The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-28 00:00:00

LORD BROUGHAM'S DEEDS.

(From the Brighton Patriot, a Radical paper, recommended.
by Cobbett in the last number of his Regzster.)
" If you hear a man enlarging upon Lord Brougham's
feebleness of character, complaining of the injury he is doing
is
to the progress of liberalism, and asserting that be aiding the
Tories, depend upon it the speaker is a Whig, and is no farther
advanced in politics than in upholding such opinions as com-
monly belong to the limited view of a very narrow politician.
Lord Brougham's merits and deeds are substantial, and have
been demonstrated during the past Session, in various beneficial
oppositions to the pernicious tendencies of the present Admi.
nistration. When Lord J. rZussell declared that Reform
should halt, and that Ballot, Triennial Parliaments, and Ex.
tension of the Suffrage, should not be obtained, Lord Brougham
began to place himself in direct opposition to the Whig Ad-
ministration, and gave, as a reason for his opposition, this de-
claration. Now was this, or was this not, impeding the march
of liberalism ? When the Canada measures were in progress,
Lord Brougham opposed them by argument, and all his power
of eloquence and authority. What were the Canada measures?
Did they not spring out of those pernicious resolutions which
ave been so much talked of, an I from t he seizure of the
public chest, and from violations of that Constitution which had
been given to the Canadians, and which they understood they
were allowed, but afterwards found they could not, and dared
not, exercise ; and were not these measures the unjust conse-
quences of a civil war, incited and provoked by the Whigs ?
If this be the real case, Lord Brougham's opposition to the
Whigs, in this nefarious business, was in every way praise-
worthy, and consonant to the principles of a humane and en-
lightened statesman. But how much more will his conduct
in this affair be worthy of admiration if it should he found, and
we assert that it is so, that the Canadas are a burthen, a tax,
and a toil, on the people of this country, and that they serve
only as a provision to the Ministry's friends for the time being,
and are a general inconvenience. In this particular was Lord
-Irougham faulty, and did he oppose liberalism ? Lord
Brougham discovered and exposed those orders in council, by
which the Hill Coolies, as they are called, of Bengal, were Co
be transported to the Mauritius and the West Indies, and to be
made slaves of under the appellation of apprenticed labourers ;
we say that Lord Brougham discovered these obscure and
secret orders in council, brought them to light, exposed them,.
denounced them, and shamed the Ministers out of them.
Was this opposing liberalism, or doing aught contrary to the
well being of mankind, or the progress of liberty? When,
after discovering that the apprentices in the West Indies were
treated and oppressed as slaves, and it was known that the
planters and slave-owners had received the price of granting
freedom to them, without rendering their condition more tole-
rable, was it Lord Brougham, or any of the Whig Ministry,
who exerted themselves to promote immediate abolition ? Who
pleaded in the cause of humanity? Who agitated? Who in.
duced the greater part of the West India islands to grant im-
mediate freedom? Was it Lord Brougham, or was it not?
Since these things were done, has not Lord Brougham held a
severe and chastising hand over the Whig Ministry, exposed
their bad motives, and kept in check their errors ? Did he
not expose them on the Admiralty orders, and has he not very
lately rapped the knuckles of their Governor-General for ex-
ceeding the power given to him, and taking upon himself illegal
decisions, unworthy of his character and situation?
" These are among the good deeds and useful services ren-
dered to the state by Lord Brougham. But the motive, cry
out his opponents ; look at the motive ; is it not founded in
malevolence and jealousy ? To this question, and questions of
this sort, we reply, that the motives of human actions are too
deep for our discovery. We look only to the result, and
seeing that it is beneficial to the people, we are well pleased
and satisfied with it. Lord Brougham declares that he began
to oppose the Whig Ministry when they began to oppose re-
form. We know that the Whig Ministry are no longer a re-
forming Ministry, and, therefore, that Lord Brougham has a
justifiable plea for his opposition. The Whig Ministry assert
that Lord Brougham's opposition is the result of evil passions,
and that he is impeding liberal measures. We have shown
that he is promoting liberal measures in opposition to the Whig
Ministry. But let us set aside the motive, and look only to
the result, and we shall see that Lord Brougham has been
promoting great good under some passion or feeling, be it
good or bad. That he will be hereafter the promoter of much
good; that he will be hereafter the most strenuous advocate of
Ballot, Triennial Parliaments, and Extended Suffrage, and
probably upset and discomfit the Whig Ministry; we have no
doubt."