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

BUDGET

T II E

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIOII

.SING POST

Sin,—Having lately addressed you on the subject of the
corn-laws, M consequence of the appearance last evening of
the financial Budget for the year, and the means by which it
is therein proposed to provide for the deficiency in the re-
venue for the present year, I am again induced to do so.
That deficiency is proposed to be made good by what is
termed regulating existing taxes, and not by the erection of
new ones. The objects of regulatio❑ are stated to be the
duties now payable on timber and sugar, with the abandon-
ment of the principles as well as the application of the gra-
duated scale of duties on foreign corn, and the substitution
of a fixed rate of duty, to be payable at all times, without re-
gard to the abundance or deficiency of our own crops.
As regards timber, the contemplated changes promise to
act most injuriously on the interests of our North American
colonies, and those of our shipping. The apparent object of
these changes is increased revenue without regard to the in-
jury they may be expected to inflict on those interests; the
objects of the present system were to promote the interests
of those colonies, first, because they afforded a wide field for
emigration and employment to our growing surplus of popu-
lation; next, because these colonies were paid for the pro-
duce with which they supplied us, in British manufactures
and the productions of our other colonies ; and, lastly, that
as British shipping were alone employed in the trade, it af-
forded a most valuable nursery for British seamen, to which
the mother country could at all times look with confidence
to man our fleets whenever she required their assistance and
protection.
Such was the policy that produced the system which has
hitherto be acted upon. In its place it is now proposed to
diminish the inducements which have hitherto existed tocul-

tivate and protect that connection, and, in the hope of in-
creasing the revenue, to encourage the importation of Baltic
timber, of which the greater part has been hitherto imported
in foreign shipping, to the discouragement of our own, the
cost of the cargoes with the freight being chiefly paid in
money and not in goods, the ships, with the exception of salt
from Liverpool, an article of no small comparative value, re-
turning to their own ports in ballast.
These are the simple facts of the case. and it is for those
who will take the trouble to consider and reflect on their re-
lative tendency to judge of their bearings on British interests.
If the effect of their measures is to increase irritation and dis-
appointment in those colonies with a view to their separation
from the mother country, the object is likely to be effected,
though the price to be paid for it may be considered both ex-
travagant and injurious.
The next declared object is to reduce from 635. to 365. per
cwt. the duty on foreign sugar when imported into the United
Kingdom, the duty on the growth of our colonies and foreign
possessions being 21s.
Hitherto the growth of these colonies and possessions has
been at all times fully adequate to the supply of the home
market, and for many years it was uisidered wisdom in the
legislature to protect by a small bounty included in the draw-
back the employment of our refiners in preparing annually
about thirty thousand tons of Muscavado sugar, which was
exported in a refined state ; but it was reserved for the policy
of our present government to withdraw that encouragement
and extinguish the trade.
The supply of sugar from the West Indies, Bengal, and
the Mauritius, is estimated for the present year at 230,000
tons; the home consumption (and there is now no other
vent) cannot he taken at more than 130,000 tons, leaving a
surplus of 40,000 tons ; yet it is now proposed to increase it
by the admission of foreign sugar, alike the produce of free
and slave labour, whilst the produce of our colonies is the

