The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-05-27 00:00:00

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principles of national prosperity, in order to col-
lett it general views, g.nteral and just results-
o.e speculative persons hail indulged inter' cxtra-
• r4i..:.ry theories of late, upon the subject of mann-
-1..r! and a few had gone so far as to .ay, that the
I asun lil lie nnort• prospeolms it it had nu piano-
• Irifin,Ut entering into the Ilisi'llS,4l,lll as to
1 I.a? p trsuita tended most to the happiness of
he 'wild only say, that on that subject the
t !,./.-; had now no choice. it is conu att.l
I 11.4,:ilj4cturem, iaitl the Noble Marquis, that have made
y• u :vita you arc, and by those you 1111 l st remain what
you onght to be. It was a demonstrable propsition,
r‘tlher au axiom in political ret,lionly, that a station
. sticald grow what it could grow cheaper than import,
unu import is bat it could receive more cheaply than
fr this principle resulted the obvious policy
eta fret- intercourse. No tuan could think of the ex-
union of manufactures in England, who hail the com-
mon sentiments of his nature, without feeling deeply
for the population that must thereby be delivered up
to irretrievable calamity and ruin. t hit of the tuelve
ioiliivns of the population of the country, it there were
tno millions who depended for their existence upon
manufactures, they could not be destroyed even by slow
decrees, will t the process of asmihilation,
lob wry spun the other ten millions. The fat:• of every
class was connected with that of ea. is utter;, and hr
%%mild protest against all measures but such as were
I.ticulated to protect all the interests aad resources
tt hich had made Eugland an agricultural, a 11111 l ler-
chi'. and a manufacturing country. Tbs. great prin.
rirlc which applied to all countries, was insure cape-
* •ail; applicable to this country—that it would be
toways a gainer by a free interchange of its produc-
tions. What wax sublimely true of man a. an
slush, was true also with respect to the intercourse be-
tween nat• ; the beautiful illustration of the poet
'eight be applied to it—

**The generous sine by mutual Lintlneo;
The strength it gains is from the einha see it gives."
The Noble Marquis then procertle.l to observe, that in
making any change, however necessaiv and salutarv,
in lung estab;ished systems, it should be brought
about with due caution, and even with some reference
to existing prejudice. He said he remembered that I
when Dr. Adam Smith wished Mr. Burke to take steps
for removing at once, from the common law, the penal-
ties for forestalling, the impolicv of which Mr. Ilurke
lia,l himself aektioscledged, the latter replied--" Yon,
Pr. Smith, speak from your chair as a profef-sor of the
pith. mathematics ; but statesmen. even when satisfied
WM soundness of principles, must look to the con-
fliction of interests, and the confliction of prejwlires."
In the present case there was touch of both in a nar-
row sense to be encountered. and even on a scale of
great magnitude, there would appear to be something
of the kind interwoven into the subject, which result-
ri from the long-continued artificial state of its reds-
dons. 1/wing to the events of the last thirty years,
there had been an unusual excitement in almost all the
tfatioas of the world, by whirl' itte;:ns almost all this*,
nolo** were compelled ow induced to live on their ira-
pirais instead oilier ',avenues. This excitement had
called into existence a numerous unproductive poionla-
Coe. The result of a return and change from that
Vate wis an impossibility to continue the rate of ex-
hlany nations were, like ourselves, eneunt-
b...red with an unproductive population, whose lowans
to! support was removed by the cessation of the expend-
ed (aphid. There were more labourers than there
Wl3 provision of labour, and more artisans than de-
u.and for manufactures. It so happened, that this
country by its geographical situation,—by its habits
arid government, had pat such a caidtal in circulat' ,
that it found no difficulty in feeding the unprodurtive
classes while the excitement continued; but wheu it
was removed, there remained the frnits is auguleuted
taves. mortgaged revenues, and an encumbering class
of articans. England felt the full force of the visita-
tion-which the extraordinary change produced, much
moire than poorer countries, which could nut sup-
port those enterprises that produced an artificial
prosperity. Here he adverted to the petition of the
manufacturers of Birmingham, who asked why in
ito the midst of so mach plenty as the couatry possessed,
there should be such misery and distress? and said,
that what he had just stated was an answer to that
swollen. Ile next proceeded to say, that too remedy
inteh.evils their Lordships' object should be to create
elemand, and that demand was only to be (treated by
opening, without distinction, all the resources of fo-
reign trade. At present, however all measures which
heti hat object in view were to be, in some respects,
' elmtgoiled by imperative circumstauces. But still
never constraint was to be adopted it should be made
Ole' exception, and liberty the general rule, and nut
constraint the general rule, and liberty the exception.
Ups the subject of protecting duties he should ob-
serve, that be had DO objection to them when they
were each as to admit the possibility of a fair compe-
tition. The next point which he should submit to
*sir Lordships' consideration was of a more practical
• inahere, as it regarded the principle of British Naviga-
Ilse in which the whole mercantile hotly were
so deeply interested. It was quite certain that many
commercial men, whose interests might be sepposed ho
be affected by it, were desirous of seeing the principle
of forther extension adopted. It did not create any
apprehensions in the minds of ship-owners, that ves-
sels should he *Mowed to sail from the ports of Europe
with other prodnre than that of the particular country
which they left (being, however, British vessels), a li-
berty, which by the existing regulations was denied.
A Alp now sailing from the roast of France could
Mot touch at any Flemish port for the purpose of
taking on board the produce of the country, aid the
same' prihtiple held good with respect to the pasta
of all other nations. He only desired that this
principle. shodld be limited in its operation. It
world, at the saute time, be right to except colonial
prodet.t.., fur if there wasno restriction, other countries
might Jake the trade to the colonies tont of the
Land of. British ship-owners, with whom they could he
enabled tai 'enter into prejudicial competition. The
third point to be considered was, the entire freedom of
the tioaltittirade. with which the bonding system was
constietted. It was of the greatest importance that
on should be hekl out to indaee foreign
firing into this country the prodnee of
wished to see England the grand mart
pro lace of the tvorlol, one to which the

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