The Express. — London, England, 1848-08-31 00:00:00

2 which ailed for toe thin ordinary care, that shank' be perfectly clear and inte llig ible, it would be the the repro financial exposition made by the head g of the government to b l astin of the nation. B unfortate the house, though charmed with the olusio ut eloquence y of the noble lord, found his figures involved ie. a more than Thetsan mystery ; and then comes the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and says, "I am the manto put things right." (Loud laugh ter.) There had bean, said the right hon. gentleman, a great misconception with respect to the estimates that had ben laid on the table of the house. It was tree, said the right hon. gentleman, that there was observable an increase in the navy estimates, but it was oceasioned by the voyage of dis covery to the North Pole. (A laugh.) This was a satisfac tory explanation enough, in ao fa but r as l it admits t shnwed of questionat the time that we were rot going to war • whether the discovery of the North Pole is not a scientific turn/ ad_pted only for a time when we have a surplus re. venue. (Hear and a laugh.) As to the miseellanceus esti mates, it is true, said the right hon. gentleman, teat there is a considerable 'sieve's in them ; but It must not be forgot. ten that the expenses of building the new houses of parlia ment, the eat of the British Museum, and the printing bill of the House of Commons, hays been more than usually heavy." And that was the defence made by the right whic hon. gentleman for the estimate+ of the year, a deface h Welded the most extraordinary proposal ever yet made to the House o f Commons, a proposal whereby the Ch anc ellor of the Exchequer , to the surprise not on those who usually supported government, but also of ly of these members of the administration who were not in the cabinet, I suggested that the military and naval, and subsequently the miscellaneous estimates, should be submitted to the was exanmadeti-1 a nion of committees up--tairs. That proposition on the 21st of Feb., but the storm that had been rsised in doors and abroad by the first financial statement of the noble lord dad not lull. The act of submitting the estimates for the year to select committees upstairs would not pay the I additional income tax, and there began to be visible symp t -1 toms of a disposition which might have led people to fear tha those tumults which had sub•equenily broken out in the European kingdoms, would first manifest themselves in the loyal kingdom of Great Britain. A curious circumstance then occurred. A motion cf the lion. member for Montrose on the subject of reduction of taxation stood on the piper for discussion, when, on the 25th of Fe bruary, exactly 10 days after the noble lord's financial statement was made, the Chancellor of the Exchequer came down to the house, and in the handsomest meaner possible presented us with another project, making, in fac t, two b u d ge ts. The right hon. gentleman then stated that the misconception that had originally prevailed respectinst his noble friend's financial projects still existed, and was on the increase—that it became necessary, in consequence, to re view the petition of the e xchequer, and that in doing so he had no doubt the estimates might be curtailed by borrowing in one quarter and saving in others; in othernot words, by filching and screwing, so that there would be the slightest necessity for imposing fresh taxes; and the right hon. geetlemen then withdrew the proposal for doubling the income tax, which the noble lord had estimated to produce him 3,500,0001. additional to the Exchequer. Now let me remind the house who was the occasion of this lose of ten days, during which the whole country was agitated sed convulsed. Was the Hobe of Commons guilty of having wasted these ten days ? (Hear, hear.) Wes that waste occasioned by too much diseuseion, or by the antiquated forms of the house ? But so it was. Here was a WWI of ten days without the2Bth ad vancement of public Impinges a sin g le jot . On of February we find the right hon. gentleman with an empty exc h eq uer, and hie only chanc e of getting 10a. in the pound towards making up his deficiency is in paring down the esti mates which had been laid on the table of the house. Now I find this Announcement in her hlsjesty's speech from t .e throne : " Her Majesty has given directions that the esti mates for the neat year should be prepared fur the purpose of being laid before you. They will be trained with a careful regard to the exigencies of the public service." The exigen cies here referred to must be taken to mean a deficiency in the revenue ; and yet the Chancellor of the Exchequer finds that the estimates have not been prepared with that careful regard to the exigencies of the year, inasmuch as be at once says he is able to cut them down. Now Ide not intend to enter into a dry statement of the course of public business, in this house during the last ten months. I shall pursue the topic of the finance', and show who it iv that most be blamed for the loss of time that is charged on this house collectively. The course of business progressed until the 30th of June, when in a manner a prpos to no subject then before the house in the midst of a colenial debate, the Chancellor of the Exchequer suddenly rose in his place, ade for the purpose of answering, as was s upposed, a speech m by one of his habitual supporters--(laughter)—who was seated on the Neches behind him; but instead of doisg that he threw down on the table of the house his third budget. (Laughter). And what occurred then ? Both the right hon. gentleman the member for Manchester and the hon. member for the West Biding concurred in moving that the debate be adjourned, on the plea that instead of discussing the ostensible subject of debate —namely, the alteration of the great principle of the sugar bill of 1846—the Chan cellor of the Exchequer had entirely diverted it from its channel. In this manner two days more were occupied in discussing the third budget of the finaece minister. I should also remark at this time that my noble friend the member fur King's Lynn had originally asked the minister whether he included in his first budget the amount of to e corn duties *when he was informed that they had not been reckoned u p o n. But it suesequently turned out that the right bon. gentleman had included them in his estimate of the Income. Thus, from the month of Feb. to June, we find the business of the government not advanced one jot. We, on this side of the hoses, treated the ministry with the utmost forbearance. But they failed in redeeming their promises, and having produced three budget', found them all inefficient. Now, sir, let us e xamine what a simultaneous wards of time was goin on dung the whole of the pe h r:od I ave specified. 'The e stimat es for the current year were all this while up stairs. The committee of supply was virtually closed. The government, it is true, gut a few votes on account,an d in confidence, and for the purpose of paying wages dividends ; bat the supplies were closed to them. About this time, &peaking in behalf of the party with which I have the honour to act—and it is only on that p 1 a that I could ven ture to refer to what so humble an individual as myself has said in this house—l stated the objections which we enter tained to refer the estimates prepared by the minister of the crown to the examination of a committee upstairs. I stated that such a course was unconstitutional as regarded the move retell, and that it was unprecedented in so tar as the o ed .srm of the house and the practice of parliament were concer f n I chewed that the precedents cited by the right hon. gentle man in behalf of this, proceeding were not in point, thou) precedents having regard to finance committees, and in no respect to the estimates prepared by the minister for the House of Commons. I showed that there existed no prece, dent for submitting estimates prepared on the responsibility of the minister of the crown to a committee of this house, whereby that responsibility was shifted from the mi nister on to the House of Commons. (Hear.) I showed that this proceeding was nothing else than the appointment of a select committee of ways and mean', and that it a *elect com mittee of the House of Commons was to be empowered to fix the amount of the estimates, there was no reason why a similar committee should not be empowered to fix the amount and nature of the taxes that are imposed. (Hear.) I also, sir, stated another reason for objecting to the course pro posed, namely, that it was unconstitutional, as regarded the members of this house, who would thereby be deprived of v ari ou s rght of criticising the estimates, and of objecting to the aris items. Well, and what did the noble lord opposite say in answer to these objections ? Why, that they were quite futile, and that it was a delusion in me to suppose that because the estimates were sent upstairs any member would be thereby deprived of his opportunity of examining and of objecting to the various items. But what did actually happen? The estimates came down from the select committees in the mouth of August, when there were two-thirds--I beg par don, tour-fifths at the least of the members absent for the remainder of the session—so that, practically speaking, the members of this house were deprived of their constitu tional right of objecting to the estimates. But independently of this consideration, what, let me ask the house, has so much tended to protract the sittings of the committee of supply as i this sending of the estimates before select committees ep , stairs, whereby they were kept back from discussion until the latter end of August 1 Here, then, I have shown you in one department of the public business, under the exclusive centrol of the government, that you have tied three unsatia• factory budgets, and yet ministers have hardly been able to stet their supplies f o r the year g ranted by the end of August. (Hear, hear.) Now, let me again ask, is the House of Commons guilty of the waste of I one hour's time, in so far as finance is con teed? (Cheers.) And yet after all this delay—with three budgets—soda west* of months by the very men who I were to be most prempt and energetic in their conduct of public affairs, we are without a satisfactory statement of the conditioa of the finances, and we are blessed with a minister I who, wi.h what I may term a sublime cookie's, tells us late in the month of July that his his right b no. friend wil take an I ear ly opportunity of making financial s he r.) 