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

SHEFFIELD, JAN. 26.

STOCK Exciter:oz.—The sales are—Grimsby and Sheffield Exten-
sion, 21. 18s. —Ditto, Quarter Shares, 2N—Leeds, Wakefield, and Mid-
land, 2/. 19s.—Sheflield and Lincolnshire, 4—Ditto, Extension, U. Is.
—South Yorkshire Coal Railway, 31,4 .
YORK, JA N. 26.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Newcastle and Darlington Ex-
tensions, 11% --York and North Midland Extension, 39—Ditto, New
(East and West Riding), 10%—Newcastle and Berwick, 20%
North British, New, Carlisle Branch, 3—London and York, 4%—
Grand Union, 1/. 18s.—Lancashire and North Yorkshire, 21 195..
Leicester and Bedford, 2—Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and. Mi-
dland, 4% —Welsh Midland, 2%.. s.

',. L-gt

THE IRON TRADE.—AII branches of the iron menu
-
factures of South Staffordshire continue in undimished•acti-
vity, and it is expected that a further impetus will be given
to the trade before the expiration of the present quarter.
During the past week contracts for 120,000 tons of iron rails
for the Great Western Company have been taken, a large
proportion of which has been contracted for in our own dis-
trict. This immense order—which, it must be borne in mind,
is only a small portion of those that may be looked for from
the railways which are all but certain to pass in the present
session—is required for the Great Western main trunk and
its numerous branches. including the Oxford, Worcester,
and Wolverhampton line, the . operations of which have
already commenced at various points. Of these 120,000
tons, 45,000 are taken by the Colebrook Dale Company;
40,000 by the Plymouth works, Glamorganshire; 20,000 by
Messrs. Matins and Rawlins, of West Bromwich ; and 15,000
tons by the Chillington Iron Company. We understand that
these contracts have been regulated subject to the fluctuations
of trade, but at the present prices they will realise more than
131. per ton. 'raking, therefore,, into account the large sup-
plies which will be required to meet the demand for British
railways, and the orders which may be looked for from the
Continent, to complete the great lines under contract, we
may, without indulging in any very sanguine specnlatiods,
safely conclude that the present price of iro:1 will, under any
circumstances, be folly maintained. There is not now, we
are informed, a single ironwork of any description in South
Staffordshire which is not in constant operation, or if not fully
employed, the circumstance is attributable to the want of
the raw materials of manzfactare, coal and ironstone.—Bir-
ininghain Journal.
DEATH OF RICHARD LATFIA3I, ESQ.,
gentleman, who was a life governor of Christ's and St. Bar-
tholomew's Hospitals, a life subscriber to St. Ann's Schools,
life subscriber to the Licensed Victuallers' School and
Asylum, Fellow of the.Linnean Society, and for upwards of
a quarter of a century acting partner in the eminent brewery
of Sir Henry Meux and Co., died on Saturday morning, in the
79th year of his age, at his residence, Bayswater Villa,
Bayswater, after an illness of a few days. Mr. Latham re-
ceived the rudiments of his education in Christ's 'Hospital,
wealthy,
en
and in grateful recollection of the boon, the first 4001. he
saved by industry
and frugality he devoted to the uses of
that noble I e
institution.
terTtaoineemciplino hisemploy own emphaticn and
words
—"From that happy moment he prospered." He afterwards,
became
hospi tablv a leisure hours penetrated deeply into the scientific of
i recesses
chemistry, botany, geology, and
philanthropist, and sustained that higehaorlogy. He wasl a
to devote nearly the whole of his long and
nacseteflurlsli,ifneobtoytes
comfort, happiness; and worldly improvement of his fellow-
creatures, without-reference to grade or station: and his great
Christian principle was, to " do unto others as they should do
unto you," and on many trying occasions he was known to
return " good for evil. '
Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening from the Colo
nial-office for the Governor of Gibraltar.

lii PE RI

AMEN T.

- _
HOUSE OF LORDS, Monday, Jan. 26.
Their Lordships assembled al; 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 Chvber of Commerce of Manchester, praying that
all duties on articles of food may be abolished.
ANSWER TO THE ADDRESS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR then 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 Ilothe 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

;econd reading.
The Bill was then road
...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 changed their opinions on this
subject. He still would wish to keep inviolate the com-
pact entered into with the agriculturists in 1842, and he
hoped the( 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 accerting office?
The Duke of WELLINGTON begged to inquire
whether the Noble Duke intended to ask any further
questions ?—(Laughter).
The Dull.) 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 declared 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 generally passed in her Majesty's Councils.
In doing soy I may have to detain your Lordships for a
few 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 V- e potato crop, in the
course of the last autumn, and of the consequences
likely to resat 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,
L 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 food 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 most 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
iu 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 :Ilea-
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 points 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
of 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,
the confidence of both Houses of Parliament. I consi-
dered it my duty to make every effort to recon-
cile the differences of opinion, as the best ser-
vice I could render to my Sovereign.—(Hear.)
In this attempt I did succeed. The result was, 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 re-
sign-ation, after first asking her whether he
ould be allowed to make any alteration in

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-
cumstancea. All the m mbers 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 for:n a new Cabinet. Her Majesty
aslied a Noble Lord to form a new Administration, but
"tha't Noble Lord did not succeed, and the consequence
was that her Majesty asked his Hon. Friend at the
head of the Cabinet to remain in office. My
colleague wrote to me informing me of her
Mljesty's wishes, and then it became neces-
sary for us to act nnder the circumstances,
and my Hon. Colleague having been of opinion that an
alteration of the corn laws was necessary, several 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
among them. I came to the resolution that let what
would happen I should support him most cordially, and I
am of the 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 felt 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 opinions of any indivi-
dual of the corn-laws, or of any other laws.—(Hear,
hear.) My Lords, my Right Hon. Friend wrote to me,
desiring that I would attend their Cabinet, which would
be held that evening, which I did. I there applauded
the conduct of my Right Hon. Friend. I was delighted
with it—because it was exactly the course I should have
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 be could not
prevail on the other Members of the Cabinet to support
him in a material alteration of the corn-laws, that those
who were employed to form a .Government v.ust have
obtained a knowledge of the particular circumstances
under which my Right Hon. Friend had resigned. I
therefore beg to ask, my Lords, how my Right Hon.
Friend could enter the House of Commons and again
defend the corn-law, which he brought in himself—as
he had done only in the preceding July.—(Hear, hear.)
How could he go into Parliament and defend the corn-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 resumption.
Of' his government. I also knew well that, in doing so,
I must be a party to the proposition Of % ITIALOZiaI AIWA"