The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-28 00:00:00

THE
_EX43RESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 28,

who, influenced by the weather, demanded more money,
but millets succeeded in supplying themselves at last week'.
rates. The quantity of foreign Wheat offering afbat is so
small as to haw little effect on the market, and landed
parcels are hold above our currency. The arrivals of Barley
keep well worked off, and any parcel in good condition meets
ready sale. In Oats very little doing, but the market doll.
Beans rather pressing fir sale, and are worthy attention. Peas
uite neglected. With a good arrival of Linseed the market is
Fairly supported. Thtre is still daily business in Cakes, both
for present and forward delivery. The market is bare of
Rapeseed. Rape Cakes may be bought rather below our
currency. There is again a good arrival of Bones, but the
market is much firmer than might have been expected.
Prices : -Wheat, per qr., red, 48s. to 50s. ; new, 48s. to
50s. ; white, 489. to 525. ; new, 484. to 625. ; Dontric, 50s. to
64.. •, Lower Baltic and Hamburg, 475. to 50s. Barley, malt-
ing, 265. to 28s. ; grinding, 245. to 255. Oats, Danish, 17s. to
19s, ; Friesland, 20.. to 22. ; Russian, 17a. to 20s. Beans,
38s. to 38s. ; foreign, 30.. to 345. Peas, white and yellow,
34'. to 365. Linseed, crushing, 341. to 425. ; feeding, 445.
to 465. Rapeseed, per 10 qrs., 261. 10.. to 201. Liasced
Cakes, English, per ton. 81. 163. to 91. ; foreign, 71. to 81. ss.
Rape Cake*, 100/. Bones, 8
17th Jar
to 8.55. Guano
41. to 91. ss. Imports from the 17th Juno to the 23rd Jose
inclusive: Wheat, foreign, 3,917; Barley, 4,107 • Oats,
3,236; Beans, 3,771 ; Peas, 2818; Tares, 12 • Linseed, 4,823 ;
Rapeseed, 7 ; Linseed Cakes,; Rape Cate, 231; Bones,
713.
Leer's, June 27.-We have only a moderato arrival of
girt in, but a change of wind has brought us a fair show of
samples from vessels near at hand. The Wheat trade is ex-
tremely firm, and the full rates of Friday are obtained.
Barley nominal. Oau and Bheding steady ' and Beans are
w:thout variation in value. Arrivals Oita week: Wheat,
4,588 ; Oats, 450 ; Baxley, 873; Beans, 413.
LISIOHTON BUIZAIID, June 27.-Wheat was in fair sup-
ply, sad a dull sale at last week's prices. Barley, for grind-
ing purpoe s, Is. per qr. lower. Beans and l'eas rather
Trooping in value. Wheat, per load of 5 bushels, 28s. to
31s. Barley, per qr. imperial, 275. to 30.. Beans, old, '2Bs.
to 305.; new, 21s. to 26.. Peas, 255. to 28s. per 6 lbs.
LEWRS, June 27.-The supple of Wheat was small at this
day's marks', which was all cleared off at last week's prices.
Other grain no alteration. Wheat, white, 121. 10s. to
131. 5.. ; red, 111. 10.. to 121. 13silev, 31s. to 32.. Oats, I
20s. to 21s. Beans, 33.. to 365. Peas, 375. to kis.

LIVERPOOL, June 27.-Yesterday, American advice, to
the 13th inst. came to hand, acknowledging English dates to
the 27th ult. : at New York, prices of Wheat and Flour were
again advanced, with an active demand entirely for local and
Eastern cacsumption ; the value of Indian Corn unvaried,
and some shipments in progress for this country. Rates for
Wheat ranged from 31.. 6d. to 465. per 3891 b. Flour, 235.63.
to 26'. per barrel. Indian Corn, 19.5. to 21s. per 4831 b. Corn
Meal, 91. 93. to 11.. 3d. per barrel, all sterling, and exclusive
of shipping charges and commission. Freights fal. to 61,
per bushel. Exchange on England, 100. to 1 Id. The ar-
rivals up to Friday have been since increased by a moderate
quantity of Oats and Flour from Ireland, with a fair supply
of Wheat and Malt coalmine; we have also about 3,000 qrs.
of Wheat from the continent of Europe, and a further no-
p irt of In Ilan Corn and Corn Meal, chiefly from New Orleans.
This morning's market was tolerably well attended by miller.,
but no disposition was manifested in the purchase of Wheats,
beyond a very moderate amount, and prices receded on the
average 2d. per 701 b. from the currency of this day week.
Fresh Amencan and It Flour, being seam, was in fair
requese, and commanded extreme rates, but anything stale
or inferior was difficult of disposal. Barley being scarce
and little wanted, prices remained stationary. Malt en-
chanted in saki:. Beans, upon • slow sale, barely main-
tained the reduced qu itatim of Friday. Oats were saleab:e
in moderate parcels, at • decline of id. per 451 b. ; but in
Oatmeal scant ly anything was done, and its value was 3d. to
Gd. per load lower. For Indian Corn we had again some in-
quiry for Irish account, which importers met by a concession
of 2s. per quarter, resulting in business to a tolerable ex
tent. Corn Meal dull, and Is. to ls. ad. per barrel
cheaper than this day week. Within the last few
dig the weather has been fine and wet alternately.
The following are the present prices:-British: Wheat, per
701 b., English, red, 7s. 3.1. to 7s. 4d.; extra, 7s. 43. to is. 7d ;
white, 7s. 4d. to 7s. 7d. ; extra, 71. 7d. to Bs. 10.1. ; Irish,
red, 6s. 2cl. to 7s. ; extra, 711. to 7s. ; white, 71.
to 7s. 3d. ; extra, 7s. 3d. to 78.83. Barley, per qr., English,
30s. to 315.; Chevalier, 325. to 354.; Scotch and Irish, per
601189.' 3s. 9d. to 44. Malt, English, per qr., pale, 68s. to 634.
Oats, English and Scotch, per 4.51 b., old, 2s. 103. to 3s. 06. ;
Welsh, old, 2s. 10d. to 2s. lld. ; Irish, fine sorts, new,
2s. 91d. to 2s. 101,1. ; old, 2s. 9d. to 2s. 10.1. ; general, new,
29. 7d. to 2s. 813.; old, 2s. 83. to 2a. 93, Beans, per qr., Eng.,
new, 375. to 395. ; old, 40s. to 428. ; Scotch and Irish, per
4801 b., new, 335. to 3.51. ; old, 365. to 375. Peas, English,
pet qr., white, new, 40s. to 42a. ; ditto and Irish, grey, 345. to
365. Flour, per 2801 b., English and Irish, fine, 35.. to 365.,
superfine, 395. to 405.; extra, 41s. to 425. Oatmeal, per
load of 2401 b., 1ri5h,new,245.63.t0254.6d.; old, 23a. 6d. to
24.; Canadian, old. 235. to 238.6 d. Bran, per 241 b., ls. to
Is 23. Foreign: Wheat. per 701 b., Canadian, red, 7s. to
7s. 3d. • white, 7s. 53. to is. 83. ; United States, red, 71.5 d.
to 7s. Bd. ; white, 7s. Bd. to Bs. 2d. ; Dantsic, mixed and
red, 7s. 6d. to 7:‘. 10d. ; high mixed, Bs. 2d. to Bs. Bd.;
Lower Baltic and Hamburg, red, 7s. 6d. to 7*. 10d. ; white,
7s. 9d. to 78. 11d.; Riga and Petersburg, red, 6s. 4d.
to 6,. 6d. ; Archangel, 6e. 2d. to Gs. 6d.; Odessa, common,
red. Gs. 4d. to 6s. 81. ; Polish, Ga. 9d. to 7s. ; French,
Spanish, and Italian, red, 6s. sd. to Gs. 103. ; white,
Gs. 10.1. to 7s. 23. ' • Bannat and Mariannpoli, red, 61. bd. to
6s. 103.; Egyptian,4s. 3d. to 48. 6d.; M editerranean, &c., hard,
red, ss. 63. to ss. 9d. Rye, per qr., Baltic, &c., 265. to 28s.
Barley, per 601 b., 3s. 03. to 4s. Oats, per 451 b., 24. 10.1. to
3s, : &logien, 24. 7d. to 2s. 9d. Beane, per qr., European, 335.
to 35..•' Egyptian, per 4801 b., 245.63. to 2.5. 6d. Peas, per qr.,
Baltic, ate., white, 3.5,. to 385.; Canadian, 318. to 32a. Flour,
per barrel of 1961 b., Canadian, sweet, 275. to 28e.; United
States, sweet, 275. 61. to 28a. 61.; United States Canadian,
sour, 255. to 265. Indian Coro, per 4601 b., American,
white, 30,. to 32.4. ; yellow, 325. 6d. to 351. ' • European,
yellow, 345. to 35s 63. Indian Meal, per 1961b5., las, to
13s. 9d. Arrivals from 20th to the 26th June, inclusive, into
Liverpool: Wheat, 7,507 qrs.; Barley, 33; Malt, 4,102;
Oats, 4,119; Beans, 2,107; Peas, 23; Indian Corn, 14,168;
Indian Corn Meal, 1,963 barrels; Oatmeal, 207 sacks;
Floor, 4,122 sacks 41 barrels.
LYNN, June 27.-A moderate supply of Wheat, and fine
quality, at Is. per qr. dearer. ; 61Ibs. to 631b5., 465. to 495. ;
fine white, 52e. Oats, 12d. per stone. Beans, 365. to 40s.