'Well the time comes. and at last we get tins lung looked for budget. We have heard of a ministry of " all the tihcitsl"—the present government has richly deserved he I n ame of " all the budgets." (A laugh.) But, alas tor e fourth budget, it came late, and at a moment when nothing , lees than glad tidings were desired and looked for. net, however, destined to bestow a few sunny mo meat' over the close of the session. It was brought forward in a house the attendance in which I never saw so thin upon such an occasion, and the gloomy statement of the right hon. gentltman might well justify so scant an attendance. He should never forget the aspect of that evening. It reminded him of one who like the Chancellor of the Exchequer had made four successive trials, and who had experienced as many reverses. He meant the hero who was so worthily celebrated by Cervantes. The right hon. gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, touched with the same spirit which animated Quixote before his delusions subsided, came forward in all the chivalry of finance and trampled and cantered over us, The belief in ^hiihiff of D4l like that of Mt tis• h e hod• cintle man in his eremite of finance, suddenly disappearing, be r , turns a ft er his fourth sally to his home. The villegers, although aware of his weattness, tzeated him with specs_ {g r eet laughter)—and on his approach to the village he is met by his immediate relatives and associates, the barber, the curate, and the Batchelor Samson c r ate s, the are well perso,:ilied by the noble lord the first minister, the right hon. gentleinan the President of the Board of Trade, and the noble lord the Forel to flecretary—who evince that By:heathy with him, broken as be is in spirits, and with all his delJsions put to tlipiit. But just at the moment when this occurs the wife of Sancho Panes rushes in and , Rays, never mind the kicks and culls iso long as you have brought home the money. (Laughter.) Now that is ex nvtly Vie state of affairs with the right bon. gentleman. He ha+ brought home no money. In like manner as Don Quixote ended his fourth and lest expedition so has the rivlit hon. gentleman ended his fourth budget. (Laughter.) That "m exactly the state of affairs in the department pic kled over by the right hon. gentleman. (Hear.) Mended preessleaseasit met. The emote whiskleadeall around ea, takes 'Mee Fsbroary Wt. the ovesMew of dynoes, the egaikka of prim sad tetemildos the Willa down of ministers, whose reasdathe MI Mame alined a put of hig h:ay, and who, for mate thew half a esswerh had wielded the destinies of tbdrvespeethe eastatrim,en this turmoil sad whirr about us, might mol e M a tim ,e make vs forget even the terrible cireeminenams soder which our OM* parleament was emembled. But the boos would, with** iffileslty, St eal to mind that when the int session of the new par liament began its proceedings, we, here in England, were suffering from events which, though not of the broad politi cal character which , bad given such importance to the late revolution of continental Europe, were in themselves not leas strange, and far more sad. (Hear.) The inscrutable de cree of omnipotence had gone forth which struck Ireland with famine. Nearly connected with that terrible visitation the commerce of England had been borne down by a crisis of perhaps uuexampledseverity. (Hear, hear.) There had been an upreoting of commerce dynasties in England not less striking than the fall of those political houses which we had been of late the amazed spectaton of. Day after day gentlemen who had long sat with them in that how, the objects of general respect and regard, merchants of European, of world-wide reputation, were, of a sudden, rudely torn, as it were, from these binchee, not certainly with disgrace and dishonour, but with • pitiable vicimitude of fortune seldom equalled in the annals of history. (Bear, hear.) There had been, then, when parliament met, • commercial crisis of unparalleled severity • private credit stood paralesed, trade was more than 'dull, it was almost dead, and there was not a heart in ell the land, whether in the bosom of the wealthy noble, or in that of the enterpris'ng middle clam man, which bad not smarted, which was nut smarting, with the universal pain. (Hear, hear.) The commercial clistress of the country was is pal pable, to terribly palpable, that it was one of the main reasons put forware ter aseembling parliament in the unusual month of November. (Hear, hear.) It was a principal feature in the speech from the throne, her Majesty stating that the had seen with great pain the distress which had i f r some time prevailed among the commerdal classes of her subjects, and distinctly callingupon parliament to enter upon • speedy and fall consideration of the subject. Now, he would ask the house whether this subject of commercial distr..- had been so largely discussed this *anon as to have occasioned the delay wheels was naw matter ot general com plaint? (Hear, hear.) On the contrary, there had been scarcely any discussion at all on • subject which, amon g other things, ha d necessitated the early meeting of parliament, and which her Mejesty had pointed cut as an exigency requiring immediate and effec tual attention. (Hear, bear.) There was, he believed, • general feeling of blank discomfiture and dismay throughout the country, among men of all classes of opinion, and of all ranks, when it was found that parliament was paying no heed to the causes of that commercial distress from which all were suffering so severely, and that government carefully avoided tnat discusaion of the matter which might, among conflicting opinions and theories, have elicited the truth, and have produced something like a satisfactory result. No there had been no discussion on the subject. (Hear, bear.) In the debate on the address there had been, indeel, as usual a desultory discussion upon all ponible subjects, and *lone these miecellansous topics the little matter of the menaced ruin of our trade and commerce found place ; but the particular discussion was very limited, those who duly estimated its im portance reserv i ng themselves fur that compiebensive and solemn deliberation upon they hole bearings of the subject which they naturally supposeit would be the first business of the government to introduce. .(I.l.ear, hear.) It could not be sad, then, that on the (Teuton referred to the sub ject of commercial distress bad been too much discussed. He might perhaps be reminded that the right hon. memeer for Stamford had in a special discussion brought before the house the conduct of the government in relation to their tear sac• tions with the Bank ot England. Be should icy that in the opinion of the great body of the house, and of the people out of the house, nothing could be more appropr iate eaergie than f or each a man s his right ho n. friend to apply the s his mind to such a subject, and that • discussion applied to the topics so introduced by him could scarce y by any one be deemed a waste of the time of the homes. (Hear, hear.) But let him remind the house that members on his aide of the house had not been permitted the alternative of silence in this respect. Ministers had informed parliament, throueh the highest medium, that they had takeaunon themselves to authorise the directors of the Bank of England to violate the law. True, the same speech intimated that although this infringement of the law had been so sanctioned by the government, it bad not, from circumstances, been carried into effect; but in the opinion of the gentlemen with whom he acted, an offence consisted not merely in the perpetration, but in the intention to perpetrate--(hea, he 1— and, there foe, when • government admitted that it hat authorised and counselled a public body to violate the law of the land, though the offence had not been committed those gentlemen considered the case one in which the judgment of the house upon the transaction was imperatively called for. (Hear, hear.) The discussion as to that offence had been necessi tated by the osteutatieus manner in which the retention of that offence had been announced in the speech from the throne, and scarcely less so by the further intimation that, because of the non-perpetration of the offence, inquiry into the subject was precluded, or at least wholly needless. (Hear, hear.) Assuredly, then, tho discussion originated by his right honourable friend wits neither intrusive nor impertinent. (Hear, hear.) The whole conduct of the government with reference to the noted letter to the Brink directors was so utterly weak, so thoroughly whimsical, that its only solution lay in the sup position ot entire perplexity on the part of the _government throughout the whole affair. (Hear, hear.) The transac. lion reminded ,him very strongly of the circumstance of • periodical procession in a southern city, vastly delightful in itself, hut rendered extremely uncomfortable at present by the squabbles between its king and its people, where on a particular day in each year there is • great an coll childecting ll tog M • e ther of the population, man, woman, • d , a state of desperate alarm and misery, all quailing and sighing and sobbing, as gentlemen opposite and people out of doors were at about the time in question, the hubbub here and at Naples being alike occasioned by the condition of congealed circulation of a generally interesting object. Again, at Naples. just when everybody is on the 'lnge of impenetra ble gloom, of beetles' misery, forth comes the Chan miler of