The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-26 00:00:00

LAW OF SETTLEMENT.

The NOBLE and LEARNED LORD also presented a
petition from the rate-payers of Bradford, in Notting-
hamshire, against the law of settlement:
MARKETS AND FAIRS CLAUSES BILL.

On the motion of the Earl of CLARENDON, the
House went into Committee on this Bill.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, after the Bill had
passed through Committee, was abont to report pro-
gress, when
Lord'BROUGHAM interposed, and said he had pe-
titions from several companies whose Bills would be af-
fected by this measure to Present before it passed, and
he did not know the occasion was so near, or he would
have presented them before. He had also a
clause framed by these companies, which he
would lay befbre his Noble Friend (Earl of Clarendon)
opposite, and he would take another opportunity to
bring the amendment before their Lordships, when the
Bill came to another stage. But, of course, the Noble
Earl must at present report progress.
Earl SHAFTESBURY then reported progress.
Their Lordships having resumed, the Commissioners'
Clauses and Waterworks Clauses Bills went through
Committee in order to he reported with amendments.
DRAINAGE OF LAND BILL.
On the motion for the third reading of this Bill,
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH moved the insertion
of a clause, limiting the amount of money to be expended
in carrying out the Act.
Earl MINTO resisted the introduction of the clause,
believing that the Bill itself limited the amount to be
expended.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said that there was no great
use in pressing the amendment ; he only moved it by
way of protest.
The amendment was then negatived without a division,
and the Bill was read a third time and passed.
CONDUCT OF SIR EARDLEY WILMOT.
Lord STANLEY rose to bring forward the motion of
which he had given notice. He desired to obtain copies
of the correspondence which had taken place between
the Colonial-office and the Governor of Van Diemen's
Land. His motion was of an unusual character, yet, as
he believed that no objection would be offered by the
Government, it would only be necessary to state
the nature of the motion and the grounds
upon which he made it. He did not make

it of his own accord, but at the earnest desire of a public
servant, who complained, though 16,000 miles distant,
he had been made the victim of calumnious assertions
against his private and personal character, which
he declared to be wholly false and calumnious.
He did not wish to enter into any disquisition on the
government of the colonies, yet he was ready to admit
that there could be no situation in which the observance
of morality and decorum was more necessary than in that
of the governor of a colony. While he had the honour
of holding the office of Colonial Secretary, in 1845,
rumours respecting the conduct of Sir Eardley Wilmot,
the Governor of Van Diemen's Land, reached him.
These reports were, that such was the scandal.
ous misconduct of the Governor, and such was
the immorality prevailing at his house, that it
was impossible for any family to visit it. That state-
ment did not attract his attention; but, having been
promulgated in this country, it reached the
colonies in the month of April, where as soon
as it was known that such statements had been made,
_ _

in England, all the chief persons in the colonies, who
were in constant intercourse with the Governor, sent
back a counter-statement, which was received in
October last in this country.—(Hear.) It happened.
that when this refutation was sent from the colonies
his Right Hon. Friend had succeeded to the office of Se-
cretary ; he having also heard then rumours, and
having on other grounds been determined to remove
Sir Eardley Wilmot from the office of Governor,
he addressed a secret dispatch to the Governor, in which
he stated his reasons for his removal, adding, at the
same time, that he thought it necessary to inform him
that these rumours had reached him, and that unless they
were satisfactorily refuted he would not be able
to advise her Majesty to employ Sir Eardley
Wilmot in any other colony. Sir Eardley immediately
wrote back that he was exceedingly happy to receive
the communication, and that he was prepared not only
to give the most peremptory and absolute denial to the
charges, but that he was determined to remain on the
spot after he had been deprived of all authority,
and that he would there submit his conduct to the
strictest investigation. He did so, and a Committee
was appointed of the Executive Council, to which was
added the Governor of the Army and the Archdeacon.
The Committee reported that none of the charges
made were capable of being substantiated ; that
there was only one mode that could be adopted,
namely, to invite any person who had charges
to make against the personal character of Sir
Eardly Wilmot, to come forward and substantiate it ;
but, whilst recommending this course, they admitted
that it was open to objections, and would not unlikely
lead to the creation of an impolitic precedent. The
Council at that time had no power of calling witnesses,
which made the investigation more difficult and uncer-
tain. They, therefore, reported that in their opi-
nion it was not expedient to enter upon the inves-
tigation, and gave as their reasons, in explicit
terms, hat during their private and official intercourse
with Sir E. Wilmot for three years, nothing had trans-
pired to show that he had been guilty of any
violation of the decencies of private life. It
was signed by the Commander of the Forces.
the Colonial Secretary, the Colonial Treasurer, the
head police magistrate, the minister of the parish, and
other:. A petition, generally signed, was agreed to in
Hobart Town, giving the most unqualified contradiction to
the reports which had been spread injurious to the
character of Sir E. Wilmot. He had the authority fur
saying that the Right Hon. Gentleman who had suc-
ceeded him in the Colonial-office (Mr. Gladstone) had no
objection to the production of the papers. When adofficer
who had been told by the Secretary for the Colonies
that unless the charges which were made against him
were refuted, he could not recommend him to any
other office under the Crown, and when that
officer remained for some time on the spot in order
that the charges might be fully, investigated, and when
they were not proved, he considered that it was but
justice that the papers should be produced. The Noble
Lord concluded by moving for their production.
Earl GREY said, except under no ordinary circum-
stances, he should have objected to the production of
these papers; hut as the circumstances were so peculiar,
it was right that the correspondence which had been
moved for should be produced. The Honourable Gen-
tleman who preceded him in the Colonial-office bad
no objection to their production.
The motion was then agreed to.
THE ARMY—LIMITING THE SERVICE.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY gave notice that
he should put the following questions to the Noble
Marquis (Lansdowne) to-morrow:—Whether: the Bill
which had been introduced into the House of Commons by
trier Majesty's Government for limiting the service in
the army, had received the sanction and approba-
tion of the Commander-in-Chief; or if it had ori-
4inated with her Majesty's Government, or of any
officer, and whether the opinion of any board of
general officers had been taken, or other competent
authorities ; and, secondly, whether it was the intention
of her Majesty's Ministers to issue a warrant like that
issued in October, 1806, to raise the pensions of non-
commissioned officers when entitled to their discharge?
Lord BROUGHAM moved for a return of the cor-
respondence upon an inquiry into the subject of relief
works in Clare; and also the letter written by Captain
Gordon, of Clare, on the same subject.
Their Lordships then adjourned.