The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-03-03

! Ses, is the most important that ever cross
ed the Atlantic since the introduction of
ocean navigation; and all that is now
wanting is for the Government and peo-
pie of the United States to meet us in a
kindred spirit, and, in the true spirit of
commerce and of friendship, forges the
past, and run generous race of mutual
! happiness and prosperity for the future.
Mr.. PEEL's FINANCIAL SCHEME.
Our columns to-day furnish evidence
Of great revolution which has taken place
in the public mind relative to the fiscal
policy of the country. Governments, it
is notorious, in all highly civilized coun-
tries, are always eonservatiye-always In
arrear Of the peoples requirements. 1t
is certainly so in England; it is more or
less so in the other countries. making al
lowance for the difference Of moral and
physical causes. The Minister who car
ries out Bentham's axiom Of ''the greatest
/ happiness of the greatest number" will
best serve the interests of humanity, and
fulfil his own high destiny. Butwhere the
representative principle is at work; where
the public mind possesses sufficient intel
ligence to grasp the great truths, and de-
sires their embodiment in acton--all that
the State pilot has to do is to be the in
strument of realizing an enlightened poll
cy on the safest principles. and with the
most tender regard for the interests, feel
ings, and sympathies of all classes-for
those who have thriven as well as those
who have suffered by the previous poll
cy.
! This course of action describes in a
/ few words the secret and the success Of
Sir Robert Peel's ministerial career. 1t
has been alleged against him that he nev-
er anticipates-always lags behind public
opinion. 1t is true. He is essentially a
practical man, and never jeopards success
by experimental trickery. The body po-
litic, like the physical frame was formed
for nobler uses. He has tact, judgment,
and thorough appreciation of charac-
ter. Once in action, his indomitable en-
ergy braves all dangers, bears down all
opposition.
But these preliminary remarks are kee-
ping us from the object at which we de-
sire to arrive: to point out to our readers
the most striking features in the plan for
the fiscal regeneration OF the country,
which Sir Robert Peel, in four hours
speech, introduced to the House of Com
mons on the 9th instant. In that speech
he took an elaborate review of the fiscal
condition Of the country, and announced
| the reduction of duty on a number of ar
ticles which press upon the commercial
and agricultural interests. He impressed
upon the manufacturers the necessity of
preparing for the advent of free trade, by
giving up whatever limited amount of
protection they now enjoy from foreign
competition in the shape of prohibitory
duties; and the duties so imposed he an
nounced his intention Of reducing 10 a
nominal amount. But this appeal to the
manufacturers is useless; they have long
since publicly repudiated the benefits of
all protecting duties; have declared that
| they seek for no aid beyond free scope for
! the exercise of their talents in the open
markets of the world; and have often said
in substance of the agriculturist, ''do thou
likewise" The timber duties are to un-
dergo revision, but into the details of
the change he did not enter, reserving it
for another day.
| For the-reductions on tallow, on paper
hangings, on soap and candles, on boots
ond shoes, on foreign spirits, on clover
and other seeds. on provisions, fresh and
! salted,) on vegetables, on foreign made
carriages, we must refer to our ample re-
port of the speech itself in another col
umn. We can do little more than indi-
cate in this place, currente caiamo, the
primary heads of the scheme. Sugar,
that great article of colonial produce,
which, next to the corn laws, has been
most virulently assailed on account ofthe
tenacity with which the Minister has
clung in screening it from competition, is
still to be more or less protected. Slave
grown sugar he still regarded as an abom-
nation; but the duty on foreign free-labor
sugar is to be reduced IS. Sd. per cwt.-
The corn..laws he proposes to abolish total
ly and unconditionally, on the first OF
February, 1s49, and in the mean time a
modified sliding-scale is to be substituted
for the one at present in existence. For
instance, when the price of corn is under
3ss the duty will be El0s.; when above
3ss. and under 49,, the duty will be 9s.;
and so on, the duty declining Is. with a
rise in the price of Is. until the price
reaches 53s., when a permanent duty Of
As. is to take place. In order to propitiate
the landlord class, sums of money are tc
be advanced by Government for the i'm
proyement cf agriculture. The law O
settlement is TO be altered, so that after /;
servitude or residence Of FIVE years in 9
manufacturing district, the peasant whc
has left the plough for the factory mus
receive parochial aid, if he require it