the Exchequer—he begged pardon—forth comes the Archbishop of Tsrento (laughter) end smilingly announces that it's all right, that the s angaiaeous Said of the b lessed St. Januarius leas been re stored to a state of the mast healthy circulation, whereupon the entire population, 111112, woman, and child, casting aside sorrow and lean, becomes gay as a lark, th'owa panic to the winds and betakes itself to music and macaroni, just as the people here listened believingly to the voice of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the cure announced in both CAM being equa lly inefficient _ equally a hoax. (Laughter.) However, upon this subject the house bed certainly not " wasted" much time ; he believed that, deeply important as that sub ject was to the whole nation , a dozen members on hat not since the session opened expressed an opinion up it. (Hear, hear.) He must contest' that as fat as their discussions o is n banking had cone, so ler they had greatly disappointed h hopes. The fact was that by the ingenious straeegles pram deed in that house whenever the subject had been intro duced, care had been taken always to divert the discussion of broad principles intoaskirmishing affair between the advocates of two particular sets of theories, with which the house in gene ral and the country had very little to do. (Hear, bear.) He grea tly feared that the only chance of the matter being taken really in hand was the sorrowful recurrence of another panc. (Hear, bear.) Coming now to another subject ot highimportance, that of finance, he would ask the hoe e calmly to consider on that 30th of August, after sitting there ten months, whether the financial diecussiora and mea sures of the year had been of • satisfactory, efficient, useful character, or whether they bad no:. (Hear hear.) He would ask the house how much time had been " wasted " this year in those commercial deliberations which yet ought to have occupied the earnest consideration of p irliament un der the auspices of the responsible government of the come try ? Certainly it had not been in discussions on flume* that the rooms of public business had been impeded estate by reason of long speeches or by reason of impracticable per liamentary forms. (Hear, hear.) Early in February • financial flourish was made in that house heralding ffies budget. It was a meet percussive, pleasing affair owl made such an impression upon the how e that there ;roes a disposition to view the past conduct of government with indu'gence. After all, people said, we must not be too hard upon them; the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it is true, seems no very great man of business—(" hear, hear," and • laugh), but we must make allowances, these are bard times and even clever men are puzzled. (Laughter.) Though the Chancellor did make a little meteor it with his deficiency bills, perhaps he'll do better now he has got on the still waters he talks about. The budget itself—a memorable statement, not to be forgotten even amid the broils which had since been agitating all around us—thebudget itself, too vast a task to be entrusted to the thane:eller of the Exche quer, cams forth, and Tamworth itself could not have arrayed a programme more magnificent in its style. (A laugh.) Tb Prime Minister, the first minister of finance, came forward—far it was no budget is be left to a man of routine ; there wry need of the grave and long experience— of the high spirit of the statesman there was the country to be defended, as well as taxes to be paid ; there were poli tics as well as finance to be displayed for the consideration of the house. There was a cry of alarm. The house was called upon to express their determination to pro- tect their country, their sovereign, and their hearths ; they were told to receive with approbation, with enthusiasm, an increase in the miscellaneous as well as in the military and naval expenditure, and—which was tl.e sting of the epi gram—they were told that the income tax was to be doubled. This little financial scheme bad clearly been lode matured. It was no scheme dashed-off in an hour, no scheme written off upon the hack of a letter, but a grand political and financial undertaking at once to defend the country and to fill the Exchequer. He thought he might very I safely say that this budget had been received *rem/h. cut the house with . o i ro i axo ne, o d z is .. sa an tis d fec , t r io a n u . hear.) ene u ' pro tested against it, and even behind the tres;"ty. benehr mur muritga arose, gentle, however, as a dove'. "mem com parcel with the roar sent teeth from the univenal people out of door-. (Hear, hear.) Nothing but • menagerie at fet ding time could give the slightest idea of the unearthly yell sent forth by the middle classes, especially by the trading classes, by the followers of liisersl opiniuns—especiay At the great towns of Manchester, Liver() 01, Leeds, Bradford, and last, bra: not leas., by the City of London ite at, So F ri d ay wall the outcry, that on the Monday following the Friday of the budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer came down with a speech, as heavy cavalry are sent down to see what they can de when the main charge of infantry has failed. And, sir, the Chancellor of the Ex c hequer made en that occasion the most extraordinary speech heard in this house ; for it was neither more nor less than one contieued lamentation over the memonceptions that hod awaited the statement made by his chief, as well within these zalla as by the world at large. One esrtainly would think thee if t he : , v... 1 any partieuler parliamentary statement the let forward relaxation eld . gee • tim, - the fiancees by proposing ft . , east.) - Noes„ I ask the limas cf Gonsosons to mat a retrosmersini g ' betke dial/ 0 1, /1111011....... —4l government ....._. _ to over the period, the proceedings in which I have thus partly sketched ; and I ask for • favourable verdict on our own le- government proposal on the sugar duties was made known, acquaint the bouse-emar) ; and on the 16th of June the half, in so far at lust WI the finance portion of the govern• that being a total and &Imitate departure from the Sugar Du meet business is concerned, for whatever has been ties Act of 1846, (hear, bear) which the house h u g been the amount of time wasted and the delay that has twice informal it was the Intention of ministers to maintain been incurred neither the one nor the other are unaltered. Now, does it net strike the government, as it attributable to prolonged discussions or adhering too closely will have occurred to the house, that if these protracted ter to the antiquated to of the home. (Cheers.) I will now giversations had been avoided the business of the country draw your attention to another feature of the session that is would have been more advanced ? I shall not dwell now about to clew. It will be recollected that, in the speech upon the details of the proceedings. on the Sugar Duties from the throne, her Majesty was graciously pleased to iv- Aerations Bill ; all I want to effect is to discover the muses commend to our especial ettertion two subjects upon which w o y the public business has not been conducted in a satin we were commingled to heists. It is with the deepest factory manner. The 'pace of ten days was not too much to feelings of regret that I find, on revising the business we devote to the discussion of a measure so important as the have transacted, we have not compliei with the commands Sugar Duties Bill. But feta of those days must be deducted, of her meet gracious Majesty; and I will endeavour to enter for they were occupied fa discusuag two episodes into an examination whether we are in fault in that those which had nothing whatever to do with the bill itself. The • commands have not been obeyed, The first of those recom- Chancellor of the Exchequer absorbed two with his inciden mendations in the royal speech relates to the necessity for tat budget, and two others were consumed in discuming the passing some law for imeroving the health of the metropolis incident known by the name of the "miming despatch." Thou and adjacent &inlets; the second relates to the abolition of debates were at the time sty l ed t in the house petty personsli the navigation laws. With respect to the bill for regu- ties ; but I believe that couny was not Blow to cell lating the sanitary precautions in the metropolis and them ministerial blunder'. Ido not now want to go into the other places, it has now paved into • law. The details of the miming despatch ; but mill at this, almost the bill was introduced into this house on the 10th r egret day of the remembersbiters the curtain C.lls, I cannot help of February, and it was finally ordered to be visited as tingng the missieg despatch and some amended on the 23rd of July. If the statistic.