The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-23 00:00:00

that I have had the advantage of hearing her
Majesty's Speech ; and it is only now that I
have learnt that the real question which has
agitated the country was not to be discussed ;
and—except perhaps in a kind of protest—we should
address her Majesty without any attempt at a difference
of opinion. Sir, lam not now—after the indication of
the Right Hon. Gentleman, the first Minister, that
an early day is to be appointed for the discussion of that
question—lam left now, after so formal an announcement
from so high a quarter, presuming myself to introduce
that question to the notice of the house. Not even the
allusion made to it by the Noble Lord who has just sat
down, or even the details entered into by the Right Hon.
Gentleman shall tempt me, or I might say would even
authorise me, to touch at such a moment upon such a
question. At the same time lam bound, in fairness to
the House—rising with their indulgence, at this moment
of the debate—l am bound not to conceal what my
opinions are on the general question, though I,
shall not attempt to express them, except je,
giving the result. I am not one of ter,s,,,
who are converts to the new opinion. I am, Prdrhaps,
member of a fallen party. Those oeinions t!etat I have
feebly some times attempted to express in this House
in favour of protection, I adheee to, and le sincerely in-
tend to do so. They sent me to this House, and if I re-
linquished them I should relinquish my seat—(Cheers)
—and I should net 'have appeared here. I give that
frank expressien of my opinion. I will now attempt,
with the, indulgence of the House, to give the reasons
why rise at this moment. I confess that the tone of
the Right Hon. Baronet was hardly fair to the House ;
for while he stopped discussion on the great question on
the present occasion, he entered into some details, and
gave vent to his feelings with a fervency quite unusual,
Sir, I admire a Minister of this country who has tbes
courage to say that he holds authority in order to vindi-
cate his opinion, and to give expression to the ceeeiction
of his intellect and conscience. Sir, there ie hardly
any man in this House, who will rise and say they are
not the feelings of a very great and courageous spirit,
which should at all times, and under all circumstances,
be respected. Unfortunate, indeed., will be the position
of this country, when its destinies are regulated by a
Minister who recommends a policy adverse to the con-
viction of his mind. But, Sir, while the Right Hon.
Baronet has touched on the subject of such high deli-
cacy, we may be permitted to ask ourselves what are
the causes, and what are the circumstances, that ren-
dered it necessary for one so able, and one so eminent,
occupying a position so high—at least of so great a re-
sponsibility—to enter into these apologies, to enter into
these vindications, and rising in the House amid the
cheers of former opponents, to place himself in a posi-
tion of such an apologetic character to those who
once were his party ?—(Cheers.) Sir, I have no
doubt that the Right Honourable Baronet has
arrived at conscientious conclusions upon this great
subject. —(lleer, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman
says that it is not so much through the force of argument
as the cogency of observation that he has arrived at
these conclusions. But, Sir, the observation which the
Right Hon. Gentleman has made must have been made
by him at a period when he filled in this House a post
scarcely less eminent, and in which he exercised scarcely
less control than he does now. I want to know how is it
that the Right lion. Gentleman, who certainly is in the
enjoyment of the full maturity of manhood, should
have arrived at this change of opinion—no doubt con-
scientiously—should have arrived at this state of opinion,
when, after a long opposition, this question was argued
in all its bearings, a Government was formed in oppo-
sition to the very opinions he now advocates? I think,
myself, not only is a Minister bound to advocate that
policy which he believes to be necessary to the welfare
of the State, but he is bound, under all circumstances,
and at any sacrifice, to announce his opinions. But what
are we to think and say of an eminent statesman, who
having served—as he has informed us—under four
Sovereigns who cannot want experience any
more than he can royal confidence—who was
called to steer the ship on so many occasions
and under such perilous circumstances—what are we to
say of that Minister, our greatest and most renowned
statesman, who, by the observation of three years, has
found it necessary utterly to change his conviction On
an important topic, which must have presented itself far
more than twenty years to his observation, and which
tuts been debated in this House, under every variety of
circumstance. Sir, I will say, of such a Minister, that
he may be conscientious, but he is unfortunate. But
this I will say of him, he is the last man who should
turn round and upbraid his party in the tone of menace.
