POSTSCRIPT.
SATURDAY NIGHT.
In the House of Commons, last night, Sir ROBERT PEEL having moved the order of the day to go into a Committee of Supply, Lord Jona/ RUSSELL proceeded to state his views upon the position of public affairs. Glancing at our foreign relations in Europe, he augured the continuance of peace ; and to that end he hoped that the life of the Prince who now reigns over the destinies of France might be spared from the attempts of infatuated assassins. One question with the United States certainly wore a very unsatisfactory appearance ; but the two Executive Governments were agreed that the affair of the Caroline was a question between nation and nation, and he believed that the autho- rities of the Union would see that it was necessary to prevent any occur- rence taking place which could expose a British subject to danger. Sir Robert Peel's appointments for the Government of Ireland, Lord John viewed with great satisfaction : he had the highest respect for the character of the Lord-Lieutenant ; and the Chief Secretary had shown on various occasions a disposition to place the Irish people in a con- dition with which alone they could be satisfied, one of perfect equality with the people of this country. He hoped, however, that Lord Eliot would not reintroduce Lord Stanley's Bill. Thus far there was no point of difference with the Government ; but he now came to a part of the subject on which tl• re was a wide difference. Of the importance of laws which might embarrass trade, derange the currency, and increase the privations of the people, there could be no doubt. The Queen, at the beginning of Parliament, had been advised to draw attention to the laws respecting corn : the House was unanimous in admitting the importance of the consideration ; for in that the amended did not differ from the original Address. The dismissal of Ministers, however, was put as a condition to the consideration. That condition had been fulfilled; and surely the time was come when those important laws ought to be taken into consideration. When he first brought for- ward the subject, and gave notice of a motion a month from that time, there were the strongest expressions of surprise at such a delay, which was pronounced an intolerable evil. Sir Robert Peel had four months since then to consider the subject. Certain appearances in the construc- tion of the Ministry made Lord John doubt whether any real changes were contemplated: the Duke of Buckingham was one of the Ministers ; while Sir George Murray, who had avowed his approbation of an eight-shilling fixed duty, or less, was excluded. Sane alteration un- doubtedly might be made in the mode of taking the averages, and the pivot of the sliding-scale might be lowered some 4s. or Se.; but that would leave the matter pretty much waere it was. Alluding to the in- creasing distress in the manufacturing districts, Lord John said that the duty of Parliament was this—it should enable itself to say that it had no part in causing that distress; sad Ministers should be able to show that their duties and restrictions were necessary for some purposes of state. He then referred to the petitions to the Queen, which com- menced at Manchester, not to prorogue Parliament until the question had been discussed ; evincing the public anxiety on the subject. By adjourning the consideration, Ministars allowed distress to continue which it was now in their power to mitigate ; and he, as a Member of the House, begged to say that he was not responsible for that course. Sir ROBERT PEEL had wished to avoid commencing the harassing and arduous task which lay before him by any controversy of a party nature ; but Lord John Russell was ce_tainly free to take his own course, ar I Sir Robert did not seek to avoid the discussion, but was rather thankful for the opportunity of commenting on his observations. He concurred in Lord John's views of our foreign relations, and in his aspirations for the safety of Louis Philippe. As long as the illustrious family on the throne of France continued to reign, he thought it was a sufficient guarantee for peace. He did not think that the change of Government here would interrupt amicable relations, because it was his own Govern- ment that advised the recognition of Louis Philippe as the choice of the French people. And he relied on the character of M. Guizot for the maintenance of that amity between France and England which wa necessary for the advancement of social improvement and civilizations He viewed the state of relations with the United States with apprehen- sion and anxiety ; but it was so manifestly the interest