I'Lrmourn, June 27.—Since the 22nd instant the wea-
ther has been very unsettled—much rain has fallen, accom-
panied by heavy gees of wind, and it is still wet. The mar-
ket this morning was well attended by country millers ; many
more buyers of Wheat, and prices were a little dearer.
Farmer? supplies small.

SALISBVai, June 27.—The attendance here to-day was
limited. Wheat was Belling at previous quotations ; the sup.
ply was small. Barley remained unaltered, and little in re-
quest. In inferior kinds of Oats a further abatement was
submitted to. In other articles no change. Finest samples
of Wheat made from 465. to 525. per qr.; good quality, 425.
to 465.; some inferior, quotable at 395. to 425. per qr. Best
Flour made 365. per sack ; seconds, 345. Best Barley, 325.
to 355. per qr.; seconds, 28s. to 301. Malt, 565. to 645. Sta-
perior Oats, 255. to 265. per qr. ; common, feed, 181.

Daxtzic, Jane 21.—At this day's market 150 lasts of
Whoat have been sold; good mixed, 60 to 6l lbs. at 36e. to
361. 6d.; and a small lot of eery fiae white inland, 621b5., at
:181. 61.

GRONINGEX, Jane 20.—Wheat continues very dull, and
though holders are willing to accept Is. Gd. to 2s. less money,
still the transactions are trifling, the demand being quite of
a local character. Rye and Buckwheat a heavy sale, at a
decline of Dd. per qr. Ia Barley we have not heard of a
single transaction. Beam continue to meet a steady sale, at
full rates for esporta.ion. Peas rather worse. The supplies
of Oats having increased, this article may be quoted 3d. per
qr. lower, with a dragging sale. Freights to London and
eut coast, 15s. to 16s. 10 per ant. for Oats.

HAMBURG, June 20.—The demand for Wheat has re-
vived, and rather higher prices have been conceded. Upland, '
of 130 to 131 lbs. Dutch smile, has fetched 375. per qr. f.0.b.;
of 132 lbs., 375. 9d ; Wabren, of 132 lbs., 38s. Shipments
from Holstein, of 1311bs. to 1321 be., are being offered at 34e,
33e. 6d. has been refuted. Stale Barley continues scarce,
and in good demand ; 1061bs. fetched 225. 61. Mecklenburg
here, of 1101 M., offered at 22. 3d., free on board. We quote
shipments from Fuhnen, of 1111 M. to 1121bs , at 245. cost and
freight ; from Jutland, at 235. 6d. Oats offered more freely;
Danish, of 82I1s. to 831b5., at 16s. 9d., cost end freight :
Jshde, of 751bs. to 761b5., at 15s. 9d. ; Mecklenburg here, of
72Ibs. to 731b5., at 161. 9d. Peas without alteration ; boilers
readily fetch 31. Beans slow sale; pigeon, at 28s. 6d. ;
tick, 275. 3d. Weather very warm and dry.

Itusvocu June 22.—There is but little doing here in
trade, we have had some good supplies from the farmers of
late, but now they have ceased again, and purchases have to
be made from granary at 384. to 395. per qr. free on board.
Of boiling Peas few are left, and they are held at 295. to 30s.
Barley, 225.
STETTIN, June 19.—With favourable weather for the
growing crops, and dull accounts from Mark-lane, we have
experienced a certain, but not a corresponding, depression
here, supplies of grain not being large. There has been
only a very limited business done in Wheat during tile last
week. and prices for 61Ibs. red Uckermarck we quota 325. 6d
to 3.35. per qr. f. o. b. ; 621bs. Pomeranian Wheat, 3.5.. to
365. per qr., f. o. b. Pomeranian Barley, 17e. to 18s. per gr.,
f. o. b.; Oderbruck Barley, 19s. per qr., f. o. b.

CATTLE, FAREHAM, June 27.—Best Beasts were
disposed of at from 10s. 61 to lls. per score; secondary,
91. 4d. to 10s. 4d. Calves were slow sale, at rather higher
prices. Prime Mutton was quoted at 74d. per lb. ; moderate,
6W. Porkers reached Ila. per score.

LIVERPOOL, June 26.—The supply of fat cattle was much
smaller than last week. The demand for Sheep and Lambs
very good. Beasts, Gd. to Sheep, 7d. to 74d.; and
Lambe, 7d. to lid. per lb.
Noascrcx —Our market exhibited a large show of store
cattle. Trade continues dull, ar.d no improvement in prices.
Halt the Beasts remain unsold. Fat Beasts a dull sale' at 6s.
to Gs. 6d per stone of 141 b.. without a clearance. The pens
were well filled. Nearly all the Lambe were sold at from 14s.
to 25,. per head, aceolding to size, condition, and quality.
Ewes of tll ages a dull sale. Fat Sheep, Bs. to Bs. 6d. per
stone, with a fair clearance. Store Pigs and fat Pork re-
main without alteration.

SALISBURY, June 27.—Suckling Calves, from 12s. to
per head ; dead Calves, from 6d. to 6d. per lb.; live Calves,
tor butchers, 4s. 6d. per stone ; moderate, 3s. to 41. Best
selected Devon!, from 113 s. to Ils. per score. Hereford and
short-horns, from 9s. 6d. to lls. per !core; second quality,
Ss. 6d. to 9s. 6d. Fat Cows, aged, 96. to 9s. 6d. per score ;
interim, 71. 6d. to ed. But Sheep, ss. 6d. per stone ;
moderate, 4s. to 4.. 4d. Onod Down Lamb*, 6s. per st"ne ;
inferior, ss. to 6s. 4J. Store Hogs and secondary class of
tarns*, rates.

,tar Yesterday s.a.e.,' ..t3_641, .asl_ pop: --

IMPERIAL PAItLIA MEN'I .

HOUSE OF LOHDB.—TUESDLT, JUNE 27.
The LORD CSAMOILLOn took his Goat at 6 o'clock.
PRIVATE BBILDNEBB.
SECOND RBAlHNOS.—Bosville'a &Oda; York, Newcastle, and
Barwick Railway (deviation and abandonment of part of the Think
and Melton branch); Bristol and Exeter Railway (branch from
mead= to Walla, Glastonbury, and Street); Beata and Exeter
Railway (Taunton and Castle Cary branch); Leeds and Think Rail.
way (branch Dora Heimerby to Northaßerton, and junction with York
and Newmatle railway); Leeds and Think Railway (Harrogate and
panda, munch); Manchester, She Reid, and Lincolnshire Railway
(lumbw ferries Improvement at Hull and Now Holland); Midland
Railway (Olouceeter and titoorbouas Inaction); Mancheater Corpora.
lion Water Works Act Amendment (No. 2); Midland Railway (branch
to ninlay) ; Waterford and Kilkenny Railway Act Amendment ; Linda
and Think Railway (alteration of levels of Leeds and Hartlepool rail-
way in Eagleedilfe, Stockton, and Renton); Arbroath and Forfar
Railway (additional cmital) ; Rita.
THIRD READlNGS.—liendal and Windermere Railway Act
Amendment ; Barrow Harbour; Vale of :lonia Railway (power to
South Wales Railway Company to sulaserite, and amendmeat of
seta); Oxford Privinr, Bristol and Exeter Railway (Glastonbury
Navigation and (inal) ; Forth and Clyde Navigation and Airdrie
and Coatbridge Water; Tyne Direct Ferry; Waterford, Wexford,
Wicklow. and Dublin Railway; Nantwich and Wheelock Turnpike
Road; Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway (No. I)
(Increase of capital); IMP:
PUBLIC BUSINESS.
SECOND READINCL—Law of Entail (Scotland) Bill.
COMMlTTEE.—Emlesimtical Unions and Divisions of Parishes
(Irela PETIdn) Bill.
EIONS.—By the Earl of Ii:GLINTON, from Greenock and
Port Glasgow, against the repeal of the navigation laws.—The Duke
of MON !ROBE, from several places la Scotland. against the Regis-
tration (Scotland) Bill.—The Bishop of NORWICH, from menial
places in Ilia diocese against the sea of Apirktuow liquor on the
Sabt.th.—The Marquis of BREADALSANE, from several places in
Scotland, to the same rEact.
CHARGES AGAINST THE COLONIAL
SECRETARY. - -

