The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-05 00:00:00

charge now was, that they were so wilfully and perversely
determined to adhere to the present currency system, that
thy would hear of no change in it whatever. Now
he (Mr. Peel) would say upon this occasion, as
, he did when assailed by a contrary charge last Sea-
' sion, that he was ready to abandon his opinions
respecting the currency, to which he was supposed
to be so unalterably pledged, if he could bring him-
self to believe that his so doing would he productive of any
real and permanent benefit to the interests of the country.
—(Hear.)—lt WIN no change on the part of a public man
to recede from the opinions which he had maintained,
when he found others better adapted to the circumstances
of the country. From his (Mr. Peel's experience of public
life, he was never more convinced of any thing than of the
propriety of not binding one's-self to any inveterate opi-
nions respecting matters of this nature.—(Year.)—To
him it appeared much better to act upon the principle
avowed by the Hon. Baronet who proposed the amend-
ment, and to look at every measure solely in reference to
its merits, uninfluenced by the ties of any party, or by any
preconceived opinions on the subject. He was ready to
adopt that principle ; lie should be always ready to aban-
don opinions when proved to be wrong ; and, on the con-
trary, he should always support those which he conceived
to be right. As he said before, he could not see any
change of opinions on the part of a public man in receding
from those which he had hitherto maintained when the
interests of the country called upon him to do so. Now,
with regard to the currency, after the best deliberation
which his Majesty's Ministers could give to the subject,
they were determined to adhere to the present system,
being convinced that if any error had been com-
mitted in establishing that system, we should only be ex-
posed to still greater evils than those we had suffered by
again unsettling the currency of the country._( Hear.)—
Hid Majesty's Ministers were not indifferent to the distress
in the country ; they did not deny that distress did exist,
they were not wanting in sympathy on account of its ex-
istence, nor in a sincere desire for its alleviation ; but at
the same time they were determined to adhere to a cau-
tious policy in dealing with it. He would warn the House
to beware of making rash experiments. It was because
his Majesty's Ministers believed that any rash experiment
with the currency would, while it might possibly give
some immediate benefit, only be productive of more per-
manent evils than those from which we had been relieved,
that they had come to the determination of maintaining
the present system, and exposing themselves to whatever
obloquy might be attached to the course which they had
resolved to pursue.—(Hear, hear.)
Lord ALTHORP commenced by observing, that he
considered the present Administration had done more good
for the country than any other Government that had pre-
ceded it; but, having stated that as his opinion, he at the
same time claimed his right generally to exercise his judg-
ment in reference to any measures which they might intro-
duce, and to object to, or oppose any thing emanating from
them, as he might think proper. He had come down to
the House that evening to hear the Speech from the
Throne, and he could not conceal his surprise at hearing
the assertion contained in it, that distress existed " in
some parts of the united kingdom." His (Lord
Altherp'a) impression was, that the distress existed
generally throughout the country. He should feel great
satisfaction in hearing that he was mistaken in that
opinion ; he should feel still greater if that statement
were proved to be correct.—(Hear.)—The Hon. Baronet's
amendment stated that the distress existed universally.—
His Noble Friend, oho moved the address, stated, in op-
position to the Speech, that the distress was general; and
the Hon. Gentleman who seconded it made a somewhat
similar admission. Until the Chancellor of the Exchequer
rose, no contradiction was given to the statement a. to the
universality of the distress, and he said that it did not exist
in Ireland. But the Hon. Member for Clare stated that
there was distress in Dublin—that he knew distress ex-
isted in Leineter, Connaught, and Munster, and that he
heard it had extended to Ulster. To that assertion no
contradiction had been given by any Hon. Gentleman from
Ireland. He (Lord Althorp) had, therefore, waited
anxiously to hear what the Right Hon. Gentleman oppo-
site had to say, as he hoped lie would produce some facts
to induce hint (Lord Althorp) not to vote, as he was con-
scientiously determined to do, for the amendment. But no
such facts had been stated by the Right Hon. Gentleman;
and under these circumstances be (Lord Althorp) though
unwilling to give a vote that might have the appearance of
joining those who opposed his Majesty's Government fir
carrying a measure that he (Lord Althorp) strongly ap-
proved of, (cries of " No, no," from Sir E. Knatchbull
and others,) he felt it his duty to vote for the amendment.
Mr. W. 'WHITMORE said, that though he believed the
distress general, and whatever reluctance he might have to
adopt the statement in the address on that subject, yet as
he was not prepared to go the length of those who pro-
posed the amendment, he should vote against it.

