The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-16 00:00:00

THE SUN,

if a motion of that kind had been sanctioned by the House
of Commons, and if a change of Government had immedi-
ately occurred, I admit there would have been some ground
for the Hon. and Learned Gentleman-whether it was in our
power or not to take these steps to which he referred-put-
ting the question, and that it would have been absolutely
necessary that I should be called upon to announce the policy
which we were prepared to propose.-(Hear, hear.) But I
ask the House if that was the case ?-(Hear.) Why are we
sitting on this side of the table to take a different course of
policy from that which we asserted on the other side of the
House ?- (Oh, oh, and cheers.) That certainly is not open
to us; but it is our duty here to adhere to the principles
which, after experience and reflection, we had adopted as
the rule of our conduct in this Parliament-that we would
not call upon the present Parliament in any way to alter the
commercial policy which it had adopted.-(Cheers, and a
laugh.) I put it with confidence to all candid men if there
is not a clear distinction between a party obtaining power
by the profession of what we in common parlance call a
protective policy and finding themselves in office, and a
party who in opposition deprecated discussion of that
policy, however they might have felt that the time might
come when the , House of Commons would be induced to
adopt a policy contrary to that which in times past it had
pursued.__( Hear, hear.) I ask the House to acknowledge
no more than that which any candid man would say is a
perfectly fair position.-(Hear, hear.) That being the case,
I think it is preposterous to suppose that instantly a change
of Government takes place we shall be called upon in the
House of Commons to announce the measures which we
think should be introduced. Bat lam not disposed to take
advantage of what may be considered a very limited and
partial view of our position, in order to avoid the fullest dis-
cussion of our present circumstances. I will answer the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman without any reserve whatever.
- (Hear, hear.) The Honourable and Learned Gentleman
says that our not announcing at this moment a statement in
detail as to the measures which we think necessary occasions
distrust and uncertainty in the country. But surely it does
not occasion greater uncertainty than did our position in Par-
liament before.-(" Oh, oh r' from the Opposition benches,
and Ministerial cheers.) There was in opposition a powerful
party, who felt necessarily and strongly that till this ques-
tion was put fairly before the country, they never would be
satisfied.-(Cries of " Hear, hear.") There was a powerful
party in both Houses who said that till a verdict was given
at; a general election they would not be content, and there-
fore the question was still unsettled and uncertain.-(Hear.)
There was the same uncertainty, and we may depend upon
it that in a country like this no settlement of a question
can be satisfactory till the vast majority of the population
are convinced thai it is a safe and a sound one.-(Hear,
hear.) I think that what has taken place is, in fact, rather
tending to decrease the uncertainty, because it is a change
which hastens that very verdict to which we all look. If
we had been in opposition, it might have been postponed for
a period much longer than in all probability it will now be;
so that argument of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman com-
pletely falls to the ground.-(Hear, hear.) But the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman asks me to tell him whether, in
another Parliament, we shall be prepared to propose a fixed
duty, according to his own figures, of ss. upon corn.-(" No,
no.") That is the question, as I understand it.--(" No,
no.") If it is not, I shall be glad to know what the real
question is.
Mr. VILLIERS-The question I put was, whether the
Government intended to propose any scheme of commercial
or fiscal legislation before the dissolution of Parliament in
such a way that the question of the principle of protection or
a duty on corn should be submitted to the deliberate judg-
ment of the electors.-(Hear, hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER--That is a
mere Parliamentary periphrasis of what I said somewhat
more simply.-(A laugh.) Well, then, I say it is not the
intention of the Government to do anything of the kind-
(Cheers and counter cheera)-I only express my own feeling
and that of my colleagues when I say we believe that very
great injustice was done to the agricultural and other inte-
rests in the changes that toek place in 1846 and afterwards
in 1848 and 1849-(Hear, hear)-and that we are extremely
desirous, for the benefit of all classes of the community,
that the injustice should be redressed.-(Hear.) We think
that it would be our duty to consider the condition of the
