Star. — London, England, 1827-05-12 00:00:00

e ppirtunity of doing so. lie confessed his mind was , misgivings when he lo 'lced at these reports ' n ot without milg o i conjunction with that delicate part of the Right Hon. which related to the interview Gentlemen's statement , w i t h his Sovereign, so hen he was called to form an Ad ministration. He had told the Home that he went to the Royal Chamber with the full purpose of executing the task, and that he found there the obstacles which prevented him from fulfilling his purpose. These obsta cles were the le ter s containing the resignations of his former collesgues in office. At first the Right Hon. Gentleman had said there were six of these, then five, a nd then four; but the fact afterwards appeared that the night Honourable Gestle.nan carried four with him from his own office, and only received two there. What was the next step described by the Right Honourable Gentleman ? That having dis closed to the Sovereign the impossibility of his doing that for which he had been summoned to the Royal Closet, the illustrious Monarch who governed these realms gave him his hand to kiss as Prime Minister. Another circumstance described as a part of this scene, bad left a great impression on his mind. The Right Hon. Gentleman stated that he told his Sovereign that there was a very little time indeed before it would be too late for any step to be taken ;—that the Parliament was about to separate, and that then it would be too late to carry his views into effect. From all these cir cumstances, he (Sir T. Lethbridge) came to the conclu sion that his Majesty was driven tor time, that he was driven to an alternative which he ought not to have been driven to. What did the Right Hon. Gentleman then do? Did he proceed to construct an Administration upon the principles of Lord Liverpool's, as the King had originally commanded him ? No such thing. He went and filled op the vacant offices with persons of directly opposite opinions to those who held them under Lord Liverpool's Administration. He would sty, then, that there was at least a curious coincidence in all these things; he hoped that hereafter it might not prove an unfortunate coincidence. The Right Honourable Gentleman had gone to the Monarch, according to his own staiement, and driven him to the extremity of forming an Administration, not upon the principles upon which he had intended that it should be formed, but leaving it to him to form an Administration of his own. And did the Right Honourable Gentleman then form it even upon his own principles? • If it was so formed, how came it to be supported by the Honour able Gentlemen who now sat behind him? For about twenty years during which, with little interruption, he had been in Parliament, he had always admired the Right Honourable Gentleman's talents, and placed entire confidence in his principles; but what was be to do when he saw the Right Honourable Gentleman en tering into office with those who, during that time, had always been opposed to his principles? The Catholic Question was the only one upon which they agreed, and upon that they were agreed to do nothing. He thought, however, that the Catholics would not consent to be gulled by their pretended friends. He had always opposed them, and always should. He had been consistent ; but those who had pretended to befriend them were now putting their question by, because they dare not look'it in the face. He was glad'to hear the decided tone in which the Right Hon. Gentleman had declared that he would oppose the questions of the Test Act and Reform. He was glad to hear it ; but how could those Gentlemen feel who now supported the Right Hon. Gentleman, and had always advocated those Trestions upon the principles wnith they profeosed as a party? Why, then, if he was asked to give his confi dince to an Administration made up of these hetet°. g eneoui materials, he could not in conscience do it.— A Id it he could not, who was then to stand up there and prevent him, as a reps esentative of the people of England, from opposing it in the honesty of his heart, and in the straight forward discharge of his duty? He had admitted the great talents of the Right Hon. Gen tleman at its bead; he believed that his talent and tact lad done that which the ingenuity of no other man in the Empire could have accomplished. It had been truly said that hetad untoried Tories, and unwhigged Whigs ; for he had untoried himself, and completely unwhigged the Gentlemen who supported him. But he had done more, he had turned things topsy-turvy in other quarters.— The Hon. Baronet, the Member for Westminster, would persuade them that the division of patties into Whigs and Toties, was an old, worn-out, forgotten notion.