The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-13 00:00:00

been given to that generous proposition, and he believed
that, in the end, after having been referred from ono public
department to another, it would be rejected. The colonies
of Great Britain were never more loyal than at this mo-
ment, and it was of the utmost importance not to act as
if wo slighted them, for a suspicion that we did so might
change their loyalty and affection into alienation and
hatred.

Sir G. GREYsaid the question under discussion appeared
to be whether such great public inconvenience had oc-
curred from the arrangements that had taken place during
the temporary absence of Lord John Russell at Vienna,
as to call for the interference of the house. He was per-
fectly ready to state that he felt himself utterly unable to
conduct permanently the duties of the Colonial-office as
well as those of the Home-office. (Hear.) He should re-
joice most sincerely if he were relieved from the responsi-
bility which had been thrown upon him for a short time
by the absence of his noble friend at Vienna. But when
hii noble friend intimated his willingness, at the request
of the noble lord at the head of the Government, to accept
the seals of the Colonial Department, it certainly appeared
to him (Sir G. Grey) that that acceptance was, under the
circumstances in which the noble lord (Lord J. Russen)
was then placed, not an insult, but a cause of great satis-
faction to the colonies. Although by the acceptance of
office he (Sir G. Grey) felt that an additional responsibility
would be thrown upon him, yet he also felt that it was his
duty as a public man not to shrink from giving any assist-
ance which might be required, and which he thought might
be conducive to the interests of the colonies. When the
right hon. gentleman said that the whole colonial business
of the office was at a stand-still, he must take leave to con-
tradict that statement altogether, and say he did not be-
lieve that, during the short interval which had already
elapsed, any particular inconvenience had taken place. Ho
b
would now proceed to deal with the specific statements made
the right hon. gentleman (SirJ. Pakington) as to the four
points on which inconvenience was said to have arisen.
The first was with regard to the Cape. From letters which
he had received from apprehend overnor of that colony, there was
too much reason to app that the peace which had
been established between the colony and the Kaffirs was
one that could not be looked upon as permanent unless
measures were taken to consolidate the security of the
country. Yesterday week despatches arrived from the
Cape, stating that the governor, from information he hail
received, was about to set out for the frontier. The in-
telligence was of a conflicting, although of an alarming,
character; but it was impossible to deny the state of that
colony was a critical one, and that prompt measures were
necessary. The despatch in-question however, asked for
no assistance from home, and it staled, that in no case
would the governor be necessitated to send to this country
for any additional force. The Government had given this
despatch their careful consideration, and had taken, with-
out any delay, the measures they thought necessary ilk
order to strengthen the hands of the governor. He (Sir G.
Grey) did not know what his noble friend (Lord J.Russell)
might have done if he had been here, but he did not be-
lieve that noble lord would have acted otherwise than the
Government had thought proper to act. The next point
to which the right hon. gentleman had adverted was as
as to the state of Victoria. What information had they
with regard to that colony ? Not one single word had
reached the home Government from the governor with re-
gard to the disturbances referred to. It might have been
a very serious tumult; but, judging from the public prints,
he found that it had been suppressed in 20 minutes, and he
trusted the accounts the Government might yet receive
would show that nothing to justify the use of the term
"insurrection" had taken plats, and that perfect peace and
tranquillity had been restored. With regard to New-
foundland, he might state that he had himself settled the
question which had been referred to, before he gave up the
seals of tke Colonial-office, six weeks ago. He believed
there was one question pending with respect to an appli-
cation made on the part of the Assembly in Newfoundland
to remove the governor of that colony, who was appointed
by the right hon. gentleman opposite (Sir J. Pakington) ;
and he felt bound to say, with every respect for the right
hon. gentleman, that he did not think the removal of a
governor was a question in which the Colonial Secretary
ought to enter into private communication with any pri-
vate gentleman coming from the colony. Ho was not
aware there was any question now pending which required,
the decision of the Government. With regard to the con-
stitutional bills, he admitted that if he had continued in
office, lie should, by this time, have been able to submit to
the house a measure founded upon those bills. The right
hon. gentleman had said, that he wrote a despatch upon
the subject more than two years ago, and yet the bills were
still in the hands of the Colonial-office, and that such
delay was likely to lead to much inconvenience end dissa-
tisfaction. What was the delay with which the right hon.
gentleman charged the Colonial Department ? He (Sir G.
