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

for the introduction, of desirable and solid improvements

In 1914, he proposed and carried, in the face of violent op-
pcsition, after the most persevering cffw ts, by a majority
one, a Cornmissitm to inquire into the mode of admi-
nlinistering: justice in the Courts in England and Irelanl,
and that Commission abolished a great number of sinocarcs
and useless places. The result of that great measure was
in the Court of Chancery in Ireland, where the expenses
of ha diffetent offices was 75.0001., to produce a saving
of 26,0001. ; in the King's Bench, where the expenses
30.000/., a saviuo. was effected to the amount of
17,0004; ha the office cf the Clerk of the Pleas or the Ex-
-nequer, where the expenses were originally 28,0001., a
savi:lg was eff,;(•ted cf 16,0001. ; great savings were also
effected in the Ceurts of Error, and altogether the saving
effected amount to upwards of 75,0001. in the ad-
ministration of the Courts cf Justice in Ireland,
and equal savings had b.•eia effected in the Courts in
England and Scotland by the same Commission. Dur-
ing the whole career of Sir J. Newport in Parliament
he had never desisted from giving his attention to
the laws which would have the effect of relieving the pr,or
and distressed in Ireland.—( Hoar, hear.) In 1804 he
bronght forward the case of the lunatic poor, and in 1806
he introduced the great measure for improving hospitals.
In 1819 he drew up that elaborate Report with respect
to the state of disease in Ireland, which led to the eats-
bl'shment of fever hospitals i s that zountr:-.—( Hear, hear.)
With respect to the Church in Ireland, Sir J. Newport
had always shown himself its steady friend, and he had
introduced Bills for the removal of many of the evils with
which that Church had been sum:ur-led. Among them

was a measure to do away with the evil of non-residence
of the clergy, the abolition of pluralities, and the
vestry cess. In short, there was no one measure con-
cerning great national questions of Irish policy, no details
concerning the local administration of the country, to
which Sir John Newport did not give his superintendence
and control. Every measure of internal improvement
had been carried by his direct interference or the hearty
ce-operation which he gave to all measures that were cal-
culated for the public good. He mentioned this for the
purpose of showing that Sir John Newport deserved well
of his country; in fact, he might fairly say of him that
his deeds would follow hi.n.—( !leer.) He ( Lord Mos-
peth) could not regret, as one deeply interested in conseci
quence of his position, but still more by his feelings
Ina heart, in the welfare of Ireland—( Hear, hear)—he
could .not regret that ho had been thus called upon to
state the benefits which the country had received from its
venerable benefactor, Sir John Newport.---( Hear, hear.)
Would it he contended—it was in terms contended,
by the Honourable Mover of the resolution,
that the circumstance of Sir John Newport being only .t
Tear in office barred him from enjoying this paltry pension ?
Was it to be contended upon sucn flimsy grounds that his
claim to the consideration of the Crown was invalidated?
Ia the case of Mr. Grattan, who received a spontaneous
pension from the gratitude of the Irish ration, could it
be contended ie his case that because he had refused to
