Page:History of the Anti corn law league - Volume 2.pdf/304

 condition of the country, its tranquility, and the total absence of all political excitement in Great Britain is borne out, and whether there were any of these indications of improvement upon which Her Majesty has congratulated you, I shall shortly have a measure of great importance to propose to the House, when the House will have an oppor tunity of declaring whether in their opinion the administration of affairs has been misconducted by us, and the condition of the country has been deteriorated—whether they will continue to us that confidence without which no government can conduct the public affairs well, and without which, the noble lord will permit me to say, no government ought to remain in office. The other speakers were Mr. Mills, Sir C. Napier, Mr. Plumptre, Mr. Wyse, Mr. Bellew, Mr. Villiers, Mr. Sheil, Sir J. Graham, Mr. Shaw, Lord Palmerston, Sir R. Inglis, Lord Sandon, and Lord Howick. Of these the first named said " he hoped that in any intended reduction of taxation the agricultural interest should not be forgot." Mr. Wyse, Mr. Bellew, Mr. Sheil, and Lord Sandon spoke in favour of the proposed legislation for Ireland; Mr. Plumptre, Mr. Shaw, and Sir Robert Inglis were not pleased with it. Mr. Villiers said that it was now clear that all the objects of the protective system had been defeated, and that in consequence of the relaxation of that system the present prosperity of the country had been produced. "He did not hesitate to assert that it was owing to everything having occurred which it was the prime object of protection to preventchcapness of produce, and abundance of food, arising chiefly from a most singularly abundant harvest, aided by certain relaxations of the protective system. Those things had occurred-there has been plenty, and they were, thank God, gathering its fruits. The means of the community had been increased, and consumption was extended. This was the promise of free trade; this had occurred in spite of the gentlemen opposite, and the country had to thank