Joseph Hume

Politician

Joseph Hume was a Scottish politician and reformer known for his advocacy of individual rights and political freedom, significantly impacting social justice discourse.

Born
March 15, 1802
Died
December 20, 1872
Quotes
16
Rank
#853

About Joseph Hume

Joseph Hume — Life and Legacy

Joseph Hume was a prominent Scottish politician and reformer in the 19th century, recognized for his unwavering commitment to individual rights and political freedom. His advocacy for reform was rooted in the belief that a just society must prioritize the liberties of its citizens, a theme that resonates throughout his speeches and writings. Hume's core ideas revolved around the necessity of political reform to ensure that individuals could freely express themselves and participate in governance. He famously stated that 'the great object of all political institutions is the protection of the rights of individuals.' This quote encapsulates his belief that the foundation of a fair society lies in safeguarding personal freedoms and promoting active civic engagement. Hume challenged the status quo by arguing that reform was not only desirable but essential for societal progress. Today, Hume's insights continue to influence discussions on social justice and individual rights. His emphasis on the importance of reform and the protection of liberties serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and justice in modern society.

Quote collection

Joseph Hume quotes

16 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

Joseph Hume Politician
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"Destroy or take away the employment and wages of those artisans - which the corn laws in a great measure do - and you will, ere long, render the land in Great Britain of as little value as it is in other countries."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"Land, in England, is valuable, because we have highly-paid artisans to consume the produce on the spot."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"Our people are unemployed and anxious to work for the food which foreigners can give us."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"Now, what produces a want of demand A refusal to take from other countries the commodities which they produce."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"I maintain that the existing corn laws are bad, because they have given a monopoly of food to the landed interest over every other class and over every other interest in the kingdom."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"I see no reason for giving the capital employed in agriculture greater protection than the capital vested in other branches of trade, manufacture, or commerce."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"What farmers require is, that the prices should be moderate, and the markets steady and for this reason I did, in 1826, 1827, and 1828, take the course which I would now recommend to the House."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"There is abundant proof that the opening of our ports always tends to raise the price of foreign corn to the price in the English market, and not to sink the price of British corn to the price in the continental market."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"I am willing to admit that if the agriculturists are oppressed by peculiar burdens, they ought to be relieved from them, or be allowed a fair and just protection equivalent to all such peculiar burdens."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"The advantage to Great Britain of a regular free trade in corn would, therefore, be more by raising the rest of the world to our standard and price, than by lowering the prices here to the standard of the Continent."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"Worse there cannot be; a better, I believe, there may be, by giving energy to the capital and skill of the country to produce exports, by increasing which, alone, can we flatter ourselves with the prospect of finding employment for that part of our population now unemployed."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"If the corn laws were altered, the British artisan might again be able to subsist by twelve hours' labour, a most desirable event."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"I will undertake to prove that the present corn laws have been detrimental to the public, without being beneficial to the agricultural interest."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"Scotland is a great country and many wonderful things have come out of this country, however England gets the glory."

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Joseph Hume Politician
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"In Great Britain the price of food is at a higher level than in any other country, and consequently, the British artisan labours at a disadvantage in proportion to the higher rate of his food."

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