The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-23

-Four good harvcss in ession have filled his ex.
chcqn,r- d I'D the stonarhs III the eges--nlade
the naton prosperous, the people conteGted. Alas
the scene IS chang d--the evil day has come upon
hih', and has found him unprerared Ia face IT,
Famlnc--gaunt, horrible, destroying Gmne--s rs
impending Fears have seized the public mind. In
Ireland matters look appalling-in England gloomy.
The granares Of the continent are exhausted. The
corn-felds of the Visua, the Danube, and the Elte
are barely sufficient for the local wants of the nhab-
itants Ths nation is in commotion; and the cry Of
"Open the ports, and let in duty free, is heard
on all sdes reverbeated from every part of the
pire. The ''pressure from without" has made itself
heard in Downing street; and faith in the sding-
scae-Peel's siding.scae--is gone forever A
third of the potato crop in Ireland is destroyed.
The government has scientific professors TO the
scene of the mischief and the awful truth is out,
that this large portion of the peoples food-the
culent that Cobbett abhorred--is unfit for use.
What is to be done, in this terrible, this unlocked
for emergency "Open the ports!" is the exclama-
tom and there stands the shvering Premier, like a
reed in the wind, paralyzed between affection for
his slidng-s ale and the horrors Of public famine.
There he is, balancing the pros and cons But ne
cessity is superior TO neutrality-suspicious. to
law. The ports must be opened. O'Connell--who
assumes TO be the tribune Of the Irish peope--goes
beyond this. He demands grant of public money
to the extent of million and half to be expended
in the purchase of food; he calls for tax of fifty
per cent the absentees, and often per cent.
on the residents; he asks for the prohibition of corn
and provisions leaving the island and the prevention
Of distillerles consuming grain. Large demands,
these. VIII they be conceded A day or two will
solve the question; and, in the meantime, specua-
ton will find wide margin for the exercise of its
ingenuity.
/ he sliding scale-that cunning scheme to make
food artifeially dear-is in the crisis of its fate.
% Ia ,te-
with the views which the public entertain, and
which conservative, and even agricultural members
have tardiy adopted, wll-be found impossible. 1t
is gone forever. In future years small fixed duty
may be imposed-the sliding. scale never. Every
thing proclams the speedy extinction Of the sliding
scale--the tone of the government organs, the Ian
guage of the protested supporters of the ministry,
the feeling in the public mind. 1t has long been
seen and foretold that the first season of scarcity
would fix its doom. So it has. Peel is good ac-
tor. His 'sshivering" is probably simulated, no,
real. Placed between cross-fres, exposed on his
flank and his rear, it is necessary that he should
play his part SO as not to appear to give triumph to
either party This he has done--this he is doing.
Like the "coy maid, half willing to be pressed" he
may, perhaps, feel inclined to sing
"How happy could be with either
Were tother dear charmer away"
But it is suspected by those who appear to know
him best, that his leanings towards liberal COM
mercial, in contradistinction to a monopolist pol
icy.
LATEST COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE
[From the Liverpool Times, Nov.4l
PRovIsIoNs-Th American provision trade pre-
sents very striking feature OF beef there is only
limited quantity in the Market and holders appear
anxious dispose of the stock on hand before the
arrival of the new. Pork is dull, Notwithstanding
the small supply in the hands of the trade; this
suit is mainly attributable to the unhappy state of
matters in ireland, where the farmers have been
compelled to force their stocks to a sale. There
has been some cheese brought to the hammer at a
public SALE but only one-haf the quantity offered
found purchasers, and that at reduction of 3s. per
cwt. The market is bare OF lard, and the price is
high, owing the state of the butter market. The
wool of the United States continues to find custom
ers in England, and this branch of trade is mprov-
ing; indeed, there appear to be no bounds to the
consumption of article which never, until recent
ly, formed an article of expectation from America
FLOUR AND oRAIN.-The corn market continues
to rise, and the averages to decrease little but
the Jump in the scale by no means indicates the
actual price which good wheat realizes. The guam
tity of Indifferent bad grain which is thrown up
on the market keeps up the averages-fsuch mis-
homer can be applied to scheme which very nn-
fairly represents the actual price of the article. The
opening of the ports is question 30 important in
itself, not only as it affects the corn trade, but what
is of far greater consequence it affects the gen.
eral interest of the country, that it absorbs every
other topic at the present moment. morning pa.
per stated day or two back, that treasury order
had been transmitted to, and received at, the Dublin
custom-house, admitting grain free of duty. This
statement turns out to be incorrect; but it gen.
orally beeved-a proof of the public mind being
prepared for such step on the part of the govern
ment. An evening paper has published state
ment to the effect that wheat and other descriptions
of corn are to be admitted Immediately at a low
fgure-wheat at sixpence per bushel, and the
other kinds still lower; but this statement, although
put forth mposngly, is also considered prema-
ture. A cabinet council held on Friday ut
the house of Sir Robert Peel, as the premier
could not leave his home, owing to an attack
of govt in the foot At this meeting the ques-
ton of the opening of the ports was no doubt dis
cussed in all its bearings, and expectation was
on the q,i pipe to know the result. Another
cabinet council was held at Sir Robert Peel's
house the following day, and the result of this, as
of the preceding meeting, still remains mystery.
People have been anxiously looking to the London
Gazette, expecting to see an official intmaton of the
government policy; but they have looked in vain
The cabinet is said to be divided on the point al
issue, but no presulnes to think that the ports
will not be opened. 1t is the only thing about which
people talks "Out of the fullness of the heart the
mouth speaketh" The decision of the government
must speedily be known, because if corn is to come
in duty free every day adds to the difficulty, as the
time of the year is rapidly approaching when moi
only the Baltic, but the St. Lawrence will be closed
by the ice. As regards the former, however, owing
TO the scarcity which prevails amongst eur continent
tai neighbors, and the high price which grain COM
msnds there, much cannot be expected. The great
hope is in the United States and Canada. The
proof Of the scarcity exists in the fact, that most OF
the continental powers have already opened their
ports for the sefsame object, and il is justly said
"Why should England be less considerate for its
citizens, than the continental rulers for theirsf
The real fact in all probability is that Peel is I'M
willing to act until he is armed with the strongest
possible reasons for doing so; and in order to put
cavil of the question: he is said to be waiting for
the report Of the scientific commissioners whom he
has sent to Ireland to investigate the potato disease.
Some say that Parliament will be Immediately sum-
moned to consider what ought to be done. in the