On this page
-
Text (2)
-
"Feb. 25, I860 j The J^eader and Saturda...
-
MR. GLADSTONE'S RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE. "...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
The Hapsbukg Plot Revealed. The " Corres...
schemes were only postponed , and by no means abandoned . In V letter to Lord Gowlby , dated 16 th August , 1859 , Lord John Russell observed , " Neither the safety nor the paramount interests of Austria are menaced by the choice of a new dynasty to rule over Tuscany . On the contrary , the restoration of the Grand Duke of Tuscany , or the Duke of Modena , by foreign forces , would be a return to that system of foreign interference winch for upwards of forty years has been the niisftn-tune of Italy and the danger of Europe . " These views were communicated to the Austrian Government ; and in a letter to Mr . Fane at Vienna ( dated 24 th August , 1859 ) , Lord John Russell thus alluded to the defects of the Zurich treaty : " The difficulties arising out of that treaty appear to Her Majesty ' s Government so
grave that they cannot well understand the slight attention they seem to receive from the Governments of the two powerful empires of Austria and France ; Her Majesty ' s Government do not understand how they are to be got over . If , indeed , ' the idea of an Italian Confederation / were abandoned ; if the Emperor of Austria , being- left to frame his future government of Yenetia according to his own ideas , the inhabitants of Central Italy were left to pursue their happiness according to their own conceptions , uninterfered with by any foreign power ; then ,- indeed , peace in Italy might be stable and permanent . " . This is excellent , except the ' concluding sentence , which is unreasonable , as there can be no permanent p eace in Italy while Austria holds an acre of it , and mates her evil government a constant source of annoyance
and alarm . "When Mr . Fane read to Count Ieghbeeg a despatch , from Lord John Russell containing the same words as those addressed to Lord Cowley , the Austrian Minister replied , ' ¦ He could not conceive that it was possible , in speaking of . interests , to forget rights ; and Austria possessed rights in reversion ^ in hot \ i the Duchies of Tuscany and / Modena "— " rights " which , he declaimed , Austria wovrid not , renounce . Tins subject is further insisted upon in a despatch from Count RECHBEitG-to the Austrian Minister " : London , and which was communicated to Lord John RussKLL , In this letter the Austrian Government denies the non-intervention doctrine laid denvn by the English Cabinet ,- - and " reserves to itself , with ¦' regard to future eventualities , its rights , and entire libei- . ty . of action . "
In September , Count Reohherg , alluding to an article , in the Moniteur , told Mr . Fane , " I like the admission of the principle that if the Archdukes are not restored ^ Austria is freed from the engagements she has contracted at Villafranca . One of the especial conditions of the cession of Lombardy was the restoration of the Archdukes ; and if it be not fulfilled , we are not bound to execute our part of the bargain . " In further elucidation of his nefarious schemes , this . unprincipled minister said that ¦ " Sardinia would hold Lombardy de Judo , and not de jure ; that the possession of a state on such terms wa 3 neither secure nor satisfactory , and that the attitude of Austria would , for the moment , be one of tranquil expectation . " This is a distinct threat of war against Sardinia the moment Austria has the courage to recommence aggression , and she keeps an immense force in tlie Quadrilateral , and in Vejxetia , ready to pounce upon . Central Italy if any circumstance should lessen lie * wholesome fear of France .
On the 8 th December , ' tlic- English Government again attempted to obtain from . Au . st . riti some promise pf" non-intervention in the duchies , and Count Risen bis no replied , " tliat . the Austrian Government reserved to themselves complete liberty of action . " He added , "If Sardinia were to occupy the duchies , Austria would have an equal right Of interference . " A few days later , Lord A . Loftus spoke of the rights of the Italian people , and , "in allusion to the declarations of Count Riscimuno , that the population of the duchies wished the return of their former rulers , proposed to appeal to them on the subject . Upon this the Count exclaimed , " that any Austriau minister wllo would agree to such a proposal would deserve the punishment for high treason . " " Never , " said his Excellency , " will au Emperor
of Austria assent to ft measure of this nature—defeat , destruction even , is preferable to such an abandonment of principle . " He again refused to agree not to employ forco for the restoration of the Dukes . Those extracts jn * ovo to a demonstration thp bnd faith of Austria in coding Lombardy . They show that she watches like a tiger for an opportunity of regaining her prey , and that with hor , a most solemn treaty is no better than a knavish truco . The deliberate falsehood of hor Government is . also proved by Count Reouhiciig ' s statements , when questioned About the enlistment carried on by General Meveuiiofisk , and recently explained in this journal . When Lord Low us first mentioned thi ^ matter , on ' the-1 st December , the Count declared "he know nothing about it . " On'the . 13 th December tho s , ubjeot was renewed , and met with a similar untruthful evasion . Thus it will bo seen-that ; these important'documents acquaint WS with the fact , that Austria is prepared to jrtake the
nonrestitution of the Dukes a ground for claiming the repossession of Tuscany , and that she bides her time , fully armed , and constantly threatening the little Sardinian kingdom . It may be asked , what can she expect from fresh hostilities ? And we have her Own explanations in reply : she prefeis- defeat and ruin to the recognition of popular right . She filsp speculates upon the chances of a general , war , which it is her . desire , to bring about ; and we have in these papers a remarkable observation of Count ReciibeR'G to Lord A . Loftus in July , 1859 . The former inquired
" whether , it the neutral Powers had taken part in the contest , and if thereby ' a ¦¦ general conflagration—which would have been inevitable—had ensued , he did not think that far greater dangers would have menaced Austria , and that she might have come less advantageously out of the contest than now had been the case ?" His Excellency , replied , " Certainly not : we should never then have been obliged to sign this peace . " The hope of Austria then lies in the . benevolent project , of setting the world in flames ! The Pope is to blow the bellows , and we shall be much astonished if the Imperial and Pontifical cpuspii-ators escape the blaze .
