The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-05 00:00:00

RESIGNATION OF ML STANSFELD.

Mr. STANSFELD (who spoke from the second bench
below the gangway) said—l have to crave the indulger* of
the house while I offer some explanations of a personal
character. And, in order to admit of discussion upon the
subject with which I have to deal, if discusaioo should be
dewed, I shall conclude by moving the adjournment of the
house. Since the house last sat I have taken •
step which the place from which I now
will have already intimated to the house. I speak
felt it to be my duty to send my resignation to the noble
lord at the head of her Majesty's ministry. The house will
recollect that no a former occasion I tendered my resigna-
tion, and the noble lord refused to accept it. I thank the
noble lord for the implicit credence which he gave to the
statements which I made to him and to this house, and I
thank him for the °outage which be showed upon • former
occasion. (Cheers.) Bat there ere occasions on which I
think it becomes • man to consult his own oonacience and
his own se use of right as to the rune which he should
adopt. And this appears to me to have been one of thine
oocuions. I have become convinced, from what I have seen,
heard, and read, that I have ceased to be, if I could ever
have believed myself to have beau, any secession to the
strength of her Majesty's government, and that I had rea-
son to fear I may have become • source of difficulty and •
cause of embei.esernent to the ministry. Sir, under
these circumstances I felt, as I am sure every how man-
bin would feel, that it was for me—not for others—to
tare upon myself the responsibility of saying that I
could not cosset by possibility to continue to be the
tattoo of embarrassment to • government which I decided
to support. (Cheers.) There is another reason why I
have elected to leave the administration. The house will
remember on the first occasion when the subject, which I
seed not name, was discussed in the boars, some fault was
found with me for dealing too seriously, and, as it was said,
in • tone of too considerable indignation, with the speech of
a late Procurenr-General of France. Now, sir, after what
has happened—after the speech of the succorer of that late
Precursor-General, I do not think any person will repeat
that blame. (Hear, beer.) I thick the house will agree
with me that I was justified in the interpretation which
I put upon the animus of that discourse. (Hear, hear.)
Well, then, if that be so, and that attack having been
renewed, I have to say to the government sad to the
house with all respect that I prefer to meet it here alone,
rather than sheltered upon that ( Treasury ) bench and beneath
the protecting aegis of the noble lord. (Cheers.) There are
• few words which I desire to say to the Douse itself, be-
came the house will understand that nothing can be more
important to one of it. members than his relations with the
general body of the boom (Hear, hear.) It has been said
' that I did not originally deal candidly with the house.
' Nothing could be—l mean in the sense of being mistaken—
by possibility more unjust. Ido sot wish to say it by way of
any bout, but I do think that amongst my faults not hav-
ing the courage to avow my opinions and fearing the
r-sponsibility of my acts past or present is
not one which any member of this brans would
seriously lay to my charge. (Hear, hear.) Now the
explanation of what may have appeared at first to
be wantof candour—and any misunderstanding is possible on
occasions like the present—is extremely simple to thine
who believe what I say. I felt with respect to thespesch of
the Procureur as I have already stated to the house. .I
then
defended a personal friend of mine from an accusation of
which I believed, and still believe, him to be unjustly the
object. Some questions were then put to we by members
of the house. As my hon. sod halted friend the member
for Tiverton (Mr. Denman) explained on • late occasion, the
house evidently then had a diaiochostioa that I should be
submitted to questions of that kind. (Hear.) I thick
there was a feeling that though not intended it might have
the aspect of something like • parliamentary ernie-exami-
nation, for the purpose of eliciting iividenos for • criminal
trial in • foreign court. (Hear, hear.) Now I assure the
house that it was simply because it armed to me that
that was the feeling of the house, that at the
moment I did not offer that distinct and explicit
explanation which I offered upon a subsequent occasion.
I wish to look back and to resider honestly what were my
motives at the time I spoke. 1 think there was another
motive—l felt it so be due to Signor Muriel, and I may
gay I also think it was due to myself, that from hire Ant
should come public statements sad explanations as to the
0,1111 to which he, not I, had put my house, and which
had bon more or lees at his disposal as an address. There
sae mother mean why I did not make the 'Walnut