The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-05-04 00:00:00

freely allay

Ma reated iratereg,

in that system by which her merchants, and other in,.
habitants, were induced largely to direct their capital
and devote their time to certain objects, and which,
with the abolition of that system, would in a great mea-
sure cease to exist for their benefit, is what we deny,
and what we should conceive any impartial tribunal
would rule in our favour.

Our contemporary's allusion to the China monopoly
will not afford him the least support. That monopoly
was taken from the East India Company, not that it
might be shared merely with Liverpool, or Bristol, or
Glasgow, or, any other port, hut that the community at
large might obtain an important article of consumption
at a reduced price. The removal of the monopoly was
intended as a boon to the kingdom, and if all the advan-
tages contemplated have not followed, some unques-
tionably have: But is there any pretext—any decent
excuse of this kind set up in the case of this inland
bonding bill ? How are the people—how is the com-
munity at large to be served by depriving Liverpool of
her natural or acquired advantages, and transferring,
or attempting to transfer them to some inland town ?
Who will gain by that ? Will Manchester goodu be
lowered in price to the consumer by reason of that
piece of transmutation ? No ; not one twentieth part
of a farthing in the bale. It is altogether an affair of
the factory ; the community at large has no interest in
it

The question then comes simply to this—is a posi-
tive injury to be done to one place on the very rinnote
chance of some contingent good being clone to another,
or some few in it, without even the pretence of any
general result beneficial to the community being looked
for ? We submit that there is but one answer to this
question, and that any other involves palpable unsound-
ness in theory, and gross injustice in action.

Our disgraced and discomfited ministry has resorted
to a base expedient, which has excited for the moment
so much surprise and indignation that the settled feel-
ing of the country has not yet had time to utter itself.
They feel that their ship is sinking, and they care not
what they throw overboard in their undissembled ter-
ror and desperate effort to lighten it. Their defeat of
Thursday exhibits their miserable weakness without
the possibility of disguise. Ther Irish Registration
Bill, on which they have existed, or rather endeavoured

to escape extinction, since the commencement of the
session, is now gone to the tomb of all the Capulets.
Their humiliation is as palpable as it is painful, and
the question in every body's mouth is, or was, what will
they do now ? Will they resign ? But no ; that, in-
deed, will be the last sign they will ever make. They
have the anti-can-law sedition yet to feed. The corn
duties remain to be repealed, and why should these
faithful, fast-sticking ministers resign, whilst they have
that card to play ? This is surely an admirable sop
for Cerberus ; and if it fails, have they not annual par-
liaments and vote' by ballot yet to give away, or pro-
mise?' And, failing these, they have still in reserve
universal suffrage, or some other incredible thing, no
mattter how revolutionary or abominable, so as it would

afford them something to promise and another quarter
in office. The head of the coterie has declared, and
the declaration is on record, that to repeal the corn
duties would be madness ; nor have his party hitherto
given, any intimation that they had the most distant
notion of yielding to the clamour on this head. But
necessity is a severe task-master. It did not then
"rain minorities" so thick and fast upon them, nor
was disgrace altogether so familiar with them as it is
now. Desperate cases require desperate remedies, and
now the malady has arrived at that stage when these
appliances must be had recourse to. But will they
effect a cure ? We are perfectly confident that they
will not. The people are sick of the O'Connell-Whigs,
and will not be gulled by the base and unprincipled
stratagem which they have just put in operation.
Whiggery is unpopular, and nothing can save its down-
fall. We shall take another opportunity fully to justify
these several allegations.
As to the budget we have only to observe, that it
affords another melancholy proof of the desperate
shifts to which these reckless incapables are driven.
Not only are our colonies sacrificed, but religion and
morality are outraged by the ways and means to which
they have resorted, to catch at revenue and supply de-
ficiencies. Admirable moralists ! Excellent patricts I
Skilful managers ! Incomparable ministers !