The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-10-12

| w hIgs, charging them with introducing il at ths
eleventh hour when they had not power, by the
majority in the Commons to carry through their pro
posed alterations. The country did not believe the
Wings were sincere, and considered the
political move on which they would try, by genera
| election, to obtain better House of Commons fol-
their purposes Mr.. Labuchere, the President Of the
Board OF Trade, was to have introduced the altera.
tons and resolutions in the tariff on other articles
But he never did so and the opposition of the Tories
under Sir Robert Peel to the sugar duties proposed
by the Wings, put end to Parliament. The Min
listers dissolved Parliament and called new one ex-
pecting that their late movement in favor of free
trade, would have secured to their representatives
from the mercantile and manufacturing boroughs and
cities. But the electors were disguised with the
long temporiziDg system of the Wings and would
not believe them honest and sincere in their inten-
tons, as they had postponed bringing forward the
scheme until forced to do So and that they had mere
ly made it the wachword or cry, for the battle Of
the general election.
was put up as candidate for the borough OF
Leeds, new corporation and altogether manufac-
turing community, but was beaten by majority OF
10 or II votes; and Sir Robert Peel obtained Par
first great division, majority of 90 members
MY belief, as well as that of many attentive OBJ
servers of the proceedings at that general election,
that the success of the Tories, Monopoliss, de-
pended upon the unpopularity of the Wings and on
restless desire to give Sir Robert Peel chance of
making some Of the reforms which were much
wanted in the country, and which the people were
confident could not be carried by the Wings, if they
should be honest enough to propose them.
1t is curious to notice the course taken by Sir Ro-
bert Peel, when he became Minister with large ma
JorIty to support him. He did nothing in the session
of 1871, but asked for time to consider and to ma.
ture proper for the difficulties of the coun-
try. In the session of 1912, he brought forward his
plan for general alteration in the tariff of customs
and, in an able speech, laid down the best and the
soundest principles for trade. He abolished every
positive prohibition on imports, and made general
reduction in every thing but con sugar and some ar
ticles about which he was then in negotiation with
France and other countries He pressed the report
one toms-imports, which he had abused 10 1871 and
he adopted the same schedule in his plan, in IS41,
which proposed and submitted appendix to
that report in 1910. In short, he appeared to to
have become convert to free trade in the fullest
manner, and that he only wanted little time to
carry out the principles he propounded.
The alterations introduced in 1912 in the tariff of
customs were many, and almost all in the right d.
rection: and we expected that Sir Robert would
have continued the reduction of duties this session.
and have afforded to the country the best chance Of
removing her present difficulties and distress.
believe he is opposed by his colleagues, and that
he wants the moral courage to carry out his own
principles, or if opposed in that, to resign.
You have been here long enough, and have had
communication enough to enable you to fill up what
of detail has been omitted by in this past session,
and to Judge Of the state Of the free trade question
in this country. II is OF time only and, while
we suffer from the Incubus of the Arstocracy and
the Clergy your country, by acting independent of
us, would soon enable us, who advocate free trade
principles, TO carry them here. With free trade
both the United States and Great Britain would
flourish without it, cannot any solid basis or
prosperity in either country.
! remain, your obedent servant,
JOSEPH HUME.