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racy of the anticipations of those who thought the revenue would recover the reduction in two years . He doubted it because the people must first acquire , a taste for wines ; and he did not think that with regard to wines or any other article the taste of a whole people could be revolutionised in a single day . The present taste of . the public in respect to wine wasowing to their long prevalent fiscal system : but still they could not alter that national taste except in the course of years . The present consumption of foreign wines was 6 , 000 , 000
g allons , and to produce at the Is . duty the same amount of revenue as was produced by the present duty , there should be a consumption of 36 , 000 , 000 gallons . Now , a consumption of 36 , 000 , 000 gallons could not take place unless the national taste became so greatly altered or modified that he might call it a complete transformation . At present the wine duties produced one raillion ; he was not prepared to sacrifice that amount of revenue ; and if he were he would have the reduction of other duties pressed on his attention by those who wished lowered duties on tea , on coffee , or on soap .
Mr . John M'GtBEGOR approved of the reduction , but recognised the financial difficulties that would result . Mr . Mofpatt adduced instances to show that increased consumption would follow . Mr . Hume saw good in the motion . Nothing was so injurious as to tax the innocent beverages of the poor . They ought to make beer cheap ; looking to the consumption of 26 , 000 gallons of spirits , they should consider whether Parliament had not been a party to the increase . After a few words from otber members the motion was withdrawn .
British Seamen . —In the House of Lords last night , the Earl of ELtENBOBOtrGH presented a petition from the mariners of Hartlepool complaining of the proposed alterations in the proportion of British and foreign seamen employed in the merchant service , and praying that those alterations might not be permitted to become law . The noble earl warned the House against alienating the affections o'f British seamen by lowering their wages , and concluded by declaring that such a line of policy reminded Lim
of that pursued by the Roman statesman who hired Groths to defend the State , and thus ruined the Empire which lie had intended to protect . Earl Gbanville , after deprecating the discussion of matters at present pending before the Lower House , protested against the imputation that the object of the alteration was to lower the wages of British seamen , or to do them any injustice . After some observations from the Duke of Argyll the petition was ordered to lie on the table .
Diplomatic Service . —On the order for going into committee of supply , last night , Mr . Ewabt called attention to the expediency of instituting an examination of candidates for tlie diplomatic service . Lord Stanley said , tbe subject had occupied the attention of the late Government , and he was bound to say that the result of a full consideration of it was , that there appeared to be no material difficulty in the way of a system of examination . At the same time , it was impossible not to set ) that the subject was connected with a much wider question—¦ namely , the general question , whether tho diplomatic service ought to bo treated as a special profession and
exclusive service , like the army and navy : and it appeared to him very doubtful whether it was desirable to render diplomacy a profession . If it continued to be so regarded , it waa indispensable , in his opinion , to establish tsorno test . Lord Palmkkhton said , when ho held tho seals of tlio Foroign-ofliee , lies had taken steps to establish a teat for the junior members of the diplomatic service . Ho did not concur in the opinion of Lord Stanley that the diplomatic service should not be treated as a . special profession . Our diplomatists had been sometimes disparaged , but his experience of our diplomatic body had convinced him that mi fiovf > niim > iif , in I . Ik ; world wns better served or SO Well
informed as the British Government by the agents it employed . Mr . Diskaki . i inaiiiliiiiied that tho position of Lord Stanley was n sound and true principle , and Mint by reforming our diplomatic service upon that principle , it would be rendered much more ofiicicnt . Mr . Bowvkk , Mr . I ' ll i m , i moiuc , and Dr . R . Pnu , r , i moru made a few remarks , and the Hiihjcct was dropped . I ltiHii Static Duma . —Mr . Gkoimjk Hknuy MooitK brought up the old question known nn the repayment of advances made to Ireland during tho famine . While the landlords are willing to repay a great portion of it , they
complain of the lurge amount expended under the Labour Kate Act , mul think that in justice it ought to foe remitted . Mr . G I , A DHToNii declined to stale what were the intentions of Government until he made his financial statement ; but he vigorously defended the Government of the day when the debts were eon traded . . Lord John Ruhhkm , and Sir Ciiaiu . kh Wood spoke on the name Hide . Their most notable opponents were Mr . Jsaac JJi ; tt and Mr . Johuimi JVapikr . The motion for a committee to consider tho question with a view to remitting Hie debt , was lost by ll ' . l to » r > .