accept office he was not entitled to the consideration of the
Crown ? So with respect to the case of Sir Samuel
Homily and Sir James Macintosh, and other great states-
men, whose names graced the Pension List, could it be
contended that because they had not performed official
service they were Rot entitled to the consideration of the
Crown ? It had been contended in the discussion the other
night that pensions assigned for Parliamentary services
ought to be given by Parliament, and not by the Crown.
That would, he believed, he contrary to all precedent. He
believed that the feeling of the House was, and always had
been, to leave those granta to the pleasure of the Crown.
The Hon. Mover of the resolution had intimated that he
thought the sum of one thousand pounds was too large to
be taken from the limited sum allowed to the Crown every
year for pensions. Now ho (Lord Morpeth) thought
it was not salutary, after they had so limited the power of
the Crown, further to question its right, provided it was
shown that the pensions conferred were not upon un-
worthy objects. Was Sir J. Newport an unworthy object?
( Hear, hear.) He would challenge the names of any per-
sons upon the pension list who could feel themselves dis-
paraged by having the name of Sir J. Newport placed be-
side them.—( Hear, hear.) The case of Sir J. Newpo-t
fell directly within the limi's prescribed by the
Act which gave her Majesty the power of granting
pensions to a certain amount every year. It had been con-
tended by the Hon. Member who had moved the resolution
that they were sapping the just claims of the other parties
Ile ( Lord Morpeth) could not see how the lion. Gentle-
man made out this proposition. He thought that the Hon.
Gentleman had ill consulted the dignity of Mr. Words-
worth by msking use of his name in the mariner in
which ho had done. He (Lord Morpeth) always re-
joiced to see talent and tho arts receiving the reward of
merit from their Sovereign—but he thought that the
claims of literature and science ought not to assume too
stipendiary a character. He thought that the worst effects
would be produced if there wore to be a systematic applies-
lion of the royal bounty to certain cases. He thought that
all claims should its their time and turn receive their
duo consideration from the Crown. Sir John Newport, in
the words of the resolution he had to propose, was
cow eighty years of age. He had lcd a life
of great activity and honour, and he had now retired
for the remainder of his days. He (Lord Morpeth) hod
had the good fortune to visit him in his retirement, and
he might describe him in the word tof the moralist and
the poet, as a man
" Whoa* active days beneficence endears ;
Whose nights congratulating conscience cheers.
The general favourite and the general friend ;
Such age there is, and who would wish its end."
—(Cheers.) He (Lord Morpeth) would not impute to
the Hon. Gentlemen opposite any wish for the end of such
a life, but he thought that the tendency of the resolution
was to cast a cloud over the evening of his day;, end to
embitter the calm serenity of the part ng hours of so great
a benefactor to his country.—(Great cheering.) To pre-
vent so undesirable a result, he proposed the resolutions
which he would now put into tare Speaker's hand, and
which he called upon the House to adopt in preference to
the spiritless and pointless resolutions of the Hon. Gen-
tlemen opposite.—( Cheers.)

