The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-17 00:00:00

0!e misrule which at present existed, and they v,Toild
gre!,,t
t
Trade, winch regulated the commercial affairs of hits
country, regulated also those of the colonies, and that
he would leave it as it stood, as well as the protective
power which Parliament was sometimes called upon to
exercise towards the colonists. For although it might
be slid that the Colonial-office could he informed of
hese through the Governors of their respective colonies,
y,4 where Governors were not appointed by the colo-
I iists, and it was only at times that such comp!aints were
listened to; and even when they were, they were put in
the hands of the favourite clerk in the Colonial-office,
to brush up in the garb which most favoured the opi-
nions of the Coknial-office respecting them. It was
not always that their colonies wore so neglected, and
it was to take the management of the inquiry into
these evils they complained of out of the hands of in-
terested parties, that he would support the motion be-
fore the House.

Sir WM. MOLESWORTH said he would not long
detain the House. The question before the House di-
vided itself into two parts—namely, whether an inquiry
into their colonial policy was necessary? and if so, by
whom ought that inquiry to be made, so as to derive
the most important benefits from it? The Hon. Gen
&man, the Under-Secretary for the Colonies, said that
there was no case for inquiry, that the colonial policy
of this country was perfect, and that nothing could be
better than the conduct of the colonial government. It
was, however, strange that none of those who bad ful-
-1 lowed him in the debate had gone so far in that respect
as had the Hon. Gentleman; for all those who had spoken
had admitted that there were evils connected with their
colonial policy. There was, besides, a growing convic-
tion throughout the country that there were great errors
in their colonial policy, and that great reliance was not
to be placed in the Colonial-office for the remedy-
ing of them. To show that there were good grounds for
the latter opinion, it was only necessary to refer to the
most prominent and important events which had taken
place in the colonies within the last ten or fifteen years.
—(Hear.) In the first place take North America. In
the course of that time there had been there a bitter war
of races, two rebellious suppressed at an immense cost,
and now there was a repetition of that war of races, for-
merly so disastrons to the colony. In the West Indies
various disasters had taken place, and in Jamaica and
British Guiana the supplies were stopped, and all go-
vernment was in abeyance. In St. Lucia there had been
insurrection, and throughout the whole sugar colonies a
state of things the most unprosperous had prevailed. In
South Africa matters were in no better state. There
had been perpetual feuds amongst the native
chiefs—two wars had taken place, suppressed
with lavish expenditure—three insurrections of
the Boers, while a vast empire had been added to
(heir possessions there, inhabited by wild beasts and
wilder savages. In Ceylon disturbances of a serious
nature had taken place. The finances of the colony
were in disorder, taxes of a grievous and vexatious na-
ture had been imposed, and military executions of the
most barbarous kind had taken place—(Hear, hear)—
while, in Australasia and New Zealand discontents to a
great extent had prevailed. Some of these events had
taken place during last year, such as the war of races in
Canada, the stoppages of the supplies in Jamaica and
British Guiana, the war at the Cape of Good Hope,
and the insurrection at Ceylon. All the others had
taken place within the last fourteen or fifteen years;
and in the course of that time there had been expended
on those colonies sixty millions sterling, while
for that sum they might have conveyed three millions
of emigrants to Australia, and twice that number to
America, and by that means rendered those colonies be-
neficial to this country. As it was, they were in the
worst possible condition, for the whole of the exports
prom this country to the colonies did not much exceed
that to the United States of America. Their colonial
policy had, therefore, been unsatisfactory, and conducted
with a lavish expenditure; and he contended that all the
errors which existed in that policy arose, not in conse-
quence of the of the colonists to this country, but
from a want of knowledge of the principles on which co-
onial government ought to be carried on. So far, then,
he considered inquiry most necessary. He thought,
qowever, that such would be best instituted by a Com-
mission appointed for the purpose, but, as he believed
that the Committee moved for would see the necessity of
such Commission, and call upon the house to appoint it,
he would support the motion of the Hon. Member for
Berwicksh ire.

11,jor BLACKALL could not help thinking that.
however much the colonies might be said to suffer from
the Colonial-office, they would suffer much more were
they entirely under the management of that House,
were he to judge from the opinions he had heard ex-
pressed by those who had spoken on the subject. He
had always thought that the great argument of the Hon.
Baronet was to give the colonies a government of their
own; but in Canada, where such was done, the Hon.
Baronet had admitted that the war of races had again
commenced. He considered that if they wished to
attach their colonies to this country they must do so
either by fears or by interest.(Hear, hear.) Were
they doing so by interest just now ? It was said
that just now the colonists were dissatified with the
tree-trade measure of this country, but if there was
4 complaint on that head, it was that their colonists
were not allowed to act on the principle of free trade, for
while the colonists were not allowed to employ free
labour themselves, they were put in competition with
those who did so, and therefore were placed in an unfair
position. The Hon. Baronet had referred to the dis-
turbances which had taken place at Ceylon; but these
were not caused by any act of the Colonial-office; and
as to the expense of the colonies, in the colony of Cey-
lon, the one referred to, which was as large as Ireland,
there was only two regiments, and that surely was not
too large a military establishment for such a colony.
If there had not been such there what would have been
the case during the late disturbances?—(Hear, hear.)
Fault was found with Lord Torrington for the manner
in which he acted there ; but he could state
that the number of taxes reduced or repealed
on useful articles of consumption by that Noble Lord
had been of the greatest benefits to the colony, and he
gave him also great credit for the manner in which he
quelled the late rebellion, which had it been allowed to
proceed, would have ruined every interest in the colony.
One observation that fell from the Honourable Gentle-
man the Secretary for the Colonies was especially de-
serving of attention. The Honourable Gentleman said
that colonies which had representative assemblies had
likewise the entire control over their funds. Now that
was so far from being true, that that very matter was
precisely the greatest matter of complaint that came
home to them not only from the West Indies, but from
Australia. After considering the answer of the Hon.
Gentleman on the other topics to which he had adverted,
he was still of opinion that this Committee of Inquiry
should be appointed_ _ _