jNJ ) IA , —The Karl of TlAunowiiY , on Thursday , presented a petition from the native inhabitants of tho lieugul . Presidency , complaining of their exclusion from o / Iice , him ! of the general miil-iidminihtratioii of the affairs of . 1 nriiu under the present system . The noble Karl , after an al > l « i Rijeoch , in which he went into the grievances of tho petitioners in detail , moved that the petition be laid on tho table , and referred t , o the Select Committee on Jndia . Tho Karl of Ai . iuoMAiti . i-: Hupportod the prayed * of the petitioners , who , he believed , complained of grievances which it was the duty of the Imperial ( Government to redress . The Karl of Ki ' . i . kn no rod u ii also addressed the House in support of the petition , and especially imj > lorod tho Government , in any future plan for the administration of "
India , to take care that the Governor-General was placed under the direct and sole authority of the Crown . The Combination of Workmen Bill ( Mr . Drummond ) has been read a second time . Mr . Hume's Bill gives " perfect equality to masters and workmen ; " but recent decisions had unsettled the question . This Bill , therefore , declares the law . Aggravated Absattlts . ; —An attempt was made by Mr . Phinw » in committee on this bill , to enact that corporal punishment should be inflicted on offenders , in addition to six months' imprisonment . But it was opposed on the ground that it was inconsistent with the spirit of the age , and a retrograde step towards making punishment vengeance for crime , instead of protection for society . Pressed to a division the amendment was rejected by 108 to 60 . Decimat . Coinage . —In reply to a question on this head , the Chancellor of the Exchequer admitted the importance of the arguments in favour of a Decimal coinage , but said that an alteration in the character of those particular coins , which are in point of fact the measures of value , and the basis of the whole idea of value to the mass of the population , is a very serious change . The Government would assent to the intended appointment of a select committee to consider the subject . The Chairman op Committees . —Mr . Wilson Patten , not being in good iealth , intimated his retirement from this office . Both Lord John Rttbse £ I < and Mr . Disraeii spoke warmly of the admirable judgment aud temper with which Mr . Patten had performed his duties .
ME . GLADSTONE S EESOLUTIONS . The following is an abstract of the Resolutions , proposed by Mr . Gladstone : — " South Sea Stock , South Sea Annuities , and the Three per Cent . Annuities of 1726 and 1751 , are to be compulsorily redeemed . " Holders of the above stock , by giving a notice on or before the 6 th of May , 1853 , may receive for every 1001 . stock either " 821 . 103 . Three-and-a-Half per Cent . Stock , not redeemable before 5 th January , 1894 , an arrangement by which , the nation will pay an interest of 21 . 17 s . 6 d . per cent , per annum for 40 years , and will further have reduced the capital of its debt at the end of that period by 171 . 10 s . per cent . ; " Or , 1107 . Two-and-a-Halfper Cent ,. Stock , also not redeemable before the 5 th of January , 1894 , an offer which gives the holder of the stocks proposed to be redeemed an annual interest of 2 J per cent , for 40 ream , the nation finding itself saddled at the end of that period with an increase of 10 per cent , in the nominal amount of its debt , an increase , be it marked , exactly equivalent to the nation ' s saving in interest during the 40 years . " Or £ 100 Exchequer Bond bearing 2 J per cent , annual interest for a few years , not longer than ten , and then bearing 2 \ per cent , till 1894 ., with coupons attached , with interest payable to bearer half-yearly , and with the option of redeeming the bonds in 1894 to rest with the Government , or with the bondholder , as may be agreed to at the time of . itaue . This is by far the simplest and most natural arrangement . " After tho 5 th of January , 1854 , the interest on the abovenamed 3 per cent , stocks proposed to be compulsorily reduced shall cease , and parties not acceding to tho Government proposal shall be paid oil " . " Holders of Consols or Reduced may also convert their stock on giving notice by the lOih of October , 1853 , into either of the now stocks or Exchequer Bonds on the same terms . " The amount of the new Exchequer Bonds shall not exceed thirty millions sterling . [ No limit is apparently fixed to the issue of the new stocks . ] Trustees converting stock are to bo indemnified . " (" Mr . Gladstone ' s scheme , therefore , provides for tho compulsory payment of the following stocks : — South Sea Stock , or original capital Jit 3 £ per cent £ 3 , 662 , 784 Old South Sea Annuities at 8 per cent . . 3 , 010 , 378 New Kouth Sea Annuities at ditto . . 2 , 137 , 984 South Sea ditto , 1751 ditto . . 480 , 200 Hank Annuities , 1720 709 , 292 £ 10 , 000 , 038 The resolutions have been nmended . Tho 1 ' wo-und-a-IIalf per Cent . Stook is limited to thirty millions . j