fruits of free labour alone; in fact, to possess it, a price
large in amount was paid by the public, though barely re-
munerating to those who received it. The result to them has
been the infliction, by ministers, of severe restrictions on
emigration to our colonies, and an immense increase in the
price of labour, caused by an inadequate population to carry
on the cultivation and manufacture of sugar, by which the
cost has, to the manifest injury of the planter, been greatly
and unavoidably enhanced, who is thus deprived of the
power of helping or protecting himself, and he is now threat-
ened with an overwhelming and ruinous competition in his
only market of consumption, that of the United Kingdom.
If this measure is persevered in by Ministers the British
planters have no choice left them but to maintain the conflict
against foreign growth whilst their means or resources will
enable them to do so, under the protection, such as it is pro-
posed to be, that the reduced duty on foreign sugar may afford;
a protection most unequal to the heavy expenses to which
they are now subject, and the disabilities under which they
must suffer ; a competition that is likely to terminate in their
ultimate ruin, but which they will no doubt maintain to the
last.
As, then, the British planter has no second market to.re-
sort to, like the foreigner, to whom the Continent of Europe
if open—because, from the low price or cost of slave labour,
he can afford to sell his sugars there at prices with which it
is impossible for the British planter to contend, he (the
planter) must at all hazards retain possession of the home
market, and at whatever prices the foieigner may offer to sell
his sugars here, the British planter, whilst he exists, must
necessarily undersell him, since he will have no other choice
to make. Let not, then, the importer of foreign sugars, who
expects to find a market here, the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, who expects to obtain a revenue from the increased
duty, small as it is, that he will require diem to pay, or the
manufacturer, who is hugging himself in the expectation of
finding an increased sale for his goods to be taken in pay-
ment for the sugars he expects to be sold and consumed here;
I say, let not any of the three united enemies of the British
planter lay the flattering unction to their souls, since they
must, at least for a time, be subjected to disappointment,
though they may be gratified by seeing our planters strug-
gling against ruin under which they would eventually perish,
unless the public should awake to the policy of such a disas-
trous course, and, while it may yet be time, stretch out their
hands to save them, by returning to the safer policy of past
times, when the theories of Free Traders, as they denominate
themselves, were without influence to delude and mislead the
public mind.
But let us for a moment, and for the sake of argument,
suppose that the objects of those lovers of change were
gained ; and it is begun with the more formidable, the ma-
nufacturers, let us inquire what their gain would be ? At
present our colonies and foreign possessions purchase from
them all the goods they consume, and that consumption is
only limited by their means of payment. Let them, as they
propose, be supposed to succeed in extinguishing those means
by the substitution of foreign sugar, the result must neces-
sarily be the loss of the colonial markets for the sale of their
manufactures • and the substitute for it, the expectation of
an increased demand for trade from the foreign grower, who
could not be bound to receive such payment, but must be
left at liberty to invest the mony received for his sugar here,
or in the purchase of goods elsewhere, should he find it his
interest to do so. What. then, is the manufacturer to gain
from the change he would effect by the most unnatural sub-
stitution of the foreign for the British planter—the labour of
the slave for that of the freeman ? The disappointment of
the merchants who might be the importers here of these
sugars would be in all respects similar, and the Chancellor of
the Exchequer would find that, for a time at least, he must
be satisfied with the revenue that the present duty on British
sugar might produce. It is true the great and (to the plan-
ter) ruinous reduction in price would probably lead to a
given, but moderate, increase in consumption; but I think
even his fellow ministers would hardly wish him joy of such
fruits to be gained by the ultimate sacrifice of our West In-
dia colonies, which were once considered to be a source of
wealth and of great national importance to the mother coun-
try, and maintained during war at an enormous expense I
The next subject I have to consider is the substitution of
a fixed duty on foreign corn for the present graduated scale.
I believe the comparative merits of these systems are, that
the effect of the graduated scale is to protect the grower in
seasons of abundance, when our crops have always proved to
be adequate to the home consumption, and that supply was
secured from the interference of foreign growths by a scale
of duties that increased as . the prices declined, thus giving
confidence and security to the farmers of the United King-
dom and ensuring their industrious exertions to provide that
supply, the only one on which it has been found the public
could place a safe dependence; on the other hand, in adverse
seasons, when deficiency has been experienced, that result
was ascertained by the falling off of the supply, for which
higher and increasing prices were to he paid ; then the scale
of duties, no longer required for protection, fell in proportion
as the prices advanced, until they wholly ceased, and admit-
ted the free importation of foreign corn at a low nominal duty
for the supply of the consumers, when that supply was thus
tested to have become necessary ; in this manner the gradu-
ated scale has been found to work well for the general bene-
fit, by affording the principle of protection alike to the grower
and to the consumer ; but this it is now proposed to abandon,
and substitute in its place a fixed rate of duties, to be equally
applied at all times, without regard to the seasons being fa-
vourable or adverse, the crops abundant or deficient ; the
effect of which, it appears to me, will be, in seasons of scar-
city, when prices are unavoidably low, to load the consumer
with an additional burden when least able to bear it, in the
shape of a fixed duty, and in seasons of abundance, when ex-
perience has shown that our home growths have proved fully
equal to meet the consumption, to expose our farmers to com-
petition with foreign supply for the introduction of which no
necessity can exist—a competition which no protection from
a moderate fixed duty, subject as he is to bear heavy public
burthens and consequent greatly increased expense, insepara-
ble from cultivation here, from which the foreign grower is
exempt, could protect him under, or enable him to bear up
against, and although he would struggle fora time, he must,
if persevered in, eventually sink under it.
These appear to me to be the respective' merits of the ex-
isting and proposed systems ; the beneficial consequences
that I believe have been reaped from the first, and the dis-
astrous results to be, in my opinion, apprehended from the
last, 1 did endeavour to poiut out and to condense, partially,
in the letter I lately addressed to you, but before more
largely (though then but briefly) in a statement I ventured to
make cod submit to the to the public in January, 1839, of
which I now beg to trouble you with a copy ; since then no
events have occured to induce me to alter my opinions, or
change the conclusions I then came to, and to which I beg
to recall the attention of those of your readers who may have
done me the honour to redtlthat brief attempt to explain and
support our existing system of corn laws.
If, as I think I have shown, that in seasons of plenty our
home growth are sufficient to meet the whole consumption,
it follows that at such periods to admit foreign supply would
be to increase the stock to a degree of which the unavoid-
able effect would be, to reduce the scale of prices to rates
much below those required to remunerate the farmers of the
United Kingdom, against which they could only struggle for
a time, and ultimately fall under a hopeless competition; with
the foreign grower ; in such case the inevitable consequence
promises to be that home production must rapidly diminish,
to be followed by the ruin of the British farmer, and the
British public would be placed in a state of the most preca-
rious tenure, dependent for his supply of bread on the
growers of foreign corn !
Let us consider the probable results of such a state of
things. Our farmers thus pressed down to poverty, would
no longer be the important consumers they Dow are of British
manufactures, thus far the market for them would be di-
minished or lost ; but the manufacturer exults in the expec-
tation of foreign demand to be increased or created by our
consumption of foreign corn. Let us for a moment suppose
this to be the fact, would it not be only the substitution of
one vent or channel of consumption for another, in the most
favourable point of view, of the same extent, the home cer-
tain, the foreign contingent and uncertain, but still only equal
in extent or amount, as they must be governed by the means
for purchase to be produoed by the same sources of consump-
tion. If this is correct, I ask, where, then, will the manu-
factures find the advantages they fondly flatter themselves
they are to reap from the change of system they are so anxi-
ous to effect—taking it for granted they are right in
he home
t
sup-
posing that the foreign corn grower would take payment from
them for their bread in their manufactures, as
grower now does, in lace of requiring to
.be paid in cash,
which has hitherto been his invariable practice?
pl
deceive I ventuyeoeurtsoeslvaeya toh
ythe a
Ina ne
huofpaecst r:rr ,c dn ot
onnunoett t
o deludepersevaenrde
in requiring changes in the polio,
_t_)
.c they n will not that,b
in
)
my opinion, would, if adopted, (as
in the end, spread ruin and dismay
g are in—let
n
nowl et
ItlftlrrtuohsuetgUout the co mmu -
ediiisatrrteiscai participating
themnity, fromae
ek wfhoirchtitiheetyrucoenleadunseot
suffering under, and apply the remedy .to remove it, which,
of the
I believe; rests with themselves alone, before it may be too

lite; the cause I believe to be over production, supply
beyond demand ; whilst that demand, after making due
allowances for interruptions, occasioned but temporary, yet
inseparable from the nature of commerce, has, I believe, in
the aggregate, undergone no diminution of a permanent cha-
racter, but continues gradually to increase, whilst on the
oth

hand, the increase of production has grown with great
rapidity, stimulated by grievous success, and the application
of overgrown capital, applied to the creation of new spin-
ning-mills in endless numbers, and of corresponding manu-
factories, which cover extensive districts of the coun-
try, and have hitherto brought up and given employ-
ment to a most extensive mass of population, dependent on
these means for employment, which to afford them, has
caused their rates of wages to be reduced to the lowest terms
and tl

_-tir are now threatened, from their increasing number
with still further diminished means of employment.
fess it is frightful to contemplate such a state of things, and
of society, but it can no longer be concealed; and yet the
only remedy seems to be, to diminish their sources of em-
ployment in order to produce future or permanent good ; the
love of gain, chastened by loss, will abate, and more limited,
but safer undertakings, will, in time, I hope, restore prospe-
rity to all; but it is said, " that ►whilst the grass grows the
steed may starve"—to avoid this, increased ri.r :cre; for immi-
gration will, I trust, be provided, and, fortunately, we pos-
sess a field for beneficial employment in our distant colonies
for the industrious and well disposed ; to emigrate may, to
many, be a painful alternative, but it seems now to be the
only one left to us for the excess of our population of all
classes.—l remain, sir, your constant reader,
Carlton Gardens, May 1. JOHN GLADSTONE.

