The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Monday, Jan. 26.
Their Lordships assembled •5 Half-past Four o'clock.

CORN-LAWS.

The Earl of RADNOR presented several petitions
against the corn-laws.
The Earl of CLARENDON presented a petition from
the Chamber of Commerce of Manchester, praying that
all duties on articles of food may be abolished.
ANSWER TO THE ADDRESS.

The LORI) CHANCELLOR the❑ read from the
Woolsack her Majesty's answer to the Address pre-
sented from the House of Peers, which was as follows :
"I receive with satisfaction your loyal and dutiful Ad-
dress and rely with confidence on your constant desire
to co-operate with me in my endeavour to promote the
happiness of my people."
On the motion of the Duke of WELLINGTON, her
Majesty's most gracious answer was ordered to be in-
serted on the journals of the House.
LAND REGISTRATION.

Lord CAMPBELL then asked leave to lay on the
table of the House a Bill for the purpose of establishing
a general system of registration of land. He would
merely move that it be read a first time, and he would de-
fer the second reading until the exciting questions which
at present pressed on the attention of their Lordships
had been disposed of. But as soon as those questions
were settled, he should lose no time in proposing its
second reading.
The Bill was then 'read a first time.
CORN-LAWS.

The Duke of RICHMOND rose to present to their
Lordships' House twenty-eight petitions from places in
Kent ; from Kelso, in Roxburgh ; from Alford, in
Aberdeenshire ; one of them signed by 977 tenants
and tenant labourers in the county of Sussex ;
also from Yorkshire ; from the Isle of
Thanet; from Derbyshire; from Somerset, and other
places. In presenting these petitions, and in stating
his intentions to support their prayer, he begged to state
to their Lordships that the petitioners hoped and trusted
that their Lordships would consent to no alteration in
the present corn-laws, and, whatever might happen else-
where, that their Lordships would not consent to such
alteration until they first appealed to the constituencies,
to test whether they had chaeged their opiaions on this
subject. He still would wish to keep inviolate the com-
pact entered into with the agriculturists in 1842, and he
hoped that their Lordships would not permit themselves
to be intimidated by the Anti-Corn-law League or their
emissaries.