% of the bill are other papers which were not laid on the table-I cannot help looked at during its progress, it will be found that any cherge expressing my regret, that we live in such a time, and have against this house of an unneceseary waste of time during the come to such a pus in England, and that the eased f our live months it was under consideration would be unfounded col.mies is such that even the despatch of a colonial governor and unjust. We find it first brought in and printed on Feb. cannot be placed safely on the table of the British House of 10, price I3d. marked on it. On March 13, it was again be- Commons. (Hear, hear.) Ten days, then, having been fore us in its amended form : and on May 15, it is again or- was on the neolutions, I think I have shown to the house I diced to be priated,when the price markedon limas increased that it is not the House of Commons which is responsible for te 10d. (A laugh.) That must be taken to signify that it the protracted discussiena on the sugar question. But of these , had been greatly amplified. After some further delay, it ten days' discussion only six were on the merits of the case I comes to us from the flouts of Lords in July, the price -had they been sixteen, the merits of the case would h ism 1 swelled to lg. The size, I must remark, bears throughout an fully justified their cocupetion. (Hear, hear.) But at hut exact proportion to the price, so that in swelling from Bd. to we got into committee, and here is the bill. LA us gee how Is. In point of coat, the bulk of the bill was pro portionately the time of the house was managed by the government swelled by one-third. But during these succesaive changes whether, as the termination of the scssion was impeeding, we find that the bid has altogether altered its character. the noble lord was conscious of the mageitude of the duty he The functions, the constituent boards, the machinery, all had left unperformed or nelected ; whether he and his have undeigone transmutation, BO that scarcely OUP feature faithful coadjutor, the Chan ce l lor of the Exchequer, already . in the measure when , after five months' discussion, it "cents in budgets-(a laugh)-whether they came forward of the original Public Health Bill could he rec.,gniscd experienced in the valu e of time from his previous experi . WWI back to us. I am, therefore, I consider fully justified with a penurious spirit, counting their minute*, and dealing is smelting that it was originally printed in a form which out their instants at last. Let us see how efficiently and rendered discussion and alteration in it absolutely necessary ; ably they prepared their bill for the consideration of the and no one who recollects the efficient manner in which toe House of Commons. Let Us see whether those gentlemen, hon. theymembe for Oxfordshire examined and chellenged the whose fish dinner was rut economy o we had wasted the details of ll will be disposed to do otherwise than ad- public time, bad acted with eof the public time mit the valueof the services rendered by that hen. member during the week spent in committee on the suear duties. In during the iscuesions that took plac i here respecting it. the first place, on the 16th July. when we ought to have (Hear, hear ) But what I wish to illustrate by referring to gone into committee, the trade had discovered, and my noble up as matter for crim inatiu g the House of Como one, and for house, the blunder en/meting refining in, bond. (lieu.) this measure is, that these discussions should not be brought friend the member for King's Lynn brought it befere the imputing to us the delay which occurred in passing this men- I need not now enter into the merits of that case ; I need not . sure ; and I must here take occasion to e fforts y firm con. enlarge upon the injustice a not givin Englishmen the same fiction that if it had not bets for the of the noble privileges as foreigners • I want oily to remind the house lord, if it had not been far the great exertion' of the noble that the Chancellor of th e Exchequer on behalf of the go lord at thad o the department charged wih the Healh verement, promied, that in consequence of it having been of Townse he Bill, f whose admirable talents, kindly d i e discovered that sugar refined on the centinent wouldunder position, and fine temper, had justly endeared him the bill be liable to a much lower duty than before, he was to all parties in that house-(hear, hear)-that bill going to bring forward a general measure respecting would not have been paned this session. I s(Har, hear. refining in bond which would remedy tbe greut in- Now let us examine into the other point that have sag - equality and injusiee. That was on the 16th ; Feted, and see if we can justly be accused of having been and on the 20th a member interested in the sugar the cause that the navigation laws were not altered during trade, the go vern member for the Tower Hamlets, made an the present session. 1 am not going to enter into any dis- appeal to gent to bring in a bill permitting BtfirliCg in CURSIOII as to the policy of that change. As far as WO on this bond for home coneumption. On the very same day my side of the house are concerned, we are glad the proposed noble friend brings forward another informality in the bill change was not effected. But what I wish to draw attention respecting " growth and produce," to which the government to is the progress of that measure in its business stages was unable to give any answer; and, on the following day, through this house. On looking over the records of the past my noble friend opened what he called his masked battery of I find it was introdueed here on the 15th May. There were twenty-three arithmetical blundirs in the bill. On thatday, two nights then occupied in its si ghts nd subsequently, too, another objection wa s made to the rangement of the on the 9th of June, there were two more so occupied, hill by the hon. member tor Cambridge ; and thus it hap making in the whole four nights' debate on this the moat paned that in this committee three suceesswe bilis were in important measure that an English minister could introduce traduced. (Hear, hell After much discussion, alter to parliament. Now let me ask-was this too much time to having inflionced, in fact, the aspect of trade-after devote to the discussion of so important a measure as this ? the trade had thankel my noble friend for the ay (Hear, hear.) My recollection of the cletsate induces me to manner in which the question of refining in bond s that it was most admirably ducted, and that great had been settled, the moieties for refining in bond talent was di-played on that ocesoon. But again I ask- was never carried out, but was withdrawn by the genre was this a subject on which the House of Commons thinks ment. (Hear, hear.) Of course I need not say that when time ought to have been saved in avoiding any discussion ? government comes forward in a committee an flora t o announde, ces (Hear.) I do not think the noble lord will say that this their intention of proposing a measure satisfa tra wag one of those occadons which unnecessarily and vexa- and in another night comes forward withdrawing that ini tionsly delayed the ministerial rob dinner. (Laughter.) portant announcement, it is not necesmry to remind the But if the projected alteration in the navigation laws was a house that in a ease like this, and in • free parliament, such subject of such paramount importauce as to demand epeeist conduct must lead to discuseions. What are me here for mention in the speech from the throne why, let me ask, was but to attend to the interests of the trading classes, many of it delayed until the 15th of May ? Shall I tell you ? It was whom are our constituents ? (Hear, hear.) Ouverement because the noble lord thought fit to concentrate all his enee- cannot surely find fault with us that we have not passed gies in the esrly part of the session on a bill which was not our such conduct without criticism. Well, at the end of alluded to in the royal speech. (Hear.) lam not going to ono week the first bill was withdrawn, and a se complain of the introduction of the Jewish Disabilities Re- cond bill was introduced, in which the twenty three moral Bill by the noble lord. (Hear, hear.) I gave him on blunders were dealt with, seven being corrected and that occasion-no ordinary sacrifice either-my support. two new ones added in correcting the seven. (Laughter.) ("Hear" and a laugh.) But although Ide not complain, still Sixteen of the old blunders are reprinted in this second sugar I must impute great blame to the noble lord, as manager of bill, which was absolutely introduced co the notice of the the public business in the Horse of Commons, for having committee with a skeleton schedule, so mature are the pro. wasted his time and our time in bringinr in a bill which he jtcts of government, eo busineemlike are the measure* intro had not the power tows. (Cheers.) The noble lord ought doted, so determined has been the govsrnment, that the \ to have felt that he had no business to bring in a bill which 1 House of Commons should ha ve no o pp ortunity for vexatious he had not a moral ce rtaint y of his ability to carry. 1 discussions. (Hear, hear.) But wilt it be believed that, It was an improvident COMM for the noble lord to take to- having proposed two bills to the committee, it was found wards those whom he desired to serve. A minister of the necessary to withdraw the second and to introduce a third, sown, to bring in a bill which is rejected, throws nuts- containing the whole sixteen blunders which government eerily a deep and lasting discouragement on the promoters had refused to correct and the two new ones which they had al such a measure. The noble lord might have been de- added, making altogether twenty-five acknowledged blurs \ hated repeatedly, when in oppoon, in his attempts to get ders,and leaving seven unacknowledged, all ot which we have mash a bill pused, and each defeat would justly serve to authorisedby our legislation ? Bat what is the result of all sharpen his energies and to consolidate his determination, this ? I'll show you. After ten days' discussion in the because be had always the right to gauge again and again Howie of Commons, with the Speaker in the chair, on the the advance of public opinion on the . nuestion at issuesugar resolutions, in six nights aeven divisions took place in the case is different when a prime monster takes a measure 1 committee, solely in consequence of the imperfect prepare in hand : and it is perfectly clear that the attempt to get the I tion of this measure, and of thole three graceful emen.tions Jewish disabilities removed occasioned the loss of time with of administrative genius. I have now carried you through regard to the Navigation Laws-a loss which must be inn the sugar duties, and am approaching the end of the session. rated to the noble lord alone. But perhaps lam in error, lam aware that I have trespassed too much, but I have to when I assert this to have been the sole cause why the Nevi- condense the history of ten month', and in doing so I touch Felon Laws were not littered during the present session. nothing of a light or trivial character. I have endeavoured The discussion on the resolutions which the right to place the case before the house in a clear, if not hon. gentleman, the President of the Board of Tmde, an efficient manner, not mixing different subjects brought leeward, terminated es I have stated on the together but tracing the whole course of legislation bath of June, and during a session which has lasted to the and of ministerial management in every particular branch, beginning of September ; there may still have been time to I have now put you in possession of the facts of the sugar have parsed • bill founded on those resolutions. But what question, and 1 sek the bowie and the country, is it possible prevented that bill from being proposed ? One of the mat to substentiate a charge of obstruction for at least a moiety of extramdinary events of the learn -an event which lam the union which sho dld induce the people of England to justified io asserting gave a tomilly different colour to the lose their confidence in the privileges or in the forma of Oda session, and changed in totality the character of the sits logs house. (Hear, hear.) There is now a very important point of this house-(hear) -an occurrence, I must add, which not urn which it becomes my duty to advert. I mentioned in tally altered thenine of the debates here, but whichmaterislly referring to the discussion on sugar, which looted for ten effected the position of the finances, as well as engrossed the days, thet of those ten days two were taken up with the 1 whole time of the house during tbe period that the subject missing despatch and the-which ?