The Express. — London, England, 1851-02-05 00:00:00

/ IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. ROM OF THE SESSION. nousE OF LORDS.—TCESD.tY, FED. 4. The session of 1841 was opened to-day by her Majesty in person. The dour* of the Howe of Lovell' were thrown open at twelve: o'clock, and shortly after the and .uh,r ladies who h. 4 M^n fortuniee enough to obtain orders (mil the Lori (treat Chamberlain hett.sn to arrive, sad continued to do so omit the house was crowded by a vilely of beauty and fashion, greater and more diversified than we have aver witnessed on a similar occasion. There was also an unusual number of peen, judges, and foreign • nilaist. I.- present. tslor:ev hernia, 2 o'clock, the Lord Chancellor took his teat nn 'he •coolsack, r.nd •onn after the booming of cannon announced toe aerie..: of her Majesty. H. r Majesty, who wan attired in a white satin limeade • 111VV, tue.roiclert- I *Ali awl wore a splendid tiara of diamonds, cno red the hone at 20 minutes past 2 o'clock, being led by the Priam Consort (who wore a field marshal's uniform, with the Order of the Garter), and accompanied by the officers of state, heralds, pages, 4.c. Iler Majesty tipmarsd in elnik rit health and spirit*, and whilst waiting for dr• islauca of the Commons entered into convents. tins with the Iluehe-. of Suther land, by whom she was att. laded. The Marquis of Lansdowne bore the crown, the bake of W.llington • 'IC ...reed of state, and the Marquis of Wine": s•,r the cap of maintenance. The Prince Consort wore trope on hie left arm as mourn ing for the go.en of the. Belgian.. When her Val say had extended the throne. the whole bows: r•-e, and remained standing until her Majesty mo tioned the house to by crated. At the. period the scene pre sented was of a wet brilliant and dueling character, and • tear selich might justly cause the heart of an Englishman he..t ith pride and exultation. The sun who so often knits hi• rays to Mid these sorrous spectacles, shone with imn s u al aiderelour l.or this season of the year, and heightened • th e 4 4111 the scene. Mr. Tolman, the deputy usher of the black rod, having sommuned the Commous to the bar of their lovelships• house, the dignified silence which for some minute, hail reigned in the nia.m:ficent hall, in which were assembled the greatest of En s :lands nobles and the Elite of her beauty, lOW hrulus by the uiterrstuunious rushing and jostling of • the mashers of the loser house, who, headed by the tips r, dressed in his robes of state, iii but fought their way to the bar. Afte r onkr lead lain with some difficulty net. r tl, her Nlajo .ty. with a el. ar suirr and distinct accent, read the , Royal Nysech, which was given in yesterday's f.rpress. Her Majesty and attendants, at the conclusion of the • apes h, mind M the order in which they had entered, and • the house enlivens, II during ph asurs. The home nomad at h o'clock, when the LORD Cuan tl.ll...lt tools kis v 4 tRDR the woolsack. st./41.1 VESTRIES. The Marquis at LAMM% NE laid on the table a hill for i.e. !steer regulation of select vestries. THE ADDRESS. - - - 'f! LORD ellAliall.oiCt:eUread the speeeb from thc thomr, wbith h4‘iog been übm nid by the clerk at the . _ ra — lde, The F..rl of EFFINfiIIAM, in moving the *Mimes In rejly, Yet roll. il the attention of the house to those sub jects la the sic cell from the throne which afford , el matter for waning! , el ninsratulation. Such were the settlement of the ititnoh nu...eion on the Insis of the pence of July ; the maintenance of general le ace ; the announe , meet that , the Ifir cells a r. eland to adopt la a . .. •Mormi• mosimres for the , etir;ntion of the shire intik i arid the sati‘factory state of U. re smuts aft. r the reductions elfocted in tartatlem desi:.g 'tie last v -aiim. Ihe noble lind thee went Oil to regret a ttic eatit , ore of coned& rabic distress among the erne* owl occeipiers of Lout, remarking. however, that it 'win end niahle th It the labouring population in the acri oulturiel districts had lover been letter off than they wen, at tie go pmt moment, awl I xpressing his conviction that the . ii. en, and belit•try of th. British Earner would ulti mo ly I. ar liim through all hi- ditticulti... Turning lastly to the iptceion of papal aggression, be de-eland that the step la: 'y tiken by the: Pops wes such we would never have he en toirated in this country in Roman Catholic tilers, nor v.,,dit lw narrated in any Roman ratiodie country in the pre..ent dry. It was wee wary, then f. il-s, that this le wdest r. , semptlon of supremacy should be erpreaciad, and hr was glad to ham that a measure would be lent before thew, arhie'a, while it did not violate tin priori:... of religion• tolerafam, would extin amid, tLe attempt to iestnelitet a Roman catholic bi, net y into England with L rrihirial deeignations. With n 5 none to aoothir oloertation in her Majesty's ape' ch. mow ly. the is gistrution of in-trust* Tat. for Mc tniisier of imsperty, then. could h • no doubt that it would he a ti ry solvareserisms seensure, and be hoped it would mss i.e :lac assent of their lordships when it was proposed. In .. , 41clii isai, h. was confident that th, it lordships would all unite with her Majesty in thanksgiving to Almighty God, for the traiii,uillity and ha ipinim which prevailed thisiughout the. country. (Cheers. ) The noble , earl then Twat the address, which, as usus., was a mere echo of tbe Lord eItEMOIZNI.:, in meerroling the motion, reeapint• t a to, ti n e s a me to t i... He believed that the English eath,lic, would join in maintaining the royal prerogative, . and that the miootry would se. toe inviolate the principle of toleratioo. Upon referring to the eon humour, of agricultural distress, he expressed his beli, f that the yrosperity enjoyed by other classes ' %mild ultimately re-art main the cultivators of the ...l. With T. good to 1rt611.1, speak from • p•romMl olorevallon. and be could bear...dm... that in that . part of the Uninil Kingdom there was mush ran* for con . gra: al dom. The numh.r of poor in the workhouses wa. much Ins, whit: is. a proof of the diminution of dishes. It the riontry, and the nvluea..n in tin anemia of the poor rat,a b a: ikon • much to lighten the 'bora, it. 011 property • and It, n .t.se• ntik. owe among the 144 unlit tame..., a large prop, rim' if vilenit, he kart.' he might ...iv ti,, greater Lo o p ,than, were a .Mort time • • a so de.padtut :Into biol. -ig to 1. nation alone a. a memo et 1,, to ring their condition. Am.:l3.e to. in. of implonment feel been the satiefre ton 14.110.1't in which 1111 f %%%%% Fealltrn Act had work“l. by tin gradual int nsbartion of new elm... of ..:Yeut proprittor., where circumstances en abled them to 414....te an adequate portion of capital to the num...mem of their props rte and the employment of the I..paliati .n. It might he said that this prosperity had b .v ohtained at the expense of the old landlords. That W.O not hi. opinion. It wa. his opinori that hoot had sold quite its Walt WI could he t•ipeettal, when the recurrence of the mato failure for several years and the dittnitihed value of till agricultural la(13111.• Via', taken into ionsideration. thi.. ear .WM4 of mangy which would otherwise hur•• hots nosoll in litigation had h en used; and the rspiility with which .des had been effected had prevented :ruinous merit. of interest fr om accunrilating. That them Wean' qr.- wen appreciated was maninm fr o m th e rircum dine.e that so many , 'gown:kir. had !,come petitioner. Arr 4W• salts 44 thc.r own estate.. In conelu•ion he eusseurnd ha anticipating great hem fit, front the pro Pored law reform. Lord STANLEY smia he was of opinion that, unless the opsech from the throne tmulained principles or language whi•lt it was "v. :look, it wa. more ropectful to the crown, and more advaittagtou. to, the public bOrtICO, that tit...slap.. iii reply to it .hould be voted with unani 'WlT. Although, then•fore. he W.. not alto; ether satialied with the speech, he would at On.' declare that it wits not the intention ..f hinvelf or hi. (heeds to pmpose ate hostile anointment at, the present OCCSOIIan. lie would simply con tent himself with w observations on ton,, of the points ineutiotied in the *pets h. As far a. the foreign relativism of tbe country were onnernell. it 'rented that the Foreign sage, had n e in less nett, ely employed than was WOW in the Tin W. 1., W11114.1C14.ry to learn that the • Danish divan. wise in, ttle Ott of adnottnent, but rhapr that happy'r , ult'vras either to be attfillnani to t hu lino attitude 0.011111,11 by the Enika•rors of Austria and Ruoia than to the intervention of her blajt aj`s go, ernmeut. 'flontah he looked with some faint hope bi the exerllti.V4 of the th ants cubit 41 into by 'basil for the supp,...ion of the otlase.tradt , be could not refrain from calling their lordships' attention to the let that this country could apply a more pewerful engine than any trcatie. for its prevention, by the abrogation of the commereial rceulati.m. which coriu m:A that abominable traffic. The noble lord thou went on to sae— I rejoiee to find that the important tri I;ntlowite•r• and occupier of land, in this country art 4,olten of with mire n•speet—l had almost maid with kse. i.i.respect than formerly. It is a melancholy satiefac- Sot to u., annoy the ruins of this.