The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-12 00:00:00

confirmation; Cu the part of Lerd Dueesoee: he
was authorised to make the same statement.—( Hear.)
Lord Melbourne had that day also confirmed to
him the truth of this statement ; and he was able, of his
own knowledge, although not then holding an official situ-
ation, to state that the retirement of the one and the ap-
pointment of the other were entirely unconnected, which
statement was moreover confirmed by the testimony of big
Noble Friend, the Member for Noraumberland. He did
not perceive what more the Hon. Gentleman would re-
quire, roe Low he could get rid of such insinuations as
thhsc, than by a distirct denial of all the parties concerned.
Having dealt with that he would gu on to the two other
points, and respecting the pension granted to Sir J. New-
port, the Honourable Gentlemen had argued the case as if
that pension were granted for his services in the Et-
chequer, and referred entirely to his services there,
and looked to Acts of Parliament which deprived the
Comptroller of the Exchequer of a pension • but he (the_
Chancellor of the Exchequer) considered ther pension of
Sir J. Newpor t would have been equally proper if it bad
been granted before he received the office, as afterwards; it
was not for his services as Comptroller of the Exchequer.
The Hon. Gentleman had said he was not aware of any
services of Sir J. Newport. Was he not aware that
his name was one rather of histery than of the present
day—that Sir J. Newport was the intimate friend of Lord
Grenville and enjoyed his confidence? They were
rather apt to forget that there were Honourable Members
before them, who were as active in exposing abuses as the
Hon. Gentleman himself, but perhaps the House would
allow him to remind it of some of those services that Sir
J. Neiveort had rendered hie- country, which were a justifi-
cation of the pension he enjoyed. Sir J. Newport had
served 30 years in Parliament, during which there -was
scarcely any question had been agitated in which he had
not taken a censiderable share. On questions relating to
Ireland he was one of the most active members of the
House. He had Sited the situation of Chancellor of tho
Exchequer in Ireland, and during that time he carried
two leading measures, to which he would call their atten-
tion ; be ha introduced a great alteration in the corn trade,
making it between Ireland and England a free trade, and
from that time, Ireland, which was then considered a
foreign country, had been the granary of England, and
received our manufactures in return. The other was, that
Sir J. Newport was the person who first recommended to
the Crown to issue an inquiry as to the education of the
Irish people, and all greet measures relating to education
were founded on the Reports of the Committees with
which Sir J. Newport was connected. His tenure of
office was short; but during that time, and since, his life
had not been useless or inactive. There was scarcely a
year in which his name was not found as the introducer of
measures of great utility to the country. Another mea-
sure, which he carried by a majority of one only, was for
a commission of inquiry into the salaries of the officers of the
Irish Courts of Jndicsture, and into the establishment
of those Courts. The course of Sr' Jobe Newport, as an
Ws') Member, appeared to him to have been characterized
by great attention, even to those smaller measures which
had benefited the Irish people ; such as the introduction
of lunatic asylums, and of fever hospitals, which owe their
origin principally to him. With regard to the tithe ques-
tion, almost all the recommendations which he had urged
on the Government of his time had been carried into effect
either by that Government, or by th :se which bad suc-
ceeded it. He should say that those services performed
during a period of 30 years of uninterrupted public
duties, and which had injured his privatd fortune,
presented a fair and proper object for the benevo-
lence of the country. The transaction was one
which should not be characterised in the terms used by the
Hon. Gentleman who had introduced the motion ; - end no
objection should be made if the Crown had granted to Sir
John Newport, at the age of eighty-four, the sum in ques-
tion for the - few remaining years of his life. The Hon.
Gentleman opposite. had alluded to the amount of that
MM. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) should find
it hard to decide whether the particular sum should be
considered too large or not. At the same time he thought
he could show that slime of a similar kind had been granted
before in cases of the same description. On looking over the
Pension List, he found that Lord Bexley bad received a slob
of 3 0001., that 2.0001 had been granted to Lord Auckland
that 2,000/. had been also granted to a Right I-lon. Gen-
tleman opposite (Mr. Goulburn), that 1,500/. had been
granted to the Right lion. Mr. Planta, and 1.500/ to
Mr. J. W. Croker. He did not say that these sums were
too great, and if he had any suspicion with regard to the
services of some of those individuals, he should have said
that their services were of a nature which he was not the
best qualified to decide on, as he had been opposed to then'
'in political life—( Hear, hear)—and it was not for those
who had constantly differed with them to pronounce a judg-
• ment on these claims. With regard to the appointment
of Lord Monteagle he knew not what objection could
be made to it. He should first say that that Noble
Lord had never applied for the situation in question;
and with regard to the appointment itself, he should be
perfectly surprised to hear any Gent:eman tell him that his
Noble Friend-was not one of those who were best qualified
for filling the situation. He had been fitted for it .by his
long connection with the finances of the countre,—( Hear,
hear, and laughter, from the Opposition Benches.) He
would venture to say, notwithstanding the laughter of
lion. Gentlemen opposite, that no one could perform the
financial duties which his Noble Friend had to discharge
without a knowledge of our financial affairs. He believed
that the knowledge of his Noble Friend on these subjects
was as great as that of any other man alive, and appeared
to him (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) to fit him
for for the appointment he had received. It bad
been said, however, that Mr. Ellis should have been raised
to the office of Comptroller of the Exchequer. That
situation lead, however, been already vacant, and though
Mr. Ellis had at the time a relative in the Governmen's
the situation had not been given to him. A -Right
lion. Gentlemen oeposite had said on that occasion that
he did not think it would be fair to inquire ir.to appoint-
ments -made by an Adrn'nistration which would have the
appointment of its servants at its own disposal. He was
not aware that there was any other point which it would
be necessary for him to allude to. With regard to the
imputations of the Hon. Gentleman opposite, he bad
already given them a distinct contradiction, and he hoped
that when similar imputations might be made against
the Government, it should never be thought that because
they were ready to give the documents required, they were
therefore liable to censure.—(Cheers.)