Earl GREY rose to move that an humble address be re-
sented to her Majesty, for copies of cert., in despatches relating
to the condition of the West Indies. Their lordships were, '
no doubt, aware of certain statements which had been made
in the other house of parliament, and some of which he
hoped were not correctly reported. It had been stated that
as Secretary of State for the Colonies he had, lin concert
with his hon. friend, Mr. Hawee, the under secretary, endea-
voured to mislead a committee to which had been confided
by the other house of parliament the task of investigating
the imporant sub', et of the distress of the West India
colonies. It had been said that they Lad kept beck papers
greatly in fay..ur of the views of these who attributed the
distress of those colonies to the act of 1846, while every
paper leading to the oppo its conclusion had been carefully
presented to the committee. He was sure their lordships
would agree with him in thinking that if • charge so
serious, involving imputations so utterly disgraceful,
could be maintained, not only should he be unworthy of the
situation which he held, but it would be the duty of their
lordships and the other house of parliament, by some formal
and solemn procerdirr, to mark their sense of such gross
misconduct on the part of one honoured by the confidence of
the crown. Such an offence would amount to wilfully de-
ceiving a committee of parliament, by garbling the evidence
which was brought before it. To his extreme astonishment
he heal been told—but it was absolutely impiseible he could
believe it—he had been told thut a distinction had been
drawn on this subject between such an imputation personally
upon him and in his political capacity. In such • matter
no such distinction could for • moment be allowed ; and he
was astonished that one, looking himself to hold office under
the crown, could really pretend that a minister of the crown
seeking to decrier, parliament was not culpable, personally
of an offence far more disgraceful than that of a pour man
who, under some pecuniary distress, was guilty of some
petty fraud. A minister of the crown guilty of such an act !
would be infinitely more disgraced than any such criminal who
might appear at the bar of the Old Bailey. He therefore hoped
it was not true that any gentleman looking himself to hold
office under the crown could have suggested even the shadow
of any such di-tinction. ( Hear, hear.) But If the charge
was thus serious, be was sure their lordships would concur
with him in thinking that it was one which ho ought not to
lose a moment in bringing under the consideration of their
lordships, and refuting, as he trusted he should refute it. in
• manner that would defy all contradiction. (Hear, hear.)
The charge, as he understood it, had be n founded upon
what had occurred with reference to three despatches—one
a despatch from Sir Charles Grey, dated the 214 February,
and received on the 27th March; and it was complained that
this despatch was wilfully kept hack from the committee,
while the inclosure in that despatch was laid before it ; the
other was from Sir Henry Light, goverror of Guiana. and
the third from Lord Harris, governor of Trinidad. With
respect to Sir C. Grey's despatch he admitted that it was one
that ought to have been laid before the committee ; he
intended that it should be so laid before them ; and up to •
recent period he never suspected that it had not been.
He would explain the arrangements in the Colonial-
office. When a mail arrived it was taken to that
division of the office to which it belonged, and after being
opened the despatches were registered, and the forme r cor-
respondence to which they related were placed in order—the
despatches then passed through various hands, each in-
dividual making the necessary remarks upon them until
they reached the secretary. It was desirable that those
minutes should, as much as possible, contain suggestions of
what might to be done on the despatches, so that all common
ordinary business might be disposed of by the simple ap-
proval of the secretary of the Secretary of State, of the course
no suggested. The despatch arrived on the 27th of March, and
being opened, this was the minute of Mr. Taylor, the senior
minute clerk:—" This is the report for a copy of which the
West India committee have asked." lie would merely say,
in passing, that the committee bad before inquired whether
a report had not been received from the assembly of demi:ice
on the subject. The minute proceeded:
We had a copy of the document which was required in the votes of
the House of Assembly. It was to be sent to the committee to-day.
Would It not be better to tend instead a copy of this despatch, which
le important, with the report end evidence which we have got now
for the first time! There are two copies. It ao, it may be desirable
to seal it to-day.
It then went from Mr. Taylor to Mr. Eliot, who addressed
it to Mr. Hawes, *eying I conclude you will agree with
tee that this despatch ought to be given at the same time
with the report and evidence to which it refers." Mr.
Hawes wrote, " I agree." Then followed his (Earl Grey's)
minute, which was too long to read to their lordships, but
the commencement of it was : " This may be Ind before the
committee u suggested, but it also requires to be answered,"
&c. That was dated the 30th March, and of course having
made that minute, and directed the despatch and report to
be :aid before the House of Commons, he never doubted
but that they had been so laid. The Secretary of State
could not look into those matters himself, and all
through the inquiry he had never been in the habit
of seeing copies of the despatches that were laid before the
committee. He had given directions for various calls from
the committee to be complied with, and implicitly trusted to
the orders being attended to; but in this case a mistake had
been committed which it was not very easy to explain, but
nevertheless he thought he could do so. His minute was
dated three days after that of Mr. Hawes, and it contained
• long directim as to the manner in which the despatch we.'
to be answered. Now, as he could not give those directions
until he had read the report itself, which was a very lengthy
document, and the mail was within three days of golog, he
sent verbal instructions, there being two copies of the printed
report, to send down one of those at once to the com-nittee,
and he would forward the despatch as soon as he had done
with it. He found that it was sent to the committee on
the 28th of March • and Mr. Ilawes's minute being
dated the 27th, he (Earl Grey) no doubt received
it the following morning ; and on the 30th of March
he wrote the minute fur the answer to be returned. The
moil being so ueer its departure the regular course was a
little departed from, and Mr. Taylor prepared a draft of the
answer at once, and forwarded it to him (Earl Grey) on the
Ist of April. When it reached him he did not inquire
whether the despatch had already been copied and sent to
' the committee, but it appeared since that it had not, because
he usually sent the drafts back shortly after he read them ;
but it happened that this draft required a little more correc-
tion than be could give to it in time for the mail, and there
fore, thinking the despatch had been copied for the cern-
mittee already, he put the draft by, as the despatch re-
quired to be answered with some care, and he was anxious
that the draft should not be copied until he had given it a
little closer attention—he put it by till within two or these
days of the succeeding mail. It did not seem to him that
it was a very unpardonable oversight that the
despatch which ought to have accompanied the
report had not been sent to the committee at the same time.
In reality the mistake arose entirely in endeavouring to save
time for the mail. The single despatch, unless it were re-
printed in this country, would have beea of but little use to
the committee ; and he sent the copy on the 28th in order
that time might he saved in printing the report, and that
the despatch might be ready to be delivered at the rams time
with the report. ;his was a conjectural explanation, but it
was one which be felt the surest about; and he thought he
wee not liable to any just censure for • mistake of this kind
—(hear, hen)—the more especially when he stated that
there were so many despatches called for by the committee
that they made altogether 630 folio pages, to be furnished by
his department to the House of Commons. (Hear, hear.)
Under a pressure of business to that amount, he thought, in
common plaice, they were bound to say that • mistake of
this kind was not of very unnatural occurrence. But whether
it occurred in this way or not, this he would state
and to this he pledged his honour, that it was a mistake—
(hear, hear)—and that he and Mr. Hawes both firmly be-
lieved that the despatch had been communicated. (Hear,
hear.) Their lordships could not doubt it unless they be-
lieved what had been suggested, that this had been concocted
since the subject had been considered, and, in plain lan-
guage? that Mr. Cox, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Hawes,
and himself had concurred in deceiving the House of Com-
mons by a deliberate act of forgery. Upon this charge he
would say no more than that he hardly knew which was most
werthy to be despised the man not entertaining that sus-
picion who could express it, or the man so lost to every
generous feeling as to be capatle of believing and uttering it.
He now came to the other deepen:thee. The complaint was
that a despatch from Sir Henry Light, late governor of
Guiana, was not laid before the committee, although a short
extract from one of its enclosures was. He had no hesitation
in ',eying it was by his direction that that despatch
was kept back and the extract was communicated. He did
not think it necessary to communicate the despatch, for rea-
sons in which their lordships might think him to be mis-
taken if they pleased, but to his mind they were quite 1111113-
factory. On the 24th of April the committee was supposed
some considerable time before to have closed its inquiry; and
in that stage of the proceedings it was thought expedient
that further information should be indeed in the papers
proposed to bas laid before the house itself. Upon lookirg
through the incloeures of that despatch it appeared to him
that one of the facts stated by the magistrates was curious,
and ember important, as bearing on the subject. Accord-
ingly, he directed it to be laid before toe committee, but as
to keeping hack 'he despatch it had only a very indirect
and general (oaring. It WWI a deep itch transmitting
tab!es for the whole year ending 1847—trinsmitting tabular
statistical informative, but having a vt ry indirect bearing cm

