The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-03 00:00:00

and that all their measures are fraught with ruin to the
best interests of the country. The insolent and ty-
rannical career of these turbulent agitators who have
obtained a temporary ascendancy in our Town Coun-
cils has done much to open the eyes of the public to
the real character of those who have so impudently
arrogated to themselves the name of liberals. The
reckless proceedings of the traitorous Chartists, which
have afforded such a pregnant illustration of the
ultima ratio of "reform," have also caused the ranks
of Conservatism to be crowded with converts. As
far as the counties are concerned, the anti-corn-law
agitators have decided the fate of every Whig-Radi-
cal candidate at the next election. In addition to
these causes, we might enumerate the general de-
pression under which the trade and commerce of the
country are labouring—the misery and distress en-
dured by the working classes—the impunity with
which foreign encroachments on our trade are per-
mitted to escape—and the general decline of our
colonial prosperity—all of which are attributable to
the miserable, truckling, and ruinous policy of the
present Government, and all of which contribute to
increase their unpopularity and to hasten their
downfall.
is not, however, to be expected that the 'Whigs will
quit office without a desperate struggle : but all their
efforts to retain place and power will be in vain.
They may again prostitute the Queen's name as a
party watchword : but the trick is too stale to ren-
der them any service. It has been tried once too
often to succeed. The expedient is too transparently
dishonest any longer to deceive the public. They
may make common cause with the selfish agitators
of the anti-Corn-law league, and endeavour to work
upon the feelings of the masses by raising the cry
of " cheap bread." This will do them no good.
The people of England arc too sensible not to per-
ceive that the cry of " cheap bread" is synonymous
with ":low wages." It is even possible that the
Ay4ig-.Radicals; dicals, in their extremity, may identify
themsekes with the Chartists : but, we would ask,
are they so mad as to suppose that the great mass
of the electors are favourable to the revolutionary
doctrines of. Chartism ? An approximation to the
Chartists would only still more irrevocably seal their
fate.

When we say that the people of this country are dis-
gusted with the very name of " reform," we do not
wish to be understood that they are averse to such
temperate changes in our institutions as are calcu-
lated to insure their stability and their permanency.
The Conservatives are the only true reformers, as
they are the only real liberals. They would wish to
see removed from the glorious fabric of our consti-
tution those incrustations with which the lapse of
time may have caused it to he disfigured. They
would wish to see the splendid temple reared by the
wisdom of our forefathers stand forth in all its pris-
tine grandeur : but this is a very different thing
from wishing to rase it to the very foundation, and
to erect upon its foundation the flimsy fabric of a
republic. The latter is the object contemplated by
what is designated " radical reform." Such reform
we are bound to denounce, and such reform the
patriotism of Englishmen will never permit to be
accomplished.
It is our firm conviction that the advent of Sir Robert
Peel to office would be the prelude to a succession
of useful, practical reforms, such as we have indi-
cated under the general term " improvements." He
has already signalised himself by the introduction of
several reforms in our criminal code, and he has
always evinced his readiness to co-operate in the
removal of all proved grievances and abuses.
But is Sir Robert Peel's speedy advent to power pro-
bable ? We unhesitatingly answer, Yes ! Owing
to the defections from the Ministerial camp, we
believe that Sir Robert Peel can command a nume-
rical majority even in the present House of Com-
mons—a majority which will be still further in-
creased by the nine elections which must shortly
take place.
This country now wants a strong administration—an
administration strong in the personal character of
its members—strong in talent and aptitude for pub-
lic business—strong in the sympathy, confidence,
and support of the public--and firm in its resolution
to put down all disturbers of the peace. Chartism
must be put down. Our cities and towns must no
longer be the --acenes of midnight terror and incen-
diarism. SocialisM must- be put down. Our do-
- mestic circles must 'so longer be invaded by these
" filthy dreamers." O'Counellism inust be,
,Put
down. The loyal Protestants of Ireland must no
longer be left a prey to the brutal ferocity of the
Popish priesthood and their ensanguined followers.
Rebellion must be put down in our colonies. The
insolent interference of foreign powers with our
trade and commerce must be put down, and the
national flag must either escape insult or invoke
retributive vengeance.
The elements of such a strong administration are to he
found in the ranks of the Conservative party, and in
their ranks alone. We believe that the year upon
which we have just entered will not pass away with-
out the formation of a Conservative ministry. The
vessel of the state has been long approaching the
breakers of destruction. It must be wrested from
the hands of the present incapable crew, or it will
speedily become an unsightly and ignoble wreck.
The crisis has arrived, and all eyes are directed to
Sir Robert Peel, as the " pilot that can weather the
storm."

At the present crisis, when the commercial and ma-
nufacturing interests of this country are labouring un-
der such a general depression, we cannot render a bet-
ter service to our country than by directing public at-
tention to the best means for avoiding, in future, the
difficulties which are now so painfully experienced, and
suggesting any plan which may have a tendency, not
only to increase the trade and commerce of the coun-
try, but to place them on a firmer and amore enduring
basis.

Among the most prominent of the means by which
in our belief, this country may be preserved from those
embarrassments to which it has, of late years, been pe-
riodically subject, we would unhesitatingly mention
the increase of our colonial trade—a trade which Great
Britain has entirely under her control, and which is not
liable to those ruinous fluctuations which are so fre-
quently experienced from the monetary difficulties of
foreign states. Under the firm conviction that the colo-
nial trade of Great Britain is the most valuable, be-
cause the most stable, which she possesses, and that
this trade is capable of an almost indefinite extension,
we earnestly invite the attention of our contemporaries
to this important subject. It has not hitherto met
with that degree of consideration which it so impera-
tively demands. We would, therefore, most strenu-
ously urge upon our contemporaries the absolute ne-
cessity of a cOnsentanems movement in favour of
"SHIPS, CoLONIEB, AND COMMERcE."
While we thus invite the co-operation of our bre-
thren of the press in seeking to promote the prosperity
of our colonial possessions, we trust that we shall be
excused for giving a greater degree of prominence to,
and bestowing more attention upon, those colonies
with which we are best acquainted, and which we be-
lieve are most capable of improvement. While others
may, either from a superior degree of information on
the subject, or from personal predilections, give pre-
ference to the East Indies, to Australia, to New Zea-
land, to the Cape of Good Hope, or to Canada, as the
most eligible of our colonies, and the most deserving
of encouragement,—our own opinion is, that the West
India islands and British Guiana present, at the pre-
sent moment, the most interesting field for the exercise
of British enterprise, and most imperatively require
the encouragement and protection of the Government.
We are far, however, from wishing to confine the at-
tention of our readers to the West India colonies.
England does not hold a single colony which is not, in
a greater or less degree, deserving of encouragement.
The resources of our colonies have not, in any instance
that we are aware of, been fully developed : much less
have they been, in any instance, exhausted. The co-
lonies in Southern Africa, which have already given
rise to a profitable trade,- are capable of great extension
and improvement. The country adjacent to Port Na-
tal, in particular, offers a most eligible site for a new
colony; and we hope that the time is not far distant
when the attention of Government, as well as of British
capitalists, will be directed to this rich and fertile
country. If properly governed, Southern Africa will,
we have no doubt, in another geuration, contain a po-