eal
with the whole commercial system of the country. He will adopt
the principle of the League, _that of removing all protection and
abolishing all monopoly_, but not in favour of one class and as a
triumph over another, but to the benefit of the nation, farmers as
well as manufacturers. He would begin with cotton, and take in all the
necessaries of life and corn amongst them. The experiments he had
made in 1842 and 1845 with boldness but with caution had borne out the
correctness of the principle: the wool duty was taken off, and wool
sold higher than ever before; foreign cattle were let in, and the
cattle of England stood better in the market than ever. He would not
ask for compensation to the land, but wherever he could give it, and
at the same time promote the social development, there he would do it,
but on that ground. For instance, one of the greatest benefits to
the country would be the establishment of a rural police on the
same principle as the metropolitan police. By taking this on the
Consolidated Fund, the landowners would be immensely relieved in all
those counties which kept a police. One of the heaviest charges on
the land was the present administration of law and the carrying on of
prosecutions. Sir Robert could fancy this to be very much improved
by the appointment of a _public_ prosecutor by the State, which would
give the State a power to prevent vexatious, illegal, and immoral
prosecutions, and reduce the expenses in an extraordinary degree. Part
of the maintenance of the poor, according to the Poor Law, might be
undertaken by the State. A great calamity must be foreseen, when the
innumerable railroads now in progress shall have been terminated,
which will be the case in a few years. This will throw an enormous
labouring population suddenly out of employment. There might be a
law passed which would provide employment for them, and improve the
agriculture and production of the country, by enabling the State to
advance money to the great proprietors for the improvements of their
estates, which they could not obtain otherwise without charging their
estates beyond what they already have to bear.

Sir Robert means to go with Mr Gladstone into all these details.

ALBERT.

[Pageheading: LORD PALMERSTON'S JUSTIFICATION]

[Pageheading: LORD PALMERSTON'S POLICY]

_Viscount Palmerston to Viscount Melbourne._[41]

BOWOOD, _26th December 1845._

MY DEAR MELBOURNE,--I return you with many thanks