— But what was become of the Friends of the People P" Surely they were toot forgotten too. The Hon. Baronet Was formerly looked up to as their head. But where was he now? He was sitting upon the Treasury Bench behind the First Lord of the Treasury— (Cheers a id a laugh). The Hon. Baronet had a perfect right to sit there if he sat upon principle; but if the Friends of the People" had any principles at all, be thought that neither they nor the principles of Wbiggism would be much re•pected in the Right Honourable Gentleman's Administration. He had not intended to say so much when he rose, and must throw himself upon the indulgence of the House, for' trespassing so long upon their attention. His object was In ask whether the office of Secretary of State for the Foreign Department so as occupied by the Noble Vis count who now held it, permanently, or whether he had been appointed as a locum tenens with a view to the future appointment of another Noble Lord to whom report had assigned the office? Another question that le wished to ask was, whether any communication had liken place between the Honourable and Learned Mem ber for Winchelsea and the Right Honourable Gentle man, with a view to his or his friends accession to of ice, on or b efore , or near the period when he received 41s Majesty 's commands to form an Administration? lie hoped to have an answer to these questions without hunt And without asperity. He trusted that they mould carry on their debates as became the representa !ion of the English people, and as Gentlemen. In any opposition he might think it his duty to Offer, he should tot be guilty of rudeness either in language or manner; le should only take that tone of determination in which tlety man ought t o e nfo rc e hi s consc i ent i ous opinion. h WAS not his intention to divide the House against the , t; ;Iy, although he. maintained that it would be a per t. tiy Constitutional and Parliamentary proceeding. * l 4e . M.ruis of TAVISTOCK and Mr. Cabanas' rose together, and wThrs for q each of tbem were about equaL The Marquis gave way. )4 s• CANNING then spoke to the following effect: `" not my intention, Sir, on this occasion to detain th e I"l",use many minutes ; but as the Honourable Gen tleman rose professedly to put two questions to me, rela tive to the state and formation of the Administration.— though his ardour carried him in so doing into a wider range of topics than I dare say he originally contem- P lte d—and as the Honourable Gentleman had the usual coe•telY t r acquaint me beforehand that he had these nu sci ons to ask, I shall certainly answer them in a dif tent ton: from that which I d a opted in replying to those which were put to me la hostile Manner, and without any previous notice. r wish to make this distinction dear, because I am anxious to have that conduct of mine, to which the Honourable Gentle man refers on a former night, thoroughly understood. Before, however, 1 proceed to answer his questions, let me give him one caution. The Hon. Gentleman's speech, so far from being confined to asking a question or two, was rather like a speech intended to lay the basis and f iunclation of a wide debate. It it is a part of his tactics to dram me into a speech in reply to his ques tions, in order that I may be precluded from again taking part in the debate, and vindicating myself from any animadversions that may be made upon me, I tell him, that in what I am now about to say. I shall not consider that I have exhausted the privilege of the House—(Hear, hear).—The amount of the two grains of questions hidden in the Hon. Gentleman's bushels of. declamation—( A laugh) —seems to be this; in the first, he asks substantially what is the condition of the Go vernment, particularly with a view to the filling of certain situations? My answer to this question shall be plain, ana, I hope, courte us, but, I am afraid, not satis factory to the Hon. Gentleman. The same question has. been put this eveniog to the Rt. Hon. Gent. who holds one of those situations ; and his answer having bees unsatisfactory to the querist by whom it was propound• ed, and notice having been given by that Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Beaumont) of a formal discussion upon this very point—neither n tw, nor on any future day, till that motion be brought •forward, will I utter one word upon the suhject—(Cheers.) That Hon.l Gentleman, the Member for Stafford, has, in a plain and manly way, declared, and I thank him fir it, hi• determination to put an end to the disgusting mode-1 use the word advisedly—the disgusting mode, I re peat in which great questions are, night atter night, brought before this House. I thank the Honourable Gentleman for the opportunity he will afford Govern ment to explain itself, arid for that debate I will reserve all I have to say—(Cheers). Neither courtesy nor taunts shall extort from me one single syllable till that pro raised motion comes forth—(Cheers). The second ques tion, which is much the more important on.-, is to this effect: Did any negotiation exist between those by whose support I an honoured and myself for their coming into office, at, during, or about the time of the dissollition of the structure of the old G ivernment ? Though the Hon. Baronet has so.strong an aversion to monosyllables, I hope, though "Yes" offended him the other day, lie will take" No" nose—(Cheers and laugh ter). I should not do justice to others, if I omitted to say that I did know that in the event of my being placed at the head of the Government, I should have an acces sion of strength, not by the general admission of a great party to office, but by the disinterested support of some individuals of that party. On their part, it was directly contrary to a bargain for office. I received, unsought, a communication which assured me that there were some individuals, few in number, but very important by their weight and character, who were disposed to render me cordial, but espressly disinterested support— (Cheers). I should do them an act of unpardonable injustice, if I concealed the fact, that when 1 wat driven to straits in the formation of a Government, and when the