The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-16 00:00:00

elusion to adopt everything to prevent a local feeling from in-
fluencing our information by obtaining it from. particularly dis-
interested:authorities through Ireland, so as to aid us toTorm a
just conclusion. Whether we were mistaken, or whether we
were not—and I believe still we were not mistaken —but even if
we were, a generous construction should be put upon the motive,
and the conduct of those charged with the responsihilify of
protecting millions of the subjects of the Queen from the cone
sequences of the scarcity of provisions.—( Hear, hear.) What-
ever maybe the result of this measure, I feel severely the loss
of the confidence of those from almost all of whom I have re-
ceived such support. Although I 2M inflexible on my own
opinion, 1 perfectly recognise the sincerity with which they
adhere to their own opinions. I perfectly recognise the right
of those Hon. Gentlemen to admit the clanger of my specu-
lation, and to withdraw from it. I honour their mo ives ; but
1 claim, and always shall claim, while entrusted with such
powers. and subject to such responsibility as the Minister of
this great country i. entrusted with and subj. of to, I always
will assert my right to give that advice which I censcientious y
berieve to be conducive to the general we' fare of this country.—
( Hear, hear.) I was not consieering, according to the !teenage
of the Hon. Member for Shrewsbury, what was the best
bargjin to make for party. I was considering, what %ere the
best measures to avert this great calarnity, aced also to relieve,
by that measure, as much as was possible the misery that was
then existing. I cannot charge ms self. or my colleagues, with
having been unfaithful to the trust with se ieh we were en-
dowed. I do not believe the great instieetions of -this
country have suffered duri tee our aiministraeon A Noble
Gentleman had opened a discussion, in which be observed,
that circumstances had occurred ehieh threatened the main-
tenance of amicable relations with the United States, end
hoped such would be brought to a fortu 'ate 1-,IIP. i think I
con appeal to the course which I have pursued to seen," me
against any insinuation of not maintaining the honour of 'he
country. I can appeal to the past exterienee of the
country that it hes been our earnest desire. by every
effort consistently with the national honour, in maintaie the
friendly relations with which we steed „ill nearly every nation
on the face of he earth. This principle, so lng ss I am en-
rusted with the management of public allure. wilt continue to
influence us with respect to any differ nee w fi
Look at the prerogative of the Crown oh
of the Church, anti the position o the are, ecracv
sod you will see that i cents e e
with having taken ans course inconsistent with it, ertne pies.
and calculated to endanger the high privileees °I at. y hr emle of
the Leeislsture. My earnest wish, during m' tee yeats of
'peewit:, has been to impress thee iwope re this country with
formthat thteheLegGislaeturnremt7nats
The Government desire
and justice: oat; ITT
jante„dtpih2
of
sincereeguy
it
of that class of people, whiceint
acronbtemplated the social condition
totnefht into a certain relation
sroanchise. I wish to to it by the exercise of the legieslatr
con-
vince them that our object has been tor portion taxation,
that it shall relieve industry and lahwoeucouldm
consistently
sut
enndtul e
burden, and transfer it, as far as
with our public duties, to those better able to bear it.y
I look around me and find peace where formerly there was dis-
sension—loyalty where there was formerly sedition—the agita-
tion and excitement which prevailed succeeded by a calm in
the public mind; seeing this, how could I resist the determina-
tion, in such a disposition of the public mind, to risk that ire-
' proved state of feeling by the further continuance of this truly
unjust tax. When I tell you this—when I refer you to the
improved state of the country in all these respects—when we
see a disposition to confide in you. as being friendly to and
not against them, in their great and fundamental interests—
it will be some justification of the course I have pursued.
You may dispossess me of power to-morrow, bat you
cannot deprive me of the consciousee.s that I have exercised
the powers committed to me for no corrupt or selfish and in-
terested motive.—(Loud cheers.) Regarding the question of
our foreign relations, I believe we have maintained our power
abroad consistently with national honour and the
defence of our just rights ; and I further believe
that while we have done so in bringing forward and submitting
the present great principles of justice, and in endeavouring to
disseminate the blessings of equal laws, trusting to conciliatory
instead of coercive measures, we have done that which was
best calculated for the interests of the empire, and to improve
the condition of the great body of the people.