I con-

BRANCH OPERATIVE PROTESTANT
ASSOCIATION
FOR ABERCROMBY AND RODNEY.STREET WARDS

On Tuesday evening a crowded meeting was held in the
school-room belonging to St. Mark's Church, Upper Duke-
street, for the purpose of forming &branch of the Operative
Protestant Association for Abereromby and Rodney-street

The Rev. B. MARSHALL took the chair, and after prayer
had been offered by the Rev. W. W. Ewbank, he opened the.
meeting by a few appropriate remarks. He said it had been
deemed advisable that associations should be attached to the
different wards in the borough, that we might have machi-
nery to work out our principles with more effect. St. Mark's
Association was the oldest branch of the parent society in
Liverpool, and it had been found to work so well, that other
churches had followed the example, and froM one step to
another, we had arrived at a systematic plan of dividing the
whole town into wards, and in each of those wards dif-
fusing Protestant principles. The Church of Rome was
carrying on a system of aggression, not merely against the
liberties and principles, but against the persons of all who
opposed her. But when her great guns were brought down
here, such as Dr. Butler, it spewed that some alarm was felt
in the enemy's camp, that the leaven of Protestantism was
actively working among the mass of the people, and that the
priests felt it necessary to use exertions of some kind, for
they generally avoided anything like controversy upon the
doctrines of their church.—The rev. gentleman, at consider-
able length, then contrasted the Church of England with the
Romish apostacy, and told the meeting that it was not enough
for them to know the truth which was taught by one church,
but they must practise and diffuse it. At the close of his
address the rev. gentleman exhibited a sword, the property
of a gentleman, a member of his congregation, one of whose
ancestors fought under Schomberg, and was present at the
closing of the gates of Derry. With that before them, they
might in this day call out "No surrender." (Cheers.)
The Rev. D. JAMES seconded the resolution. It recog-
nised in the first place, that popery had made great advances
in this country of late years; and in the next, that the as-
pect it assumed at the present moment was such as made it
imperative upon all protestants to unite in defence of the
British constitution ; and further, that it was our duty to
use all legitimate means to restore that constitution to its
previous character and spirit. It would be out of his way to
enter into a detail of those facts which went to prove that
popery had made great advances in this country of late years,
the fact itself was so obvious. It met us at every turn, and
wheresoever we went. It was his lot to have spent twenty-
six years of his lite without having seen a Ronalsh chapel, or
falling into company. with a ,Roman Catholic clergyman or
layman ; but it would now be very difficult for a man, except
he had the misfortune of being locked up in Bridewell, not
to see evident proofs of the progress of Popery every year
. in his life.

A VOICE.—And in prison too. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. JAMES resumed. If he had the misfortune to be
thrown into prison, too, with our friend Gregg, he should
have seen the same effects. (Cheers.) But Gregg was out
to tell his own tale (cheers), and he was out with this advan-
tage—that it was admitted upon the part of those who had
imprisoned him, that they had thrown him into prison ille-
gally. (Great heers.) The advances of Popery, lie said,
were to be seen to a greater extent here than they could be seen
as yet in the Principality. It was his lot to have spent the
years to which he had referred in South Wales ; but in
North Wales, he heard, a movement was going on in the
present day which he thought called upon the inhabitants
to be upon their guard against the insinuating spirit which
was beginning to spread from one end of the country
to the other ; Popish chapels beity, erecting in anticipation
of a Papist population, and with the hope of making
converts of those poor simple people who had hitherto had
the gospel preached to them in its purity. However, they
would have something to do before they could make advances
in that part of the United Kingdom, because they must first
obtain a knowledge of the language so as to be able to speak
it with great fluency. The inhabitants of the Principality
were better acquainted with the Bible than with any book in
existence ; they were well versed in the Scriptures, and
though they might not altogether live up to those principles,
it would be difficult to persuade them that the admission of
contrary principles would benefit them either in this world or
in the world to come. So far, he promised himself the con-
solation of seeing the struggle going on in that country w ith-
out great success on the part of popish priests. (Hear,
hear.) But in England it was different. It was in vain to
conceal the fact that Popish priests were making converts,
and that they were wearing away the strong Protestant prin-
ciples from the minds of gentlemen who still remained
members of the Church of England, but who willingly ad-
•Anced them money to erect Popish chapels and schools.
then, these advances, we might learn one lesson
from the conduct of the Romanitts. They never gave
up a point—they never sacrificed a principle—they never
gave in, whatever suffering they might endure, because
they felt it their duty to stand up for their religion. We,
Protestants, must do the same. (Loud cheers.) Hi-
therto we had conceded one point after another, but we
must in future act upon the resolution adopted by Papists
themselves—to concede no point—to give up no principle—
and to stand up in defence of our churcb, her creed, and her
articles, to the last. (Great cheers)
The resolution was then carried.
The Rev. W. W. EWBANK moved the next resolution.
One part of the duty of ministers of the gospel was to preach
the gospel as the gospel of peace, but it was only part of it.
The other was thus expressed by a poet who was a country-
man of his friend Mr. James :
" Woe to that shepherd who will not keep
From Rornish wolves his sheep,
With staff and weapon strong."
(Cheers.) This was an excellent commentary upon the
scriptural duty of Christian clergymen under this aspect ;
therefore we were not afraid of being considered political.
(Hear.) It was a fact which could be proved by history,
that England was not originally Popish—that the gospel
preached here was not mixed with Popish superstitions, but
consisted of the pure doctrines of the Word of God. This
was capable of real, substantial, and historical proof; and it
was essential it should be established, because Roman Ca-
tholics were always anxious to make us believe that Rome
was really our mother, and therefore it was our duty to be
obedient sons to that mother, and that we had revolted from
the allegiance which we properly owed to the Pope of Rome.,
This was not the fact, and it could be proved by reference to
past history. (Hear, hear.) It was a positive fact that
there were three—Protestant he might call them, because
they protested in their day against error and superstition as
truly as we did in ours bishops from this country, at a
Christian council in the year 314 after Christ. (Hear.) When
was-Popery introduced into this country, even in its most
mild and modified form.? He was not speaking of Popery in
the reign of Henry the Second, or of that grosser form of it
acknowledged by the council of Trent, or that Popery which
murdered our bishops in the reign of Mary, but of Popery
before it became so bad as it was now. He was speaking of
Popery. It was introduced by the monk Augustine in the
seventh century.
A VOICE.—It was in the eighth century.
Mr. EWBANK, in continuation, said that was so much the
better. Another historical fact connected with this subject
was this :—The Saxons were victorious over the Britons,
and drove them into the mountains and fastnesses of the
country. The true church of Christ, however it was first
introduced into this country, of which there was no exact
and particular proof, existed before that among the Britons, and
when Augustine came over to establish Popery, he attempted
to convert the Saxons, and he succeeded. The consequence
was that the bishops and clergy of the Britons, properly
speaking, protested against the Popish heresy of that day, as
we now did at this very hour. Indeed, they actually refused
to eat and drink, or to have any conversation with, those who
held the doctrines of Augustine, because he had mixed up
the true religion with idolatry and superstition. These were
encouraging facts to look upon, because they taught us that
we owed nothing to Rome, and that we never had anything
to do with her, except when she had polluted and defaced
the fair form of Christisnity—(cheers)—and when she
took away from us the Bible, which was our birth-
right, and gave us instead nothing but her own fatal
superstitions. (Long continued cheers. The resolution
entrusted to him was, " That this meeting cannot but
regard it as sinful in a Protestant government to grant
any sum of public money towards the support of a sys-
tem which is avowedly the enemy of Protestantism, and in-
directly the foe of civil and religious liberty." (hear, hear.)
In supporting this resolution, the Rev, gentleman ably con-
trasted the tolerant spirit of the Church of England, as ex-
hibited in her articles and creeds with the persecuting princi-
ples of the Church of Rome, as laid down in her authorized
st indards, and concluded t Imo:t effective speech amidst gene-
ral applause.
Mr. RATCLIFFE, ill seconding the resolution, said he would
mention a circumstance, in which he and the Rev. Dr. But-
ler, the Roman Catholic priest now erigaged in delivering lec-
tures in St. Anthony's chapel, were concerned. He (Mr.
Radcliffe) was tempted one evening to go and hear the Rev.
doctor. He did not, however, pay anything to go in, as he
had a conscientious objection to it. He told the man at the
door that he had no objection to hear the lecture, but that he
could not conscientiously give one farthing towards the sup-
port of Popery. " How then is the chapel to be supported"
asked the man. " I have nothing to do with that," he (Mr.
Ratcliffe) replied, and eventually he was allowed to go in free,
Previously to his Mr. Baylee had sent a challenge to Dr. But-
ler, who had not condescended to answer it; and he (Mr.
Ratcliffe) therefore took the liberty of writing a note to Dr.
Butler anonymously, not that he was ashamed of his name,
but because he knew they would not like him at St. Anthony's
as well as they liked holy water. That note gave great of-
fence to Dr. Butler, for in consequence of it he attacked
him (Mr. IL) from the pulpit. A person was sent to watch
him ; he went to the front of the gallery, and when
the rev. doctor got in his pulpit after a few preliminary re-
marks he said, " I have just received a very impertinent
letter from agentleman who has insulted mein my own place of
worship. Is it come to this," he said, to the congregation,
" that you will allow Protestant heretics to insult a Catholic
clergyman in his own church ? That is the gentleman,"
said he, " sitting in the front of the gallery [pointing at
him] who has insulted me ; he is M'lsleile's clerk." Dr.
Butler said he (Mr. R.) had insulted him by calling him a
Romanist. He had no intention of insulting the rev, gen-
tleman, but be called him a Romanist for this reason ; lie
could not conscientiously call him a Catholic, and would not
call him Papist, because he knew that term was offensive,
therefore he used the term " Romanist." This gave the
doctor mighty offence, for he said he would have him sent to
the tread-mill to learn better manners, and he also told the
people lo treat him with contempt. When the lecture was
over, the people were waiting outside for him, in an infuri-
ated state, and no doubt he would have got broken bones
from them, but two priests of a better stamp than Dr.
But-
ler. to their honour be it spoken, seeing the danger he was
in, told the people to go away. At last he was conducted
through the vestry into the chapel-vardii past the priest's
house, and in that manner he escaped. e would now read
the note, that the meeting might judge whether he had in-
lulted Dr. Butler :

