The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-16 00:00:00

COPYHOLD ENFRANCHISEMENT BILL.

Mr. WALPOLE said that, while agreeing in the main
with the bill, there were clauses which would require very
pest consideration—much more consideration than he con-
fessed he had been able to bestow upon it. Without aay
desire, therefore, to defeat, or even unnecessarily postpone,
the measure, he should feel obliged if the hon. and learned
gentleman (Mr. Aglionby) would consent to postpone it fot
a week or so.

lir. AOLIONBY agreed that the bill should be taken on
Wednesday, the 24th, instead of Wednesday, the 17th init.
THE MINISTERIAL POLICY.
On the motion that the Speaker do leave the chair, fort
the house to go into committee of supply,
Mr. VILLIERS rose. He said he wished, in accordance
with an intimation he had conveyed to the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, and for reasons he should briefly state, tO
make some inquiry, with the view of obtaining some in-
formation from ministers on a subject which he did not
exaggerate in saying was of vital concern ;to every one of
her Majesty's subjects. (Hear, hear.) lie referred to the
principle or policy on which it was the intention of the
government to regulate the foreign commerce of the
country, especially that branch of it which was engaged is
the supply of the food of the people. (Cheers.) The puldie
wanted information on this subject. (Cheer') It would be
incorrect to say that they had received none; but he could
truly say that they would have been less perplexed if they
had not received any. (Cheers.) From what had been
said by tho government themselves, and by their (Meads
for than, he doubted if any adviufee was made to !he *A-
' dos Oahe natter. (Hear, hear.) For three weeks past,
we W hada protectionist government in power, w ith a free-
tads pasy in force; but what the protectionist government
Was sole( to do for the cane of protection bad not to that
seeMilmt been revealed. (Cheers.) If ho pressed the go-
racousat to make some distinct and candid avowal on this
matter, he hoped his motives might not be mistaken!
Ho assured them he was animated by no faction
motives. (Hear, hear, and counter•eheers from the
government side of the /maw) ; he had no party object;
and he had reason to expect that his motives in this
matter should not bo misapprehended. (Cheers.) ltc had
been IS years in that house, and he had uniformly mani-
fested solicitude on this subject. (Cheers.) He had only been
silent on this matter when it was settled, or when heboped
it was settled. (Cheers.) Ile was alive to the claim which
a ministry had on the forbearance of the house, that they
might not be pressed on any question which they had not
had time to consider, or were not prepared to =ewer. lint
right hon. gentlemen opposite did not stand in that relation
to this ,ueation. (Cheers.) They would not be offended
if he told them that they were not known in that house of
the country except as identified with this particular Dio-
nne. (Hear, hear.) They were distinguished as a party
by the course they had taken on this subject, by their un-
deviating adherence to the principle of protecting a particu-
lar interest against competition. The late Sir Robert
Peel used to oppose the motions of Mr. Disraeli, though
not bound to do so as an independent member of the hose.
simply and solely because that gentleman had stated his
object to be to displace the government, in order to occupy
their places and to reverse the commercial legislation of the
country. (Hear, hear.) The right bon. gentleman him-
self, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at the conclu-loa of
one of his addresses, said that if he did not then stirecels
the time was not far distant when he should succeed at
displacing the government, and when his principle, would
be triumphant. (Hear, hear.) He did not impute to them
aartehviindgenuctet of the zeal
worthyiio thus seeking
hadkingl manifestedcethenave 1,11u:10161y
as
cause. They had not sought office for the sake
of distinction or position, but simply and solely
as • meths of reversing the free trade policy
and establishing their own own principles. (Hear
hear.) The right hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer
could not object to be called on to state in what way, anti
how soon, he proposed to establish in power that policy
with which lie had identified himself in opposition. The
right hon. the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Sir J.
Y. Buller) could not object to be asked in what way he pro-
posed to forward the design which ho sincerely believed to
exist in the breast of his chief—of reversing a policy so in-
jurious to the country, so prejudicial to capital, and so