The Express.
London, England, 1858-03-26 00:00:00

Eti;cranks reteranos to the government at India,
one suppose that the noble lord the somber for
Tiverton would vote for it, ea the noble lord on his
hand was going to vote for the previous question that night?
(Hear, hear.) The noble lord near hint was not unmated to
politics in 1860--(laughter)—he had arrived at the years
of discretion at that time. he supposed—(laughter)--end
when he brought in his bill he must have thought that he
wee providing a remedy for the evil. of the government of
Ireland. Sir E. Peel voted with the noble lord; sad yet he (Mr.
Roebuck) was charged with audacity for following *the Mime
of the noble lord. (Rear.) He had no doubt them wee sour
, truth in that statereent. (Laughter.) But another thing
I was said—the previous question had been moved. Rs was
the victim of the pesetas' question. (Laughter.) Last year
be brought in a plain end simple proposition for the abolition
of the Lord-Lientenarrey, and he was met by the hue and cry
that he had not prop:old a substitute. The then member for
Yarmouth moved the previous question, and the whole of
that bench went out with him. The noble lord was
not present, but he understood that he gave an hon. member
authority to quote his opinions strongly in favour of his
motion. The right bon. and learned Attorney-General for
Ireland (Mr. Whiteside) made a wonderfully eloquent speech,
and he never heard more capital abuse of the office of the
I Lad-Lieutenant—(laughter)—bat believed himself by voting
for the previous question, on the ground that he (Mr. Roe-
buck) had not proposed any substitute for that dim.
(Laughter.) He now proposed that substitute, and the right
boa end learned gentleman still voted for the previous qum-
lice. (Laughter) The late Chancellor of the Exchequer
said he had great objection to the muktipiloation of seam
hides of state. Ha yid that bur was a good number, but
that Sr. wee a bad number. (Leughnr.) Was ft indeed P
Than how ens M Ids government to propose a Mk mareeary
of Mete for the government of I (Beer, hear.) The
right bon. gentleman the Home Secretary said the Lord-
Lieutenancy wan better as a local authority than • secestary
of state. But be would ask whether anything wee done
without the authority of the Home Secretary, and whether
the gracious answers given by the Lord-Lieutenant to depu-
tations in Ireland were not frequently overturned by the cool
and elm directioos of the Chancellor et the Exchequer and
the Home Secretary P (Hear, bear.) The fact was the Lord-
Lieutenant was nothing but en idle puma; and what he
said in opening the debate came upon him at he does, that
the distribution of responsibility between the Home Sem-
tary, the Lord-Lieutenant, and the Inch Secretary,
destroyed respoesibility. (Hear, hear.) Why did grey
refuse co this Mail= to vote for that which
be their hearts they approved of ? (Hear, hear.) Because to
the present government, as to every other govenunent, it was
inconvenient to do re. (Hear.) The noble lord the Secre-
tary for 'mend said lam it to time, a change wee coming
over the cpin one of the Irish people on this question. The
noble lord bed indulged the house with a calm, courteous,
and excellent speech that night, but he recollected another
speech in which the noble lord spoke in a different frame of
mind of the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, and with the per-
mission of the house he would rehash the memory of the
noble lord. (Laughter.) On the second reeding of the bill
introduced by the noble lord near him, the
noble lord thus spoke. He quoted from Hansard
" Looking back as he did upon the history of Ireland, ho
believed that that history was but one continued scene of
misgovernment. He looked upon the office of Lord-Lieu-
Masai se the chief Mature of that system, and now that it
was proposed to abolish that office, he could but rejoice at
the change." (Laughter.) Again, in page 1430, he found
these words of the noble lord : "eta an Irishman he could
not view with any feeling al alarm a nasal= which might
have the effect of drawing closer the bonds of union between
England and Ireland. If Irish influence was really to be
felt—if Irish interests were really to become powerful—it was
not by provincial, but by imperial induenos that those ends
were to be obtained. As members of the imperial senate
Irishmen could far better minister to the welfare of Ireland:
than by backstairs intrigue in the Castle of Dublin." (Cheers
and laughter.) Then he was asked upon what authority
he made this motion. (Laughter.) Second thoughts, It was
said, were beet ; but second thoughts sometimes came under
eery peculiar circunistanoes—(laughter)--and the noble
speech to-night owed its origin, he supposed, to the
peculiar circumstances in which he now was. (" Hem,
hem "and laughter.) The hon. member for Norfolk (Mr.
Beitainek) sled him in a mods which he did not think he
ever deserved. (Haar, hear.) But there was a bucolic state
of mind, an which to oast arguments was very
much like throwing seeds upon a rock. (Laughter.)
Hs had dale his duty in this matter. He founded his pro-
pped oa great authorities—authorities on which he had more
faith than the authors themselves had. (Laughter.) He
supposed it was owing to his fault that the question failed
that night, for it could not be that the noble lords and those
who followed them, and who were wise, reasonable, and ex-
wimced, did in 1860 what they were ashamed of in 18.58.
((Laughter.) In conclusion, he would only say that if any
hoe. gentleman were going to vote for the previous question
In consequence of the last member of his resolution, it was
his intention to strike off that part of his motion if the
house negatived the motion of the previous question. (Hear.)
The house then divided on the previous question—" That
this question be now put. "
The numbers were :

