The Dundee Advertiser gives an interesting account of the reception
of Sir Henry Parnell at Dundee, and of the great electoral meeting at which the resolution in his favour, recorded in our last paper, was carried by acclamation. • A party of the citizens, headed by the Chief Magistrate, crossed the Tay (about two miles broad at that point) to meet him on his approach through Fife. With this guard of honour he was ferried to Dundee, and escorted to the Town-hall; where the freedom of the borough was conferred upon him by the Magistrates and Council. This was on Saturday -the 6th : on Monday the Sal, the electors were invited to assemble in the largest church of the town, to hear Sir Henry explain his political sentiments. The church was crowded by electors and non-electors, amounting to three thousand and upwards. Provost Lindsay opened the proceedings, and then Sir Henry Parnell spoke. His speech was comprehensive, strai3htforward, unaffected: all the circumstances considered, and espec;ally the post- tion which Sir Henry is about to occupy, it is one of the most impor- tant manifestoes that has lately proceeded from any public man. On this account, we transfer a considerable portion of it to our columns, as possessing not a prov:ncial but a national interest.
" I think it is quite manifest, that, the more we investigate the subject, the more we will see that the best way of piomoting the industry and wealth of the country is to afford the most perfect f.veclom in the employment or capital and labour.. Politica: economy has for its chief object the interest and welffire of the working classes ; and it is by following up its priuciples that the interests of these classes ate best promoted. -It is by allowing the owners of capital the most perfect freedom in its exercise, diet we effectually promote the acquisition of wee.lth, and the acquisition of wealth enable) the capitalist to give employment and remuneration for labour. On the subject of Fi- nance. I may say that I have doae all in my power to keep down expenditure. During the war, there was no question regarding expenditure in which I did not vote for keep- ing it below what was proposed by Ministers. I conceive that, during the whole period . of the war, the expenditure of the country was muck more than was necessary. I can refer to the proceedings of Parliament to show, that, when Mr. Hume began his cele- brated attacks on Om -Estimates, I wes one of his constant supporters, though there were few who went along with him at the time. I can refer further, to my own publi- cation on Financial Reform ; and I feel I can refer with confidence to it, as containing the best proof of the accuracy of the pAnciples I have espoused ; and, from the facts and illustrations it contains. I think there ceu be no doubt in the mind of any one that I have been, and am still, an advocate for the retrenchment of the burdens which press on the people of this country. With regard to another subject of great interest, namely, the Cora-laws, it will be seen, by reference to the same publication, that I am decidedly opposed to them. I have always regretted that an a: tide of primary necessity should be augmented in price by the operation of such laws. I think the present rates should be changed ; and, in place of them as a commencement, a moderate fixed duty should be levied; keeping, at the same time, in view the abandoning of any duty in a short time altogether. As regards the Taxation of the country, I will say that a number of the public taxes should be got rid or.—seme of them being injurious to industry and the extensmn of education and knowledge ; and others acting partially on Oilrerent classes. Such should be got rid of, and a substitute found for them that can be more equally applied. I do not imagine that it is necessary to go to the same extent as Mr. Robix- . son proposed in his late motion as to a Property-tax. Instead of eighteen or twenty null one of taxes being required to be raised trom a Property-tax if the general expel'. diture of the country were reduced, six or eight millions at most would be sufficient. I am of opinion that a tax upon property, to such an extent, is preferable to deriving it from other sources. The question of Septennial Parliaments !nest not be overlooked in addressing so numerous an assembly; end I beg to say, that I will vote for a repeal of the act which extends the duration of Parliaments to seven years. Another great :question is that which refers to the Ballot. I have read a great deal on the subject, and my impression is, that the arguments in favour of the Ballot meponderate. I hap- pened to be in France in 1857, when a contested general election took place ; and the great point at issue was, whether the Minister should be able to pack the Chamber o. peptides, or whether the electors should exercise their own opinions in the matter ; and my impression was, that if the Ballot had not existed, the Minister woulct have suc- ceeded ; and, had he succeeded. Charles might still have retained his throne, and every spark of civil and religious liberty would have been extinguished. I come now to ano- ther subject with which I am personally connected, and it is to explain how it happens that, after having for twenty-seven years occupied a seat in Parliament, I should, at the present moment, be deprived or one. I can safely say that my want of success io the representation of my native county, did not arise from any single complaint which my constituents had against me for what I had done. I uniformly opposed es cry measure that was hostile to their sentiments ; and had I pledged myself to vote for a repeal of the Union, my election was certain. 