The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-29 00:00:00

friends (Lord Brougham and Lord :it. Leonards) were
nsuelly able to attend. Could then an addition be made
to the number of, the judges by which .more efficiency
arid strength could be given to the judgments of that'
house on appeal ? He thouelit not.. At the same time,
he did not say it was not advisable to enlarge the tri•
Lma!, and that being se, the first consideration for them
was the most satisfactory mode of doing so;
,Who were
the judicial peers as proposed by the 6ovirriment to be?
In that case the number of judges would bees uocertain
as at present, while they would rure the risk, that while
they increased the number, they world weaken the All
thority of the court. The noble and learned lord on the
woolsack had suggested that there should be offices
conferring a peerage during the holding of the offices.
Corteinly there would be the sante objection to that
Class of peerages as there would be to the ordinary life
peerages. Still, in that, case, there would be but an
imperfect addition made to the Court of Appeal of their
lordships' house. Compulsory attendance would not be
evil ed. Assuming it was necessary to increase the
n ,iriber fer the ourpsse of securing an increased atten-
dance, they had the alternative of life peerages:, or to
the a Inaissien of the judges, or te have the assistence of
the judicial ceminittee of the Privy Conneil. In order
to °tit tin a quorum of four in this judicial committee of
the Pricy C iuntil, it was- thought necessary to name
the judges from whom the h-ely should be selected, to
the extent of some twenty or t Yenty-four. Now, in
order to obiwin an addition of four judges in that
house, he hoped it was not thought necessary to create
*.body of twenty or twenty four new peers ; because, in
that cwe, their attendance would not be compulsory
when they were required ; and they might attend on
occasions when. perhaps, it would not be convenient to
have their sasistancee (Laughter.) It must be remem-
tiered that that house was net to (leaf With minor depart-
ntentS but to decide appeals from all who had the high•
est authority in the various legal departments, and when
he considered the high authorities from which the ippeals
were made, it was a matter for serious consideration
whether this might not weaken the power of the appeal
judges by increasing their number. It must be remem-
bered that that house had the power of calling in the
assistance of the judges, and of the equity judges, it
they were privy councillors. If they were of opinion that
the court of appeal required strengthening by increasing
the number, surely the obvious made of proceeding was
to avail themselves more frequently of the assistance of
those constitutional advisers to whom he alluded. At
present, when the judges were summoned, they sat as
inere assistants to advise, but had no power to put a
single question, or at the conclusion of the argiunent to
give a vote. Formerly, the attendance of the judges was
constant in that house ; nay, it was on record, of Lord
Somers having rebuked the judges for not, being constant
in their attendance in the house from day to day. One
word with regard to Scotch appeals. It was quite evi-
dent that the creation of peers, or of official peers, would
not meet the objections to the present system of Scotch
apnea'. He thought they might to have the power of
summoning the most eminent of the Scotch judges to
assist them. He thought that followed as a coesequence
if they were to alter the jurisdiction of their lordships as
a court of appeal. Why should not the reference to the
House of Lords be assimilated to the reference to the
committee of the Privy Council ? Let the learned lords
sit as a committee—let the committee present its report
to the hews in the evening, and the Lord Chancell-or
move its adoption. The law lords in that case would be
in precisely the same situation as the Judicial Commit-
tee of the Privy Council. That would get rid of the
fiction that an appeal was made to the whole house.
He could not see the slightest difficulty in that course,
the committee sitting and hearing the appeal, and
the house in receiving the report of that coin mittee, giving
the effect to the judgments of the House of Lords. Let
them by the appointment of a committee which he sought
inquire into the best mode of making that the best, as it
was the highest, tribunal of justice in the country. He
conc'wled by moving—" For a select committee to in-
quire whether it is expedient to make any, and, if so,
what provision for more effectually securing the efficient
exercise of the functions of this house as a court of ap-
peatejurisdiction, and to report theiropinion thereupon."
