The Press.
London, England, 1854-06-24 00:00:00

The subject then dropped.

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MINISTERIAL EXPLANATION—MR. STRUTT.
The late CHANCELLOR of the Ducal- of LANCASTER
on Monday night volunteered an explanation re-
garding the personal circumstance: which attended
his recent exclusion from office. Mr. Strutt then
said :
" I have waited for some time, expecting that some hon.
member, by alluding to the late Ministerial changes,would
have afforded me the opportunity of giving an explanation
which I was desirous to make relative to such changes ;
but no such allusion having been made, and having heard
that certain representations have been circulated which
are not only erroneous, but injurious to my character, I
feel that it is due, not only to this house and to the large
and important constituency I represent, but also to my
own character, to make a short statement on the present
occasion to the house relative to my resignation ; and
will confine myself as concisely as possible to a brief and
simple relation of the facts connected with it. (Hear.) I
will first enter into a short explanation with respect to the
circumstances in which I was placed when I held the office
which I have lately resigned. At the time of the forma-
tion of the present Government the noble lord who now
holds the office of Lord President did me the honour, act-
ing ou behalf of the noble earl at the heed of the Govern-
ment, to request my acceptance of the office of Chancellor
of the Duchy of Lancaster. That offer was totally unex-
pected on my part. I knew at that time but little either
of the nature or the extent of the duties of the office which
was offered to me. I knew this much, that it was an office
of a certain station in the Government ; that it was an
office which had been held on various OCCII.SiODS by mem•
hers of the Cabinet and by persons possessing very much
greater claims to office than I could pretend to ; and I also
knew that, although the duties of the office could not be
supposed to be very laborious, it had usnally been held in
connection with other ditties, and by members of the Cabil
net to whom were assigned other labours besides thee.
which fell to them from the office itsolf. Under thenedit
cumatances, in accepting it I stated to the noble lord that
in so doing I should consider my whole time and any set,
vices whioh I could render to be at the disposal of the tio•
vernment. After I had held the office for a certain time I
found that, although some of the duties were by no means
unimportant, and although they uttered mean opportunity,
of which I endeavoured to avail myself, of efiboting some
improvements in the administration of the affairs of the
duchy, those duties were not more laborious than I had
reason to expect, and that they were not atteompanied by
the discharge of any parliamentary duties in this Mine. It
appeared to me that the office was not calculated to be
satisfactory to any man who was anxious that his whole
time and energies should be devoted to the office entrusted
to him. I made no secret of this opinion of mine. I took
opportunities of expressing it in official communications
which I made with respect to the duties of the office.
Under these circumstances, I could not look forward with
apprehension to any events which might have the effect of
relieving me of the office which I held, and I am !tonna to
add that, having stated when I accepted office that I con-
sidered my whole time at the disposal of the Government.,
it certainly was not my intention to shrink from any duties
which had been or might be assigned to me, so long as I
continued to hold office. Having said thus much with
regard to the circumstances under which I held office, 1
will now proceed to advert to the circumstances which led
to my resignation of it. On my return to town, at the
conclusion of the Whitsuntide holidays, I received a letter
from the Lord President of the Counctl, written on behalf
of the noble earl at the head of the Government, and the
result of the communication which was made in that
letter, and at a subsequent interview which I had with the
noble lord at his own residence, was, that the Government
found themselves placed in a position of coosiderable dith-
cuity with respect to certain arrangements which they con-
sidered to be most important for the• public service, and
that the disposal of the office which I then held would en-
able them to relieve themselves from those difficulties. I
further ascertained on inquiry that all the necessary
arrangements had already been made. (Laughter, awl
ironical cheers fries the Opposition.) 1 ascertained also
that the acquiescence of all those parties who were con-
cerned in those arrangements had been already obtained,
and that, in fact, the final conclusion of them was only
waiting for the expression of my concurrence. (Renewed