of both countries to maintain peace, that he could not but hope that the good sense of each community would. prevail. He regretted that Lord John Russell had not, by a definite motion, taken the sense of the House as to the justice of the crnfidence which he asked in the course he proposed to pursue. It was not reasonable that, after occupying for ten years the situation of a private individual, he should be called upon in a month to propose a measure for the alteration of the Corn-laws ; or, if he was to blame for the delay, what must be thought of that Government which had held office for five years lied yet had intimated no united opinion on the subject until May 1841? Why had they suffered it to be made an open question He did not mean to follow their example in that : having considered the matter, he did not mean to make it an opeu question, proposing a thing here that it might be defeated there. They expected him to state the course he should pursue, and stake the existence of the Government on the issue : but how was it that they suffered Lord Melbourne to remain in office holding the opinions he did ? and why did they appoint to the Vice- Presidency of the Board of Trade Mr. Shell, who refused all inquiry on the subject? The greatest mischief which they could do to great principles was to leave them in abeyance as open questions. And finally, why had they reserved their denunciations against the Corn- laws until they had appealed to the people and been left in a minority of eighty ? He took the Queen's Speech, not as a vague recom- mendation to consider the sulrject, hut as virtually a recommenda- tion of the definite proposal of an Sc. fixed duty : did its pro- pounders adhere to it now ? If not, they had to thank him for having stopped it. Had the adverse prospects of the harvest been realized, and the duty been fixed at 8s., in all probability Parliament would now have been assembled, under the auspices of the Whigs, to abate that 8s. duty. Was it tolerably fair and reasonable, that in the face of a deficiency of seven millions and a half accumulated by the Whigs, he found on entering office, he should be asked at once to pro- dua! Lis financial scheme ? If he adopted the Whig Budget, would it r.paif the deficiency ? Lord S.,denhatn had told them that it was not saf«. to make the prlpost 1 alteration in the Timber-duties, so that the 6‘10,00:1/. mhich they reckoned upon from that source was gone; the ptoo of Bri:irh ,u4ar was so much reduced, that there was no prospect of ieali..ing 70.1.0t ot. from the reduced duty on foreign sugar ; and to the 400,001. on i hich Mr. Baring reckoned from the new Corn-duty, 1,100,00U \ins to be added for duty on corn included in the receipts of 1840 upon which his estimate of 1841 was funded; so that to make good the deficiency 1,500,0001. would have been required under that head. Then the expenditure had been under estimated : in China alone, the real expense for the year would probably be 4,000,000/. in- stead of the 625,000/. in the estimate : and there was an alarming ten- dency to increased expenditure in the Colonies-900,000/. was estimated as the expenditure for Hong Kong this year, including the construction of a main road ; Sir George Gipps had issued bounty-warrants for emigrants to New South Wales to the amount of 979,0001., reduced
by Lord John Russell to 500,000/. 155,000/. had been voted to meet South Australian Bills, while bills for 14,000/. more had been presented at the Treasury and protested ; and a loan of 1,000,000/. had been guaranteed to Canada, and 100,000/. had been promised for fortifications. Before Ministers could be called upon to produce their financial scheme, they ought to have time to revise the state of our commercial relations, with the United States, Naples, Texas, Brazil, and France ; with all of which countries commercial treaties were pending. Lord John Russell gave him credit for the constitution of the Irish Government : was he not, however, told night after night that he dared not form a Government for Ireland ? that he would be the reluctant and degraded instrument of men ready to offer coarse insults to their Roman Catholic fellow-countrymen ? Not a month had elapsed before those predictions had been reversed-
" I intend to administer the law with firmness, and I hope with dignity. I will not permit the administration of Irish affairs to be influenced by the hope of conciliating support in the House of Commons ; but I declare that the engagement into which I have entered to administer impartial justice in that country, shall, as far as depends upon me, be strictly fulfilled."