Earl GRANVILLE entirely agreed with the noble
earl, that if it could be shown that the appellate jurisdic
tion of that house was not of advantage to the c iuii try,
it ought to be abandoned. But, believing that that juris-
diction maint tined the dignity and usefuiness of their
lordships' hou.e it was desirable that they should take
steps to 01-ice that appellate jurisdiction on the highest
possible footing. On looking at the wor is of the motion
it struck some of the members of the Government that
it exalt] lei the consideration of the coustitutiunal sub-
ject of life peerage, and therefore he thought it necessary
to put the words to meet the difficulty which had
between the Crown and that house. When two estates
of the realm were in collision, the most natural course
that sugeested itself was to call in the assistance of the
third estate. That subject had already been introduced
by the representative of the Conservative party in the
other house. He thought if her Majesty's Government
were to introduce a bill without consultation with their
lordships, it would he meet as an improper course, age
that was his reason fur proposing the words which he
hail introduces'. As he was not aware that any objec-
thins would he made to them, he would not enter into
the general subject further, but simply move to add after
the word jurisdiction, " and further, how any such provi-
sion would aff-et the general character of the house."
Lord CAMPBELL thought there would he no :abjec-
tion what-ver to the propositions which had been made ti
their lordship.. He thomilit it was not only necessary for
their own dignity.but for the puidic welfare, that thejudicial
jurisdiction of their lordshipealieuld be maintained. For
ninny years he was employed in appeals to their lord-
ships' house, and he was always satisfied with the deci-
sions, whether they were for or against him, and lie be-
lieved such was the opinion of the public. For nine
years after he became a member of their lordships' house
he attended the hearing of every writ of error that was
introduced. He attended with his noble arid learned
friend opposite (Lard Brougham) and the late Lord Cot-
tenham, and he believed, altheueh at that time the de-
cisions had given general satisfaction, public opinion has,
however, it would seem, changed on this subject, and
hence it was considered necessary to make tin alteration
in the jodicial jurisdiction of that house. They had met
to consider the beat mode of doing so, but he doubted
whether the making of peers for life would strengthen
the appellate jurisdiction of that house. Besides which
they could not be created eithout a special act of Parlia-
ment for the purpose. They could not have the assist-
ance of the judges, because they were necessarily con-
stantly occupied with their duties in Westminster-hall.
With regard to official peerages, they would cease when
the person holding the office ceased to hold it, and it
might be that be would cease to he a peer just as he was
becoming particularly useful. He doubted whether even
summoning the judges for assistance would strengthen
the appellate jurisdiction of the house. His noble friend
(Lord Brougham) had proposed that the appeals should
be referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy
Council ; but he presumed he did so simply because
that committee was a creation of his own, which would,
of course, make his name illustrious. He (Lord Camp—
bell) thought they ought to have a judicial committee
of that house, which was, in feet, an ancient institu-
tion of their ferdships' house. They might appoint a
committee not exclosively composed of members of
that house. Committees of reference bad been formed.
partially composed of the judges and the law officers of
the Crown. His opinion was that that committee
should consist of the law lords (members of that house),
the Lor I President, the chairman of the committee, and
a -selection from the judges of England, Ireland, and
Scotland. That committee would sit in an adjoining
room, with all the accompaniments of a court of jus-
tice, and he believed the decision of such a committee
would be most satisfactory. The appeal from the Ceurt
of Queen's Bench came before the house, and was re-
ferred to the Judicial Committee—that was the King's
ordinary c wined—who having decided the case, the
house finally reversed the decision of the Court of King's
Bench, reciting the reference to the committee. This
was a clear precedent for whit.Wia now proposed. It
was, no doubt, a matter of great difficulty, but, as at
present advised, he thought the plan proposed by the
noble lord opposite was the best that could he suggested.
He hoped, however, that evidence would he taken be-
fore the committee ; that the present and late Attorney
and Solicitor-General, the Lord Advocate, Lord Celia-
say, and others competent to afford information on the
subject, would be called as witnesses. He hoped they
would have a judicial committee, from which they might
select the proper judges for each case, and that thus the
judicial powers of that house would be retained by them,
and would be usefully exercised.

Lord ST. LEONA RDS warned the house that this
question could not be disposed of in a very short time.
