Us and
been adopted of trying the princ. mero soheme of financial
then queled the King's spacol
vcatulated the country upon free trade mesures pirendy past- aded a further removal of al
ivere the statements to which I was a parly in 1825. The right gentleman bag I think, a far right to gay-don't content Tlf whith hese general declarations in favour the principles by which you will Since they throw, u the onus of
138 axceptions
may again any right hon. gentleman talks of resuming of Mr Huskisson, I can any, with truth, that I did fordially cooperate with Mr Huskissou mlje Onancial measures, and that I did receive The that from no from Mr. Hqalisson, the ASIUISTICE member of the govenment had he received more cordial support than from myself in enrying his measures and in mitigating the difficulties with which he had to contend.””
Sir Robert Peel then referred to the several que stions of free trade on which he had supported Lord Melbourne's government he had supported the new regulation of the dates on Brazilian of fee, in order to abolish those sigurd restrictions which prevented the direct importion of coffee, And to prevent the necessity of seeing it round by the Cape. He had supported the equalization of dities between East and West India produce, which was long a test of free trade or monopoly. He had also supported the government in the measure for the free introduction of timber into the West Ludies, which was opposed by the Protectionists As a blow to Canada. With respect to the part of the speech which referred to the abolition of duties unproductive to the revenue and växatious to com- merce, Sir Robert Peel said.--
Now, you ask me, if I contend against that principle of reducing the public burthens? Not the least. I consider nothing more proper." Then, aa to Whether the principle of protection, upon which others of these duties are founded, be not carried to'an extent injurious alikes to the jucoine the state and to the interests of the people?" Sir Robert Peel said, I cannot coated against the principle; and my only reason for contending gainst the address is, that it solicits an opinion on the three measures which from part of the bad- get and what I fear is, that were 1 to allow it to pase in consequence of any acquiescence in a general words, that you might consider is, and that the public would take it, as an acquiescence in the detailed measures.
THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE,
coubauance of it
could
Le recurrence of t Taxation, an
the
All the phot
nister in favour of free trade. speech of the 27th of August, that the Peel Mins
And was there, ia contended for in the Import Duties Communes vas based on protection? lect any such bằng The debates in Parliament, port had been recognised, and to a lesser and torte of the protectionists out of durs, degree, acted upon All export duties 1
musia such-bellef existed Among the abolished. The duties on all raw materials of
nufactures had been repealed. thcluding cr merous interests whose protection was affected by
was that of the copper miners in Cera- wool. The differential duties on sugar and a the lardi was that
A must recollect the uncompromising op had been greatly reduced; the duties on 7214 Par which was offered to the
to the Government by cles in the tariff had been reduced, and, on 45 relen Sir Richard. Vivian, to whom was attributed the them, entirely repeated. In every case proties pamble which thep appeared Shall Peel or had been abandoned or modified, and simple Sunley lead! This was an appeal to the advoca aimed at And, on all bands, was admed, a les of protection on behalf of "mative industry.”
whather viewed in relation to the interesis apua... What answer was given lo tant appeal? Nope, ty affected, but more particularly with regard Where theo, was Mr D'Israeli Justifying Spublic revenue, the policy had proved Robert Peel's free trade policy. If the protser not only safe, but highly beneficial. But was th topista confided in the minister before, because they we again ask, one word or deed of the wate expected him to govern according to their views, which entitled the protectionists to Best.med was impossible they could be so deluded after these government existed for the purpose of a messes were passed. But, further, to show how their principles? garnestly Sir Robert Peel acted up to the principles laid down in 1841, he encountered the odium of the income tax, in order to enable him to relinquish the revenue, which the reduction of duties involyad Those who followed Sir Robert Be & prolection mill pister, should then have withdrawn their couf dence. Those who continued it after these agis, and taken in conjunction with his former profes- sions, annot be enticed dow to talk of betrayal.
