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

arnin

LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 5, 1846

The Lords met at Three o'clock.
Lord BROUGHAM laid on the table certain resolutions on
the subject of railways, which were ordered to be printed.
Earl DALHOUSIE then moved the bringing up the report on
the Railways Dissolution Bill. The Noble Earl moved cer-
tain amendments, the most important of which were the
introduction of a dissentient minority, the right of pre-emp-
tion ht a scheme with all the plans, &c., pertaining thereto.
Earl GREY opposed the bringing up the report. He
thought that those who had embarked in bona fide projects
ought not to be at the mercy of persons who had overspe-
culated.
The report as amended was :agreed to, and their Lord
ships adjourned.

The SntAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
Mr. O'CONNELL said he had given a notice to move for
the discharge of Mr. Smith O'Brien, he now begged to say
he should not bring forward that motion having been re •
quested not to do so by Mr. Smith O'Brien himself.
Tha House then went into a Committee of the whole
House on her Majesty's message with respect to Viscount
Hardinge and Lord Gough, in which
Sir R. PEEL moved, in an eloquent speech, that a sum of
3,0001. a year should be granted to Viscount Hardinge and
his two next surviving heirs, and 2,0001. to Lord Gough and
his two surviving heirs, but that in case the East India
Company should provide amply for Viscount Hardinge and
Lord Gough then the Government annuity would not be paid
to them, but their heirs.
Lord F. EGERTON, in seconding the motion that the hero
of Aliwal ought to be included.
ry Lord J. RUSSELL thought that however much Sir 11.

Smrrn deserved the consideration of his SOVEREIGN, the
House ought not to institute any proceedings with respect to
him, but leave it to the SOVEREIGN, if she thought right to
do so. He admitted that Sir H. SMITH had done great
service.

➢ir. ROEBUCK was sorry that no one had been found to
mention the name of Sir CHARLES NAPIER. but himself. He
had served his country as long and as well as Viscount HAR-
HINGE and Lord GOUGH, and he could not see why he should
not have had an equal reward.
Mr. HOGG said that the proposition of the East India
Company to give pensions to Viscount HARDINGE and
Lord GOUGH were irrespective of the grant of the peerage to
those two Noblemen, of the proposition of the Government
to grant them annuities.

Sir C. NAPIER thought sufficient honours and rewards had
not been given to Sir H. SMITH for the glorious acts he had
achieved.

Sir R. INGLIS thought the House ought to grant the pen-
sions proposed to be given to Viscount HARDINGE and Lord
GOUGH, irrespective of any grants that might be made by
the East India Company to them.
Mr Hustg supported the grant.
After a discussion in which Sir De Lacy Evans, Sir John
Ilanmer, Mr. M. Gore, Mr. Williams, Mr. Morris, and Sir
R. Peel took part, the motions were agreed to.
On the reading of the order of the day for the House re-
solving itself into Committee on the Corn Importation Bill.
Lord G. BENTINCK rose to oppose the SPEAKER leaving
the chair. The Noble Lord addressed the House at
considerable length, repeating the arguments he used on
former occasions, and contending that there was not only no
necessity for the measure, but that the Government were
not justified in bringing it forward, even on their own ex-
aggerated statements.
Sir R. PEEL denied that the Government had used any
exaggerated statements for party purposes, and wished to
know, if the Noble Lord thought the statements of the Go-
vernment exaggerated, how he had come to consent to so
unusual a measure as the suspension of duties on foreign im-
portation into Ireland. An early and permanent settlement
of the corn-laws was necessary for the benefit of the country,
and such was the object he had in view in proposing this
measure to the House. _ _ .

Some considerable discussion took place, in which Mr. G.
BANKES, Lord J. 11 usszu., and Mr. DISRAELI, took part;
the House then went into Committee upon the Bill with-
out a division; but upon the first clause being put by the
Chairman,
Lord George BzsTnsca moved that he report progress,
which was lost by a majority of 96.
On the question that the blanks in the first clause should
be tilled up,
Mr. LAWSON moved, " That the House do report pro-
gress, and not sit again," which caused great laughter, and
another division, which produced similar results to the
former one.

After a short conversation, it was arranged, that the Com-
mittee on the Bill should be proceeded with tomorrow ;
that the report should be brought up on Friday, and the
third reading be appointed for Monday.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and
the House adjourned.

