The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-28 00:00:00

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''SDOIC, TUESDAY• APRIL 28, 1846.
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The LORD-vr HANCE - LLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at
Five o'clock.
Lord BROUGHAM complained of the delay which had
taken place in the passing of the corn-law, and moved for
some returns on the subject of corn importation.
The Earl of DALHOCSIE moved his resolutions on railways,
as a standing order.
Lord MONTEAGLE complained, that by this standing
order the Government were endeavouring to shift upon
other parties that responsibility which fairly devolved on
themselves.

The Marquis of CLANRICtRDE complained of the manner
in which the proposed stsnding order would affect the Irish
Railway Bills.
The Earl of DALHOUSIE having replied,
The resolutions were agreed to, and the House adjourned.
The SPEAKER took the chair at Four o'clock.
_.

On the reading of the orders of the day for proceeding
with the adjourned debate on the first reading of the Irish
Life and Property Protection Bill,
Major BERESFORD took occasion to defend his noble re-
lative, the Marquis of WATERFORD from the attacks of the
Honourable Member for Kilkenny, relative to the ejection of
his tenantry. The statements of the Honourable Member
were totally without foundation.
Lord INGESTRE believed that the Marquis of WATER.
Foal) was one of the best landlords in Ireland.
O'Connzu. was sorry for the statements he had
made ; he thought them true or he should not have adverted
to
them.
emt;'CoxxELL admitted that the Marquis of WATER-
FORD was one of the best landlords in Ireland, and that his
amiable Marchioness was continually employed in acts of
charity.
Mr. C. WOOD, as the chairman of the Bridport Election
Committee, reported that the Committee had come to the
resolution that Mr. B. CocaaaNE had not been duly elected,
but that Mr ROMILLY had.
The Clerk of the Crown was ordered to attend to-morrow
to amend the return. _ _

A discussion then took place upon a question put by Mr.
CHRISTIE, relative to the petition against the return of Mr.
B. COCHRANE, which ended in Mr. GEonGE BANKS giving
notice of his intention to-morrow to move that the peti-
tion be printed.
Sir J. Giulia-11,in answer to a question from Mr. POWELE,
said the Government would do all in their power to put a stop
to the evil practices that were going on in Sheffield.
In answer to a question from Sir G. GREY, Sir J. GRAHAM
said it was the intention of the Government to proceed with
the Charitable Trusts Bill.
Mr. M'CARTHY then resumed the adjourned debate on the
Irish Coercion Bill.
Mr. H. BAILLIE defended the course pursued by the Go-
vernment, and supported the first reading of the Bill.
Colonel VERNER supported the Bill.
The House was then addressed by Sir R. PEEL, Mr. WYSE,
Captain CONOLLY, and Mr. RICH.
The debate was then adjourned till Thursday next.
The orders of the day being then disposed of, the House
adjourned at One o'cicok.

The Premier, in his speech last night, made a gratify-
ing declaration of the sincerity of his feelings with re-
spect to the great measure introduced by him, and the
successful termination of which is looked for with such
feelings of intense anxiety by all classes of the commu-
nity, and gave the most direct contradiction to the reck-
less and calumnious assertions of those, who, unable to
contend in fair argument against the justice, the impera-
tive necessity for its adoption, seek to whisper away the
character, to impugn the motives, and to cast doubts on
the sincerity of the Government by which it has been
introduced. The Right Hon. Baronet says, " I will now
allude to an injurious surmise which I have heard
thrown out, that her MAJESTY'S Government are indif-
ferent to the progress of the Corn Bill, and that they
interposed this discussion, or rather the motion for the
first reading of this Bill, with a view to the defeat or the
delay of that measure. I have heard some Hon. Gentle-
men say, not that they thought so themselves, but that such
was the impression on the part of the public. Sir, in answer
to that statement, I will only say, without any unneces-
sary boast, that I shall be prepared to give whatever proof
may be required of the sincerity of my intentions."
This is, indeed, clear, distinct, and explicit, and from
our hearts we believe in the sincerity and devotion of
the Prime Minister to the glorious cause.
no occasion for any declaration to convince us. He has
already, by his acts, afforded the clearest evidence on the
subject. At the head of a great and powerful party,
who felt that the only hope they had of withstanding