Grey) fennel these three bills waiting for the decision of
the Government in the month of Juno last. One of them
had been received in May, three weeks or a month before
he took the seals of the Colonial-office. They required a
careful investigation, and were, therefore, referred to the
legal advisers of the Crown, who did not make their report
until sometime after the prorogation of Parliament. It
would hardly have been satisfactory to the coloniesto have
had the bills dealt with at the end of the session in a hasty
and superficial manner, and it was impossible, without the
assent of Parliament, for the Crown to give its assent to
those acts. When he was writing to the governors of these
colonies, it occurred to him (Sir George Grey) that the
course adopted by the colonies was a most inconvenient
one, and he had taken occasion, in answering a despatch
from the governor of Van Diemen's Land, to suggest
a mode by which the inconvenience might be avoided.
The view which he took was immediately aelcpted by
the Legislative Council, and the bill sent home was one
that might be submitted at once for the assent of the
Crown, and might at once become law. He must re-
mind hon. gentlemen that it was very easy to introduce a
bill into the house, but it Was not so easy to insure full at-
tention to a bill, when every night was of importance to
enable the Government to pass the estimates, which were
so necessary for the prosecution of the war. He had al-
ready stated that he had fully communicated with his noble
friend (Lord J. Russell), when lie (Sir G. Grey) held the
seals of the Colonial Department, with regard to these bills.
The subject was one which the noble lord had given great
' attention to, and he did not think any delay would arise
from their being pestponetl until his noble friend's return.
He could not defend the present arrangement as a per-
manent cue, and nobody would more rejoice than he should
in being relieved from the responsibility which was now
thrown upon his hands.
Mr. LO WE said that, from what the right lion. baronet
the member for Droitwich (Sir J. Pakington) had stated in
reference to the question of the constitution of the Austra-
lian colonies, he thought it might be inferred that that
right hon. gentleman had entered into a species of con-
tract with those colonies, and had given the Louse to un-
derstand that the measures to come before it were the re-
, suit of such contract, and that their deliberations were to
be swayed by it. As he was most anxious that that con-
tract with the colonial legislature should not be carried out
—as he was anxious to remove the prejudice and impale-
sion which had been created by the right hon. gentleman,
and as this was a subject with which he (Mr. Lowe) was
necessarily familiar,-he would trespass on the house for a
short time while he explained the nature of that contract.
In 1350, it was the pleasure of the house, contrary to his
own opinion, to delegate to the Australian colonies the
powers of constituting an assembly, and framing their own
constitutions. Though ho objected to that he did not think
the matter would have come to the Present, he mutest say,
most disastrous state, had it not been for the right hon.
gentleman the member for Droitwich. In 1852, the right
hon. gentleman addressed a despatch to the Governor of
the Australian colonies, stating there was an impression in
favour of an upper house of legislature being nominated by
the Crown. The right hon. baronet expressed that opinion,
and he (Mr. Lowe) regretted to say further, that he so far
misunderstood the Act of 18.0, and mistook his duty as
Colonial Minister, as actually to add to that expression of
opinion that, if the colonies would consent to appoint such
nominated houses of legislature, the right hon. gentleman
would give them up the dominion over their waste lands.