Happily for all parties—happily- for England, Scotland,
and Ireland—for agriculturist and manufacturer, the mi-
serable period of suspence and procrastination has almost ex-
pired. Last night the Corn Bill was resumed. Considering
the length of time which has elapsed since its first introduc-
tion by the Premier, now upwards of four months ago,
namely, upon the 27th of January, the relative position of
the free-traders and of the protectionist gentlemen is
mow startling, if possible, in contrast, and more thoroughly
satisfactory than at any previous moment of the session.
During the large gaps of time, and of comparative leisure
which have interrupted the discussion upon this all-important
question, how have these two divisions of Parliament and
their sympathisers out-of-doors acted? First, of the Free-
traders. Why, every successive circumstance that has
transpired in relation to the abolition of import and ex•
port duties, whether within the echoes of St. Stephen's, or
in some distant corner of some distant shire, has tended only
to elucidate the soundness and beautiful adaptability of the
principles inculcated by the advocates of unrestricted com-
merce. This fact has been proved beyond the cavil of the
most sceptical, by the frequency and earnestness of the con-
versions to those principles. Noblemen, and farmers,
and legislators, no matter how much they might
have identified themselves with the opposite policy
have seized the first reasonable opportunity of
acknowledging the change which the consideration of
truth has worked in their own minds. And this has
occurred not once, but incessantly, not only irrespective of
all base inducements to such a transformation, but in actual
opposition to self-interest. Now of the Protectionists.
At the commencement of the discussions upon abolition
of taxes upon foreign corn and provisions, the mouthpieces
of monopoly endeavoured to fill us with trepidation by
threats of the antagonistic forces which would be summoned
from all quarters, at the sound of their voices, for
the express purpose of worsting Sir ROBERT and his
supporters. We were threatened Ns ith demonstrations
on a prodigious scale in favour of protection to agri-
culture ; petitions, signed by hosts of day labourers
and tenant-farmers, were to choke up the entrance, and
crowd the lobbies of Parliament ; distant but giant remon-
strances were to issue from our colonial possessions ; the Legis-
lature was to be stunned with the din raised by British sub-
jects in indignation at the proposed policy. Four months
have elapsed since the utterance of these big-mouthed
warnings four months and how have they
been fulfilled ? Ex nihilo nihil fit, saith the adage : here is
an exemplar ! No demonstration in favour of agricultural
protection worth one moment's pause to a statesman ; no
petitions in earnest of the popularity of the same cause ; no
single hint of dissatisfaction from our colonies. That is the
relative position of free trade and monopoly. The Bill
approaches its final stage in the Lower House, and it
does so under auspices the most propitious. The majority
on the second reading was, if anything, more triumphant than
on the first; hence we look with sanguine eyes to the div

vision upon the third and last. That it must prove in every
essential particular most decisive, man can no more doubt
than he can question his existence. Even the unfortunate
enemies of the measure must long since have perceived, not
only that their doom is sealed but that they have rendered
themselves the laughing-stocks of Christendom, the scape-
goats of their own folly, the general butts of mankind. My
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK, however lofty his egotism,
must recognise this fact ; so must all of his
followers, minnows and tritons, whales and lam-
preys. His Lordship's speeches have been listened to
just as a Hunterian lecture by WiDnico3tsz would have
been listened to by the associated men of science—viz., as a
curious eccentricity, worth hearing, if only for the sake of
enjoying a hearty cacchination. Further than this,
and the obsequious cheers of the disinterested poli-
ticians ranged behind his Lordship, the attention of
the House did not go. He and his forlorn pa. ty were in a
preposterous and untenable position. With the remainder
of the Commons affairs have stood very differently through-
out, but especially at the present juncture, when the
Prime Minister enforces the cause he had previously
avowed in words more explicit than ever, declaring
what he previously believed to be impolitic he now
believes to be unjust. A more overwhelming and concordant
support Bill never had—in its vitality is its triumph. " Re.
member, soldiers, you are but the advance-guard of a great
nation !" said NAPOLEON to his army on the outset of the
Austerlitz campaign. So say we to our liberal-minded and
liberal-hearted legislators ;---4` Remember, free• traders, you
are but the advance-guard of a great nation !"

To say that there is no constitutional government in Spain
is a mere truism, admitted by every observer. The Spaniards,
to their cost, find another trait of still more vital importance,
and one which is equally obvious to that unfortunate
people—there is no government whatever. They have been
deserted by every Cabinet • the Cortes, under a despotic
ruler, had been so changed inP the constitution of the body,
and so humbled, that for any national good they were
helpless, and available only for registering the decrees
of the Camarilla and the proclamations of a military Dic-
tator. Even all these external forms of government have been
'wept away, tho law Itilajatry is justly regarded 63 a um-