The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-25 00:00:00

EVENING SUN

further add that I do not think there ever was a motion of s
much magnitude founded on such weak and insufficient argu-
ments.—( Cheers. )
Lord LYTTELTON explained
The Duke of WELLINGTON was happy to think that the
Noble Viscount had acquitted their Lordships of the charges
that had been brought against them for the ceurso they had
thought proper to pursue with respect to the Corn-laws in the
course of the last Session. With respect to the amendment
moved by his Noble Friend, he wished- to say that there were
;lefts of the Address to which his Noble Friend made no objec-
tion whatever. The Noble Viscount had been rather severe
upon some parts of his Noble Friend's speech, which he
thought was totally uncalled for. What was the course his
Noble Friend had pursued? Why, he had commented upon
some of the statements of the Noble Lord who had preceded
him—he had observed that upon some topics no information had
been given, and he had commented upon the statements with
respect to China. There was some parts of the Speech
to which his Noble Frit nd bad thought proper to
move an amendment, which amendment the Noble
Viscount had stated, was founded upon very trivial grounds.
The Noble Viscount had stated truly, that they had not often
been caled upon to give opinions upon abstract questions of
policy on the part of the Government. Ile (the Duke of Wel-
lington) had himself, more than once, called upon their Lord-
ships not to give their opinions upon questions of policy, until!
brought before them in the shape of a Legislative measure;
and upon other occasions he had gone so far as to support the
Government upon them. But upon this occasion there came
before their Lordships questions of great importance, not only
in their principles, but likewise in their deeails ; and those
questions were brought before them in the usual manner of a
Speech from the Throne.—( Hear, hear.) It was natural,
therefore, that his Noble Friend, who moved the Amend-
ment, should state to their Lordships the grounds ueon which
ke founded it. Those grounds were, in the first instance, the
neglect of the finances of the country on the adoption of mea-
sures, and carrying on the war on a peace establishment, w hen
no provision had been made for them by Parliament.—
( Hear, hear, hear.) His Noble Friend had stated what
was perfectly true, thae, instead of coming forward to Par-
liament to propose the Ways and Means, the Government
had adopted an irregular and unconstitutional mode of finding
the means to pay those charges; in same instsnees resorting
to the Savings' Bank, and in others to the funding, of Exche-
quer Bills. Beside s these expenses the Government had
thought proper to repeal a large sum of taxes, by which they
reduced the revenue to such an amount as absolutely to leave
a deficiency to the extent of nearly two millions and a half,
besides the large debt incurred. lie (the Duke ef Welling-
ton) thought that all these circumstances which had been
stated by his Noble Friend were surely a sufficient mean to
justify the vote he thought it right to come to on the resent
occasion. The Noble Viscount had taunted his Noble Friend
for having Lund fault with the course adopted b the Govern-
ment with respect to the French trearve-,Now he
thought his Noble Friend was justly entitled to advert
to that circumstance, as showing the want of fores,ght on the
part of the Noble Lords opposite. His Noble Friend had
stated what he considered a sufficient reason for the amend-
ment that he ha s' proposed. But be (the Duke of Wellington)
must evilest that he had other reasons fur recommending their
Lordships to come to this vote—reasons which lie sh mid sub•
mit to their Lord,hips with great pain, but which lie, never-
theless, considered it his duty to submit to their Lordships. In
the course of the months of :Clay and June last, her Majesty's
Government found themselves under the necessity of intimat-
ing that it was their intention to dissolve Parliament. That
announcement was most unfortunate, considering the state to
which the country was brought by the discussion which had
taken place with respect to the Corn-laws ; and, considering
what bad passed upan the subject of the Budget and the Corn-
laws in the House of Commons in the montbssel May and
June, he (the Duke of Wal ngton) could not but -thief; that
it would have been most advisable on the part of the Noble
Viscount to have avoided recommending her Majesty to intro-
duce ws r.ls into her Speech delivered from the Throne in June
last, calculated certainly to excite animosity in the country,
because it was calculated to convey to the public that her Ma-
jesty had st rong feelingson the subject of these laws. He (the
Duke of Wellington) was astonished at the words that had been
put into the speech.
Viscount MELBOURNE.—They are the words used by
George the Third in dissolving the Parliament in 17c4.
