The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-12 00:00:00

1 encecl, as I am'sure it will be, only by a desire to errive at a
1 just and true conclusion, to induce them to adopt that
opinion which I have expressed in the resolution which
I shall put into your hands, and which I believe to be
dictated by a principle of justice and sincere feeling
of , sympathy and conciliation.—(Hear, hear, and
cheers.) The suffering and distress of the owners and
occupiers of land have for a considerable time occupied
the attention and consideration (and naturally too the
consideration) of Government—as the admissions by
confession, and expressions which were continued for
several sessions in the speeches of her Majesty's Minis-
ters; but it was only this year that the Government, no
doubt seeing the gravity of the circumstances, felt it to
be their duty to counsel her Majesty in her most
gracious Speech from the Throne, publicly and authori-
tatively, to recognise and deplore the existence and con-
tinuance of these difficulties. Sir. lam far from pre.
suming to blame her Majesty's Ministers for not having
counselled her Majesty on previous occasions to have
made an acknowledgment which then would have been
only a just one, for I am aware that it is no light re-
sponsibility which is incurred by a Government when
they counsel the Sovereign to acknowledge the distress
of au important interest in this country. No doubt
that such a recognition vases, and naturally raises, the
expectations of the community that the acknowledgment
will be followed by a remedy. It is difficult to under-
stand what can authorise Government in a manner so
public and so authoritative to call the attention of Par-
liament and the country, I may say even of the world,
to the condition of a class, unless they felt that that
condition was pregnant with important conse-
quences to the whole community, and unless they
wished to prepare Parliament and the country for the
undertaking of measures which should at least attempt
to mitigate, if not remove, the distress which they de.
plore.—(Cheers.) After that important act—after the
meeting of Parliament and the Speech from the Throne;
when expectations had naturally and unusually been ex-
cited, not only throughout the country generally, but
particularly amongst that class that were suffering, and
whose sufferings, difficulties, and distress, after the re-,
cognition of them by the Throne, were no longer a
theoretical evil, no longer a question of doubt, but a
great political fact, a Parliamentary consequence, tq
which the political council of the country was called
'upon to address their attention—(Hear)—the First Mis
nister of the Crown said to this House while ho de-
plored with well-expressed sympathy, and in tones
almost of despair, the distress which existed, confessed
to the House of Commons that he was unprepared anal
unable to propose any remedy.—(Hear.) What, Sir
was the conduct of this House under these circume
stances ? Duly respecting and appreciating the commu-t
nication from the Throne, and astonished at the confesa
sion of the Minister which followed it, the House felt it,
to be its duty to interpose, and a discussion of great
gravity and considerable length occurred.—(Hear4
A proposition was made in this House expressing it&
opinion that under the circumstances of the case, and
after such an acknowledgment, and in consequence of,
the existence of such distress and difficulties, it was the:
duty of the Minister to introduce a remedial measure'
which the circumstances of the case required, and;
which the acknowledgment of the Crown rendered in-'
evitable, as it seemed to us.—(Cheers.) What was'
the result of this motion? In one of the fullest Houses of
the session that expression of opinion was negatived by a;
majority so small—(Hear, hear)—that upon a subse-:
quent occasion the Prime Minister of the Crown con-'
fessed that the result of that division shook the Govern-1
ment to its centre.—(Cheers.) Indeed he intimated that
it was, if not the proximate, the real cause of the disso-;
lotion of the Cabinet and breakup of Government.—:
(Cheers.) Thus far, on considering the events of the'
session, we observe that the Crown, under the advices
of the Government, has recognised the extreme distress,
of the agricultural classes of the community, and at the
same time that Government, not coming forward to fulfil!
es it were the implied intentions of the Crown, the House'
of Commons stepped in; and although it did not for
nattily obtain on the part of the Government an agree-
ment, still there was a favourable expression of opinion;
that it was the duty of Government so to interpose. And'
interpose the Government did, because, when within
forty-eight hours of that division it became the duty of
the Chancellor of the Exchequer to make his financial
statement for the year, be made a proposition of twte
measures, the object of which was to mitigate the dis
tress of the owners .and occupiers of land—(ob, oh, and
Heaalhear)—proving, therefore, that the interposition of
the House had created the necessary harmony that was,
requisite in the Ministry—(Laughter)—and that the,
recognition of that distress of the owners and occu-
piers of land made by the Crown was now likely
to be followed up by measures proposed by the Go-
vernment to mitigate if not remove, that distress.—
(Hear.) I enter at this point into no controversy on the
amount of the possible relief to be afforded; all I wish to
remind the House of is, that after Government had de-
clared it was not in their power to propose any measure
to mitigate the distress, the House of Commons ex'-
pressed their opinion, and immediately afterwards a pro-
position is made with the object of mitigating those dif-
ficulties.—(Hear, hear.) Sir, the financial statement of
the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer met with a reception which was extremely un-
favourable. lam bound to say, speaking, as I shall
continue to do in all I shall have to say that which I be-
lieve to be really true, that as far as the quarters from
which that opposition principally emanated, I think the
obloquy which the scheme of the Right Hon. Gentleman
met with was unjust. I think that although in his finan-
cial statement, so far as my own views and principles
and those of the gentlemen with whom I have the plea-
sure of acting aee concerned, these views are not fa-
voured; yet so far 'as those who aro supporters of the
Right Hon. Gentleman are concerned, I think they had
very little cause to impugn and find fault with what was
proposed. It was in accordance with the principles of
the Government and of those who are its general sup-
porters. But having made that admission, of which the
Right Hon. Gentleman may make as much use as he
likes, he is himself the last man in this House who will
deny that his financial scheme was blamed by his friends
in a manner not very flattering to a Minister of Finance.
