The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-25

than 70 suppose that the interests Of agriculture wer
I naturally and Immediately interviewer with the prc
: OF wheat. In demonstrating the truth Of this, 81
: Robert sdverted particularly 10 the fact that il
4 impossible 70 draw just inference from the nom
. inal price OF wheat, without al the same time takin
2 the quality into account. He showed by refer
snce 70 returns beginning in 1885, that the price
. wheat had shown a tendency TO decline. "a yer,
remarkable series offacis also presents itself in tn
amount OF the rental Of land as compared with tn
price Of wheat. The gross rental OF land in 1916
G as taken ffom the propeuy-tax return, was f32,
. ou2,VOO. The price OF wheat for Ave years endnI
IN 1913, was l02s. Sd. For the Ave years endn,
! with 1912, the price Of wheat was 64s. Id; Will,
the gross rental of land In England had increased I,
81, T9aOOO. Thus, colncident with a fall In tn,
price OF corn, there increase in the rental
land" The speech from the throne contained ,
recommendation TO review the existing duties ant
ascertain whether such further reductions could no
DC made as would tend to ensure a continuance Of
the advantages derived from the previous redue
tons. The answer made by the Commons did no
convey pledge as to the measure, but il csnveyoC
an assurance that the recommendation should b.
considered. And how was that assurance 10 be full
hlledi Would they refuse 10 go into committee
I"Whl you stand sti-for six months 10 coma viii
you do nothing | say, in this country, to stand
still Is to reograde. never said that IL was on IN,
| experience OF the tariff for three years 1 had
come to change OF opinion. | said tins: that dur
ing three years | have seen eoineident with abund.
ance and low prices great prosperity; have seen
great contentment; | have seen the diminution OF
crime; have seen the abatement Of all social dsor-
ders; have seen good health; have seen increased
commences and that experience of three years has
convinced me that cheapness and plenty are at the
foundation OF your prosperity. Cheers This Is
the challenge offer, not connected with the tariff
OF the last three years alone but with respect To the
whole series Of your relaxaons Of prohibitory du-
ties-show ms one relaxation, one removal Of pro.
hibiuon, which has not contributed 10 the advan-
tage OF the great body Of the consumers Of this
country" lie had, indeed, been ashamed to read
some OF the petitions presented the subject Of
this protection One was from ahip-ovners pray.
ing that the House might check all further rash ex-
perlments on British navigation and reject the prop
osltlon for reducing the duty on foreign timber from
25s TO l5s. He asked, "what has been the iSsu,
OF the rash experiment you made in 1912 You
found then discriminating duty Of ASS, which you
reduced 10 25s. Have you DESTROYED the Canada
tTadel At the port Of Liverpool tie average ton
mage in the British North American trade, for elev-
en- years preceding the reduction Of the duty was
l53,O 900 tons and since you removed the duty on
Canadian timber the average has been 1874 900 tons
Of shipping employed at Liverpool in the Canada
trade' On the average OF seven years before the
reduction of duty, 5,749 900 loads Of pines were
imported; in 1874, the quantity brought from Can
ada amounted 10 {, 2l 900 loads; and in lS45 10
470 900 loads Yet the ship-owners call on YOU TO
refuse reduction Of the duty on timber, as they
called on you to refuse a reduction formerly from
ASS TO 25s. But you have deficiency in that par.
tcular article which will build ships that shall en-.
dure for twelve years: and these were the circum-
stances under which you have the modest proposal
made to leave the discriminating duty at its present
amount Of 25s, instead Of reducing 10 l5s,; and
that is what the shipowners Of all things ask rs es-
sentsl to their ineress" Following up this subject
Sir Robert referred to the alarms excited in ore.
vious times by proposals to reduce import duties and
to the gratifying results which had followed. When
MIR. Huskisson proposed an alteration Of the silk
duties; Lord Ashburton, (then Mr. Barring J resist
ed the measure asserting that the effect would be 10
ruin the sk-weavers, and drive them TO the poor
rates for subsistence. And what had been the re-
sulp The consumption, which for the ten years
ending in 1898 was 800 pounds, is now for
the year 1874, 6,20S,02l pounds. Similar fears
expressed in 1S42, in reference to the trade in
feathers. One extensive merchant told Sir Robert
that the effect would be annihiate the Irish and
English feather trade; but that person had written to
him in the course of the present year. telling him
that his fears had proved unfounded that his trade
was more prosperous than before; and mentioning
that his great demand had been from Cornwall
thus showing that the Cornish miners had been
prosperous in consequence of plenty and album
dance, and had been able to expend part of their
earnings in feather goods. In conclusion, Sir Rob-
ert remarked, that the to be given did not in
voye question Of confidence in the government
but the decision as to whether the House were
willing to advance upon the path on which they
had been proceeding, whether they would retro
grade. He entreated them to look at their physical
advantages: at those and snews Of their man.
ufactures the stores of iron and coal which abound
in their territory. Let them also look their ac-
quired advantages. Why, England has ten times
the capital Of any nation in the world He asked
them to bear in mind that many countries are
watching their decisions. Sardinia had set the OK.
ample Of a liberal tariff. Naples would shortly fol-
low He could tell them that Prussia was already
ep. md France w dearoi,o IN f,llou
ample which England was setting. [Sr Robert
Peel, after nearly three hours speaking resumed his
seat amidst long-conlinued cheers, especially from
the opposition.
The debate was brought to close at o'clock on
the morning Of Saturday the 18th Of February az
ter powerful speech from Mr. Golden, on the
weakness of tho protectionsts numerically and po
lltically. The division preceded by "scene, ~
Of purely personal and recrmnatory cast, in
which Mr.. Ferrand, Mr.. Bright, Mr.. Roebunk, and
others, were the actors.
For Sir r. Peels motion ...........,..33 1897
Againstu. ................-..24 0
Majority for the motion.
The following are extracts from a letter from an
American gentleman-in London, (says the Albany
Argus) whose position and character give weight
to his opinions
"LoNpoN, March 9, 1886.
"The intense interest felt in the fate of Sir Robert
Pees great scheme Of commercial policy, has for
the last few weeks overshadowed the Oregon ques-
ton in the attention Of the public but now that the
triumphant majority of 81 in the Commons has de-
cared itself in favor Of the submitted it
is generally conceded that the Lords will not dare
to offer serious opposition to its passage through
the House, and the large number who take this
view of the case consider the corn-aws virtually re-
pealed by the heavy majority in favor of their de-
molition in the more popular and powerful branch
of the national legislature. have been present fire.
quenty during the debate, and have had the ndvan-
tage of hearing, great topic, nearly all the first
political names Of England. The successful nc
complishment of this great revolutionary move
ment, is, in my humble view, more a tribute to the
power Of popular agitation and a concession to the
necessity Of the case, than homage to the prnei-
pies Of free trade.
"Sir Robert Peel looks pale and careworn. He
and the homo secretary Sir James Graham, wers
compelled, during protracted debate Of twelve
nights, to endure kind Of political martyrdom.
Their speeches, their pledges, the promises on
which they obtained Office were all cast into their
teeth. Hsnsard (reports) was ransacked to delec.
tata their ears with their own staunch Arguments