It would require considerable consideration, and wit•
nesses must be examined, because for some little time
it was impossible to deny that certain channels of public
information and censure had been directed 'against the
appellate jurisdiction of the house. He should be very
anxious that the council now practising at the bar of the I
house should be examined before the co in inittee,and should
state what were the objections to the appellate jurisdiction
of the house,and they would then be better able to judge
of the best way of meeting the objections entertained. He
rejoiced that the committee was to be appointed, if for
no other reason than that they might hear on what
grounds the charges against the appellate jurisdiction of
the house were brought forward. He had had as much
experience as any council practising at their lordships' bar,
and he could assert that there never was a time when the
judicial duties of the house bed received moreattention, or
when more elaborate or more car fully reasoned julg-
ments had been delivered. He must say that in oppos-
ing life peerages he had not had any idea of opposing
any alteration or reform in the manner is which their
lordships' jurisdiction was exercised. On the contrary,
as a member of the other house, and as a
public writer,
he had always contended for an alteration in the manner
in which the appellate jurisdiction of the house was ex-
ercised. Not that he was in favour of taking away the
jurisdiction, because he was of opiLion that their lord-
ships would remove one of the main pillars that sup-
ported their dignity and importance. There was not now
the abuse which formerly existed of appeals from the
Lord Chancellor sitting in the Court of Chancery being
heard by the Lord Chancellor alone in that hoise, for
it had not for many years been the case that the Lord
Chancellor bad not the assistance of one or more noble
learhed lords. Where was igdeed 4a itopressiou that

there were a great number of cages in which, there bay-
ing been only two learned lords present, the appeal was
affirmed in censequence of the difference. Now there
rover was a greater mistake. Out of 81 appeals, in
hearing which he had taken part, the noble and learned
lerds who lseerd them had been unanimous in 71. Of the
remaining ten one was the Brownlow case ; in four
others he differed from the Chaneellor and Lord Brough-
ham, and the decision was given by the majority ; in an-
other he and the Lord Chancellor differed from his noble
and learned friend, and the decision of course here went
with the opinion of the-majority: Then there were Cases
in which he and the Lord Ctiancellor sitting alone dif-
fered ; the result of which was that two cases were
affirmed acceding to the Lord Chaecellor'e opinion, a' d
two according to his own. Terre was nothing extraordi-
nary in that, f 'r it was impossible that two men desirous
to do their duty should net oceaeionelly differ upon the
cernplicatee questions of law and feet which came before
them. But it was supposed there was no decision if two
noble and leerried lurch differed. That was not so. r
in point of fact the deorse below was tfiFirmed by a de-
cision of the house. New, although be,did nob approve
of a tribunal of two persens,• yet it was not open to the
ehjsctions supposed. Beth he and the noble and learned
lord on the woolsack had eat alone without having given
rise to dissatisfackien. flew much then, supposing the
noble and learned lord on t' a woolsack was for affirming
the decision of the court below, was hie opinion con-
firmed and its authori'y increaned by having the opinion
of another learne I lord sitting with hon. The whole
evil, therefore, of the difference between him and his
noble friend was, that two jelennente which his noble
friend would have reversed if sitting elem., had been
affirmed. The court of appeal in Chancery was, in 99
times out of 100, constituted of the two lords justices
only ; oro that in this jurisdiction, created by an act of
Parliament brought in by tha Whig Gem-cement of the
day, there was the same canstitntion of the court a+ that
which hadbeen objected to as sometimes Occurring in
their lordships' house. Nay, at this moment, a bill had
been introduced by the Irish Solicitor General for trans-
ferring the jurisdiction of the incurubered estates to the
Court of Chancery in Ireland, and by it it was proposed
to create a new court of apeeal,_ to consi+t of the Lord
Chancellor, with an ex-chancellor, if he could be pro-
cured, and if not, a common law judge. Se that here
again would be a court of appeal consisting of two per-
sons. It was clear that what hid struck the public
mind with respect to the exercise of this appellate power
by teso persona, had not made the same impression on
either the present or the late \Vhig Government. In
1841 he introduced a hill into the other house, in which
he proposed that the Lord Chancellor should have two
permanent assis, ants, to he called lords' aesi-tants, to
be appointed by tho Crown ;• that if they were peers,
they should have voter, and that if they were not
peers, they should nevertheless have a right to speak
and deliver their opinions. The great difficulty was
to get a permanent court of appeal. For if they had
not, they could not obtain those fixed rules of law which
the public bad a right to expect. In 1849 he pub-
lished a work reviewing the decisions of the house for
a considerable period; and in the introduction he ad-
verted to all that had been proposed on the subject. He
had therefore a right to say that•ulnring the last quarter
of a century he bad been as' earnest in promoting a re-
form of the appellate jurisdiction as any man. He had a
great respect for the suggestions of the noble earl, and of
the noble and learned lord opposite, but be was certain
that giving up their powers to a committee of the house
would not work. Considerable dissatisfaction had been
expressed that the committee of council had to draw up
a • report to her Majesty before their decision could be
formally affirmed, and there was a movement in favour
of giving them the power of directly pronouncing a judg-
ment. Now the proposition of the-noble earl would lead
to the same inconvenience. He feared, therefore, that
he should not bo able to support the scheme suggested by
the noble earl.