—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) There was a great out-
cry in the country, especially in the towns, against the
Budget of the Right Hon. Gentleman.—(Hear, hear.)
There is hardly any term of vituperation, any epithet of
obloquy which was. not showered on the luckless Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer.—(Laughter.) He was abused,
• he was denounced, he was described as the Jonah that
ought to be thrown into the surging waves to save the
other passengers on board the vessel.—(Laughter.) In-
deed it was generally understood by all the Members of
' the Liberal party, and declared by them, that they were
ready to make any Sacrifices to support the Government;
but that a sine qua non of their adhesion was that the
Right Hon. Gentlernan the Chanceller of the Exche-
quer should never appear again behind that red box.—
(Cheers and laughter.) But, together with this general
dissent, there was also that which I must describe as
the metropolitan howl—a peculiar outcry, which has its
characteristics, which threatens a great deal, but does
very little.—(Laughter.) It does not carry Reform Bills
like Birmingham, nor corn-laws repeal like Manchester
—(Laughter)—which always deports itself in the most
alarming manner, and which always commences by say-
ing " Stop the supplies," and ends by supporting the
Minister.—(Laughter.) But, Sir, if this is the state of
the urban community, if this is the manner and spirit in
which the propositions of the Government were wel-
comed in the country, what was the manner in which
another proposition' for alleviating the distress and
assisting the difficulties of the agricultural class
was received?—(Hear, hear.) Sir, on the evening
of the financial statement of the Right Honourable
Gentleman, when he was denounced by his intimate
supporters, and attacked by his most confidential adhe-
rents—(Hear and laughter)—the Right Hon. Member
for Stamford (Mr. Berries), who took the lead on this
side in the observations offsred during that discussion,
made no allusion whatsoever to the measure brought for-
ward for the relief of agricultural distress. If I speak of
myself, my mouth was silent all through, for I took no
part in the debate. Two other county Members made
some reference to the proposition of the Government.
One of them was the Hon. Member for Oxford, who now
ticod the proposition of the Minister indeed, but, with
his characteristic ceution, gave no opinion on the sub-
ject; the other was the worthy Baronet the Member for'
Essex, who shrewdly accepted the proposition, because
it seemed to involve the concession of an important prin-
ciple. This was the reception which the Right lion..
Gentleman's statement met at this side of the House,
and as for its reception with the agricultural community
out of the House, certainly there would be some diffi-
culty in selecting any terms of panegyric—(Laughter)
—in which it might be spoken of, but this even the'
Right Hon. Gentleman himself could not have antici-
pated—(Hear, bear)—but I think I may defy even the.
powers of research of the Treasury to bring forward any
expression of blame.—(Hear, hear.) It was indeed cen-
sidered insignificant, but so little was expected from
the present Ministers, that there was not even any
great disappointment on the part of that class of -the,
community which were prepared to receive any
substantial measure with contentment and grati-'
tude. Such being the state of things considerable'
events occurred. There occurred a Ministerial crisis.
The public business was arrested and suspended '.for:
nearly six weeks. , I threw a veil over that chaotic Piss'
riod which has nothing to do with the circumstance -to
which I am now calling the attention of the House. But
after that interval of agitation and anarchy the House,
of Commons, having recovered its usual sobriety of tone,
was naturally very anxious to receive the financial,
statement of the Minister. Great difficulty was expe-
rienced in arriving at this, and efforts were made on
both sides of the' House, and by various contending
sections representing all views and shades 'of opinion, to'
procure this statement. But after almost convulsive
efforts on the part of the Government to avoid any ex-
planation, the day was fixed—the House assembled— .
and the explanation was made.—(Hear, hear.) Great
anticipations existed in the public mind and in this
House that there would be a considerable alteration in
the scheme of the Minister. The Hon. Gentleman, who
had described the Chancellor of the Exchequer as Jonah
—(Laughter)—and others with him, naturally felt some
awkwardness in supporting the same Budget which they:
had thus coarsely denounced. We were all waiting in.
great expectation. I give great credit to the Right Hon,
Gentleman that under the circumstances of the case he
mainly adhered to the financial scheme which he ori-
ginally proposed. It showed that moral courage on his
part which both aides of the House must admire—
(Hear, and laughter)—but what surprised me most
was, that in the alterations made, the only persons
considered'were those who had -declared the Right Hon.
Gentleman unworthy of all confidence, and they were
considered at the aspens° of that party which had at
least treated him with the courtesy and the respect due
to his eminent position.—(Hear, hear.) On that occa-
sion the Right Hon. Gentleman, on re-adjusting his
scheme for the repeal of the window-tax, which required
greater funds than had been originally at his disposal,
found this resource in a quarter unexpected, and in ts,
manner unprecedented. The Right lion. Gentleman.