The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-01 00:00:00

of Buckingham and the Hon. Member for Wakefield belonged to
this party—this united party.—(Cheers.) The Duke of Bucking_
ham, as I understand, is to stand by the Corn.laws, without the
least alteration at any period. The Hon. Gentleman is evidently
for some alteration of the Corn.laws, and greater freedom of trade.
The Right Hon. Baronet, the Member fur Pembroke, the Noble
Lord, the Member fur Lancashire, and the Right Hon. Member for
Tamworth are agreed on in princip es, namely, protection to the
agriculturists and a fluctuating scale, but with great wisdom and
prudence, they don't bind themselves to any particular amount of
duty.—(Cheers and laughter.) I don't q lane' with that opinion—
very far from it. I shall state my opinions with respect to the
Corn-laws when the debate on that question comes on; but
don't tell me that persons holding the opinions of the Right Hun.
Member for Tamworth, the able Duke (Buckingham) the Noble
Duke and the Honourable Member for Wakefield, hold precisely
the same opinions, and that if that party were in office, they
would put forward precisely the satins views regarding the Corn.
laws. The Right Hon. Gentleman has had much experience in this
House as the Leader of this party, and certainly I must say that
when he was on this side of the House I never took a very leading
part with regard to those economical questions with which he was
frequently embarrassed : because there was a Right Hon. Gen-
tleman who understood these matters, and who by great industry
had mastered their details, and who, in bringing them forward cer.
tainly armed them with a species of poignancy and pungency that
the question became no longer a mere matter of economy,
but formed some of the most able attacks that were
made upon the Right Hon. Gentleman's Government. The
Right Hon. Gentleman to whom I allude, the Member for
Pembroke , now sits beside him.—(Much cneering.) With re-
gard to the radical notions to which the Right Hon. Gentleman
has alluded, I may mention that brought forward by the Right
Honourable Gentleman, she Member fur Pembroke, with respect
to he Privy Councillors, and their salaries ; and I really do think
that that was a motion which without being directly aimed at it did
tend to give a false opinion of the amount received by the Privy
Council, and savoured much of what might be termed a Ra-
dical motion.
Sir J. GRAHAM—I regret bringing forward that motion also.
Lord J. RUSSELL—Then the Right Hon. Gentleman and I
have come to the same conc:usiun on that point, although on many
other subjects I cannot join in the cone;usion of the Right Hon.
Gentleman. But, Sir, what is the case with regard to another
question. Let us take the particular question of the Ballot, and
the Extension of the Suff, age, upon which it has been charged
• . .

against us that there is a difference of opinion among us when.
ever any measures have been proposed which met with my dis ip.
probati,m, I have never shrunk from expiessi. g it. It was pro-
posed at one time that, finding there were among our supporters
persons who held opinions on the subject which were different
from ours, that they should have brought these questions forward,
have permitted them to be oppcsed by those Members of this
House who did not hold those opinions, that the Members of the
Government should take no part in these discussions. I at once
repudiated the proposition—(Hear, hear)—for it, appeared to
me that when once a motion of that sort was brought forward in
this House the House ertainly had a right to know what was
my opinion on the subject. On such occasions I have never con.
cealed my opinion, not even when I felt the certainty that by
giving expression to it I was putting even the existence of Go-
vernment into peril, and I have voluntarily and williogly taken
every opportunity of declaring that opinion. When the Hon.
Gentleman the Member for Dublin, in the course of the summer,
soon after our accession to office, declared his opinion at va.
rious public parties, that it was desirable that a great
change should take place in the construction of the House
of Peers, that in fact that House should be made an elective body.
I took an early opportunity, somewhat unfairly, perhaps, of some
neighbours of mine, presenting an address to me in the country of
stating generally my opinion with regard to those organic changes,
that they were most undesirable, that it was not desirable that
they should not be discussed, and that they could not be discussed
without danger to the monarchy ; and I made this declaration in
1837, so that I may say I even periled the existence of the Minis
try, and I did it unwillingly, rather than withhold the expression.
—(Cheers.) So far is it from being true, that it was not till after the
accession of the Queen I declared my opinions on that subject.
