The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-30 00:00:00

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Kilkenny, (Mr. Hume) and those who vot4fOr...*:na''''"
by the organ of a Ministry that held its scat tigt . iv .:).fr.s,
support, and which without their supportesaa; a
lapse into their former insignificence. The N,:t4 W "
O l-,
of improving the Constitution of Canada was byaric, ,
the qualification of the elective franchise. UOc_kt itsmA
present qualification the constituencies would be more-
likely to elect Masaniellos and Jack Cedes, than John
Hampdens and Algernon Sydneys, and he thought the
Noble Lord opposite would have a much better chance of
being returned by them than his Noble ancestor would have
had. There was another subject to which hecould not help
adverting, that was intimately connected with the present--
it was a subject that involved not only the interests of
Canada together with those of our other dependencies, but
the welfare of the mother country and the stability of our
institutions, and it was this—were n her Majesty's
present Ministers incompetent in point of influence, and
incompetent in point of ability, to conduct the
affairs of this great empire ?—(Hear and cheers.)
Were they actuated in their general policy by
the principles of justice, firmness, and consistency ?
If every member were to lay his hand on his heart,
and were to be asked, could he place confidence in
the present Government, a great majority would be obliged
to answer in the negative—(Tory cheers)--and, as to
the people of England, he firmly believed that the
religious portion of the people looked with astonishment
and disgust at the shabbiness with which the Ministers
cringed to their opponents, and the tenacity with which they
clung to office.—(Tory cheers.) They had not the honesty
to win the friendship of the straightforward Conservatives,
nor the courage to repress the disaffected.—(Loud cheers
from the Tory benches.) In fact, they had sunk to the
very nadir of political infamy.—(Tory cheers, and great
laughter on the Ministerial Benches.) They held office
without power—they sought support without confidence—
they exhibited pretension without talent, and profession
withoutperformance.—( Cheers and laughter.) They couldnot
manage the affairs of the nation, nor even the business of
that House, without the assistance, advice, and superintend-
ence of his Right Hon. Friend (Sir R. Peel), who was as
superior to them in ability and knowledge, as he was in
g-enerosity and forbearance.—(Tory cheers, and great
laughter on the Ministerial benches.) That Hon. Baronet
was as indifferent to the emoluments of office, as he was
qualified to fulfil its duties.--(Opposition cheers.)
The acceptance of office would cost as great a sacrifice on
his part, as its abandonment would cost the present Mini-
ters.—(Cheers.) He (Sir George Sinclair) trusted that he
would ere long see his Right Hon. Friend at the head of
a Cabinet which would pursue a straightforward course,
and relieve the country from the mortification of 'seine-
ruled by an incompetent and slippery Cabinet, which
maintained maintained itself by the disreputable expedient of setting
one party against the other, of both of which it was
equally in dread, and by both of which it was equally
despised.—(Great cheering from the Tory Benches.)
Sir HARRY VERNEY commenced his observations
in so indistinct a tone that they were nearly inaudible in
the gallery. He was understood to say that ho did not
consider the conduct of the Right Honourable Baronet,
the Member for Tamworth, on the Canada Bill, had been
so chivalrous as his Hon. Friend (Sir George Sinclair) had
represented it.—(Hear, hear.) But, on the contrary, he
(Sir H. Verney) considered that conduct as characterised
by a spirit totally the reverse of chivalrous.—(Hear.) His
Hon. Friend (Sir G. Sinclair) had not been able to place
his finger on any part of the Bill which he felt bound to op-
pose. As to what he had hinted at with regard to the not
sending additional troops to Canada, the conduct of the
Ministry had been approved of by his Grace the Duke of
Welington.—(Cries of " no, no," from the Opposition
Benches.) In spite of the contradiction of Hon. Members
opposite, he (Sir H. Verney)asserted thathis Grace the Duke
of Wellington, with that Noble independence of party spirit
which had always dintinguished him, had fully acquitted her
Majesty's Ministers for not having sent an increased military
force with the resolutions which had been passed last year
regarding Lower Canada. True, his Grace said that the
garrisons in Nova Scotia, &c., might have been with advan-
tage increased—( Hear, from the Opposition)—but he (Sir
H. V.) contended that the event had justified the conduct of
the Government. The Government could not be blamed
for the fact of an insurrection in Canada. The Hon. Ba-
ronet (Sir G. Sinclair) had himself agreed to the resolu-
tions regarding Lower Canada, though he now condemned
them. Why did not the Honourable Baronet condemn
them when they were first brought forward ? The Hon.
Baronet bad not t'one so—he had acceded to the re-
solutions, and now he was the first to come forward and
complain of them as the cause of the insurrection.—(Hear.)
