POSTSCRIPT.
SATURDAY NIGHT.
The Free-traders of West Yorkshire are indefatigable in their organized efforts to secure the return of Lord Morpeth; although there appears to be no chance of opposition. Some plausible pretexts are advanced for the quies- cence of those who might oppose Lord Morpeth, whether as a Liberal or a Free-trader.
"It isprobable " says the Doncaster Chronicle, "that there will be no contest for the West Riding; the Protectionist party seeming disI not to oppose the
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election of Lord Morpeth on the present occasion, but to usband their strength against a general election, when the battle of Protection will be fought throughout the entire kingdom. The League will, therefore, be allowed, in the person of their new ally, Lord Morpeth, to share the Riding with a Protectionist for a brief period. Great will be the boasting, no doabt, of Messrs. Cobden, Bright, and Co. But let them boast. Their triumph will be short-lived. It is more than probable that a dissolution of Parliament is not very distant."
These excuses, however, will not serve. Everybody sees that the single vote to be secured is a thing of no importance whatever, but that the really momentous matter is the moral effect of an election at such a time and in so important a county. The Protectionists waive that influence, because, they say, they choose to waive it; others will believe that they do so because they must.
The requisition to Mr. William Busfeild and Colonel Thompson to become candidates for the borough of Bradford at the next general election, has been signed by upwards of 600 electors: the number of registered electors is about 1,500. Mr. Busfeild is one of the present Members; the other is Mr. John Hardy, a Conservilve.
The Manchester list of subscriptions to the new League Fund now amounts to 72,7391.
The Standard of this evening, in alluding to the many surmises as to what Ministers intend doing with the Corn-laws, thus guardedly particu- larizes one, which we venture to think is not very likely- " We give it, repeating our caution that it is to be considered as the calculation of men formed from the external indications, and not frem any information ob- tained either directly or indirectly from the Cabinet. It is said, then, that Ministers will propose the reduction of the duty upon imported corn to something merely nominal, or little more than nominal after a certain period, say five or seven years. The reduction to be arrived at by an annual diminution during the proposed period, beginning with a fixed duty, somewhere beta een 15s. and 20s., and striking off 2s. each year; as thus—Suppose the maximum fixed duty of 1846-1847,-18s.; 1847-1848, lOs.; and so on until it would come down tofour shillings at the end of the period. On the other part, it is surmised that, as a concurrent measure of compensation to the agriculturists, the burden of the poor-rates and county-rates may be assigned to the Consolidated Fund ; the in- creased charge upon that fund being met by a considerable augmentation of the Property-tax."
The conjecture also includes the " opening of the ports" soon after the meeting of Parliament.
" Several of the Cabinet Ministers," says the same paper, " had interviews with Sir Robert Peel this morning, previous to his leaving town for Wind- sor Castle," [to attend the Court at which the Queen was to receive the addresses from the London and Dublin Corporations, for " opening the ports."]
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