the popular demand, of retaining to themselves a vast
amount of income wrung from the earnings, the industry
of the people, who sustained by the righteousness of their
cause imperatively required a full and immediate settle-
ment of their claims—when the subject was clearly
argued with the utmost ability, and all the atrocity of
the system was exposed with truth and fidelity—when
daily converts were swelling the ranks of the fret
traders, and each division showed a largely increas-
ing minority, formidable from their numbers, formidable
from their abilities, but, beyond all, formidable from the
integrity of their purpose, the justice of their cause, and
the zeal and fervour with which they urged on the coun-
try their principles, and pressed for their adoption—was
in retaining the advocacy, in securing the services of a
man so remarkable, so talented, as Sir ROBERT PEEL
has ever shown himself to be ; and who, in return for
such advocacy on his part, yielded to him the most
strenuous support, so that no one was ever placed
at the head of a stronger Government, or with
a greater prospect of long continuance and stability,
in office than he was at the time when first the pleasing
intelligence was communicated to the public, that he was
convinced of the impolicy of retaining the corn-laws in
their present condition, and was prepared to recom-
mend a great and immediate change, with a view to their
ultimate and total abolition, and this he was prepared
for, although then unsupported by many of his col-
leagues with whom previously thereto he had
ever acted with the utmost cordiality and con-
cord—although ignorant how far the honesty
of his purpose, the overwhelming strength of
his arguments, would convince those who had
hitherto followed in his track—nay, satisfied, as he must
have been, that he would provoke the undying hatred
and animosity of many of the ultra-protectionists. why
would not, in the narrowness and selfishness of their
views, permit any consideration of public policy ty
interfere with what, in their short-sightedness, they
supposed to be their individual interests, and who would
be little scrupulous to avenge by any means what
they might consider his desertion of their cause—
when, we say—because convinced of the im-
policy of continuing the imposts, he at once sacrificed
place and power, he broke up his party—then probably
the strongest in Parliamentary influerre that had existed
for ages—he proclaimed his feelings and intentions to
the country, and fearlessly appealed to that country and
to posterity to form an accurate estimate of the purity
and integrity of his motives. We look in vain to his-
tory for a similar example. Many pages are filled, a
black catalogue exists of Ministers who, for personal
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attained. Sir
ROBERT PEEL has, by his conduct, at once attained for
place amongst the most virtuous, the highest
order of statesmen, happily for his country, and by the
magnanimous appreciation of the nobleman who
had been his great political rival, who
could
alone as . a satesman be weighed in the
balance with him, and by the force of truth
acting on the minds of many of the less prejudiced and
most reasonable of his party. The sacrifice he was
prepared to make was not demanded of him, and he
still presides over and rules the destinies of this great
country, But not the less is he entitled to honour fer
his resolution ; and from him no words, no pledges, are
necessary to convince us of his undying devotion to the
cause for which he has risked so much. But he has
stated one thing which must fill the public mind
with delight, and, if possible, make assu-
rance doubly sure —he made all these sa-
crifices because he felt the time had arrived
when public policy, when the welfare of his country de-
manded the immediate settlement of the question; but
he last night proclaimed a still higher motive, a consi-
deration more lofty than any he had hitherto put for-
ward. He says—" It is sufficient for me now to say
that the progress of the discussion, the lapse of time
and intervening events, have more strongly increased the
feeling with which I spoke when I proposed the perma-
nent and final settlement of the corn question. I will not
deny that during the debates on the questionlmdyitopiisaionson
the subject have undergone a ,
this—
that restrictions which lat first believed to be impolitic, I
now believe to be unjust. Consequently the sense of their
injustice precludes any compromise on my part." This
is, indeed, a bold avowal, and one which must carry
with it the most satisfactory assurance to the minds of
those
who have so long, and at such disadvantage, strug-
gled in its behalf. Our cause is, indeed, a noble