gnitude of
its relations, a great national subject. Government were well aware,
he continued, at the commencement of the year, that the finance of
the country was matter of great difficulty, and would require great
attention. Their resolution to consider the corn-laws was formed before
the 11th of March, when the notice was given that the colonial duties
would be reviewed.

Government had to meet a deficiency of L2,400,000. It was open to the
house to have objected to the expenditure at the time; but now to oppose
the going into committee of ways and means, without suggesting any other
plan as preferable to that of the government, was unworthy of a great
party. Ministers had preferred the plan of altering the import duties,
as now proposed, for the purpose of relieving instead of oppressing the
people. Being prepared to deal with sugar and timber as questions of
revenue, they would not have been justified in excluding the other great
question, that of corn; especially with their opinions on the merits of
that question, and their belief that, sooner or later, it must be made
the means of an extensive change in the commercial situation of this
country. Before the house had gone into committee, Lord John Russell had
announced the rate of duties which he meant to propose on corn; namely,
on wheat, a duty of eight shillings per quarter; on rye, of five
shillings; on barley, of four shillings and sixpence, and on oats, of
three shillings and sixpence. His lordship now said that the duties he
meant to propose, added to the charge of freight, would constitute a
sufficient protection, keeping the price of wheat, in all probability,
at from fifty to sixty shillings a quarter. With respect to sugar,
he considered the true principle was protection, not prohibition. He
entered into some details, for the purpose of showing that West Indian
interests would be protected under the proposals of ministers, and
that freedom of commercial intercourse among nations had a tendency to
improve and cheapen the productions of each. By the admission of foreign
sugar, his lordship said, the industry of the West Indies would be
stimulated to better means of production, and the English labourer would
obtain his sugar on more reasonable terms. His lordship next entered
into various statistical details, to prove that the great measure of
slave emancipation had been eminently successful; and that the condition
of the negroes was not only promising, but