The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-16 00:00:00

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tsw
LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1851.

In the House of Lords last evening,
The Earl of DERBY moves that the papers laid be-
fore the House during the present and last session re-
specting the representative institutions granted to the
Cape be referred to a Select Committee. The Noble
Earl, although he censured the course which bad been
pursued by the Colonial Secretary, denied that he was
actuated by party or personal hostility in bringing for-
ward this motion; his only object being to aid the Go-
vernment in escaping from a great difficulty by legis•

iation.

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Earl GREY defended the policy which the Govern.
=lent had pursued at the Cape of Good Hope, de
precated any attempt at interference on the part of
Parliament as calculated to weaken the authority of the
Crown in the colony, and declared that it was impos-
sible to imagine what could have induced the Noble Earl
to bring forward such a motion, except a desire to
secure a party triumph.
Toe Earl of MALDIESBURY and Lord LYNDHURST
supported the motion, which was .opposed by Lord
CRANWORTH and the LORD CHANCELLOR.
The Duke of ARGYLE expressed his approval of the
conduct of the Noble Earl the Colonial Secretary, and
opposed the motion, as one calculated to invalidate the
authority of the mother country and impair the powers
of the Crown.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE thought it inexpedient to refer
such questions to a Select Committee.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE would abstain from support-
ing the motion if he thought it involved a vote of cen-
sure on the Government.
The Earl of DERRY replied, and
The House divided—Contents, 68; non-contents, 74 ;
majority in favour of Ministers, 6.
In the House of Commons, at the morning sitting,
The Harwich Election Committee reported that Mr.
B. W. CRAWFORD had not been duly elected, and that
the last election for that borough was a void election.
The House was occupied in Committee with the detail
of the County Courts further Extension Bill during the
whole sitting.
At the evening sitting,
Mr. EWART moved certain resolutions, the objects of
which were to reduce the number of Members and im-
prove the composition of Select (public) Committees of
the House, and to prescribe three instead of five as a suf-
dent quorum of Members for a Select Committee.
The motion was, after a short debate, withdrawn, upon
an intimation from Lord J. RUSSELL that he would not
oppose the appointment of a Select Committee next ses-
sion to consider the subject.
Lord NAAS moved a resolution, pledging the House
to resolve itself into a Committee on a future day to
consider the present state of the milling interest in Ire-
land.

Mr. LABOUCHERE said that the effect of agreeing to
the motion would be to revive the corn-laws; for Eng-
lish millers would demand the same protection that was
given to Irish millers, and the protection that was given
to the millers could not be refused to the farmers.
Mr. J. STUART and Mr. ANSTEY supported the mo-
tion, which was opposed by Mr. RUCHE.
Mr. NEWDEGATE, in supporting the motion, made an
attack upon the principles of free trade generally, and
was replied to by Mr. J. WILSON.
Colonel DUNNE would have every interest in Ireland
protected.
Lord Naes having replied, the House divided, when
the motion was negatived by 128 against 93.
Certain Bills were advanced a stage, and the other
orders being disposed of, the House adjourned at a
Quarter to One o'clock.

Majorities have latterly become so scarce with her
MAJESTY'S Ministers, that even the trivial one of six,
obtained last evening in the House of Lords, is really
to them a matter of serious congratulation. It will