The Duke of WELLINGTON believed that the case of
dissolving the Parliament by George the Third was entirely
within doors. It was a dispute in the House of Commons
of prerogative on the one hand, and privilege on the other
—not a question in which every man coesidered he had an in•
terest. There was another circumstance to which he must
advert, and which he did with great concern, and that was
that the Noble Viscount should have permitted himself to
advise her Majesty to make the speech that had been read
that day. He (the Mike of Wellington) had always con-
sidered the Noble Viscount as having rendered the greatest
possible service tJ her Majesty. He had reason to
know, that her Majesty herself was of opinion
that that Noble Viscount had rendered her the greatest poss
sible services, in making her acquainted with the laws, the
policy, and the customs of the Government, of the country.—
( Hear, hear.) It is (exclaimed the Noble Duke) the right of
her Majesty to preside over this country, andeGod protect her
in doing so, but he thought that the Noble Viscount ought not
to have embarrassed her Majesty, in sanctioning such a Speech
as that which was made in June, and that which had been deli-
vered by the Lords Commissioners that. day. He thought that
the most invidious terms were made use of in she speech.
He would take leave to say that the Noble Viscount had no
right to lead the country to suppose that those who were
opposed to an alteration of the Corn-laws were opposed to her
Majesty—it was unjust.—(Rear.) Only 14 months ago he
recollected hearing the Noble Viscount use the strongest lan-
guage against even the consideration of these laws_( Cheers)
—he appealed to God that a man must be mad who wished it.
—(Loud cheers.) He granted that the Noble Viscount had a
right to change his opinion as he pleased—he was sure lie had
good grounds for the change—indeed he had read the Report
which had changed the opinion of the Noble Viscount ; but
before those opposed to the Address were charged with op-
posing the Queen—before her Majesty was placed in the
situation she was now in—all the information which was its

his possession ought to have been laid before Parliam;nt.
had seen many changes—he was in this countsy when an alte-
ration was mace in the currency, also when the China trade was
thrown open, but those questions originated in Committees con-
sisting of the first Members in both Houses—of seen cal able of
judging on aty question upon which they inquired. It
was by the kuowledge imparted by emit inquiries
that men could judge of the consequences of such &alters.
But what was done here—what inquiry had been had?
Why, none whatever by the Government. A Gentle-
man in the House of Commons obtained a Committee, he be-
lieved, on the suggestion of the Anti-Corn-lair League, as it
was called. When it was moved for, a Noble Friend of his iss
that House complained of its comprehensive nature, and asked
whet
The ihtet eei3
ow,errde
of
fo
Trade
said
into toh eohonotaigodirnns art:le:lay:
hlesrrestlidleenCtuomfmt
ed
answer the question, as it was not easy to see to what poiets
the Committee might limit itself—he, however,
there would be net inquiry into the Corn-laws, but that the
Committee would classify the information obtained as to the
duties levied on commodities imported into the United Rives.
dom, and he thought the Committee would be very usefully
employed in so doing. That was the answer of the Minister
upon the subject.—(Hear, hear.► It was to be borne in mind
that it was wholly an ex-parte Csmmittee—(Cheers)—en the
Report of which no measure whatever ought to have been
foutided; nd what ; e comet tined of was. that bcitre he began
the Noble iscou, t put Luse wores in the Speech of her Me-
jesty. Belore he pus that House in a hostile position to her
Majesty he ought to have given Parlisment all the information
he possessed, and let them judge of its worth. For those
reasons he felt bound to recommend their Lordships to come to
the vote of no confidence in the NobleVisconut. lie wished 7o say
a word or two on the Budget. With respect to the timber duties
he could not help feeling that, before the Noble Lord attempt ed
to renew his prose sition, he ought to have considered the
situation in which the. Government of North America was
placed at that moment. He ought to have inquired whether,
even since the ymposition had been made, the Government in
America had not sold a large tract of land covered with tim-
bsr. Then, with respect to the sugar duties, had the planters
any information that two years after they had volunterily.given
up the awe iticeship system, they were to be deprived of the
protection imeured to them by Act of Parliament. He -did
not know whether, in the event of the measure bring raveled,
they would no. have a just chins for compens item. Anreher
class also had a right to be he aed upon the question. 'llse le-
gislation for two years had been such as to lead to the belief
that Ministers were desirous of encouraging, the production of
sugar, molasses, and ru n in the East Indies. With respect to
the Cure-laws, he would not then enter into any argunleut, but
he would be quite ready to discuss them whenever the nitcus-
sion was brought forward by a Government which posens,•es
the confidence of her Majesty and the country.—( Laughter,.
