The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-11 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-1
Sir H. DOUGLAS took the oaths and h

is seat for Liverpool:
introduced by Sir R. Inglis and Lord

The hon. member
Smultm.

The • house shortly after went into a committee of the
whole house; to consider the laws relating to the importation
of forei
Sir R. PEEI

—Sir, I rise in pursuance of the notice which.

.ven to submit to the house the vie%

jesty's 'government with respect. to the modification and
amendment of those laws which regulate the import of foreign

I should consider i

reflection upon t

Ted 'any claim upon its pa

Whatever may be the demands which I have to prefer, and
however ill qualified I
of detail, necessarily
yet I am convinced that the paramours
subject will induce the house to lend
tion to which under other circumstanc

Aieve a subject necessaril)
anv illustrations of fancy,
4- importance of flu

that patient atten-
I might have deemed
Sir, her Majest--'

it necessary to prefer a claim

s govern-

ment haveCons'idered it to be their duty to consider the corn-.
laws with a view to their modification and revision. (Cheers.)
They undertook the consideration of the question at a period
when there was great commercial distress—great suffering
and privation connected with that distress. But, sir, I con-
sider it to Wray duty in the first place to declare that, after
having given to the subject the fullest consideration which I
can, I canna recommend the proposal which I have to
make by exciting the hope that it will tend materially and
immediately to the mitigation of that commercial distress.
(Hear.) My belief, sir, is, while I admit the distress—while
I deplore the suffering and sympathise with those who are
undergoing it, yet I feel bound to admit that I cannot attri-
bute that distress in any degree, such as has been supposed
by some, to the operation of the corn-laws. (Cheers.) Sir,
I do not view with those feelings of despondency, which
some are inclined to do, the commercial distress now prevail-
ing in the country. I do not believe that the elements or
sources of our commercial and manufacturing prosperity are
driqd up. (Hear.) Ido see a combination of causes acting
concurrently and simultaneous!,
account, in a great degree, for that depression w

y, suffic

at in in

pinion to

:h unfor-

tunately prevails in our commercial and manufacturing sys-
tem ; and I, have that confidence in the native energies of

this counay;and I have had such frequent opportunities
of perceiving depression, and of revival almost as sudden
and extraordinary as that depression, that I do entertain
the confident hope and belief, that we may still look for-
ward, by the operation of natural causes, to a revival of our
national prosperity. (Cheers.) Sir, it is impossible, I think,
to take a review of those causes which have affected our in-
dustry, and, therefore, which have affected our commercial
prosperity greatly, without perceiving that they have been in
operation during the last four or five years. There have beer
sever -,ises, the separate effect of which would h.— 1-

al (
considerable, but the concu

sufficient to

stimulus which was given partic
lities of credit to great undertakings, in the years 1837 and
1838, to the connection which existed between the companies
and the directors concerned in joint stock banks and in ma-
nufacturing establishments ;—if I look to the immense efforts
which have been made for the increase of our manufactures—
for the building of houses for the reception of those indivi-
duals labouring in those manufactures, the emigration of
bourers from rural districts into oar colonies, &c., the im-

:hanical power wl-

was likel

perate

le causes which were in ope

tion in ihe.l

I States of America

have resulted

same consequences which, in a gr
in that country, the derangement of the monetary affairs of
the United States, have acted powerfully upon the demand
for the manufactures of other countries; and, Sir, concur-
rently with Plat excitement and stimulus, and the depression
which, followed from it, has been the effect of the. same causes
it the United States—the diminished demand tbr our mann-

factures. There has been at the same time an interruption
of our amicable relations with China, which has caused a

considerable deficiency in the exportS of our manufactures
which had been going on in recent periods, as compared with
former periods of our intercourse with that country. There
has also been, during a considerable portion of that time, the
alarm of war, and with that fact, the necessary stagnation, of
our commerce in some degree, as compared with former
periods. The united effect of those causes will, in my opi-
nion, go far to account for the diminution of our prosperity.
Sir, I am admitting the extent of the depression in trade.
but I am equally disposed to admit the extent of privatiOn
and suffering which prevails ; but here again I am bound
to say that I cannot recommend the measure which I am