be observed from the discussion provoked upon this
occasion by the Earl of DERRY'S motion condemna-
tory of the policy of the Colonial Secretary, that
against the almost despairing weakness of the
Cabinet was brought to bear all the spite, the
virulence, and the audacity of a resolute and factious
Opposition. These considerations should not be over-
looked by the people, if it is desiredithat justice should
be done by them to the latest and not least remark-
able of the few triumphs achieved by the Govern-
ment. In the instance specified it was the unpopular
head of the Colonial Department of the Administra-
tion against whom the whole fury of the attack was
directed. Consequently the danger impending over
Ministers was proportionately greater than that
formerly originating in the attack upon the popular
chieftain of the Foreign Department, as the Earl
GREY'S diminutive corps of supporters is eclipsed by
the " troops of friends" ever attendant in such
emergencies on Viscount PALMERSTON. Added to
the violent hostility evinced throughout last night's
debate by the Earl of DERBY, the originator of the
discussion, was the deliberate enmity of Lord LYND•
HURST ; the indirect support accorded to the argu-
ments of both those Peers by the Duke of NEW..
CASTLE ; and the earnest encouragement of the assault
by the Earl of MALMESBURY. Meanwhile it must be
remembered that Lord CRANWORTH insisted strongly
upon the legality of Earl GREY'S proceedings as Colo-
nial Secretary; that this opinion was, moreover, most
cordially coincided in by the LORD CHANCELLOR
himself; that the Duke of ARGYLL objected to the
motion as to one altogether without signification; and
that it was with equal emphasis deprecated as ill-

timed by Lord WHARNCLIFFE. Such were the
Peers who participated in the discussion of yesterday,
besides the Noble Statesman who himself endea-
voured to ward off the deadly blows of his antago-
nists by a maturely-considered and explicit
counter statement. From tha arguments ad-
vanced upon both sides it may be perceived
what is really the situation of affairs in the Cape
Colony, and bow far the head of the Colonial Depart-
ment of the Government is responsible for the diffi-
culties which have stood in the way of establishing
representative institutions in that quarter of our
trans-marine possessions. Every feature of the sub-
ject was yesterday closely examined into by the one
or other of the different speakers. So that no doubt
can any longer remain in the public mind upon the
position of political matters in Cape Town after last
night's debate in the Upper House of the Imperial
Legislature.
Referring to the convict question, to the secession
of the four councillors, to the acceptance of their with.
drawals by the Governor, and to the dispatches of the
Colonial Secretary, the Earl of DERBY contrived to
make out a very plausible case against her MAJESTY'S
Government—plausible, we mean, to all those indivi-
duals who have not scrupulously examined into the
rights of the matter themselves. Insomuch was this
the case, that we find some among our contemporaries
designating the speech of the Noble Lord as one cha-
racterised by its exceeding fairness, although in reality
than it no more party speech was ever delivered
within the walls of the British Parliament. Other-
wise than for factious purposes—otherwise than to
further the, cause of the Opposition—otherwise than
to encourage the hopes and foster the interests of the
various aspirants for the good things of office, the
motion of the Esrl of DERBY cannot but be regarded
as altogether idle and objectless—as was, indeed,
observed pleasingly enough in the very sen-
sible commentaries uttered by his Grace the
Duke of ARGYLL. According to the opinion of the
last-mentioned Peer, such a motion as the one intro-
duced by the Earl of Daanz was calculated not
merely to impair the authority of the Crown in the
colony, but must, if carried, necessitate the addition
of two or three months to the session for the purpose
of enabling Parliament to supply the Cape with
another constitution. Recognising and appreciating
these things, it is impossible not to regard both the
speech and the motion of the Noble Earl the leader
of the Protectionists as of a most factious and disin-
genuous character. Therefore it is that we rejoice the
more cordially in the success obtained by her
MAJESTY'S Ministers over their antagonists, a success
the snore deserved from the integrity of the policy
pursued, in this instance, throughout by the Noble
Lord the Principal Secretary in the Colonial Depart-
ment. His defence, last evening, of his own adminis-
tration, in regard to the Cape colonists, must be re-
garded as, perhaps, the most brilliant evidence of his
abilities yet afforded since the formation of the pie.
sent Government.

AO.
vitality.
we apprehend, comprehensive
that an
The cab-extortion nuisance continues to flourish,
It was only thine other
daysioner of the Metropolitan Police, Mr. MAINE him-
self, had to summon an unjust Jehu before the ma-
gisterial tribunal; and the columns of the daily prints
are perpetually furnishing instances of the tyrannous
exactions of Cabdoni on the street travelliz3g corn-