At the meeting of Parliament in 1837, there was a general dis-
appoinment among the Representatives of popular bodies re-
garding the working of the Reform Bill. There was a general
disposition to see a change, and there was a great desire to intro-
duce the Ballot. I had not before considered the question of
the Ballot attentively, but as soon as it was proposed to intro-
duce the Ballot, and to make other changes in the composition
of this House, I immediately declared my opinion at the risk of
offending my supporters, and placing the existence of the Govern.
mrnt in peril, and the Noble Lord, the Member for Lancashire,
who I trust say hardly ever supports me by his speeches in
these contests which I have had to undergo, perfectly well recollects
an epithet certainly of a degrading nature, which was applied to the
Government by the gentleman who brought forward that motion
but he totally forgot to mention the opinions which I expressed
when that motion was brought forward.—(Loud cheers.) On other
occasions I have opposed motions for extensive changes, and placed
on record my opinions on those subjects. I have not changed
those opinions. I consider that to enter on a new Reform Bill—
even granting, what I am not ready to grant, that the defects
pointed out really exist—l do say that an entire change of suffrage,
a sew Reform Bill, would excite such uncertainty as to all our in.
stitutions, that I could not see it adopted without great alarm.
Notwithstanding this, I have consented that the Ballot shall be an
open question. I tell you Ido not think the Ballot consistent with
anything less than Universal Suffrage, but I do not say that I think
that would be the immediatc effect of it; on the contrary, I think
it would be so unpopular a change when it took place that the ef.
fect would be, that either by practice or by law, we should very
soon revert to open voting. This is my opinion—that if you
adopt secrecy, you would not make it popular, even in this country,
without having the Suffrage, if not universal, bordering upon uni-
versal. Ido not think it would satisfy the country that some
should give their votes secretly, and all the rest not vote at all; but
there are various opinions on this subject. Lord Spencer thought
the Ballot question would make little change, and he gave it me as
his opinion, on the election in 1837, that if we had then had the
Ballot only one or two elections would have terminated differently,
and, therefore, it dues not seem to me there is much difference be-
tween them. And, therefore, I have conceded this as an open ques.
Lion, and that every gentleman holding official situations shall vote
as he pleases on the subject. Sir, I come now to the other part of the
Right Hon. Gentleman's speech, in which he maintained his readiness
to act on opinions with which he could carry on consistently the Go-
vernment of this country. Omitting all others, I will say a few
words on the vital question of the Government of Ireland. We
have heard to night from no suspected authority, but on that as
high as the Noble Lord (Stanley), of the existence of tranquillity
in Ireland. You have it then admitted there is now tranquillity
in Ireland—that the people of that country have confidence in the
Lord Lieutenant, and the present Government—that a country torn
by so many divisions, that has been the scene of so much oppression
and the tl eatre of so many barbarous actions, and of those dreadful
scenes in the rebellion of 1799, and made the Duke of Wellington
say that he would rather lose his life than see a month of civil
war in Ireland—We have that conntry in tranquility.—(Hear.)
And the Right Hon. Gentleman last year, in the speech in which
gnm that
hh
fe t
he explained
country,h after conduct
exposingi r e faul
ls i
tnhge t
do
lufincdh el
triteast
afht r
yv
on the Jamaica Bill he was in a minority of five, still his great diffi
mthhesrteffoolrieh,wtlt:ecyhahhagdetoofc,oinzinreisttrhae.
Iti anpngadsr t;w ofh: and,ctheh empire—encouraging
"the trade and
ld
oauCiiiffichceueltrys
differenticilntYi
nwsoo state t
peboeoLtr
and laughter.) Was that a ground f
with
interfere in the strong way that was propose,
prosperityw h which
h, o
Highth e
Hon.. ehand,
Baronet and, ni
the prerogatives
tihriti et
hgoeetth:oiro:ue te. over.—(Loud
Commons to
of the Crown,
when it was acknowledged on the
there was tranquillity, were they to give it upfor a
one
doubtful liaiid
state tl.
ofat
affairs? He did not suppose for a moment that the Right Han.
man Catholics. But this he would say,
had been raised, or by
diliatsnxubleteynin kjeptwanu
of, that spirit
whatever means
be a great difficulty in his way, by
Baronet was aware of what had beendtzetitnhattlievearbyussuei,ojefctthwe
would
meansa
vety spirit
gteat
theit ln i•ferelice
to this part of the subjecr, I beg leave to quote an extract from
the speech of the Rev. Mr. Gregg, from Dublin, in a speech de-
R whateveri
ono efr;aetied Gentlemen.
ofQh
Queen, was
actuatedH ethbeyn
aw went
Christiano to say that
spirit,
livered at the Protestant Operative Meeting at Manchester. in
which he said that it was their duty to encourage the great work
Christian court, and had a Christian Ministry, they would see Mis.
she, meaning the
sionaries sent into every part of Ireland—
you may now see them, but with all the majesty of the law, with
notwpaelt:durw'itinhdedmudbyaas