-oh, otherh tbird , was under consideration. The house will doubtless recollect budget. (Laughter.) But there were circum ' that at the time we fir st met the sumr.growing colonies stances which absorbed our attention and divert show symptoms d began to of having felt the consequences of oar consideration from the great qu estion. Almost the sugar duty act of 1846-the lint and most infelicitous every day dyeing these ten days there were discussions about effort at legislation of the present government. (A laugh.) writs. We had Derby and Slige, and Horsham and the rest. But at that time who, let me ask, carei for the sugar-growers It is amusing what • quantity of time was hat this session in in the West Indies ? They were told they only wanted a little moving for writs, and dealing with delinquent boroughs. more rivalry in the markets in order to stimulate throat* make (Hear.) I want to know, I have tried to secertain, because efforts which would put them in a way to outstrip all their all Idois in the way of investigation, why this hen been. I competitors. But pocket after packet arrived from the cote- give no opinion : lam merely assisting you in drawing your , nies, and at Imo it was evident that despair was fast taking inferences. Let us see how much time has been lost with the hold of the minds of the West India planters. Fortunately, co nduct of delinquent boroughs, and in how far the House there happened to be in the house a member who was not lof Commons is responsible for that toes of time. It is a sub himself inane , way mixed up olio:inflected witlithe interests of jet% which I know ha s en g a g ed much of the attention o the f the sugaritrowen -and it war alike fortun ate that he had noble lord. Well, we got into a mess at the beginning of the influence in that house, and the intrepidity as well as the session about three delinquent boroughs. (A laugh.) No power to const it u te himself their champion. The noble lord one know, exact l y what to do--whetb-r, when a gentle the member for King's Lynn, disregarding the charges con- man was t u rned out of parliament for treating or Mandy brought against him of muting the time of the bribing, that constituency were to be virtually house, thought it tit, at en early period of this session, to disfranchised cr not. Some thought they were, some not ; bring forward amo ion, in order, if he could not obtain re- some were disfranchised, and some were not. (Laughter.) lief for the West Indiana, to sec at least if he could In fact, it was evidently an oromion for a leader o f the House net set on foot an inquiry into their actual con- of Commons to come forward andcondi wend to guide public dition. th e the 4th of February the noble lord brought opinion and the conduct of this house. And if I find • forward the question of the present condition of the West leader of the House of Commons, celebrated for his coned l col in • select to consider tution knowledee anreat historicsl attainutents-one end examine onies into the h ole subject. The committee g overnment at who hes al the power of g e n eralising from the large collection first refused to grant a committee of inquiry. But at length of facts that is stored in his mind-a scholar as well as a \ mach accounts arrived from the West Indies as made even statesman, and a man who in my opinion, is nut deficient Demning.street listen to tilt: complaints that came from tb e in courage-1 moult' have that man in his high positien of great planters; and we were then informed by the noble lord at the constitutional statesman and loads r of the Ho se of Com - head of the ministry that a committee would be granted. raons to spare a little time num his councils of war to Lord J. RUSSELL. -I agreed to grant a committee in tell us what was to be done with the delinquent Droember. • boroughs. Here is a list of the writs which were moved for Mr. DISRAELL-It would be most painful to me to find [ that I did the noble u lord ~t )t e o na lighle id injustice in stating the i progress perioda awderb;.laientilmaieada his aa w7lFn a gne la ni a° Tic d ra ta n n t as & committee with gratitude. The committee, however, not appointed until February, but I shall not render myself I liable to an accusation of in when I state that the noble lord, in granting the committee in February, expressed his determination not to alter the policy of the government T a in respect to the sugar duties. The leisure of the committee attracted during the first weeks of its sittings very little attention on the part of the public. Indeed, for the lint month very few persons except the colonist* themselves were cogni sant of its proceedings. It was meet impartially composed, shins ; Harwich, four ; and liorshatn-(loud laughter) -tin. e bon. barb, the member for Flinn a great purist and drawn. (Loud laughter.) foe a majority of ite members were free-traders. But in • j a g a principle short time rummies were heard in the lobbies and avenues of the house that such a case had been made out on behalf of the West Indians, that even those tureen of the tom- Aylesbury. little or no debating ; Derby, debated on five oc -1 e l a n the whole, there were nineteen occasions on which there wite considerable discussion on moving fur the writs ; discus wee none arising solely tram our not having . d . ecided on a princi • pie, (Hear, hear.) But while all this irregular work was going on, and while all this time was wasted, there was still a Ft at deal of legislation goiog on about delinquent boroughs. supporter of ministers, got ashamed of the state ct things, and brought in a bill. It failed. Borough Elections Bill, I No. 1, was mithdrsvm. Tried again.. No. 2 read • fizet mM 1 second time, considered in committee, and then with- 1 And all this from our not ham to guide us on this important question. At last the subject began to get interesting, and after the hon. baronethad tried his " prentice hand" at legislation, the Horsham Borough Bill, some hoc or other, got upon the table. It was read a first time, there was considerable dim mittee who were most prejudiced egarost the planters berm cussion on the second reading, awl at last we arrived at that to relent. The incessant and in usiduity of the state of affairs which the Italians call an imbroelio. After a committee was likewise a fit subject uf the warmest praise• bu rne d an d a li b era l great deal of time had been wasted the noble lord himself 1 The house hail recently witnessed a knig Wok up the matter, the Horsham Bid was withdrawn, donation of the public money bestowed upon a gentleman and a MA caged the Corrupt Practices at Elections Bill was introduced. It was read a first sod second time , . considered who devoted eighteen hours a day to his ditties (otherwise in committee for four nights, and then ' re-committed show men paid), as a relief commissioner in Ireland; and if that and art was a case meriting eulogy and recoMpence, much more n . ... . , (A pri e. e weethy sod deserving of commende!inw were th e i g what a government can do when it takes a thing up. laugh.) Government acted with tremendous energy, last the bill passed and uup a to n d t he other should ho unsoet. Lave.- ut it might lull settled before , na efforts of t te noble chairman of the West Indian committee and his colleogues, for frequently they . sat contincously I had the Flint and Horsham bills, or the nineteen el' during eighteen.: hours pursuing their inquiriee. The repo r t which so much time was lost. The noble lord sent his omissions or this unparalleled cemmittee was first printed on the 29th 1 in bill to another place, where he does what e tikes.