The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-01 00:00:00

and heft myself on the iseseatea to whisk I have
a !obit that nineties erne bmada, sad that
airier midis wee isteaded. 'mat beim the ease
I ceseider that the hes. member for Oxford-
shire mesas hie motion for nothing sin than that the
hoes* sboald may to the government, W. hairs no goad
dame is your proposal. (" Hear, hear," Ins Colonel Sib-
thorp.) We wean to say that you have not done your duty,
and we require sous other rernioa." (Colossi alba orp
sheered loudly to the gnat amusement at the house.) The
hon. and
gallant member fur Liasola accepts that uncle r.
mondial( with his usual candour—(sheen and laughter)
—and I am sure that the honourable member
for Oxfordshire will be obliged to him lir a
cemmeatary which so clearly explain, the object
he had in Mew. (Hear, hear.) Bet the motion declares
something more than thin I think it would be an objec-
tionable motion if it were merely unjust to the government
of the day ; but there is likewise • proposal to nines wipes
and salaries in every department of the public writhe. Let
us first take the salaries, and these meat be taken in con-
nexion with the speech made by the hon. member lest year,
and with the remarks of the hon. member for BuckMsbass-
shire. Their declaration is that great reductions have taken
place in the price of necessaries of life, and that therefore
there should be a proportionate demeans in the sclasies et
all potions employed in the public service. Now, sir,
I would say at occe, that our reductions have
always gone on • different principle. (Cheers )
Whenever we found that there were more persons em-
ployed In any department this wen required, we reduced
them by superannuation and declined to ti I up the vacancies.
But I think that re .sections mad* merely on the tea per
cent. principle and merely becalms the necemaries of life
have grown chesper would be unfair and unjust to the great
body of persons employed in the public service. (Hear, hear.)
The right hon. member for Tamworth said no more than
was just when he commended wi warmly the abilities and
seal of the gentlemen empineed permanthfly in the
publi • service. Why, these gentlemen in the permanent ger.
vice of the country carry on the whole machine of govern-
ment. (Hear, hear.) There is an almluth necessity for
having men of ability and experienoe constantly employed
is a country with one eonstitational to I'M of go-
vernment. (Hear, hest.) I will venture to say that if
we were to go out of office to-morrow in consequence
of any vote et this house, that those gentlemen oho have
not been in office before would find that for some time, at
least, they must depend entirely on the services of those
gentlemen of experience and ability whom they find in the
client, and by whose means the public business is efficiently
carried on. And I must toy that whatever government
may some into Alm, they will fit.d toes. gentlemen only
zealous for the public service, and, whether whir or tory,
always ready to perform their duty without any hies result-
hag from their political principles. (Hear, hear ) I there.
fore feel it my cuty to resist a resolution by whicn this noon
vainest. class of men rase be injured in their interests and
prospects (Hear.) Talk of the price of the DN. Mafia
of life! Why, if these gentlemen were entering into public
lite now, there would be tar other pre nos looked at with
them than the price of provisions. (Hear. hear.) They
would be judg. d by their tales's, their s, and the esti-
! math,e in which they were held by their country's. n. If
you found tn. Bash, the East ladia Company, and the great
row:medal firing, paying much higher reward fur talent
than the governmeat, you will soon find your economy the
• most wasteful measure that could be adopted, and that you
had better pay as liberally as private establistommut, in order
that you might secure at least sa equal amount of talent.
(Hear, hear.) I tear, therefore, that on these grounds the
motion ought not to be adopted; but there is another part el
;hr mon m which was perfectly understood by the hon
member for the West Riling even before the eaplanati m of
the hon. member for Buckinghamshire, because this plan
propene not only a revision of salary hot of wages in • very
department of the public service, with a view to their reduc.
tics. It would be impneeible for the government to • cept
such a motion without giving rise to an expectation through.
out the coueory that they were sb out to mike reductions of
wages in *very part of the public sert;ee On what ground.?
We have it explained by the hon. member to Backingham
shire, and the ground is, not that wages have tallith in the t
establishment of pnvate individuals, or generally throughout
the country, but that there is such distress in the country,