In 1818 on material changes were introduced with the budget The revenon hud mot eritir: lyro covered the deficiencies which existed in 1842, and the roductions which were then made, But in by session the Canada Corn Bill was introduced by Lord Stanley. This, ngain, was regarded as an open attack on the protectiva principle. It was debated and opposed as such. The government did not dany that the object was in secure greater abundance Still mea profess to this day to believe that they were entitled to consider the government, pledged to sustain the protective principle in all its integrity, and pretend to have been taken by surprise, and be trayed by the acts of the present sussion.
Would fidence
parties were ltogether to be determ toed cus the courae which the master has proceedal in since if it has turned out that the plicy an Bunded on the 27th of August 1841, by Sit to bert Feel, has been persevered in one steady, and undeviating course from his brat advent to once, then those who still adhere to a belief that the pro- tection principle 14 o
is essential to the welfare of the may be enpointed; but those who be Country, may lieve on the efficacy of free trade to promote the general good, can only be gratified that the fears and auspicious they then entertained, have proved groundless. The true value of the professions of Sir Robe Peel, in 1841, can only be estimated by his urse of conduct afterwards and wo are certain that mone, and least those who have known tha trammels which official responsibility, with regard to revenue and viber considerations impose upon minenter, will think ita conclusive argument Ri gainst the sincerity of those professions, if the re- forms which they fairly inferted were carried out with a caution, which to those now possessing those responsibilities, might appear unnecessarily slow or even if the minister should, from the success of his first experiments, think it safe and deditable to go further than ho at first could have contemplated, What we want to show is that nothing which Bir Robert Peel professed in 1841, could be construed into an obligation towards the agricultural interest to maintain protection, that he not only distinely resormed to himself the right to modify and change the coro law as circumstances might render neces sary, but that he distinctly avowed free trade priu- ciples, as the foundation of his policy.
|
Comme
In the session of 1841, Sir Robert Peel, steady to his announced policy in August, 1841, prosecut ed commercial reforms. In introducing the budger, the Chasertor of the Exchequer proposed an equa lization of the excise duty between flint and i Such then were the professions with whieh Sir non gloss, and a reduction of the duty on vinegar; Robert Peel commenced his government. Lei us a reduction on the import duties on currants; a fur. now examine how far free traders have been justifither reduction of the duty on foreign coffee from ed in gradually relinquishing that distrust which eightpence to sixpence per ib, leaving that on cole, they felt in those profesions in 1811, and which niai coffee as it was; a reduction of daty on maripe wee not a little increased by the fact that the Duke insurances, and lastly what was deemed a gira of Buckingham was a member of the cabinet. it free-trade admission, an entire repeal of the duty on will be remembered that at a very early stage of foreign woul. These reductions amounted to the Peel government, the Dake of Richmond, in ( ૩ | l his place in the House of Lords, did claim the Go
Vinegar veryment as an instrument of the agricultural in- Corrente terest: They it was that had made it and could
tries. **
Coffre
1Vout
£85,000
12,000 90,000 100,000
100,000
£397,000
|
We are, however, qaite willing to admit that thing, except the general tendency of Sir R Peel's policy, had occurred up to this time, th dace any one to think that he would carry it se as to propose a total repeal of the corn law
Bat, towards the close of the session of 1945, w cussions arose one on the motion of Lord Joa Russell on the condition of the country, and the utte on Mr Villiers' motihn for a committee on the cr laws; on which occasions it became clear that S Robert Feel and Sir James Graham had acquind strong opinions against the policy of maintain those law. It was clear that the beneficial effici of cheapness and abundance on the condition of the masses, as shown by the experience of 1843, 41 and 45, had produced a deep influence on the mus of the ministers, and a great change of opinion sa to the intimate connection which restrictions and high price of foot het with suffering, crime and disease. It was plain that the circumstances onder which Sir Robert Peel had said in August, 1911, that he would even advise the total repent of the corn laws, had arrived Those who listened to the speeches of the ministers on these twen motions wile convinced that their defence of a corn low was at an end. alea