Mr. DISRAELI ruse to explain. In consequence of an in-
sinuation that had been thrown out by the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet, he wished to correct an impression it was calculated
'to convey. The meaning that would be attached to it was, that
his opposition to the Right Honourable Baronet arose from
disappointment, arising out of an application for office. It
was the impression that in 1841 he (Mr. Disraeli was denied
office by the Right Hon. Baronet. In reference to that,
there was no foundation whatever for the insinuation.—( Hear,
hear.) Fie recollected an interview with a party in connexion
with the Government. who called on him in refere9ce to 4
cer-
tain matter, and a "onversation ensued such as what might take
teace with the most high •minded and honourable
.Vemher in
that House; but he could assure Honourable Members that
none of the opposition he new gave had anything to do with
that termina' inn. Moreover, he would say, that that interview
was none of his seeking, whether the Right Hon. Baronet was
a party to it he could not say He ( Mr. Dittaeli) had ner,r
taken any decided step against the Right Hon. Baronet till.
three years'after, and then at the strong request of hie constituents
t . redeem his pledge respecting the protection. Even then he
gave but a silent vote on the question. This oid not seem to
favour the supposition that he aced from any feeling.of hostility
respecting what took place in 1841. He had never
Asked any favour of the Government.— ( Hear, hear. )
He would confess it at once, that if in 1841 he had been
offered office, in all probability he would have accepted it. Ha
was now, however, very glad that he had not had any office
effered to him. But he did most emehat catty, upon his
honour, declare that he had never been Influenced by feeling
of disappointment in opposition to the Right Hon. Baronet..
Sir ROBERT PEFL said that the Hon Gentleman had
not at all correctly stated tha which I e Sir li. Peel) had
'aid lle had said nothing shout the lien. Gentleman being
influenced in his opposition. What he had said, ve as this ;ha' if
the Hon. Gentleman, upon reviewing his (sir R. Peel's)
political life previously to 1841, which was a period of thirty
years, really believed he was deserving of the character which
the Hon. Gentleman had given him that night, it was not
right that the Hon. Gentleman should accept him ( Sir R.
Peel l as a leader, believing, as the Hon. Gentleman most have
done, that he (Sir R. Peel) had committed, what the Hon.
Gentleman called, " petty larceny," upon other men's
ideas —( Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman did accept
him as a leader, and he Sir R. Peel) did understand
that the Hon, dentleman had intimated that he war not un-
willing to give a proof of his confidence of him ( Sir Robert
Peel) as a Minister, which was implied in the acceptance of
the Hen. Gentleman of office.—(Cheers.)
Lord GEORGE RENTINCK rose to address the House,
amidst much confusion and cries for a division. He attributed
the prosperity of the country during the last two years to the
extension of railways. The Right Hon. Gentleman the Secre-
tary for ,the Home Department had that night said that this
country was not altogether an agricultural country , and yet
it June last he declared that the country was essen-
tially an agricultural country. Had the charae-
ter of the country changed since June last?
It was as much an agricultural country as it was when, after the
speech of the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Wolverhamp-
ton, the Right Hon. Baronet declared that a third of the
people in this country were engaged in agriculture. He did
not mean to state that there was not a large number of per-
sons engaged in manufactures ; but, sneaking comparatively,
he said the number enraged in agriculture were more than
those employed in manufactures. There were one million
of persons said to be engaged in the manufactures of the coun-
try. New, what were the numbers engaged in agriculture?
Why, exclusive of the number employed in agriculture in
Ireland. there were 800,000 of labourers in this country, whose
only means of subsistence was that of raising corn and tilling
the land.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.) They were told
that in advocating the existence of protection they
were actuated by selfish motives, but let him tell Honour-
able Members who made this assertion, that, exclusive of the
labourers, there were three millions of persons interested in
agriculture, who must fall with the landed interest.—(Hear.)