• connected with latel, owners or commute , . and I will god, also, labourers--(pro • lectiouk elteer.)—it is know that at length the reasonablent:m of our complaints. the extent and the reality of our is acknowledged by her Majesty's in , ,croutot. List year her 3lajesty had beard with regret - not of the distress, hut of the ‘' emu plaint, of a r..rtain portion of as airs and occnpiet., of land but her Majesty aus totool4tl be the reflection that the great body of the ;nook. feint the abundance that existed, were pest a l s io r largely of th e emitforts of life. Now, thi.ciar we art told that her 31.nedy laments the ditbculties which are .till felt by that important body, no longer a small frac tion whoa' otter, os were dissever...l from the rest of the country (hear. hi AO. but the important body who are conuetted with tho cultivation of the land. Of all with the noble lord who seitondcd the uddrem, that of all flame • in this country. of all the mantinuturers in this connt• y. the mow important Mu nit. the me-t deeply and vitally connected with the well-being of the country. Is the gnat ell. of the manufacture,. of human fod. * We are grit. ful for the sympathy which het Majesty ha. exprered for tlit rid, rings of that important clam. that On pwtant. Pitt fornu•rly wealthy, that still local, throats deeply iolfering portion of the emernanitt. lint I emir.. that I should knee received this speech with mere satisfac tion if I haul men held out anv hope, how. est r feeble. Ow tar diminution of those .fielcultits. We AM tad OA gnat and general prosperity timenehout the countryy that the manufacturing chives aro preof..rina, and I *hall have a word to say on that presentle : but that concurrently with ! wooperiiv 44 the hulk o f th e pc..ple, an hamst the Tao.: irui.ortant of all inter...tit, i. sneering: and at the mime time thus notwitiotanding the reduction that has been eft [cif in taxation, the state of the revenue Is Wain. famory, by s inch I apprehend, putting it into lon, reserved language. the. re is at tlp.• dimptral of government a very large surplu. applicable to the redaction of taxation. If it be the fart, that all other CLOW.% are very prover:on. and that the meet important of all interests is suffering ; ((them be air relief to he given in the -hope of remiaion of taxa tion, I ash her Majesty'm goveranont what is the interest to whisk that retniiiion of timotion can be most justly applin.? is it to b e applied to the relief of those w ho, in the far.- psis of governme n t , are I n a state of 1112parilleledpri• Verity, or those who are suffering und.tr great distress ? I may ask her Maj..sty's Fovemmont to what it is that they attribute this long continual diStrir ? I ask whether any tea can d..ny that the distress among the owners and occu piers of land is Attributable to that system of legislation w hi c h, b e it r ight or wrong, be it for the general advantage of tIL community or not, yens have introduced within the last few years, and which Us borne . he icily on the agri cultural portion of the community : I ask, can any of them deny that the prang dietreas—not the temporary but the permanent distress (hear, hear)e—is owing to tlie course of legislation which you hare adopted, and, if it be, how can you obstinately refuse to relieve that distress? I mk, is this what you call an exceptional state? I ask whether the circumstance+ are exceptional? The year before lest it was exceptional, because the grain is this country was very inferior, and it was necessary that there should be a large introduction of foreign corn. List year the cause of distress wee the reverse of this. We had an abundant harvestconcurrently with an abundant harvest in other parts of the world. Last year at this time prices were far below that which we were ridiculed for anticipating at the time the corn laws were repealed. We anticipated a price of 4.55., and an import of three or four millions' of smartens. Last year the price was something like 42v. We were told, nay it was proved tom, that foreigners could not continue to import on terms that left them no profit, but a dead loss ; that we had seen the lowest point of the depress- Bien in the price of agricultural produce. I am nut quite sure whether it was not said the re-action would be so vio lent that we should have extravagant prices. And when there happened to be a rise of a penny we were told that the re-actiou bad set in. Well, the 4.15. last year dwindled to 42.., to 415., to 38e., and, I believe that, at the momelit I am addressing your lordships, the average price of wheat is 375. 2d. And during this time you have had poured into this country a continued stream, increasing in amount to four millions and a half quarters of wheat alone, and so far (rem finding that foreign importers cannot import at these prices, the cry is still they come, and our markets are swamped with foreign corn. Now I say to those who auppnrt the policy of free trade that the results have not answered their anticipation+. I know that many a man supported that measure in the confident exist station that, though there might be • serious diminution in the price of corn, yet that any permanent reduction in the price of grain was not to he anticipated. I will not in any spirit of taunting remind the noble lord at the head of the colonies of his prophecls as to the value of land. Yet I certainly did think that the noble lord had Neel& some reason to be lieve that the value of Land in the market had not risen. Now, my lords, I beg to enter my humble protect against the Ineumbered Estates Act, which may be a summary mode of getting out of great difficulties, but which has performed and is performing what noble lords seem to treat not only with indifference but with approval. It has substituted altogether those who were the an cient proprietors of the soil. It may have been necceeary in some cases, where the proprietors were mere nominal pro prietors. In those cases I have no doubt that the transfer was advantageous; but as a general rule I say it is not de sirable for the interests of this counter ; it is not an object to be aimed at. I do not say that it is not advisable to re move the difficulties and expenses attendant upon the trans fer of property ; but it is not a desirable object to break up the old connexions between landlord and tenant, and to substitute a new clam of proprietors. I am desirous to maintain, if it be passible to maintain—l am desirous, at all events, of doing nothing to accelerate the fall if it he impweible to prevent the full, of the ancisut land( il pro prietors of this country. I lailiere that the ties binding tiara to the occupiers of the soil is among the gnat eccuri ti s for the stability of our institutions and the general cm tent of the country ; and it is no eati.fitetion to ale to koow .that if by your legislation the difficultiee which hare crowded upon and oppreased the owners and occupiers of land are found insuperable, a new set of pro prietors may step into the places of those whom your legiscation may have driven from their pa ternal home, and that you should find a new ' set of proprietors, without that feeling which connected the format proprietors with their tenants. There is one paragraph in the speech to which I hope I shall not lie called upon to subscribe. I do not join in the hope that the proepteens condition of other classes of her Slajesty'a subjects will ham a favourable effect in diminishing the ditheelties of the ageicuituriste. I am tautly connected with a manufacturing town, and I I know that the prosperity will react upon the agricultural eravaltunity who are not engaged in tle• caltivation of wheat crops. But with regard to the growers of corn, with regard to all thou, although previuus to the act of ISPi, it is perfectly true that the prosperous condition of the manufacturing in tenst bore directly upon the amitultural community of this country, yet that since that period it does not so hear upon it. lint this prosperity of your manufacturer., this ability to consume more corn, may be execedingly advantageous to the airrieulturiste of I , rante—(cheers and laughter)—of that France which we were ridiculed for considering might one day become an exporting country—(hear)—may he exceedinaly gratifying to the agriculturists of Poland, to the agriculturists of the United States, and to the w hole houndlem continent of America. (Hear, hear.) All these, in my opinion, will derive from your prosperity aileantagee in equal proportion with, if not in a greeter propirtion than, the agneulturiirts of England. (Hear, ht ar.) My lords, I retain unaltered, nay strength ened, mtopinion as to the impoliey ofyourmeasure.inlfilsi. (Cheers. 1 sin hound to declare that I do not my e possibility of the agriculturists obtaining any in crease in peeves under the existing law, or without some eateneive alteration in your fiscal and financial arrange ments. (Hear, hear.) 1 will not, therefore, hold out to the pneluer rs of this country a hope which Ido not share. 