The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-04-04 00:00:00

round for -ref

ss as a

'raining from censure of

a Whig Member in propping up, at
,ts of the community, or
finistry. But with respect

.e cannot conceive

them to be a political body; and to them the im-
putation of party prediliction ought not to apply.
They abstained from visiting his just punishment
upon the head of Sir Thos. Birch, because of "the
very extensive delinquency of some of the best men
of the House of Commons !" Such, at least, is the
plea put forth in their behalf by the Mercury. But
there was an " extensive delinquency" when Mr.
Cardwell voted against Mr. Horsman's motion.
And after all, what had the extent of the delin-
quency to do with the matter. Liverpool has two
members - One-1'

only. Ar. Cardwell—voted in
opposition to his constituents upon this question,
and was denounced ; and when the other had simi-
larly offended, why should his offence be passed
over. The Confederation have only to act at home,
and punish their own delinquent members; and
leave therest of the constituencies tossleal with theirs.

And now with respect to the passage marked in
talics in our first quotation, viz., that " by the pre-
vious rejection of Mr. Horsman's motion it had
been decided not to redress that wrong"—the une-
qual pressure of the income tax—" at once." We
deny thatthe rejection of Mr. Horsman's motion any
such thing was decided; forit has notyetbeen proved
that the plan of Mr. Horsman would have redressed
inflicted upon the community by the
It was the rejection only of a specific

income tax

measure, regarded by many, who are firmly op-posed
to the present tax, as crudely drawn up and unlikely
to be efficacious in its object. But on what ground
can Sir Thos. Birch's vote against the proposition
to refer the subject to a select committee, with in-
structions to "redress the wrong at once" by the
production of a well-considered and just plan of
imposing the tax, be justified ? Such a committee,
composed of practical men from both sides of the
House, need not be a fortnight in drawing up such
a plan. They might even, if there be so much ab-
solute wisdom in Mr. Horsman's proposition, make
it the basis of their labours. At all events it is
clear that the principle involved in the motion for
which the Hon. Baronet voted was virtually the
same as in that of yesterday week against which he
voted, viz., that it was inexpedient to concede a
three-years Income Tax without the inequalities of

noved

its pressure ben],
We shall not follow the Mercury through the
remainder of this poor apology for his friend, and
for his own want of independent spirit in hushing
up all direct mention of his delinquency. It is stuff
to tell us that " the feeling of the country was di-
rected against the House generally," and that "indi-
viduality was comparatively lost." Individuality
was only lost in quarters where it was more conve-
met to inveigh against the House generally than
against a Whig-Radical representative.

THE recent manly declaration of Lord J. Russell,
with respect to the influence of our Colonies in
promoting the greatness of this empire, will be in
the recollection of most of our readers. " I for my
part," said his lordship, "have always considered
our Colonies as a part of the strength of this em-
pire. I may be mistaken in that view; but if they
are part of the strength of this empire, then I say
I am not the person who would be willing, by
reason of any notions of economy and retrench-
ment, to reduce any part of that strength. If it be
the choice of England to descend lower in the scale
among nations; to Say that Slfe liaS Nen too; long
powerftil, that she wishes no longer to influence