The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-11 00:00:00

INDIA.

Mr. HUME rose to more for certain returns con-
nected with the affairs of India.' He thought that the
necessity for giving that information was sufficiently ap-
parent, and he would therefore throw out the suggestion
that those reports ought to be printed. During the last
ten years he had always entertained that opinion, and
he trusted that the Government would adopt that sug-
gestion, as it was likely to conduce to the general benefit.
Ho would therefore suggest the propriety of printing
those reports which had any concern .with Indian
affairs.

THE CORN-LAWS.—ADJOURNED DEBATE.
Lord EBRINGTON and Mr. HINDLEY presented peti-
tions against the repeal of the corn laws..
On the mention being pnt for the resumption of the
adjourned debate,
Mr. S. O'BRIEN said, that in resuming this debate,
he could not help feeling that, in the consideration of
this subject there had been a great disregard of the
interests of the commonalty, and that before the
repeal of the corn-laws the Ministers ought
to have consulted the farmers respecting the
mannner in which that repeal was likely to affect them.
Whether such may be the• general opinion he did not
take on himself to say, neither would he express any
opinion of his own on the subject. However, in refe-
rence to the question, he should say that, whatever
might be urged against the Right Hon. Baronet at the
head of her Majesty's Government, he (Mr. O'Brien)
had nothing to retract or explain.—(Hear.) He had
rot changed his opinion, and what he stated before he
was then prepared to state again.—(" Hear,
hear," from the Ministerial benches.) A Noble
Lord who spoke last night had not only felt
it his duty to announce an alteration in his
opinions in reference to the present great ques-
tion, but also to deliver himself of a sentence, upon
which, as it formed the salient point of the Noble
Lord's speech, he hoped to be permitted to comment.
The purport of the sentence was, that the law of 1815
was the greatest error ever committed.—(Hear, hear.)
That might be the case ; but ho turned to that side of
the House, and begged to ask who the parties were that
urged the landed interest of the country not to explain
or retract, but to persevere in and maintain an oppo-
sition to that law ?—(Cries of " gear, hear.") The
Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government
says he has given an opportunity to Hon. Members to
retract their opinions as regarded that measure. He
felt much obliged to the Right Hoe. Gentleman, but ho
should say that opportunities were not wanted, as the
Hon. Member for Wolverhampton had given ample
opportunity year after year.—(hear, and a laugh.)
That brought him to another part of the question. His
Right Hon, Friend (the Premier) had said, that "if
be had changed his opinions and not declared such,
he should be ashamed of himself." Now he
(Mr. O'Brien) should be ashamed of him also.
But he wished to know on what principle parties in
this country could in future be kept together ?
It might be said that that was an old
story, and that they were attacking the Pre-
mier and making
.speeches in a bad cause.
He found that this country had hitherto been governed
by party, and it might be considered to be absolute pre-
judice, but he was nit ashamed to own himself a party
man.—(Hear, bear.) It had hitherto been the custom
of this country to believe that a discussion of ques-
tions upon party principles was advisable ; that a
rigid adherence to those principles was on the
whole, with all its imperfections and all its anomalies,
the better way of eliciting the truth, and conduced to a
sound legislation.—(Hear, hear.) But he might observe
that not only had the Government changed its princi •
• ples since it came into office—(Hear, hear)—but it had
•. .'!: d. clr.red thqt it would be b,lund by no strict
principles whatever.—(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. S. O'Brien)
. was not in the House before the present Government
came into office ; the first Tote Which he ever gave was