Ayss llB
Noss 243-127

The a+gina► motion weer therefore, Da pM.
GALWAY FREEMEN BILL.
Mr. CLIVE moved the mond reading of the Galway
Freemen Thafranchirement Bill.

Mr. ROEBUCK mo;;1117 an amendment that the bill
be mad • second time that day six monthe, and at that
late hoar he would in • few weeds tell the house why be
moved this amendment. This bill proposed to disfranchise
the Galway freemen, who were proved by • commission to
have accepted bribes; but it appeared by the evidence that a
certain number of the Galway constituency acted at the last
Celection es briber*, and certain others asthe bribed.
ow this bill was directed against the latter, who were the
lout guilty of the two. The bill, therefore, was unjust, and
he opposed it altogether. Moreover, the other night the
house was startled by an hon. member getting up in his plaice
and saying he had been guilty of bribery in this may case.
If this bi l passed, he should move that that hon. member he
expelled the house. Under the pretence of doing jostle* the
house was asked to punish the poor man sad lit the rich
tempter go free. If they submitted to such • proposal they
would stand ashamed before the world. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. WALPOLE hoped the house would not reject the
bill, es it dealt with a flagrant case of bribery. If other
partim were implicated in the bribery, the house, having all
the facto of the case before them, could deal with such par-
ties when the bill got into committee. The house would
Ices caste with the public if it refused to reed this bill •
nomad time, especially as it would still be open to the house
to deal with all the parties implicated in the matter.
After • few words from Mr. HUOSIIIIN sad Lord
LOTLINI,
Lard B. VANE said he should vote for the aremednient,
as it appeared to him there was great force in the remark
that the bill as it stood only punished the most inno-
cent parties, while it allowed the most guilty, because
the tempter, to go scot free. He would remind the haute
that the ROM= had endeavoured to put an end to bribery.
(Cries of Oh," and laughter.) They enacted that in cease
of bribery the party briUng should las bound to keep up the
payment the bribe as a perpetual annuity. (Laughter.)
He thought that some sashision might amorally be
adopted now. (Laughter.) Ifitprovwere there would be 160
tailors and 100 butchers now receiving the bounty of the hon.
member for Galway.
Lord J. RUSSELL conhomed that he wee not setielled
with the statement of the right hon. gentleman opposite (Kr.
Walpole). As he understood the right non. gentleman, the
(Yet was that the triton, who were the most guilty persons,
wore not Included in the bill. He 'maid not say reject the
bill altogether, bat he thought that the that rep taken should
he to pat the law In kora against the bribe'''.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER mid that It
him that the course to he takes ory clear,
=ra ms to
ow which he thought the basis wield be pre-
pared to adopt. He thought that if disbars SI test gem the
moor reading of the bill the whole et the wog doers odd
mmpe. He was prepared thalami to wore he the advice at
his right hon. friend (Mr. Walpole) sad Ter he the sammd
nurse of the bill. He was prep's', apes the ascor rar-
ing Ong assented to, to mom that It be ea tarried= to
the committee to take dos far the potshard or the
bribers. (Chars.) He thought that Ia fallowing this course
he should have the newt of the boos. (Cheers.)
Mr. ROEBUCK tritldnw his vodka, and
The bill was read • eeocsd time.
The house adjourned at half-past 12.