Mr. HUME asked if the Right Hon. Gentleman would
produce the letter of Sir John Newport desiring to re-
tire ?--( Hear, hear.)
. .
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did
not reply for some moments, during which there were
ironical cries of " Hear, hear," and " Chancellor of the
Exchequer." At length the Right Lion. Gentleman said
he really was not aware if the application bad been made
by letter.—.(Oh, oh.)
Mr. HUME said the Right Hon. Gentleman had read
a document, which he,called a letter, from Sir John New-
port.—( Hear, hear.)
Sir R. PEEL said he would not for a moment question
the propriety of a provision for Sir John Newport, consi-
dining his long services in Parliament, opposed as he bad
been to his (Sir Robert's) opinions, on political questions.
—( Hear, hear.) But he much doubted the:popriety of
making that provision out of the Civil List Pension Fund.
—( Hoar.) The office of Comptroller of the Exchequer
was the fittest, the most honourable, reward for
public services to that office, requiring no
great activity. Sir John Newport bad been
appointed very justly, at the age of 70. But.why bad his
retirement been permitted ?—( Hear, hear.) There was a
Deputy in the office, who could relieve the principal from
any labour or attendance that might be irksome.—( Hear.)
Nov, the appointment of a public man to a pension, on the
ground of Parliameetary services was a very dangerous
principle. —( Hear, Lear.) It was a bad precedent to
enable a public party to draw upon the Crown pension
fund for the reward of an adherent.—(Hear, hear.) He by
no means denied that great public services might be ren-
dered by a man out of office,—(Loud cheers from the
Opposition, evidently applying to the Right Hon. Bart.—
a compliment he appeared to disclaim,) He would just-
mention the name of Mr. Burke, whose official services bad
been short, but whose illustrious services to his country
had justly been amply rewarded. But in such a case the
House of Commons should be appealed to on the merits of
that particular case,---( Hear, hear.) It was a precedent
most dangerous to admit, that the Crown, the most proper
judge of official services, should judge of parliamentary
it was impossible to services.—( Hear,) Supposing now that the pension to Sir
John Newport had been granted lot the purpose of facili-
tating a political arrangement,
s)o—mb ewetazhe
hadin beenth a that
appointedc a case
con-
ceive of a more scandalous misapplication of the public
tfou tooknd
meets a. - -a(
ny't, : I
Ifive-sixthset
er
urgent bran,
o f h
theen r
claims might bo made upon them
for the mere purpose of facilitating a political arrangement
of their own. In that case the Right lion. Gent. bad stated
that such was not the fact, and of course he ( Sir R. Peel)
assumed that to be the case. But the grants in that ease bad
been simultaneous, and unless the Right Hon. Gentleman
htveinx been made
pressed without
uponout t
could show that the two acts were altogether unconnected—
nele,s the grant of the pension to Sir John Newport would
thheeclaatitmenotion fLoofrdth G Me
en
ot ev ae gr
nl e.
ment, he should consider it as one of the most scandalous
applications of public money that had ever been made.
He (Sir R. Peel) had borne ample testimony to the merits
of Sir John Newport, and he did not object to his
original appointrns et to this office, but he thought
the Government were bound to show the necessity of
permitting him to retire.—( Hear, hear.) With respect
to the apeoiutroetit of Lord Monteagle, he would not
say that he would insist upon the appointment of Mr.
Ellis, or of another, but he thought that as far as possible
that office shotlld be reserved as a reward for the most
eminent public services that a man could render to his
country.— (Cheers.)

_ .
Lord J. RUSSELL, after the explanation of his Right
Hon. Friend, did not think it necessary to trouble the
House at anv great lengt The Right Hon. Gentleman
bad admittcii that the office had been worthily disposed of
to Sir J. Newport, and he did not object to his receiving
his pension from the public at .his advanced period of life.
He had then proceeded to make certain qualifications of
these admissions. The first was that 1,0001.- was, to
large a pension to be granted out of such a limited
fund. lie (Lord J. Russell) would own that it wa3 difficult
to lay down a rule for the granting of pensions from that
fund; it would be exceedingly difficult to I.y down a
rule that none but small pensions should be given. Ho
thought that when a person had a claim for long services