The Sun.
London, England, 1840-01-23 00:00:00

I In the midst of all this there was another question cal-
culated to produce in its consequences great
alarm as respected the revenue. He alluded
to the new Post-office regulations, and whatever
might be their probability of ultimate success, he
would not now venture on or prophecy on the subject,
though he would express his conviction that it was a
most ill-timed experiment, nor was there anything in the
state of our finances to warrant such an experiment,
in the absence of any plan to meet the possi'Jle
deficiency. It was there that Parliament had given a
sort of pledge to supply any deficiency that might arise
but he did not consider that sufficiently satisfactory-, be-
cause that pledge did not apply to any other deficiency
than that jarising from the Post-office, and offered
no consolation with r.f!rence to the three millions which
had occurred in the last three years, nor could he
see anything in that pledge to prevent the great
evil of a declining revenue in the time of peace.
Those were the considerations that appeared to him to
follow naturally from the facts that he had called
their Lordships' attention to.—(Hear, hear.) He
could not suggest any remedy. He bad no right
to suppose that any suggestion would be listened to. If

he bad attracted the attention of those who were better
able to deal with the subject, he only hoped that dis-
cussion would produce good effects. The papers he had
alluded to were the statements of the net income for
the last five years. The funded and unfunded debt tor
the same period, and the regulations issued since the
Ist September, with respect to the reduction of the
debt.

Viscount MELBOURNE then rose, and said lie
was sure that the Noble Earl who had just spoken
was actuated by no other motive than that of
principle.—( Hear.) The subject which had been
alluded to was certainly one of the most paramount im-
portance to the country. He (Lord Melbourne) cer-
tainly concurred in the principles of his Noble Friend,
and in the main facts that he had stated. He entirely
agreed in the wisdom of the slaking fund measure
adopted during the Administration of the Noble Duke.
He also entirely agreed that it was not a satisfactory
state of the financial affairs to have a clear admitted
deficiency, But the Noble Earl further considered
it a right precept always to expect an increase. Now he
(Lord M.) did not entirely agree in that. And he rather
thought that when the deficiency was but small it was
not wise to burden the country with any extraordinary
exactions, but to trust to its natural resources. Still
it was impossible to deny that a deficiency, year after
year, increasing, was in a state of things to which
the country must boldly and decidedly apply itself.
At the same time, be felt, that in financial, as in all
other matters, boldness, and confidence,and courage,were
the best opponents to danger, and that it was not well al-
ways to adhere slavishly to rule. His Noble Friend, the
Noble Earl, stated that the deficiency arose, not so much
from any defalcation or falling off in the revenue—not
by any failure in the productive power of the country,
but from temporary causes from which the country
might still recover. Still, it was not to be
denied that the expenses of the counts y
had been long growing in a great degree, and the
causes which, he agreed with his Noble Friend
there was no reason for hoping would: soon be
be speedily diminished or obviated.—( Hear, ; bear.)
His Noble friend has gone through a great many sub-
jects which he (Lord Melbourne) did not think it ne-
cessary to follow; but unquestionably from the cases he
had stated, he did not fairly see any proba-
bility of any Government greatly to diininisl:
the expenses either of the military or the naval port.
of the country. They have increased very much sine,
the year 1816, at which time they were very low ; it
could not be denied that there have been growing dif-
ficulties to account for its increase. He did not
fear or apprehend from all the arguments of his
Noble Friend, which he (Lord Melbourne) did not
mean to contravene, that he took any unfair view of
the question. But he trusted that it was not calcu-
lated to exc'te alarm or promote danger. From those
circumstances which did exist, he had already shown it
was not possible, with a view to the safety of the em-
pire, to cause any reduction—that tranquillity wilt
in those establishments, or in the exigencies of
them, unquestionably it is hoped there will not
be the same demand for the great establishment,
which it was necessary to keep up. With
respect to Ireland, he had hopes that that tranquillity
which the Noble Lord had doubted was fullyestablislnd
yet he (Lord Melbourne) had every reason to suppose
not be shaken—at the same time he saw no possibi
lily of diminishing rapidly the military force in Canada
With respect to the boundary question, considering
the course of proceeding adopted by the American Go-
vernment, in which he placed entire confidence, he cer
Wilily entertained the strongest hope that it would he
brought to an amicable termination. It was cer-
tainly true that the naval force of foreign powers
had, as might naturally have been expected
grown and increased, and although we were
not called upon to keep a force equal to the
whole of the other navies in the world, yet certainly
this circumstance called for an adequate increasc
of our naval force. The Noble Lord had adverted to
a question of great difficulty, and in doing so he had
abstain from using any terms that might be likely to
increase it—( Hear, hear.) In his reply, therefore
he should cautiously abstain from the use of aay
expressions, which, under the circumstance, might b,
considered unnecessary and misplaced—he meant the
question of China. Undoubtedly a crisis bad taker
place
there which, considering the relations be-
tween the Chinese and European nations bad beet,
often thought likely to occur. He was not prepared
to undervalue the difficulties of this crisis, for he thought
that it was fraught with all those commercial difficul-
ties, and also with many of those financial consequences
that had been alluded tolby the Noble Lord. Th.
Noble Lord had dwelt upon the loss that was likely to
occur to the revenue in consequence of the Biti
which had been passed in the last Session
of Parliament for reducing the duties of Postage. A
large deficiency of the revenue had on all hands been
anticipated as a consequence of the adoption of that
measure. He would state the plan had been adopted
bona fide by her Majesty's Government and notwith.
standing what had been stated in a pamphlet which',
ho had seen of a faithfuld Counsellor of th,
Crown, he could assure their Lordships that the
measure had been adopted bona fide, and no
with with the idea that it would be throws
out by the opposition of Noble Lords opposite, Tha
Faithful Counsellor of the Crown, acting upon his owl

