Lord STAN LEY said he gave his cordial concurrence to the
resolution proposed by Lord Sandoz', and was decidedly op-
posed to the measures proposed by her Majesty's ministers.
It was contended that these propositions were to be supported
in accordance with the principles of free trade ; and it was
asserted that on both sides of the house the principles of
free trade were admitted. Now, as he understood, the
principles of free trade were these, that there should be no
protective duties—that we should buy when we could, and
any duties levied for the purposes of revenue should be as
low as possible, and levied equally upon all, and that, if
possible, no duties should be levied upon articles of general
consumption. Those were the true principles of free trade ;
and lie was happy to say that, in the present state of the
country, no gentleman, on either side of the house, had been
guilty of the absurdity of saying they should be adopted.
The question, therefore, was not a question between mono-
poly and competition, for the discriminative- duties, which
the government still left unreduced, were still in principle a
monopoly, and directlylat variance with the doctrines of free
trade. The noble lord denied that the propositions now
brought forward were the same as those brought forward by
Lord Althorp's government. The material difference was
this, that when the alteration of the timber duties was no
longer necessary for the purposes
,of revenue Lord Althorp
proposed to make a larger reduction of the duties on Baltic
timber without adding to those on Canadian produce. With
respect to sugar it was an article which should be exempted
from the ordinary rules of commercial policy, and in
dealing with it prohibition should be the object and not pro-
tection. He then argued that as regarded the revenue there
must be an increase to a large amount from sugar, not in
consequence of the proposition of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, but rather, notwithstanding that proposition, for
the vast quantity which it was estimated would be imported
from the colonies this year must, of necessity, increase the
revenue without the aid of the introductfon of any foreign
sugar. Every one knew that the Emancipation Act would,
at first, make sugar dear ; and it was said by the lion. and
learned member for Dublin last year that the question was
not to be considered upon any ground of price; for if put
fairly to the people of England, whether they would have
sugar one penny, or more, per pound cheaper, the produce
of free labour, he had no fear of the reply. Neither had he
(Lord Stanley) any fear of the reply. That was the question
now put to the people of England, and he had not a doubt
as to the reply ; but he must express his astonishment that,
after such a speech last year, upon a motion similar to the
present, then brought forward by the hon. member for Wigan,
and opposed by the government, the hon. and learned gentle-
man should now take the course of supporting the measure
proposed be her Majesty's ministers, opposed as it was to his
strongly-expressed opinions upon the subject. The noble
lord then said that it' would ill become him, who had
been the person selected by the government of Earl
Grey to bring forward the great measure of emanci-
pation, and who had called upon the West Indian pro-
prietors to make the sacrifice they had done—it would
ill become him to assent to any proposition calculated
to render that measure nugatory. He denied that the im-
portation of Brazilian sugar for the purpose of refining gave
any encouragement to slavery, because, as the sugar was re-
exported, no new market was opened for its consumption.
He did not mean to deny the financial and also the mercan-
tile difficulties of the country, but he thought our commercial
affairs, though at present somewhat languid and desponding,
had still sufficient elasticity to recover, for its present con-
dition was rather owing to the distracted state of American
affairs, than to any want or failure of national resources at
home. The noble lord concluded by condemning Ministers
for throwing loose upon the country a crude and undigested
scheme just at the moment when they were about losing
office, as they had long lost power, when they must have
known that they never could carry it into operation ; a scheme
which caused, in the commercial world, a panic, which was
only calmed by the subsequent conviction that it would never
meet with the sanction of. Parliament.:
At the conclusion of the noble lord's speech, the debate
was adjourned.

PETITIONS FOR CHURCH EXTENSION.—WC are glad to
find that petitions are in course of signature in many parts
of the neighbourhood in favour of a parliamentary grant for
church extension. We surely need not urge the claims of
our country, paramount as they seem to us, to be provided
with public means of worship at the national expense. Need-
less, however, as such arguments may be to those who look
with Christian feelings upon the wants of the country, we
sorrow to say that our legislators have not the moral courage
to act upon such principles ; and it is nothing but an inces-
sant demand that will ever convince the House of CoMmons
they have anything to do with the..spiritual 'interests of the
people whom they represent. We entreat every'yarish to
take its place in this effort, and to increase its exertions in
proportion to the necessities of the case.—Doncwiter Chro-
nicle.

