cent. Oxen, sheep, and other agricultural produce, which had previously been prohibited, were to be admitted at a moderate rate of duty-it amounted, for instance, to fifteen shillings for each cow, and three shillings for each sheep. A great number of articles were enumerated, the duties upon which were, in some instances, to be lowered 100 per cent. Amongst the articles which he dealt with, were clover and grass seeds, onions, foreign woods, especially mahogany; iron, lead, and copper; spermaceti, train, and bladder oil; dye-stuff and drugs; foreign meat, rice, strawplait, and other articles. Upon approaching the subject of a reduction of duty on timber he observed—

"The more I consider this subject, the more firmly I hold the opinion that we are about to confer an important benefit on the consumer, by the relinquishment of a certain amount -a very great amount I admit, of revenue. Here I may be allowed to support my views by a dictum of Mr. Deacon Hume, who observed-'We have abundance of untaxed coal; abundance of untaxed iron; we only want abuudance of untaxed wood, in order to be provided cheaply with the three great primary raw materials of employment and industry.' That was the opinion, shortly expressed, of Mr. Deacon Hume, with respect to the great advantages of a reduction of duty on this article. I am afraid we cannot confer on the consumer the benefit of untaxed wood; I wish we could; but a total reduction of duty would be, I think, unwise. To admit an unlimited competition with the colonies in an article of so much importance to them, would be a course open to grave objection. But the arrangement ultimately to import colonial timber free from duty, will keep in check any demand which might be made upon you, in the event of your being disposed to afford additional facilities for the importation of Baltic timber."

The new tariff produced considerable discontent, especially amongst the landowners. The free-traders, who viewed the measure as a step in the right direction, endeavoured to get the duties on articles from foreign countries reduced to a level with those which were brought from the colonies. The protectionists regarded the measure as an abandonment of their interests.

On the fifth night's debate upon the distress of the country, Lord Howick's motion, the premier replied to a part of Mr. Cobden's speech in the following terms:

"But,' says the honourable gentleman, 'you reduce the price of timber when there are no factories to build;' as if there were nothing else in the world but factories. I do not undervalue the importance of factories; but to say that when bridges, houses, and various other buildings, are always to be constructed or repaired, no advantage is derived in the great reduction of the price of timber, simply because no additional cotton mills are required, is an argument which only indicates that the honourable gentleman's notions of commercial prosperity, and the happiness of the nation, all centre in the erection of cotton mills throughout the country. I think I can establish the importance of the alteration, by the words of Mr. Deacon Hume, for there was no one article to which he attached greater importance than timber. He said, 'You have coal and iron cheap; make timber cheap too, and you have the three great elements of commercial prosperity.'"

Again, on the 17th June, 1844, on the order of the day being read, for the House to resolve itself into Committee on the Sugar Duties Bill, after stating that he had always been of opinion that the ordinary considerations which determine matters of financial and commercial policy do not apply to the particular article

U

of sugar, there occurs the most pointed testimony of all to the subject of this volume.

"Whether the views we still entertain upon this subject be well founded or not, at least they are consistent viewsviews which we held, which we avowed, and acted upon when we were opposed to the right honourable gentleman.* They appeared to receive a sanction also from the very high authority of one whose name I have never mentioned without accompanying it with professions of respect for his opinions on all matters of finance, I mean Mr. Deacon Hume. That gentleman was the advocate of the removal of the restrictions on the trade in corn, and he was the decided opponent of the protective system: he was the authority of all others who has given the most express and positive opinions, deriving great weight from his official situation and connection with the Government in favour of unrestricted commerce and the abolition of protection. Mr. Hume himself excepted this article of sugar and the slave trade from the ordinary principles which should govern the commercial regulations. He said, 'I cannot conceive after having thirty years ago abolished the slave trade, and after having abolished slavery itself, that any question of free-trade can arise respecting Cuba with her abundance of rich soil-not only having the advantage of a population of slaves, but notoriously importing the enormous amount of 40,000 to 50,000 slaves annually, having in fact the slave-trade and slavery. When the law has deprived the planter of the means of raising his produce, I consider the question as altogether taken out of the category of free-trade.' Those were the opinions of Mr. Deacon Hume, delivered so recently as the year 1840. He was the advocate of the abolition of all restrictions. Her Majesty's Government entertain the same opinion. They think, that to expose the British planter, who has neither the advantage, if it be an advantage, of slavery, nor still less of the slave-trade, to the

* Mr, Labouchere, President of the Board of Trade.

necessity of competing with Brazil and Cuba, spots the most favoured by nature for the production of sugar-the parts of the world containing probably the most of rich and virgin soil, and with a climate peculiarly adapted to the production of sugar: we entertain Mr. Hume's opinion-that if you prohibit the slave-trade and abolish slavery, it requires the most mature consideration before you subject the British planter to competition with countries possessed of such facilities for increased production."

In the Session of 1845, further reductions in the revenue duties were effected. The tax upon sugar was lessened; but still there was a higher duty on the produce of foreign countries than on that of our own colonies, which dissatisfied the free-traders. The duty on glass was entirely repealed, and the exciseman banished, so far as that article of manufacture was concerned. The duty on 430 different imported articles on which the duties were trifling, bringing little to the revenue, while they were very troublesome to officers and merchants in the collection, were repealed by a single act.

292

CHAPTER XI.

NOTIONS ON BIOGRAPHY-MR. DISRAELI QUOTED-SIR R. PEEL'S SYMPATHY WITH THE CREATIONS OF OTHERS-HIS RESPECT FOR MR. DEACON HUME'S OPINIONS ON FINANCE-HIS INFLUENCE DIFFICULTIES EXERTIONS-MR. HUME'S SCHEME FOR LIFE INSURANCE FOR THE WORKING CLASSES-HIS USEFULNESS— HIS UNOSTENTATIOUS CAREER-HIS DEATH-SIR ROBERT PEEL'S ALLUSION TO IT IN PARLIAMENT.

"Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit."-HOR.

"OUR notions," says an able writer, "upon the subject of biography, may be extravagant; but if an individual is really of consequence enough to have his life and character recorded for public remembrance, we have always been of opinion that the public ought to be made acquainted with all the inward springs and relations of his character. How did the world and the man's life, from his particular position, modify him from without; how did he modify these from within? With what endeavours and what efficiency rule over them? With what resistance and what sufferings sink under them? In a word, what and how produced, was his effect upon society? He who should answer these questions in regard to any individual would, we believe, furnish a model of perfection in biography." We