'Phis was a pledge, however, which I could not conscientiously give, as I hold the opinion that a repeal of the Union would be attended with injury to the three parts of the United Kingdom. With regard to the measures of the preset. Government, prrticularly the late measure in regard to Ire- land, I am able to offer yo.: an opinimt—for, although not in Parliament I happened to be Chairman of a Com aittue that sat for two or three months on the affairs of Ire- land in the last session. After the most careful investigation, the Committee drew up a report, in which they proposed a series of measures which appeared to them calcu- lated to pacify Ireland. I had a considerable share in drawing up the report ; tind am convinced, that, had the suggestions it contuined been acted on, the coercive measure pro- posed and carried, would not have been necessary. .1 consider that the disturbances in Ire- land might have been put down by a wore active administraGon of the common law, without having recourse to military law. Had I been in Parliament, I would have advised the House to adopt the suggestions contained in the report, in preference to the measures proposed by Government. I think it right to state, that, in my opinion, there has been a most unfortunate mismanagement of the affairs of Ireland. I think that, had the present Ministers done what they had the power of doing,—namely, to have employed Mr. O'Connell in a situation in reg«rd to Ireland, for which his influence and talents as a lawyer so eminently qualified him„—a great deal of the present disturbunces would have been avoided. The collection of tithes has been.the chief cause of all the disturbances ; and particularly the measure of last session, which authorized the collection of arrears, has produced vast irritation ; and, until Government really set to work in earnest, and put au end to the tithe system, I cannot see how the pacification of Ireland can be ac- complished. I trust it will soon be attempted ; and, instead of a half measure, we will go to Me root of the evil. It occurs to me, that if the Tithes were abolished, the num- ber and income of the Bishops cud other dignitaries of! the Church reduced, and a suitable provision made for them by means of a Land-tax, this would go far to settle the question satisfactorily. I beg now to say n few words on the recent measures of Government. I think some of the measures of Ministers deserve the gratitude a the country. The question of Church Reform, in Ireland, is certainly a very valuable measure; and so is the inquiry into corporations ; and the suggestions as to the East India Company, are calculated to do much good. But, aftergiving them credit in this way. I feel it right to say that other parts of their procedure have not been to ray satis- faction. / was shoclicd to see those roma governorships, which were in reality sinecures, filled up at the commencement of the session; and that they should have contimicd the practice of giving rewards by a system of sinecures. When I held the office of Secre• tory at War, it was one of my objects to get rid of the system of filling up useless of- fices as a reward for past services. Where 'ow:1r(l was due, I consideosl it pras-abio to state the claims at once to Parliament, and to take the epiniou of the House on the case and as to the amount to be given. It/tint all pensions and rewards of every hind Aoo given in this way,—in every instance Ministers should come bilere Par:ionic& fir e:y, state the maims which exist, say how much should be given, and let Parliament decide tue mat- ter. I also consider that Ministers have not bestowed sufficient attention On the suljeet of the Army. The Estimates are now before the House of Commons. and I have la-en much disappointed that the sum asked for is so large. In regard to the Navy, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir James Graham, is entitled to great credit, not only fin re- ducing the expenses or the Navy to a great amount, but particularly for having simpli- fied the management, by consolidating a great many offices, by which the business is managed better and with much less expense. When the House of Commons is called on to vote twenty-seven thousand seamen in the sixteenth or seventeenth year of peace, it certainly appears much more than necessary ; in proportion to this number of men, ships require to be kept in commission, and other establishments kept up ; and, on the whole, there must of course be a much heavier expense than if the number of men were less. I cannot see the reason which exists fur so great a number of men being rego:red. For- merly, when the Navies or France, Holland, and Spain, 'WM considerable, eighteen then- saud men were considered sufficient ; and, although at present the Navies or Russia and America are increasing, still the circumstances do not warrant the keeping up of so large a navy by ourselves- So far as the Armyis concerned, the circumstances of Ircland may so far justify the number sought for ; but, in many of the departments of expendi- ture great redactions might be made. When I was Secretary at War, I examined minutely every item' of expenditure, with a view of making reductions ; and, after having satisfied myself as to the several points, I communicated the result to the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer, furnishing at the same time a system of estimates which I approved of. Although it appeared at the time that my leaving office was in cense- • quence of opposing the payment of five millions of the public money to Russia, believing the payment to be improper, the true cause of my quitting qffice was my unwillingness to bring forward Estimates such as the Ministry approved of, believing them tote improper, and such as I could not vote for. Had I consented to bring forward the Estimates without reduction, I hose no doubt but I would have been still in office. But I have always acted on one principle—that of doing what I considered right, without deviatieg to one side or another. I could not, when in office, consent to vote for those things which I had so long opposed?'