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MR . CItAWSIIAY'S SPEECH ON THE TURKISH QUESTION . Pubmc opinion in the provinces , informed l > y intelligent leaders , is being awakened to a lively interest in European politics , in the greatly industrial town of Newcastle , the citizens , properly beaded by the Mayor , have emphatically pronounced that England should preserve tho " maintenance of the independence of Turkey against the aggressions of Austria and Huswia . " On Tuesday the meeting for this purpose was held ; the lecture-room wan crowded ; the Mayor took tho chair . Mr . George Crnwshny was tho principal speaker . His speech combined a clear statement of the case , a keen analysis of theeiieuinstnnoes , nnd n spirited appeal to tho public feeling of the country . He pointed out that until lately none but statesmen were interested in foreign politics ; now , meetings of the people to pronounce on them had lieon frequently held , and the successful meeting before liiin was a striking evidence of the change . This change might be dated from tho time of the Hungarian struggle ; tho country felt with Hungary against tho intervention of Itussia , and sympathized with the Sultiui in his refusal to give up tho refugeoH . The Sultan , following tho dictates of bin noble licurf , had released KohsuUi , and ho had thun awakened the attachment of this country , and tho vengeance of Austria . The opportunity for tlmt vengeance had now come . Upon the contines of Turkey Mini Austria there was u little province culled Montenegro . It had boennlvviiys recognised as a province of Turkey ; but Austria , on the ground that the Montenegrins were " Christians , " took tlio people into its
especial favour . They were a savage and barbaropeople ; one of their constant practices being the cu ting Off tho heads of those whom they slew in battfe , and carrying them about as trophies . These Montenegrins attacked the subjects of the Sultan , who inter fered to protect his people . But Austria grew indignant at the presence of a Turkish army on its frontiers ; : it consequently sent menacing messages to Constantinople , to make audacious demands on the Sultan-The Sultan applied to the English embassy for a promise of support , but the request was refused , and so * the Porte had to yield all that was asked . After having detailed these facts in a popular style , Mr . Crawshay commented on them .
" The time had come when public opinion must be informed upon this subject—and he believed the views of statesmen upon the subject were such as any thinking working man in the meeting could comprehend if they were properly laid before him . If Lord John Russell came down to Newcastle and told them his reasons for considering the preservation of the independence of Turkey of sogreat importance , he would find an audience- who woulcfe perfectly comprehend him , and entirely sympathize with . him . Bow , the first reason why our statesmen , thought ; , the independence of Turkey was of importance to thiscountry was our possession of India . If Russia were m . possession of Turkey , next to Turkey came Persia , which was already undermined by the intrigues of Russia , andi
between which and our Indian empire thore interposed only the tribes of Affghanistan , our enemies . Our overland route to India might then be out off ; in one word ,, he thought that in the event of Russia coming into the . * possession of Turkey , their friend John Bright and his ; Manchester friends mig ht spare themselves the trouble' ofT reforming our Indian empire . ( Laughter , and applause ))) Our trade with Turkey was the next consideration whiclk influenced statesmen and commercial men in recognisiiig " the extreme importance of maintaining the independenca of that country . We talked of free trade , but the TurkisHi Government was the only one in the world which perfectly , carried out the principle of free trade . ( Applause . ) The Turkish Government levied a duty of 3 per cent , ad
valorem upon imported goods of every description . The consequence was , that our trade with Turkey had been for some time past upon the increase , and at the present time , was of double the magnitude of our trade to Austria and ; Russia both combined ; while our trade with Austria andi Russia was stationary , for the simple reason that they .-acted on the principle of monopoly and restriction , andi took just so much of our manufactures as they could nofr . help , and just such of our fabrics as they could not make .. He might be told that he wanted to create a spirit of wan . He might be told by the friends of peace that he was advocating a warlike policy . Now , let him observe , that as to . those friends of peace who would not justify the- use ofi " arms under any circumstances , he did not think it "worth .