DEATH OF A CHILD BY FALLING INTO A CELLAR
AREA.—An inquest was held, on Saturday last, before Mr.
Chapman, the borough coroner, on the body of Mary Wain-
wright, an infant 14 months old, daughter of Mr. Wain-
wright, of Murray-street.—lt appeared from the evidence of
Ann Davis, a neighbour, that about twelve o'clock the pre-
ceding Wednesday, the deceased, who could just walk. was
standing near a cellar in Murray-street, when sbe slipped
into the cellar, by which her head was so injured that she
died on Friday.—The mother of the child stated, that the
area was protected only by two horizontal bars of iron, and
three upright ones ; that this was the sixth accident at the
same place within the last four years ; and that four of them
had been attended with fatal results.—The jury returned a
verdict of accidental death : and, by their desire, the coro-
ner wrote to the owner of the property, informing him of the
accident, and requiring him to put up a better protection to
the area.—Manchester Guardian.
WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.—The anniversary
meeting of this society was held on Monday at Exeter-ball,
upon which occasion Mr. J. Emerson Tennent, M.P., took
the chair. The meeting was crowded to excess, the fair sex
forming the majority of the audience. Amongst those on
the platform we noticed Sir George Murray, Sir G. Rose,
Col. Conolly, Mr. Sergeant Jackson, Mr. Plumntre, Sir R.
Bateson, Mr. C. Hindley. &c. The Rev. Dr. Bunting read
the report, from which it appeared that the receipts of the
society during the past year had amounted to £90,182 8s Bd,
whilst the expenditure had been £109,225 15s 10d, thereby
leaving, together with the debt before existing, a balance of
£39,916 6s lld against the society. To meet that sum there
was a set off of £12,332 19s 2d, due from various foreign
stations to which temporary aid had been granted. Nume-
rous speeches were delivered, and a series of resolutions
were passed in furtherance of the objects of the society.
CHURCH PASTORAL AID SOCIETY.—The sixth anniversary
meeting of this society was held on Tuesday, in the large
room, Exeter Hall, Strand, London, and was very nume-
rously attended. The Right Hon. Lord Ashley, M.P. took
the chair, and called upon the secretary to read the report.
It appeared from that statement, that in consequence of the
augmentation of the finances, and' the extension of their
operations, many churches, chapels, and schools had been
erected. During the past year the society had made addi-
tional grants to 57 incumbents, having the care of 219,171
souls, and providing stipends for 48 clergymen and 12 lay
assistants, at a charge to the society of £3947. Two grants
of .£125 had been made towards the building of school-rooms
in places where the local resources were exhausted. The
society's grants, up to the present date, were stated to be in
aid of 277 incumbents, having an aggregate population of
1,991,375 souls, while the average amount of their incomes
was only £163. Of these incumbents 139 were without par-
sonage houses. Previous to the aid of the society only 314
clergymen were engaged in the pastoral care of the above-
stated population ; at present 225 clergymen and 35 lay
assistants are supported by the society at a charge of £20,340
per annum. The income of the society had considerably
increased during the past year, being £3489 9s. 7d. above the
receipts of the preceding. The total income was £19,655
16s. 5d., and the expenditure £21,769 13s. Bd. Several
addresses were delivered and resolutions passed, after which
thanks were voted to the noble lord in the chair, and the
meeting broke up.

INTREPIDITY OF A POLICE CONSTABLE.—The magis-
trates sitting at the Town Hall, Croydon, last week, had to
dispose of a charge against two notorious poachers, named
Nicholson and Page, and a third man named Denham, of
being in Sanderstead Park for en illegal purpose, and also
with committing a violent assault upon Thomas Tappin, one
of the police constables of the P division. It appeared from
the evidence of Tappin, who had his head much cut in the
affray, that while on duty, about half-past two o'clock in the
morning, at Sanderstead, he saw the defendants, and two
other men, get over the hedge into Sanderstead Park, and,
suspecting they were about committing some offence, he
shortly afterwards followed them • on his going into the
rookery he found that some iron Chains had been fixed to
one of the trees, and two of the men had ascended, and Page
was about following them when the constable seized him by
the leg and pulled him down, when a struggle took place be-
tween them, and, on Page calling on his comrades to assist
him, they did so, and they all attacked the constable. The
latter, however, being a very powerful man, would not re-
linquish his hold of Page, and he actually succeeded in
getting the other two men dcwn, and they all struggled to-
gether, as afterwards appeared by the state of the ground for
a distance of 30 yards, and during the time the constable was
kicked and struck on the face, and very much hurt. By
this time an alarm had in some way been given, and a pri-
vate watchman, who sleeps at the residence of Mr. Hill, the
tenant of Sanderstead Park, got up, and armed himself with
a gull, and, accompanied by a blood-hound, proceeded to the
spot, where he found the three prisoners and the constable
struggling on the ground. The dog immediately seized one
of the men, and dragged him off, and with the assistance of
the private watchman the three prisoners were eventually
secured, and placed in safe custody,, but the other two made
their escape. Upon an examination being made the ground
presented a very plain appearance of the desperate struggle
that had taken place, and six young rooks were also found
lying dead, so thA the prisoners' object was no doubt to
plunder the rookery. The next day the prisoners were taken
before Messrs. Sutherland and Currie at Croydon, when the
above facts were deposed to ; and the constable, in addition,
stated that he did not draw his staff in the affray, because he
was afraid they might get it away from him and use it about
his person. The magistrates ultimately committed the de-
fendants for three months to the House of Correction. The
back u
prisonersae are notorious
an characters,iropriaonleanntdofonle2omf themonths somermae
time
violent assault upon a gamekeeper. It is said that the com-
missioners of police have directed a gratuity to he given to
the constable Tappin for his intrepid conduct.--Morning
Herald.