the inquiry of the crestless. He was told that he had sap.
pressed that despatch ; but the feet" it esentedned were per-
fectly notorious, and the information could have been given
to the etioamltte• of those facts to the fullest extent, if they
wished it. The statement of the govern -r, that they could
not compete with slave sugar, and that the proclaim Fee acre
misht be doubled, was not new. The despatch, instead of
making against those views which he was so anxious to up-
hold, was the strongest possible argument in favour of the
sentiment. of thou who were adverse to protection. Then,
as to the Trinidad despatch, the case was very simple. No
doubt it was a despatch of great importance, but it was only
received in this country on the sth of May, and
the committee had agreed on their resolution, and it
rams to him on the Bth of that month. It happened qn that
very dry that Lord G. Bootjack himself moved in the House
of Commons an address to her Majesty, praying that copies
of all despatches received by the hut two mails should be
laid, not before the committee, but hefore the House of Com-
mons. (Hear.) This motion would hare been made a day
or two earlier, but for the statement that papers were to be
moved for in the house, and that such papers were to be
printed. If the committee had waited till all these paper" could
have be en prepared and printed for their use they would have
had them. That was the simple reason why this despatch
was laid before the House of Commons instead of before the
committee; but he might observe to their lordships, that if
any dishonest concealment had been his object, undoubtedly
he should have taken care that these papers should not be
laid before the House of Commons. (Hear.) It was
quite as easy to suppress them from the House el Cummins
as from the committee. Nay, if there had been any im-
proper suppression from the committee, it would have been
a great deal easier to have persevered in it, and concealed
them also from the House of Commons—(hesr, hear)—and
the more so that what was really important was not the vote
of the committee but the House of Commons. The only
material concluion the committee came to seemed by com-
mon consent to be abandoned, because an honourable gen-
tleman first of all gave notice that he would move in the
House of Commons a resolution that nothing short of what
was proposed by the committee would do ; and then, finding
this would not be supported, he altered it into a motion of
general censure of the van of the government. Therefore if he
(Earl Grey) wialattl to influence either the House of Commons
or the committee it was not the committee he should have
chosen. lie understood that further charges had been made
against him of the suppression of a number of pipers, and
of dishonest quotations of others. He was said to have
quoted a passage from a memorial of persons in Jamaica in
support of his own arguments. Undoubtedly be did so,
and he wanted to know which of their lordship' ever made
speeches in the house without quoting those parts of docu-
ments which they thought were important to their case.
And in quoting the facts which he had taken from the me-
morial his object was to show that the memorialists had ad-
mitted facts which made greatly in support of his argument.
He would not trouble their lordships by reading that
memorial again, but ho quoted from it wl at he
thought of importance, sect the whole of it was
laid before the committee of the other house. Then
as to the other charges, he could not go into the detail, of
particular despatches, which he was said not to have pre-
sented in due time, but he would repeat the assertion, that
every call for papers received irom either house was obeyed
with the utmost possible promptitude; and considering the
mess of papers which had been caged for, he might add with
perfect and scrupulous fidelity. (Hear, hear.) Ile defied
any man to search through the archives of the Colonial-
office and find a line bearing on this question which
had not been presented at once, either without
being called for, or in obedience to the calls of either
house of parliament. His . directions to the gentlemen in
this department were to take .care to afford the fullest and
fairest information both to the committee and the house.
(Hear, hear.) This was the vindication which he
had to offer of his conduct. lie had now merely
before he concluded to offer a very few remarks
on this subject. He must admit, when he was first informed
that he had been charged with a practice so disgraceful, it
created in his mind feeling; of anoer and indignation; but a
little calm reflection brought him to tel that he had no real
cause for anger: because, whatever had been intended, no
real injury had been done. (Hear, hear.) He hoped he
was not guilty of undue presumption in saying th t, having
now for nearly 22 years been a member of one or other house
of parliament, and taken some share in public affairs, and
having never before during that long period had imputed to
him a mean or dishonourable action, he did think he had
earned a character which was proof against such an attack.
lie had so much confidence in the generosity and justice
of hie countrymen, that he entertained no fears that they
would lit halo believe that by such conduct as that which
had been imputed to him he had disgraced himself and
tarnished the unsullied honour of that name which he we,
proud to inherit, as he had icceived it from one who was even
more distinguished fur his high and honourable character
than for his talents and public services. (Loud chests.) Ile
said, upon reflection, that he should not be injured by such an
attack as this, and he ought rather to be thankful to the
noble lord for having din cted it against Dim, as it had given
an opportunity to his friends to come forward in his defence,
with a generosity for which he should never cease to be cheek-
ful to them. (Ch.ers.) But although every feeling
of anger was soon driven from his mind, it had
given plat*, he would not say to contempt, fur
he wished to avoid harsh expression', but to a feeling
rather of compassion for his assailants, who, upon grounds
so trivial, could have made such an attack upon him, and in
doing so, must have incurred the disapprobation and censure
of every right-minded individual. (Cheers.) Such* charge
showed that one anxious to take a leading part in the affairs
of this country was so ignorant of the manner in which those
aff.in ought to be carried on, as to bring down a matter of
great public policy to the miserable ground of party person•
ality. Although he was not angry fur himself, he had a
right to say that this system of personal attacks on
the motives of public servants was one that ought to be
reprobated by their lordships and the other house of parlia-
ment; and this he might say was not the only instance in
which it had occurred. Two gentlemen of unsullied cheese.
ter had been accused on grounds as trivial as those upon
which this charge was founded--one of whom, Mr. l'orter,
had been charged with having deliberately furnished ac-
counts in such a shape as to have deceived parliament ; and
the other with having fenced with a question before a com-
mittee for the purpose, he supposed, of deceiving them.
Such a system was full of evil and danger ; hitherto in this
country it had been our boast, and he thought our just one,
that although party politics might run high, as in all free
countries they would do, still those conflicts had been car •
lied on in an honourable and manly spirit, by fair argu-
ment and discussion ; and above all they had been
free from accusations of personal motives. (Hear, hear.) It
had been as little usual that charges of personal dishonour
and fraud and deceit should be preferred by one public
man against another, as that such practices could be
committed. Above all, he thought it was almost due that a
deliberate charge of violation of a public duty, of fraud, and
falsification of documents, should not be brought against a
minister of the crown unless it were intended to be the
foundation of same solemn inquiry. His noble friend oppo-
site had held the office of Colonial Secretary for some year':
and it had been his (Earl Grey's) misfortune to think it •
duty to join with those who had entered into strong opposi-
tion to the policy of hie noble friend ; but it never once oc
cuffed to him, in that opposition, to charge his noble friend
with suppressing documents or acting unfairly; and yet he
would say, if a perverse ingenuity had collated passages from
speeches in " Hansard," with extracts from volumes and
blue blooka and despatches of his noble friend, there would
be no difficulty in making out such charges. When there
was a desire to make such charges, and a readiness to believe
them, there was no great difficulty in finding the materials for
them. And again, his noble friend himself had been in Of/-
position as well as in office, and then it had not been his
habit to be particularly sparing in hie criticisms on political
subjects, but he would do him the justice to say. that he
never heard front hint one accusation of the kind
He wouid do him the justice of saying he had
always abstained from tieing the " poisoned arms
of personal dishonour." He would just mention a fact which,
only a few minutes before the house assembled, he had learnt.
Their lordships might be aware in the other house of parlia-
ment it was reported that, in a discussion which took place
on this very subject, a great impression was produced by its
being asserted that his noble friend, the noble duke on the
bench behind, was the chairman of the Jockey Club, which
voted a testimonial to Lord George Bentinck for his zeal and
perseverance in detecting certain frauds in connexion with th et ,
club. It was curious enough that it so turned out that this
which had been stated as a fact so opportunely, and made so'
great an impression at the time, turned out to be no fact
at all. The records of this transaction had been
carefully examined, and it had been found that
not only the noble duke was not in the chair, but that
he was not present on the occasion adverted to, and that he
did not attend the meeting of the stewards of the Jockey
Club on that subject until the fund had become devoted to
one of a charitable kind. Now that was the undeniable
fact ; and how easy it would be for him to say that it was
impossible for the principal actors to be ignorant of this, and
that they to. k the chance of the ignorance of their audience.
(Hear, hear.) How my it would be for him to insinuate
that this was a falsehood; but he disdained to do so. lie
believed that in the excitement of the moment those who
made the assertion thought it to be true; but how much
care ought they to use in charging falsehood upon others?
He believed it was impossible, with the tone of feel-
ing which existed in that country, that any minister of
the crown should be guilty of such conduct as had been im-
puted to him. Every gentleman in his own department
would refuse to maid or bear him out in any such Iniquitous
proceeding. But if these accusations were) to be bandied
about from one to another, if such things were to be talked
of as possible to be done, then would they be believed, and
one of the greatest guards of the purity of the administration
of the affairs of this country would be destroyed. To main-
tain the conduct of public men was of the deepest import-
ance. How much of the moral strength of our institutions,
how much of the power of government in this country,
depended on the general belief of the people of this couetry
that the public business was fairly and honourably con-
ducted
! He thought we had had an awful warning on the
other side of the Channel of the effects of a different opinion.
Was there any man who doubted that all the calamities and
bloodshed which had ensued since February in France, all
the fearful events which had startled and alarmed the whole
of Europe, were in a great measure to be attributed to the
impression—whether justly or unjustly entertained he did
not say—which certain unfortunate events and disclosures
had produced on the public mind of France, that there was
something corrupt in the management of the public affairs
and in thou who conducted them ? Public confidence in
public men had been destroyed in that country before the
revolution—(hear); and he would ask their lordships if it
was not practically reprobated by their lordships, and con-
demned by the public, to introduce into debates of political
subjects Oise attacks on the character. of public meol
(Hear.) Such a ',stem could not go on long: if it did, the
characters of public men gent rally on both side' of the house
would he lowered end degraded. Ile hoped he had executed
hie task in the manner in which he moot (limiest!' de:ited to

1848.

