The Express.
London, England, 1849-02-22 00:00:00

CeZa phalanx of which it was rather
tt.d tbe strength by an opposing vote; am Tat
,SitiMaim would have run the risk, had not tine
aped of the Home of Commons who hover add-
=Mises the supporters ot government aad the
intimate to them that
d unites a nemdttas
it some sort on Ceylon was granted, they would Ms
with Mr. RUM& In granting a committee gonna,
meat have yielded tea resolute determination to brineseeaseking Inquiry established on the part of emy
Medan in the House not connected with them by
°Meld .
When we say that we hail this successful revolter
the House against the despotic dogmatism of the Colo-
nial•olHoe rather as a victory over that imbue neon
geed colonial government than over ministers, we by
as means intend to imply that government did not
Stttsin the defeat, or that it came out of the
undamaged. On the contrary, goverment
haven/feted materially in point of repativin by ma.
mating on this occasion to screen the Office, and by
the maser in which they made the attempt. M.
Rwagem, Mr. Meru, and Lord J. RUSSELL cnt le-
meatabis tyres, and even Mr. Leimucama did Oct
asses aitemdisr well out of the debate. The coon.
try is deeply indebted to Mr. RICARDO for the so.
five Gni intelligent part he has taken in pro.
sooting the repeal of the navigation laws;
bat all the credit he has gained thereby will
be required to counterbalance the damaging effect el
ow glaringly lending himself to be the ministerial
cat's-paw on this occasion. The attempt to represent
an investigation into gross violations of the conotitia.
tiotial rights of British subjects in Guiana and Ceylon
m having a tendency towards relapse into prone.
Maim was quite a failure. Admitted that
Mr. Pam Rosa, one of the leading protesters is
Guiana against the colonial minister's attempt
to ride rough-shod over the
_privileges dthe fissecial representatives of Guiana, is
pesiestionial. What then P Are men to be debarred
sametitatismil rights—to be excluded from the rah or
liar anatitetkm—because they believe in the obeden
theories of protection P This would be to revive
against economical heretics those persecuting laws
which, being enforced against Roman catholic',
have produced such fatal effects in Ireland.
When Mr. Rosa asks for a renewal of prone.
flora let him have a frank and fiat denial; but whin
Mr. Rosa complains that his and his fellow colonist,
constitutional right to tax themselves has bun
violated, he is as much entitled to attention as the
soundest free-trader among us. The question of hes
trade was not at issue ; and Mr. RICARDO'S amepd.
went on Mr. BAILLIE'S motion was neither more are
lies than " a herring drag," as it has been enema.
Moody called.
As for Mr. Hewitt and Lord JoaN Rbssaff, their
speeches might safely be left to answer one another.
Lord TORRINGTON, according to Mr. Hewes, his
commenced a new era of government in Ceylon. Lord
TORRINGTON, "the first thing he did, communicated
with all the leadingdepartments, and reduced expellee
of all kinds." Lord TORRINGTON repealed bed
taxes and imposed good ones. Lord Tuamotu,
if Mr. HAWES could be believed, has been the
LYCIIRODS or Tunoar of Ceylon. On the cannery
if Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S statement is to be relied ca,
Lord TomarioroN has jogged on exemplarily in the
old beaten paths of Ceylon government. " So farina
Lord TORRINGTON undertaking to act 11A a volunteer
financier, attempting to introduce a new system of
taxation, Sir EMERSON TENNENT had sent home s
plan of revised taxes, which had been examined ad
reported on, and L 914 TORRINGTON had only to cm
sitter how he could carry these or similar proposition
into effect" And again, " Sir COLIN CAMPBELL bed
proposed a gun-tax ordinance, and Lord Toilsome
concurring with his views had taken them up aid
proceeded to carry them into effect." Mr. Hewn
insinuated that the supporters of Mr. Beiwa's
motion knew nothieg of the state of affair. in Ceylon
That may be ; but if Mr. HAWES and Lord Tom
RUSSELL know anything of them, the oily
use they make of their superior knowledge
is to take advantage of their opponentr
ignorance, and state, regarding Ceylon, not
what is tree, bat what it is convenient to have be
lieved. Their mutual contradictions (and they see
not confined to this example, but pervade the whole
of their speeches) show that one or other (if not
both of them) must have asserted the thing that
is not.

It was justly remarked by Sir ROBERT PEEL, wills
reference to the garbled selection of papers relative to
Ceylon, lately presented to parliament : " It is impos
dble without some reference to these papers to enter
at all into this nabiect ; and I am bound to say that I
do think there are in this book which relates to Ceylon
ample grounds to justify an inquiry." The naivete&
sense of the house (always excepting ministers and
their retainers) acknoCedged the force of this
appeal. The appointment of the committee is
no party triumph, but the expression of the
united House of Commons that justice mut
be done to the colonies. In this sense the Wotan'
will accept it; and in this sense, it is to be hoped. the
selection of members to act on the eammittee will he
set about and its inquiries prosecuted. The decides
of the House of Commons on Tuesday night will
awaken hopes of better government fur the future ist
the colonies, which it will be moat dangerous to dint).
point. That decision will either be the first ateptowsnis
a wiser and more equitable system of administratim
for the colonies which will confirm and perpetuity
their loyalty to the central empire, or it will be the
first step towards severing their connexion /silk
Great Britain. There is no halting now; the patk,
which has been entered upon must be followed et
its close. There is safety and honour at the
end of it; there is ruin and diegrazo in turnip%
back. The object of the committee's investigations a
to decide how Ceylon and Guiana can be better
governed in future, not to whitewash this minister re
throw dirt on that one. At the same time, delin-
quents in office most be courageously and relentlemit
exposed, for only by connecting their abases sat
errors with their consequences MU it be shown what
government has to do or avoid in ham.
And whatever benefits may accrue to Guises_
and Ceylon from thin movement must be extends'
to all our other colonies. Entertaining mei
views of the arduous and honourable nature of the
task which devolves upon the committee, we mod
refrain from expressing a wish participated in, we
are certain b_y_ all who have read the admienlie
speech of Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTU, not only that
he may be appointed one of the committers
but that, it possible, the charge of directing
and controlling its inquiries may be entrusted to
him. On one point we differ from Sir Walla.
lie
expressed an opinion that the government of Ceylon
might, with advantage, be transferred to the SO.
India Company. This was originally our own vim
of the matter; but the documents since submitted
$
parliament have gonvineed us that such an
meat would only, make bad worse. Apart from=
°biter dictum, Sir WILLIAM'S speeCh 111
amount of knowledge of the subject displayed DTI..
of the other speaker., and is characterised by ail the
dispassienate impartiality of a philosopher, and sllthe
practical grasp of a statesman. We are convinced
that, were he made chairman of the committee, he
would conduct the scrutiny to a close with as mars
benefit to the cause cf justice, and as much honoar to
himself, as he did that of the Transportation 030.
mutes—more no man could do.

re harafta„
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