(A laugh.) of May, and it contained a rccommendation that a scale of duties should be imposed which Would give the pro- . h ' The most estraordinary thing occurred. In that place there is CO . epees . t : e rn there is an opposition by courtesy tection to the West Indian planters of a differential duty of 10s. a cwt. But on the amen day on which this re hut in thee p la ce t here is not even the semblance of it. The port and recommendation came before the house the noble three or four mysterious entities to which I have alluded lord proclaimed his firm determination to maintain the Sugar i were in • different place , acd at different work, on the 17th Duties Actof 184 G. It was for the house to say hose firm of Anon', when the noble lord seut u p his bill. If govern the gove r nment bad been in adhering to this determination. merit had not sent up the bill, if it had gone along with a Ministers might, had they adhered to it, have passed the act crowd of legisletion it must have passed. But • T constitu for the repeal of the navigation laws. But what did the node lout di ? On the 21.411 May he intimated hie firm nem tional pie ty, a u whigs, 101.1 . dill they do ? They began ..wwwee-wee-- -----l---- among themselves. The bill is moved by the Millhanoellor, upon which the Chief Juatice—the Attorney-Gleueral of the R e form Bill, and comer quently knowing all the delinquent boroughs—Gaughte, and cries of " Order ")—I am only reading from a paper: I me only m aypeopleh • well known and muck o ore use fat then mn pep imagine-(a laugh)--a person did say that he felt it his duty to come down to the house for the sole purpose of opposing this measure—(hear)--one, in his opinion, liable to objections of every deamepti - n. (Hera.) Whereupon-another personage, for whom I entertain the highest respect, and who performs in another place the func tions which the noble lord discharges so ably here, got up an d withdrew the government measure. (Hear.) I make no comment upon this, it is not my business; bat I ask the noble lord, who is a man of generous temperament, e can he forget this, when he gets up and abuses tb o f the house, when he says " You malignant , , factious opposition, you are wasting the time of the homes and destroying the health of the government:" (Laughter.) I am sure that his candour will prevent this. Well, sir, I was reminded of these writs by remember- ing that they occurred during the discussion on the sugar duties, that great question which the government had deter mined should nut be disturbed, until the indomitable prase verence of my noble friend the member for King's Lyn°, et whom it may be said q uod yule, va/de vide , had forced it upon their attention. I reek the house if I have not gives you some information t i enable you to form a judgment why the repeal of the navigation laws, after having been affir and med by seniority of Ode house, has not mimed this year, wbee fault lies with the II -use of Corasaoas or with , somebody ther th else ? I must here remind the house that during this y e ar —during these ten eventful months—there has been sedition in England. insurrection in Leland. and revolution all over Europe. (Hear, hear.) I should like to have seen , I the Whigs in opposition with such advantages. (Loud cheers ) I think that in that case if the house could have sat twenty months instead of ten, the time would have been expended in attacks—tor what purpose I need not describe. (Hear, hear.) I must admit th at I brae already obtained the acknowledgment of the noble lord the Secretary for Foreign A ff airs that , in as far es foreign policy was con cerned during the most i important year I have been is par liament, the forbearance and good sense of the house have been distinguished. In fact, the desire has been not to prop , upon the government; and es to wasting the public time, so far as I myself am concerned, 1 have some twinges of con science for not having brought forward the affairs of the River Plate ; but having had some experience of the inex pedieney.of discussion, at a moment when the noble lord had all his time occupied, I could not think of forcing him to I turn over the history of six missions that had failed, and I therefore I gave up the question. Then as regards Eugland. Ido not think that the condition or England question has occupied much of the time of the House of Commons. (Hear, hear.) There was an occasion mmt legitimate for such dig, evasion, and that was the time when the monster petitron was presented. There won then but one feeling in the house, and that was that it woad be for the advantage of the country that the subject should be fairly discussed. I do not n ow enter into the question. Why ? I only recut the great fact, to show that with regard to the state of England, sedition being very prevalent. there was yet no di scu ssion . Therefore, so regards England, Europe, there was no waste of time. Was there, then, any waste of time as regarded Ireland ? Batty in the year our attention was called in the Queen's speech to that subject. Government brought forward a measure which was fairly discufsed, it pane d bath heave, and I believe was a very good measure, sad has worked well. Ncvertnelees, it is not to be forgotten that in another place a noble friend of mine asked whether it would not he advisable to do more—whether it wood not be advisable to suspend the ebeae corpus and to pass a law making treason felony. In n time government foliowed my noble friend's suggestion—it only shows what a friendly opposition there is in another place. (A laug h) But it ws shown in another way, for a nole duke suggested that they mi,;ht revive the Alien Act. They said they did not know, but, after a little time, they did revive it. Bet I put it to the house—with the insurrec tion in Ireland, with the most unconstitutional of necessary measures, what has been the co nduct of the House of Com snots? ibis inc,nvenient have been those forms which were framed for the defence of the minority and the preserva tion of the pubic liberties ! (lit ar, hear.) How inconve nient were those forms found when the question was to rescind all the civil liberties of Irishmen ! The necessity being felt, I want to know was the opportunity taken by any bon. member to make speeches to annoy or hamper the government ? Were there even any demag ogues to avail themselves of the occasion to excite the passions of the dis tant multitude? (Hear, hear.) I rest the vindication of the House of Commons upon their conduct on that occasion. Left without leaders, split into toctires, committing, perhaps, some indiscretions, what was ' .h, conduct of the house of Commons? I say that it was e n idel fur any con stitutional assembly in the world. (Hear, h ar.) The tradi tionary good sense, and instinctive courage tit 'he English na tion showed themselves on that occasion .and that old English constitution. which it is the fashion now to ?int_ and rail against as inefficient, unable to work, and not saiied to this enlightened statistical age, gave an example to Europe, and proved that our system of government ceuld, if neCe.9s y, combine the energy of a despotism with tile enthusiasm i I republic. ( Le n cheers.) I have now tested the two causes which have been alleged for the present unmatisfactor state of affairs. I have tested them through al the real busi n ess of , the oession. There is not a topic of any great import mce which I have omitted ; and I think I have shown that he two causes alleged were not remodel in fact, and trot if the p u blic time was wasted, it :was not by the oonduct4f mem bers or through the forms of the house. But thistime has . been wasted, and it now remains for me to tell you what • have bet° •;.e consequences of that waste. lam now going to read the bills of =motility of the session of 1848. (Laughter.) The obituary is now almost complete —(con tinued laughter)—being drawn up to last Saturday night. This is sweat the country has lost— fortyisetren bills, an upon important subjects, some upon must important, and many upon interesting subjects. More than two-thirds of these were government measures, and therefore ought not to have been brought forward, unles o f they were demanded ties Bill for the p u blic weal. I say nothing to e Jewish llisabei or the repeal of the Navigation Laws--ttey have couse.nated monuments of their own. In this list I dad : Outgoing Tenants (Ireland); Borough Electron' Elective Franchise and Registration of Elec:ors (Ireland); Polling Place* (Ireland); , Audit of Railway Amounts; Schoolassetere (Scotland); Tenants at Will (Ireland); Metropolie Polioe; Agricultural fenant-right ; Poor law Union Charges; Qualification of Members; Tithe Rent Charge. rec. (Ireland); Borough Elections (No. 2); Horsham Borough; Lunatic Asylums (scothuid); Qualification and Registration of Elec tors (Ireland); El ec tion and Pulling Places (Ireland); Light Dees; areentiec Societies; Boman Catholic Charitable Trusts; Roman Ca tholic Relief; Sale of Bread; Highways; Waste Lands (Ireland); Poor Law Offizers Superannuation ABowances ; Landed Property (Ireland); Bakehouses ; lit Policies of Maumee; Cruel to Ani mas Prevention; Clerks of the Peace (Dabliu); Appeals ta t Criminal Ores ; Scoots Prohlhinon ; Remedies against the Hundred; Regis tering Births, in. (Scotland); Marriage (Scotland); Landlord and Truant (Ireland); PrO•ides. Aseociations Fraud Prevention; Chan- Regulation ; Charity Trusts Rrstulation; Fees onft IllelMPMeri"4.lSigucies to Charitable tnatitutions ; Officers ofCourts at Mole (Ireland) Arsimilation of Appointments; Poor Removal W and and Scotland) ; Renewable Leasehold Conversion (Ireland); Now these va/lOul bills occupied our time for six isontlas, and here again I trust I bays shown that the moms which have been alleged for the uneatisfactog state of I I Laraffaireare not put ones. (Hear, hear.) I hope *s shown - that if there has been vacillation, !t was not the House of Comment' which vacillated ; that if there has been weakness, it is not we who ought to be charged with infirmity of purpose. I have en deavoured to vindicate the house from the oppro brium of being the cause of this great public evil. I call it a great public evil, although I think that a weak phrase —it is a great national calamity, because—what is it?