------
do so, and had succeeded in avoiding the use of those
preesions or uttering any of thou personalities which he bad
condemned. The noble earl eoncleded by tooting for the
Pa and
601:III:ET dtrUit'indMchqgh e could net wonder
that the noble earl should wish to take the earliest opporta
silty
lilt the necessity of making some of the statements that he had
of vindicating himself, he regretted that he should have
made, because the debate so introducedvras irregular ; uid
in
the neat place, in vindicating the character of his noble and hon.
friend elsewhere, it placed him (Lord Stanley )in the position
of being the aoeuser of the noble earl and the department
to which he belonged. He believed the noble earl to be a
man of the highest honour and integrity, but at the same
time the noble ord who had been attacked by the noble earl
was also a man of unsullied honour. (Hear.) He did not
see why the noble earl should have alluded to France, and
he regretted that he had done so ; but he wee still more
sorry that he had alluded to the pursuits of the noble lord
whom he had attacked. He was glad, however, to bear his
testimony to the high honour of his noble friend; and to say
that nothing base or sordid war analogous to the
pursuits of his noble friend. (Hear.) The noble duke,
who had been alluded to was engaged in the same
pursuits, and had borne his testimony to the conduct
of his noble friend, who, by great personal exertion and
expense, had exposed and destroyed a ditgraoeful
',stem of fraud. Thou who were engaged in similar par-
uits voted a testimonial amounting to between three and
our thousand pounds to his noble friend, and the noble duke
now cited as a witness was one of the first subscribers. His
noble friend, however, with his usual generosity, refuted to
receive one Lathing of the amount, but suggested that it
should be applied to making a provision fer tho widows and
children of thaw who in a humbler capacity had lost their
lives in administering to the pleasures of the turf. (Hear.)
To turn, however, from the Jockey Club --(a laughl—he had
yet to learn why any public man, if he thought a public docu-
ment had been suppressed, should not state so, and give the
grounds of his belief. (Hear.) It was the right and duty
of a public man to expose any supposed public delinquency
without being charged with haying been guilty of
mean personalities. (Hear, hear.) lie would follow
the noble earl through his statement. lie thought
their lordships would agree with him that there
was some ground for suspicion. The charge was that
systematically, during the last year, the Culonial-ollioc had
f-een in the practice of suppressing documents, and p eeeee tiog
documents in their pouession, thereby leading the house to
inferences which the documents themselves would not war-
rant. There were two periods last year upon which it wen
important that parliament should be in possession of the
moat accurate information. Thou two periods were when
the subject of the West Indies was discussed in parliament,
and also when the committee on the subject was sitting; and
it was at those periods that the charge was made that import-
ant documents were not given which ought to have been
given. The first was a despatch received from Sir C. Grey
on the 27*b March. The committee was then on the point
of closing their evidence. Go that thy the main question
between the government and West Indiana was discussed,
namely, whether the distress was connected with the If gial 1-
tion of this country or with the apathy of the planters ?
At that period Sir C. Grey sent a report, prepared by the
assembly of J amaica, as to the causes of distress, and evidence
to support it, and it was accompanied by a despatch of Sir
C. Grey, in which he stated the condition of the colony, and
the measures which he thought necessary to remove the die-
tresa. The committee cloud their evidence on the sth of
April; and on that day the Under Secretary was examined
before the committee. It had been made the subject of
observation that no despatch had been received on the sub-
ject from the Governor of Jamaica ; and not only this docu-
ment was not then laid before the committee, but thrt im-
portant document was never laid before them—ho meant
the despatch of Sir C. Grey although the committee
art till the 29th of May—although they continued their
sittings until that time. (Hear, hear.) And if the
question before them was whether a duty of 20s. on foreign
and Ills. on British sugar should be imposed ; and that ques-
tion was lost in the committee by a single v .te— (hear,
hear)—whist effect in that nicely-brimmed committee would
have been produced, he might ask, if it had been known that
the recommendation of the governor precisily agreed with
that proposition ? (Hear, hear.) He did not believe that
document was purpusel7 withheld ; he had no doubt it was
intended to be communicated to the committee both by the
noble earl and the Under Secretary ; and knowing the
course of business in the Colonial °tax, he fat no
doubt whatever that such was the case. (Hear, hear.)
On the sth of April the hon. gentleman the Under Secretary
for the Coloniee was tilled before the committee, and gave
the following evidence. He is =W—
..—
" • * • " "

"There ix no account of the state of the bland, and In the other
eases!" The answer in, "That is generally comprised In the annual
report called the blue book. The feet in, that we have not received
it "Does not the governor write despatches to the Cblonial-once
on the subject ot the at ite of the bland, besides that one particular
paper, in the course of the year r' " Yea, certainly ; but lam not
aware of any despatches front him of any importance which have
been withheld from this committee."

(" Hear, hear," from the ministerial benches.) lie went on
to say, in reply to other questions—
" "

" ie. have rece Ire,: from other colonies very consider:bin details as
to the state 01 thole colonic.. and an to the prospects of agriculture ;
but from Jamaica I can find nothing of the kind. Until very recently
I think there ken been no curb general dc+tu•eh received. That
despatch is now printing fur this committee. 1 ought to add, that
the governor has been in the island a .cry short time."
- - - - -

Now, considering the character of that despatch, he could
not understand that the hon. gentleman, instead of answer-
ing vaguely that a " despatch was received," did not say at
once " within a few days an important document has been
received which will furnish the fullest information to the
committee on the subject." (Hear, hear.) Ile could not
understand how the hon. gentleman, five or six days alter
the despatch had been received, could h've led the com-
mittee to believe that ft was not of an important char cter,
and would not tend to facilitate the investigation of the com-
mittee. (Hear, hear.) But there was another part of the
case which tended to throw great suspicion on the whole of
these transactions. Meetings of the committee were held
on the sth, 9th, 14th, 22nd, and 29th of May, six or seven
weeks after the receipt of the despatch. On the Bth of May
• motion was made in the House of Commons for an address
to the crown for the production of the latest despatches
from the West Indies. Now, unless the business of the
Colonial office was conducted in a more lax manner
than when he was connect, d with that department, it was
morally impcssible, not that the noble earl himself but that
his subordinates in office, when they were collecting the
further despatches to he submitted to parliament, should not
have perceived that this important despatch, which was in-
tended to be sent, had not been communicated; and he con-
ceived it equally impossible that on the discovery of such an
omission instant steps were not taken to repair the error,
and to furnish the document to the committee before they
came to a decision, and not after. (Hear ) Though be
gave entire cr,dit, after the speech of the noble earl, to the
statement that they had not withheld this document de-
signedly from the committee, its having been withheld
formed a reasonable ground of suspicion; and the fact that
it was not communicated during the long interval in which
the blunder must have been discovered afforded a strong
presumption that the government were unwilling to have
the document placed in the hands of the committee before
they came to a decision. (Hear, bear.) And it added
to that suspicion when they found that the same thing
cocurred with regard to documents from other colonies.
There was a despatch from the governor of Demerara, which
enclosed several documents relative to the distress of the co-
lony, and declaring that it was impossible for the planters
to compete with slave labour. But cne, and only one, of
those documents was sent to the committee, and that a state-
ment of a stipendiary magistrate charging the planters with
gross apathy and negligence. (Hear, hear.) It was strange
that this should have been the only document sent to the
committee, end at a time, too, when they were about coming
to a decision, and when it might have some influence on that
decision. He believed that the hon. gentleman the Under
Secretary expressed his regret that the despatch was not com-
municated, and that in his opinion it ought to be communi-
cated. But the noble earl took upon himself the entire
responsibility of not communicating, and said that he was
right in withholding it. He would now go to a third des-
patch of the 4th of September, and another of the
18th, from Lord Harris, the governor of Trinidad.
At the commencement of the session the honourable