Seeing,

TO THE REV. DR. BUTLER.
" Rev. Sir,—Will you be kind enough to inform your
audience this evening why you have not accepted the che'"
lenge of the Rev. Mr. Bayles ? Be assured that, unle4lY°u
tli Pro-
can give some satisfactory reason, your audience! b 9

testants and nomatista, will come to the cot:du:ion, not-
withstanding all your boasting, that Romanism cannot stanil
before the light of Divine truth.
" I am, Rev. Sir, yours respectfully,
" A_ PROTESTANT."

After a few comments on this note, Mr. Ratcliffe concluded
by seconding the resolution, which was immediately adopted.
The meeting then sang the doxology, and separated shoot
ten o'clock.

DREADFUL SHIPWRECK

LOSS OF THE SHIP WILLIAM BROW

TO PHILADELPHIA

(From the Havre Correspondem
Post.)

PROM I.IWERPOOt

Morning

HAVRE, MAY 10.—The Louis Philippe New York packet-
ship has this moment arrived. information havi
the town that some shipwrecked as

report became general that they belmq
and the excitement was beyond all des
rival in dock, however, a strot

were in waiting, and inane

y of t

and eight of the crew of the ship Vi
from Liverpool to Philadelphia, with
in the latter part of last month, for
precise dates for anything except that three men were taken
from the Crescent, which vessel had picked them up in their
long-boat. But a tale of horror is to be told about them. It
appears, when the vessel struck, thirty-three passengers, die
mate, and eight of the crew took to the long-boat ; the cap-
tain, three of the crew, and eleven passengers took the jolly-
boat ; all the rest sunk with the vessel. The boats parted in
the night. Some days after the mute and crew determined
(as they say in order to lighten the boat) to throw seventeen
of the passengers overboard,..which they accomplished, and
some of the most horrid ant revolting scenes took place.
There were two brothers and a sister of one family ; the
brothers were thrown over, and the sister jumped in after
them. One fine boy prayed for a few minutes to say his
prayers; they refused, and hurled him into the sea at once.
Some clung to the sides of the boats, praying for mercy, but
their hands were cut off, and they were pushed into the deep.
Fifteen ladies and two men remained in the boat. One hour
after this massacre the Crescent fell in with the boat, and
saved the survivors of this horrid deed. The passengers re-
mained on board the Crescent, the crew arrived in the Vile
de Lyon ; they are now under examination before the Ame-
rican Consul ; the result I will not. fail to communicate to
yoy. ; but you may rely on what I have ali eady stated. The
jolly-boat has not been heard of. The dates of the Ville de
Lyon have been anticipated by the Acadia.

LIVERPOOL QUARTER SESSIONS

iye you

-TUESDA

THEFT FROM A LAWYER'S OFFICE.
Agnes Weir, aged 30, was charged with having stolen a
large quantity of law-books, account-books, papers, and do-
cuments, from the counting-house of Messrs. Keightley and
Banning, attorneys, of this town. She pleaded guilty.
William John Clements was placed at the bar with the
same prisoner, charged with having received part of the above
property, knowing the same to have been stolen.
Mr. Henderson conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Mur-
phy appeared for the defence of Clements.

The female prisoner was employed to clean out the offict
of Messrs. Keightley and Banning. One of the book-keepers
Mr. John Dixon Ford, having occasion to refer to an °lc
letter book, went to the closet where they were kept, and
found it empty. II e went to another closet iu which account.
books were kept, and found that empty also. A further
search was made, and it was discovered that a vast quantity

of papers of various descriptions had been
consequence of some information which Mr
ceived, he went to the shop of Mr. Clenier
Crosshall-street. Mr. Clements was just givint_
ness in that street, and his shop was dismanti
premises, Mr. Ford found a large portion of the
which had been missed from Messrs
ning's office. Amongst then
of Salkeld's, Hardwick's, and V
these had names in them. The firm
and Keightley, and some of these contained t
[lodgers. None of the names' were erased. Cotistable
M'Combe was sent for, and he and Ford went
other shops, and there found other pool
Clements having a considerable quantity of this pat
hands, was endeavouring to sell it before he gave,up his sh.t
As it was suspected that the woman who cleaned the offic
had stolen the papers, Mr. Clements was asked from where
he purchased them. He said he had purchased them from
a woman, and offered to go and identify the woman if she
could be found. He was taken to the female prisoner, and
he identified her.
Mr. MURPHY questioned Ford as to whether it were not
common for grocers to purchase old books, &c., for the pur-
pose of enfolding butter. Mr. Ford did not know that it was
common. It appeared that the whole transaction was an
open one on the part of Clements.
The learned RECORDER stopped the case, and put it to
the jury whether, though Mr. Clements had evidently been
exceedingly indiscreet, he had acted with such a guilty wind
or knowledge as was necessary to constitute a felony
The jury acquitted the prisoner.
Many highly respectable persons were in court
speak to the character of Mr. Clements, had it been neces-