Under these circumstances the seaxim of 1813 closed. The events which happened during the month of September, October, and November: the general failure of the potato crop throughout E- rope, and the defective conditions of the grain crops in many planes; the extraordinary means which were adopted by Holland, Belgism, Russia, Tor key, and some of the German province, to seeme their people froin impending fimine; the discovery that the potato crops in this kingdom, and especni by in Ireland, badshared the cognition fate, all come bined to impose upon the government the deepest sense of responsibility for the securite of this ca try Sir Robert Perl world at ones have og ned the ports, and called parliament together to pop permanent measures of relief, and to sobinit his views to te adoption or rejection, Fe was appos
Here sæaip we find an attack on colonial preced by his onhinet, and the resignation of December tion by a reduction of the duty on foreign coffes, and on agricultural protection by a repeal of the wool duties; and a regard to the doctrines of irde commercial policy, by removing the duties on raw materials, and articles essential to manufactitres. Again in the same session on the introduction of the sugar duties, the same principle was observed; and with a view to the policy of the government with regard to slave-grown edgar, from which we cannot too strongly express our dissent, the earliest oppor tonity was seized, which the expiry of the Brazilian treaty admitted to introduce foreign free-labour su- garat a great reduction of doty? The duties be fore were 24stor colonial, and 60s for foreigd. The bill of that session reduced the duty on foret free labour suger to 848, from and after the 10th No- vomber, We need not now enter into the merits of that plan, which we have so often discussed, Whatever its faults, nevertheless proves that steady and indeviating course was plireaed in ac cordance with the professions made in August 1841,' and that the advocates of protestrun had constant evidence of the sincerity of those professions.
unmake it." But Sir Robert Peel took an early opportunity of declaring that he would not hold office by any "servila tenure," or be in any for tered" in the policy which he might deem it neces- sary to follow. The first evidence that the Minis- ter End determined to pursue the policy which bis speech of August indicated, was that immediately prior to the meeting of parliament, when a cabinet council was held to decide on the speech from the throne, the Duke of Buckingham retired; and when the speech was delivered, on the 3rd ofly, it contained a "recommendation to consider the "state of the laws which affect the import of cra, "and of other articles the produce of foreign con- On the 9th of February, Sir R. Peelin trudaced the corn bill which has just expired, which, though a material modification on that which preceded it, had nothing to recommend it to free traders; for if similar disasters to those which happened in 1589-40 under the old sliding scale, did not occur under the law of 1812, it war only because the latter was never fairly tried. But, on the 11th of March, the Minister introduced a large measure of reform in the tariff He announced, the fundamental principle of the government, with regard to commerce, to be repeat of all prohi, bilory, and a reduction of protective duties. Out of 1,200 articles of which the latif consisted, re- ductions were made on, 750. These reductions were applied so that, as a rule, the duty on A materials should not exceed 5 per cent, that on are ticles party maqufactured 12 per cent,; and that "I now approach the more important and ex- on articles wholly manufactured 20 per cent. The piting question of the corn laws in order that prohibitions which up to that the existed against Inay anke no mistake, allow me to refer to the ex the import of live ahinicis, no
1s, and some kinds of pro- pressions which I made use of on this point beforevisions, were removed, and they were admitted at The dissolution. I said, that or consideration, moderate duties. The duty on foreign.coffce was had farmed an opinion, which intervening could reduced from fifteen pence to eightpence per pound, eration has not induced me to alter, that the prin and that on colonial from sixpence to fourpence the ciple of a graduated scale was preferable to that of pound. The duty on Canadian umber was reduced
city—but I said then,
1, and from ten shillings to one chilling the load, and that 1 repeat the lopgange held on foreign timber from Efly five chalings to twenty.without any opposition from the Protect
bind myself to the details fice shilings the load, on the ground of its import- will reserve to myself the nnce as a raw materiál, The export duties on and amending British manufactures, which, Though stull, were lang ago now but highly objectionable in principle were entirely nd myrell to the ma
repeated and on the ground of relieving the you charge on travelling the duty on stage coaches the agri wab materially reduced. The reductions under
#42 this
So far Sir Robest Bell instead of repudiating the principles of free trade, most distinctly and san- equivocally recognizes them as those on which he had acted with Mr Huskisson, and adopts them as those on which his fiture policy would be based. But now, as far as regards the car law, and the Condition on which the right bon bart, accepted the support of the agricultural interest, was his language less distinct and plaint Let us again quote his own words —
defrevoc
were
750 articles
£270,000
Un coffee
170000.