question arose as to their introduction to office, it originated with me, and not with them,(Cheers). I have answered this question plainly, and I hope satis factorily. There was one observation made by the Hon. Baronet, on which I cannot refrain from making a passing commen , . The Hon. Baronet seems to think it most extraw dinary that any person should support a Government, of which I am at the head, who agrees with me only as to the Catholic Qoestion, and differs from me as to Parliamentary Reform. In another part of his speech be had the goodness to say, that for twenty years, during which he had observed my public conduct, he had looked upon me with respect, and he said also with confidence. Now, I differ from the Hon. Baronet on both these subjects—(a laugh); and if he will look back to a particular night, in the year 1822, which I well re member, when I brought forward my motion for the Relief of the Catholic Peers, the Hon. Baronet will find his present principle contradicted by his former practice —(a laugh). On that occasion, he cautioned the House not to be led away; by my powers of persuasion, to any agreement with me, for that he himself had un warily been led away to vote against Parliamentary Reform, of which he was the advocate, by a speech of mine a few evenings previously—(laughter and cheers). —Yet this was the Hon. Gentlenaan, who, in the cast of.parts ter this night, was selected to express his surprise that I could act with any persons, or they with me, when they cliff:red from me as to those questions— (Cheers). I take not the smallest offence, however, at any thing said by that Hon. Gentleman. I meet his courtesy with an equal degree of courtesy on my part. I am bound to give answers to those questions only which relate im mediately to the conduct of the Government to which I belong ; but I shall always be ready, when they may think fit to attack us, to meet either the Hon. Baronet or his Friend. (Mr. Beaumont, to whom this term was ap plied, signified his disapprobation of it.) I beg pardon, really, if 1 have given offence, but I meant none ; I called them fr.ends, because they are aiming at a similar pur-, pose. I repeat, as my attention is again called to the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Beaumont), that I thank him for the opportunity he has promised me of explaining fully and completely the high subjects of political interest to which he has referred, instead of wasting their importance in daily driblets of discussion, which can have no useful result or satisfactory termination--(Loud cheers.) Mr. BEAUMONT rose to•disowa any assimilation of political feeling between himself and the Hon. Baronet—(A laugh). Sir T. LETHBRIDGE said, that what he had done in that House was upon his own judgment and discretion. He was not aware of any concert existing between the parties now acting in Opposition. He trusted the Right lion. Gentleman would allow him to proceed as he thought proper. He declared shat be knew nothing of the Intention of the Hun. Gentleman (Mr. Beau mont) to give notice of any motion that evening. Their views were totally different ; and he (Sir T. Lethbridge) should continue, as he had hitherto done, to act upon the suggestions of his own mind. Mr. CANNING assured the Hon. Gentlemen that he did not mean to offend either of them ; but he would take more care for the future to separate, and not unite them. The Marquis of TAVISTOCK said, that the real question which they had to decide was, should they give a fair hearing and patient trial to the Administration formed by the Right Hon. Gentleman in obedience with the commands of the King? For his own part, he had no inclination for power, nor talents for office. In the performance of his duty to his constituents, he had found it necessary to keep as much as possible aloof from political connexions. It had been his auxions wish in the late changes to avoid all negociat.ons till the ar rangements were perfected, res rving to himself, under any circumstances, lull power to adhere to those prin ciples *bids it had been the business of his whole life to defend—.(Cheers.) Long as he had been opposed to the late Government, and much as he had differed, from the Welt Honourable Gentleman, he trusted that he never should •be led 'to oppose biro or his Government, right or wrong, without reference to the nature of their measures—(Cheers.) He di I not wish to unite himself to either of the great parties: but wher e Ire saw Gentlemen so premature in their opposition, so suddenly pledging themselves to plans of hostility an I embarrassment to exclusively personal, he had almost said so rancorous to the Right Honourable Gentleman —(Cheers)—not having t!.e patience to wait for mea sures, nor the decency to abstain from throwing dirt on one who was for so long a time their leader—(Very loud and animated cheers)---n 'one under whom they had so lately served—(Cheers). When he saw, as the Hon. Member for Stafford had well said, Toryism in i:s most hideous shape, raising its frightful form among them—(Cheers),—with all his inclination to watch vigi lantly the conduct cf every man in Administration, and much as he was moved by the spirit of opposi t ion, of which he cou ld not even now ent i re l y divest him.elf— (Laughter)—he should be wantina in public duty it Ire did nos say, that though he could not give a certain promise of support to the new Administration, yet he felt decidedly inclined to