s, in Great
Lip his busi-

were several old folio volumes

papers

ready to

STEALING IN A DWELLING-110USE.
John Redman, aged 25, was charged with havit
14th March last, feloniously entered the dwell'
Mr. John Harvey, shopkeeper, and stolen from thence c
tain moneys the property of John Harvey and Mary Ai
Hopkins.
Mr. Harding conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Murphy
the defence.
Mary Ann Hopkins, who lived as servant with Mr. Harvey,
stated, that on Sunday evening, the 14th March, she went
to church. Her master and his sister were also out. She
returned about nine o'clock, and, on opening the door, found
that some person was in the place. She heard a noise
knowing that no person belonging to the house we
she became alarmed and dropped her bag, in which was is
6d., on the counter. She ran out and shut to the door. She
went to the house of a neighbour, and gave the alarm.
Mr. Turner and his sister went with her, and they saw
light in the shop. Mr. Turner opened the front dour w"
. the key, and he beard a noise of two men in the house,
locked the door fast, and went round to the back,
sister, where they saw the prisoner and another man dr

Ling-house of

.s there,

from the wall of Mr. Harve

back y

off and were pursued by 1. r. Turner and his sister, who
caught the prisoner. He was rescued by a body of men.
and Mr. Turner was knocked down. They returned to Mt.
Harvey's house, and found that it had been completely ran-
sacked. The goods had been turned over, and. the beds
tossed off the stocks. The prisoner was subsequently taken
into custody by police-officer 55. He was taketi to Mr.
Harvey's shop, where Mr. and Miss Turner identified him.
The jury found the prisoner guilty. Sentence deferred.

IMPUDENT THEFT

James Rooney, aged 18, was indicted for having, on the
20th April last, entered the dwelling-house of Jon Clarkson,
and stolen therefrom a coat, a shawl, and a tippet, the pro-
perty of Mr. Clarkson.
Mr. Clarkson resides in Bridport-street, and on the morn-
ing of the 20th April, a Mr. David Evans, a coach spring
maker, who works opposite to Mr. Clarkson's house, saw
the prisoner and another man passing about the door which
one of them opened and entered. The man who went in pre-
sently came out with a bundle. Mr. Evans and his son ran
out. Mr. Evans pursued and seized the prisoner. Mr.
Evans's son pursued the other man, who threw down the
bundle and escaped. The bundle contained the articles
above specified, which were identified as Mr. Clarkson's
property.

The Recorder praised Mr. Evans for his excellent
viour, and ordered him to receive half-a-sovereign

services

The jury found the prisoner guilty, and, as there was a
long catalogue of offences against him, the court sentenced
him to teu years' transportation.
A DESPERATE CHARACTER.
John Stewart, aged 22, was charged with having, in No-
vember last, assaulted John Arkwright, with the intention
of robbing bins.
It was stated, that the prisoner was one of the most flaring
and desperate thieves in the town of Liverpool, and he was
now brought up from fears being entertained lest he should
make his escape. He was to have been tried at the last as-
sizes, but he contrived to make his escape out of the dock,
and he was since re-taken at Warwick.
The prisoner was sentenced to fifteen years' transporta-
tion.
The Grand Jury were discharged at half-past three o'clock'.
They did not make any presentment.
The court adjourned at half-past five o'clock to nine
o'clock this morning.

THURSDAY.
CASE OF ASSAULT

Mr. Frederick Smith was tried, by indictment
charge of having, on the 15th of March last, viol
saulted an old woman named Catherine Btannon without
any lawful cause or provocation, whereby he, e
gered." The principal circumstances of the e bar,
the most part, been already before the public, ihrougi
police reports in the newspapers ; and as a full denouet
of the " interesting" affair (which involved a love matter
tween the accused and the noted Mrs. Beak, late of Unk
street) did not even take place on the trial, a brief notice
the facts, as adduced in evidence, will suffice.—Mr. 110 l
conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Murphy the defe,
—Mrs. Lee, the principal witness, who was close by
the old woman fell down the stone steps at the entrant
the office where the defendant was employed, in CI
street, spoke to the assault so far as seeing the prosec
held by the wrists by the defendant and pushed back '
after which she fell down back foreniosr,
• • a double fracture of her leg. The push w.. _
ininr3
landing, on a level with the first or upper step, and her foo
tripped her on the step below. She was carried to
opposite. The witness was told by Mrs. Beale, who now
lodged with her, that she would be paid her rent when th
action for damages to be brought against the prisoner
settled. lbnuati Beale, daughter of Mrs. Beale, ads,"
that the prrsecutrix had gone across the street to'
fendant, and said, " You villain ; you have been the
that (Mrs. Beale's) family." He said if she bad anyti..
to say to come into his office and say it. She folloWed him
as he went into his office, and took hold of thy ' '-
the door. When he came out he pushed her down the sm,
The witness denied, in cross-examination, that she had seeu
any drink in the house that day, or that the prosecntrix
drunk. The prisoner had been a great annoyance to
" mamma." " She did not like him on account of hi
edness, in destroying people's characters." Mr. S
not addressed Mrs. Brennan before she called him a villa!
Mrs. Beale spoke to seeing the defendant push the prosect
trix backwards. On severe cross-examination witness sa'
she could not say she was a widow; but that Mr. Soli
might have fancied that he was paying his addresses to I!
as such. From the further cross-examination of this w
ness, it appeared that she had quarrelled with Mr. Smith,
behalf of another Adonis, Captain Curtis, who had o
turned Smith out of the house ; and that she had pureh.
goods from a Mr. Lynn, representing herself (as she sta
neither as a married nor a single woman ; but afterw
defending an action at law, when the money was demur
as the plea that she was married. She denied that s/-
told Mr. SMith, while he paid his addresses, that
band had died in America, or produced any certnm..
him to that effect. Dr. Cripps stated that the prosecutrix
appeared to be sober when he was called in to see her, be-
tween ten and eleven o'clock, on the night after.ber fall.—
which it appeared occurred at four o'clock in the afternoon.
Mr. Murphy addressed the jury at some length for the de-
fence. The whole prosecution was instigated, he said. by
the Beale's, who had discarded Mr. Smith for a mere fortu-
nate(l_ rival. He remarked strongly on the spirit evinced
those parties to his client, who had used no more
sary violence to eject the prosecutrix, after
ote.e.tlitad,irilire°sFel
abused him and followed him to his office.
not by a
was occasioned by her own intoxication,
and
her a sit.:
violence on his part—for he had not
struck
in a trim
blow, He said that the preserit
actiontheway,
court was brought expressly to Pave
court against his cher.
an action for damages in a civil_
He was about to call seve
ought to be repudiated. if possi
amongst others a prr
nesses for the defence
ecrutirnixtewrfaesrebal
a t
pressed his viewd andtvhee.h,teicinaatse to be, that whatever injur,
prosecutrix had matnh ewthiom‘e shevouldfpe
theti er
ePcro°rsde
wed the defe,
ant and abused
misconduct and imprudence,
at his own office.
d .rmec,erinvdeednceha,dasbesehiet
hbardoutgolliito on by her
The jury'concurrt
him
and a verdict of acquittal was immediately returned. T
recorder, addressing the prisoner, said—" Dont you live
future in the same street with the Beaks." Mr. Murpl,
" Ave, dont follow the widow again."
Smith was then diecharved from tilts bar.

r life was el,

1 sustained t

mdle of

imptrial Varliamtut.