The oilainni motion and the amendment baring been
put from the Chair,

Mr. LEADER rose to address the House. The Hon.
Mover of the resolutions had told the House that his reso-
lutions were as mild as milk—( Laughter)—and that the
amendment of the Noble Lord was pointless and spiritless.
Now ho (Mr. Leader) thought that if the original re-
solution was milk and water the amendment was water and
milk. One said that this pension could not be drawn into
a precedent, and the other said that it should not be.—
" Strange such a difference there should be
'Twist Tweedledum and Tweedledie."
(Lauhter.) There was one point in the Noble Lord's
speech which certainly showed great simplicity. He re-
ferred to semething that he called a job perpetrated by the
Tories in the case of Mr. Holmes.—( Laughter.) It was
astonishing to him (Mr. Loader) that the present Mi-
nistry should always be cavilling at the acts of the Tories,
when they were in point of fact following their footsteps.
—(Cheers.) For what reason had the acts of the Tories
been held up to ridicule by the Whigs ? Why, fur no-
thing else but to turn the Tories out of power when in, and
to put the Whigs, who were quite as bad if not worse, in their
places. The people wbo heard the Whig' express such an ab-
horrence of jobbing did not expect that the Whigs would look
back for precedents, and try to imitate their predecessors
in expending lavishly the pehlic money. It appeared to
him there had been a succession and a complication of
jobs. He was glad the Hon. Gentleman bad brought for-
ward this subject, because the discussion upon it would
enlighten the public a little as to how pensions were
granted, and parties were appointed to offices under the
pure reign of the Whigs. In order to make this suhject
clear to those who had not examined ir, he would state a
few facts.__( Hear, hear, from the Ministerial benches.)
He bad no doubt there were many gentlemen who wished
the else not to he examined into.—( Loud cries of " Hear,
hear.") In the first place they must go hack- to the remo.
dellii4,g of the Exchequer; and why should not Mr. Henr)
Ellis have been appointed to the (Zee of Clerk of the
Panels when the Exchequer was remodelled ? But Mr.
Ellis was dismissed with a pension, to which he had a clear
right, of 1.400/ a year.—( Hear, hear.) When tl e Right
Honourable Baronet opposite came into office for a short
time during 1834 Mr. Henry Ellis'a name was found
on the list of persous receiving public money, but who Wets
able to perform public service, and anxious and willing
to be employed. He was asked if he would have
auy objection to go back to Persia as Ambassador? He replied
no; and he wits accordingly appointed. When the pure
Whip, however, came into office they changed his Emboss}
into an appointment of a temporary character. He was sent
to congratulate the Shah en his accession. and another
gentlemal was appointed as Ambassador There was no
reason except party reason fur hot placing Mr. Ellis in
the (Zee of Cemptroller-Genatal, and therefore, so far
as he was concerned, 1,4001. a year of the public money
had been thrown away.—(Hear, hear.) Then he came
to the appointment of S;r J. Nee port. He did riot wish
to say a word against Sir J. Newport ; he might have
been a very good master to Lots! Wellesley and Lurd
Grenville, and he might have saved 75,0001. a year to the
country. Peet was that a ground for giving him a pen
lion?—(Cheers.) Did not Members come into that
House pledged to endeavour to reduce the public expese
diture ?—(Cheers.) Why upon thatground the Hon.
and Callent Member for Lincoln (Col. Sibtho
r
ent:thel to a penaion.—( Great laughter and chePe)• wg"
The lien. and Gallant Member had saved the
country
20,0001. sal wry a year out of Prince Albert's. Ile (Mr. 1,. )
would also life to know what amount of pension would
be
sallieient to show the gratitude of the people, and to re-
munerate his Hon. Friend the Member for Kilkenny (Mr.
Hume) for his services.—( Loud cries of " Hear, hear.'.)
The fact was that if Members were to be paid for public
serviees they would be there merely as competitors for the
public money, and the public would be justified in saying
such a man is not actuated by any desire to save the
public expenses, but he is only thinking of Sir J. Newport,
who bias a pension because he saved the people 75 000/.
e-year.—( Cheers.) Then a long list of the motions Sir J.
Newport had made was read. Ile ( Mr. Leader) was much
dismayed on hearing that list. for it appeared to him that
it would be a sort of inducement to Hon. Members
to snake as many met:oust 35 posAibic __(Great laughter. )
Without meaning to say a word against Sir j. Ncelairt—
(Hear, hear, from Lord J. Russell)—what could the
Noble Lord mean by that very exqui,oe cheer ?—( Hoar,
bear.) He had not said a word against Sir J. Newport.
—(Cheers.) Ho believed that Sir J. Newport airs a good
master to Lord Wellesley and Lord Grenville ; lie balleved
that lie did save money for the country—he believed that
be did make a great many motions in Parliament—that he
had done a greet deal of good, and that he was a egad old
man in Ireland.—.(Hear, hear.) But what of that—all
that was no reason for giving him a perision—( Cheers)—
especially when the way he was appointed to office was
considered. H 2 (Mr. Leader) believed it was a rule that
no man should have a pension for having been in a public
office till he bad served twenty-five years, At the time
Sir J. Newport was appointed to this office he was seventy
five or seventy-six years of ago, and it was therefore almost 31
impoesible that be should be entitled to a pension
for
twenty-five years service. The Act of Parliament, there_
fore, under which he was appointed wag
hear.) Then they were told Sir J. Newport retiredftrhoarn:
office on account of his great age and infirmities, but
was a good reason against his being appointed at all.
(Hears hear.) What was the interpretetion that any man