1 believe present prices are permanent prices. And I believe that :it those prices the preoluction of this country will be greatly diminished, and with a felling off in the production that there will be a material diminution of the coml'orts and happier , * of the most important portion of the population. (Hear, hear.) I believe further that by thus diminishitio the amount of the real capital of the country. you will no longer he able to bear that enormous weight of taxation (hear, hear); that taxation and debt which no other country in the world could have borne, and which this country itself would never have been enabled to he tar, if it hod not been the wise policy of the legislature for a long series of years to afford encouragement, endued a fac titious commitment, to our own produces. (Hear, hear.) I now, my lord:, approach a subject of the gravest interest and greatest importance—of an importance exceeding even that of the topic on which I have last touched. (Hear, hear.) It is impossible not to see that by the recent measures, I will not say the recent measure, hut by the recent measures, of the head of the Roman catholic church, there has lx en great danger of, I won't say an in sidious, lea I will say an insolent ague: mien upon the supremacy e.f the crown of England —an aggression noidenal the mutt , insolent by the manner in which it has been attempted. (Cheers.) I mtinot indeed charac terise those measures in more emphatic terms than they have been characterised by the noble lord who tills the re p, neible , situation of principal adviser of the crown. That noble , lord, in a letter which I presume can no longer be treated as a priest,: correspmidenee, but must he regarded as of great celebrity as a public document, has produced a serious and lasting impression upon the public mind. That noble lord tells There is en assumptiou of power fu all the documents which have come from Rome—a pretension to supremacy over the realm of England. and a claim to sole and undivided sway, which a into ee si . tent with the Queen's supremacy, with the rights of our bishop: and clergy. and with the spiritual in dependence of the nation. as asserted even in Roman cache- lie times." Now, when the noble lord printed that sentinel. ; when he sent this forth as the delihe- I rate opinion of the head of the government; when he announced to this protestant nation that the Queen's su premacy hail been ineadeil : that the civil and religious in dependence of the country hail been attacked, and that the rights of the bishops and clergy of the established church had been struck at by a foreign power, the noble lord could never have written, still less have published, that let ter without h iug prepared for the influence which it would h. and for the excitement, though not perhaps to the 'full catent which we have witnessed, it would be likely to produce. (Lord Stanley wu here under stood to my, that while not expressing any opinion so to the , language, of the letter, he considered it one which the circumstances had called for and justified.) And when the first minister (Lord Stanley proceeded to say) thus ex premed his opinion. and this called forth so fervent n protestant feeling—when he thus obtained for himself that popularity which a sincere and hearty protestant and religious opinion. and a determination to maintain the honour and independence of the kingdom, would never, in the long nod. fail to obtain for ape's& man in this counter. ' the noble lord had, doubtless, calculated carefully the magnitude of the struggle he was entering on ; for your lordships were now to deal, not with a missile net, but with a series of acts of aggression cm the pert of the court of Rome. What we have to protest against is, the insolent and the illegal intervention of a gossip power in the domestic affairs of this country. This i is, then fore, 110 question of n , ligious controversy. (Hear, bear.) This is not the time, and I trust we shalrnot find it tote the re. , either in this or in the other house of parliament, when we can discuses the comparative purity of the doctrines of the Roman catholic and the reformed churches. (Hear.) We have nothing to do with ouch questions. God forbid that, on account of their religious principles, we should ever attempt to deprive our Roman catholic fellow-coun trymen of full, perfect, and uncontrolled religious frecslom, or that we should ever seek to take from them rune jot of the rights which we have already gearanteed to them, (Cheers.) If that be indeed what is meaut by the proteetant feeling which has been amused, for one, could not share the triumph or partake the gall, and such are far from the considerations with which I I have approached the subject. (Cheers.) But the consi deration is. shall a Roman pontiff, shall a Roman catholic prelate. be permitted to exercise in this country a mischievou and dangerous interference, not wish names or titles, not with shadows or idea., bat with substantial realities—and, in one word, with the government of the country ? (Hear, hear.) That is the question you have to ask ; that is the contest which ,you are entering on. If th. , letter of the noble lord (Lard John Russell) means one - thing, it means this: o I will vindicate the enpremary of the crown: I will vindicate the rights of the bishops and delve : I will vindicate the independence sad the sway of her Majesty and of the paella gust ; and I will not permit any foreign power whatever to interfere in any manner in the administration of this gauntry." The aggressive policy of the church of 'Rear has been too often overlooked, and the principle of unlimited concession may have been carried dangerously far since 1829. I regret that these aggressions were nut checked at the outset. Because I find that every act of concession has been met by new aggression; and growing with impunity, and encouraged by excess, these encroach ments have at last become so formidable that the Prime Minister has to declare that to tolerate then, longer would be iseanaistent with the independence of the crown and the THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 5, 1851. liberty of the nation. Do not, then, my lords, underrate the nature of the contest you ere now called to. If you nataa noting—if you purport to intradgee some rams sure to put wine. enactmepa oNtestuteebaok to be treated as a dead. lettef, ens„ evaded. and overlooked; if you forbid the cainnip of the title or the Bishop of Nuttinftam, het ,eti7l lease the Roman catholic Bishop of Nottisglwra- 'way Roman catholic bishop, to temp:etc a synoama arganisation, and, emeagh that, to maniac bonnabee .f axe s the con sciences' of our Roman catholic fellows ..s, you will, I tell you, have done nothing towards meeting the evil. (Hear, hear.) I tell you, unless you touch the substance ofthe evil, you make your unman -emirilie-fellow- o bjeeft the victims of a tyranny, which it has been mid by the noble lord, the first minister, and has been repeated to night by one of the noble ion ic who had introaaced the ad dreas,wouM not have been tolerated inßomen embolic times by our Roman catholic ancestors, and under.a Roman catholic sorer:lien. (Hear, hear.) I will say, further, that what you do with regard to England yoii ought Lim to do with regard to Ireland. (Cherie.) That which is a violation of the supremacy of the crown in England is a violation of the supremacy of the crown in Ireland. (Hear, hear.) You cannot separate the two; the English chards is the Irish church; and you cannot separate those clitireies whkh, once for all, were indissolubly united at the period of the union. (Hear, hear.) I silt you, then, again, my lords, not to shut your ere to the gravity of the occasion. Da not, after rousing the expectations—l will nut my after musing the prejudices of the protestant community of England, Ireland, awl Scotland, falter with so grave a question. Do not come to a lame and impotent conclusion —do not avoid the substanee and confine yourselves to the shadow of the injury of which you have so whew:way com- Yplained, and which you have summoue,l the nation to mist. ou, the govern= at, have gratuitously kindled this ex citement ; the enkindling of which, under any circumstances, I, fir one, deeply deplore. But as you have enkindled it, cease not until, by the intervention of porliara, nt. you have I allayed it by a deliberate and final settlement of the mil- chief. I will not consent to rob my Roman catholic fellow subjects of one jot or tittle of their civil rights as conferred on them by the act of 1829. I know not what may lie the measures directed to this questieu which we shall be invited to consider by her Majesty's government. Whatever those measures may be, we will, at least, hope for a realisation of the expectations which the first minister has excited. (Hear, hear.) I hope to find in them a means by which the Roman catholic worship will still be left free, and by which Roman cutholice will be still permitted full possession of every our of