The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-24 00:00:00

who attended to what occurred, which the Hon. Member
for Buckinghamshire did not; of his neglectl make no
complaint—but he did not attend. Now, I appeal to
those who were present, to say if I did not most dis-
tiuctly state that I should exercise tny own discretion as
to the conduct of this proposition in Committee, and my
reason was that I felt unwilling to vindicate the argu-
mentative superiority of my proposition at the risk of
hazard to the great interest on behalf of which it had been
made. I had no desire to see the plan of the Govern.'
mentrejected, if the effect of that rejection should be the
continuance of the present law. I conceive that the
general plan of the Government may prove an important
benefit, and I never intended to express the slightest
difference from them. In proof of this, I can call some
witnesses. I can call the Honourable Gentleman himself
as a witness, and I can ask him if he had not thought
the course which I am now taking favourable to rey,
purposes and unfavourable to his, whether I should have
to endure the sarcasms which he has launched against
me, and which I assure him are borne with perfect good
humour ? I appeal, then, from his present displeasure
to his better judgment, and I look confidently to itlf
being admitted that it was not injudicious and not unbe•
coming in me, who conscientiously differ from him to
pursue the course in which I have been engaged, or le
expressing a belief that our recent legislation, so far
from being amongst the causes of our distress, may prove
the means of alleviation, and that, under the mercy of
God, we may soon witness the mitigation of that distress
amidst which, I think, we may now discern the dawning
of a day of returning prosperity.—(Hear.)
Mr. LABOUCHERE—The Hon. Gentleman the
Member for Buckinghamshire began to address this
Committee under circumstances of a very unusual chat
meter. I will engage to say that no circumstanced
halt so novel have come under the notice of this!
House for some time. At the close of a long discussion
in Committee on the Bill he intimated a desire to motet
that you report progress, and then he took advantage of
an interval which arose for the purpose of raising all
possible topics, and attacking all persons whatever.--
(Hear, hear.) I confess it occasioned in my mind no
small surprise at finding him so much more ready than
usual to take a part in this debate. I should her"
thought he would probably have preferred to secure the
opportunity of a few hours in which to polish his per
riods and arrange his sarcasms—(Cries of " Oh, oh,"
and "Hear, hear")—and that he would not, at the prey
sent stage of this proceeding, have adopted the unprecee
dented course of attacking the Right Hon. Gentleman
who had just sat down. As to the observations which he
made upon the Government, I have no wish to occupy the
time of the House in replying to them, although he
taunted me with the alterations which I have found it
necessary to make since the introduction of the Bill.
There certainly has been a change in one important pare
ticular, the coasting trade, but I will here only say that
if he, being a Minister—no very improbable event, con-
sidering his great talents—should hereafter find it necese
sary to propose to Parliament an extensive and impor-
tant measure of legislation, he may, in proposing and
defending it in this House, think himself very fortunate;
and he will by no means fare ill if he be not called upon
to propose any greater alteration than it has been dour
duty to submit to the House. I hardly ever remembers
subject involving topics of such great variety and diffie
culty in which it has been the duty of the Government
to propose fewer and less extensive changes—scarcely
any measure has received less of alteration. I can as-
sure the Hon. Gentleman that it was not in a spirit of
levity, as he supposes, that this measure was brought fore
ward by her Majesty's Government. We well knew the
difficulties of the task we were undertaking; but we
felt, also, that with regard to the most important in-
terests of the country, it was our bounden duty to face
those difficulties, to lay the measure fairly before Par':
liament and the country, and to do what we could to
carry the measure to a safe and satisfactory conclusion.
In that course we shall persevere, undeterred by.thfit
taunts which the Hon. Gentleman has thought it right
to make upon this occasion.—(Cheers.) I will not, IA
this late hour, advert to the other topics to which the
Hon. Gentleman referred. There is only one °the
J.
point on which I feel bound to say one word. 40,
stated that he thought I had not acted fairly in mentions
ing the name of Sir T. Fremantle to the House. J.
should be sorry to have it thought that I had acted un't
fairly towards an individual of so much respectability's:
intelligence, and public spirit as the gentleman in quest
thin. I fully admit that the entire responsibility of thi
first adoption and subsequent withdrawal of the,
clauses referred to belongs exclusively to her Mr(
jesty's Government; and I only mentioned the fade;
which had occurred with the full consent of Sir T. Fre7-‘
mantle, in order to show the more clearly how the matter
stood.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. HERRIES asked whether the Government .11'"
tended that the House should go into Committee on tnn
navigation-laws again on Monday, in preference to going
on with the rate-in-aid question?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied
that they proposed to take the Mutiny Bill first on Mon;
day, then the Committee on the navigation-laws, and ik
that was over in a reasonable time, he proposed thenta
go on with the rate-in-aid question.
The House then resumed, the CHAIRMAN reported
progress, and obtained leave to sit again on Monday.
The Larceny Acts Amendment Bill went through ,
Committee, and was reported.
The Recovery of Wages (Ireland) Bill, and the Pro--
tection of Justices (Ireland) Bill, were respectively reed
a third time and passed.
On the motion of Mr. BOUVERIE, the following Gen..
tlemen were appointed a Select Committee on the Clergy
Relief Bill :—Mr. Bouverie, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Stafford,
Sir W. Clay, Mr. Lacy, Mr. Headlam, Mr. Roundell
Palmer, Mr. Peel, and Mr. Horsman.
On the motion of Mr. E WART, the following Gen-
tlemen were appointed a Select Committee on Publid
Libraries :—Viscount Ebrington, Mr. Disraeli, Sir Harry
Verney, Mr. Charteris, Mr. Banbury, Mr. G. A. Hamil-
ton, Mr. Brotherton, Mr. Milnes, the Lord-Advoeate;
Mr. Goulburn, Mr. Thicknesse, Mr. Mackinnon, fdrf
Kershaw, Mr. Cardwell. and Mr. Ewell.
On the motion of Mr. H. DRUMMOND, the folio*"
ing Gentlemen were appointed a Select Committee on
the Real Property Transfer Bill:—Mr. Armstrong, WI.
Cayley, Mr. Wood, Mr. Wilson Patten, Mr. Solicitor..
General, Mr. Adderley, Mr. Headlam, Mr. Roundel!
Palmer, Sir John Pakington, the Earl of Arundel ana',
Surrey, Mr. Christopher, Mr. William Miles, Mr. Row
verie, Mr. Drummond, and Mr. Stuart Wortley.
Lord NUGENT gave notice, that on an early daY
after Easter he would move that a Committee be sr
pointed to consider the question of charging the male"-
tenance of the destitute poor upon the general revenues
of the country.
The House adjourned at ten minutes to One o'clock.