The force of circumstances had compelled him to take office : what could be his inducement to accept it 2—
" Is it likely that I would go through the labour which is daily imposed upon me, if I could not claim for myself the liberty of proposing to Parliament those measures which I believe to be conducive to the public weal ? I will claim that liberty—I will propose those measures ; and I do assure this House, that no consideration of mere political support should induce me to hold such an office os that which I fill by a servile tenure which would compel me to be the instrument of carrying other men's opinions into effect." A long debate followed, of which we can only indicate the main features. Lord PALMERSTON said, that there was nothing in our foreign relations to detain Parliament ; it was the domestic state of the country which required attention ; and if Sir Robert had been out of office, he had not been out of the country. Lord Palmerston called in question Sir Robert's accuracy in his statement of Chinese and Colonial expendi- ture. Mr. VILISERS observed, that the Corn question had been post- poned until there was a Government which had the confidence of the country ; and he now called on Sir Robert, who furnished that respon- sible Government, to state his opinion. It might be inconvenient to Members to remain in town ; but the people were starving, and he cautioned the House not to prolong the dangerous game which they were playing with the people, who already entertained an opinion that they could not obtain justice. Mr. BROTHERTON followed to somewhat the same effect. Mr. WARD regretted that Sir Robert did not submit his measures to the respectful consideration of the House. A NEW MEMBER, whose name is not known, urged the Opposition to propose a motion and divide upon it. Mr. COBDEN condemned the Ministerialists for meeting the question with cries of " divide ; " openly relying, not upon argument, but upon their majority. They did not know the state of public opinion ; for the late election was not a triumph of opinion, but a triumph of the purse. Mr. Cobden described the distress in Stock- port : half the houses are untenanted, and God knows whether he shall have constituents in five months. He knew a borough in which there was much difficulty in finding a Mayor, as there were great fears of convulsions during the distress of the ensuing winter. He protested against the bandying of blame from party to party ; and warned Sir Robert Peel that the delays of the Whigs could not justify his postponing the question of the people's food at so perilous a crisis. Lord SANDON replied to Mr. Cobden's taunt of bribery, by referring him to Bridport and Nottingham. There was as mach humanity on his side of the House as the other : the present agitation, in fact, was an attempt of the mill- owners to divert attention from the grievances which their own practices had brought upon the people. He did not attribute the present distress to the Corn-laws, and therefore he did not believe that alteration of the Corn-laws could relieve it. Mr. HAWES received this remark as some indication of the views of Government ; and proceeded to argue for the necessity of Free Trade. Mr. LiTrosT said that alteration of the Corn-laws would ruin Ireland. Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD was of the contrary opinion. Mr. Moacsx JOHN O'CONNELL was less sanguine than Lord John Russell as to the success of the Irish Government : he feared Lord Eliot would not be able to work out his ownintentions. Mr. HARDY attributed the distress to over-production, and the desertion of houses in Stockport to the facilities of transit to other towns afforded by railways. Mr. HINDLEY maintained that the distress was really attri- butable to too little-food. M. MONCKTON Mivres deprecated summary treatment of so complicated a question as Free Trade. Mr. VERNON SMITH corrected some misconception of Sir Robert Peel's as to the emi- gration to New South Wales ; and a little further explanation took place between Sir ROBERT and Lord JOHN RUSSELL. Mr. FIELDER then moved, as an amendment, a resolution, that it was the duty of the House to inquire into the existing distress, and that no supplies of money should be voted till such inquiry was made. The amendment was se- conded by Dr. BOWRLYG, and was rejected by 149 to 41. The House resolved itself into a Committee of Supply ; when Sir ROBERT PEEL moved that Mr. Greene should be Chairman of Com- mittees of Ways and Means. Mr. GREENE returned thanks for the honour conferred on him. Sir GEORGE CLERK proposed the first vote on the Estimates, 106,678/. to complete the charge of the Commis-
sariat Department to 31st March 1842. After some opposition from Mr. W ummes, on the ground of extravagance, the vote was taken ; as well as 25,003/. for half-pay and pensions in the same department.
The SPEAKER having observed that there were certain clauses in the Administration of Justice Bill affecting the privileges of the House, Sir ROBERT PEEL moved that it be read a second time that day six months. It was thrown out accordingly. The ArrourrEv-GENERAL gave notice of a new bill on the subject, to be introduced on Monday. On the motion of Lord ASKLEY, leave was given to bring in a bill to continue for three years, and to the end of the then next session of Parliament, the Act 3 and 4 William IV. cap 64, relative to the Custody of Insane Persons.
Mr. MARTIN gave notice that he should move, next session, that an address be presented to the Queen, praying ller to use her influence with the other maritime powers for the suppression of the barbarous system of privateering in the time of war.
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