and cries of " Oh, oh.") He earnestly recommended the
amendment of his Noble Friend to their Lordships fer
the sake of the people—(Continued laughter)—yes,
foofr
ethuietivsaatkioen_of(ecr
eeinesthofe lowest classes, let them not lend
themselves to measures which would lead 10-the situation
was most singer.
taut, and so was the encoura;cOmh oh")--it
:ntoC tlnc had passed his
life in foreign countries and in eiffercut parts of the world, and
this was the only country
if he were only sober and industrious, would be certain of can-
ing competency.—(oh, ob•
rliactielerst,haline lialastdloveeevker, ssveleworeainnya.
where he Lai over seen a poor man,
Why, we had instances of ft
poorethv every
gym of'al oieetniels'reo country, as d he warned their
anyt .hh
had
dt Therekari,da s
te,wdaani siyn
Lordships never to lose the recollection of the fact. Let them
not injure the cultivation of the country, for he had seen co in-
had never seen misery equal to that which then prevailed. His
tries wherein the habit of cultivation had been lost, and he
strenuousd therefore, to their Lordships was carefully to
asec:ures which would lead to a similar result.
vovii.coui, those a hi.i
t measures
MELBOURNE
great fault with the Speech which
had that day been delivered
as from her Majesty, and the Noble Duke had also totally mis •
taken
what, had fallen front him, for he (Lord Melbourne) was
totally unaware of ever having said that those who opposed the
measures proposed by her Majesty's Goveri.ment opposed her
Majesty. Of course the present Speech, like all previous ones,
were to be taken on the reseensibility of the Aliiiister, .and it
had been framed according to the precedent set by the Speech
deLveied by George 111. in 1704—( Hear, hear)—and upon
the settle, when the Speech was drawn up, he thought
it was in a milder form than the one then _recummended
by Mr. Pitt--( Hear, hear.) The (16161111 km was upon
those measures. file Government went to the country with
them, believing them to be more favourable to commerce than
any others which could be proposed. He did not. think, there-
fore that. the Speech, because it contained allusions to those
measures, was open to the animadversion cf the Noble Duke.
Ore statement had fallen from the Noble Duke which be must
indignantly repudiate. Ile had learned nothing from the Re-
port of the Committee on Import Duties. Every thing it con-
tained was known to him before. He must, therefore, indig-
nantly deny that any thing it contained had caused the
change in his opinion. The Noble Duke had also
alluded to his (Lord Melbourne's) charge of opinion on this
subject. Undoubtedly lie had done so, but the fact was that
almost every one hid changed their opinions. Ile had not
the slightest doubt that these laws were founded in error,
hut although he was not in Parliament, he approved of there
at the time Mr. Huskis -on wrongly 'approved of them ;
indeed it was a subject on which there had (teen a greater pro-
gress of opinion, if he might use the expression, than any
other. Ile had reason to change his opinion, but the Noble
Duke hat voted him incorrectly last year When be inae!e the
allusion to insanity ; it was a referenre to a total repeal
of all protection duties. lie had always opposed the mo-
tions -.Odell were brought forward in that House for the total
repeal of the Corn-laws upon temporary grounds. He dwell
knew that the agitation of the question ne st come. He
knew that all agi, atton and violence of speech were evens, but
they were ireeparable from our constitution; they were the
priee which we must necessarily pay for ail Treat changes.
Atter a few words from the Duke of WELLINGTON in ex-
planation,
The Dole of RICHMOND, who was 1 eidiy called for, said
'lie felt, after the support he had so lung given to his Noble
ought net to come to a deliberate vote of want of
cUorlifidde, he
ne'e, without stating to their Lordships shortly the
u gro nds on which he had come to that conclusion. He was
Sure his Noble Frend would admit that he had acted, as he al--
teays would act, its ass open and manly way. He felt that
the question of the Corn-laws was one of paramount importance
to the best interests of the country, and he was astonished to
hear from his Noble Friend (Earl Spencer) who was se dis-
tinguished as a grazier—( A laugh)—thatif the law was altered
the poor land would not eo out of cultivation, but the better dee
scription of land, for the purpose of being turned into graziag
linit.—(llePr.) Now, what -was the fact--it was that the