arising from the repeal of the duties on corn and cotter
ice-
port duties, that you have no moan in order to save the
country but goner illy to reduce public salaries and wages.
My answer is that that is not true. (Loud cheers and dissent
from the protectionists.) My answer is, that from inmate
I have received, wages, except in a few agricultural comities,
have not suffered any I.llo•Cti.'n, mid that the labouring
classes of this country are not obliged to receive a less
amount of remuneration foe their labour than they did heron '
the act of 1816. (Laud cheers.) I will not, therefore,
give any countenance to that feature cf the resolu-
tion. (Hear, bear.) I will not support the assertion of
gentlemen who are anxious to make the country appear in
such distress in csonquenci of the adoption of what is called '
free trade, that it is &Nolan', necessary t3I the state to re-
duce the waist of every labourer in the public service.
Therefore it is that hon. gentlemen opp site Dome f tetrad
with these motions for reduction in the public expencbturc,
knowing they would be in a minority if they proposed a
motion for restoring protection; bat, considering that if
they appear in this guise,or rather disguise—t" hear, hear,"
and • lauah)—they may possibly gala some allies from three
who would shrink from giving any countenance to what they
proclaim their real object to be, the restoration of protective
imam in this country. (Hear, hear.) If that object were
plainly sad fairly declared, there can be but little
doubt that those who share the opinions of my
honourable friend the member for Montrose would
take the tame course at the hon. member for the West
Reding of Yorkshire, who, with his usual sagacity, has per-
ceived their object and will not faun them. (Hear,
hear.) But, Timeo Lariat's, they say as we have no chance
in our own character as tones, we will appear as men who
are great (monists, and wish to effect large reductions
of common, and thus we may succeed in cans ing some
• motion advent to the government, who support fry e trade,
shed by • circuitous mode arrive at our object—the restore-
, tion of the duty on corn. (Cheers.) This, I thing, should
be a sufficient reason for those who have not that end in
v.ew nit to vote for • resolution which effects no real
economy, and does not save the expeneiture of a single
pound of the pubic money. (" Oh, oh," from the protect
tionists.) I doubt whether, bevies regard to a wise and
true economy, we can snake reductioa(more speedily or more
safely than by the made we have proposed. But if, on the con.
tiny, the house were to adopt the nictitation new proposed,
whim apparently they would be giving a vote in
favour of economy, they would, in fact, be doing but little foe
that object ' • they would, in effect, be furthering a totally
different object, welch, I believe, the majority of the
house, if presented to them plainly and directly, are pre-
pared genera ly to decide. (Chien.)
Sir C. BURRELL stated that he could bear witness (as
the fact appeared to be doubted) of the reduction in the rate
of wages that had taken place in the agricultural districts.
Mr. HENLEY, in reply, complained of the unfair manner
in which this motion had been met by the government—vin ,
as • vote of censure, which it was a meant to be. He
could not say that it was any answer to the motion he had
brought forward to deal with the Treasury and Foreign-
office, which he had stated to the house were not offices
which he had brought especially under their notice, because
they were annually under the consideration of the house.
The house then divided:
F..r the motion
Against it
The motion was consequently lost.
SALE OF POISONS.

Kr. STANFORD moved aseVeteommittee to inquire
if any restriciona (and if any, what restrictions) should be
imposed by parliament nn the sale of /niacin.
Sir G. GREY said the question was important, and that the
great difficulty about it was the numeration of p Aeons. A
bill wee being prepared on the subject; and therefore it was
undesirable to pm* the motion.

Si, R. INGLIS expressed a hope that the mo.inn would
be withdrawn, seeing that the right hon gentleman the
Home Seetetary had the matter under consideration.

After a few worsts from Mr. Baxass, the lamina was, by
leave, withdrawn.
SIR JAMES BROOKE.

Mr. HUME moved for a return of the dates of appoint
sent of the several offices held by Sir Jamas Brooke, and
the amount of the several 'sissies *aid and dim to him for
the mme, up to the lit day of February, 1850; also, of the
number of days' residence of Bir James Brooke at Labuan,
from the date of his appointment as governor of that i•laod,
to the lot day of February, 1850 ; and copies of any Co
lonial•o18a regulations relative to governors and other
public government servants abroad, ea to their being con-
cerned in mercantile transactions.—Acr ed to.