Clapt
On limber
600.000
Export duty on mann acluria
Un stages coaches
sinn, Sir Robert Peel brought forward the budget
Again, in 1845, as the commencement of the see-
whole of tile financial policy. The some principles and took that occasion to pass under review the were still adhered to, and to end ble him to carry auf, his policy still further, he sought a renewal of the income tax which was then on the eve of expiry, Paditest had then, sufficient experience of the uses made of the income tax to ename it to decide abled the Minister to repeal many find to modify how far it was desirable to continue it. It had en
other protective duties, I was sought to be renew- ed for the express purpose of repealing and further modifying other protective duties Tende parse
commercial reforms amounted in Lort sper -the entire repeal of the Julien on fou. and finty articles in the tarif the duly a cotton wool the re doy mounts, the repeal of thes the repeal of the auction duty, or in the sugar sluttes Th the British tariff with
followet. Lord J Rassell, who in the meantime had pubilehed his Triter to the electors of Laundan, in which he announced his opinion is favou ma total repeat of the corn law, was sent for to form a government he finally failed to hecomplish it Loud Stanley bad in the meantime declared that he could not form one on protectionists principles, nu i under these circunstances Sir Robert Ped returned to power and romodelled his cabines for the expICES purpose of repealing the corn laws, and introduc
ng such further commercial reforms ne the state of The revenue would admit Parkinment was sum. honed for as carly a day as possible, and the mea sure which hally received the rail masem yrs. erday, were proposed on the 27th of January, These ensures though of a more ex ensise and sweep- ing kind than any thing before introduced, were pussued by Sir Robert Peel throughout the whols still strictly in accordance with the general policy period of a government. The measures them- selves bave been so recently under discussion that we lont require more particularly to describe them.
It is freely admitted that every member of the party ties, have felt himself perfectly at liberty to House of Commons must, without any regard t
ment; hut we are at a loss to understand on what support or oppose the propositions of the govern ground the minister should have bocning the oky ct of personal attack and accusation, for the perform- ance of this great public duty. It way to be view ed only, ma a question of public potter and necessity, in which both the great parties of the state were confidence the best interests of all parties will to equally agreed, and by which we have the greate
In this short review of the policy pursued in the last five sessions, we have not attempted to criticise the manner in which the theasured were carried out, our only object has been generally to show that one steady principle has beah poraued throughout, equal. By in nccdrdance with the profession of the Mi- nister when he took office in 18417 and with the Important measures of the present session which yesterday received the royal asent.
found to be consulteds.
We cannot however conclude this notice with. out acknowledging the great and disulterested wid bich Sir Robert Peel has throughout the whole period of his official cateor received from his poli Etical opponents Pateralis, and from Lord Jolin Rus- sell in particular: The entire disregard of all or dinary party considerations in the various consics which Have faken place in Parliament in support of the gedit measures of free trade, which have been enrried during the last fire yeais, which has cha- racterised the course parsed by Lord John Russell, The deepest gratitude of the mura especially, in regard to the inken during the last six months. Peel there is no individual in coumge and singlemindedness debted, for hoe triumph of those e finally established free trade Blicy of this Conley, BE We are Bus for his influence exerted at These measures would not ihto Jaw Economist,
en
KONG
TOTER CARE,
STEGET