The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-21 00:00:00

CROWN SOLICITORS IN IRELAND.

Mr. PIGOTT, in pursuance of the notice he had given to
that effect, to ask the Right Hon. Baronet, the Secretary of
State for the Home Department, the following question :
Whether appointments have been made of three persons as
Crown solicitors for the Home Circuit in Ireland, or for cer-
tain counties belonging to it, in the room of the Crown Soli-
citor for that circuit, who has died ? If that question be an-
swered in the affirmative, then to ask—Whether the salaries
or emoluments of those officers have been fixed, and if so,
at what amount; when were the appointments made; when
was it determined to divide the circuit into districts, with
separate solicitors at distinct salaries; and whether there be
any objection, on the part of the Government, to laying before
this House copies of all documents relating to any alterations
which have been made in the office of Crown Solicitor, or in
the arrangements for the conduct of Crown prosecutions in
Ireland?

Sir JAMES GRAHAM said he had to state, in anwer
to the question of the Right Hon. Gentleman, that
there could be no objection to lay upon the table
of the House the papers he had asked for. In
respect to the other part of the Right Hon. Gentleman's
question, he begged to say that certain appointments had
already been made of some Crown Solicitors, about three weeks
since, which would come into operation on the 31st March. The
Home Circuit in Ireland consisted of six counties, and it was
proposed to add two other counties to that circuit, and that a
Crown Solicitor should he resident in one of those counties.
of the l
The salary should be 5001. a year, two hundred a year to cover
all expenses
On the motion
making 700 L for each, and an aggregate sum of
2,10 a for ,11l
Itothlicitor..---( Hear, hear.)
being 1001. per annum less than the emolu-
mentsuntil Monday next,
at the House should, at its rising, adjourn,
Mr. BROTHERTON •
suggested that the House should
a.ot twelve o'clock, in order that they
might be enabled to oyal
sit to-morrow ( Saturda
teAc)riiento Committee on the impor-
" Move, move."
throw bi‘eizomreStxtftemd.e..—ciineu
tlof
;he
l only
adndb e wished
extremely
sand that it
sir
RouotßthEeßsugT suggestion,
advantageous, both to th a agriculturatu
interests of the countr3 ', that the sensrronsercial
House should be taken on the preliminary 6(
the
but he did not see how the suggestion of the Hon.Me atbeop'
would accomplish his desires, or what advantage could Member
rived from the House departit ig from its usual rules.—cHea_.,
Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN suggested that as 4:t e '.,
a long list of gentlemen on his own side of the
me ,- e was
House who
were anxious to speak upon the subject of tl-
4e Government
measure, the debate ought to, be kept open-
Antil those gentle-
men had an opportunity of a• idressing the douse,
The motion was then afire ed to.

FOREIGI v POST AGES.
Mr. ROEBUCK was un derstoor
..t to ask the Right Hon.
Baronet, the First Lord of the
colonies? the penny postage "system
Treasury, if there were any
being extended to the
Sir R. PEEL replied in ,
the gallery. He was ho. ,o low a tone as to be inaudible in
ttever, understood to say that it was

not in his power to give a positive answer to the question of
the Hon. Member.