about to propose with any hope that any alteration of the
corn laws will be a remedy for some of the evils, which In
a great manufacturing country like this seem to be insepara-
ble from such commercial institutions. Extend your foreign
commerce as yon may, depend on it it is not a necessary con-
sequence that the means of employment for manual labour
will be proportionate to that prosperity. (Hear.) Speaking
of particular districts, whatever may be the extent of your
commercial prosperity, or the demand for manufactures, it is
impossible not to sec that the working classes must be sub-
jected to the severest privations. It was so at the period of
the greatest manufacturing prosperity, and it is the necessary
consequence of a sudden improvement in machinery, which
ruins the demand for manual labour,•andexposes those de-

pendant on it to the greatest privations. (Hear, hear.) You
find hundreds of persons employed in a great manufacturing

ying for sust

exercise of incenuity, or some improvement in machinery
which is copied by others, they are thrown entirely out of
employment, and deprived of the means of support. This
has been the case with the hand-loom weavers in England,
and with many other classes of persons engaged in works of
manual labour, and I admit that it is a hard oindition of
manufacturing success that such should be the case. (Hear,
hear.) But it is no impeachment of manufactures that such
great privations exist. (Hear, hear.) Let it not be supposed
that I am deprecating the improvement in skillin machinery,
which is everywhere progressing. It would be madness to
attempt it. (Cheers from the opposition.) It would be folly
to deny that, in the aggregate, this country has derived its
fwnws thoca i•actstlrosa (ChPPrs from

greatness ann. ILLS roc-el.". as vtal ...mot. •••••••••• • • •••••
the same quarter.) I know that to have attempted to obstruct
have been only to encourage rivals already

~,ear.) In proportion to manufacturing im-
provement, in proportion to the stimuli to which I have re-
ferred—to the stimuli of speculation, and the facilities of-un-
it by undue advantage, and also the facilities of

toopowerfui

. .
in certain classes pri

looking at the general state of the commerce of this country
I must confess I cannot see the grounds for the despondency
with which some are apt to view it, nor can I see any

grounds

for imputing At to LEOLOpultsipilt tit we u.u.
those laws have any material. share in creating the various
evils which are so loudly complaied'of in this respect. ([;tear.
hear, from the ministerial benches.) It appears by this paper—
but we are too apt to think that there must be ,ft constant and-
rapid increase in our exports to other countries, and that we
are too apt to despair when any occasional check is given to
our commercial prospects in this regard. We are used to
compare the extent of our commpr...

generally insist on comparing it with some year im-
mediately preceding, and if we find any decline in that extent,
we are apt to suppose that the sources of our prosperity are
declining. Sir, as I was about to observe, it appears from
this paper which I hold in my hand, that in the last year, or
rather the latest period to which the returns have been made
-T mean the year .1840—on comparing the state of trade
and during the

; with-that of the year preceding,

-laws, I can see no groan(' for the infe•
netimes drawn, that the corn-laws haw

rences winc

r misfortunes, or that the repeal of those

,uld afford any immediate relief. In 1810, the exports
of British produce in manufactures—that is the declared
value—to all parts of the world, exceed the exports of 1837
by £9,355,000, and exceed. those of 18,3$ by £3,315,000, but
fall short of the exports of 1838 by £1,327,000—a falling off
sufficient to create anxiety. But the cause of that fa,llipg off
will be amply accounted for if you will refer to the stato nf
our commercial transactions with the United. States of Acne-

laws w

rica—with that cot

with whose prospeeity our own is so

immediately interwoven ; for in the" United 'States, during
that period, there were causes arising from monetary affairs

. _ _ ......, ~..... „ ... .
which operated very considerably on our commercial exports.
girt in 1839 our exports with the United States amounted to
£8,839,00, whereas in 1840 they were only £5,283,000,
leaving a deficiency
,:e. 3 in respect to our exports with the United
Stata.(if
X 4,090. Now, this fact showed that there had

been a falling c

nt of our exports to the United
of 1839

The differ-