Lord BROUGHAM would not go into the subject,
because he felt it was inexpedient to anticipate the deli-
berati Ins of the select committee. He bad, however, for
a long period been a mare both of the necessity of deal-
ing with the au'ejecte and at the sine time of the diffi-
culty of doing. so. He hooel that the suejact would
receive the fullest consideration, acid that the c numittee
would obtain alt the information that was capable of be-
ing afforded by witnesses both at the bar asd on the
bench. At the same time he must express his fear that,
in consequence of the difficulties with which the subject
was eurreueded, they might not be able to arrive a', so
satisfactory a solution of the question as might he desired.
Ifis only reason for not dealing further with thA bill
was the fear of trenching upon the judicial privileges of
that house. If they were to mate that high court of
appeal an injury instead of a benefit to the country, then
he would suppert his noble and learned friend, but i
rattier than net have a good an-1 proper remedy for the
defects complaine i of, he would give up the privilege of
appellate' jurisdiction altogether.
The LORD CHANCELLOR
_Aid that he did not
mean to have 'aid a word upon the subject, and should
not bet for the character of the complaints made against
the judicial character of the house. He must say that as
for the complaint that one noble lord had heard part of a
case, another another part, and a third gave judgment,
that could wily come fr ears me totally unacquainted
vith the practice and or madding. of the house. And if
that were true, it would he entirely a c stnolsint of the
forms, and not of the ju is al functions of the house. He
would conclude hy saying that he should express no
opinion upon the subject at present.
Tire resolution was then agreed to, and the committee
appointed.

Their I ,rlAhips then arlj•iurned at ten minutes past
eight o'clock.

HOUSE OF CORISIO NS.--(YEsrEaDir.)

The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
ROYAL AFSENT.
Mr. PULHAN appeared at the table of the house, and
desired the attendance of the &linker in the House of
Loris to hear the Royal assent given by commission to
certain hills.
The SPEAKER then, accompanied by several members,
left the house. On his return he informed the house
the Royal Assent had been given to those bills, for
which see Lids' repott.
Sir J. SITgLieEY presented a petition from the hay-
dealers in the metropolis, praying for a measure to pre-
vent frauds in packing hay.
Sir J. PAKINGTON presented a petition from
Droitwich, in favour of the Medical Charities Bill, now
before the house.
Sir D. EVANS. gave notice that on the first favourable
opportunity he should move a resolution di-approving of
the conduct of the Government in refusing to raise
troops in the colonies while they carried on enlistment
in neutral States contrary to international law.
THE CRIME t.N COMMISSION.
Sir J. PAKINGTON rose to put a question to the
Under Secretary of War, of which he had previonety
given him notice. It was with respect to the letter writ
ten by Mr. Fader, who lately filled the office of Com-
missary-General in the C:iinea. Mr. Fild'er stated that
as soon as he became cognisant of the charges contained
against himin the report alluded to, he wrote a letter t
Lori Panmure in reply. Mr. Fader expresfert a strong
desire that that letter should- be laid upon the table of
that house. Although the report containing the charges
aeeinst him was dated the 10th of June, he had no
knowledge of the charges brought against him till he
Paw them in the newepaners seven months after. He
wished to ask whether there wonld be any objection to
lae the written reply of Mr. Filder to Lord Panmure
before the house, and thus do him the same justice as
had been accorded to Lord- Cardigan and the Earl of
Lucan.
Mr. F. PEEL said there would be no objection to
lay the letter on the table of the house. He would not
then enter into the circumstances that led Lord Pan-
inure to recal Mr. Filder, but felt sure if he did so they
would find it quite satisfactory.