ORDS.-MONDAV

OF COMI

d for and against

hon. r

ave rise to

MONDAY

ere presented for and against I intercot

st ad vanta

oposed by tt
was not wh

that the effect of the pro-
m West India colonies,
flourishing than ever, by the en-

ould be thus given to its produce. The
e noble lord (J. Russell) on Friday
`ban a defence of slavery, for all his
`he same as were formerly used by
,pposed to negro emancipation.
n it that neither that house nor
-cept the proposition of
oense of grinding down the
..—they would not tolerate the
agar cheapened at the price of

lid ever a,

mfacturing interests of this country would
lord that the best thing that could be done
) preserve to them the markets they
) of. Now, from the returns quoted
red that the exports of British ma-
had increased, within a short
and to British North Ame-
in foreign markets was not
nd yet the noble lord by his

Dint hlow at two of the most
The West Indies and Canada,

Taring that he was doing so for

propositions of the govern-
.cti a great deal of pleasure, con-
it they would prove, if carried out,
He had hoped that the landed
)roposition was made to abate all mono-
timated a willingness to mitigate their
nself mistaken, and regretted that class
email over those of the public.
,ernment appeared to pro-
the revenue, and, at the
two things almost incompatible.
many experienced mercantile
y had no confidence in the finan-
ay the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
that one relating to the introduction
,trith respect to the corn laws, he was in
ition in them, but the amount of fixed
support would greatly depend upon
ith the poor bill. It was thought that
he had been recently engaged, might
-- on the measures of government ;

le plan

ncreasing

its circumstances into consi-
eed if it should produce some

EGERTON thought the relief to the consumer in
ry was of much higher interest than the conse-
either the East or West Indies, but the noble lord
own that there would be any appreciable benefit to
ner as the result of his proposition. On thecon-
calculated the reduction in the price of sugar as
e only is 6d per cwt, which, at the average rate of
on, would make a difference to the poor operative
lin a whole year. The noble lord contended that,
this measure, England would fall from the high
)e held in the estimation of nations, and the value
nple she had hitherto exhibited with respect to the
e would be rendered wholly nugatory. It would
to render the slave trade once more legal, and to
ships to sail from Liverpool under proper and hu-
ilations, than by this measure to give encourage-
lavery in quarters where it existed in its most re-
aracters. The noble lord concluded by expressing
ion to vote for the resolution of his noble friend

Mr. LAB(

ERE said he looked with anxiety to the de-
house might come to, only because he saw
sts who thought their own monopolies in
should be applied to themselves
applied to the protection duties
measure calculated to
rosperity of the country. The hon.
+he enthusiastic support

forward to defeat

sson by his political opponents when he
principles of free trade, and contrasted

;sent Government when trying to carry
iich Mr. Huskisson promulgated. He
-tn, and wished to see his party in power,
,n the opposition benches would carry
free trade, so important did he deem
„oilmen he would give as warm and as
-.6 he was that moment giving to his right
The right hon. gentleman then defended the
..nt from the charge of having taken either Parha-
m the colonies by surprise in the proposition which
,ad made, and contended that it would be better to
a fair protection only to the colonies, instead of de-
them with a monopoly which had never been found to
.manently beneficial. There was, in his opinion, very
eight in the arguments that the contemplated measure
ncourage slavery or the slave trade. At present this
not manufactured goods to Brazil in large quantities,
were paid for in sugar which was refined in Eng-
tcd to foreign countries. Surely this
,ement to slavery quite as effectually as if
sugar was consumed in England. In fact,
in was, whether the trade should be carried
Jr circuitous means. It was to be recollected
,e existing treaty with Brazil, the highest duty
iuld be placed on British goods was 15 per cent. ;
,ty would expire in 1844. It was supposed in Brazil
could expire in 1842, and much irritation prevailed
the prohibitory duties imposed by Great Britain on
in produce, and unless some alteration in those pro-
y duties should be made, it was unlikely that the corn-
with that country should be continued on terms so fa-
ble to British manufactures. Ministers might not,
ps, triumph in the decision of the house upon that
there was so much of soundness in the proposi-
' that they must ultimately be adopted by the

cordial support

1-bond, and expor

g encourag

dr. -GLADSTONR said that the house was not called upon
that occasion to decide upon the principles of free trade,
se the resolution before the house was that the import
on sugar were to be governed by higher principles than
minected with trade or commerce. The real question
whether they were to abandon an experiment for the
ion of slavery to which they had hitherto steadily ad-
, and towards the success of which the people of this
ry had made very large sacrifices. As to the benefit to
onsumer, it would be a poor consolation to the poor
tive of Bolton to tell him that in order to relieve his
ssed condition there should be a reduction in the price ,
car of is 6d in the cwt, a reduction which could never,
ssibility, reach the quantity required by the poor opera-
It was worthy of remark as to the expected supply for
isuing year from our colonies that all the estimates of
bable supply of sugar far exceeded the greatest con-
n that had ever hitherto taken place in Great Britain
The lion. gentleman contended that there
between coffee and sugar, because of
was not

aer articl

a sufficient supply ; the pro-
labour and coffee was not the cause of slavery,
ql but little labour of any kind, while to the ne-
reat labour in the production of sugar might be
e origin and continuance of the slave trade. The
zovernment was to increase the supply of sugar,

ign sugar was to be.increased, so

ly of t

aer of hands to produce it, and so must an ad-
d number of Africans be torn from their families. The
lord talked of inducing the Brazils to mitigate the evils
and to take steps towards its ultimate extinction,
d at the very same moment was proposing
,e only inducement we could hold out to them to
A of admitting their sugars to our market. This
-nty millions towards the abolition of
millions in the shape of gifts to
...ants to suppress the slave trade.
_ something like ten millions in the price
fifty millions altogether. Besides all this,
..te great sacrifices in human life in our settlements
,s on the coast of Africa, and, after all this, they were
'led upon to stimulate that lust of gain which had
up slavery and the slave trade, notwithstand-
, which had been made to put it down.
gentleman sat down, several members rose
)urnment of the debate, which immediately

HOUSE OF LORDS--WEDNESDAY
The lords did not sit to-night.