their civil rights. But I hope also that I shall find in them a meal.. of reconciline thew results with a Sads factory eindieattontof the supreinat y of the crown. I warn the government that if they fall short of oar great expectations, if they suggest it pretence and do nut enact a fact, if they give us no remedy against these wrongs, and no revenge for these insults, if, after such langusese, we fiod them prepared with no doeds, then there will rest en the head of the noble lord (Lord John Russell) a heavy heal of reaponeibie lity. fur having trifled wah the deepest and the holiest feel ings of the country, for having raised the hopes and expee ta thinner all protestants, nice, if they would speak out, of a large proportion of enlightened Illn ral Roman catholic*, (hear, hear.) and they wal have reduced this country, or certainly every Homan catholic inhabitant of it, to a submis sion to the court of Rome, which, when we hail a Roman catho lie parliament awl were a Roman catholic people, we never consented to endure. (Cheers.) Your legislation, in effect, must be vestal to the emergency. You must look the whole case in the face, and you must met t it Willy— disprousiouately, but boldly. (Hear, hear.) You must net trifle; you must go to the full extent of th e difficulty. And I will venture to my that if that be the course pursued by her Majesty's government, no feelings of party altar, actuate me, or that gnat body with whom I have the honour to act. (Hear, hear.) We do not a ish to deprive them of the great popularity which they will obtain by fully enforcing the just nehte of the crown and the complete Independence of the church of these realms, while, at the same time, carefully abet iining from ins rfarhig with the civil rights of Moee who dies, nt from that church. (Hear, hear.) But on the other hand, I warn them that if they do not mean to act baldly and un cempromieingly with the whole else, far bitter would it hive been if they had never attempted to le eielate at all upon it ' • far better would it have lean if they had submitted to this last and crowning en- 1 croschment far better would it have been if they had con tinued to confess that our blood has been too cold and tem p: rate, end that it was not to he stirred even by this indig nity. For far better would it be to do nothing than, with a pretence ofrarength, to n , -knowledge the reality ofour 'f he nolsleked concluded by sestinas that it was not his intention to lame my amendment °tithe add nas, but repeat ing sin earnest and an anxious hope that, et the proper muson, the government would give evidence that they were prepared to act in reference to the papal aggression in a manner worthy of the weeniest. The Duke of RICHMOND considered as the met impor tant portion of the addrees the resume ref err to the ad mitted agricultural di-trees. lie, for one, w... eet sur prised at the nault of the free t rade measures, and at that n salt being at lags° described by the ion ernment He had never been able to understand, from the commencement, how euy rational being could expect that the British farmer would ever be able to compete with the foreigner; sand he supposed that no one now would venture to main tain such a pooibilisy. They were told by the noble lord who seconded the nib:kiss that the proppenty of the commercial end manufacturing chows would very soon be participated in by the agricultural classes. But he (the Duke of Riehnsond) wooed to 'mow what, in the mean time, was to berme of the tenant farmers of Eng land ? They were at the mama moment, heymil all doubt. loyal ; hut he declared to heaven he would wonder it they long continued to be en. (Laughter.) Free trade, there was now no denying, had driven great numbers of the heeled proprietary of the country to Kahle on the con tinent. Free trade, during the last year, had forced nearly 100,000 agricultural labourers to emigrate, hundreds of these at the cost of the poor-rates. In short, by their recent legislation. their lord-hips had done !lathing 11101 e nor Ins than this, they had crippled the landed Mutest of the country, and forced immense numbers of them to leave entirely the occupition which their ancesters had purmwd for centuries, and these persons were now seeking an other countries the justice which had been denied to them in this. lie would not move any amendment on the preeent occa sion. Ile had only to say a few words on the papal ques tion. lie felt entitled to c :preen his opinion on this point, the rather that he had always been one of those who had opposed the Catholic Emancipation Act. Dangerous as that measure was, the legisleture would have it ; and now they hail the effect of it. In fact, he had °berried that when the two great parties agreed to set together thee- were in variably in the wrung. (Laughter.) It was so in 1829, and was so again in 1848. (Laughter.) He was not at all surprised at what the Bishop of Rome had dome. He saw that the government patromatel the Roman catholic bishops and clergy in Ireland. He bad found the House of Com mons always disposed to coneessios ; and the Bishop of Rome had mask the mistake of supposing that the Ilowe of Commons represented the people of England, which every one in England knew was not the case. (Laughter.) Beelike this, the Bishop of Rome had seen the House of Commons attempting to introduce Jews into a Christian Parliament ; and what could lie not infer from that ? Even a good many of the right reverend bench hail nut hesitated to vote fur the admission of Jew% (Laughter.) Who, alter that,l the Pope naturally thought he could do what he liked. (Great laughter.) There was no disputing that the letter of the first minister to the bishop of Durham was re-gaoled throughout the country as the letter of the whole cabinet. Referring again to the passages in the address upon the subject of agriculture! distrees, the noble duke said that it was well known he expended as large sums a( money as most men in improving the land In his own county, and be would say for one that if free trade continued, and prices remained at their ' present range, be would cease to spend a single shilling is that manner. He, for hi. part, aid not see the wisdom of sending good money sifts r bad. The Earl of WINCRILSEA considered the stste of the country as critical to on unexampled degree. The great dnuster came from Rome. and wastlie necessary consequence of the act of 18 - , which he had all along foreseen. A great struggle was at hand between British protestantism and the reharbm of Rome, which might involve the nation in civil war. Ile considered that the fearful struggle to which he had made allusion was inevitable. He told them that no measure would be successful unless it went to control the Church of Rome to the utmost extent. Never. thelen, the noble earl would give them the full enjoyment of their religious principles. God forbid that he Should ever attempt to interfere between a man and his Maker. but if ever they permitted the establishment of the Popish power in this country as it existed in Ireland, not many years would elapse before it felt the xsine evil results. (Hear, hear.) Ihe table earl concluded by stating in re ference to the question of agricultural distress that the num ber of unemployed labourer', in the county of Lincoln was, at this moment, greater than had been known at any previ ous time within the memory of man. (Hear, hear.) Meek as hod been said about the foreign trade, it was clear that the home market was, after all, that upon which they must chiefly depend; and if they brought the egricultural inter ests into a state of distress. they would won bring the coon. try at large into alike condition. (Cheers.) Lord CAMOYS observed that it was not his intention to enter into all the details of the galena, but he shoal.' con fine himself entirely to one topic. He was a Roman catholic, and his family hail been so fur many generations. He was not ashamed to confess that he took a p r id e i n belong ing to an ancient, and, however much the expression might be' carped at, to an unchsngesble faith. At the same time. however, he was an Englishman ; and the rights, and 'Met tles, and integrity of hi- country were as dew to him as to any one of their lordships. He admitted the supremacy of the Queen over the cetablished church to its Writ extent that the mat orthodox churchman could desire. He owned al-o the supremacy of the Pope user cardinals; but against the exercise of his temporal authority in this country it was his duty to protest. (Cheers.) He would go further, and say that against any undue and unnecessary interference with the consciences of Roman catholies on the part of the Pope, it was also hie (the noble lord's) duty to protest (Cheers.) He was anxious to take a fair and impartial view of what in the establishment of the Roman catholic hierarchy could deserve ant. emersion of censure. He confeued he- could not make out the policy of the act. Whatever were the numbers of the Roman catholic*, it was a protestant nation. (Chien.) They were in the full enjoyment ef toleration.' , They had the benefit of equal lave ; and the