ABSTRACT
Howick's motion was defeated by 281 to 108. The Times was doubtless not alone in thinking that Great Britain should follow the example of Prussia and form a Zollverein of her own-tending 'to assimilate the dependencies to her own territory, imposing on them all the obligations which belong to her subjects, but conferring on them, at the same time, all the privileges of those subjects, without barriers, reservations, or restrictions'." This was a real alternative to free trade. Peel was a statesman, not a prophet, and was not given to formulating his ideals, but it may well be that this
ideal, which had attracted Huskisson, was at the time also attracting him.