THE CAPTURE.OF PROME.
Major REED aekeile if there would be any objection
to lay on the table certain despatches received from
Major Godwin, detailing the capture of Prome ?
Mr. F. PEEL said the question had better be put
to the President of the Board of Control.
BRITISH MUSEUM.
Mr. HEYWOOD asked whether the Government in-
tended, in consequence of the vacaucy of the offices of
priecipal librarian and secretary of the British Mu-eum,
to carry out the recommendations of the Royal Commis-
sioners of 1850 with respect to the abolition of these two
offices, and the appointment in their pace of two offi-
cers, to be nominated by the Crown ; the one distin-
guished for attainments in literature, to have the super-
vision of the library, the manuscripts, the prints, the
antiquities, and the medals ; and the other, eminent for
attainments in natural history, to have the supervision
of those departments of the Museum which were devoted
almost exclusively to natural history ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
it was not intended to disturb the present arrange-
meets.
REFORM O LITHE CORP
LONDON.ORATION OF THE
OF
Sir J. SHELLEY asked the Secretary of State for
the Home Department when the bill fur the reform of
the Corporation of the City of London would he brought
forwar i by the Government ?
Sir G. GREY said he hoped to bring it forward on
an early day,
ABOLITION OF ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS.
Mr. COLLIER asked the Solicitor-General when the
bills for the abolition of the ecclesiastical courts, and the
transference of their jurisdiction to other tribunals,
would be introduced by the Government l
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said certainly before
the recess.

ALDERSHOT CAMP BILL.
Mr. MACARTNEY asked the Clerk of tho. Ord-
nance whether he had any objection to lay upon the
table, previous to the second reading of the Aldershot
Camp Bill, a plan of the roads and ways intended to
be abolished and closed under the provisions of the
said kill

Mr. MONSELL said the plans had been lodged with
the clerk of the peace of the county, and if the bon.
member wished for them to be produced he should move
for them.
Mr. MACARTNEY gave notice eccordiegly.
MR. ROEBUCK'S MOTION.
DLL 13.00174 eked tille riot
~pq-si 44 the Tab!

Mr. DRUNIMOND recommended that if the house
in an evil hoar appointed ilk committee, the gen-
tleman forming it should be examined on the bullion
report. This was a difficult sueject to be dealt
with, and was as near as any political ques-
tion oeuld, he a question of science. The effect of
the discoveries of gold in Australia and other places had
had the same effect on the Bank of England as if it
had issued an enormous Mee of paper money, the
effect of which bad been to cause speculetion,
and set the manufacturers at work, who produced more
conchs than there were people in the world to consume
them, and hence gold went abroad to pay their
debts, After alluding to an •` amusing romance " that
had lately been published, and no doubt read by hon.
gentlemen, namely, "The History of England," by
Macaulay—(laughter)—be said that they could not
by law alter 'lie true state of the case, nor prevent
the precious motel from heine the measure of veins
withont increasing the di,asters cemplaiued of. The
soundest a 'vice to he given to the house on this quire.
tion was similar to that Mr. Arthur Young gave to
the Convention of Paris. He was asked what was the
hest law they could pass with respect to the
price of corn, and he replied, " My best advice to you
is to erier your clerk to put his inkstand down the throat
of the first man who speaks about corn." And if the house
did that with respect ta those who spoke in that house
on the currency, it woul 1 be the beat course they could
adopt. (Renewed tauver.)
Mr. MALINS had frequently expressed his belief` that
the lot of Sir R. Peel required mediticatlen. The grenteet
supporter which that act had wes the ignorance of the
country with retard to the currency. (Hear.) He did
not think that the subject was so exceedinely difficult sad
mysterious as the hon. gentleman who had just spoken
would have the house to imagine. Belem the natunpleof
Sir It. Peel's act, there was no absolute restriction open
the issue of notes by the Bank of &gland. The directors
of the bank were the only jeilg-s as to the amount of paper
that ought to be ivueil ; nevertheless, the discount was
never below 41. per cant. The consequence was, that those
sudden changes which hail taker. place in the rate of inte-
rest since the passine of S,r R. Peel's act could eot happen.