THE POTATO DISEASE.
Captain OSBORNE said that since the speech which the
Right Hon. Baronet delivered a few nights ago, certain statements
had been published with regard to thepotato blight, to which he
begged to call the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet.
Those statements had been published on Thursday, and re-
lated to the proceedings of the Horticultural Society, a meet-
ing of which had been held on Tuesday. Dr. Lindley, it
appeared, had at that meeting exhibited some specimens of
new potatoes, which had many symptoms of disease. The re-
sult was, that it might be expected that the crop of the
coming harvest would be exceedingly deficient. He wished
to know whether the Right Hon. Baronet had received any
communication or information on the subject ?
Sir R. PEEL said that when he spoke on Monday night, he
stated that we had great reason to apprehend that the danger
resulting from the failure of the potato crop would not be re-
ducing during the forthcoming autumn. But when he spoke
on Monday night he had had no direct communication with
Dr. Lindley ; he spoke from the communications which he
had received of a general nature from various scientific gen-
tlemen, who said that they apprehended that the next
potato season would be marked by a great failure.
He feared there was every reason to apprehend considerable
danger from using the diseased seed. It was said that some
new potatoes could not be detected as diseased by the closest
microscopic inspection. The plant was supposed to be sound,
but from recent information received, he had every reason to
believe that the disease was quite apparent ; and it rested with
the Government to give timely notice of this fact to the country
at large.
CORN-LAWS.
Mr. BRIGHT presented petitions from Essex, Surrey,
Stafford, Newbury, Reading, and one from Sunderland,
signed by 4,000 persons, praying for the total and immediate
repeal of the corn-laws.
Sir THOMAS ACL AND presented a petition in favour
of protection.
Mr. R. PALMER presented petitions from several parishes
in the county of Berkshire, against any alteration in the
corn-laws.
Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from the parish of
Clerkenwell. The petitioners stated that the present corn-
laws operated injuriously to their interest, and prayed fur a
repeal of those laws.
ADJOURNED DEBATE.
Mr. C. BRUCE rose and said that it had been stated in the
course of this debate that increased opposition to the repeal of
the corn-laws would give an increased force to agitation. He
(Col. Bruce) thought that if by conceding or voting in favour
of the present measure he could succeed in putting an end to
agitation, much of his opposition to the present measure would
be removed. He could not, however, so persuade himself.
He believed that if this measure was carried discontent of a
more dangerous character, and agitation more difficult to re-
press than anything with which we had now to contend,
would be the result. He could not concede the point, that
the passing of this measure would put an end to agitation.
He feared that they could not but expect that the great masses
of the people would be occasionally visited by distress. He
feared that if the present cause of agitation were removed,
there would not be wanting individuals who would point out
other alleged causes of distress. There would be little diffi-
culty in indicating other of the most valuable institu-
tions of the country which would be exposed to the
same danger as the corn-laws. The existence of tithes,
the Established Church—the aristocracy—the existence of the
great mass of property in the hands of the few, and the neces-
sary expenses of the Monarchy, would be made the most of by
designing persons, in order to excite agitation. He certainly
did not think that there would be much to be apprehended from
such agitation, if they had a firm and steady Government, be.
cause agitation always derived its principle from the weakness
or strength of the Government. He for one could not attach
such importance to the association of the Anti-Gown-law
League as would induce him to withdraw the protective duties
on corn. The experience of the Right Hon. Baronet must
have shown him the danger of any concession. The experience
of every gentleman in that House would tell him the necessity
of keeping up the national institutions. The country was
teeming with an energetic population, and an occasional popu-
lar agitation would arise, but they should not concede to it
when their reason and judgment were not convinced.
He thought that the advantages derived by the people
were generally in an inverse ratio to the strength
of the agitation. He did not intend to go into the question of
the corn-laws, as so many gentlemen had preceded him in the
arguments that he could use ; and if they went on at their
present rate of discussion, they would arrive at a conclusion
soon after Easter. He did not blame those Hon. Gentlemen
who had gone into the discussion of the corn-law question, be-
cause " Quand le cceur est pleine, la bouche parle." It ap-
peared to him that ever since the members of the Government
had taken upon themselves the task of acting upon the princi-
ples of political economy, they had made up their minds to act
as if they had neither hearts nor feelings. It was upon this
principle he presumed that the Right Hon. Baronet at the
head of her Majesty's Government was now acting and when
his Hon. Friend the Member for Northamptonshire had made
the speech which he supposed might have been addressed to
one of his tenants, he had assumed to himself the character
of a political economist. Now the fact was, that
the friends arouud him were in the habit of acting
as if they had hearts as well as heads; and had his Hon.
Friend the Member for Northamptonshire spoken in his natural
character, he would, instead of his own, have uttered the
speech that the Right Hon. Baronet had made for him. Now,
if the Noble Lord the Member for London, when he failed in
forming a Government, had declared that the measure now
before the House would be carried—if carried at all—not by
the votes of those who had the pleasure then of supporting the
Right Hon. Baronet, but by the votes of those who sat around
himself, he (Mr. C. Bruce) thought after the speech of the
Right Honourable Baronet—which he could not help de-
signating as a most imprudent one—there would be less
inclination ithan ever on his side of the House to sup-
port the views which the present Ministry entertained
Now he was not disposed to think that there were not ten or
twenty men to be found in the country able to undertake the
management of affairs—( Hear, hear)—for that would be re-
ducing them to the condition of his poor country (Scotland)
after the battle of Chevy Chase, when all their great men were
slain ; but when the jolly English monarch heard of the death
of Earl Percy, his words were—
" Now God be praised, said the King,
Sith 'twill no better be,
I trust 1 have within my realm
Five hundred good as he."
And he did not doubt that England was not in worse position
than she was then, but that she could easily find many able
statesmen to guide her destinies. He considered that it they