lively impressions, had taken the promptings of his
own imagination for a reality. This was often
the case with persons of a lively imagination, and there
was no more pregnant source of error than for persons to
fancy they were acquainted with the motives of others
and acting on this as:on a certainty. The Noble Lon'
had said, that although the House of Commons wa
pledged to make up the deficiency arising from the Post-
office alterations, yet that pledge did not extents
to ether deficiencies. He begged leave to say.
that whether the deficiency arose from th,
Post-office prefect, or any deficiency, he should
not ask for any express pledge ; he felt confident
both with respect to that and every other deficiency that
might arise. He felt fully confident that the energies o 1
the country—that the patriotism of the House of Com-
mons and of its constituencies—that a due regard to th,
fidelity of contracts, the honour of the country, ant
her station among nations, would be amply sufficient t(
induce them to meet the financial difficulties o'
the country, boldly and firmly, whatever they
might, and i❑ such a manner as should b
adequate, and suited to the occasion, whatever the oc-
might be, that should arise. With respect to any de-
ficiency that might arise by the adoption of that
measure for which they had distinctly and expressly
-pledged themselves, be could not think that the Noblt
Lord, had done other than .his duty in calling thus
early in the Sessions the attention of their Lordship, '
to a matter of such importance. He per-
fectly admitted the reasoning of the Noble Lord.
We perfectly rdmitted the greater part of his facts
Unquestionably he saw difficulties in the present posi-
tion of the country in that respect, and uuless the coun-
try was prepared to exert itself, and maintain
its place among the nations, be felt full
confident that the energies and resolutions of the coun-
try would carry it through its present difficulties.—
(Hear, hear.) The motion was then agreed to.
Ths returns were then agreed to.
After the presentation of a few petitions, the House
adjourned.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, JeN. 22.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT- presented a petition from
certain inhabitants of Lambeth, praying for the increase
of church accommodation in Lambeth.
Mr. WALLACE presented a petition for the im-
provement of the town of Leith.
Mr. WARD presented a petition from the
inhabi-
tants of Sudbury, in the county of Suffolk, on behalf of
John Thorogood, a prisqner in Chelmsford gaol for
non-payment of Church-rates, and praying the House
to pass measures for their abolition.
Mr. WALLACE presented a petition in favour of
an amendment in thePRIV Glsgow and Ayr Railway Bill.
ILEGE,

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL begged leave to
oppose the motion of his Right Hon. and Learned
Friend. It could not be supposed that he (the At-
torney-GenerJ) had any feeling of hostility to
the party then implicated. He merely knew of
that gentleman that he had every reason to believe
that he was the attorney who had issued the writ
against the Messrs. Hansard that it was he
who had filed the declaration, and that he
had conducted the action in every stage after uavnig
known the resolutions of the House, and while he must
have been aware that he was violating their privileges.
Under these circumstances they had only one course
to pursue, according to precedent and to principle.
Unless they would abandon their privileges, the attor-