THE POLICY OF THE NEW MINISTRY.
To the Electors of the City of London Gentlemen, — The administration of Sir Robert Peel having been dissolved, her Majesty has been pleased to confer upon me the office of First Lord of the Treasury. My seat in Parliament has, therefore, become vacant, and is again at your disposal. When you did me the honour to ask me to represent you, I consented to become a candidate not merely or chiefly because the distinction of representing the City of London was a just object of ambition, but because I wished to obtain for the principles of Commercial Freedom thg sanction of your approbation. Although I was elected by a very small majority, and the elections of 1 84 1 were adverse to my hopes, and favourable to the doctrine of protection, every year that has since elapsed has witnessed some relaxation of restriction, and some advance towards the establishment of the principles for which I contended. Finally, we have this year seen Sir Robert Peel propose and carry a measure for the total repeal of the duties upon foreign corn. You may be assuied that I will not desert, in office, the principles to which I adhered when they were less favourably received. I cannot, indeed, cfaim the merit either of having carried measures of free trade as a minister, or of having so prepared the public mind by any exertion of mine as to convert what would have been an impracticable attempt into certain victory. To others belong those distinctions. But I have endeavoured to do my part in this great work, according to my means and convictions : first, by proj osing a temperate relaxation of the Corn Laws, and afterwards, when the measure had been repeatedly rejected, by declaring in favour of total repeal, and using any influence I could exert to prevent the continuance of the struggle for an object not worth the cost of conflict. I trust that the measures of commercial freedom, which still remain to be accomplished, will not occasion the renewal of angry co.iflici. The Government of this country ought to behold with an impartial eye the various portions of the community engaged in agriculture, in manufactures, and in commerce. The feeling that any of them is treated with injustice provokes ill-will, disturbs legislation, and diverts attention from many useful and necessary reforms. Great social improvements are required ; public education is lamentably imperfect ; the treatment of criminals is a paoblem not yet decided ; the sanitary condition of our towns and villages has been grossly neglected. The administration of our colonies demands the most earnest and deliberate attention. Our recent discontent, and outrages of Ireland ; they are too clearly authenticated to be denied — too extensive to be treated by any but the most comprehensive measures. ' Should you again elect me your member, it will be my duty to consider all these important matters, in conjunction with those whom her Majesty has been pleased to call to her councils. At the present moment any further explanation of my views would be unauthorised and imperfect. — I have the honour to be, your most Obedient and faithful Servant, July 3, 1846. J. Russell.
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New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 138, 25 November 1846, Page 3
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532THE POLICY OF THE NEW MINISTRY. New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 138, 25 November 1846, Page 3
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