STATE OF THE NATION. HOUSE OF COMMONS, MONDAY, JULY 2.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 373, 10 November 1849, Page 3

STATE OF THE NATION. HOUSE OF COMMONS, MONDAY, JULY 2.

Mr. Disraeli moved that the home resolve Itself into a committee of the whole bouse to tak» into consideration the state of the nation. The hon. member began hit speech by declaring that he made his motion •because he found the country labouring under general distress, aud because he found that that general d I etress wai progressive since the formation of the exiiting Government. The noble lord and hu colleagues possessed the gorernment during three years uncoiltrolled and uncriticued — they hud not to encounter an organised oppooit'on— they obtained and held the rein* of power under circuinstancre remarkably favourable. It «aa therefore most natural to contrast the •ituation of the couutrjr at tke present moment with what it wue when the noble lord and hit colleagues came into of* fire. What wa< the condition of tha country, in Its, chief relations, at the commencement of th« year 1846 7 A profound tranquility then pref ailed in Europa ; and if any disagreement did arise, the friendly mediation of .England at once cauted it to disappear, Our colouiei , after •uffertng great viciMitudes, had than reconciled <thems«lve* to their new position, and then there existed—whit, alai! did not now •xiit— hopa. Our ex. port trade then reached an amount never before known. The Agricultural interests were then prosperous not only because high prices prevailed, but because agricultural produce found a sure market. The sate of Ireland, if not then satisfactory, was happiness compared with its present condition. In her M jesty'i Exchequer there was a surplus revenue of between three and four millions sterling. What win the state of the country in her principal relations row ? European jtranquility and Euglish influence had ditupprared together. Our colonies were all dissatisfied, and some in insurrection. Our foreign trade had fallen off in the declared value seven millions sterling. Ireland was absolutely in a state of social decomposition. As to the revenue, our surplus of above three million!, had jsunk to a deficiency of three millions, and hut for the interference of the home it would have sunk still lower. Such waa the itrikiug contrast bstweeu the condition, of Englsnd in 1846 and 1848. Yet it was strange that, Although we wew in the enjoyment, in 184<>, of all the advantages he bid described, we were then disiatUfied. Nothing, thefr, flbotf of being the wprkshop of the world— iothiug fess than perpetual peace and cosmopolitan pbiljjfn^frbphy came up to our ambitious idea«. After the lifte of three years, from the commencement of i64s, h.e fojind, from the report of the Poor Law Coiaminionpri; that there wa% an increaie in the pauperism of the iiMe-bqiMeu 1 alone of 74 per cent.; an Increase in the pitanefunn geuerally of 21 per ceni.; a/) increase in the* expenditure for purposes of the poor of 25 per cent. Y bit statement alone, made by the I'oor-law Commissioners justified hit motion, for it was ,the paramount duty of parliament to inquire info the .causes of this startling invasion of pauperism before separating for the recess. Tbp motion was a cons' it u. £ional one, one founded on precedent, and its object waa not to be misunderstood. He and liis friends meant by it to impugn the policy of tke government; they considered tbe state of the nation to he alarming, and they w shed to challenge th.? policy that produced such disastrous results. .Had their* object been merely to embarrass the government, they might have framed another motion, such as migjff have fished some votes from the extreme r§ licat ttfnehet, and caught a few from the J'eel clic|ur. JJulit tfit a question too great Tor a chance majority, and one that should bo submitted with the profoundest gravity and consideration. IVliai were the causes of tbe present deterioration in the condition of the people ? Irish famine — of course ; tailway speculation— naturally ; commercial over-tra-ding — to be sure ; continental convulsions— as the climax. Such were the cauiee alleged by those wh« pio» iniaed unbounded prosperity to the country as the couarquenca of free 1 imports and their new commercial system. But he (Mr. Disraeli) did not believe these were the csuits. He believed that our diminished foreign trade, the destruction of our home market, the adoption by foreign governments of hostile tariffs* the adoption by us of that new commercial system which rendered British labour lots cffi« eat and of less exchangeable value, which diminished profits and lessened wages— he believed that thete were the true causes of toe sad condiion of the country in all itt relations. The hon. member procerded to quota nuthen* tic information on the table of the house to prove the enormously deteriorated state of our export trade, the destruction of our home markets, the ruin of agricultural interests, and tbe general distress of all our industrial classes. He thsn cast a glance over tbe affairs of Ireland and the colonies, and condemned tbe policy of tke Government in revpect to them. He then turned his regard over foreign countries. He believed that the policy pursued towards foreign powers by the Government was one of the principal causes of those continental convulsions of which so much bad been tnade. He found that her Majesty's Government were in communication with th« discontented partr in every foreign state, but somehow or other her Majesty's Government and their allies had invariably failed in their schemes, and the result was that at this moment tier Majesty's Ministers had no influence in any pan of the world except at Paris. The hon. member having sketched the principal features in the vide canvass spread by bis motion, describing the condition of tbe working classes previous to our new legislative changes, and iniuted that in uo community that existed since the Roman empire had the working classes a greater command over the necessaries of life than in England. During the last sixty years tbeir proven had borne 4tv* relation to tbe progress of all other classes, and tot tiie last twenty years the spirit ef our laws and le-

