The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-06 00:00:00

HENRY was happy to have it in his power to in-
I form the House that the manufacturing interest was at
present in a state of considerable prosperity. He was
connected with manufacturing establishments in Glas-
gow, Yorkshire, Belfast, and other places, and was also
a considerable exporter, and therefore could speak upon
this point with some degree of experience.—(clear.)
The evidences of the fact were unmistakeable, and any
person who would take the trouble to make inquiry upon
the subject must ascertain that a course of prosperity was
dawning upon the manufacturing interest.
Mr. HUME said it appeared from the confession of
the Hen. Member for Essex that the country gentlemen
had supported large establishments, and that without
their aid the Government could not have maintained
them. That fact would not be lost upon the country.
The country gentlemen who had taken part in the pre-
sent discussion had not explained how Ministers could
serve the tenant •farmer unless by reducing the expendi-
ture to the lowest rate at which the Government of the
country could possibly be carried on. It was his opinion
that matters were assuming a better aspect in the manu•
lecturing districts, and for that reason he would assent
to the 11 th paragraph of the Address; but he could
not admit that the Speech from the Throne was alto-
gether satisfactory. He concurred with the Honourable
Member for Surrey in thinking that the Speech should
either be treated as a document unworthy of notice, or
should contain a plain and honest exposition of what
Ministers intended to do in the course of the session.
The debate on the first night of the session turned
chiefly on foreign policy, almost to the exclusion of
all consideration of domestic affairs. The Noble Lord
at the head of foreign affairs made a dexterous reply,
from which it appeared that England had assumed
the character of police-officer to the whole world, and
that whenever a king quarrelled with his subjects we
were to step in and put matters to rights.—(Hear, hear.)
He begged to remind the House that in the course of
last session several hundred petitions were presented
praying for economy, together with other petitions,
signed by 2,500,000 persons, praying for a reform of the
llouse of Commons. There was also a paragraph de-
ploring the insurrection in Ireland, and desiring a con-
tinuance of the powers that now existed for the preser-
vation of peace in that country. In the present condition
of Ireland he would not object to that continuance; for,
in a time of great difficulty, the Noble Lord who had had
those extraordinary powers confided to him had exercised
them with great discretion aed judgment. He' hought,
however, that they ought not to be continued longer than
was absolutely necessary, and that the Government
ought to apply itself to the prevention of their neces-
sity in future. Now, with regard to England; was it
not the demand for reform that rendered her unquiet last
year? and were they now to shrink from inquiry into
the revenue, or to refuse relief from the burdens of tax-
ation? Yet the Speech said nothing of the kind. It
spoke of reductions in the different establishments, which
ho supposed meant bringing them within the income; but
no notice whatever was taken of the revision:of taxation,
although that had been promised at the time the income-
tax was passed. Petitions had been presented last year
for an increased representation of the people. Now, he
found that in Canada, where the responsibility of self-
government existed, Lord Elgin had conducted affairs
with great satisfaction to the people, and on the 18th of
January, in his Speech to the Assembly, he said he was
disposed to believe that an increase in the representation
would be attended with considerable advantage, and he
recommended that subject to their best consideration.
And why did he do so? Because last year there were
petitions from all parts of the country callling for
a change. He admitted that it was gratifying
on the 10th of April last to see all the respec-
table classes standing forward for the preservation of
order; but what led to it ?—The demand for change by
the working classes. He believed, however, that much
more had been made of that than it deserved, and that
advantage was taken of it to increase the military and
naval establishments. But he would admit that it the
Government refused all concessions as regarded the re-
presentation of the country they must be prepared by
force to keep down the spirit of the people. There was
only one other point that he would notice—that in the
Speech the state of the colonies was entirely overlooked.
There was an allusion to the rebellion in the Punjaub,
but none to the rebellion at Ceylon or at the Cape of
Good Hope—(Hear, hear)—and when ho reflected that
in these two rebellions more lives were lost than in the
insurrection in Ireland, he thought that the omission
must have been made to cover the misconduct which
led to them. To the tenth paragraph of the Address
(which was to this effect—" That, whilst rejoicing
that the insurrection in Ireland has not been renewed,
we unite with her Majesty in deploring the ex-
istence of a spirit of disaffection; and that our serious
consideration will be devoted to the intimation of her
elajesty, that her Majesty is compelled with regret to
ask for a continuance, fur a limited time, of those powers
which in the last session were deemed by Parliament to
be necessary for the preservation of the public tran-
quillity"), therefore he should propose to add the fol-
losing words:—" And we assure your Majesty that we
shall, without delay, direct our serious attention to the
consideration of the rebellions which have unhappily
occurred in the course of last year in Ceylon and at the
Cape of Good Hope, in order. to ascertain the extent us
well as the causes of such rebellions; and we shall also
endeavour to ascertain the causes of the distress and dis-
content that exists in British Guiana, the Mauritius, and
other places." And to the next paragraph (which was
as follows:—"That we most sincerely share with her
Majesty the satisfaction which her Majesty feels at the
revival of commerce from those shocks which at the
sommoucsment of last session were to be deplored;
that we learn with gratification that the condition of
the manufacturing districts is likewise more en
couraging than it has been for a considerable period,
and that the state of the revenue is one of pro-
eressive improvement"), he should propose to add an
amendment, alluding to the unequal pressure of taxa-
tion, the extension of the franchise, and, what he con-
sidere I most important, the reform of that House. He
did not wish to take the sense of the House on these
amendments, as he bad nit given notice of his intention
to move them, but he felt so strongly what ought to be
done, that he was anxious to put them on record.
The Address was then :read, and on the 10th para-
graph,
Mr. HUME moved his first amendment.
Mr. G. BANKES seconded the motion. He concurred
with the Hon. Gentleman that matters such as the
amendment referred to ought to have been notified in
the Speech from the Throne, and, if they were not, they
should be mentioned in the Address. He concurred in
the amendment, and if his Hon. Friend did not divide
the House upon it, it was because, from not knowing
what the Speech would be, he was unable to give notice
of his intention to move the amendment. That also was
the reason why some friends of his were absent the
other night, for his Honourable Friend near him
would have had many more votes if they had had the
opportunity of giving them more notice.
The amendment was then put and negatived without
a division.

On the second amendment being moved by the Hon.
Member for Montrose,
Mr. S. CRAWFOL said he approved of the amend-
ment, but he was at a loss to understand the cse of pro-
posing this and the former if the sense of the House
were not taken upon them. They were too good to be
allowed to drop; and he therefore appealed to his Hon.
Friend not to permit this ono to be swamped without
taking the sense of the House upon it.
Mr. lIUME said he had pledged himself not to divide
the House upon this amendment, but any Hon. Member
could insist on a division if he wished it.

The amendment was then put, and Mr. S. CRAWFORD
calling for a division, the gallery was cleared, but after a
short interval the door was re-opened, and we found
that the, amendment had been negatived without a di-
vision.

The other paragraphs of the Address were agreed to
without amendment, and the Address was ordered to be
presented to her Majesty by such Members as are of her
Majesty's Most Hon. Privy Council.
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE IRISH POOR-