Sir Henry Parnell's sentiments on several other leading points were ascertained, through the medium of questions put to him by several of the electors' and particularly by Mr. Christie, the banker, and Chair- man of the Political Union. For example, he declared that be was utterly opposed to military flogging, and that he considered the military opinions upon which the necessity for it is founded as good for nothing. He considered the practice of impressment as unnecessary, and cruel. He thought that the Bishops would be much better out of Parliament, than in it—that they would discharge their spiritual duties better if they were relieved from attending to temporal concerns in the House of Lords. As to abolishing Church Establishments altogether, that 'was a very large question, and he must have time to consider his answer to it : but he was of opinion that the Protestant Church of Ireland was the cause of almost all the evils which had prevailed in that country, and he hoped that by proper measures the Catholics would soon be relieved from supporting it. With regard to Political Union s, although he had never joined any of them, still he would vote against any measure to put them down : he thought it best to have mediums for the expression of public opinion, and that the Unions would do good rather than evil—in quiet times they would not be ne- cessary. He would give the minor boroughs in England a fair trial before he adopted any measure for their disfranchisement : some of them at the late election had exercised their franchise well, though others had been tainted with corruption. He would also try the 101. household franchise fairly; if it failed he would agree to a further ex- tension of the suffrage. He adhered to all the opinions he had laid down in his book on Financial Reform. This declaration, made in answer to a special interrogatory, was satisfactory to the meeting, and was received with repeated cheers.
We suspect that Earl Grey's Ministry is not very popular in Dundee. Bailie Symon, one of the speakers at the meeting, who moved the re- solution in favour of Sir Henry Parnell, said-
" I shall leave it to yourselves to say, whether, reasoning from occurrences since Lord Althorp became Chancellor of the Exchequer, it would not have been more beneficial for the country, and more creditable to Lord Althorp, had Sir Henry occupied his Lordship's plr.ce as Minister of Finance. (Cheers and laughter.) I believe Lord Althorp is, on the whole, an honest man. (Laud cries if" No, no I ") He is an honest ;nig then. (Great laughter.) I mean to claim no great credit for him as a Minister —(Continued laughter)—but shall leave you to judge of him from his public acts. * * * * One thing, however, must be gratifying to all, and that is, the removal of Mr. Stanley. His successor, Sir John Hobhouse, his made a modest request,—he just asks for three months to change the opinion of the whole country ! (Laughter and cries of "He is a bad man tool ") He goes amongst them with the abominabie bill in the one hand, and something behind his back in the other hand, which be says will please them vastly, but which he carefully conceals. Well may the poor Irish exclaim with the Patriarch of old= the voice, indeed, is the voice of Jacob, but the hand is the rough hand of Esau." (Great cheering.)
Mr. Thomas Neish attempted to speak a few words in defence of Lord Althorp, but the meeting refused to hear him. Mr. Christie said " that he had entirely lost confidence in the present Ministry, and the present Parliament;" and this declaration met with the hearty ap- proval of the meeting. Sir Henry Parnell seems to have received universal support : Whigs, Tories, and Radicals have coalesced to return him. The Tories, more especially, profess uncommon satisfaction at his success ; which, con- sidering the opinions avowed by Sir Henry, is not a little extraordinary. But then, they say, he is no Radical. The term "Radical," however, bears a very vague signification; and it is of no consequence what party name a man may assume, provided his political creed is as clearly ex- posed as that of Sir Henry Parnell. His declarations on almost every point of public interest and importance are now before his constituents and the public, and by these declarations he of all men will most cer- tainly abide. It is because he holds the liberal sentiments which he de- veloped in his speech, and was known to possess the talent and moral courage to enforce them, that, although a perfect stranger in Dundee, the electors of that thriving and important town and district, containing nearly 60,000 inhabitants, have called upon him to represent them in Parliament. The Chief Magistrate, Provost Lindsay, stated this point distinctly in the speech with which the business of the meeting was opened.
" Sir Henry, in the hearing of many of yott [in the Town Hall, when the freedom of the borough was presented] stated his sentiments shortly on several of those subjects
which are at present so interesting to us ; and from every expression which he uttered, I am confident that must confirm us in the opinion that, of all men in Great Britain, Sir Henry is the fittest to represent this great commercial town in Parliament. I do not say this on any vague assertion, or from any indefinite hopes of what he may do: 1 speak from my own conviction (in which I trust you will all agree), when I say, that the surest pledge of what he will be, rests on what he has already been. (Great cheering.)
It the Dundee Conservatives choose to consider Sir H. Parnell as one of their party, after hearing the opinions which he has avowed, we can only say, that the somewhat sudden change which has come over them is highly to the credit of their sense and discernment. The election took place on Wednesday. As soon as it was over, Sir Henry took his departure for the South. The two chief towns in Fife, through which he passed on his way to Dundee, have also been forward to do honour to Sir Henry Parnell: the boroughs both of Cupar and Kirkcaldy have presented him with their freedom.
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