"Feb. 25, I860 J The J^Eader And Saturda...
"Feb . 25 , I 860 j The J ^ eader and Saturday Analyst . 17 T
Mr. Gladstone's Restrictions On Trade. "...
MR . GLADSTONE'S RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE . "VTTE have no sympathy with Mr . DisitAELi's attempt to stop VV the discussion on the Budget . The impatient-public-requires that the substance of this " bold and comprehensive measure" should be ' thoroughly sifted , and cares nothing for points of order . It . feel ' s the pressure of taxation , it sighs for the relief Mr . Gladstone- ' .. pretends to give . If some classes are enraptured by his promises , others regard them as a mockery ,
and all desire that the investigation should be-swift and searchin ' " . The public is well aware that relief from taxation , is identical . with : reduction , ' . and the leader ? of both parties . agreeing in a scale of expenditure which prohibits reduction— -which appropriates the saving" by the . - . falling in of annuities , for which the public has previously paid , and now has a -right to— -it despairs , we believe , of any real relief from either , and looks lor help beyond both . . it be
Mr . Gladstone's ingenuity surpasses his ¦ sagacity ; . - wilders , but . fails to gain confidence : The various , reductions of custo'us' duties lie proposes— - £ 1 ,-100 , 000 under the treaty , an . l £ 910 , 000- ' independent of the : treaty , together 363 , 100 , 000---w'ill tfive , lie says , ; a relief to the public to the -extent of £ 3 , 771 , 000 . So he says that by his abolition of excise duties and duties on hops , he sacrifices- revenue to the amount of £ 990 , 000 , and gives the public relief to the extent ofJ 61 , 155 , 000 . One set of these figures represents fncts , arid the . other set represents results imagined by Mr . Gladstone . The pecuniary relief -inust . be identical ¦ ' with , tlie amount ol' ruiluction
of taxation ,- ' and can ba neither more uor less . What Mr . Gladstone is understood to nuan by these mystifying and contradictory statements is this . Evi ; ry abolition or . , rod tuition of taxation releases industry from restrictions imposed on it . for the sake of so lttuch revenue . Buhi £ released from tlies <; restrictions , it . becomes productive in a much greater . but unknown ratio than when it was restricted , Tho wealth of the nation is increased . Of the increase , as well as of the whole , tlie Government continues to exact a share ¦ and its shn . ro bc ; imr proportionate to the whole , when tho Government vttduous luxation , it never loses as lriuo ' h revenue as tin ; amount- of taxation reduced . In otluir words , all taxation impedes in somu very great but ' unknowu d «{ rroo the wealth of the nation , more than tlie
revenue it actually yields to tho Government . This is the real fact , rather hidden ' thim oxphiinod by Mi . Gladstone ' s contradictory iigiu'os . It is true equally of tlio new taxation he is to impose ,, of all tho vast sum ol old taxation ho retains , as well as of that ho is to abolish . All taxation injurus the community in a greater degree than it yields revenue . On his showing , taxation—shape it as ho may—is tho groat artificial impediment to national progress ; yet , instead of reducing it , ho proposes to raise tho enor . tnous ' nmnun-t of' . £ 70 , 50 ¦ 1 , 000 . Ho ouglvl , not , therefore , to bu surprised tliat his mystifying ingenuity lias failed to obtiiin the confiuhMice of the wino moruUniits , the shipowners , tho silk manufacturers , tho publicans , the . wholesale grocers , and of the other interests hu protonds to bonuilt ,
Ho ingoniously dcfoncls our axpondituro 1 > . V comparing it with tho increase of tlie national wealth . * Inoliidiujr legally authorised local us well as 8 tut » expenditure , it incrmsod—according to JVtr , Gladstonu ' w figures—as follows : — Total Expendituro in 184 . 2-3 .... . £ 08 , 500 , 000 * 1852-3 71 , 123 . 000 , 'I ! . ' 1850-00 . ..... 87 , 007 , 000 In the eleven yciws which elapsed buUveon 1842 and 1853 the expendituro inorensed 'A ' i per cent ; ., ' and in the six youra whioh elapsed botwocn 1858 and 1859 , 38 fr por eont . -But thw inoludos tho National Debt , which has no influonco ot \ what Mr .
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 25, 1860, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_25021860/page/5/
-