member for Montrose moved for the production of papers
connected with the West Indies, and particularly with re-
gard to Trinidad ; and it was 4ngular that till the discussion
en his noble friend's motion had begun and been nearly
brought to a close those despatches, which would have been
material in the discussion, had not beets placed in the hands
of members. 'fhis might be a case of inadvertence or par.
donable omission ; but when ho read the language of Lord
Harris be thought the house would he of opinion that those
despatches ought to have been laid before the committee. The
desoatch of the 18th of September was received the 22nd of
October, 1847, and Lord Harris says in it—" The distress is
excessive, it is increasing daisy; there is an unprecedented
stagnation of business ; the pre: ant crop will be abandoned
from the want of the means to pay for the necessary labour ;
the chief cause a' this is that the prices received for sugar
this year will not repay the cost of production." He then
expresses his conviction that the colony would relapse into a
state of barbarism if more than ordinary relief was not af-
forded. (Hear, hear.) Another despatch was received in
September from Sir C. Grey, the Governor of Jamaica, in
which he says. "I think it my duty to mention that the low
prices of sugar in London, without any corresponding redoo
ties of the duties threaten with ruin many plantations." This
document and the document from Trinidad were in the hands
of government in October, and yet it was not laid before
parliament till the 28th of March. With this despatch
from Jamaica in the prelusion of the government he was
surprised at the conduct of an honourable, high-minded, end
sincere man—one who would be the last m the world to dis-
guise, conceal, or palliate any fact whatever—he alluded to
the righ t hon. gentleman the President of the Board of Trade--
with regard to a question put to him by Mr. (iota burn, respect-
ing the receipt of despatches from Jamaica. That right hon.
gentleman said that no despatch had been received giving
any general account of the state of Jamaica, but if any such
document should be received it would be communicated by
the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Here, therefore,
was another point which afforded ground for strong sus-
picion with regard to the motives of government in
putting by these documents. The noble earl oppo
site would forgive him if he used a homely simile
in illustration of the position of the Celontal-office.
The noble earl said that if he were guilty of the charges
mule against him he would be more criminal than any
wretch who was ever placed at the bar of the Old Bailey.
He hoped, therefore, that the noble earl would not consider
it offensive if he went to the same locality for his illustra-
tion. Suppose the noble earl, or himself, or any of their
lordships, had been charged with passing counterfeit money
—as it was possible that any of them might pass a bad half-
crown—no human being would suspect the noble earl, or
himself, or any of their lordships, of ',Molly com-
mitting such an act; but if it turned out that,
after having passed one bad half-crown, the same
individual proceeded to pass lutl.a-dcren other bad
halt-crowLs, end the'. a dcz.n wore were found in

his pocket, that would very Bench alter the appearance
of the whole transaction, and that which at first
had but the appearance of guilt would be a conclusive proof
of a guilty knowledge. ("Hear," and laughter.) What be
had heretofore said applied only to the Colonial-office—what
he was now about to say had a personal application to the noble
earl. On the 7th of February he (Lord Btaaley) felt it to be
his duty to call the attention of that house to the state of the
West Indies, and he stated that the persons whose petition
he was then presenting attributed their distress to British
legislation, and particularly to the act of 1846. In reply to
his statement the noble earl aid that even admitting the
distress to be true, it was not to be attributed to the act of
1846, but to other causer, amongst which he particularly
specified the wasteful and extravagant management of the
plantations and the prevalence of absenteeism. The noble lord
adverted to a document which he then held in his hand,
which he justly styled " an able and admirable thspatch" from
Mr. lligginson, the Governor of Antigua, that despatch was
not communicated to the committee fur two months after-
wards. But on the occasion to which he was adverting,
while the noble earl quoted as much of that despatch as made
for the view of the question which he wished to impress on their
lordships, he omitted to state that it contained this important
passage: "It must be conceded that, for obvious reasons,
free grown sugar can never yield so remunerative a return
as that grown by slaves." (Hear, hear.) He admitted that
it would be sometimes inconvenient and mischievous to lay
the whole of a despatch before parliament. But the noble
earl extended that doctrine, and claimed on the part of
govertunent that they should only lay before parliament so
much of any despatch as met their own views, and
should exclude from every despatch whatever ran counter
to those views. (hear, hear.) The practice of the noble
earl would seem to confirm the strong charge made by his
noble friend in the House of Commons that they adopted
the principle of suppressing and perverting the information
which they had in their possession, and which had not been
laid before parliament. (Hear.) When our despatches
were asked for, they ought to be exhibited in such a way as
to give a fair, complete, and impartial statement of the case
to be considered—(hear)—and to enable parliament to
judge of its substantial merits. (Hear.) But chat were
they to say of the minister who held in his hand a document
from which he quoted whatever supported his own
particular views ? (" Hear, hear," (rein Earl Grey.)
He (Lord Stanley) was not now speaking of the despatch of
Governor Higginson, but of a memorial which excited great
attention on the part of the noble earl, and from which he
read extracts to the house. lie was going to show that the
extract read by the noble earl was not a fair extract, and
that, as the noble earl read it, it involved an inference
diametrically opposite to the whole tenor of the memorial
itself, and that the next sentence, which the noble earl did
not read, would annihilate the inference to which he sought
to lead their lordships. (Hear, hear.) It was in refer, ore
to this memorial he presumed that the noble earl made the
following remarks on the 7th of February
In a few yeer• be hoped to sec the busmen of planting carried on
solely by residents, and he conceived that there were not anywhere
such favourable opportunities for the investment of capital as in the
Went ladle.. lie felt ensured that men of science going out there,
not disregarding local experience, but applying the great principles of
SLUMCC to the production of wealth, could scarcely fail to obtain pre-
eminent 'UCCA'S. It was his firm conviction that flee or six men of
capital and science emigrating thither with a renolution to anoint each
other, and establishing a central manufactory--web a party, oonduct-
ing curb an enterprise, could not fail of perfect women. Ile could not
avoid expressing Min strong conviction that a great property was still
a store for those who engaged in so h a course; and he should con-
clude with a confident appeal to the house and the country to nay
whether or not he bad interceded in proving that the present state of
the West Indies was nut to be imputed to the advice of the present
government.

