The Sun.
London, England, 1852-11-23 00:00:00

MPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—YEBTERDAY.
(Continued from our Third Alition of last nigh
MINISTERIAL MEASURES,

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said, that in
making the inquiry of which he had given notice, he did
not wish to urge anything which would create debate,
or be inconvenient to Government ; but he thought it
would be for the advantage of public business, and the
private convenience of their lordships, that they should
know what business was likely to be brought forward
before the recess, and during the remainder of the session.
(Hear, hear.)
The Earl of DERBY—The question put to me is one
of considerable importance, and I shall endeavour to
give my answer as briefly as I can ; but in replying to a
question as to the intentions of the Government—which
I have not the slightest difficulty in doing—l must call
attention to the circumstances under which her Ma-
jesty's Government accepted office, and I need not re-
mind your lordships of the understanding upon which
the business of the session of the last Parliament was
conducted, when we thought it right to refuse all appli-
cations for an immediate appeal to the country, so as
not to interrupt the business of the session, and pro-
mised that at the earliest possible period consistent
with public business reference should be made to the
country at large. That reference to the country will
and must undoubtedly and immediately decide
whether her Majesty's Government do or do not en-
joy that amount of confidence on the part of the
country and Parliament which will enable them satis-
factorily to administer the affairs of the nation. There
`, is one important question on which such reference was
made, namely, on what principles of commercial and
fiscal legislation the interests of the country should be
managed. (Hear, hear.) That question has been a
matter of controversy for many years. All parties agreed
in this, that at the earliest possible moment, this ques-
tion should be finally decided, and upon this question,
without disguising his own opinions, or the opinions of
those who acted with him, he declared in the last session
of Parliament that he should be guided by the sense of
the community at large, as expressed by the returns
which they made to Parliament, and that he should not
• bring forward any measure in accordance with his own
_ views, if he found he was not supported by a large ma-
jority-in the country and in Parliament. And therefore,
whilst he resisted the frequent appeals made to him to
dissolve Parliament, he gave a pledge that the new Par-
liament would be called together before Christmas, with
the view of deciding on what was to be the future finan-
cial and commercial policy of the country ; and accord-
ingly, in pursuance of that pledge, her Majesty's Govern-
ment advised that Parliament should be summoned early
in November for that purpose. He had also given an-
other pledge—namely, that Parliament should be called
together for the purpose of ascertaining its views as to a
particular policy, in order that the ordinary business of
the session might not be interfered with. It was always
unpleasant and mortifying to any one to be obliged to
confess that his opinions were not shared by the great
body of his fellow-countrymen ' • but he would not hesi-
tate to say now, as he had not hesitated to say before,
that the result of the general election was such as to con-
- vine him that a very large number of the constituen-
cies, and of the members returned by them, though de-
sirous upon all other measures to give their support
to her Majesty's Government, were determined not
to assent to any alteration of the existing commercial
system ; and therefore he did not hesitate to advise
her Majesty, in the speech from the Throne, in terms
as explicit as it would be advisable and proper to put
into a speech to be spoken by the Sovereign, that the
principle of unrestricted competition was one to which
the wisdom of Parliament decided that the country
should be subjected. (Hear, hear.) If there was any
ambiguity in the speech of her Majesty it ought to have
been removed by the declarations made by himself in
that house, and by the leader of the House of Commons
in the other house—namely, that whatever they might
have thought the more desirable for the country, they
were ready and willing as frankly and nnreservedly to
act upon that principle of commercial policy as if they
had been the original authors and advisers of it. (Hear,
hear.) He doubted if any language could have been
More explicit, or whether it were possible to give more
satisfactory assurances to those who were apprehensive
of any alteration or tampering with that system. He
went still further, for they resolved not to postpone the
ordinary financial statement to the usual ,time; but, al-
though impressed with a full sense of the disadvantages
arising from imperfect calculations, determined at once
to lay before Parliament and the country the full details
of those financial and commercial measures which they
were prepared to recommend for adoption, and by which
Parliament would be able to judge of the sincerity of
the intentions of the Government and the policy it pro-
posed to pursue. He was rather surprised at the noble
marquis saying that the Government gave notice of a
specific resolution affirmative of their principles. That
was a candid or correct statement. Her Majesty's Go-
vernment gave no such notice. Her Majesty's Govern-
ment were perfectly satisfied to rest quiet till the 26th,
when facts and not words would show the truth and
sincerity of the course they intended to pur-
sue. (Hear, hear.) But another gentleman opposed
to her Majesty's Government, did think it right to
anticipate the Government--did think that the com-
mercial and financial policy of the country could be more
satisfactorily discussed, previous to the financial state-
