The Sun.
London, England, 1831-02-11 00:00:00

BOROUGHS.

Sir C. FORBES rose to present a petition, praying
that although the Standing Orders had not been complied
with, the house would receive a petition from William
Ogilvy, Esq., complaining that an undue return had been
made of the Lord Advocate, Francis Jeffrey, Esq., for the
Forfar District of Boroughs. The Hon. Baronet entered
into a detail of the circumstances which had rendered it
impossible to comply with the Standing Orders.
After a few words from Mr. Schonswar, Mr. Wynn,
S:r C. Forbes, Mr. Wynn, Lord Althorp, and Sir G
Clerk, the petition was laid on the table, and the ballot
was fixed for the 22d of March.
CANADA.

Lord HOWICK withdrew his motion respecting the
Canadas.

Mr. HUME presented a petition from a person named
Child, respecting the Bible-Patent Monopoly. The Hon.
Member made several attempts to speak, but they were
rendered abortive by hoarseness. At length the Hon.
Gentleman, amidst cries of " hear, hear," and laughter,
moved (as we afterwards learned from Mr. Speaker), in
dumb show, for a Committee to inquire into the nature
and extent of the duties of the King's Printer in Ireland
and Scotland, and how far the system was beneficial to
Government, and whether it was proper to be considered.
Lord NUGENT would not offer any opposition to this
motion, and stated, that already a Commission had been
appointed in Ireland to inquire into the expences of print-
ing for the two Houses of Parliament generally, and also
into the outlay for stationery, which he hoped would be
considerably reduced.—( Hear, hear.)—He added that the
subject alluded to by the Hon. Member would also come
under the consideration of that Commission.
After a few words from Sir R. INGLis and Mr. Gout-
BURN, confirmatory of the intention to leave the motion
unopposed, it was put and agreed to. Among the num-
ber of Members named on the Committee, were Mr. Hunt
and Mr. Jeffrey.

The LORD ADVOCATE gave notice that he should
move for leave to bring in a Bill to continue the existing
Bankrupt Laws in Scotland, as those laws are now about
to expire.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE—THE RIDEAU CANAL.
Lord ALTHORP was understood to say that there was
a notice of motion in his name on the paper, for referring
the estimate of Buckingham Palace to a Committee ; but
as the papers connected with that subject were not yet on
the table of the House, he should beg to postpone it to a
future day. The Noble Lord, we believe, mentioned the
day, but it was not heard in the gallery ; and some
Observations with which he commenced his motion for re-
ferring the papers connected with the Rideau and Gran-
villes a tio
.Caaln atlosn,
et cirian m
whichni i t ttoehe.s ye
rwvwe reer,e fromddi v t,:rheedlow cool
inyv er-
in-
audible. His Lordship
itnates were, for the Rideau Canal, that the present esti-
-693,000/., and for the

Granvi demi, 160,0001., making together a sum of
943,0001. ; but, as these estimates were continually vary-
ing, it was impossible for him to pledge himself that
these sums would be the utmost that would be re-
quired for these works. He should, therefore, prefer
having the opinion of a Committee upon their, to under-
taking himself to ask the House for a certain supply on
their account.—(tear, hear.) There was no doubt that
a water communication of this sort would be valuable in
Canada, not only for the purposes of trade, but for those of
military defence. The sum of 572,0b0?. had alreadY been
expended, and it certainl,7 wohid he a misfortune to render
such an expenditure useless; but still, when it was consi-
dered that that sum was only half of what might yet be re-
quired, it was worthy the consideration of the House
whether it would not be better to sacrifice that which had
already been expended, than now to enter on a fresh ex.
penditure—an expenditure, the amount of which, from
any experience they had had of the past, they must know
could not be fixed with certainty. Under these circum-
stances, he thought the House would feel that he was justi-
fied in moving to refer the matter to a Select Cointnittee.
Mr. WARBURTON agreed With the motion of the
Noble Lord, and thought that Ministers hail taken the
only course' they could properly adopt, namely—that of
bringing the subject fully and fairly under the considera-
tion of Parliament. He objected to the expenditure of so
much British money upon a Colony in which, but for the
existence of monopolies and restrictions, there would be no
trade with this country. If the same sums that had been
expended about these Canals, or if only 200,0001. were
laid out in improving the roads about the metropolis, the
country would be a great gainer by the expenditure, while,
by devoting that money to the construction of these canals,
it was expended without any benefit to this country, mime
interests ought always to be considered in matters of this sort.
Sir J. NEWPORT gavehis cordial support to the motion.
Mr. LABOUCHERE had voted in favour of the ori-
ginal grants; and he did not now shrink from the respon-
sibility he had thereby incurred. He was perfectly ready
to meet the question, should the Committee he appointed ;
and he believed that nothing but good could come from it.
He admitted that the colonies ought to assist the mother
country, instead of being a burden to her. He should dis-
approve of them if, whenever they possessed the means,
they did not render her assistance ; but he could not agree
with the Hon. Member for Bridport, who seemed to think
that it would be better for this country to give up the
colonies than to expend money on their improvement.
Mr. RICE supported the motion, and condemned the
practice which had so long prevailed, of works of this kind
being begun without the sanction of Parliament. He did
not mean to blame the late Ministers in this respect; for
though these works had been so begun, the fault was not
one attaching to particular men, but to a system. He
trusted that an Hon. Member opposite would turn his at-
tention to this matter. He felt bound to say, that be be-
lieved the late Chancellor of the Exchequer had behaved
with perfect candour in this affair when he liad made his
statement about these works before the Finance Commit.
tee, for he had no doubt that the Right Hon. Gentleman
hail not at that time the least suspicion of the sums that
would really be required for the work.
Mr. GOULBURN said, that the Hon. Member did him