gislation was to elevate their oondifion. Bat the Go* vernment and those who joined with thim thought they would change ill this ; instead of achieving the bc«t they thought they would achieve tha cheapest. The remit was manifest in the embarrasment, the impoverishment, and the hopelessness of all the industry of the country. But, worse even than the material IntAretta — the character, the noble and Indefatigable spirit, th« ntnbition of the people were destroyed. Go where any one might, he would hear but one uni ferial murmur— suffering without hope. Mr. Disraeli, in conclusion, having quoted a passage from Cicero descriptive of a new disease that had fallen on the State— a »ew disease for which no one could discover a remedy-— said he offered a remedy for the calamities of the country — a remedy that he thought would beat relic To the sufferings of the people, and beat sustain ■ falling empire. A pause ensued, in expectation that Mr. Hume would rise to mote the araeudmeut of which he had given notice, but the bon. member sat still. The amendment was to be that althongh the free admission of food by the repeal of the corn laws had contributed to the relief of 'he country during the late period of scarcity, and although the late relaxation of our com- | raeicial system would tend to the gradual improvement [ of trade, commerce, and agriculture, yet the present ■'ate of the nation required a finaucial revision with a vi«w to a reduction ot the expenditure, which was lar* ger than necessary in time of peace, and also with a view to the repeal of Excise dm ies. which prevent«d the employment of capital and the development of industry. '

