The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-02-21

need think it is obvious then that that bounty o,
Providence goes far to account tor the improvement
which has tai en- place in our manufactures. tHear.
The noble Lerd then proceeded to the subjects q
free trade and the corn laws ,seousst;ons
nr;nc;nie ofprotecrion for all branches OF domes-
re Industry; the new doctrine OF perfect freedom
and The intermediate one, when proceeaea on inc
cround OF temporary expediency and maintained
that changes ought to be gradual. But the fault OF
the present plan OF Sir Robert Peel was, that 4
was in onsisent with the genera! principles which
cases With respect to almost all articles OF com
merce he had adopted moderate duty; but with
respect to an article in which the great majority OF
both Houses OF Parliament are deeply interested,
he had laid on duty of 40per cent; and that dll-
w. too was a changing and shifting uty'eirrecoh-
cileable with every sound principle IN regard 70
the complaints made by asrcnlturiss against Oh
r. Peel for not declaring that he would suffer no
alteration to be made in the corn laws, the noble
lord said, 'sWhen / see gentlemen at agricultural
meetings after expressions OF disrast OF inc hlgnt
Hon Bart. [Sr X. PEEL much greater than |, one
of the leaders of the Opposition, ever ventured to
express-[hear, hearl-bld HIM openly come Tor,
ward declare that thecon law shanot be changed
and bind himself 10 1t in all perpetulty, must say
request that ever was made OF any statesman in this
country [IIear, hear The Right Hon. gentle
man told usas session that ne did not mean to al
ter the corn law las. year, but that, with respect
10 the future he must Judge of the condition of the
country, and of the effect of this of any other
commercial law OF the country. i thought that
the only answer the Right Hon. gentleman could
give-and | should certainly be very much sur
prised If found him now sayng-I am so ena.
mored Of my law-I think it in all respects so per-
fecr, that | will stand BY i to all eternty',-
[Hear.J should be surprised If he made that de-
claration; and think that the agricultural cry is
most unreasonable one" [Eear, hear.] The no.
bic lord concluded by saying that he could not vote
with the honorable member Tor Nontrose, and
should give decided negative to the amendment
of the member tor Rochdale
Sir ROBERT PEEL began by paying well-merited
compliment TO the noble lord and the hon. gentle
man who had moved and seconded the address.
He condemned in strong language the project OF
the hon. member for Rochdale (Mr s. Crawford)
for stopping the supplies. 81 can cenceve," said
the Hon Baronet, "nothing more injurious to the
popular principle Of the Constitution than to abuse
the privileges we possess and which are calculated
for our guidance on great OCCASIONS The power
of moving constant APPOINTMENTS Is power OF
which il may be right that individuals or mlnorl
~ should continue In possession, but It Is entrusted
10 them, like other powers, under great RESPONSE
bilily-(hear, hear)-and they are seriously affect
ing the popular principle, and injurIng those in
ieres,s Of which they are, | am bound TO suppose,
the sincere and strenuous advocates If they lightly
call into action instruments which ought only to be
invoked on great occasions" (Cheers.) He adj
verted with great satisfaction to the connection be-
tween England and France. 1t was an amlty found
ed upon mutual interests; ard had beneficial infu
ence on every country in Europe, and even beyond
theAtlantic He illustrated the benefits of this good
understanding by reference to Greece. Every
thing there Was proceeding smoothly, which would
not be the there discordance created
by French and an English party From Irish mat
ters, he said, he felt it his duty for the present,
wholly to abstain. He then entered upon the sub
ject of the Corn Laws After adverting to the
general principle, mentioned by Lord John Russell,
that, in a country like this, with such complicated
relations, large vested interests, and amount OF
taxation, Il would be impossible to apply doctrines
abstractedly right without great danger and injury;
the Right Hon. Bart said that this was principle
yhtnh hn nnttr u nrrAdv fIa I.s r
There is, however, (said the Right Hon. Bart.)
this difference between us-the difference between
the fixed duty and the graduated scale. Now
here | retain my own opinions. Clear, hear.
Agreeing IN the general principle have stated witt
the noble lord, he proposes to his protection
by fixed duty, and he says members of Parlia
ment are liable to the nvidious imputation OF being
actuated by personal interests in advocating the
slid ng-scale. Surely the same suspicion attaches
to the fixed duty plan. (Hear, heai.) The noble
lord might say he proposed it for revenue; but ]
ed. operate it would as protection-(hear, hear)-
and that if he would find ii difficult to resist the ar
gument, "Why, if you impose duty on foreign
cora, should 1t not be equally imposed on domestic
corn 1'-(hear, hear)-barley. malt would be re-
terred TO against him-(hear hear)-and he would
be asked, why if he taxed foreign wheat and
domestic barley, he should not in like manner have
mpost at the mill on all corn in this country %
-(hear)-that is, if he were sincerely DESTROYS of
producing, not protection, but revenue. clear
And with what truth could he otherwise say to the
lection II regret / am obliged to some extent to
give you, by reluctantly imposing fixed duty on
foreign corn imported y QIear, hear) The noble
Lord would find it difficult to persuade those whom
he wished to concilate to dopt this distinction be-
tween a fixed duty and graduated one. (Hear.)
Sir, stated last year the government not pre-.
pared 10 alter the existing corn laws but when press
ed TO make declaration on the part of the govern
ment, that at all times and under all circumstances
/ would adhere to the law existing, / said such
declaration would be Inconsistent with our duty to
the country and the Crown. (Hear, hear) | dc
not repeat this for the purpose OF securing any es
cape for the government. The noble Lord says we
may maintain the law repeafi H. but that it is I'M
possible we should adopt fixed duty. Sir the
a sort Of shrug, and with peculiar, quiet emphass)
do not exactly know what may be impossible. -
Uaugh,er) Sir (cxclaimedt the Right Hon Baro-
net in louder tone,) hope those who laugh do
not thereby imply an opinion that i am making re-
servations. Whenever the opinions OF the agricul-
tnrlsts take that extraordinary turn which some
times II has been represented they have already TIA
ken IN favor OF fixed duty, am inclined to think
the noble Lord Will be the party to propose such a
measure, and not myself. Cheers from the agricul
tural Membersl The experience we have had OF
the present law has not shaken my preference for
gradu ted duty-(hear) -and, although | consider
II inconsistent with my duty to make engagements
tor adherence to existing laws under all circunsan-
ces, IN order to concillate support, can say that
the government have never contemplated, and do
not contemplate, any alteration In the existing law.
(Cheers from the agricultursts) The prices of
since the law came into operation have been
as liked as at any prior period, and as moderate
They haye varied only from sos. to SIS tor the last
four or five months; and the prices for 81 years
past have been, only seven years, lower than the
average prices for the last few months-in all the
remaining a years, the prices were higher
quently, neither on account of immoderate nor of
varying prices have we found any reason to change
our opinion as to the existing law. The Govern
ment, repeat should not bind themselves by any
declarations adherence to which would be incon-
sistent with duty but again declare they never
have contemplated, and do not at present contem-
plate, any alteration in the law. (Hear, hear).-
The kight'fion: Baronet- said, in concluson-We
do, then, meet Parliament under improved circum
stances. Hear, hear Looking to our foreign
policy, we have adjusted the question pending with
IN United states IN a country with which il is
mn tn nj tn u,an