—it is neitaer more nor less than this that the system of government which prevails in this country is a system incompetent to pass those laws and to carry those measures which are necessary for the public welfare. (Hear, hear.) Now I cannot imagine a state of circumstencso more grave or more perilous. I think it but right, having endea voured to persuade the house that the alleged cause of delay is not the trne one, to state what in my belief is the cause. In my mind it is not difficult to discover it—it is not hard to find or difficult to recognise. I have no personal feeling in the matter. lam wiling to admit that hon. gentlemen opposite, its so far as their personal qualities are concerned, need shrink from no comparison with any body of men in this house who might be called upon to administer the go vernment. But if I sou asked the cause of this great public calamity—of this avowal of political incompetence in the is Mitutiors of this country—l must say that the great cause lies there (pointing to the treasury benches). I see there a body of men who acceded to power without a parliamentary majority. I think that they were justified in accepting office under such circumstances by the exigency of the case — justified by more, by the practice of the Blitish constitution. (hear, hear.) But though they were, in the first instance, justified in taking that course, they are not, in my opinion, in persistiug in it under the circumstances ;I and their per sistence in that course occasions, it appears to me, two re sults, both of the must serious nature. lii the first place we have a cabinet which, in preparing their measures, have no conviction that those meisuree will be passed. (Hear, hear.) After all their deliberation—after all their foresight—after ) all their observation of the times and their study of the in . tereeta of the country, when their measure is launched from th it eir ie be n l o ie t f received . i ta ved t.m by milik • confiding he th m e j o ca r ibvinatto co n fidingthe h o f :: otthea administration.measure w ef t Hear.)eter ties and from sympathy with the great political principles this house depends upon parties whose aggregate exceeds their Influence. The temper of one leader is to be watched --t ho indications of opinion in another are to be observed— the propositions of a third are to be studied, until at last the a useeee is so alters r, remoulded, remodelled, patched, professedon the contrary, b y the m t e h m e be su Th ece. ,:i ss f cobbled, painted, veneered, anti varnished, as to boar as aspect of its original form, intention, or circumstances— (cheers); or in disgust it is wehdrawn, after having under gone a prolonged and elaborate discussion, and been one meat aru u ab e l e e t o l f a a the :h w e " p te u public t tr h e at as oublic timeJ w hi chClieers.)Thisernec!ust mother inconvenience attending this state of things, which is in my opinion still more grave, although less flagrant. It is that you cannot expect from minis'ers so situated, the matured, finished, and complete meant, which, under other circumstances, we should have a right to I ozpoot. Men will naturally say, what is the use of taking oil Yrs' pains, what is the use of all this consideration, what is the use of all this stady or foresight, when the moment the measure is out of our hands it ceases to be the measure of the cabinet, and becomes the measure essentially of the House of, Commons. (Hear, hear.) For these treasons measures are thrown S. fore us with s foregone conclusion that we are to save the administration much of their care and trouble in preparing the legislation of the country. Thus, instead of being purely a legislative body, we are every day becamtng more and more an adminis trative assembly. The House of Commons is now conducted as a great committee of state on 'mike affairs, in which every roan speaks with the taw right, and most of us with the same weight. No more do we eesfa h disciplined array , the traditionary influence of h ereme.,.• opinion, the readied experience of ancient 'misfits sagia rams that for generations have lived and flourished in practice of a high and noble system of sel "' (Cheers.) Nothing of this. You are to be or i mpeneamer, future by other qaalities. The conceits of th , illeem crotchets of the whimsical, the violent courses of 4 m u te ' 117 position, that acknowledges no gratitude to are iqui.yl-, m o - T o posterity no service, until at last this free and proud parm; merit of England is to subside to the low water-mar k -- m.- nutional assemblies and those provisional cone , ~•;:.,, w i Liek are at the same time the terror and ridicule of Sir, I trace all these evils in the disorganisatimi pa rty weldi have known hon, gentlemen make observe tq 4 prceiate party government. lam not now ~0.,,4 to into the discussion of whether it is good or nut; oattiO tell you, and I have told ym before, and it has east t e s ee ‘ o; . l proved, that you cannot choose between pant ev maim and parliamentary government, that you cannot hav ev e e patio mentary government without party, and that, thevelem. when you denounce the latter you are Prim,* out the i‘ munstanee which has made this country, and which I li s sp l i may keep it, ereat. The system which is now pannatellisll system opposed to thoseold party conditioes that Itare the In ft been the spirit and life blood of the House o C oasssaa I am not charging untlemen opposite whit di porters flan that spirit. I am charging them with a stint ea of which they may be the unwilling admiuistrators; but less is their responsibility for the comm „noes, l nees " can foresee-that which I dare not coot( reeisee-w hat those consequences may be. In my menion they are very weak words which should describe them urt ej ei. cial to the realm and perilous to parliament , mud to t hat high love of public life which hitherto has bee n our best curity for national grandeur. It is, I fear, more than that the " finis fatorum ' of the rest Dardanien This sin sure of, that if we persist, the conerquence , e iii be such as no revolution has succeeded in aceoinolishing such as no conspirator in those midnight conclaves whiffs you have disturbed has had the audec.ty to deed know that nothing can long withstand its deleterious it Mance. It seems to me that the clue of public men widen ac so been deemed glorious in public affairs will sw, pt from the fettle. I protest against this system in the 1 moth hour, and I call upon the country to brand it with iodignsat repreliation. But, air, whatever may be those 1,11 - whatever may be the fortunes of indiV.duals ;V a ts,. of institutions, at least I have had the sadists too of calling public attention to this political plague-spot. I nave had the duty of attempting to place m its true aspect the muss of this great national evil, I have had more, I have h iiierionsolas •ion of justifying this great assembly wherein it is my highest honour to hold a seat, and of vindicating in 1,0 face of England the character and conduct of the 11 ont of C mots. (The hon. member resumed his seat ;mod loud Li general cheering ) Lord J. RUSSELL said, I have in the first pleas to thane the hon. member who has just eat down for his kind ness in consultiu.r my personal convenience as to the time of bringing forward this motion. I have in 111.- next plate to thank him as a member of this house for the very divert ing speech he has made. But whene• that im eek origi nated, or for what it was intended, I own it is most difficult for us tq discern. With reelect to its origin, the hon. member read a paragraph whisk he said was extracted from a Sunday paper, with respect to the fish dinner ' • and he adds that t i e paper in question is scarcely of less authority then the London Gazelle. This certainly is information to me, and in at fir as I am in the secret of the fish dinner, the whole . story of fixing it for the 19th, and then postponing it to the 26th, is altogether tabulous. (Hear, hear.) But that statement has formed the foundation of the hon. membees ddrese In commenting on what has passed, the hnu. mew". r seems to have thought that he had to defend the House of Commons from some chugs which the government had made Rimiest them. But when he was so defending them I was flecked to say, as was said to those who were defending Hercules, eituperaeit. It would be moat ungrateful en the put of the government if they had made sash statements or held such opinions, for during this session we have received the support of the lieu to in alarm' majority of instances. Those measures which we have broustht betore the hone have been very generally supported, and even those which have been abandoned or postponed, such as the repeal of the navigation telemeter.: supported by considerable majorities. Se that we are not the persons to assail that House of Commons which the noble member has taken upon himself to puronne and defend. (Hear, hear.) The hon. member seems to suppose that we attack it because there have been lame ob centime with regard to the forms of the house allowing very pro tracted and profitless debates. Now Ido not wish on this occasion, on which no proposal is before the house, to enter into the discussion of whether all of theta forms are useful in the present state of our !taints and prim tice; but this I will say, that there was no practice more con secrated by usage than that of continually discussing peti tions when first presented. The gentleman who prose-td them usually commented on them at some length, and I have known debates goirg down to nine or ten o clock merely on the presentation of petitions. And yet that system and that practice having been altered, the hon. gentleman has nothing more to say for it then that a more important right was never enjoyed by the people of England than that which they possess with reeard to petitioning. If so, it shows that there may be alterations in the sense, forma, and rules of the house without injury to out essential rights or impediment to the freedom of debate. (Hear, hear.) The hon. gentleman himself gave an instance in which such a change had been made-and, yet, I well remember that on that occasion a person of great talent and ability, and of high authority on oonetitutional matters, loudly protested against the proposed alteration, which, he said, would have the effect of destroying all free dom of debate-so little is it true that no form of the house can be altered, no practice modified, without sacrificing that freedom of debate which is essential to our deliberatioas. The hon. gentleman has gone linos history, or rasher com mentary, of the proceedings of the session, and has led the house through the various measures which have been brought forward, to some of which I shall have pension to allude. But let me, before Ido so, remark