The Hou.sO then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion
Against it
Majority against —47
REMOVAL OF SMITHFIELD-MARKET.
Mr. MACKINNON moved that the following Hon.
Members be appointed to serve on the Select Commit: ee
to inquire as to the necessity of the removal of Smith-
field-market to some more convenient site, containing
not less than twelve acres:—Lord Robert Grosvenor,
Viscount Mahon, Mr. Bramston, Mr. Alderman Cope-
land, Mr. Masterman, Mr. William Miles, Mr. Yorke,
Mr. Stafford, Mr. Pugh, Mr. Mackinnon, Sir Edmund
Filmer, Mr. Cornewall Lewis, Sir Charles Douglas, Mr.
Childers, and Mr. Christopher.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that as the terms of
this motion assumed that the House had voted the re-
moval of the market, he should recommend the Hon.
Member to postpone it for another night, when they
would have an opportunity of discussing the merits of
the question, and of considering the way in which the
different interests connected with it might be affected.
Moreover, as the Government had given up the night to
the discussion of the motion on the colonies, he hoped
the Hon. Member opposite would not allow his motion
to stand in the way of their going into Supply.
Mr. MACKINNON explained that he had originally
drawn up the motion in terms which would answer the
intention of the Noble Lord, but that on the suggestion
of the Hon. Member behind him, the Member for Lon
don. he had altered it to the form in which it now stood.

Mr. MASTERMAN said, that as the Hon. Member
near him had alluded to his name, he would state that his
constituents were not desirous of shrinking !rum an in-
quiry, but did not wish to have the question prejudged.
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY said that if it were a com-
plaint that Smithfield was a nuisance, it should be re-
membered that it had only become so in the course of
time. The citizens of London said, that if it was the
pleasure of the Legislature to pass an Act of Parliament
compulsory upon them to close the market, then it was
well that the [louse should know that they would have
a considerable sum of money to redeem, for the destruc-
tion of the various interests connected with the locality.
The citizens, however, did not object to an inquiry, but
the inquiry should not be taken as settled.
The galleries were then cleared for a division, but the
motion was agreed to without a division.
TAXATION IN VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.
Mr. ANSTEY moved for a humble addre:;s to her
Majesty, on the subject of certiin illegal ordinances or
acts of Council for the taxation of the people of Van
Diemen's Land, the attempts of Lieutenant Governor
Sir William Denison to intimidate the Judges of the
Supreme Court of that island into declaring such ordi-
nances or acts to be legal, and the grievances com-
plained of by the colonists of that island in their petition
presented last year to her Majesty, and printed by order
of this House ; and that her Majesty may be pleased to
direct the local authorities in future to respect the inde-
pendence of the judicial functions
)n(ctfioannsyoofrtdhiantaencoeurotr,
actand also
O
to signify her disallowance
sub-
sequently passed by thesiallega
said Lieutenant
ee
ieourtdeinoaanotGs or
acts
Governor in
Council, for giving to such the
Member e
mber rose to second
division.aconolud
concluded by stating
tfohractehoef shouldlaw Tprheesshis [lon.
motion
to
ensued, but no Hon. i
theAnapuoatiosne.
jAounrHll.oN. MEMBER then moved that the House do now
ad
Mr. HAWES said that he wished a-
to make some e
nation which he believed would be satisfactory,
would be ngainst the rules of the House, xpl
but it
Mr. DUNCAN said if the Hon. Gentleman (Mr.
ii,io
a,twen.s) wished to reply he should have seconded the
m
The House then adjourned at Twelve o'clock.

FOREIGN HORSES.—lmportations of horses are at
present taking place, not ordy from Holland and Bel-
2-ium, but also from France and the Hanseatic States.
The vessel Venezuela, just arrived from Havre, has
brought twelve horses, individually addressed, of French
production; the Princess Victoria, from Antwerp, has
brought fifteen horses of Belgian growth, consigned
to order, besides the large number of sixty-tour
calves; and an arrival of horses has also just taken place
by a steamer from Hamburgh, consigned to a dealer in
the metropolis.