The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-06 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMEN T.

_ -
HOUSE OF COMMONS, Apra 5,
MINISTERIAL EXPLANATIONS.
(Continu. d from our Third Edition of last night.)
Mr. C. VILLIERS said allusion had been made to a no-
divided parties to a test in that rtouse; and some taunts had
the great question that
ohuatdfrgoinivetnhefoortbhreirn,Fisiidneg
not been brought forward. He gave that notice as soon as
it was possible for him to do so, after the present Govern-
those Right Hon. Gentlemen, having for five years laboured
honourably, distinctly, and zealously for one
purpose, and for
one purpose alone— (Hear, hear) —intended that for which
they had so often declared, and to Which every move they
made in that House was directed-
he Was
--Luel versal of the
policy of free trade. At the time he Was giving that notice
a discussion was taking place elsewhere, and an important
speech was made by the most important person in the other
House—the First Minister of the Crown—and an admission,
an unqualified admission, was made by the Noble Lord on
he was in a minority .11
the subject of free trade and a
.. protective policy, that
;
the Houle of kCommons.
—(Cries of " Hear, hear. )
of ",
Nothing but that state-
hadment on the part the pint
Minister of the Crown
induced him (Mr. 1, li;
rierB)
bringing the question to a testto hesitate for a moment in
in that House. But the
Noble Lord said something further—he said he would take
the opinion of the country : i.
wdeout any delay upon that ques-
tion. That admission created a doubt in his (Mr. Villiers's)
mind, and it then did seem to
, him a wise suggestion, made
gratuitously by
lion' Gentlemen on the opposite side of the
House, not to press his motion; but he proposed a question
to the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, and
he
hggged t° remind the Noble Lord the Mon-
her for Colchester, who had risen that evening, he supposed,
upon some taunt, from a feeling ofchivalry for the Govern.
leg
of the
ment— (A laugh)—aa they had not had the benefit Gover-
n Lord's oratory in that House before since the
lied by
meat came into oftice-4 laugh)—who seemed and
y.n-
the remarks of his Honkriend to rise immediately V
party,
and the honour of his chief and the chivalry of
ahnisdp
wereY
and who said the Government were unchanged,
ready to try the issue either in that House or the country at
large that the Right lion. Gentleman the Chancellor_r.Villiere) of the
_
Exchequer, in answer to the question which he (Al
had put to him,whether the policy the Right Hon. Gentleman
had recommended in opposition he intended to enforce now that
he was in power, said, "The Hon. Gentleman had asked me
whether we intend to
intend
a fixed duty on corn, and I
beg to say we do not to do so." That satisfied him
s
that the Right Hon. Gentleman bad abandoned hi policy.
•
He had no party object whatever in Putting
beach would
the question;
and if Right Hon. Gentlemen on the Treasury
abandon their policy, he
, (Mr. Villiers) should be satisfied
with them as he had been with the two other Governments
Melbourne was very
that had preceded them, because Lord
much opposed to the abolition of the corn-laws; and he (Mr.
Villiers) had the satisfaction to-see him abandon that policy.
li and he (Mr.
Sir R. Peel had also abandoned that po--cy.
delighted to hear
Villiers) was satisfied, and he was only
he had understood,
that the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Aas that in justification
had abandoned it too. lie mentione-
for his not having immediately brought the subject before
the House ; but there had been a most extraordinary ad-
mission made now, by one who was
by
There
means the least
had been an
competent man to form an opinion.
admission that the national feeling
was
against protection ;
and the
therefore they had a House of Commons unchanged,
national feeling agreeing with the Ilot”,_e, and, as he
y,
then, should
Why, con-
tended, in favour of free trade. w
there be a dissolution ?_(Hear, hear.) Right Hon. Gentle-
men opposite were all identified
witha protective policy.
Their chief had decided that the Ho
l
e of Commons was
against them ; but that if they toots ithe opinion of the
country, he believed it would be with them—if it was not
were told the national
they would resign and yet now they
r._
) The Noble Earl
feeling was against that policy.—
( e that an autumnal ses-
sion the head of the Government said con.
i But,,the present
should be held to decide the ques-
disturbed the Government's coining in had seriously
country wanted
,hat the
busi-
ness of the country.--(llear.) `V hat
was, when it was prosperous to
13peaceful—(Hear)-_the
of the country, and
people wanted to attend to the business
it was to those men of bu.iness that the country owed its
greatness, not to the squabbles of the House.—(Hear, and
f the Government n 9
laughter.) The enormous patronage o