Toe noble lord expressed that opinion, and he led their lord-
ships
to entertain this opinion ; and he induced the country
and the capitalists of the country to entertain it, whilst he
at the very time held is Lis hand the document which
would have led their lordships and the country to form a
different opinion, but which he did not communicate to
them The memorial which the noble earl held in his hand
stated that they (the mcrnerialiete) had invested 142000/.
capital in the production of sugar ; but that the price of
augarat the present time was such, that upon an annual
expenditure of 60,3001, the gross ,eturns were 60,8001., being
6001. on an outlay of 60,3001. independent of the interest of
the capital and of the 142,0001. which they had laid out since
the act of emancipation. They went on to say that they
were resident proprietors ; that they adopted the improved
mode of cultivation ; but that they could not cul-
tivate their estates for another year. (Year, hear.)
They concluded by saying: " We beg of you to consider our
desperate position as an excuse for troubling you." (Hear,
hear.) And yet the noble earl, with that document in his
hand from which he read a portion, whilst be withheld the
rest for two month •, would lead their lordship: to conclude
from the part he read, that the experiment of resident
planters was immerse/1y successful, and warranted • san-
guine hope that Jam.ica would be cultivated in a successful
and profitable ma .ner, when the memorialists themselves
told them that they could not cultivate for another year.
(Cheers.) He followed the noble earl through the whose of
his statement, and he would leave it with confidence to their
lordships to judge whether the noble earl was justified in
that high tone of indignation in which he thought it neces-
sary to indulge, (Hear, hear.) He did not ask them to
say that there was a wilful suppression of the truth, or a per-
version of documents for purposes far opposed to those for
which they were intended ; but he said that he had demon-
strated to their lordships, or to any candid and impartial
man, that in the circumstances as be had stated them,
and as they appeared before the public, it was not
surprising that his noble friend (Lord G. Beotinek), who de-
voted himself heart and soul to the cause of the West Indians
—who presided over the committee with exemplary assiduity
—should be anxious to arrive at the truth ; end when he
found a portion of the documents which contained important
matter had been withheld from that committee over which
he presided, intentionally or unintentionally, that he should
have expressed himself in strong and warm language, though
in language perhaps too strong with respect to a cue which
could not be made out by complete and conclusive facts.
(Hear, hear.) It was not surprising that, as chairman of •
committee to which an important inquiry was delegated, he
should have said circumstances of grave suspicion attached to
the manner in which the business of the Colonial, office had
been carried on for some time—(hear, bear)—and because
he made those charges and statements it was not fair to say
that he was unduly descending to mean and petty formalities,
as stated by the noble earl. He took a course in which fair
argument ought to be met by fair argument. He
was justified in making the statements be bad
made; and neither the noble lird nor the govern-
ment ought to be offended at the plainness of the
statements so made—(ironical cheers from the ministerial
benches)—and the noble earl might consider himself well
out of the matter if he can satisfy your lordships and the
country that be is altogether free from the charge of havirg
conveyed by partial statements made to your lordships—an
inference on an important question the very opposite of that
which was intended t i be conveyed by the document from
which he was speaking. (Cheers and counter cheers.)
Lord BROUGHAM deeply lamented that anything should
have arisen to make it rerneseary for the noble earl opposite
to depart from the ordinary course of proceeding, in order to
lay this subject before their lord-hips, because it was one
that gave occasion to heats both in that house and elsewhere.
He was not surprised, however, that the noble earl should
be anxious to take the earliest opportunity of clearing himself
from the charge. But could he blame his noble friend
(Lord G. Bentinck) for calling on the Colonial-office to de-
fend itself from the charges which he thought himselfjusti-
fied in making. Far from it. It was his privilege to do so
—it was consistent with his right to do so--and it was his
duty to do so. Whatever was offensive in the charge his
noble friend had retracted ; he had in a great degree apolo-
Kluft for it, retair.ing, however, the opinion that there had
been errors and ',hinders, and that the circumstances justi,
tied suspicion. In one or two circumstances he could not
agree with the statement of the noble lord who had just
spoken_ He could net agree with him that the exeminntion
of, his hon. friend (Mr. Hawes) justified suspicion. With
regard to the despatch, his hon. friend might differ from the
noble lord with respect to the gloss to he put upon it—as to
its importance or otherwise—but that his hon. friend could
have meant to deceive was impossible, because he believed
that the despatch was there be`ore the committee.
(Hear, hear.) A remark of the same kind applied to the
keeping back one portion of Governor Light's despatch, for
when the parr omitted came to be read it made, in his
opinion, for the cue of the noble earl opposite. (Hear, bear.)
With regard to the memorial. again, it seems not to
have occurred to the noble lord that the part left
out might have made • different impression on the
noble earl opposite than what it appeared to have made
on the noble lord. He hoped that this would be the last
debate of this kind that he should be obliged to listen to in
that house. Ile thought that greater are, more caution,
more attention to a previous examination of the facts, should
be observed in charging public men with breaches of their
public duties. (Hear, hear.) If he were to give his candid
and sine..re opinion as to what would best show that
what had been done elsewhere had been done not from
personal views, not from malicious motives, or un-
worthy feelings of any kind, but from public principle, from
a strong sense of public duty, ind that high and honourable
feeling which he believed and knew appertained to the con-
duct and formed part of the character of Lord G. Bentinck
—he would offer this advice—that this matter be at an end—
that the charge having been made from a sense of public
duty, and having been partly rebutted and partly ex-
plained, and what was most offensive in that charge
having been retracted—they should hear no more of
it either in that house, where it gave rise to
one disorderly discussion, or in another house, where
it might again give rise to another equally disorderly.
The noble lord opposite had fully, clearly, and satisfactorily
defended his own course, and that of his subordinetes in
office, without making any charge against others. Nothing
which he had said: required any answer from Lord George
Bentinck or any one else; and, therefore, he hoped that
hi re, and now, there would be an end of this unfortunate
matter. One observation he must make. Considering all the
enorn.ous mass of business which weighed on and almost
overpowered the Colonial-office, and of the immense number
of despatches which were received, at the rate of 10,000 or
11,000 a year, about 300 a week—he was convinced of the
difficulty which must attend the getting through such a mass
of business, relating to colonies at the extremities of the
globe, some of them under laws the very opposite
to hose which prevailed at home. He was also
convinced of the necessity of some further assistance
in disposing of this immense amount of business. Here an
error had arisen between the Colonial-office and the com-
mittee of 'the House of Commons; how many such errors
must necessarily arise between the Colonial-office and those
distant possessions of ours in the course of his multifarious
business, and how pressing was the necessity for theadoption
of the alteration ,which he had suggested: Should such be
the result of the long discussion which had now taken place,
the time of the house would rot have been recupied al-
together in vain. (Hear, hear.) The noble and -learned
lori concluded by again imploring that the debate might be
allowed to terminate.

Earl GREY, wIA was at tint very imperfectly Lewd,

thanked the noble and learned lord for the sentiment he
had
expressed, and saki that he concurred in very much that had
fallen front him. Like him, he greatly lamented the nee .t;
of discussions like the present, but did not see how,
this case, it could have been avoided. AU must admit 'thee
there was a great difference between a simple expression lag
the mode in which that expression was used ; and It was the
peculiar characteristic of the noble lord by whom this charge
had been made in the other house that Le never entered
the dissuasion of any great public measure without impaling
vile and disgraceful motives to those to whom he wss
p.
posed. (Hear, hear.) That noble lord. seemed to imareee
that he (Earl Grey) ha I the desire, in some ;,,api•oahy
way, to depress and damage the West India commie., hyrue,
means, fair or tool. Would it not have been pe r scaly poa.'
bible to diecuss the question whether or not protection
foreign sugar was really a benefit to the colonies and the
mother country without entering into this further diem-
sion—whether re, as Seen tary of State, and those wto were
rssociated with him in office, were endeavouring to supper[
policy which they knew would be ruinous to the West Ingle
colonies, and inconsistent with all f Arens to the colonist*?
(Hear, hear.) He protested against this system of alwa
viewing with ruspicion the motives of others. Hear, hear.)
He must own be bad heard with deep regret, and with an al.
teration of the opinion which he lied hitherto entertained al
the fairness of the noble lord opp sic iL rd Stanley), which
he feared he never could entertain ageiu—(leud cheers),_
he bad heard with doep regret that noble lord take up tlia
views of his political all on thin subject, and speak with all
that ingenuity which belonged to him, with all the ability
and energy which invariably characterised all be said in that
house, and with all the practised art of th. most able %dm.
care, for the purpose of attaching to him (Earl Grey)what pa
could not call less than an intentional prevaricatien. (Ham)
That the noble lord should have taken such pains tionia
home to him that charge was to him moat deeply •
(Hear, hear.) The nob • lord had also adopted what ha
(Earl Grey) most utterly repudiated—the di.tinetion be.
tween the personal end of icial conduct of a man holding a
high situation. (Hear, hear.) He mi:ht say these were
charges against a minister, hut they were also charges agile*
a man. (Cheep.) He firmly believed, from the little ex.
perience he had had in public life, that any one who would
shrink from so acting, would elan shrink from making such
accusations. (Hear, hear.) He was surprised that the
noble lord (Stanley) should have adopted no ungenerous sad
so utterly imperfect a view of what was reported to nags
fallen from his noble friend Lord John Russell as
the occasion referred to. He utterly dented teat his noble
friend had made any such charge or representation with
regard to the pursuits of the turf. Olean hear.)
It would indeed have been strange for tl.e noble lord,
with one of his nearest and dearest relations connected with
that branch of national amusement, to have thrown any
ungenerous censure on those noblemen and gentlemen who
were so engaged. Ihe to.ble lord had done no such thing
(Cheers.) Every one knew that the pursuit of racing when
adopted from the love of the amusement, arid from (oedema
fur the noble animals by which that sport wan carried on,
was en amusement perfectly innocent, and one that tenni.
buted to some very important national interests. But was
it not notorious that there were on the turf, not only them
who pursued the amusement in an honourable and manly way
as a sport, but others who made it a eon of calling—a pp.
feuion the noble lord (J. Russell) had railed it—in
the vilest apirit of gambling arid in the love of
gain—men who considered that fair, which in any other
walk of life would be utterly disgraceful—who talked
coolly of what was very much like picking pocket., betting
against horses which they knew could not possibly start—and
who were in the habit of "paying for information," which
meant bribing the savants of trainers and others to obtain
the secrets of their m pters' stables? (Cheep,) All his
noble friend had said or intended to say was, that the noble
lord (G. Bentinck) haying been necessarily brought into
contact with persons like there, having devoted a great real
of his time' ingenuity, perseverance, and ability, in detecting
the frauds committed by such persons, had centracted a
habit of looking with suspicion at the conduct of men who
did not deserve it, and of regarding them in the same light
as those whose practices and conduct he had been in the
habit of investigating and exposing—that he had contracted
habits like those of the police, who being continually oa the
track of crime, imagined it where it did not coin.
(Cheers and laughter.) That was a perfectly fair, legitimate,
and just argument. But if his noble friend had been be-
guiled by the heat of argument into going somewhat beyond
the strict line of discretion, he was not only entitled to the
warmest gratitude from himself (Earl On y)—he was also
entitled to the admiration of their lordships, fro when he
himself was attacked, he stood almost alone for the linen.
ampled patience, temper, and forbearance with which he
invariably met the most difficult attacks, and no man ever
saw him betrayed into unnecessary beat—(hear, hear); if
he ever was betrayed into indiscretion, it was the indigna•
tion of a generous mind at an attick directed against an
absent friend. (Cher re.) lie was surprised that the noble
lord (Stanley), whom he used to think capable of hick and
generous feelings, should not have taken his view of the
conduct of Lord J. Russell, but should have represented what
he had said in the most invidious light, and have striven to
swell the cry most unjustly raised aga.nst him. (Hear,
hear.) Such a cc uric was wholly unworthy of the noble
lord. (Hear, hear.) After what had fallen from the noble
lord, he (Lord Grey) felt he must be content to throw him-
self on their lordshipa' indulgence; for he confessed he did
not feel himself equal, as an advocate, to grapple with Om
noble lord in regard to the inferences which he had ingeni-
ously drawn from scattered passages in a variety of paper,
sad from a skilful comparison of dates. He had not the
memory to follow the noble lord through those details. Na.
turally the question was one not a little agitating to his feel-
ings; and he did not feel himself capable of unravelling that
it genious web of sophistry which the noble lord had woven,
as he could do had he the time necessary for the teak.
For skilful as the noble lord was .0 that art of " dressing up
a cue fat parliament," he never showed that skill is a SON
env neat degree than he had done in driving home the
poisoned arrow discharged by another. (Cheers.) He
would notice two er three points on which the noble lord had
dealt. First, with regard to the Trinidad papers; they
were moved for in Novem .er, but not Mini; ready before
the house adjourned they were resented on the very first
day after the recess. He had before him the votes of the
House of Commons, which showed that th it was the case.
Lord STANLEY—What I stated was, that those paper
were not laid before parliament until the debate to which
they referred had commenced, and were not printed for the
use of memben till near its conclusion. _