He was glad that the Hon. Gentleman, in commenting on
the general conduct of Government, was not able to find
fault with at least one act of theirs, viz., the selection which
they had made as a Mediator with the Colonies, in the per- •
son of Lord Durham.—( Hear, hear.) He did think it a
happy circumstance that a Noble Lord was found willing to
forego the proud situation which lie held, and to accept
that most arduous, difficult, and painful office.—(Hear,
hear.) lie could not forget that which, although it had
not been alluded to in the discussions which taken
place on this question—he could not but consider as one of
the chief causes of the disturbances in Canada,
viz., that the conduct of Englishmen in these
colonies was anything but that of a conciliating
nature towards the ancient settlers ; and he hoped for
much from the mild, conciliating, yet firm and energetic
character of the Noble Lord who had accepted this office.
The Honourable Gentleman in the course of the de-
bate had found fault with the North American Govern-
ment. Now he did not think that these observations were
founded in justice. On the contrary, he thought that
considering the excited state of public feeling in the
United States, the American Government had shown a
great degree of forbearance and moderation, and a desire
to maintain friendly relations with this country. He hoped,
notwithstanding the success which had hitherto attended,
and which no doubt would always attend her Majesty's arms,
he hoped it would not prevent the Government from
taking this opportunity of entering into a full consideration
of the state of these Colonies, and that the Noble Earl who
was entrusted with the Government of them would be em-
powered to make a full and final settlement of them.
Mr. HUME said that the Hon. Baronet who had just
left the House, and who had made such a long speech,
which he hoped had somewhat relieved him—(Laughter)--
had taken a great deal of trouble to bring forward charges
against the entire policy of her Majesty's Government,
without directing himself to the principle of this Bill, and
had instituted a comparison between the party now in power
and that with which he was connected, favourable to the
latter. He knew that his Honourable Friend really
thought that a worse Government could not exist than
that which had been in office for the last two or three years,
and if he (Mr. H.) was not assured of his sincerity, he
would have supposed the speech to have been a faithful
transcript of a leader which had appeared in a morning
paper of that day—(Hear, hear, and laughter)—which
had embraced every species of topic for the purpose of
blackening the Government, without pointing out any
distinct ground of accusation against them. The Hon.
Baronet had not fairly described the feelings of the
party with whom he (Mr. Hume) acted. He (Mr.
Hume) certainly was indignant at such a measure having
been brought forward. But many useful measures had.
been passed by the present Government, and he wished
the Hon. Baronet opposite to point out any emanating
from the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peel), which could
bear any comparison between them.—(Hear.) As an
honest Radical, he preferred her Majesty's Ministers, to
the Hon. Gentlemen opposite ; and he believed that a
very large majority of the people approved of the liberal
and enlightened measures weich they had brought forward.
When the motion on the merits of the Administration shou'd
be brought forward, that would be the proper tme for
answering the remarks made on the opposite side.
He (Mr. H.) thought the Hon. Member might have re-
served his tirade for a more fitting opportunity. He would
now refor to the Bill, and say that notwithstanding the eke-,
rations made in it in Committee, he had as strong an aver-
sion to it as ever, and considered it reflected the highest
discredit on a Reform Administration. The present Mi-
nistry were powerful to do evil, because they were sure
to have the support of the other side of the House, if
any measure was brought forward trenching on the
liberties of the people.—( Hear, hear, and laughter.)
He would ask the Noble Lord whether he had any
constitutional ground for suspending the Constitution
of Lower Canada? If he meant to found his reasons on the
stoppage of the supplies, it was totally indefeasible, and the
conduct of the House of Assembly affotaied him no valid
ground whatever for doing as he had done. Why should
the Noble Lord seek to abolish the Constitution of Lower
Canada, when it appeared that the revolt was totally sup-
pressed? The Noble Lord had stated the stoppage of the
supplies to be his foremost reason for interfering with
the rights of the Canadians. If the Noble Lord acted
on that principle, he was about to subvert the
greatest right held by the House of Commons, or
any other assembly, There was no other means of
putting an end to had measures, or checking a corrupt
Adminiatration. He (Mr. H.) held in his hand the reso-
ltition of the House of Commons of July, 1678, setting
forth that all aids and supplies are the soleopgpifotsitonthteo
Oxen-tons. Did the Noble Lord mean to abide by that
rule If he did, how could he act in
that principle ? With respect to Canada, when the
Act passed, it was understood that the House of
the House ofe
Assembly was to enjoyya resolution all the privileges
o
f of
r the
Hus House
of Commons ; and by
A'SO(P.IIIy in 1793 they adopted the resolution of
this House to which he had just referred. On what
ground, then, could the Noble Lord interfere with the
rights of the Canadians, who had done no more than carry.
out the principle of this House ? The House of Assembly