Lord DEVON presented similar petitions from the
county of Devon.
The Duke of RICHMOND wished to ask the Noble
Duke (the Duke of Wellington) if he had received her
Majesty's permission to state to the House the reasons
for her Majesty's Ministers' resignation, and for their
again accepting office?
The Duke of WELLINGTON begged to inquire
whether the Noble Duke inteuded to ask any further
questions ?—(Laughter).
The Duk of RICHMOND replied that he thought it
would be more convenient to the House if, instead of
making a speech, he contented himself by asking a ques-
tion, as he was sure the House would be anxious
to know the grounds that led to the resignation
of the Ministry, and also to know the grounds upon
which a Government, which decleenel itself one day un-
able to go on, undertook the Government of the country
ten days afterwards.
The Duke of WELLINGTON—I beg to state, in
answer to my Noble Friend's question, that in making
the statement I am about to do I can only
answer positively for myself and for my own
motives. I shall, however, state to the
House what generall% passed in her Majesty's Councils.
In doing so, I may have to detain your Lordships for a
tew moments, but you may rely upon it I shall keep you
for the shortest possible time. My Lords, when accounts
were received from Ireland, and from different parts of
Great Britain, of the state of t- e potato crop, in the
course of the last autumn, and of the consequences
likely to result from this failure in different
parts of the country, my Right Honourable Friend
at the head of the Government considered it his duty to
call together his colleagues in order to take into consi-
deration the various reports that had been received. My
Right Hon. Friend called his colleagues together, and
having laid before them the reports I have alluded to,
made to them a certain proposition for the adoption of
measures which he considered necessary her Majesty's
Government should adopt, in order to avoid or remedy the
evils likely to occur in his opinion in consequence of this
misfortune. One of the measures suggested to my
Right Hon. Friend was, that her Majesty's Ministers
should recommend, by an Order in Council, to suspend
the operation of the existing corn-laws, so as to open
the ports for the admission of corn duty
free. My Lords, it is not necessary that I
should discuss the motives stated, or the grounds
on which that recommendation was founded,
I was one of those who considered that it was unneces-
sary to adopt that measure. I considered that a mis-
fortune had undoubtedly occurred, which had the effect
of depriving millions, I may say, of a large portion of
provisions upon which they relied for food. But still
there was a fair supply of foed in the country. It was my
opinion arrangements should be made similar to those made
in former years, for finding employment for the people,
and for finding means of rewarding them for that em-
ployment. And, my Lords, beside that, it appeared to
me that the existing corn-laws made provision for
throwing open the ports, should that measure be deem
ed necessary.—(Hear, hear.) That law enacted, that
when the price of wheat or grain should reach such an
amount as that there should appear to be a deficiency
or want, then the law provided that grain should be
admitted at a nominal duty.—(Hear, hear.) Under
these circumstances, I judged it necessary to
suspend those laws, and upon that ground
it was that I objected to that proposition. At the same
time I was must anxious that the Government should
adopt measures immediately to form a commission in
Ireland, and instruct that commission as to the measures
to be adopted for giving employment to the people,
and for procuring food for them, and for rewarding them
in payment of that employment, and all those measures
which, on former occasions, have been found to be bene-
ficial and effectual. My Lords, I believe that all these
measures had been adopted on former occasions.
They are not new to the public servants in
this country ; they have been effectually adopted.
My Lords, in the course of the discussion on this mea-
sure, it was intimated that a suspension of the corn-
laws might endanger a renewal of that measure, or that
it might be necessary to make a very essential altera-
tion of it. My Right Honourable Friend inti-
mated his opinion of the necessity of making
an essential alteration in the corn-laws. I be-
lieve every one thinks now that some alteration is
necessary—an alteration in certain pcents was necessary,
and was now admitted by all.—(Hear, hear.) It was
necessary to make an essential alteration in the existing
laws. Many Members expressed a strong difference of
opinion on the subject. As for my part, I was
certainly of opinion that it was necessary to '
make an alteration in the corn laws. But
my Lords, I confess that in my opposition, I considered
that a division in the Cabinet might endanger the safety
ee the Government itself, and having served in England
for more than fifty years in high places, I considered it
my 'duty to endeavour to do all in my power to reconcile
the difference of opinion amongst my colleagues ;
to preserve a Government which enjoyed the confidence
of the Sovereign, of the people, and, to a great extent,
recon-
ciletdhe the
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e differences
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In this attempt I did succeed. The result gwss that .
' I
advised my colleague to tender to her Majesty his re-
signation, and to recommend her to form a new Cabinet.
My Lords, it was necessary after his again
taking office, to come down to this House
and advise Parliament to make some alteration in
the corn-laws. But previous to his informing her Ma-
jesty of the difference of opinion in the Cabinet, I
strongly advised my Hon. Colleague to tender his
alteration in
re-
signation,wonia be aalftleorwedfirstto askingmake
ahletyr whether he
those laws. The great difference, however, among
my colleagues made me of opinion that it would
be better for him to resign his office under the cir•
cumstances. All the members of the Cabinet were of
the same opinion I know I was. My Hon. Friend
followed the advice of the members of the Government,
and he tendered his resignation to her Majesty, and
advised her to form a new Cabinet. Her Majesty
asked a Noble t.ord to form a new Administration, but
that Noble Lord dis7.l. not succeed, and the consequence
was that her Majesty :eked his Hon. Friend at the
head of the Cabinet to :eniin in office. My
colleague wrote to me inft_7olng me of her
Majesty's wishes, and then ii became neces-
sary for us to act under the circumstances,
and my Hon. Colleague having been of opi.,7len that an
alteration of the corn-laws was necessary, severitt mem-
bers of the Cabinet agreed with him in that opinion. I
do not say that all were of the same opinion, but this I
do know, that a great number of them were, and myself
eenong them. I came to the resolution that let what
wou:d happen I should support him most cordially, and I
am of t::.e same resolution still. I applauded the conduct
of my Right Hon. Friend on that occasion, and I deter-
mined that i for one should stand by him. Because,
my Lord, I fe:t it was my duty to my country to do so.
And I did think' that the formation of a Government
in which her Majesty would have confidence was of infi-
nately greater importance than opinieeas of any indivi-
dual of the corn-laws, or of any other laws,--(Hear,
hear.) My Lords, my Right Hon. Friend snOtee to me,
desiring that I would attend their Cabinet, which would
be held that evening, which I did. I there apeJlane:etd
the conduct of my Right Hon. Friend. I was delighted
with it—because it was exactly the course I should leave
pursued myself under similar circumstances, and I there-
fore determined to stand by him. My Lords, at the
same time that I did this, I knew well the position in
which my Right Hon. Friend stood in relation
to the present corn-laws. I knew well that, in
consequence of his having resigned his office
into her Majesty's hands, because he could not
prevail on the other Members of the Cabinet to support
him in a material alteration of corn-laws,tGheernm
who were employedent rrt,haustt thoseh
a
y.
to form a Government
'
obtained a knowledge of the particular circumstances
under which my Right Hon. Friend had resigned.
on
therefore beg to ask, my Lords, how my g
Friend could enter the House of Commons and again
defend the corn-law, which he brought in himself —as
Riht H
he had done only in the preceding July.—(fienr, hear.)
How could he go into Parliament and defend the eeorn-law
against those gentlemen who were informed of his
opinion that it ought to be altered, and who, of course,
would have reproached him for the fresh alteration of
opinion he had come down to support. I knew
well that I should have acted as I did, and I therefore
told him that I should stand by him in the resumptioli
of his government. I also knew well that, in doing so,
I must be a party to the proposition of a material alol3-