Earl GREY repeated that on the very day that parla-
ment re-assembled, being the earliest practicable day, they
were laid on the table of the house ; and, though he could
not speak positively from memory, he believed they had
been delivered printed to members within a day or
two. (Cheers.) The next point was the use he
bad made of a despatch of Governor Higginson. He had
used that despatch to support the view he took, a view which
nothing had occurred to shake. He considered the state-
ments of governors of colocies of extreme value when relating
to matters of fact, but when relating to opinions, of very little
value. (Hear, hear.) He considered that the government in
this country, taking a much more enlarged view of causes
nuanabtt,itointbibbic"ywe,:he
00,.Qui,i_oitico
with regec
and effects , and!not biassed by the syetaele of great distress
p
immediately around them, were capable of drawing sounder
conclusions from the facts stated than those actua:ly on the
spot. That despatch had been communicated to the com-
mittee of the other house, he believed, among the very first
papers that the committee had called for alter the re-
cess. With regard to Jamaica, the noble lord had
laid very great areas on the keeping back of a despatch
received on the 22nd of October from Sir Charles Grey.
That despatch stated only what was perfectly notorious,
the existence of great distress in the Wand, and the opinion
of the governor that a change in the duties was necessary.
(Hear, hear, from Lord S:anley.) About that there could
be no secret; for Sir C. Grey had expressed the same opi-
nion in opening the colonial legislature, and his speech had
app •ar.d in almost every newspaper in England and in the
colony ; so that it would have been quite childish to think of
concealing that. (Hear.) The last point to which he would
allude was the Jamaica memorial. He I ad quoted that do-
cument merely to prove certain facts which he thought ma-
terial; and if the report of his speech which the noble lord
had quoted were correct, it showed that the memorial was
one which had been presented to him by the planters of Ja-
maica, complaining of rat distress; and whatever might
have been the value of the document in his eyes, his argu-
ment was that the complaining parties had admitted facts
which, in his mind, led to a conclusion with regard to the
future, different from the one at which they had
themselves arrived. The facts stated, demonstratively
led to this conclusion that in a part of the
island of Jamaica a very considerable change in society had
taken place, and that there was springing up a clan of resi-
dent planers, leasers of the estates, who were carrying on
the cultivation. That fact only he hail quoted ; he had not
gone into their particulars about the distress, because the
w-ole tenor of his argument was that there undoubtedly
existed heavy and grievous distress; but he had endeavoured
to show that there were masts in operation which would
lead to an improvement. lie was perfectly aware that the
memorialists said they could not carry on their cultivation
another year ; he adopted their testimony sa to facts, but he
did not adopt their opinions. He no more took for granted
all they said about the possibility of cultivating sugar in
Jamaica than he had taken for granted what had been said
by the noble lord opposite and the farmers of this country
as to the possibility of carrying on the cultivation of wheat
in England. (CheerseewnhanloiicbdhlelasuarghltehLdr.)beelnn that we,
oef,ays
souwnp.
interest as a proprietor of the soil being strongly involved,
he had taken the liberty of forming his own judgment as to
the cultivation of land in this country ; and he had done the
same with regard to Jamaica. (Hear, hear.) If the whole
memorial were read, it more strongly supported the argu-
ment he had addressed to the house, than did the particular
passage he had quoted. Be that as it might, the intention
of taking any unfair advantage was absolutely negatived by
the fact of that memorial, with the other popery, being in-
cluded in those laid before the committee at a very early
stage of its proceedings. (Hearbehn,;iehnihbebtartyh.e)
further into these topics ; and had it not been that what had
entered_
fallen from him had been distorted, he should not have en-
tered into them at all, but should have acquiesced in the ad-
vice given by the noble lord (Brougham) opposite.
Lord STANLEY said that with regard to the effect
which his statement had produced on the feelings of
the noble earl (Grey) towards himself, much an
he might regret it, he must submit to it as a
consequence of performing what he believed to be
his duty. This debate had not been of his seeking: be had
not desired the raising of this or any other question ; and the
blustidhande had woven,
himself,
noble earl, and by
h.n'aoinl irat following
t one nostihlbfler:: tonne,
cvolunteeredatlty thh'
notibeleweirlldrenfeorrt
.p.t referring
Ihro.etsup-
pression, i
mirbrought
wnu
g.1.,i
cbt:
lout
tia I lb
before
fairt those
tif:riinshow
eednthpre cases..
looking at particular documents
time at which they ought to have been brought forward,
and. looking at the particular
that some improper interference had taken alai*, and had
ground for parties to believe

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, who was mast imper-
fectly heard, was understoou to say that he could not allow
the house to separate without calling attention to the fact
that though the noble lord opposite (Stanley) had admitted
he had fallen into an inaccuracy, the whole of his last speech
bad been directed to proving an inaccuracy on the part of
the noble earl (Grey), and in so doing be had entirely
quittbd the cut ject before the house. No one who hat
heard the statement of the noble earl (Grey) could fail to be
convinced that he stood completely absolved from anything
like the charge that had been brought against him. (Cheers.)
The duty of examining and canvasaing the conduct of all
public officers was one that ought to be exercised unrestric-
tedly ; sad it was only because imputations had been made,
not againt the noble can's discharge of his public duties,
but because statements had been made which it had been
found necessary to retract here and elsewhere, that the
noble earl had bound it necessary so long to occupy the at-
tentiou of the house. (Hear, hear.) He trusted that one
result of this debate, already perhaps too long protracted,
would be to show bow important it was that motives of an
improper kind should not be imputed on light and trivial
grounds—(sheen)—and that the conduct of public men
should not needli arty be made the object of parliamentary
discussion and debate. (Cheers.) '
Lord REDESDALE expressed his belief that nothing
personal bad been meant towards the noble ear! opposite.
Perhaps the charge of neglect had been too strongly made
against the Colonial-office ; but as for anything personal
that bad been dist.nctly disclaimed by the noble lord who
made the charge.
Earl GREY (with much warmth.)—No, no.
Lord REDESDALE said he referred to what had taken
place here, not in the other house. As to the memorial
from Jamaica, he thought the defence of the noble earl was
a very imperfect one. The noble lord (Stanley) had stated
nothing but facts and tair inferences from the papers, of
which the noble earl had no right to complain. It was a
grange position for a colonial minister to assume, that he
would take only tie facts reported to him, but would pay
no attention to the opinions expressed.
Earl GREY.—None at all.
Lord REDESDALE.—That was tantamount to saying
that the house should only have the opinions of the noble
earl and not those of the persons who were specially sent
out to collect and form opinions from actusl observation.
Earl GREY.—I hope that whin the noble lord next pro.
fires to quote what I have said he will state something a
little like what I did say. (Cheers.)
The motion was then agreed to, and their lordships ad-
journed at half-past S o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAT: JUNE 27.

The SPEAE Eli entered the house at 4 o'clock, but only 31
members being present the chair was not taken, and the
house stood adjourned until to-morrow (this day).
The following memoers were present at the adjournment,
in addition to the Speaker :—E. 0. Barnard, R. M. Bellew,
R. E. Boyle, Dr. Bowing, J. Brotherton, W. Brown, R.
Cobden, Admiral Dundee, Via. Drutulanrig, GI. Duncan,
W. Divert, W. B. Hughes, T. L. Hodges, A. Henry, Sir R.
Ingiis, W. Jackson, C. Lacy, Alderman Kershaw, T. Mait-
land, Sir W. Molesworth, J. Parker, Capt. Pechell, A.
Rutberfurd, F. C. H. Russell. R. Spoonsr Col. Salwey,
Col. Thompson. H. Tufnell, T. Mornay, M. WM.