on one seatecee which fell from him towards the latter part of his speech. The hon. gentleman said thet in the course of this year there had been sedition in England, there had been incipient rebellion in Ireland, and revolution in Europe. Now, sir, let me call the attention of the house to this fact-that the minister' of the crown are chiefly ap pointed to administer the affairs of the empire, and that when you find that the sedition in Eneland ha the been Ho met with a vigorous arm by t h e Secretary of State for me D e p ar tment, aided by his celleagues-thear, hear )-that the incipient rebellion in Ireland has been suppressed by the measures adopted by this house, combined with the energy of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland-(cheers) -that the revo lutions on the continent have not shaken the institutions of this conotry-(hear, hear)--that whatever the forma. entail of those revolutions, however convulsed the autos of ths continent may have been, we have hitherto pteserved peso (cheers)-in the midst of those convulsions, I must my, as a member of the government which is attacked, that ths administratioa cannot be so very defective under which WE tion has been quelled , rebel lion suppressed, our institutices maintained, and peace preserved in the midst of events stick as those which the last few months have witnessed. (Heir, hear.) I say this, air, with the more confidence, breams, a h o wever the honourable gentlema n may praise the anim constitution of the country-and in that praise I should be happy to second him, though, perhaps, my mats eyrie would be less eloquent than his-I mast remind him, and the house also, that this supposed duty of the members of a government to introduce &great number of measures to parliament, and pass them through in each suc ceeding session, is a duty that is new to the government in this country. (lieu, hear.) It may have been more or leis well performed by the pre sent ministry, but it is a date which was scarcely known or recognised by the retest sad most powerful ministers that this country has seen. I will mention three ministers who most assuredly and nedoubtedly did possess the support of very large majorities of the House of Commons, by whom, notwithstanding, this duty was neither acknowledged nor performed. First, then was Sir Robert Walpole. It would be diffisult to name any legisla tive measures he introduced or carried. It is true he on deavoured to alter the Encire and Customs Duties, stadia he tailed. Another great minister was Lord Chatham, who was supported for six sessions almost without debate, and fx one whole session without a division ; yet, with tee es ception of a bill by w hich soldiers' pensions leers paid in advance on a deduction being made if five per cent. on the amount, I hardly knee of cue legislative measure that bears the name of Lord Chatham. (Hear, hear.) Another minister-one who j o: y m o m a atnhdeedoraeladoioaogref ottaminstafjonriftynginththisinhooouilise, ae oo d s w o h f o ths ta: country through the perils which surrounded them-I eptsk, of Mr. Pitt--except some measure nece ssar ily comet% with his administration, with the exemtion of the Maims sure of the union with Ireland, there are no legislates see owes to which the name of Mr. Pitt is attached; and every body knows that with regard to the eettleusent oh the Mks he was net able to effect that, but that it sees decent, ere many yearn ago, by the administration of Lord lielboaesh (Hear.) I say, then, that it is not, nor has it ever been be to , the whole or principal du t y of the goverwitent to th• t ro duce legislative measures and carry them through pad, merit. I say, moreover, that in times of difficulty and pen! the chief attention of the ministers m ust be given to Idl! l y questions of administration, the discretionary exereise Of power confided to them by the crown which every do al require and call forth-and it is therefore fa,rmdor IOT difficult, with the attention given to suc q to attend to every clause and every p fawnumas, d e tail of the various bills which are brought ! i n parliament. And yet, Si/ in this state of things' with these dangers which we had to meet, and the way is had to meet them, I find that of le.d bills introdua t ilbf government during the present session, 105 have eitoooub"l, already pseud, or have received so much of the sac tt the house as to render it probable that they la reetirr o 7 i anent of the crown this session. (Hear, hears) Min dmea bills are measures of the utmost importenre-tossOf I Crime and Outrage Bill, from which, with regard land, the most important results have followed m sup fog the clime of assassination which sires P en ;out. (Hear, hear.) The Evicted Deatituta roor "i 2 a s which, on the other baud , is likely to be of gre atMee arresting at d mitigating the cruelty which 'omens. aehuerd th Meted on the poorer class of tenantry in Ireland , wa d, regard to the measure for facilitatingehe sale of me . M . 7 estates, I own I consider that was a measure which, required required the utmost attention to its det da, eideot principle to form a foundation on which the state . 1 oeme tontalretolseurhiomah are landlords brought into emersion red them wle attend to th e wants and improvements of the t e re7 (Hear, hear.) But, sir,the hon. gentleman has_ gon e sV a long list of measures with regard to whice. ill vecidetiou or change of purpose on the par e t io l it ter e ,, h;. ) , e be he p a e vi nal ly n e e n n a ti um y beiaiedmitoed' be y laid, neat merit has priodueed injurious effects. Th crt el"' oe referred to was that of needs mmercial distress d't,,w_ one knows what happe upon that subject. " i n co nsequence of the &Ord , weans' to take a step which re-ve--• itep which was thou not Jul i tbeaet of ISO. Wethought ansequenee of our having parliament together, c alled soy t'6l4avr e h u ed ° felt a L duty a tiuntY aanisestimf.y.thre:tparconlid.umete,natnind ,togi Now what did happen ? Tio Osman betongs7-fh ou s or the e, b but I on. s of ha pllqy in this had d t h e good fortu ne to I supplied for Stamford party seceded from the goy were amongst them many me and readiness in the disco . which they had then to de al' defect of not having the assii experience, acquainted with in the public offices and gwd fortune secure the ai Etamford—a to ent' , man of had tilled Mhos of great had been the turned concerns country. vision that right hon. gentl what was it ? After st which the government had "ministers werejustitied, do pnblie confidence, t i auspen law." But it to here 11111,10 Ught it our du t y to h elle which if we were wrung w we called parliament togeti pleased upon our condue that the person w ho came passed a resolution jurify ii !gentleman who, also, beer is certainly opposed to us, who now makes the charg Then the hon. gentleman ' length with an a-.c tint pleas to oily have b. (" Hear, bear," and a late the whole point of this jol noble lord who now Dug of the noble lord to dign which is made on tin. of a budget. questioos connected w it may be very wi boa. gentlemen opposiu or explanation nay be b u dget, and to say, here chequer who brings finer argon; but I have linos forward propositions on concurrence of the count withdraw them and pro I remembe whe .I we the ministry when they . for two years—a propos' the purpose of windins that evasion the major majority of the couitrj just:fled, and on going defeated. On the folio a part of the malt tax. in the whole amine was, that the war for in the way t we were not then so w men opposite are sac arrangements were pit( messier), to charge t forward three or four anelogous to the pre gentleman finds fault select committee, and between the committe Mr. Pitt and the Duk fact and sub tl The Duke of senee Viellins reagh's committee in reed by Pitt, wo the same words were Lord G. DENTIN Messages from the erc Lord J. RUSSELL sition cheer..) tleman has spoken a the constitution — as the most serious col tweet' it and former instance there is n hear.) Now, sir, I from the crown will ctedingy dangerow —(hear) ; but that cadent would be to frame the estimates, airy for the Pelvic But, sir, we did no mates on our own z to stand by them s the public service committee would i (Hear, hear.) So this subject is a foundation. (Hes from the appointee mendation in the exceedingly met ul has taken into its friend the Secrets will be in a great far from being inj The hon. gentles question of the of which, so far to I am glad, and at able to pats a m. trodden &id of 1 foundation of ma law relating to tl administration. says that measur through the how gentleman who leges of the How sore, would bar went was bound through uschan the House of ( should not be oo to which the ho ing the navigati of the house to and the discussi bon. gentleman ing further wit when the hon. duties, I think been the histor, lected by the h measure giving colonial ea &gni by those hon. s rest to make t.l vantage of the government w were succetstu and defeated t to admit any fi the colonies. favour of free country and ii in respect to t l same forward till duty of 21 following the necessary to therefore, ice, their own, the project of the tion led and the noble TUE 11APU4g,J1111R8DA.T. ING, UQUid 31; 1848. d gasa ribose Wed Clulleoht;••• ht to _ 'Antis , weed by' the t e natedfine kurth Urn ana/bedret of Ms fm►ata r the ell and yet May kl entlemen. doleful - es bad broug li ht bow, to Junel , • not which which 1 sienna a Imp tell how man cabbala eminclie wide held ; but aft the let ogler 40' 1'6414 e s ecuq rilterdis hitiali a deities." C be e, Lie pria ► e nalniater. Who on the Vies May was ought to have secured a aurplus, and, instead of ci pr . w ing to 6t r i ved to . b• firm to existing duties, came forward reduce a tax i he ends the second year his raid= osier and viola volunteered a datellbEit that some relaxati ti on P would be made in the duties, of the nt of which it wo ." "."" " "GP°ling ""p" l°!nl (Bear ' hear.) Nov' be of thec ote ment thereafter to .laeaa die duty of some own r • .unit on the 16th of June the L