3 oble 1

twenty mo

s of the day were then disposed of, and the

HOUSE OF LORDS—TUESDAY.
irquis of LANSDOWNE moved the appointment of a
to inquire into the state of the laws for regulating
st payable on promissory notes. The last act re-
:be subject was passed in 1840, and was only a con-
of the experiment which it was agreed should be
to the Ist of January, 1843. As the bill would
st period, it became necessary to appoint a Com-
ire into the propriety of renewing or abandoning
it to legislating upon the subject.
thought the committee might be post-
igreed to, and

..., ; but the motion was a
nominated.

a stage, and their lordships

OUSE OF COMMONS—TUESDAY.
,THOFE moved for leave to bring inasll for the
f church-rates in England and Wale
t the discussion should be taken on tlrd,csoungd-
This was opposed by Dr. NicI.IOLL, and aftesi?
a Mr. EASTHOPE withdrew his motion, and gave°i
its renewal on that day fortnigl4.
iiburned debate on the sugar duties was resumed by
who replied to the speech of M. Glad-
svious evening, although, he said, he had
eking any share in the discussion. He
le resolution of the noble l9rd. opposite
he assertion of any great principle. On
dppearecl to him to be nothing more than a
...rived party movement, with a view to displace
_Alt ministry, without at all committing their sue-
e Al. There was not in the resolution anything to prevent
supporters of it from coming down hereafter with the
ery measures which the resolution was now brought forward

MACAULAY

the pr

w potent. A was impossible to lay down4tlie principal xna%
'toe ought not to consume in these-countrisea the produce of
slave labour ; for if so we must exclude the slave-grown cotton
of the United States. Still further, in order to be consistent,
we should prohibit the consumption of slave-grown sugar in
Newfoundland, Canada, the Cape, and in the West Indies ;
a its proper place. for where was the principle of allowing it to be consumed
the house that he had there, while prohibiting it in Yorkshire. Yet he was well
opford in acknowledg- convinced that if a proposition was made to exclude slave-
aimself and his compa- grown cotton from British consumption, not only Sir Robert
in Syria. Peel and Mr. Gladstone, but even Dr. Lushington himself,
ill went through corn- 1 would scout the proposition as an emanation of madness.
He quite appproved of the principle of endeavouring to put
down the slave trade by means of British cruizers, but he
by no means prepared to go the length of prohibiting all
--se with those states in which slavery existed. It
was very doubtful whether the exclusion of cotton would
Lord Sandon's amendment with benefit the slaves in America, but a certain effect of such a
-as resumed by Mr. EwartT, who proceeding would be to plunge thousands of Englishmen in
son to expect the large supply ruin and destruction, and—a probable one—the transfer of
_abers on the opposition side our manufactures to other countries. The right hon. gentle-
colonies in the course of the en- man denied that the budget had been brought forward with-
doer entered into calculations in out great confidence on the part of the government that they
ly of sugar would not exceed that would be able to carry its chief propositions. At all events
the population of these countries the good seed wits sown, and before long the proposed reforms
would become the law of the land. It might be true that the
NI any alteration of the corn laws. present ministry might not occupy their present place, but
tof compromise upon the subject, they would remain true to the principles of their party, and
at even the noble lord (J. Russell) it would not be the first instance in which that great party
le proposition of a fixed duty of Ss bad willingly yielded the harvest to parties who had taken no
Believing the question of the alte- share in sowing the seed.
be intimately connected with the Mr. WARD said that the proposition of the noble lord
house, and.that both rested on the (Sandon) was very skilful, as was very clear from the ease
d state against the proposition of her with which the right hon. member for the Tower Hamlets
(Dr. Lushington) had fallen into the trap laid for him. The
hon. member contrasted the condition of our manufacturing
ive his Concurrence the proosi-
, though he thoughtto that minis pters population with that of the West Indian negroes, and said
ging them forward without having that the prosperity of the latter would be far more gratifying
ough parliament.
if it was the result of labour finding its own level in the Eu-
Im ta , unatel it was the result of
that all classes of the community
anropean indirecarkets ; but unfort
t x which pressed heavilyy, th on e poor of Eng-
At advantages from the adoption of the
land. He was of opinion that the corn-laws might be
cy pr -le government. The
altogether repealed if corresponding changes were made in
louse ether there should or
our fiscal regulations. This question, they might rest
:dtection in favour of our colonies, but
assured, whether understood in that house or the contrary,
'I be a greater protection than a differen-
was perfectly well understood by people out of doors, and
It did seem strange to him that any
would not be readily abandoned.
st could t, unreasonable as to claim a greater
Sir R. Nous said the question before the house was not
his at the pense of the consumer. He was of
whether the budget of the Chancellor of the Exchequer was
was the dt.:y of the house to protect the con-
to be agreed to, or the contrary, but whether the house was
g thus sacrificed to any pt ivate interest what-
prepared to place the slave owner in a better position than in
ed that if sugars were allowed to come into
which he now stood. He hoped that neither that house nor
xe terms proposed. London would become
Irations on the Continent, to an extent the people of this country would ever consent, for the sake
the case. Much of the business tran- of getting their sugar a penny a pound cheaper than it now
and Antwerp would take place in Eng- cost them, to offer such a direct premium for persevering in
theraffic i
of British instead of foreign shipping. t
G. Cn
E slaves.
Sir LRK said he was astonished that any person of
leman concluded by giving his entire,
to the nrooositions of the the name of the right hon. gentleman should have said that
it was quixotic and absurd to put a stop to slavery by dis-
couraging the produce of slave labour. No one would deny
'those principles of tree trade which might be considered as
axioms in the abstract. No one would contend against the
principle that we should not force our poor lands to produce
what we might get cheaper from more genial climates. In
the abstract there was no denying the principle, but then
there were disturbing causes, such as the national debt and
others, which so raised the value of money, that it was
hopeless to enter into competition with foreign countries
without adequate protection. He believed it would be ad-
mitted that, in respect to articles of food, it was desirable
to render this country as far as passible, independent of
foreign supply, but this could not be accomplished if the
protection afforded by the corn laws were withdrawn. The
right. hon. gentleman contended that this country in bring-
ing sugar from Brazil to be refined here, and re-exported,
did not add to the evils of the slave trade, because Brazil
was already in possession of the European markets, and
what was thus brought did not supply the place of sugar the
produce of free labour, which would be the case if it was
admitted for consumption in the home market. The right
hon. gentleman concluded by declaring his intention to op-
pose the proposition of government as calculated to disturb
our commercial relations, without at all benefitting the con-
sumer, while it would be injurious to the West ladies, and
would afford great encouragement to the slave trade.
Mr. C. WOOD regretted that so little solicitude for the
suffering people of this country had been displayed by those
who supported the resolution of the noble lord, the member
nopea that the landed
for Liverpool (Lord Sandon). The hon. member for Not-
.de to abate all mono-
tingham (Mr. Walter) had certainly called upon the house
their to take into consideration the condition of the labouring
classes ; but he had, notwithstanding, concluded by announ-
cing his intention to vote against a measure calculated to af-
ford them some relief. The hon. gentleman read some let-
ters, giving a most gloomy description of the state of our
manufacturing population, and then said he was ready to ad-
mit that some of the protective interests might suffer from
the government proposition, and that landlords might find
in many instances that it had caused a diminution of their
rentals ; but, for his own part, he was ready to forego a por-
tion of the protection he had hitherto enjoyed, in order to
carry out a great financial and commercial measure, calcu-
lated to benefit all classes of society. The hon. gentleman
then contended, that if the measure proposed by government
was to be rejected by gentlemen on the other side of the
house, they ought to give some hint of the measures which,
in their opinion, ought to be adopted. The hon. member
entered into a description of the various modes by which the
financial difficulties of the country could be met, and having
deprecated anything in the shape of direct taxation, as being
oppressive to the industry of the country, and repudiated the
principle of meeting a falling revenue by raising loans, con-
cluded by declaring his opinion that every view of the ques-
tion showed that the only true policy was to meet the de-
mands upon the country by promoting its trade and com-
merce, by an alteration of those regulations which gave mo-
nopolies to the few, to the injury of the many.
Mr. GOULBURN contended that, under the circumstances
attending the concession of emancipation to the negroes, it
was impossible the house could agree to the proposition of
the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It was evident, from the
returns which had been read, that the supply of sugar calcu-
lated upon for the present year was many thousand tons
greater than had been imported for a series of years, so that
the right hon. gentlemen might safely rely upon an increased
revenue from sugar, without passing his proposed measure,
—that, in fact, the revenue would be this year largely in-
creased by simply leaving things alone. The arguments in
support of the measure as one of commerce were es futile as
were those which had been advanced in support of it in a fi-
nancial point of view. He admitted that dissatisfaction pre-
vailed in the Brazils against this country, but not on the
ground of its protective duties, but because of its strenuous
exertions to put down the slave trade ; but he could see no
difference in principle between their doing so and offering an
open encouragement to slavery by admitting slave-grown
sttear. With respect to the admission of slave-grown cotton
sneer they were

