The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-18 00:00:00

TikßEll. DUTIES.

Mr. HOPE presented a petition from the Legislative
Council and the House of Assembly of Canada,
against any alteration of the. Timber Duties.

PRIVATEERING.

Mr. MARTIN gave notice that on an early day after
the re-assembling of Parliament in the nest year, he
would move for an address to her Majesty, praying her
Majesty to use her influence with all maritime States
to put down the barbarous practice of private ening, and
to obtain treaties from those States, binding them to
suppress the practice amongst. their respective subjects.
Mr. M. J. O'CON".\.TELL moved for a return of cer-
tain correspondence relating to the late election for the
county 'of Fermanagh.

Captain PECHEIL moved that the continuation of
the returns from the Commissioners of Assessed Taxes,
relating to the number of distresses issued since 1832,
be printed.—Ordered.
MINISTERIAL POLICY.

Sir R. PEEL having moved the Order of the Day
that the House go into a Committee of Supply,
Lord JOHN Russrl,LL rose, and was for a consi-
derable time utterly inaudible, in consequence of
the noise made by Members hurrying to their
places. We understood him to say—Sir. I rise
to make a few observations before the question is
put, according to what I stated last night, it was my
intention to do. Presuming that this is a motion for a
Committee of Supply for the purpose of placing a sum
of money at the disposal of the Crown, I consider it a fit-
ting occasion on which to state the 'View I have taken
of the present state of the country, and of the course
which the Right Hon. Gentleman has informed the
House he means to pursue. Before Igo into this topic,
e
I wish to advert to one or two topics which are of great
public importance. With respect, Sir, to our foreign
relations, it does not appear to me to be neces-
sary that for any reason connected with them,
that Parliament should continue to be assembled. The
state of Europe happily holds out every prospect of the
continuance of peace. The Speech which her Majesty
was advised to address to Parliament, at the opening of the
Session, gave the information that the temporary separation
which had taken place between this country and France
had ceased, and that the most amicable relations then
prevailed between the two countries. Sir, I have every
hope that these amicable relations will continue.—(Hear.)
I hope that the life of the Prince who now reigns over
the destinies of that country will long be spared
and be preserved from the attacks of infatuated assassins
—(Cheers)—and whether we regard the happiness of
France, or the peace of Europe, the preservation of that
Prince's life must be desired by every well-constituted
mind.—(Hear, hear, hear.) In one part of our
foreign relations there is certainly a question
in connection with the United States, which, in some of
its aspects, affords cause of uneasiness ; but my
Noble Friend, as Secretary for Foreign Affairs,
satisfied the House by the answer of the United States'
Secretary, that both her Majesty's Government and I
the Government of the United States are perfectly agreed I
as to the character which should be attributed to the I
attack upon, and the capture of, the Caroline—(Loud
cheers)—that it was a question to be debated between
nation and nation, and not to be treated as a private
wrong. A sufficient view, however, had been
taken by the Judges of the State of 'New York, I
and if that view should be carried out, it would be de-
structive of all. amicable relations between the two Go-
vernments.
If two Governments were not to decide if a
question was international, or between private indi-
viduals, and any Judge had the power of deciding
that a question which the Government considered national
was a subject for the Local Courts, no amicable relation
could subsist between the two States.—(Hear, hear.)
I have read the judgment of the Judges who decided
this case, and in that judgment it seemed to be admitted
that the two Executive authorities had agreed that the
case was one which should be decided between the two j
Governments. But the Judge who had decided that I
case had stated it as his own opinion that it could not
• be considered as a case of war, and therefore that
it was a proper one to be decided by his own
tribunal. It appears to me that this is a doctrine to
which no Government can agree. For, according to
this doctrine, if • Sir Graham Moore, or any other officer
who had captured the Spanish frigates at the beginning
of the Spanish war, should be taken before a Spanish tribu-
nal, it would be equally competent to the Judge of that
tribunal to say there was no declaration of war at the
time these captures were made, therefore the captures are
piratical, and the officers engaged in them are liable to be
convicted of murder. But on the whole it appears that,
