Debate% anti Vrocettlings in Varliament.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
Sir Robert Peel, Mr. Goulburn, &r Henry Hardinge, and the other official Members who had been reelected, entered the House of Commons after its eight days' adjournment, on Thursday at four o'clock, and took the oaths and their seats. Shortly after, Sir ROBERT PEEL rose to move for a copy of the letter of the First Commissioners of Woods and Forests to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the subject of warming and ventilating the new Houses of Parliament; and he took the occasion to state his intentions
as to the course to be pursued with respect to the public business of the country. He intended to adopt, without alteration, the Miscellaneous Estimates framed by the late Government, which would be submitted to the House on the following evening ; but as the first part of those Esti- mates had been taken in one lump; instead of item by item according to the usual course, he intended to reverse the mode with the second part, and to take them item by item instead of taking them in the lump. He should have one addition to propose, for flues and other works necessary to the warming of the new Houses of Parliament. The amount re- quired for these purposes being about 80,0001., he thought it would not be expedient that so large an expense should be incurred without the previous sanction of the House. It would be necessary to make pro- vision for the continuance of expiring laws ; and he should propose to continue the existing Poor-law, with its present establishment, to the 31st of next July ; 'whether by an ordinary continuance act, or by some special act, he would leave it to the House to decide. With respect to the trials of election-petitions, he would not propose any specific measure ; but he trusted that the Committee, in whose discretion that subject mainly rested, would concur in what he believed to be the feeling of the House, that those trials should not be proceeded with at the present time. The Chancellor of the Exchequer would take the opportunity of the earliest Committee of Ways and Means to state the details of the measures necessary to make temporary provision for the removal of the deficiency ; but it was not Sir Robert's intention, during the present session of Parliament, to submit the more permanent measures to remove the inequality between income and expenditure : Government would, however, take the earliest opportunity of doing so which was consistent with mature deliberation-
" Whether that remedy can be best effected by a diminution of the expendi- ture or an increase of the revenue of the country, or whether it can be best se- cured by a combination of these two means—by a reduction of the expendi- ture, that is, and an increase of the revenue at the same time—is a question which I must postpone for further consideration. It is sufficient for me to state a strong opinion, that it is impossible that the country, consistently with a due regard to the public service, can continue to proceed in the course which, perhaps unavoidably, has been pursued for the last few years, namely, that of' creating a large deficiency in time of peace, without incurring a considerable debt. As to the mode of relieving that deficiency, however, I must ask the House to extend to her Majesty's Government the confidence that they will give it their most earnest and serious consideration." Sir Robert must also ask for the confidence of the House with regard to other measures of a more permanent and important character— "it is quite true that my colleagues and myself have been for some few days in possession of office; but I am sure that the House will he ready to admit that the arrangements I have been obliged to be occupied in making, with regard to the construction of the Government, cannot have allowed me yet to be placed in a much better position to pronounce an opinion on measures of such im- portance than before I entered upon office. I can assure the House, that I have no wish whatever to interpose any unnecessary delay, and that I forbear from immediate legislation on matters of such importance, not on account of the advanced period of the year—not on account of the deficient attendance of Members—not on account of the calls or temptations of other avocations, all considerations of which ought, in my opinion and under such circumstances, to be sacrificed, and not suffered to interpose the slightest difficulty in the way of considering the affairs of the country: the ground on which I forbear from calling the attention of Parliament to measures of such consequence is, that confess I have thought, from the circumstances which took place and the gene- ral expressions which were made use of previous to the last election, that there was a ,eeneral disposition and desire on the part of gentlemen opposite to give to her Majesty's Government a fair opportunity of considering those measures which it might be their wish to bring forward. I think that that opportunity ought to be given, and at the same time that those measures ought to be con- sidered and brought forward on the earliest possible occasion." Lord JOUR RUSSELL said that with respect to the immediate purpose of the motion, he should not oppose it ; for, whatever be might think of Sir Robert Peel's Administration, he had perfect confidence in the ad- ministration of Dr. Reid! With regard to the Estimates also, he should feel bound to support them. But he had heard with great concern that it was not Sir Robert's intention to propose any measures of importance, during the present session. Considering the great length of time which has elapsed since the proposal of important measures by the late Admi- nistration, and considering the present state of the country, he thought that the Government, as now constituted, ought at once, er in the course of the present autumn, to lay before Parliament the measures it intended. He should take the opportunity of a Committee of Supply on the following evening to state his opinions on those matters.
Sir Robert Peel's motion was of course agreed to.
MISCELLANEOUS.
DUBLIN ELECTION. On Thursday, the SPEAKER stated that he had received a letter from the petitioners against the return of Mr. West and. Mr. Grogan, for the city of Dublin, in which they declined to proceed with the petition. NEW WRITS. On the motion of Sir Tnomes FREMANTLE, new writs were ordered for Portarlington, in the room of Colonel Dawson Darner, appointed Comptroller of the Queen's Household, and for the county of Cavan, in the room of Mr. Young, now one of the Lords of- the Treasury. IMPROVEMENT OF CROWN LANDS AT KENSINGTON AND WINDSOR. On Thursday, after some objections on the part of Mr. PROTHEROE, Mr. WAKLEY, and Mr. EWART, leave was given to Sir THOMAS FRE.. MANTLE, to bring in a bill authorizing the Commissioners of Woods and Forests to let the kitchen-garden of Kensington Palace on building- leases, and to appropriate the rents to the enlargement and maintenance of the kitchen-gardens of Windsor Castle. Sir Thomas explained that the ground in question formed no part of that to which the public have access. The bill was brought in and read a first time. The House, then, in Committee, agreed to a resolution on which to found another bill to annex Frogmore to the Royal demesne of Windsor Castle. SAFE SKATING. Mr. RENNIE gave notice, that he would, on Tees- day next, move an address to the Queen praying that measures might be taken to afford greater safety in the amusement of skating in the Parks, by reducing the depth of the ornamental waters to four feet.
Previous page