catholic sad the protestant could equally meet with impartial justice. They were increasing in numbers; they were increamag• is wealth—not largely but still increasing. They were building new churches and chapels in various parts of the country (some of them very beautiful ones, too) ; converts from all chews (and some of very high rank), were joining the RAMO catholic religion : and even some clergymen of the established church bad done so • their con sion not resulting from the pi;osalaa d lb. pinta, but from *sir own studies, which led them . to the conviction (whether rightly or wrongly It was not his buinern to inquire) that such wria their duty. Then he ' (the noble lord) said that when all wax going on so well, it was not merely an unwise policy, but it was a tailpablo mistake in introduce into this country the Roman catholic hierarchy. (Hear, hear.) It had no doubt been done in ignorance of the religions feeling of this country. Whoever had been at Rome, or had conversed with any person who had been there, must know the extreme idea., about the religious condition of this country. (Hear, hear.) It was supposed there that because a few clergymen had coned the Roman catholic church, that therefore half England was ready to join it. (Hoar, hear.) They forgot this important particular that whilst some clergymen of the established church had joined, in no one instance had their congregation followed them. (Cheers.) It was said that a certain number of the established clergy, who were com monly called Puseyites, had been the cause of the introdue tion Of the Roman catholic hierarchy. If by that it was meant that they were directly the cause, he wu prepared to deny the statement; but inasmuch as they were indirectly the cause, it certainly might be attributed to them. (Hear.) He did not blame so much the Pope for the ignorance which he had displayed in this matter, for he had nct.sd naturally enough ; but he (the noble lord) did say that much responsibility till upon those who had misinformed him as to the actual condition of England. They ought to have known that this was a protestant, an essentially pro testant, country; old that, with the eiception of the Roman catholic', the nation was universally protest ant. (Loud cheers.) With regard to the question of prerogativt—if they compared the titles of honour con. leered by the Queen in this country with the titles given by the Pope, one gave legal precedence and legal rights, but the other conferred none. If he (the noble lord) went into the street and called the tint person he met the Archbishop of Westminster, he would be, in the e y es of the law. just as much the Archbishop of Westminsteras Cardinal Wiseman. (Hear, hear.) They had appointed a new Bishop of Man chester doubtless for some very good reason; and if they wanted a new Bishop of Birmingham he (the noble lord) would like to know what there would be to prevent it ? If that were done, and the person who hail been appointed Bishop of Birmingham still continued to hold the title, he would be liable to the penalty of 100/. In the celebrated' letter of Lord John Russell, mention was made of the "mummeries of superstition" practised by the Roman catholics. Ile (Lord Camoye) confessed himself insulted by that remark; but he could not look upon that letter (as it had been called by a noble lord), as the letter of the cabinet, much less of the country ; he slid not (though their Lordships might look on the distinction as rather too finely drawn), look on it even as the act of the Prime 31inister; but solely u a letter of Lord John Russell, in his prisate capacity. 'f he Roman catholic' were a said majunty in Ireland; and formed a third of the inhabitants of the whole country. They were also related to some of the oldest families in their lordships' house; they were representatives in the other house, and they were even in places near the throne. He could not therefore, bring himself to think that Lord John meant to insult them. Moreover, in France, Spain, Austria, and other countries on the continent, the rulers were Romancatholics. and Lord John Russell could hardly have intended to insult them, with whom her Majesty had congratulated the house that she was on terms of amity. (Hear, hear.) He (Lord Carney.) admitted that Lord dihn Russell hail a right to feel excessively annoyed; but that did not amount to a jtet:hilltion of his letter. The noble lord concluded by thanking their lordships for their patient attention. The Maintain of LANSDOWNE said—The noble lord behind me has delivered his sentiments in a manner which all your lordship. must hove felt indicated a degree of good judgment, of candour, and of manliness upon his part (hear, hear), which reflects on hint the highest diutentr. (Hear, hear.) I hare, and must have the mates* satisfac tion when ; I refs to thoae Pestinient4 (tow* si they do fr o m a r a t i on connected by hereditary tfee,- fbe centimes past, with the Roman catholic body Of. England, and ex presaing as they do the result of his own observation and knowledge of this country. (Hear, hear.) Such senti ments 1 ant juatifit d in observing outweigh a hun dred fold those sentiments and those proceeding., which I believe it can be proved have originated in the most profound ignoranee of the state of the history and of the present condition of this country. (blear, hear.) With regard to the topics adverted to in the course Of this debate, it would ba quite unjustifiable in me to detain your lord ships by fltrinß into them in detail. I shall refer to two or three points to widish the noble lord (Lord St inky) snore especially adverted. The foremost in point of onle r was the foreign policy of this country. To that he had nothing to object, except that the government betrayed somewhat of innifferenee to the affairs of foreign countries, and did not take those active measures of interference which in some quarters were deemed essential. I can refer von to the transact:on. which have littelyttiaen plate in Oe:rmany—tee the difficult negotiations intanded to have eettleda queritimie of right—a question whit le wee romplicettati loynther floats of policy throughout the Bohn* ring/U*4 pat . tented time at one every sort of difficulty; you to these, I ask if the poliey of this eountry has been at all indifferent in its character On the contrary, although it did not become this country—which was not directly in tercated—to brims itself forward as a principal in a contest in which it had no legitimate share except from a regard to the general iutirests of Europe, it did interfere : and I am quite warranted in saying that, during the whole of these transactions. there was not an instance in which the intar rence of this country- was not beneficially employed, and was not acknowledged in a promr manner by every one of the states brought into conflict rind opposition. (Hear, hear.) The noble lord afterwards referred to the state of distress in this country, under the in tim nee of what is called for trade. 'I am not pre pared to rides the general question now. I shall take the opportunity at the proper time of pronouncing nty opinions uu the subject. lit the meantime, however, I deny the proposition which he has !nisi down, for althoueh it he ad mitted tl,et considerable distress, exits amongst particular claws of the community, it is not for one moment to be allowed that the hulk of the population is affect , ii by that (Lintel.; or even that the whole of the population in agri cultural counties (hear, hear) are in a state of distress. for a considerable proportion of the agrteultural counties enjoy ge nerd prosperity. It is impossible if distress were universal amens( them, that there would be those unmistakeable signs, those unequivocal proofs of prosperity which are certain ly visible. We have seen an in creasing consumption, which nothing hut the welfare of of the great masts of the country could produce. That consumption has been going on froth year to year, not by starts, nor suddenly, nor accidentally, hut with a slow and measured pare, affording ground for the must perfect security that consuraptien would go on increas ing, and justifying the policy of her Majesty's in recommending pnrhatnent, year after rear, to take off great and productive taxes. The effect of the remission of these taxis% in stimulating consumption only serves, the better to show the soundness of the financial system lof this country . • (hear, hear) for, notwithstanding the abolition of the head tax, the revenue has loam buoyant. and has risen beyond the necessities of the state, thereby enabling the country not only to dispense with a portion of taxation in the past, lint which holds out the prospect of sonic still further reduction in taxation. (Hear, he ar.) I wish to ask the noble lord, when he pointa to the supplies derived by this roantry from France, whe ther he thinks the amount of agricultural distress now ex isting there, and bearing down that country to a much greater degree titan this country (hear, hear) ; because the agricultural population in Franey is much greater in propor tion than it is in this country—l ask the noble lord whether he is prepared to attribute the agricultural deprePaion in France to the want of a system of protection. (Hear, hear.) In that country free trade has beet proscribed from year to year, under different governments.