about to open a new market to slave-grown sugar, which was
not open to it before. This was an argument which could
not be applied to the slave-grown cotton and tobacco im-
ported from America. The right hon. gentleman then ad-
verted to the boasts made by the whigs that they were the
parties who had always advocated the interests of the slave,
and who had passed the Act of Emancipation, and said that
he was unwilling to deprive them of the credit which was due
to them upon that account ; but he must, at the same time,
remind the house, that at the Congress of Vienna, a conser-
vative negotiator, acting under the instructions of a conser-
vative Administration, had forced upon the powers of Europe
a conviction of the propriety of recognising the principle of
an abolition of the slave trade.
Sir G. GREY said that the government had been, during
the three nights' discussion which had taken place, most
anxious to get at what was likely to be the policy of the hon,
and right hon. gentleman on the other side of the house, but
in vain until the right hon. gentleman at length informed
them that their policy would be to leave things alone. This
announcement would not be received, he believed, with very
great favour by the commercial portion of the community.
The right hon. gentleman intimated that the real opposition
to this measure respecting sugar was, that it was regarded by
the opposition in the same light that it was regarded by the
hon. member for Lincoln, as the outwork defences of the
corn-laws. He then adverted to the inconsistency of admit-
ting slave-grown cotton for theinterest of our manufactu-
rers, and excluding slave-grown sugar which would be so
nseful to our manufacturers, and contended that in principle
nothing could be so absurd as to advocate the propriety of
maintaining that both propositions were reconcileable. The
question was not as to the amount of duty proposed by the
Government, but as to whether the/ would adopt a protect-
ive instead of a prohibitive system. The more the subject
was discussed the better it would be understood by the peo-
ple, who would see the unwillingness of hon. gentlemen on
the other side to grapple with the details of the question.
Mr. GOULBURN, in explanation, said that his expression
of leaving things alone applied only to the opinion that the
revenue from sugar would be this year increased by doing

nothing.
After some observations from Mr. IRVINE the debate was
adjourned until to-morrow.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—WEDNESDAY.
Mr. MUNTZ altered the form of his notice relative to the
Earl of Cardigan, and gave notice that he would move an
address to the crown, praying that an inquiry might be insti-
tuted into the conduct of the Earl of Cardigan, while in com-
mand of the 11th hussars.
Mr. CHOLMONDELEY resumed the adjourned debate on
the sugar duties, and argued that the proposed reductions
would in noway benefit the consumer, for the saving, what-
ever it might be, would find its way into the pocket of the

merchant.
Lord HowicK said he entirely dissented from the hon.
member for the Tower Hamlets, as to the opinion that the
admission of foreign sugar would tend to the encouragement
of the slave trade. He could not admit that there was any
reason to suppose that sugar, the produce of free labour,
could not compete with that which was the result of slave
labour,—on the contrary, he believed that free labour, if
properly stimulated, was more than equal to a competition
with slavery. Our sugar estates in the colonies had hitherto
been conducted in the niost barbarous manner, being con-
ducted entirely by agents for proprietors resident in England.
If a farm in England was to be similarly conducted by an
agent for a proprietor resident- in Jamaica, the result, he
believed, would be very much the same. If, however. those
estates in the West Indies should be conducted by those im-
mediately interested in their success, who would also be inte-
rested in introducing an improved system of agriculture, he
had no doubt but the free Jabout sugar would undersell the
slave grown sugar in the European markets. On the other
hand, while a monopoly was given to our colonies, it was
hopeless to expect anything like an improved system of agri-
culture. He was of opinion that the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer might have gone still further, and proposed a reduc-
tion of duty on colonial sugar, trusting for an increased re-
venue to increased consumption ; but the proposition as it
stood would be attended with much advantage to the public,
not so much by the decrease in •the price of sugar, as by the
opening fresh fields for the industry of the country. The
house would recollect that if the measures of the government
were rejected, they must resort to fresh taxation, the result
of which would be to convert a vast number of rate-payers
into receivers of relief from those rates to which they now

contributed.
Mr. C. W. WYNN contended that the proposal of Mi-
nisters would be, if acceded to, a direct encouragement of
the slave trade. He denied that the whigs had a right to
assume to themselves the credit of carrying the Slave Eman-
cipation Act. That act was not fairly to be claimed by any
party, for it was the result of the irresistible voice of the
nation raised against the accursed traffic.
Mr. W. EvANS advocated the measure proposed by go-
vernment, and expressed a hope that the country would not
relax in its exertions to put down the slave trade, though he
did not think that in order to do so they should impose very
great additional burdens on the people, when the object
might be otherwise attained.
Lord WORSLEY opposed the measure proposed by the
Government, and condemned the projected interference with
the corn-laws.
Sir A. GRANT insisted on the right of the West Indian
proprietors to protection, more particularly when it was re-
collected that the £20,000,000 which had been given by par-
liament as compensation to the slave owners was scarcely a
third of the value of the emancipated slaves. The proprie-
tors had as valid a property in their slaves as in their lands,
and when their right of property was interfered with, the
full value should have been paid. That had not, however,
been done, and in addition to the wrong thus inflicted, they
were
now to be deprived of the protection which they had
hitherto enjoyed.
Mr. J. O'CoNNELL supported the Government proposi-
tion, and said, that though an Irish member, he must de-
`dare that he could not see any benefit that the corn-laws