oppose the measures which had been taken against it by the Honourable Baronet, and the two Right Han. Gentlemen who hero thought fit to wi.hdraw from Iris Majesty's Govern• ment—(Cheers). In the course of his political life he never remembered to have witnessed conduct so hard to say the least of it, as that which had been pursued towards the Right lion. Gentleman and the llon. Gen tlemen who had thought propr to act with him. He strongly objected to the anxiety which had been shewn to perplex him at the outset of his government—to over throw him by an overwhelming attempt, before he had got properly seated, and before he could choose his course; and it strongly inclined over to that side which seemed not tohave fair play. He was certain that this must he the feeling of all who weresmarting from official disap• point ment, and the pangs of mortified ambirion—(Loud cheers). As to the Right Hon. Member for. Oxford, he did not by any means intend to class him with the other crooonents of Administration. This expression of his sentiments, the opportunity of doing which he owed to their kmdness and patient attention, he thought due to his constituents ; and he had taken this course with the view ol making it known to them. C , nceiving that the Administration was formed on principles which bid fairer fur the advantage of the country than that which preceded it, and reserving to himsel the right of op posing it only when the measure, of Government should lead him to think- otherwise, he would so far give his support to the Right Hon. Gentleman—(Cheers). ' Mr. PEEL rose. The Noble Lord (said he), whose speech I heard with surprise, I then thought must either have en:irely misundei stood some part of my conduct, or I must have entirely misunderstood him. Certainly I do think I heard him direct a charge personally against me. He alluded to two Right Hon. Gentlemen who have lately retired from office, and he charged them—l considered myself one of them—with heading . an Opposition, with offensive personality anal rancour towards-one whom I still call my Right Hon. Friend. I utterly protest, once for all, against being judged by any thing but my own conduct and my own declara tions—(hear)—and not by the conduct or declarations of other.. The course I mean to purose I have chalked out for myself. I act in concert with n• one—(Hear). — After the disclaimer of the Noble Lord, I acquit him of all intention to include me in the serious charges lie was preferring. It would have been singular, indeed, if 1 had been accused of rancorous hostility and factious opposition so soon, after coming down to this House for the sole purpose of giving my Right Hon. Friend, (Mr. Huskisson) the President of the Boar d of Trade, the same support as if I had still been Iris colleague in office. I certainly did declare my want of confidence in the Go. vernmeat, when I saw all those who had uniformly op posed it up to that per iod,abandoning their former places, seated behind the Administration—(Hear)—and some of them accepting office—(Cheers). I did say, undoubt edly, under these circumstances, that I should suspend my confidence its the Administration till I knew of whom it was to be composed, and what were the prin ciples on which the coalition, if there was any, had taken place. But when I heard from my Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Canning) the principles on which he intend ed to conduct the Government, I found that he had achieved a signal triumph fir my principles,- which are the same as his, by the obtaining of the whole Whig Party to their support—(Cheers). I heard that Parlia mentary Reform was still to be opposed on the same principles on which we had both always resisted it. I was alarmed wizen I knew that some of those who were about to accept office were prepared to re peal the Test arid Corporati o n Act s; b ut I f oun d that my principles had gained a signal triumph by the accession of the Gentlemen who lately consti tuted the Opposition when I heard my Right Honourable Friend declare his resolution still to op pose that innnovation also—(Cheers). The Catholic Question also remains in the same situation as when I formed part of the Government ; for I understand it is not to be thought forward as a Cabinet question. What rancour or per sonality then can I entertain towards my Right Hon. Friend, when I saw those principles, which I maintained in common w th him, triumphing by the dexterity with which he has brought over to their sup port those who have always hitherto been opposed to them ? (Cheers) As the Noble Lordiris provoked this explanation, I will say, that I know nothing of any con cert in opposition to the Government. The Hon. • art. (Sir T. Lethbridge) had given me no inrima i , n of his intentions. I had no conception that any question a mild have been asked. When I hear Honourable Gentlemen vindicate themselves for their accession to office, on the principle that they have gained a signal victory in ex cluding me, I ask them what beyond that have they gained? The Catholic Question is the only subject of difference I have with my Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Canning). On every other question of foreign and domestic policy, during the last fur years, we have agreed. It is really most surprising that tl eyshoull justify their acceptance of I (Tice by my retirement from it, when my Right Honourable Friend declares, in perfect since rity, that, with