did pass this measure of the Government, they would see before
two years ele psed ah agitation which would compel them to repeal
it. Ilut, in his opinion, those considerations were overborne by
considerations of public morality, and by that respect and con-
fidence which should ever be maintained between constituents
and their representatives. In his own case many of those who
voted for him were tenants of the Gallant Officer to whom be
was opposed, but they bad confidence in his support of the opi-
nions in which he sought their suffrage—namely the sliding-
scale. It had been stated by the Hon. Member for Bridport
that the landed proprietors of Scotland were in favour of the
proposition of the Government. Now, he (Mr. C. Bruce)
was of opinion that they were extremely dissatisfied with it.
In Scotland the carrying out of this principle had been the
means of creating the greatest alarm amongst the tenant
farmers, and, in order the better to prove the truth of this as-
sertion, ho would take the liberty of reading an
extract from a letter which he had received
from a friend of his, a considerable landowner in
Inverness and Ross-shire. The Hon. Member then proceeded
to read the extract, which was in substance to this effect :
" That the announcement of Sir Robert Peel's measure had
been the means of casting a gloomy sensation over the inhabi-
tants of that large district." And he (Colonel Bruce) had no
doubt that that was the general feeling of the entire people of
Scotland ; and he looked upon such a fact as a set-off against
the assertion of the lion. Member for Redford. If he (Colo-
nel Bruce) were to pass an opinion on the attempt of the
Noble Lord the Member for London, in his late endeavours to
form a Government, he would say that his conduct was such as
highly became an English gentleman, instead of so advance-
ment for office, as it had been called ; and, therefore, be was
entitled to treat his Lordship's letter as a speech from the
throne. The Noble Lord, however, failed to form a Ministry,
even for the temporary misgovernment of the country. His
Right Hon. Friend at the head of her Majesty's Government
adopted the Noble Lord's letter. He found all that that
letter contained was very true ; but he wondered the
Right Hon. Baronet had not found it out before.—( Hear. )
(At this time the Right Hon. Baronet Sir James Graham
entered the House.) He was glad to see the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet come in, because he wanted to tell him how exceedingly
anxious he was to say how his speech of the other evening
read as compared with his admirable and conclusive speech of
1839. He well remembered the cheering with which that
speech was received by the Members on that side of the
House. He (Mr. C. Bruce) acknowledged that he had him-
self cheered until he was quite hoarse. It had created an im-
pression upon him which had never been effaced—certainly
not effaced by the speech of the other evening. He was
ready to acknowledge that the speech of the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet of last year showed a great modification of opinion. He
would apply to the Right Hon. Baronet the language which
had been used by the Ayrshire farmer to a Scottish Noble
Lord. The farmer happened to meet in the street the Noble
Lord, the proprietor of the farm he held, and the Noble Lord,
anxious, like all Noble Lords, to be exceedingly kind and
courteous where his rents were regularly paid, invited the far-
mer to his table, where he was placed, an honoured guest be-
side her Ladyship. Unaccustomed to the spendour
which surrounded him, he permitted the first cause
to leave the table untouched; but when he got a
little more familiar, he was anxious to express his satisfaction
in the most delicate manner to the lady beside him, and turn-
ing round in the most engaging manner, he said, " I need na
ask yer Leddyahip wha made the pudding."—(Laughter.)
The pudding which had been dished up for them by the Go-
vernment plainly exhibited the master hand of the apron and
white paper cap of the Home-office.—( Continued laughter.)
This measure, in his opinion, would touch most seriously in
the department of the Chancellor of the Exchequers and he
should like to know what that Right Hon. Gentleman would
have to say on the subject, because he knew of no one on whose
opinion, experience, or ability he should be more ready to rely
than that of the Right Hon. Gentleman himself, An illus.
trious Duke in another place had announced that he sup-
ported this measure, not because his opinion had undergone a
change, but because his feeling were in its favour, and he (Mr.
W. Bruce) regretted exceedingly that that noble personage had
allowed his better judgment to give place to his feelings.
He thought that the Right Hon. Baronet had made one part of
his speech plain, but in other parts he signally failed to show
the truth of his position. He also thought that the Right Hon.
Baronet had signally failed to show that corn would be subject
to a much greater amount of competition when the corn-testa
Kith such ainctint of corn as
were abolished. He failed, in 'nls opinion) to show that this
country would not be dele,ged
effectually to destroy the riculture of this country.—(Protec-
tionist cheers.) Hith
ag
keyed that The Right on. Baronethad said that he he,.
such would not be the case, but he had entirely
failed t
show any grounds for his opinion. lie had also failed
to .sow that he might not, with' perfect certainty of success,
nave made a great modification in the existing corn-law, which
would have met with the general assent of the douse.—
( Cheers.) Ho had also, in his opinion) failed to show that
there were circumstances in his position which, on his re-
sumption of office, justified him in bringing forward the present
measure. He had failed to show whether it would be either
wise or expedient to leave this country dependent
or its au
port on foreign countries, which had air—
ecty adopted hostile
tariffs with regard to the manufacte- • p-
s.:
this country.—(Protectioniss - ~ed articles exported from
(Mr. Bruce) to join --* .. cheers.) Far be it from him
the Right Hon. ,eith any Huth Gentleman in accusing
integrity to do so.—(
forward his ssaronet of ahy improper motives in bringing
p
motives were highro
r,ti
_t him of HeSiemtiptrpopr:omsaoLtives ; hade
had
ao
do deeptoo
sat r
oregardng
a regardfor the
...naractet of the Right Hon. Baronet to make any charge
that the Right
hitherto enjoyed the
upright and honest. He well knew
Cheers.) He believed that his
Honourable Baronet had at alt times
distinguished advocate ingthatehgacter of being the most
people of this country. But whilst he honestly made this eon-
:lrese of the rights of the,
fession, he doubted the policy of the present
eisen(tarrowsal of the
Right Hon. Baronet.—( Hear, hear.)
every due weight to the obligation of consistency, artinnagaetthee
opinions that emanated from such; at the same time hew as
bound to say, that he could not recognise in
the press st
course of policy any such honeat observance of former'eers..•
sisteney.—( Hear, hear.) He should say that he could io,
urge anything like unfairness agoliit the Right Hon, Barent