ment of the Government, by giving notice of an abstract
principle which he intended to submit to Parliament.
So far from the Government having given any notice of
a specific motion, as the noble marquis seemed to think,
they appealed to the hon. gentlemen in the other house,
not that he should withdraw his motion, but that he
would postpone it till the house was put in possession of
the intended measures of the Government. Now with
regard to that resolution it was couched in terms which
made it impossible for the Government, or for those who
supported the Government, to accept it, for it did not
confine itself to a declaration of the policy to be pursued
in future, but contained reflections on the Government,
and expressed opinions with which the framer of the re-
solution must have known that the Government could
not agree. After the declarations of the Government in
both houses of Parliament, he did not think there was
any necessity for a specific resolution on the subject.
But, granted there was, if the hon. gentleman had at
heart the real interest f the country, and the promotion
of the principles he advocated, he should have so framed
his resolution that it would not lead to any unnecessary
division, and would concilitate to its affirmation the
greatest possible majority, if not the whole, of the House
of Commons. (Hear, hear.) But the resolution was
couched in language which made it impossible for the
Government or their supporters to assent to it with
honour or with credit. The resolution did not go fur-
ther -than the affirmation of a principle, and for the
affirmation of a principle it was unnecessary. He
did not know what other views might be in the contem-
plation of those by whom that motion was framed. If
the object was to overthrow the Government before they
had an opportunity of developing or explaining their
policy, he hoped the hon. gentleman who was going
to move that motion, and the various sections into which
the Opposition in the House of Commons was divided,
had well considered the full amount of responsibility
they took on themselves—(hear, hear)—that they had
not merely considered how they could combine the
largest force for the purpose of overturning the Govern-
ment, but had considered, in the interest of the country,
if that Government was overthrown, whether they had
the materials, the concert, the unity, which would be
necessary to form another Government and to preserve
the country from the inconvenience of a Ministerial in-
terregnum. (Hear, hear.) It might be that they had
not the intention to frame a Government themselves, or
to overthrow the Government, but that their intention
was to weaken and discredit the Government by forcing
on their acceptance a resolution which was offensive to.
them and to their supporters ; if that were their inten-
tion, then he had that confidence in the House of Com-
mons and in the country, that they would not sanction
a proceeding so factious, and which, if successful, must
lead to serious difficulties. (Hear, hear.) If it had
been the intention of the Government to offer any pro-
position for the purpose of reversing the system already
established, due notice of such a proposition would have
been given at the earliest period to both houses of Par-
liament. But, on the contrary, both here and in the
other house, the most distinct intimations were made
that it was not the intention of Government to propose
any measure framed in opposition to the established system
—and that our commercial and financial policy was to be
carried on under that system. (Hear, hear.) With
regard to the question put to him by the noble mar-
quis, although they had thought it right to renew
the inquiry on the subject of their Indian territories ; al-
though his noble and learned friend on the woolsack had
submitted a clear and masterly exposition of the great
measures of legal reform to be submitted to Parliament
—although the principle of legal reform had been dealt
with by the introduction of bills in the other house, not
to the purpose of immediate discussion, but for the pur-
Pose of
thon,,haffording time for their due consideration—al-
Gen:raroright hon. and learned friend, the Attorney-
gaged bail r Ireland, was probably at that moment en-
utmost imaiiig before the other house measures of the
the desire oilance to the condition of Ireland, it was not
introduce at th'is
ention of her Majesty's Government to
for the decision of7Usual period of the session, or call
strictly necessary Parliament on, measures, except those
tire fulfilment to theTe Purpose of giving the most en-
was given by the Go ndsrstanding and pledges which
veroreent on the subject. Beyond
the laying of those scherne,
Policy before the house, to
would
wc'fhifichnaitteleaLaviledrnmcommentewrceiarel
pledged, and by which they
not intended to submit any ineaaurest;.vid or fall, it was
consideration of Parliament, nor „Jac's' rertance to the
oillrable that
chpropounce
their lordships 's house would be called
any opinion on any important subject before mizrnas.
(Hear.)
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said that
he
justified in saying that the Government embodi Was
ed their
views in the amendment, of which notice had been given
by them in the other house of Parliament, because it Was
perfectly competent to them either to have accepted the
motion of the hon. gentleman (Mr. Villiers), or to nega.
tive it, or, to avoid discussion, by moving the previous

question. He tho ht that if Parliament were called
together for the purpose of discussing the great question
of rot
p,-.4.4
- and free trade, that it ought to be submitted
otof
pthaei,..consideration of this as well as of the other house
of a
fui menace of Re did not know what effect the dread-
tain that Pa •
free trade should
r"ignation might have, but he was cer-
thatrhament and the country were determined
be dearly, explicitly, and perms-

Cerinetta ..
Lady Flora

Henrietta

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