although such may be the construction of the law adopt-
ed by the State of New York ; yet, considering
what has been stated on one side by Mr. Fox, and
on the other by Mr. Webster, with regard to cir-
cumstances attending the capture of the Caroline, and
the accordance of opinion existing on that subject—
(liear)—l do not believe that the authorities of
America will permit any occurrence to take place
which will expose any subject of her Majesty to danger
for executing the commands of his Sovereign. I therefore
feel convinced that. while the two Governments are agreed,
it: is not likely that there] will arise any cause of war
between the two countries, I am sure that there prevails
in this country, and I trust that there prevails in Ame-
rica also, the strongest desire that peace may be preserved
between these two great countries.—(Cheers.) Having
thus alluded to the only matter which appears to me to
require any remark as regards our foreign relations. I
will now make one remark on the recent appointments
which the Right Hon. Gentleman has thought it right to
make as respects the Government of Ireland. I have
seen those appointments with great satisfaction.—
(Cheers.) I see in them evidence that the Right Hon.
Gentleman is determined to carry into effect those con-
ciliatory opinions which he has so often expressed with
regard to that country.—(ilear, -hear.) I entertain the
highest respect for the character of the new Lord Lieu-
tenant; and, with reeard to the Noble Lord who has been
appointed Secretary for Ireland, I think that that Noble
lewd has shown on various occasions a desire to place
the people of Ireland in that condition with which alone
they ought to he satisfied—a condition of equality with
the other people of theUnitedrilingdoin.—(Cheers.) I may
add, likewise, that I trust that the Noble Lord, the Chief
Secretary for Ireland, will not re-introduce a measure,
which, in the. hands of another:N-4)le Lord, (Stanley)
Foraad lal
feelrea dbey,
that been m
measure the
ein
contractthisir entereduse.— House.—(Cheers.)
into sevrist.h)
of Ireland in 1329 will be violated, and
an
._arrct!reeorsf
the people
that it cannot be
badoated without speedily and
)thelsy representation
utterly destroyinfglrt le character
of the people e I have
(Cheers.) And
Eliot will not countenance
great confidence thate Lord '
Years to consolidate
any Bill of that nature in this House,—
. I trust that what has passed of late
the peace of that country, will receive yet further deve-
lopment ; and that, in every step taken by that Noble
Lord, he will endeavour, as far as possible, to meet the
views anti expectations which have been entertained of him,
acting, of course, under the advice, an- by the directions,
of the Right lion. Gentleman.—(Cheers.) I come now
to that part of the subject which it is my misfortune to
differ widely from her Majesty's Government. We are
now met in pursuance of an intimation, first t given by the
Right Hon. Gentleman, but in which the members of
Lord Melbourne's Government perfectly concurred, that
as soon after the dissolution as possible, it would be de-
sirable that Parliament should be re-assembled, in order to
take into consideration the important affairs of the nation.
(Considerable interruption was here occasioneds by the
lend tone in which Sir Francis Burdett was carrying on
a conversation with some Hon. Member on the Minis-
terial bench. The voice of the Hon. Baronet completely
drowned that of Lord John Hassell for some moments,
when loud cries of " Order" induced the Hon. Baronet
somewhat to lower his tone.) The Noble Lord con-
tinued—Her Majesty was advised by her late Ministers,
in; the Speech delivered at the opening of Parliament, •
to advise the House to take into its considera-
tion the laws relating to the trade in corn.
"' Her Majesty is desirous that You should consider the
laws which regulate the trade in corn. It will be
for you to determine whether these laws do not
aggravate the natural fluctuations of supply, whether
they do not embarrass trade, derange currency, and,
by their operation, diminish the comfort and increase
the privations of the great body of the community."
The importance of these considerations no person can
doubt. Laws which embarrass trade, derange the currency,
and increase the privations of the great body of the com-
munity, supposing such to be their effect, ought at once to
be altered. There can be no more solemn duty than for
'Parliament to alter those laws which have such a per-
nicious effect. In answer to that speech as ad-
dressed to the Crown, in these words—" We as-
EV, S PArlE,...we your Majesty that we are - deeply sensible
. -f the importance of those considerations to which
a j '7;•-:-•,,.--. ur Majesty has been pleased to direct our attention with
rence to the commerce and revenues of the country,
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