tiseexception of that unfortun ite question, his opinions are the same as mine, and, therefore, that my principles and opinions have gained a tiiumph by the accession of the Right Hon. Gentleman to their support—(Cheers). I will take this opportunity of ' saying, that I shall adhere to those principles with the same zeal and devotion with which I supported them while in office. I shall continue to give my assistance to every inquiry into the ancient i.;stitutions of the country, which appears t r me undertaken in a friendly spirit, with exactly the sante readiness as ever. I shall not adopt any course with a view to regain office. I shall not pursue it to obtain the confidence of those who oppose Government,. If our principles disagree, I • !will not acComtitodate mine to acquire their support. Without knowing exactly the permanent constitution of the Government, I am satisfied it will pursue ne irly the same e anse that was followed by the late G ivernment w.th my concurrence. If the:o is to be a junction be• tween °arising p erties, it is desirab!e the principles on winch itiests should be immediately, and intelligibly, and distinctly und‘ustood—(Cheer.). That I should have been charged with forming a factious Opp isition, is, of all the charges that could be preferred a vainst me, the most extraordinary. The wlvle enure of my public life is an answer to it. Never wat I more a,tonl-hed than wh n I heard it, espec:ally co ftidering the criart-r from whence it came—(Cheers). Surely my Itigi t H to. Friend .. (Mr. Canning) will not charge me with so gross an act of inco•.ll,tency. When I entered public lite, I well remember that I found him engaged in a fetCtIOUS Op po•itioo, though from very good motives. He knows well by experience what a factions Ooposition is, and what it is to be a very vehementsuppoi ter of Govern. went. He knows the advant iges, and the inconveni ences of both situations; but I will not follow his ex ample, by instituting a factious Opp )sition, nor by abandoning the course I have deliberately adopted. When the Noble Lord charges me with rancour and hostility, I utterly deny the fact, but above .11, I dis claim the sensations on which such an Opposition is founded —(Cheersy. . The Marquis of TA YISTOCK, In explanation, said. if he bad given the Right lioneurable Gentleman.offence, he was heartily sorry for it. All he meant to say was, that, admiring the public character of the flight Honourable Gentleman, and regarding it as placed high in public opinion, be thought the Right Honourable Gentleman had committed a great toktakesin making common cause with the Member for Somersetshire. . ...... Mi. YATES PEEL said, that whoever imputed to him that be was actuated by a rancorous hostility or a factious Opposition, was guilty of an abominable falsehood. Mr. MA BERLY explained the reasons why he hid postponed his financial notices for this Session, because he placed the fullest confidence in the Right Hon. Gentleman's (Mr. Canning's) promise to appoint a Committee of Finance nest-Session, to enter sully into ' all the parts of the public expenditure, To suppose that ibe pro. posed Committee would net be a lair one would be an insult to the Government. In full reliance upon this promt:e, lie sh•wld not op. pose any of this year's estimates, not even the Penitentiary iiem, to which be strongly objected, and which he trusted would he reduced in the next year's inquiry. He hoped, however, that the Committee would be nominated very early in the belt Session, so as to report before the end of it, and he begged leave to suggest :hat dining the recess the Treasury would appoint aaditional clerks to get all the necessary papers ready for the Committee, so as that no puss: for information should occur in their labours. Sir JOSEPH YORKE said, it might be necessary for Members like himself to state on the present occasion the grounds upon which they stood with regard to the present Government. It was now 57 years since he sat on his present side of the House (the Opposi tion side), and now that the lion anst the lamb had lain down to gether, they ought, iu the language of their Parliamentary prayer, to give up all partial affections''—(A laugh). II: meant to have risen after his amiab:e and excellent Friend, Sir Tlarnas Lath. bridge—(Cries of Order). Indeed, when he had heard the lion. Baronet, he thought for the moment that he was Under a delusion as to his identity, and that the Clerk of the Crown had just struck out the Hon. Baronet's name, and aubstiteted that of S.r Francis Wronghead—(A laugh). He had the highest opinion of the flight 'Hon. Gentleman opposite ( Mr. Peel) who had manfully and con. I sistently maintained his principles, but be (Sir J. Yorke) should give something of his general support to the present Government, leven to the Catholic Question, prows. ed they took the measure into their hands, and pledged their responsibility that they could not govern the country without it. I I Lord CL I F TON, tin thr present occasion, was anxious to state his views. From the moment the Hon. Gentlemen. witk wham he was in the habit of acting, had deterniiiied to give their support to the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, he had entertained doubts as to the propriety of that course. They had, he knew, generally supported the liberal portioq of his,Majesty's Government, in their recent measures. Still, he must say, that he did not at this mo ment