no more than justice in making that observation; he cer•

tainly was not aware of the large sums of money required
for those works. He agreed with the motion of the Noble
Lord opposite, that the Committee would be the best tri-

buaal for considering the expediency of making a further
outlay. The reason which had induced the Hon. Member

for Taunton to vote for the original grants was the same
as that which had induced the Government to propose
them—namely, a belief that the work would be of the
utmost importance to the Canadas. He still entertained
that opinion, and believed that the Rideau Canal would
be of importance to that colony in both a commercial and
a defensive point of view. Me believed Ile might add,
too, that there would be no backwardness on the part of
the House of Assembly to lend their aid in furthering these
works.

Sir ROBERT PEEL thought that the Committee now
to be appointed ought to be vested with a very wide dis-
cretion as to the examination they would institute into the
subject. As he understood the proposition now, it was to
refer the matter to the Committee, that they might re-
port on the expediency of continuing the outlay now be-
gun. In his opinion they ought not to make their report
till they had minutely examined every part of the subject,
whether as connected with commercial or warlike ad-
vantages; and they should ex 'mine evidence not only on
matters which they could afterwards state to the House as
the grounds of their report, but en others, which it might
be dangerous to publish.
After a few words from Lord ALTHORP, the Com-
mittee was granted.
On the question of the names of the Committee, Mr.
WARBURTON denied that he wished to give up all our
Colonies. He did not wish to burden the country with
expences that would be beneficial to the colonies alone.

Mr. H. Twiss and Mr. ROBINSON both deprecated
these incidental discussions, and wished those Hon. Mem-
bers who objected to the grant of money for the necessary
improvement of the colonies to bring forward the question
in a formal manner.

Mr. BARING said there could be no doubt that some
of the colonies occasioned this country much vxpence, and
brought it no advantage. Ile thought that the lonian
Islands were colonies of this description, and, for his part,
he should be willing to give them up to Greece. The
country should be enabled to determine on subjects of ex-
penditure of this kind with their eyes open. He feared
that the motion of the Noble Lord would not have the
effect of doing what some Members seemed to imagine--
stop the expenditure of the money referred to ; for, if his
recollection was not deceived, the money had been already
spent—(Hear, hear! from the Ministerial bench)--and
the only effect the Committee could have, was that of
preventing the Ministers from coming down to ask a sum
beyond that now stated.
Sir G. MURRAY concurred entirely with the motion
of the Noble Lord opposite. He took it for granted, that

it was not the intention of Government to abandon this
colony; and the question, therefore, became one of economy
alone ; and the business of the Committee would be, to
inquire whether the money already expended, and likely
still to be laid out on this canal, would not be devoted to
a beneficial purpose. The completion of the canal was
important for the military defence of the country.
Mr. MABERLY thought that the Noble Lord had
taken the only proper course that could he adopted.
Mr. GUEST urged that the estimates produced before
such a great work was undertaken was a mere farce, and
that the money expended in Canada would have done
much more good if expended at honie. He hoped that
the Committee would take into view th• million of money
that was to be spent upon fortifications.
Lord ALTHORP agreed that it was desirable that the
whole subject should be investigated by the Committee.
Mr. HUNT observed, that it had long been his opinion
that no colony ought to be retained by Great Britain
which was not able to support itself, and he was rejoiced
to hear from the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the
system was to he entirely changed.
Mr. TWISS explained; after which the Committee
was appointed.