his while to enter into any answer . ( Applause . ) i He ^ inaght and he did respect their motives , and he might ; Ijaok forward to tho accomplishment of their object ;; but he re- , garded it as so utterly impossible in the present time ' t& \ act on such principles , that he declined to . enter into any argument with them . But , with regard- to that great portion of the population of this country who were de-. sirous of peace , as they assembled in that lecture-room , wer ^ desirous of peace before they heard of tho Peace Society some of them might , perhaps , say , ' Suppose you wevo to , send a diplomatist who could write Austria and Russia a * note , asking them , ' Will you agree to give us fre ^ passagoto India—will you agree to levy no more duties upon ouecommerce ? ' — well , ho thought it probablo >—uay ,
hothought it certain—that tho Emperor of Russia and thoi Emperor of Austria would take olF their ha ^ to such o > , diplomatist , and would say ' Most certainly . ' They wouldl make any promise—nay , he believed tboy would offer anybribc—to obtain tho consent of this country , to thai ** spoliation of Turkey . But Lord John Russell had said . ifc . the House of Commons , that ho trusted no Englishm *)© . would ever be a party to any such scenes as w . oro ojcwjcteO * at the partition of Poland— ( applause)—and , fc # ( Mr \ Crawshay ) perfectly agreed with the import ot thee « words . They should consider with whon \ tlioy have t » deal , oven should they contemplate auy compromise Would they bcliovo tho Governments of Austria auil Russia ? Could they trust thorn P Would they lea . MW
their trade or their interests at their mercy P Would thay for fear put their trado in thoir power ? Ho thought nut . Ho wii « uwaro that what ho wan about to say rnjgh-fi appenr to some hard , and rash , and uncharitable ; bi » 6 ut " such a eriwis as this it was of no use taking upon , onu - self tho responsibility of spouking at all unless outspoke * tho whole truth ; and ho hud no hesitation , therefore ) , iir saying , that , except in diplomatic language , friendship between Muglund and tho Governments of Austj'ja and RiiHsiu was impossible . ( Applau . se . ) It might havo oxistod all very well in tho good old Tory times ; but sincu the period of tho Reform Bill this country had entered on . a career of advancement in civil , l'eligious , and cummer * . einl liberty , which ho boliovcd it would maintain . Ho . ' did not allude to any violent or sudden democratic flro ~
grows ; , but ho behoved thorn wus no rational ErighMiinui ) but would concede to him that it was quito apparent thaii this country was advancing in liberty , and not going buck to arbitrary government . ( Applause . ) But with rogani ! to tho Governments of Austria and Russia , ho himoutodl to say that tlioy had entered upon precisely tho contrary course—they depended for their very existence upon tUx « inaintenauuo of priestly authority and militury dospotwwii . and undor thoso principles tho continent of Kuropo hurt boeomo a Hnnguinnry battlo-fiold . ( Applause and diNHejut . ) Yos , ho ropoutod , tho continent of j 5 urop « was a battlofiold at tho present time . Ho did not call that / noueo in Italy . Ho < lid not call that peace in Hungary . Wo called it a Btato of war , with tho doBpornto . injsurrootious on ono
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342 T H E L E A D E R . [ Saturday ,
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Leader (1850-1860), April 9, 1853, page 342, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1981/page/6/
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