—monarchies and repuls lies —and yet the agricultural produce of France hate been gradually falling. (Hear, hear.) The state of France, the prices of its product., du not afford any argument in favour of protection; fur in thin country, at this very mo ment, article., of agricultural pioduce command a much better price. (Hear hear.) As regards the question of papal agression , whatever variety of sentimant may have arisen in the comae of this debate on this subject, I rejoice to find that there has not been a sentiment uttered —not even by the noble earl opponite--there has nut been a sentiment uttered against the fullest toleration. Tokra tion has been extended, and, I tru,t, will always be ex tended to the Roman catholic body and every other re- Laious community in the country. Civil privllegea have been granted to the Roman catholivs, anti God forbid that under the presence of any circumstances, however just, we should think of retracing our step., and going hark to a svntem of what I must call practical persecution. (Hear, liter.) I entirely differ from the noble earl in considering that catholic emancipation is in any degree to be Made re eponsihle for the re sent usurpation on the part of the Pope, which has aroused throughout the country such a feeling of indignation. (Hear, hear.) Had the Catholic Emancipation Act not been passed there would have been affonled the same facility—nay, a great deal more facility fur the perpetration of such a usurpation, fur then we would have been on a foundation of injustice while we resisted this attempt on the honour of the crown and the feelings of the subject. (Hear.) My lord., that act has been characterised and ju.tly characterised as an act of usurpation. With respect to the arrangements for effecting an improve ment in the administration of the law, I may remark that they are surrounded with difficulty. although this is the most important of all practical legislation. It is intended to provide that security which the noble lord desiderateP, although it is no easy matter to proceed where iso many in terests are implicated. It is, however, expected that means will be found of effecting a great diminution in the expense of the law, while, at the same time, greater security may be given to the holders of pro pertr by an improvement in the registration of deeds and instruments relating to the transfer of property." All these meaPures will be formally and delibeffitely cciaddered by this bowie, and will doubtless secure that attention which their great importance merits. (Hear, hear.) Lord RODEN Was dierippointed at not finding in the royal speech a promise to maintain the protestant principles of constitution. He hoped that the measure to be in troduced would prove eretisfactory on that point, and ad duced some new proofs of the intrusive and ambitious cha mese' of the papal authority. The LORD CHANCELLOR then put the address to the vote, when it was unanimously carried. RESIGNATION 01' LORD SHAFTESBURY AS CHAIRMAN 9F COMMITTEE'S. Lord REDESDALE returned thanks for his selection to succeed the Earl of Shaftesbury, u chairman of the com mittees in their lordships' house. A brief conversation ensued. in which Lord Stanley, the Duke of Wsllininon. Lord Harrosrhy. and the Dtike of Richmond paned kith euloOtims upon the conduct of the n thle earl while exeeuting the onerons duties of that office, and stated their confidence as In the fitness of his successor. The Duke of RICHMOND presented petitions front se veral places in SUWX agaio.t papal acraTesiian. Their lordships than adjourned at it quarter past nir.e o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS.- 7 -TuE4otv, FEE 4. The SPEAIMa took the chair at half-past one o'doelt, the attendance of hon. members being at that time rather thin. However, the number momentarily incre.tved, up to a quarter past two o'clock, at which hour there could not have been less than 100 hon. members present. At twenty minutes past two o'clock precisely, Mr. Putman, Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod, appeared at the table of the house, and, in her Majesty's name, summoned the hove to I the bar of the House of Lards to hear the royal speech. On the return of the Speaker, the house (at half-past two) rn adjoued to a quarter 'before four o'clock. The house re-assembled ate quarter before four o'clock. NEW 31EilBERS, The following new members took the oaths and th..ir Beats:—Mr. Calvert, for Aylesbury; Mr. Bell, fur st. Albans ; with several others whose uames it was impowibk to ascertain. NEC WRITS. Mr. HATTER moved that new writs be issued for the following places :—The Falkirk district of Burghs, now vacant by the removal of Lord Henry Pelham Clinton to the House of Peers, as Duke of Newcastle; Dungarvan, in the room of the Right Hon. Richard Labor Shell, late Mac ter of the Mint, who accepted the office of Plenipotentiary to the Grand Duke of Tu.any; and for the borough of Windsor, vacant by the promotion of the Right lion. John Hetchell to the office of her Majesty's Attorney-Gene• rub for Ireland. NOTICES OF MOTION-GOVERNMENT MEASURES. Mr. HATTER--It may be convenient that I shou:d state the order in which her Majesty's ministers pro pose to submit certain measures for the consideration of the house. (Hear, hear.) I therefore heft to state that on Thursday, the 6th of February, it is the intention of the First Lord of the Treasury to move the following resolu tion That this house shall not proceed on any motion for an addr.n to the crown to which opposition may be offered except in committee of the whole house, but in re spect of matt:rspreviouslysuhmitted to a select committee." (Hear, hear.) It is also the intention of that noble lord to more, on Friday next, the ith instant, for lent e to bring in a bill to prevent the assumption of certain ecclesiastical titles in respect of places in the United Kingdom • and, on Friday, the 11th instant, it is the intention of ;he Chan cellor of the Exchequer to make his financial state ment. (Mar, hear.) ASSIMILATION OF THE POOR LAWS. _ Mr. P. SCI&OPE gave notice that on that day fortnight he would move for an tt,situilation of the poor laws in Eng land, Ireland, and Scotland, as also fur the adoption of measures promotive of the labour of aide bodied paupers. ROYAL RESIDENCES. Mr. WILLIAYI:4gare notice that t;Ttiat day fortnight he would move for a return of the ntnnit.4 :pen& .1 in decorating and ornamenting the several royal paLives and gardens since the acceesion of her Majesty to the throne. . _ MALT TAX. Mr. CATLEY rave notice that on that day week tic would move Sro a repeal of the Malt Tall. (.. and laughter.) SUGAR.—THE SLAVE :TRADE. Sir E. N. BUXTON gave notice bi intention to !novo on the 13th inotant, "that t tial duty on threign sugar coating iuto operatimr tat of July, he conti nued until the accurst.d.trat trade, shall hare been abolished." (lieu, hear.) COURT OF CRANOERY. _ Mr. STL ART ore notice of hii intention to submit • motion on Tueiilay next, on the subject of the royal com mission appointed to enquire into the practice of the Court of Chancery. INVESTMENTS BY THE POOR. Mr. SLANEY gave notice that on that day fortnight he would move the cmisideration of the best nteate+ of giving facilities for invt , tmenti by the middle and saving cla,•es, as also for improving the law of partnership. SITTINGS OF TILE lIUCSIJ. Mr. BUOTHERTON gave notiee that, on the reading of the sessional order:, he would move the following ret.lu tion : " That in the pre4ent .ession no btoinesa he proceeded with after the hour of midnight; and that the Svaker do then, even though there be basilicas ad,janrar t he houst , without putting any quediOn." (Hear, hear.) CEYLON. Mr. BAILME stare notice of his intention at an early day to call the attention of the house to the proceedings of the Ceylon committee. PUBLIC PETITIONS. Mr. THORNElStfraCClllotlCotil;i;lWilintsday nett he ,would move for a wlect committee on public petitions. TRADE AND NAVIGATION. MikERRIES gave notice of his intention to move, at an period, for certain returns in reference to trade and navigation. REMOVAL OF ROMAN CATHOLIC DISABILITIES Mr. ANSTEY gave notice that on Monday next he would move for leave to bring in a bill for the removal of all penal enactments against members of the Roman catholic persua sion. (" Hear, hear," and a laugh.) AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. ....... Mr. DISRAELI gave notice that on the 11th brit. hr would cull the attention of the house to the continued tress existing amongst that important ela.a of her ?slajectyN =Wets, the owners of land, with a view to the aillition of such measures as may be most effectual fur their relief. (l'roteetiimist cheers.) FIRE INSURANCES AND INCOME TAN Col. SIBTIIIOItP gave notice of hi• intention to mo‘e, at an early period, fur a eduction of the duty on fire in-nr anees, and alto tor the removal of the income tax from the farmers. THE BORNEAX MASSACRE. ___ Mr. HUME gave notice that, on the I Ith inst., he would move for the production of the returns furnished by Admiral Parker respecting the massacre at Borneo. fHE LATE JOILN HENRY LEY. Lord J. RUSSELL gave notice that on to-morrow he would more a re►nludon acknowledging the aervie,4 of Mr. John Henry Ley, late clerk of the House of Commons. __ THE hoym_LIECTENANCY (IRELAND). Mr. REYNOLDS gave notice of hii intuition t 4 pot a queqion, on to-morrow, to the noble lord at the bead of her Majesty's government, as to whether it was the intention of her Majesty's government to introduce in the present session a bill for the abolition of the Irish Lord Lieutenancy. ----- - Sir W. SONIERVILLE gave notice that on Monday next he would move for leave to bring in a bill for malting more effectual the art for the inmrorement of towns in Ireland. PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. Mr. WILLIAMS gave notice of hia intention to submit, at an early period, a motion prohibiting tke expenditure of any portion of the public taxation without the authority of that house. Till , : ADDRESS. 