so extensive as those by which your local prosperity is connected with that of the whole kingdom, should be committed to my care, as one of your Representatives, however I may dissent from your judgment, I hold myself bound not to shrink from a trust of so much public importance.

"There is yet, however, one objection which I think myself bound to submit to your consideration. It has been suggested to me, that in the situation to which his Majesty has been graciously pleased to appoint me,-that of President of the Committee of Privy Council for the Affairs of Trade, I may have to deal with cases, in which a conflict may arise between the commercial interests of Liverpool, and those of other parts of his Majesty's dominions. This objection is one, Gentlemen, which it behoves you to weigh before it be too late; because, if I know my own mind at all, I feel assured, that the risk, on every such occasion, would be that which your interests might perhaps incur, from an over anxiety to guard myself against, even the suspicion of, any improper bias in your favour.

"If, therefore, you think this suggestion entitled to any weight, I entreat you to reconsider your invitation, and to transfer it to some one, with better claims to your confidence, to whom the objection cannot apply.

"I have the honour to be, with the highest respect and acknowledgment,

"Gentlemen,

"Your very obliged and faithful servant,

"W. HUSKISSON."

The election commenced on the 14th of February, and finished on the following day, after a mock contest, in which Lord Molyneux, who declined appearing, polled twenty-three votes, and Dr. Crompton not one.

Mr. Huskisson had now reached an elevation whence he could beneficially exert, and call into activity, his unrivalled knowledge of commercial policy. Lord Bacon says, and the new President of the Board of Trade seemed to coincide in the justice of the maxim, that "merchants are vena porta, and if they flourish not, a kingdom may have good limbs, but will have empty veins, and flourish little taxes and imposts upon them do seldom good to the King's revenue, for that which he wins in the hundred, he loseth in the shire; the particular rates being increased, but the total bulk of trading rather decreased."*

Some preliminary steps had been already taken by Mr. Robinson and Mr. Wallace, for relaxing the restrictions which had formerly clogged our trade, and several new laws affecting it had been proposed by the Government in the session of 1822. On Mr. Huskisson's appointment, he immediately proceeded, firmly but cautiously, to take steps towards further and more important alterations. In these he found himself opposed and thwarted by the prejudices of an active and powerful party, who viewed all innovations with a jealous and unfriendly eye; and the fate of the first Bill for regulating the Silk Manufacture was an evident proof of the obstacles which he would have to encounter, before his measures could be crowned with success. This Bill, after it had passed the lower House, was returned from the Lords so

• Lord Bacon's Essay on Empire.

changed and mutilated, that Mr. Huskisson preferred abandoning it for the session, rather than to adopt the amendments. In the following year, he was more successful, and the Bill passed into a law without encountering any very formidable opposition.

The impediments which presented themselves at every step, towards a more liberal policy, are strikingly described in the following article extracted from a public Journal; which though there applied to a later period of his career, is equally true at the moment of which we are treating :

"The clamour raised against Mr. Huskisson, by the Agriculturists on the one hand, and the Manufacturers on the other, affords a lesson from which future Ministers will not fail to profit. It will be taken for granted, that it is the wisest course for men in office, in all cases, to stick to whatever is established,—" stare super antiquas vias,” -to consent to a change only when it is loudly demanded by the great majority in Parliament, but never to recommend any innovation which is not so demanded: this is the system on which all former Ministers of this country have acted, and it is obvious that all Ministers, who wish to consult their own ease and advantage, cannot do better than follow it. The liberal part of the present Administration have erred in thinking too favourably of human nature,—in thinking, that in departing from the old practice, and endeavouring to introduce substantial ameliorations into the Commercial System of the country, they would receive such support from the People, as the honesty of their intentions fairly entitled them to. We believe, in our conscience, that Mr. Huskisson approaches nearer to the character of a virtuous minister-a minister to whom

the welfare of the whole nation is more at heart than his own advantage,-than any man who has ever been in office in this country; but we question very much, whether, in the difficulties in which he has involved himself, he will be adequately supported against the attacks of his selfish enemies. Our approbation of ourselves is generally fervent enough; but our approbation of others is seldom so immoderate as to hurry us into any indiscretion in their support. We fear Mr. Huskisson is doomed to experience, to his cost, the difference, in point of zeal, between his disinterested admirers, and those who conceive their interests likely to be, in any way, affected by his measures.

"The head of a faction receives from the members the tribute of a clamorous admiration, because interest is the bond of union, and such admiration is supposed to be conducive to the ends in view. But the man who endeavours to distinguish himself by promoting the good of a whole nation, necessarily provokes the hostility of many, whose interests suffer from his measures, while he makes few warm partizans.

"It will give us sincere pleasure to find that we have taken too gloomy a view of human nature, and that, if the difficulty of Mr. Huskisson's position be great, he will find corresponding support from the friends of sound principles."*

In spite of this demonstration of hostility to the measures of the liberal portion of the Administration, as evinced in the fate of the Silk Bill, some important commercial alterations were effected in the course of 1823. Mr. Wallace's Warehousing Bill was passed, and two resolutions agreed to, which enabled the King in Council to place the Shipping of a foreign state on the same footing • Morning Chronicle.

with that of Great Britain, provided similar advantages were experienced by British shipping in the ports of such foreign states; and also to impose countervailing duties, in case such were rendered necessary by the conduct of other countries; and an act founded upon these resolutions, -usually called the Reciprocity of Duties Act, -was carried through both Houses.

In the course of this session Mr. Huskisson introduced other measures, connected with the trade and manufactures of the country-the Merchant Vessels Apprenticeship Bill, and that for removing the various vexatious regulations with which the manufacture of Scotch Linen had hitherto been shackled, and its prosperity impeded.

He also brought forward the Registry Bill, which had been prepared in the preceding year, but which he had found still lying at the Board of Trade when he succeeded to that office. This Bill was a consolidation of all the existing laws on the subject, with many improvements, and had been much called for by every one connected with the Shipping Interests of the country. It was a subject very complicated in its details, and difficult to understand; but Mr. Huskisson felt its importance, and lost no time in making himself master of, and bringing it before Parliament; and, after some protracted delays in the House of Lords, which drew from him a firm but temperate remonstrance, these Bills ultimately passed before the close of the session.