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1056 THE LEADER. [SATirkuAY,
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THE MANCHESTER FREE-TRADE GATHERING. Man...
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Mr. Macaulay's Great Speech At Edinburgh...
and prepares the fleece in the heart of Australia , and from us he receives , in return , all those commodities which are produced with most advantage in old communities , where vast masses of capital are accumulated . His candlesticks , his pots , his pans , come from Birmingham—his knife comes from Sheffield—the light cotton jacket which he wears in summer comes from Manchester , and the good stout cloth coat which protects him in winter comes from Leeds ; and in return he sends us the produce of-what was once a wilderness—the good flour , which is to "be made into the large loaf that the English labourer divides among his children [ immense cheering ] . I believe that in these changes we see the best solution of the question of the franchise—not so much by lowering the franchise to the
level of the great masses , as by the rise in a time , which is very short in the existence of a nation , of the great masses up to the level of a reasonable and moderate franchise . ( Loud cheers . ) Gentlemen , I feel that I ought to stop . I had meditated some other things to say . I meant to speak of the ballot , to which , you know , I have always been favourable—something , perhaps much , of triennial Parliaments , to which , you know , I have always been honestly opposed ; I meant to have said something of your university tests — something also about the religious equality movement in Ireland ; but I feel that I cannot ¦ well proceed . I thank you again , from my soul , for the great honour you have done me in appointing me , without solicitation , to the distinguished post of one of your representatives . I am proud of our connection , and I shall try to act in such a manner that you may never be ashamed
of it . " Such was the speech of the member for Edinburgh , closed obviously , not from want of matter , but want of strength- As the orator sank into his seat , the cheering broke out again in all the heartiness of " Scotch emphasis , " wound up by three cheers for Mr . Macaulay ; and , oddly enough , three more for " The History of England . "
1056 The Leader. [Satirkuay,
1056 THE LEADER . [ SATirkuAY ,
The Manchester Free-Trade Gathering. Man...
THE MANCHESTER FREE-TRADE GATHERING . Manchester , was again the theatre of a Free-trade demonstration on Tuesday . The scene was laid in the Free-trade Hall ; the actors were the leading men of the Anti-Corn-law League ; and the spectators'its supporters . Some hundred and twenty members of Parliament—English , Irish , and Scotch—attended , or sent sympathetic letters apologizing for absence . Nearly forty towns sent industrial representatives . . Ifc was not a banquet , but a dessert , of which they assembled to partalce ; and the guests , three thousand in number , sat at tables covered alternately with p ink and white drapery . Outspread on these were pies , sandwiches , and tarts by the thousand ; grapes , Talsms , aniiuiids , hy **» ° hundredweight ; some three hundred pounds of biscuits ; the whole garnished with upwards of two
hundred dozens of wine . Mr . George Wilson , the old chairman of the League , presided . After prayer , the loyal toasts were given ; and after these " the Free-trade Members of the House of Commons ; " and Mr . Cobdon , as the representative of the largest constituency in the kingdom , responded in a long speech . He said , they were thereto see that the great question of Free trade and Protection should he brought to a speedy settlement ; and why this question should be now raised , when everybody was convinced of the advantages of Free-trade , was because we hud 11 " packed House of Commons . " When Lord Derby came into power , he said he would take the sense of the country on the subject , and on that ground
he liud been let oil" all last session : —¦ " Well , gentlemen , we have had that election , and defective iis is ' our representative system , still them is a considerable majority in the JIouhc of Commons pledged to Free-trade ( loui ' l cheers ) . I have the high authority of a member of the Government ( Major Uoresfonl ) ior tins fact ( laughter and cheers ) . Gentlemen , all 1 stipulate is that when Parliament re-assembles , we should know who-Iher the Government be now Protectionist or Free-trade ( hear , hear ) . Is there anything unreasonable in that ? ( No no . ) Why have we had a general election , but to
dcoido Unit question ? Why do we meet now beioro Christmas but avowedly to nettle that question P ( Cheers . ) I propose , therefore , that to follow out . that view , which HeeiuM to be ho much in accordance with your sentiments ( cheers ) - I propose Mint , the Free-trade members of the-JJou . sc of CounnoiiH should bring the Derby Government to a declaration of their principles upon this question ( loud cheering ) . Now , I nay , that , if the Queen ' s Speech do not contain a distinct , renunciation and recantation ol Protection on the part of thin administration (
ohcors)then the I'Yco-trade majority , if they are true to their principles uh I honestly believe they are , are hound , either l , v an amendment to llio Address , or by a substantive re-Holulion of the House , to declare that no Government will liuvu the conlidenco of the House of Coininonu which doon not ; avow mind , I say avow ( loud cheers ) -- its . letenmnatioii to adhere to the policy of Kreo-tmdo as it . ha * been hitherto adopted , and to carry it out . m every practicable way ( l <»» d •• b' -crs ) . I say , gentlemen , that , t u , House oi Commons ought , to eall upon the Government to avow its opinions , because 1 < lmw a very great < . stino inn indeed botween the declaration of a Government and < ' « < ntu » alion the mystical intimation , of a Governmeut that , they do not at , present , think of interfering with I ' m ,-trade and the avowal of a Government , that they havo changed their opinion , and are honestly in favour of J | reo-trndo (< "oorH ) 1 miy tiiat when niaotoon-twonUotiha oi tho population of
the country , and a large majority of the House of Commons , are in favour of certain principles , that your constitutional system is a fallacy unless you can have a Government in consonance Trith that system ( loud cheers ) . It ought not to satisfy you that those who have been the inveterate enemies of the principles you have met to support should be left in possession of the ex ecutive of the country , and free to damage the progress of those principlesand prevent their extension ; , and , if possible , to bring