The Chanckllok of the Exchequer roie, in (he hope that Mr. Hume had abaodoued his amenlmtnt, to oppose the motion* which held out no specific remedy for the distress to eloquently described by Mr. Disraeli. That remedy wan suggested in a resolution of a recent meeting, namely the restoration of pro. tection. He first vindicated the colonial policy of the present Government, showing from official returns the progressive increase of exports from the West India colonies since the Adoption of free-trade principles, even in British Guiana ; and then proceeded to the main topic-* the internal stale of the country. He complained of Mr. Disraeli* assuming its state in March, 1848. as a test of lt« condition no*— the period being remarkable for the high price of corn ; and he gave statistical results of the enquiries ha had made in all parts of tht country, whence' it appeared that •mployment of labour was incrraiing, and tht number of ablebodied paupers diminishing. In th« manufacturing district!, the circumstances of the artisans, now jo full employment, had not been no favour able in respect to wages and com for tt for many years as &t present, and thair improved condition was Apparent In tht great diminution of crime. This imptlse domestic industry had received from the entourage- 1 mt'iit given by a reduction of duty upon raw foreign j commodities ; and Sir Charles pointed out the fallacy of the infereuce drawn by Mr. Disraeli from the com- j partitive cheapness of our exports, the quantity of which, he had admitted, had increased, aud they were still increasing in quantity anl v.ilue in an extraordinary degrtr. After extracting sdditional evidence of the improved condition of the labouring classM from the vait increase in thf consumption of tht chief articles of donnestio use, and showing hy a variety of returns the success which the principles of commercial 1 legislation lately adopted had realised, including our shipping—which, he contended, directly. negatived tht allegations of the member for Buoks-»bt turned to that ptrt of the subject respecting which, he confessed, he could not give equally tu'itffactorr statements, rutqely, the *(a*e of the agricultural districts He admitted thnt considerable complaint and alarm existed nmongit fanners ; but, although the average price of wheat i'qr th« five months ending M&y was only 455. 3d during the Istat three years it had been 58s. 3 {„ and whut mu>t be the state of the agricultural Interest, if, with prices like these, farm*rt were, as Mr. Disraeli inserted, ruined ? Sir Churlrs discussed at much length, the action of recent legislation, the repeal of the Corn laws, and the modification of the tariff, upon our agriculture, pojuting out the failure of tht predictione which had t> rJafenrd a supe.flq* of foreign corn, and then applied himself to what he anid was the pith of the question, namely, the condition of tht agricultu. rsl labourers, lie believed that in the sou'h west of England wages were reduced, and Mut there was a want of employment ; but this, he showrd, wan not tha cm* in other parts, where labourers in husbandry were able to purchase with the tame wages a greater amount of necessaries. He ur«ed the farmers to follow the txnm.ple of the manufacturers, and by an improved system of agriculture give increased employment, whilst it would diminish tha cost of production and price, thereby doubly bettering tht labourer's condition., He argued this question an a country gentleman, — one of a clan which could not fulfil ilje public duties attachiug tot their station uuleis they possessed the confidence of the great body of the people, which would be withheld if the people believed they were intent upon th ir own interests ; and if iht< motion was vn attempt to reverse past legislation, he truseedthc house would resist it, at fatal to the best interests of the country and to the. stability of its institutions.

Mr. Baillii aupported tht motion, belisvmg that there n»»er wai a period when tiic state of the country morb imperatively required tbo anxious consideration of the Legislature. He had been disappointed in the effect! of our free trade meitiurei, which, owing to the manner in which a tonnd principle was currird out by the Government bad been one of the chief ctuaes of the exiitiug distrew, and had ruined the colonies. Mr. UohitucK, obscrred. that if Mr Diiraeli did no ninn by his motion that ht wat ready to take the Goverument into his own hands, he meant nothing. He had come forward as the head of a great party with ■oine proposals, but what they were he wai not able or not willing to tell ; the whole force of hit speech baa bean confined to criticism. Passtng an animated panegyric upon the public conduct of Sir Robert Peel for the repeal of the Corn lawa, and adverting to ihe cir£unetanc«s of hit ejectment from office, when tbo ■tar of Mr. DUraeli roie— he asked why the house •hould depart on this oscasion from the ordinary nriuoiplei of tht Constiution, and interrupt tke businosi of the session to consider the state of the nation. That stftte w£i,on,e of greut hope and confidence. The deficiency of the revenue could be accounted for without accusing the principles of fret; trad*. Ha could assert authoritatively shat the mercantile community was improving, and, that if my part of the agricultural community wassufferirig, it was the land* lords alone. Mr. Roebnek defended the foreign policy of the Gsvernmcnt, which, aided by th« prudential legislation of Sir R, Pee), who had mant a timely concession to the intelligent wishes of the people, had preierred England in the most critical p»riod which the world had ever known. Mr. Plumtrs, in supporting tht motion, controverted some of the statement! of Sir C. Wood and Mr. Roebuck respecting pauperism amongst tht ablebudied • in rural districts, which was incrtasing in Ktnt,. through want of employment and the distress of th», farmer, owing .o the adoption of free trade principle*. On the motion of Mr. Slanet, Urn dtbatt wm adjourned..