agricultural interest-and I take that interest in particular
because it is the one most prominently referred to in the
observations made by the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, not
because I wish to confine my observations to it alone -we
think it would be our duty to consider the condition of that
interest, and to propose those measures which, in our
opinion, are mast calculated to redress the grievances
under which it suffers.-(Cheers.) But we are not pledged
to any measure.-(Laughter from the Opposition benches,
and Ministerial cheers.) I think it would be entirely
out of character to say, that in a new Parliament we
should be bound to bring in a certain specific in order to re-
dress those grievances, or to propose the measure indi-
cated by the floe. and Learned Gentleman-a ss, fixed duty.
-(Hear, hear. H ) lam not at all clear, sharing as I do the
opinion of the on. and Learned Gentleman as to the little
effect which it has in raising prices, that that is a measure
which is by any means one I may think it our duty to re-
commend.-(Hear, hear.) But I say frankly to the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman, that in considering the fiscal ar-
rangements of this country, Ido not-I will not-to gain
any popularity or to avoid any blustering, give it as my
opinion that a duty such as he describes is one which any
Minister under any circumstances ought to propose.-
(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) I think the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman and his friends haYe so far succeeded by
their agitation-not their present agitation, which I believe
to be very harmless, but by former agitation-to invest the
proposition with such an amount of prejudice that, though I
may consider such a proposition a good one, 1 may not
think it expedient to adopt it.-(Cries of "Hear, hear.")
I know there is a great desire on the part of gentlemen
opposite that there .should be a proposition for a fixed
duty.-(Hear, and laughter.) I regret, for their sakes,
that I cannot give a promise to make any proposition of
the kind. What I intend to do, with the assistance and
consent of my colleagues, is to redress the grievances of the
agricultural interest ; and we reserve to ourselves the right of
considering what may be the best means by which that
great object can be attained.-( Hear, hear.) I think that,sin
consequence of the prejudice with which the proposition for
a fixed duty on wheat-such, for example, as the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman has referred to-has been invested, it
would be very unwise for any Minister to make it before the
verdict of the country had been pronounced with regard to it.
-(Hear.) That verdict will in all probability be speedily
given. That question will then be decided. But a ques-
tion of a redress of the just grievances of any interest in this
country will not be settled by a verdict of that nature.-
(Hear, hear.) That is a great subject, and it is for the Go-
vernment to consider those measures which they conscien-
tiously believe will best attain the object they frankly an-
nounce it is their intention to accomplish.-(Hear, hear.)
I hope I have answered the inquiry of the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman.-(" No, no," and laughter from the Op-
position benches.) I understood the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman, when he was so kind as to interrupt me, to say
that his main inquiry of her Majesty's Government was,
whether it was their intention to propose any fiscal arrange-
ments affecting our commercial system before a dissolution of
Parliament, so that the opinion of the country might be
taken on the point. Nothing is further from my wish than
to misrepr4ent him. I understood that to be his question,
and I thought I had answered very frankly that it was not
the intention of the Government to do so. I am totally at
a loss to understand the derisive cheer of the gentlemen op-
posite.-(Hear, hear.) I went even further, I assumed that
the Hen. and Learned Gentleman would wish to know the
feeling of the Ministry on the question of a moderate fixed
duty ; and if we, either in this or the next Parliament meant
to propose it. I was not bound, if I had adhered strictly to
the tenour of the inquiry, to state the facts I did, but I an-
swered that. I told the Hon. and Learned Gentleman that
neither in this er the next Parliament did her Majesty's
Ministers consider themselves bound to make any such pro-
position whatever. Have I not frankly answered the question ?
-(Cheers, and counter cheers.) lam totally at a loss then
to understand the derisive cheer opposite; but I can
only explain it in this manner, that I do not think my an-
swer to the inquiry was so agreeable as Hon. Gentlemen op-
posite would have liked it to be.--(A laugh.) I also told
the Hon. and Learned Gentleman that we did think our-
selves bound to give a just redress of the grievances under
