The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-28 00:00:00

Mr. LIDDELL, in rising to bring forward
the motion, of which he had given notice,
must express his satisfaction that the Go-
vernment meant to divide upon it. For the cham-
pion whom they had put forward he had the
greatest respect, but he felt every confidence in his
cause, because he believed it to he an honest one.
He could not, however, compliment the Noble Lord in
his choice of weapons—a more pointless, spiritless
amendment he had never had. It said, in a great
many words, that while Sir John Newport held
the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer
he had endeavoured to do his duty in that House. It
amounted to Lo more than that.—( Hear, hear,)
Since the first discussion that had taken place on the
subject he had taken the Noble Lord's advice, and
referred to the period when Sir J. Newport served in an
official capacity, and he had no hesitation in saying that
no fault could be found with him during that period.
The principal ground on which the Noble Lord
had rested Sir John Newport's claim was that he
had established the principle of free intercourse
in trade between Glee Britain and Ireland. But
Sir John Newport was not entitled to claim
the approbation of the House on that ground.
It was proper that it should be stated, that that ques-
tion had occupied the attention of the great men
who had brought about the Union. Mr. Pitt had de-
voted great time and attention to the subject,
and had expressed himself fully satisfied of the
necessity of establishing free intercourse between
the two countries, so that Sir John Newport
had only carried out the propositions of his predeces-
sors, which had been deemed necessary ever since the
Union. lie therefore thought that the credit of car-
rying this question could not be supposed to be due
to Sir John Newport alone. The Noble Lord's resolution
then proceeded to state that after serving for five years
in the honourable office of Comptroller of the Exchequer,
being then upwards of eighty )cars of age, and afflicted
with bodily infirmity, he withdrew from public life. Now
that part of the resolution was not strictly eirrect. Sir
John Newport had retired from public life before he had
received the appointment of Comptroller of the Exchequer.
In his address to his constituents at Waterford he had
stated that he intended to withdraw from public life, on
the ground of increasing age and infirmities, and he had
afterwards received the appointment of Comptroller of the
Exchequer. lie had no hesitation in expressing his opi-
nion that the original appointment of Sir John Newport to
this office was injudicious, and not made in accordance
with the spirit of the Act of Parliament by which the
office had been originally created. He had referred to that
Act, and to the debates which took place at the time, and
he was satisfied it had never been intended that the office
of Comptroller of the Exchequer should be a sinecure—
( Cheers)—and on that ground the appointment
of Sir John Newport to such an office, after he
had retired from public life was exceedingly injudicious.
The resolution of the Noble Lord then went on to
say that the grant of a pension under such circumstances
could not be drawn into a precedent. The Noble Lord
had assumed that, but he ( Mr. Liddell) contended that it
ought not to be drawn into a precedent—( Hear, hear from
the Opposition)—and he would assure the House that it
not only could but would most assuredly be drawn into a
a precedent for the improper grant of pensions. The ob-
ject of the Act was to place the Comptroller of the Ex-
chequer in a state of independence of the Crown, but
if he were to be pensioned at the pleasure of a Minister
what became of his independence? Was there anything
easier than to say that this was not to be made a
precedent ? Would it not he easy for any future
Comptroller to apply to be realised from this most dignified
office upon the plea of ill-besith, and make way for any
person to whom the Minister might wish to give the ap_
pnintment 7, Would not a person retiring under such cir-
cumstances have a right to complain if this House, having
abstained from interference in the present case, should in-
terfere to prevent him from having a retiring pension
( Hear.) It seemed to be incumbent upon the House to
come to a vote which would put it out of the power
of any Government to have any future jobbing in an office
which was one of the most dignified and impot taut under the
Crown. The former part of the Noble Lord's amendment
he confessed to be to him an enigma which he found it diffi-
cult to comprehend. He gathered from it this—that, let the
House make what declaration it pleascd—let the Legisla-
ture pass any Act which it pleased—means would be found
for any—he nould not say corrupt, but jobbing Govern-
.