, back a return 60 Protectionist principles . . That will not satisfy you or satisfy the country . But the reason why such a specific and determined course is to be taken by the Free-traders is , that nothing short of that will ever settle the question of agricultural distress . The great seat of this delusion of Protection is in the dark corners of our agricultural districts . It is there that survives this faith in a Ministry , who promise one thing at the market tables , and talk in another tone in the clubs and coteries of
London ( cheers ) . And by this talk they had diverted the farmers from their natural pursuits . As to the agricultural labourers , he protested that they were better off now than under Protection , though still badly off . The only way to improve their condition was to invest more capital in the soil ; but that could not be done while the Protectionist delusion , fostered by Lord Derby and Mr . Disraeli , was kept up . In the interest of agriculture , therefore , he called upon the Tree-traders of the House of Commons to bring the question to an issue . Would that suit political parties ? He held that they should not conciliate parties in the settlement of the question . We want , he said , to bring the matter to a close ; and ,
having cleared away the rubbish of Protection , we give them free scope to all fresh combinations of parties ; and there is no honest man who wishes to see progress made in other questions who is not interested in removing the Protection and Free-trade question from the category of party contention ( loud cheers ) . " I know it is very fashionable amongcertain politicians to say , Why don't you members of the House of Commons get together , and ' form yourselves into a party ? Some people out of doors will say , You should be a Radical party . Others say , Why don't you make yourselves into a progressive party ? Well , I must confess that the people who look to the members of the House of Commons to
form parties or determine the policy of the country , have a very insufficient notion of what it is that constitutes ^ the force of political movements in this country . What is it that makes Free-trade now a powerful political question ? What is it that gives to Free-trade in Parliament the vitality and force which it possesses ? Not by a few members of the House of Commons getting together and determining to make a party question of Free-trade . Freetrade did not become a powerful question in the House of Commons , or among politiciana , until long aftor some men , rather young in years , and who natl never been known as politicians before , engaged most actively and enerp-cticallv in the promotion of the doctrines of
Freetrade out of doors , and , by means of such meetmg-s as the present , gave an impetus to the question , and enabled the members of the House of Commons to carry it triumphantly . ( Cheers . ) But if anybody supposes that , until the ' question is settled , any members of the Blouse of Commons can meet together and form any other partyuntil the people out of doors have indicated what they want , and prepared a question for members to deal withthey have forgotten the Free-trade ag itation , and aro ignorant how parties are constituted m the Ilouso of Commons . " * * ' * * " Gentlemen , I should not wonder if we are met by some of those wiso politicians with the question' What are you going to do if you turn
, out this Government ? How will you make up another Government ? ' Now , I think this question is much easier of solution after the experience of the last six months than it was before . ( Laughter and cheers . ) I < lo not think we should havo any great difficulty in finding a Government after the formation of the present . ( Laughter . ) It comprises a dozen or so of very worthy and respectable men ; but I venture to Ray there are at least five hundred men in fhi . 4 hull quite a . s competent to till the offices of Cabinet Ministers . ( Cheers and laughter . ) Wo have seen that it is not requisite- that your ancestors should have been Ministers . It does not require you to have been
an adept in red t apo all your days . It does not require a very broad coat , of arms , or even a crest . ( Laughter . ) It docs not matter what race you belong to . ( Continued laughter . ) There is no sort of embargo henceforth upon anybody being a Cabinet Minister . Therefore the difficulty w ' e used to meet , with is very considerably lessened . ( Cheers . ) Free-traders ( started by declaring that , they had no political object , to nerve . Now , I will not he guilty of Kiich a transparent ]> ieen of hypocrisy as to affect , the modesty of not , being able to make as good a Cabinet Minister as some half-score of persons upon whom that dignity has been conferred . ( Loud and long-continued cheering . )"
We must , have un emphatic recantation from Ministers . " They must , may Froe 4 rado does not , lower wages—( ehoers ) -they must , say Kroo-trado does not caurto a drain of gold from this country- ( cheers ) - they must nay that . Kree-tnule has not . thrown land out of cultivationthoy must say the land of this country is still worth Homotliiiitf—( eheers)—and thny irmnfc flay that wheat , good wheat , has not been imported into thin country , and cannot be imported into this country , at , ' Ms . per quarter . ( Cheers . ) Now , these tiro a tew of the tilings which they must say in opposition to what they said before . ( Cheers . )"
There must be no talk about compensation . I hey muHt carry out Free-li-iulu in all its consequences ; advocato Free-trade , aud not tmoer at the MuuchoHtor
school ; but in every way promote the extension of the principle in all its ramifications . He had been sneered at as a Utopian , because he connected Free-trade and Peace ; but he was only securing the legitimate consequences when he said it would render nations more independent of each other , and being independent of each other , they will be bound together in . bonds of amity and friendship . " I am . not Utopian . I am practical , and I can give a reason for the faith that is in me . I see Free-trade an accomplished fact in this country ; and as the greatest commercial country in the world , I say that ifcs example must be followed , and must lead to the extension of our intercourse with other nations . Men must be made peaceable , because it is their interest to be peaceable ( Cheers . )"
After a speech from Sir William Clay , not containing anything more remarkable than the last sentence , in which he said that the friends of Keform must advance from the Corn-law victory to future triumphs , Mr . Bright spoke to " The Anti-Corn-law League . " When the League was re-formed last March , people said it was only the ghost of that body . But their opponents were not the first band who had been frightened from the field by a ghost .