1 {The SPEAKER having read the speech of her "Male , ty, The Marquis of KILDARE, in moving the address in reply, briefly recapitulated the principal topics alluded to therein, congratulating the house and the country on the maintenance of alliances abroad and tranquillity at home, and the successful result of their negotiations and friendly offices to restore peace in yarious eountries, where serious disturbances had existed. He coincided in regretting that the landed interests were still depressed, rejoicing that other branches of industry were prospering. After invoking from the house a co-operation with her Majesty's resolve to maintain the independence of the country against foreign interference, while preserving the most perfect liberty of conscience to every class of the subject, the noble marquis moved the address, which was, as usual, a mere echo of the speech. Mr. PETO seconded the motion. The hon. member dwelt espetially upon the happy prospect held out by the continuance of peace, a blessing which wax to be secured by every means except the sacrifice of good faith or nationa honour; and to which the triumph of scientific very largely contributed. Congratulating the house, on the score of humanity, in the progress made towards suppressing the traffic in slaves. he proceeded to dwell upon the cheering signs of national prosperity consequent upon the recurrence of a financial surplus, notwithstanding the large reductions in various items of taxation. Referring especially to the increased importation of sugar, he udd : The duty on sugar was reduced Is. per cwt. The consequent loss to the revenue, taking the consumption of the preceding year, should have been 311,454/.,but it resulted in a loss of o,lBof. only; a good practical reason for re ducing other items of large consumption where the duty presses heavily, and one which I doubt not will have its due effect in future fiscal arrangements. (Hear, hear.) In a few days the returns of the Board of Trade will be issued. The returns of the first eleven months of 18.50 will enable us to anticipate the results. The exports for the first eleven months of 1818 were 41,407,9121.; 1849, 54,089.8091.; 18.50, 80,400,5251. In what did this increase consist ? Prin. ciNlly in British manufactures, cottons, woollens, linens, silks, and hardware. This increase has taken place, too, under most unfavourable circumstances. The great staple is cotton--at least the great employing article'is cotton— but in the cotton producing states of America last year there was a short crop ; and a rise of price of full seventy-five per cent. over the price of the early part of the preceding year was the consequence. For in stance, Orleans cotton was in January, 1819, 41d. par lb. ; January, 1850, per lb. It is well known that a rise in the price of cotton rapidly diminishes consumption. It did so considerably in this instance, but owing to two cir cumstanees, the effect was much mitigated. Ist. When the material is dear, the best quality is always run upon by manufacturers, as fora smaller quantity in weight they get the higher price. Our skill in the application of ma chinery, and the hitch character of the machinery itself, has enabled us in finer fabrics to surpass all competition; and the consequence was, that with all our disadvan tages, we partially shut up the American male, and gave our people full employment. 2nd. Full employ ' mint secured rood wages, and good wages and cheap food enabled the industrial classes to dress well. The foreign market and home consumption kept the mills going, and I find .50,000 more hands were employed in the factories in 1850 than in 1847, the gross numbers being. 1817, 544.876-1840, 896,028. It may be said that the high price of fabrics helped to swell the amount of exports, but, in point of fact, quantity was in excess in reference to cloth, while in yarn there was not only a decrease in quantity but in value, the increased value leling principally in labour. I have the statistics to refer to, hut will not weary the house by doing so. Now, if our manufacturers have aceotit plished a result so gratifying under unfavourable circum stances, what might we not have expeetesl had the cotton crop been a full one, and had the price of the raw material continued low ? Instead of 60,000 hands we should have', employed three times that number. The low price of cot ton broxight us through the year 1847, the high prise of cotton acted adversely in 1850 ; and here I must pause for a moment, and ask how important is it that we should bo energetic in our endeavour. to get the railway commu nications of continental India executed. (Rear, hear.) We aro depending on . one quarter of th e wor ld on l y I for the means of employing our operatives in the cotton factories when we should be blessing our fellow ssildecta by the activities of commerce, and have a fresh market to depend upon, and that, too, the 1.0 , ne. I desire also to advert to the gratifying fact that the increase.., of factory hands to which I have referred hus not been o btai ne d at tho sacrifice of infantile energy. There has barn a li'Mrea.4o since 1831 of twenty per cent. in the children employed, and an increase of eighty-one per end. in the asistits. think it cannot be denied that the poor of every class am 'Ater fed and clothed than they have ever been. If I refer to the Poor-law Record, I find [fiat the number of ableduklied paupers has largely decreased during the year, and tha amount of general relief has been tensely lessened. True, some of the agricultural districts are exceptions, to which I shall he called on presently to speak. If I refer to our criminal records I find the facts to he equally gratifying. In the city of Manchester the tetanus of persons apprehended for crime, in the three lust rears are iu 1848, 6,337; 1849, 6,277 ; 1850, 1,687. (Hear.) The West Riding of Yorkshire in its criminal prosecutions show a similar result. I now come to another result of tho policy of the present and the last mina-try. Two years since London was crowded with deputation.. ardent in deprocating any interference with the navigation I,:ws. F4wtsinately for themselves and the country their entmities did sea acad. 'they returned to their localities to rejoice at the 111C1'.'rlAe of the shipping trade rather than to mourn its gradual extinc tion. It is very true the entrance and clearing of t maga shipping ha. increased, but it is equally troe that Itriti.h ships have also increased. I will omit oil details of liumba of ships and tonnage which I have before me for the first II months of 1848. 1849 and 1830. I give you th ,, gross increase of tonnage the ilea 11 months of 1819 and 1830. ANCREASE OE TONNAGE. 