Lord lIOWICK conceived that the statement in the
Speech and the Address undervalued the distress which he
was cpnvinced extended generally throughout the country.
The facts which the Right Hon. Gent. opposite (Mr.
Peel) had mentioned might be met by the statement which
he believed was the case, that many of the operations of
our internal trade were carried on at a loss. But while he
(Lord Howick) regretted to see such a statement in the
Speech, as he knew that the distress was general, be could
not concur is the amendment proposed by the Hon. Baro-
net. He was anxious to wait to see what would be done
by the Government. He eondamned the system of refer-
ring to a Committee, consisting of twenty.tbree gentlemen
of that House, the task of examining into every branch of
our enormcaus establishments. It was in his opinion absurd
and likely to end as it had ended, in disappointment.
Lord F. LEVESON GOWER contended that the
terms of his Majesty's Srech had not been treated fairly
in the amendment proposed by the Hop. Baronet. In his
opinion the terms of his Majesty's Speech, as far as they
had reference to Ireland, were even more logically true
than the terms of the Hon. Baronet's amendment. He
thought too that unjust advantage had been taken of the
81)4 ph of his Right Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the
Exchequer. His Right Hon. Friend bad not said that
there was no distress in Ireland. He should like to see
the man who would venture to say that there ever bad
been a period from the time of Bishop Boulter, down to
the present, in which no distress existed in Ireland.—
!Hear, hear.)—lf he had understood his Right lion.
Friend rightly, he had only spoken of the non-existence
of distress aruoug the agricultural classes in Ireland. It
was likewise true that distress existed among the manufac-
turing population of the liberty—hut when had it been
otherwise since the days of Lord Chesterfield ? The Noble
Member for Northamptonshire said that no Gentleman
from Ireland had risen to deny the universality of distress
in bean& He would not take upon himself to say that
there was no distress in that country ; but he would take
upon himself to deny that it was universal. In refe-
rence to the complaint which had been nude, that there
wee, in the Royal Speech, an oinission of all opinion re-
speeng the existing state of Ireland, he had only to say,
that, in his epinicn, there was in that Royal silence more
eloquence than if his Majesty had entered into a lengthened
discussion of the benefits wisii4 had been derived. far be-
yond all expectation, from the measure of last Session.—
(aeers.)—To that measure the country owed this ad-
Vantao, that if distress did exist in Ireland, it was distress
without time i.ndral evils, and disquietudes which had too
often previously etttlis:44 it.—(Hear, hear.) Whatever
might be the event of this motipn, which was evidently
made with the intention of unseating the Government, in
Plfice or out of office, it would always be to him a consola-
tion to have lent his feeble aid to a measure which had
been attendesl with such complete success —(Hear, hear.)
Mr. W. SMITH *id, that it was his intention to
support the 01 iginal Address ; though he was of opinion that
the distress of the country was more general than any one
wintild imagine from reading the words of the Royal
SPoeclis athich stated it to be confined to some parts of the
United Kingsium. He opposed the Amendment, because
it found verbal fault wit:it,. tbe Address, in order to displace
an Administration, for which this movers of the Amend-
ment wished to substitute another no.: pear so advan-
tageous to the country.—(Hear, bear.) Ile c,-,,uld not
separate this Session from the last ; and considering the
unmeasured warmth and violence with which some Gen-
t'emen had then attacked the Ministry, and tile course
which they were now attain pursuing for the Attainment of
the aat.e.,-.e ,object, he could not help marvelling how it was
that they bed 4.0 t cooled themselves a little down during
their residence itt tits gauntry. With respect to the dis-
tress in Ireland he had only mae word to say. When the
measure of Catholic relief, of which he had always
Leer. sincere supporter, was under discussino, it was
repestreil, " Will it he a panacea for all their evils?"
He had never auFe-osad that generations and ages of bad
government, and all the e,7iia which they had necessarily
Produced, could be cured by it hotanily, or even in a
.single year. The advantage of that tneastwe was that
with all the distress of England pressing upon us We had
not the disquiet and discontent of Ireland to contend with,
—(Hear, hear )—lt was his intention on the present occa-
sion to support the Ministry. jt- giving this vote in their
favour prevented him from giving his a-ote in favour of any
one measure of reform or retrenchment. he woold rather
cut off his band than give it; but hoping to vote for re-
duction to the utmost in elap course of the present Session,
he still felt himself at liberty to vote iii layout. of Ministers
against a proposition which made a covert and not a direct
attack upon their conduct.
Mr. IMPMAY supported the Address, because he