The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-28 00:00:00

COLONIAL ACCOUNTS.

Dr. BO\VRING then moved that the resolutions of
the last s!sbion on Colonial ae•!ounts should be read by
the Clerk at the table and confirmed.

The revolutions were then read at length by the Clerk,
and agreed to.
Mr. M PHILLIPS presented a petition, signed by
52,57f1 inhabitants of Manchester, praying for the total,
immediate, and unconditional repeal of the corn and
provision laws.
On the motion being put that the Speaker do leave
the chair,
Mr. MILES rose, and said he wished to ask the Right
Hon ,urable Baronet at the head of the Government
a question before they resolved themselves into a
Committee of th who 'e House, and he was sure,
from the well-known courtesy of the Right lion. Baronet,
that he would answer his question if it was in his power
to do so. Ile understood Vint the Hon. Baronet was
now abut to make his financial statement, and he
wished to know whether it was his intention to take any
vote that evening upon the question? And if it
was, he should he glad to know if the Right
Hon. Baronet was prepared to press for the decision
of the House upon his financial proposition before
the country had had time to express its opi •
nion upon it. He hoped that previous to their
coming to any decision upon the question, Limo would
be allowed for duly and properly considering it in all
its branches; but, at all events, whether the Right Hon.
Baronet answered the question in the affirmative or the
nt gative, he would afford ample time to the counties
to state what their opinions might be upon it.—(Hear.)
Sir R. PEEL—The statement which I shall make to-

night will be more a cornmercial than a financial statement,
and, therefore, I do not intend to take any money
vote in the Committee of the whole House.—(Hear.) It
is not my intention to ask the House to express an opinion
to-night upon any part of the statement, because it is
my earnest wish that the proposal I shall make should
be maturely and deliberately considered by the House
b fore they come to any decision upon it.—(Cheers.)
For this tii.re are sufficient reasons. I believe that the
task which is imposed upon me is such that the House
will he content to take a candid and indulgent consi-
deration of the position which I hold, and whatever

may be the opinion entertained, I have no doubt in my
osn mind as to the result at which we shall arrive ; but
I trust in the mean time that the matter will be die-
cuss-d in a candid and impartial spirit.
The SPEAKER—The subject fir consideration is the
alteration to be made in the corn laws, and the altera-

(ions which have lately taken place.—[The Speaker tben
r. ferred to the Queen's reply to the Address, part of
which he lead, and the whole of which has appeared in
the columns of The Sun]—The question now is that I
1. ave the Chair.

The House then resolved itself into a general Com.
mittee, and Mr. Greene took the chair.

THE PREMIER'S STATEMENT.
Sir ROBERT PEEL, whatever may he the opinion
entertained of the course intended to be pursued
by her Majesty's Government, or of the proposal which,
on their behalf, I have to submit, no one will entertain
a doubt that their objects are of the highest order,
and that the purpose of the Minister is
one perfectly coincident with their views of
the advantage to be derived from a full con-
sideration of the interests of these several portions of

the community, and I think that none will disagree with
me in the certainty that the public interests can be better
served by candid dealing than by mere party endeavour.
It may suffice to say, that in this discussion I calculate
on the impartial consideration of the House. I am
a Ira? o that in so important a discussion as that which
may possibly take place her Majesty's Government.
whatever may be the result, are determined to fulfil the
duties of their several offices, and, whatever may be the
character of the Ministry, on this they are agreed—that
the relief of the duties on commerce, whatever that may
be, and the relaxation of the duties on commerce, which
I had the honour last session to propose, should be con-
tinued this year, and enlarged fur the relief of the people.
I am about to proceed on the assumption that protective
duties ought to be abolished, and are in principle open
to e'ojection, and that the policy of maintaining them
bla) be &fended, but that there must be special
considerations either of public policy or of justice,
to vindicate their maintenance. am about to
act upon this assumption. During the period of
the last three years there has been in this country
an increased production of revenue, notwithstanding
that there has been a remission of
many'heavy
that there has been an increased demand for labour—
that there has beer, an increase of eommerce, and that
there has ken increased comfort, happiness, and con-
tentment in this country.—(Hear, hear, and cheers)
I do not say that these blessings have ne
cessarily been caused by any particular policy you
have adopted, but this I say, the enjoyment of them has
ben confirmed by your measures—that these blessings
have been sanctioned by the House of Commons—the
policy of repealing prohibitory and reducing
protective duties. I am not now, then, by praising
that policy, about to call upon the House to
recede fro:n any course that has been pursued
a course which has been sanctioned by the
House of Commons, and which, as productive of
public good, ought, with regard to consistency, to be
persevered in.—(Hear, hear.) Sir, lam at the same
time, in advising the continued application of these
principles, not about to discard the other recommenda-
tions contained in her Majesty's Speech, namely, that
the adoption of good principles should not be
the means of endangering the public credit, or
of causing
thecausing any permanent loss in the revenue
rcountry. Neither, Sir, have I lost sight of the
other
ee rminendatien—namel,y, that in proposing sound
Pri"lPle4, wit should act with sober forbear-
&nee? DOt prejudice any - great institution