--(Cheers.) Sir, I must say that I find a difficulty in
paralleling the position which the Right Hon. Gentle-
man now occupies with anything which history or
experience affords us. The only circumstance,
the only incident which occurs to me as bearing any
parallel to it is in an event which occurred in that late
war in the Levant, which was terminated by the policy
of the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Palmerston). I re-
member when that great struggle was taking place
which affected the existence of the Turkish empire—when
the Sultan of that day, a man of great energy and great
resources, determined to make a last effort for his em-
pire, fitted out an immense armada. It consisted of
many of the finest ships that were ever built. Its crews
were picked, and its officers were chosen with discretion
and rewarded before they fought.—(Laughter.) Never
did such an armada pass the Dardanells since the days of
Solyman the Great. The Sultan embraced the Admiral
—all the muftis prayed for the success of the expedition,
53 the muftis here did at the last election. Away went
the armada, but what was the astonishment
and consternation of the Sultan, when the Lord High
Admiral steered at once into the enemies' port.—(Cheers
and laughter.) Now, Sir, the Lord High Admiral in
that instance was much misrepresented. He too was
called a traitor, but he vindicated himself. He said
" True it is, I did place myself at the head of :the valiant
armada—true it is my Sovereign embraced me, and that
all the muftis of the kingdom offered up prayers for the
success of the expedition, but I have an objection to war ;
I see no use of prolonging the struggle, and the only
reason I accepted my high office was that I might termi-
nate the contest by betraying my master." And, Sir,
these reasons, offered by a man of great plausibility and
great power of discussion, and adroit in debate, have had
their effect, and what is still more surprising is the fact
'which the Hon. and allant Admiral opposite (Sir C. Na-
pier) will bear witness to, that at this moment that mania
First Lord of the Admiralty at Constantinople under the
new reign.—(Sir Charles Napier made some observation
which we could not hear.) Well, lam convinced at all
events that he remains a very influential personage in
the Ottoman world. Now, the Right Hon. Gentleman
has turned upon us and said, "A certain power made me
Minister, and a certain power can prevent me from be-
ing Minister." I protest against such an authority : I
never will acknowledge such a servile position. Sir, the
sympathy of all sides of the House must be with the
Hon. Gentleman ; but, like his former adhesion to free
trade, it must be sympathy in the abstract
because no person has a right to fill the position of
the Right Hon. Gentleman, and give utterance to senti-
ments so magnanimous, without some reference to
that understanding which placed the Right Hon.
Gentleman at the head of the Government,
and which, after all, should not be lost sight of in esti-
mating the position the Right Hon. Gentleman now
occupies. It is all very well for the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman to say, I am the first Minister of the country—
and, by the by, I think! the Right Hon. Gentleman
might as well adopt the phraseology of Sir Robert
Walpole, and call himself sole Minister, for his speech
to-night is rich in egotistic rhetoric—l think he is per
fectly justified in such a course, as almost all his Cabinet
voted against him, and so I think, he is quite right not to
;notice them. It is all very well for the Right Hon.
-Baronet to advance to that table, and say I am thinking
of posterity—l am certainly doing that which is exactly
contrary to what I counselled on the other side of the
table; but lam appealing to posterity, and therefore I
care neither for your disapprobation nor your cheers.
But then we might ask ourselves, as Members of the
House of Commons—as subjects of a popular Government
—we might ask ourselves, what are the measures by which
the Right Hon. Gentleman has attained this position ?
The Right Hon. Gentleman has supported a different
policy for a number of years. He (continued the Hon.
Gentleman) remembered when the Right lion. Gentle-
man was in a different position, and was a little more
bashful.—(A laugh.) The Right Hon. Gentleman calls
upon the Queen, but would the Queen call upon the
Right Hon. Gentleman ?—(Hear, hear, cheers, and
great laughter.) In 1821 he would not lace himself in
opposition to the then Government of England. It was
all very well for the Right Hon. Gentleman to take this
highflowing course, and if he could maintain it may be for
the benefit of the country. He thought and said with
great respect—for he belonged to that party which he
believed could now triumph no more—(A laugh)—and
that they had nothing at their side except the Constitu-
tion—the duty of a great statesman was to represent
great ideas, that may lead to great events, as well as
lead him to power. He did not care whether he was a
useeinfacturer or a manufacturer's son.—(Hear, hear.)
He eared not what may be the position of a man who
!lever originated an idea, who watches the atmosphere,
and takes his observations, and when he finds the wind
In a certain points sails in that way. The man who does
3° may be a powerful Minister, but never can be a great
statesman. He is as much a ereat statesman as a man
who gets up behind a carriag; is a great whip.—(Great
laughter and cheering.) Both are disciples of progress.
—(A laugh)—both get good places—(Great laughter)—
but how far is the original momentum
indebted to their
hover.—(Cheers.) The Right Hon. Gentleman places
imself in this position. He tells us. that he held highs
offices under four sovereig9e, and exercised power
thisip
those high offices. This is the reputation
f
of ability and experience—that an
man
trusted him, and that a Conservative sovereign
trusted him. He tells you this as a recemmendation
to follow him. But is this the way for a great statesman
to win the proud aristocracy ?—(Hear, hear, and cheers.)
It would never reconcile him to be dragged upon a
wheel. He had not arrived at that conclusion; and the
opinion of the majority of the House he hoped would be
the same. Tie is the only man who, coming forward and
devoting himself to the country, says he sacrifices him-
self to his Sovereign's deliverance. Sir, the_ Right Hon.
Gentleman tells us he is still purely .Uonservative,
and says his Conservative Administration is determined
to put down agitation. He confessed when he heard
this, great es was the power of Parliamentary faces, he
was thunderstruck.—(Bear.) He felt that men who
appeared to speak the truth were most likely to mislead.
A man who differs from him, however, may be permit-
ted to speak in a popular assembly. But when he said
tie vion.o put down agitation—when he said this in the
face of the Hon. Member for Stockport, and the Hon.
IVllmbffix,-, 49r Durham—when he said this the
,sswAST lace\ eff-.CI great General, and attempt lilt, he
.....,tticesehribl\Right Hon. Gentleman would achieve'
= one of the' kreat qualities of a statesman, that of
Making an "Impression. Re put down agitation I
He will when he induces the Noble representative
f3outh Lancashire to come forward and stand i3all of
..
_(A laugh.) He remembered, when in the midst of
proud
orgutions, ?oaring of the inconvenience of the

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