581

terploes*- Under Shaw eiatissabeesess. i treat I need not
say that I did not hesitate for one single moment as to
the answer which 1 should give. (Hoar, hear.) It
certainly did appear to me, when such a communication
was made to Inc on the part of the responsible head of the
Government, that it was impossible for me, with a due
regard to the interest* of the public service, and. I may
say still more emphatically, with a due regard to my own
personal feelings, to take any other course than that of
instantly and at once putting the office which I held un-
reservedly and unconditionally at the disposal of the
Government. (Thar, hear.) 'his is a simple statement
of facts 'which led to my resignation of the office which I
held ; but before sitting down I should wish to advert to
several reports 'which have been circulated on the subject,
some of which Ere caluulated to be injurious to my charac-
ter, and to which I am anxious, therefore, to give a distinct
contradiction. I understand that it has been said in some
quarters that my sudden and unexpected resignation
could only be accounted for on the supposition that 1 held
office under some understanding, and -that in resigning it
I was, in fact, only fulfilling some previous engagement.
Another report was that I hail been previously consulted
with regard to the proposed arrangements, that I had had
the opportunity of giving an independent judgment upon
them, arid that, in consequence of my strong approval of
them, I had tendered my resignation, and had thereby
made myself a party to those arrangements. Another
report, which luta also been very generally circulated, was
that I was supposed to have attached sonic condition to my
resignation, for my own benefit. Now, to all these reports
I give a most unqualified contradiction. They have
not the slightest foundation in feet. 1 held office on pre-
cisely the same terms as any other member of the Govern-
ment, and I would not have accepted it on ally other.
With respect to the second point, whatever view I may
have entertained or expressed with regard to the arrange-
ments in question, yet I knew no more of them than any
other member of this house until they were completed,
with the single exception of my own resignation, and of
that not until the time had arrived when I felt that it was
impossible to refuse it. I can in no respect be considered
a party to those arrangements. With respect to the last
point—namely, that I have myself added some condition
to my resignation—l trust it is scarcely necessary for me
to give a contradiction to that statement. (Cheers.) I
have already said that on the first moment this suggestion
was made I at once unreservedly, without one instant's
hesitation, and without the opportunity of consulting
one single friend, placed my office at the disposal of the
Government. Under the circumstances I have mentioned,
certainly cannot claim the merit of any great personal
sacrifice. So far as regards my possession of office, I per-
formed that which appeared to me a simple clear act of
duty, and the only apprehension which I have since had
has been that my conduct and my motives might have
been misunderstood. Throughout the explanation which
have just addressed to the house 1 have been most
anxious not to say one single word or utter one single
observation respecting the conduct of any other person
in these transactions. (hear.) 1 felt that in the peculiar
position in which I found myself placed I should be
acting more consistently with good taste, and most
agreeably to my own feelings, if I confined any obeerva-
tiotis Which I had to make to a simple statement of facts,
and to a simple vindication of my own character, without
making the slightest observation or remark on the
conduct of any other person. (Hear, hear.) It is
with some paiu and embarrassment that i have made
this explanation, hot I most cordially thank the house
ftir the attentiou and kindness with which they have re-
neived it."
No remark either from a Minister or member of the
house followed this explanation, but Mr. Strntt
resumed his seat amid loud and very general
cheering.
CHURCH RATES.
The bill for abolishing church rates, introduced
by Sir W. Clay, came on for second reading at the
day sitting of the Commons on Wednesday. Mr.
MULL moved that the bill be read a second time, and
ivas supported by Mr. A. l'eu,Arr, who urged that
the time for settlement was come, and the time of
compromise passed, with regard to the question. Mr.
Muartoutsit also approved of the measure, because it
extinguished utterly the church raw system.
Mr. Gorr.nres saw in the measure the beginning
of a total severance between Church and State. He
pointed out the clinger which the poor rate, and even
the general revenue of the country, might incur, if
the house ogee admitted the principle that persons
might be exonerated from paying taxes on the plea
of " conscientious scruples." He moved, as an
amendment, that the bill be read a second time that
day six months.
The amendment was seconded by Mr. LIDDELL
( Liverpool), who, nevertheless, admitted the neeessity
of devising some measure to rectify the existing law
relating to church rates.
Mr. E. BALI. contended that the church-rate system
should be abolished, as an act of justice to dissenters
and of prudence with regard to the Church itself. The
impost now furnished a cause for deplorable strife,
which it was most desirable to annihilate.
Dr. l'umaxone confessed that the church rate
should not be levied upon dissenters, brit was not pre-
pared for a total abolition of the system.
Mr. HoneitAri also recommended a middle course,
and 'urged the Government to attempt to settle 00
question. If, however, this was impossible, and no
measure goal& be contrived for the relief of dissenters,
he pres4ll4.ta seeibe charcit rates abuliabed nether
•htfulauf3 is-.I .4

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