sue such an Administration constituted as to ca.l fur a pledge of his support. He must, however, allow also, that he telt still legs disposition to support the old members of the Government, who had run over, with reckless haste, to give opposition to the new Administration before any of is measures had been dcvslopecr, and who likewise desired to provoke the discussion of the Catholic Question, to which they had always been the most determined enemies. On that question, as well on some others, he certainly should support the Government, without, however, pledging him self to any other line of general support--( Hear, hear). Sir J. SEBR I G lIT felt it to be his duty to his constituents and his country to give the Administration, of which the highly gifted Gentleman, Mr. Canning, was the head, his best and mint cordial support—( Hear). He gave the former Government his supports thuugtr he did not, and could not, place in' it the conoaence which the present Ministry justly demanded. Ile felt the greatest resp'-cc fur the Right Honourable llember for Ox ford (Mr. Peel), but did not regret his absence trout tie Ca. Diner, on account of his adherence to an ill.ber.l and eiarrori minded system of policy—particularly in relation to the civil and religious freedom of five millions of their fellow subjects. lie was glad mote the Right lion. Gentleman ( Mr. Cana g) at the head of the Government, fur his expanded views were in ke:Fing with the advanced state of the public mind; and it he mistook 'slot egregiously, would be supported by the country at large. Mr. ‘VODEHOUSE wished, when so much calumny was afloat, to explain his own conduct. On the 6th of May, he had column ideated with the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (.or. Ilosiasson) upon the propriety of ascertaining what was the feeling of Parlia ment and the country respecting the new Government? lie had written to him on the 6th of May, and on the 10th lie had received this answer— • • " NIT IMAIL Sia--When we parted yesterday I thought we were both agreed that a debate en the state of the nation would be the best thing that could happeth'and the sooner the better; but that such a motion would originate better with an avowed enemy than a firm friend." 14r. LITTLETON'tose to order, and thought that a written •0 communication of this nature ought not to be ptacicly read—he had ' likewise reason to think that the Right Hon. Gentleman did not think it would have been so used—( Hear). Mr. lIUSKISSON said, that certainly he did not expect his Honourable Friend would have read his letter, which, be believed, was marked " private." Not that he eared by whom it was seen. Mr. WODEHOUSE said, that Honourable Members had asked hint what course he meant to take, and he was anxious to protect himself front any misunderstanding, as there was no end to the calumnies which were circulated agaiusthint. Sir. PORTMAN entreated that his Honourable Friend would not further allude to private communications, nor allow himself to be ruffled by private calumnies, which could not affect the high character of su respected an individual—(Hear, hear). Mr. WOHEIIOUSE said, that he was not there to defend his private honuur, fur no man had attacked it—(Hear, hear.) But•he was most anxious to pay his tribute of applause to the Bight Hon. Gentlemen opposite who weir at the head of the Goveriimtnt, and he hoped they would have their country's support—(Hear.) Mr. HUME said, that he did not wish to iithr ally opposition to the Government; but as the Right Honourable Gentleman op posite had taken the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, he thought he ought to fulfil the promise made by his predecessor, and not call fur any Midler Supplies until he had laid his financial statement before the Douse. He maintained, that after thir. teen years' peace. nothing had been done, and that a Committee of Finance should be immediately appointed. During the last year, the debt bad been increased four millions and a halt, and it would again increase as much this year. He therefore thought the. Right Hon. Gentleman ought nut to proieed with the Supplies un til some satisfacury explanation of his views had been given. Mr. HERMES would not deny that his Noble Friend, the late Chancellor of the Exchequer had given sonic such pledge as hail been alluded to by the Hon. Member for Montrose, but be would put it to the House whether his Right lion. Fiiendi the First Lord of the Treasury, should have shewn a greater anxiety than be had done to lay his financial statement before the country ? —(hear, hear). Besides, the House would remember that auk principal part of the supplies had already been voted, and those ao be brought under the consideration of the House were, compara tively speaking, of inferior amount and consequence. Mr. CANNING said, that in reply to what had fallen from the Hun. Member for Monirase, he had to state, that on that day forts. night . he should bring forward his statement for the year—XL - leers, and cries of hear). He hoped that the lion. Member mould desist from opposing the motion for the House going into a Committ e es because be mast see that under the circumstances In whieh be ( r. Canning) was placed, it was beyond the power by human diMgencil 1 : i '• i f I • ;I !• - 1 : • ~ I , . , . ! e i 1 ‘ 1 1 '..,, I F . 1 , . 1 '. ‘ i • i . 6 , ! 1 , t • ,‘ i t ' I i t ; 'I si l i q . - 1 - ) l' 1 , ! : .. I. ‘r. : I'''. i 1 I ' t I