NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE week opened with a cry of distress from Downing Street. In- deed, official repose was sadly troubled on the Saturday night, after a day which had disclosed to watchful observers sundry indications of leave-taking and packing-up. Another " crisis " was announced. The aspect of the Jamaica question was threatening. PEEL is sly as well as civil, and it was feared that his smooth professions were in- tended to cover arough assault upon the trembling Ministers. The Government papers sounded the alarm ; the Whipper-in despatched his circular summons ; honest Mr. HUME was told plainly, that if he persevered in opposition to the Jamaica Bill, all his previous support would be counted as little worth : there were, in short., the usual symptoms of a Whig Cabinet in peril. But the clouds passed away, prospects brightened, and official confidence in the expecta- tion of another quarter's salary returned. How was this ? It soon appeared that the Tories would not act together as a party on the Jamaica question ; and that Sir ROBERT PEEL'S disclaimer of party views would be used as an excuse for withholding support from his motion by some Conservatives, whatever might be their leader's real object in making it. Then, "the Saints" came to the rescue. The old leaders of the Emancipationist party proclaimed their en- tire satisfaction with a measure which should put an end to the political supremacy of the planters in Jamaica. An opposition thus weakened, the Government can withstand; and, tranquilly writing, not after but on the eve of the battle, we have the comfort of know- ing that there is an end of" crisis" the second.
The other Parliamentary business is of a miscellaneous cha- racter.
Some progress has been made in the English Prisons Bill ; which, thanks to Mr. HAWES, may turn out a useful measure. It is at any rate an attempt to introduce a better system, and to put this country, in respect to prison discipline, almost on a par with the Republicans of the United States.
There have been debates on the destruction by the French of the British gum-trade in West Africa, and the injury caused to commerce with the North of Europe by Danish duties on the transit of merchandise between Hamburg and Lubeck. Lord PALMERSTON promises exertion to obtain redress and relief in both cases ; but the facts stated by Sir STEPHEN BURLINGTON respecting the ag- gressions on British traders by the French on the African coast, seem to prove negligence on the part of the Foreign Secretary. That functionary admits that a flourishing branch of trade has been cut off; that British merchants have been treated with insult and injury ; and that redress has been refused. The occurrences alluded to were in 1834; since which time, the French have monopolized the gum-trade of Western Africa ; while the Government of this country have done nothing but remonstrate, occasionally, against the unwarrantable proceedings. Had an armed force been imme- diately despatched to Portendic and a spirited demand for repara- tion been preferred to Lotus PHILIPPE, probably redress would have been obtained at once, and a valuable commerce preserved. Mr. WARBURTON offers a stubborn resistance to Sergeant TAL-
rouRn's Copyright Bill. He had warned the Sergeant, that if the bill were pressed on " a Wednesday "—always a day of slack attendance, and often a dies non in the Commons—he would use the forms of the House to obstruct its progress : and accordingly, on Wednesday last, he divided the Committee no fewer than twenty. times, and succeeded in procuring the postponement of many of the principal clauses, and a change of the day for the further con- sideration of the bill, to Tuesday.
Much blame is cast upon Mr. WARBURTON for his " vexatious "
pertinacity. It is said that the reason he offered—the small attend- ance on Wednesdays—was not available, inasmuch as on that Wed- nesday about 140 Members were present : but how were they di- vided? As 130 to 10. It cannot be pretended that these num- bers fairly represent the proportions for and against the bill, in an average House. The bill's supporters mustered ill force, while of those known as adversaries the majority were absent. Under these circumstances, and having regard to the importance of the
[LATEST EDITION.] interests at issue, Mr. WARBURTON was justified in pursuing a course which has secured the opportunity of a fuller assembly of Members for the future consideration of the bill, and fair play for both sides.
A very amusing speech by Lord BaorenAm introduced a motion for an address to the Queen to suspend or disallow the Ordinance for regulating the Press in Malta. In provoking the laughter of the Lords, by quoting bits of the Commissioners' Report, which, when verbally criticized and without the context, appeared rather absurd, Lord BROUGHAM was eminently successful ; but he failed to substantiate any serious charge against the Ordinance, and was even obliged himself to admit that it was " easy to pick holes in the first attempt to make a code of the libel laws, but not so easy to make that first attempt." Lord BROUGHAM might also have al- lowed, that the Commissioners had possessed better opportunities than himself of ascertaining what would suit Malta ; and their libel code was framed for the very peculiar state of society existing in that island, not for Great Britain. Ministers promised a recon- sideration of the law ; and the Duke of WELLINGTON—who re- peated his military opinions respecting the proper treatment of that " garrison of great name and station," and talked in speech " horribly stuffed with epithets" about the amazing natural riches of Malta—suggested that the motion interfered with the prero- gative of the Crown : therefore Lord BaouonAst had a good excuse for withdrawing it.
All these subjects underwent more or less discussion ; but the following resolution was "reported," just before the Commons rose on Tuesday morning, without a word of remark— "That towards making good the supply granted to her Majesty, the sum of 13,000,000/. be raised by Exchequer Bills for the service of the year 1839."
A bill founded on this resolution was brought in, and read a first time sub silentio. Now as long as Exchequer Bills can be pro- cured in such amounts without attracting notice, the control of the House of Commons over the public purse is a nonentity. What Member dares to say that part of this vast sum of THIRTEEN MILLIONS will not be applied towards making good deficiencies in the regular revenue ? There is a check upon expenditure when the Minister is limited to the amount raised by taxes and accounted for : were he compelled to make an addition to the Funded Debt— to create new Stock—his proceedings could not escape investiga- tion: but this practice of voting Exchequer Bills by millions "for the service of the year," frees the Finance Minister from all effec- tual restraint. For example, it is known that the Estimates fall
short by a very large sum of the amount required in and for Canada : the disagreeable necessity of bringing that account be- fore Parliament may be staved off for an indefinite time ; and in the meanwhile, the country will have to pay interest on Exchequer Bills—how laid out, Parliament is ignorant.