which the great productive interest of agriculture suffers,
and that we would consider, if we had the, opportunity, in a
new Parliament, the means which we thought best calcu-
lated to accomplish the end we desired.-(Hear, hear.) I
have recapitulated the answers I gave to the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman, in order that there should be no mis-
take whatever in their purport or meaning.-(Hear, hear.)
I am aware the Government is placed in some difficulties,
but they are difficulties which, as we did not seek them, so
we will not shrink from them.-(Cheers.) I am told, though
I know not on what authority, that there has been on the
part of the new Government an ad ndsericordiam appeal to
the House of Commons. lam not aware of it. I have not
sanctioned it. I have not made it, nor have any of my
colleagues. Let the blow be where or how, we shall do our
best to encounter it. What we ask is, not fair play for the
Government, but fair play for the csuntry.-(Cheers.) It is
our intention to carry on the affairs of the country, notwith-
standing the difficulties which we acknowledge to exist, to
the best of our ability. There are, as all gentlemen must
know, measures of an exigency which cannot be neglected ;
and in my opinion there are some measures not of s'.) formal
a character, but not of a less important nature, that I th nk
ought to be passed. But if Gentlemen opposite suppose that,
so far as we are personally concerned, we have any wish un-
necessarily to prolong the present state of affairs, they in-
dulge a very great mistake. I shall, however, mention some
measures that I think should be introduced without delay,-
not merely those vOtes,for the public service, that all will
join in granting us-not merely the Mutiny Bill, which
no one, I think-though I have. .heard some strange
rumours-is prepared tooppoise-(Cries of "-Hear, hear ")-
but there are three measures with regard to which, on the
part of the Government, the greatest efforts, will be exerted
to secure their speedy passing. Those three measures I shall
deem it my duty earnestly to press out the attention of the
sense al' Commons. One of them is'the disfranehisement
of St- Albans-(A laugh)-which my Right Hon- Friend
Ih nessr sae
.mtuttistated the oter night would be proCeeded with.
earliest ta/ with this aria ter; beg to say I shall take the
House), with
venimeilintaa* of expressing, on the part of the Go-
t intentions are, if supported ,by the
which, in ease reepeat to the distribution 'of the four seats
(Hear, heir.) Myat Bill paases, will be at Our iiispOsal.-
I,T?itiion is that it'is of the griitterst-im-
is diasoWeel, to' have the num-
portance, laefere
ber of seats comple4,arna
one of very great from., Rear, bear.). The next cineation,
._m ission
thid it maii"): mariner jll which. thati.ques-
I think it is possible, fthill,_ce, is that of Chancery , reform.
, hear.) lc ere
ter sqed than has carriedgenerit
attencled measures of that
through with much
gktii;ne)naiLi-s (Plaeeae-d: 00., • !'ou the table of the Horne
Ith which Gentlemen
. may. state - thoare
familiar. I et course I am-
give every credit "11.' 'to eur
ready to
the report . of s
the recomniendatien,
, PrecliCes6i.e. for
a desire to act on
d manner as etteseivlfiti.hit Con:imiesion
in the same unreserve
be no unffiiiided—'ametill tiOund
to say; that there may
that we have sounlarige' of del4
the subject,no Bill of the
against us on
and have;
kind by the late Government, therefore found
in the matter. Nevertheless,
nothing to assist us
heads of a Bill, • the Lord
Chancellor has drawn up the And instruction
the Bill itself. It will be- 3
. have been given to frame
its progress intro-
duced into the other House, by which
will be
I hope that, notwith-
standing facilitaeed, and, therefore,
measure of Chancery standing what has occurred, a good
I believe it a
unneces-
reform will be carried.-(Cheers•)
0 unreservedly upon sary for me to say that the Bill will g
nn (Hee , hea
the recommendations of the Commissi'-' ar L'
There is a third measure which we feel it our duty tobring
forward on the earliest possible day public business will
allow, and that is 'a measure for the internal defence of the
country.-(Cheers.) These are the three measures which,
whatever may be their fate in Parliament, will be speedily I
and immediately submitted to its consideration ; and
trust we shall be permitted to carry them through.-
(Hear.) I should now sit down, did I not feel that I have
a duty to perform to her Majesty's Ministers. The Opposi-
tion has very frankly inquired what are the principles upon
which the Administration is formed. There is a subject
scarcely second to that in importance in this country, and
that is the' principle, ,on which her Majesty's
Opposition' is for Med- (Great- cheering) I. hope,
therefore, I may be Permitted to take this opportu-
nity of making that inquiry.-CCheerao I have bean some-
what. surprised, reading lout aI2I informed is an anthnri.

...) bincr ci

a ;) i

ItJJU