" I take leave , however , to assert , that the manifestation of opinion during the last few months , and especially during the period of the general election , has been such as to show , that if the League was buried , its spirit is still an existing and a living spirit ( cheers)—a spirit that dare and does defy any Cabinet that may exercise authority in this country to touch again the sacred question of Freetrade . ( Loud cheers . )" He pointed to the facts of the case , as affording good ground for reconstituting the League .
" Lord Derby , the notorious and unscrupulous leader of the most intolerant of the Protection party , came into office . It is difficult to say how he came there . I haye heard of generals surrendering with whole armies at discretion . T am not sure that the leader on our side of the House did not surrender without discretion . ( Laughter . ) Some say his staff was disordered ; some say his troops mutinied . Some felt that they were almost as often led into the ranks of the foe as led against them . But , whatever be the reason , ^ somehow or other Lord Derby came into office . We had Protection blasts ; and finally , Lord Palmerston offered himself as the great trumpeter , and the walls of the Whig Jericho fell at once to the ground . ( Laughter and cheers . )" But now the Protectionists were in , they sang small
about Protection . " A Whig poet wrote a couple of lines about the Whigs , which may well enough be applied to the Protectionist party : — As bees on flowers alighting cease tncn u ..-., 80 , settling into places , squires are dumb . ' ( Great laughter . ) But I take it for granted that such persons throughout the country—farmers and others—who are honestly convinced that Protection is a sound policy , advance
and that these men in office ought to endeavour to it , will ask what advantage it is to them that these talking oratorical Protectionists when in opposition , should become dumb dogs that cannot bark when in power . ( Laughter and cheors . ) I certainly anticipate a great and most , interesting ' breach of promise' case ( laughter ); ami what with corn , and ships , and colonies , Mr . Disraeli will be the defendant against the claims of three fair ladies at once . ( Itenewed laughter . )"
Contrasting the position of the Free-traders who had maintained their convict ions so long , and Minist ers who had surrendered theirs the moment they came into power , he continued" But the fact is , that we are not statesmen . ( Laughter- ) We are cotton spinners (' Hear , ' and laughter ) , ana manufacturers , and bleachers , and printers , and shopkeepers , and traders of all kinds , and professional men . hter We aro not
( Mlear , hear , ' and renewed laug . ) Btatosmon , and we have never pretended to be so . in i « country there bos been a great , ulf fixed between all tuo « interested in industry and the paths of statesmanship , an , though wo were right fourteen years ago , and Iiavo wriK ht on this question over since—though three c » b !" , 'J have been wrong , and one of them baa not yet put 1 m 1 riirhtr-it ia to be held that we are not statesmen , am' " those men only who could not see what was simply » £ on this groat fundamental , all-abaorbiiig question , an tilled to describe and to carry out the political po hy
nation . We have not hereditary brains . (» l ; g ';; Wo aro * a . Jacobin club . ' ( Renewed laughter . ) xi J f know on the authority of a gentleman who is a men the Cabinet , the Chancellor of the 1 xehequer leader , at least , of a minority of the IIouso of ^ wJiO ( Laughter , some hisses , and cheering . ) W y , « ; th calls uh a Jacobin Club must think it is not conHW [< - « ^ loyalty to the Throne to declare that the p < "I country nhall not ho starve , ! . We'll each Inn J het « are a Jacobin Club or hot . ( Loud ""< ' prolong 1 . ^^ ^ , Hut wo are the democracy . . Lord Uorh y sayH ( . 1 . « , ^^ must , be a high authority , for his blood , ior iwoiv ^ ^ tioiw , has ilovved at . tlio high level oi an earl "y , ul dth all the ancestors of the Stanleys over did 0 - ' ^ „ , ;„ part , ho much to give comfort and tran «| u » i ^ ^ country as we , the democracy ot ^ the nn League , have < lone . ( Loud cheers . ) MiiiwW He concluded that the present unconvcr < ^ OUKht to be pointed at with indi gnation ana ^ harled from the *» t of power ! H >* person uuirkublo : —
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 6, 1852, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_06111852/page/4/
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