Now, he asked the house, what possible interest had we
except in seeing that those people governed themselves iu
the manner which would best suit their own local in-
terests ? What good would this country derive, supposing
the right lion. geneleinan should succeed in fixing upon the
colonists a nbroinal upper legislature, by the bribery of
those waste lands ? As knowing something of the colonies,
he, for one, protested against the House of Commons or
the Government being bound in any way by what was
done by the right hon. gentleman. What the right hon.
member did was against the policy of the Act of Parliament,,
and against the duty of his office, and ought not iaany way
to bind them. He would beg the right hon. gentleman,
who held fora time the seals of the Colonial-office (Sir G.
Grey) to avoid the example that Ida predecessor had set
him, and in all things to deal with these questions in a
spirit of the utmost purity. Let the right hon. gentleman
look at the question merely as one of the will of the colo-
nists, and if he was satisfied that will hail been sufficiently
expressed by the vote of the Legislature, let him carry it
out. Under the inducement of the right hon. baronet (Sir
J. Pakington) these colonies had sent home long bids, by
which they had given themselves various powers which
they had not hitherto possessed ; they had dealt with the
most minute questions of royal prerogative, they had given
full retiring salaries to public officers, and they had given
pledges and guarantees of a very dangerous nature to per-
sons who were now in the occupation of 50 or 60 millions
of acres of waste lands. He entreated the house that they
would not be persuaded by clamour, or by any declara-
tions of persons sent here by the colonies, so far as to for-
get their duty—as the Imperial Parliament of this empire
to consent to pass in a lump 70. or 80 clauses in the acts
set before them, Merely because they had passed before
the Colonial Legislature. He begged the right hon. gen-
tleman (Sir G. Grey) to avoid contracts with the govei n-
ments of our colonies. What he gave, let him give freely.
He (Mr. Lowe) had ventured to speak in a tone of admo-
nition to the right hon. gentleman, ,but his own local ex-
perience of the subject must be his excuse. Bet he must
say that, unless they acted with great circumspection in
this matter, they would only be sowing the seeds of
endless confusion, and promoting bickerings and disturb-
ances, or they must be ready to surrender their colonial
empire for ever.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said he should take another occa-
sion to show that the hon. gentleman who had just sat
down had formed an entirely erroneously opinion, and had
completely misunderstood his intention and his acts upon
the occasion to which reference had been made.
Mr. J. MACGREGOR dial not think that the negotia-
tions at Vienna would be brought to an end so soon as the
Government seemed to expect ; and this country and the
colonies might well be dissatisfied with the state of things
which Lord J. Rusiell's absence would produce in the
Colonial-office. The colonies would feel that their affairs
had been entrusted to the irresponsible management of a
few clerks in the Colonial-office, and they would, no doubt,
come to the conclusion that they ought to insist on their
independence of the British Crown
Mr. J. G. PHILLIMORE strongly protested against.
the ticket of leave system ; but hoped that the system of
transportation would not be resorted to again, for it had
been condemned by reason and experience.
Previous night theimprovements
Mr
into thesch
The subject then dropped ; and
EWART having stated in greater detail than on a
The house resolvedTHE CORM" Leon recently
l which have
itself atin Eton,
introduced
Mr. PEEL, in submit't''S to committee of supply upon
A.RIAnTESTIMATES.
the estimates to the committee.
said that they were aboutin timed as large as those of
last year, for instead of being 600,0001, they were this year
2,400,000/. That iticreaee
eparoevniiipi iluoygedfoiond tfhoer-' construction ar
u of the rail-
IcEeob °stiwY e°reec engage:?4uued bi
Yn
the war with Russia. About 325
there. The
wagesthe Crimea e inm
was completed, they could be wee; use-
fully
way from Balaklava to the camp would be about 50,0001.
if they should be employed for the whole of the year.
lVhenemthpeloryaeidlwiany other services. These
.estimates would
provideand of about
United Kingdom. The ration •
65,000 militia in the fors which
for the food of 40,000 regular soldiers
served out to the army in the Crimea, was as follows :—To
was being at present, and had, been some time past,
oglz.oohlier in; slab alb, of Olt seat, 04' 1.1 of fresh