1849 over 1818. Ida) over 1849. British 226.2.07 162,h Id Foreign I have taken the returns of vess.ds dearest outwards, be cause that is an evidence of work done. The returns of vessels entering may he affected in a triety of ways apart, from the evidence of work done within th" period.peeified. I most also very briefly call the attention of hon. mem loers to the fact, that the repeal of the navigation haws has not yet affected either the value of 'hipping or tho de mand. The ship building of the Clyde. the Tyne, the Mersey, and tho Thames, is fully equal in its activity to any preceding period, and within the last few slays on eminent ship builder informed me the orders for ships and steamers on his books eacecol.l 100,000/. If I refer to the circulars of firms eneaged in the sale of ships I find the same activity of trade indicated. The old mode of ship building, it is admittssl on all hands, will no longer do. Capacity without speed is the n:vere. , of recommendation in a What the American ship 'milder% effected, the Scotch have surpassed, and the result of the trial between the Sernelt-built ships and steamers and the 17nited Stabs shows us we have . nothing to apprehend, but much to gain. if British skill and enterprise be but relieved from all impedimenta. (h ear, hear.) The merchants and traders of Liverpool are gene r. 7.y considered to lx well and practically acquainted with all circumstances which regulate vonme rue. I have seve ral of their annual circulars before me, and I ant struck with the unanimity of their testimony. Iler Majesty ex presses the sympathy she feels for the owners and occupiers of land in the difficulties which now affect them, and a hope that theas ?perity of the manufacturing and eliminerciftl .in terests Ed soon he productive of beneficial effects to the agri cultural y. And hero I taut and may fairly ciak the question, if such is the state of the comararcial, inanufac turin,g, and shipping interests, can it be supposed that the agricultural is the only interest not des tined to share in the general prosperity? (Hear, hear.) Is land exempt from the great law of progreasion t It is impossible for wheat to fall front l's. to :is. per bushel, without causing great anxiety to owners and occupiers of land, but no one can doubt that commerce has its ever growing connexion with the soil, by the substantial ties of property, and that the interests of all arc identified, and the Met of distress existing calls for every practical sympathy to be shown, and that by the removing of every unjust burden which the friends of agriculture tut show to press unfairly an its interests. And rejoicing in the fact of the alteration of the law. I cannot hi sitate to express my wish that more time had been allowed to adjust the Inter. st which hail, under the old and vicious system been plied in a false p,eition. It Is COW to say that this adjustment is entirely un affair of landleed and tenant.' It is so ; hut when we re lict: that no good tenant could farm without imparting a value to the land which it takes year% to aletrict, a revalua tion at present prima is simply giviag to the landlord a rental erasing from value imparted by th. expenditure of capital by the tenant. I believe it to be our duty. sir, not only to carry out abstract principles of light. but when. they effect large interests by extensive alterations in the bays that time should be given for the alaistment of the inte testa to the new and altered nat., of things. (Ileac.) But while [make thieadmiasifm, I believe th it the good wishes to which her Majesty hay given utter:owe iii her gracious speech will be speedily ri ali.sed, though in the trunsition wo MILK be prepared for difficultieri and lo.,:, o,l)4i:hilly to pie ties Who are flow in adjusting their cours. of 11 UNilll.l to the altered state of things. It has, sir, always appeared to mo that we have looked at the price of wheat ton much as a criterion of distrese or prosperity. It is calenlated that we have about 11l millions of acres of arable, and 38 millions of pasture and meadow; while of the 19 million der" leas than 4 millions are employed in growls; wheat. Agricultu rists, it is therefore obvious, derive a large portion of their income roan stock, and to them, therefore, the prosperity of trade and manufactures is a posi tive benefit and source of profit (infnieal cheers), and we find that, although the price of wheat lots declined, the price of meat has declined very little, and that it waa cheaper during many years of protection than it has a%eraged since. And I need not point out to the house) that this has arisen entirely from the laraer consumption of meat by the Inhout ina classes—a circumstance at which wo may well rejoice. (Hear, hear.) The working men of this country dine now us working men should dine, on edibles furnished by the butcher. We have unfortunately in this country no means of estimating the 111/1111AI ',reduce and consumption of food, and we must therelbre content our selves with an approximation to farts. 1 collect from the best sources that there were alauelger. 1 in England in 1850, 00,000 • more beasts than in 1819, and wo have local returns which give value to these calculations. The largest cattle salesman in Liverpool gives the following return of sale, Mr the past year. In 11319 there were 109,:e47 oxen ; in the year 18.50, 12:1,213. They also state in their circular our imparts of ahrep have been on a less extensive scale from Ireland, and we are now witnessing, to us the novel feature, that store Feasts have lean lately sent into that country. I find the prices of meat during the last six months, and the i ernapondiag fax months of a year since, have been nearly the same. I find the increase of consumption in England to he the counter part of Scotland. The City Chamberlain of filaafrow makes the following return of animals slaughtered in that city: 18W, 132,160; 18110,161,527 ; la iO, 114.1,'''.5. If I am not trespassing too much on the time of the house, I desire to call its attention for a few moments to the cheering pro spects of progression in Ireland, which I doubt not will eventually be a source of strength and contribute her quota to the general welfare. liar comparative ;Avenel: in indus trial pursuits in the last 'sixteen years has been much greater than in the sister portions of the kingdom, Seialand and England. The number of persons engaged in cotton, silk, and woollen factoriew, I find has increased 1.58 per cent., while in Scotland the increase has been 51 per cent. and England 67 per cent. ; and I find her cotton and flax manufacturers alone give employment to 350,000 persons at the present time, and that 300,000 females are employed at sewed muslin,' the cost of which is almost entirely labour and profit. On turning to agriculture, I find the prospects are even more cheering. Capital is flowing into the country, land is being rapidly consolidated front the tail and Viti.IIIS state of conacre, to farms of from 100 to 200 acres. In proof of thia I need only refer to Captain Lareonis returna. Largo breadths of land are being aown with o reals, the value stlek is increased, and that too much neglected, but moat valuable link between the agriculturist and the minutiae- turer, flax, is being more extensively and proetribli eu Fit - vated ; and I note with hearty pleasure the great eagerness of the people to establish packet stations, and manufactories, as evidencing the desire which is always the precursor; of MC , et,. We see also in Ireland the railways Itiakiegr its natural capabilities available and rapidly opening up ilk resource.. Soon will its most dist int parts he placed in ready communication with England, and here, Sir, I cannot but regret that the advice of a late illustrious statesman, whose untimely loss we deplored near the end of the last cession, has not been more extensively carried out and espe cially that the City of London to whom we look for the ini tiative in this matter has not prosecuted her intention be yond a public meeting. That corporation holds very large estates there by the fivour of former sovereigns. They pas- MIA, therefore, a personal interest in the country, and I had hoped to have seen large tracts of country named by pur chase to them and to other corporate boilies who could invest capital largely, and who, while blessing their country by the enterprise, would have left a valuable investment to their successors, and an enduring monument of their pa triotism and public spirit. I cannot but point with admira tion to the conduct of a brother of the noble lord the mem ber fbr Evesham. (Hear, hear.) lie has turned a desert into a garden ; a large estate from which no rental was de rived into a remunerative property. He deserves well of his country, and his conduct is worthy of imitation, There are most false impressions abroad as to the Irish character. I know from personal experience that if you pay the Irish ilabourer well, and show him you are for him, he is the most faithful and hardworking creature in existence; but if you find him in one part of his native country working for fourpenee per day, paid in potatoes' or meal, and that where 1 most of the misery exists, can we wonder that the results art as we find them ? But give him legitimate occupation, remunerate him for his services, show him you appreciate those services, and you may be sure you put an end to all agi tation. tier Majesty next refers to the assumption of certain ecclesiastical titles, and to a bill to be hereafter laid on the table of the house ; and on this point I trust that the word ing of the address will commend it'elf to all. No hon. member by giving his assent to this address is bound to ow sabsequent course of action, nor can I think that hon. members professing the Roman catholic faith are by it committed to any course of proceeding until the hill to which it refers is laid oa the table of this home. Her Majesty refers to a fact patent to all, and while we all feel bound by every tie to protect the civil and religious liberty of the subject to the utmost, we are all equally bound by our devoted loyalty and lave to oar sovereign to protect her prerogative from aggreseion of every kind also, and that to the utmost. (Hoar.) We are not called en, sir, to adopt any reactionary course—the ante ! eedsuts of the first minister of the crown are a pledge sore V