America already sent here more produce than the amount
of manufactures which she took from this country. Where
was the hope, then, that if we removed all restrictions from the
importation of An.erican corn she would take from us more of
our manufactured goods in return? It was a question of profit
to the manufacturer—( Hear, hear)—and the expectations that
those gentlemen who had been the great advocat es of the
measure, as to the increase of our trade with foreign countries
in consequence of the removal of all restrictions on the imports-
tation of their corn, had no foundation. Well, now, what was
the state of the foreign trade? Why, the entire of the foreign
exports of cotton goods did not exceed one-third of the entire
consumption of our home manufactures. He apprehended
orehfenrod
cotton
ittt
would not be dispuied, that the home consumption
exported to
goods was at least double the amount that w
to countries that did not grow
if
foreign countries, and of that atefoourntanmy tt:rden
one-half at
least was exported
n. Nell
then if their argument Wa9 g landit were
that this eetnory F nu
foreign cindunfitirriceh%tsneptuhreiilr)agsreatinheoirr
the same argument hold good
manufactures,necessary,
their Prnduce' didu opt
tree markets ?—(<' Divide, divide.")
with regard to the o
He believed that the home consumption of mano-
twerp, of all descriptions in this country did
not fall short of 195,000,0. perennum. He apprehended be
did not exaggerate when he said that the home coosumptinn
amounted to at least 4-sths of all that was raised in the way of
manufactures in this country. Four-fifths of the wo6llen
manufactures of this eountry, and even in greater • rorrtion with respect to the other articles of m.tnufactaure s. ere csinsumed
at home. It, therefore, seemed clear that, ext•usive of our
coloniee, our home should h.. preferred to the foreign merkete.
—( Hear, and cries of " Divide. divide.") There war the
shipping interest too, and how did it stand ? Py the returns
that lay in the table of the House, it app. ared that between
40,0,11 arid 50000 were animaily engaged in
the shipping interest, and if they surrendered
the coasting trade to the foreigner, what, he wished to know,
must be the result? Why, the result must be, th. t the
(hipping interest. instead of engrossing more than one-third
of the entire coasting trade, would be almost completely tie.
etroyed, and the carryi, g trade along the coast. would be trans-
ferred to the hands of foreigners; for it was to the coasts, and
not to the large towns of this country, that foreign cern would
be brought. But when he spoke of the shipping intereet, he
must not forget, that there was a large number of ship, ene aged
nine out of the twelve months of the year. in bringing gnano
to this country for the improvement of the land.
when a statement of the kind was made, i. was for him to re-
fute it. Why, the country had been told that these flee-trade
measures would be beneficial to the landed interest. and that
they would increase the price of land. Now he held state-
ments in his hand which plainly proved that the
price of land had materially diminished since the
introduction of the principles of free trade. The
Right Hon. Baronet had reproached them for objecting
against his policy then, and he said that the year 1842 was the
time when they should have protested. But he did not see
that such should have been the case. The Hein. Gentleman
had not then disclosed his opinion(, and t thel' were
Hear.)
were in unison with those of the pntteetitrhT
countrys. now-
Her Majesty's Ministers dared not appeA 1 tit
In 1829, when differing
from his constituents at Oxford, he en-
tertained a different opinion, and wrote to them
from a prin-
ciple of honour. e did notaiipear, however, to be influenced
by measure might be carried,
wasbut lg
notine.si new.rii carried r This
t. —(Cheers.) It it did pas, it
stutcl i fee
would reflect lasting disgrace upon this House.—(Cheers. )
The Noble Lord tat down amidst loud cries of " Divide,
divide."
Mr. VILLIERS would not occupy the House more
than a few seconds. He could not allow the Noble
Lord to close that debate by claiming to
all the merit of the position which he essurned. himself
(LLoredi:(si pacriretsy
ohfad„alDwaivyisdeer
dipvliadien.e,d,)o_f tTh eh bounty oAfiPemrobveirde(nmeer..
flisraeli) had charged that side of the House with having
abandoned their position.--( Cries of , Divide, . divide."
He would contend for it flat they bad not aban-
doned any of the principles they had always advocated for then
last nine years.--(Cries of "Divide, divide," and Oh, oh.")
He would advise Hon. Gentlemen to
pause before they-
offered such examples to the country and to these who were to,
succeed them, or to leave their names on record as having let-
tempted to the last to keep from the country and the poor ,10
that which would be of great advantage to them.
The gallery was then cleared for a division, when the R use
divided, and there appeareel—
For the Bill 827
Against it
Majority for the third reading .
The Bill was then read a third time and passed.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, &lei () pa
Hoes* adjourned,

rs.

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