For the first time in the history of the Lank, a restriction
was put upon the issue of notes in 1844 by hie act. It
happened tleit the Gnvernmont at that time owed the
Bank of England 14,000,0091, and Sir R. Peel waist, ", will
divide the bank into two departments—henceforth there
shell be an issue department and a bank department.
On a certain day, when this act shall come into operation,
the securities repressnting the 11.0 O 000 t , debt must be
put in the issue department, and the gold department ehell
consist of the amount of gold then irethe bank," which
happened to be 10.000,0091. The bank was permitted to
issue notes representing that amount of geld, as well as the
11,099,0001. debt clue from the Government, so that alto-
gether the Bank of England might issue notes to the extent
of 24,000,000/. But he (Mr. Matins) believed that notes
to the amount of about 4,009,000/. were always retained in
the bank as a reserve furl ; tee notes bow in circulation
being something under 20 009,000% "ilia -let the house ob-
serve the fallacy of Sir R. Peel's Act. The notes of the Bank
of England, which reprosanted-the debt due by the Govern-
ment at the titne of the passing of the act, via.,l /,000,000/.,
had not a single ounee of gold in the bank to represent
them. The evil of such a state of things as that must be ob-
vious to every one, and therefore urgently c died for a remedy:
During the year 1855 there were no lees than eight varieties
in the *nit-rheum rate of discount. The minimum rate at
the Bank of &giant at present was for short: bills 6 oar
cent., and for bills exceeding two months 7 per cent. 'The
consequence of these fluctuations was most inconvarient.
If Sir R.. Peel had said that notes should represent gold,
there would be some sense in the system; for then not more
gold than notes would be issued ; but that theery was ire-
possible. If they adopted the principle of issuing no snore
notes than gold, they would stop the monetary transactions
of the country. He wanted to know why the magical sem
of 14,000,001. had been fixed upon- -n shoe which wasto tit
all feet for all times? He thought, that the argument of his
lien. friend proved too much. The hon. 'member for Bir-
maiehatn hail directed the attention of the house to the
ewes of things which had occurred in the year 1817. In
the spring of 1847, in April, the gold in the Bank orEng-
lan I had got very low. The rea:rro sank to a very low rate;
the rate of interest became vary high. But' t was an nouuee.i
that the difficulty was over. But the amount of gold gra-
ciefly diminished, and in Oct. the amount WAR not.more
than 8,010,0101. The batik had issued 14,000,001. notes,
to be payable in gold, when there was no gold to meet
those note, and at that !seri, d the circulation amounted to
more than 20 000.0001. The reserve of unemployed motes
Was reduced to 2,000,0001., and the Flank of England would
have been obliged to stop payment, if the then First Lord
of the Treasury (Lord J. Russell) and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer (Sir C. Wool) had not issued a letter authoris-
ing the Rank of England to go beyond the limit sanctioned
by law—to he at liberty to issue any amount of notes
which the exigencies of the country might require. At
that time there were deputations from merchants and
bankers to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and, ulti-
mately, the governor and direct, rs of the Bank of Eng-
land went up to the right honourable gentletwor to repre-
sent to him that unless some steps were taken for the pur-
pose of relaxing the provi-ions of
.Sir Robert Peel's
there would be a ,to One merchant who h d
60,00, 1. in silver (silver cot` tieing a legal tender),
could not obtain a bank note; but directly this let-
ter appeared, the hoarding of money ceased, and the public
placed their funds in the hands of their bankers, It was,
therefore, by bitter and actual etiwrience that this Iwo of
14,000,0001. hail been found insuffi, ient for the maim:SW*l
transactions of this country. He (Mr. Matins) could only
express his surprise that eight years had been suffered to
elapse without the applicatiol of :0,1,e remedy to a stata of
things so inconvenient awl dangerous. He did not advocate
any extreme measures with regard to monetary affairs. In
the month of June there were I e,001,000/. of gold in the
Bank of England, and 32,000,0001. of notes might be leaned..
At that time the rate of discount was 26 per cent., but
now it was 5i per Gent. If the amount of gold should con-
tinue to go down 3,000,0001. more than at present—t&
7,000,0001,, when 21,000 00:4. notes might be issued—the
average circulation required by the public being 20,000,0001.
—the revenue would be only 1,000,004. And he would
ask, if this should occur, what securitythey had thatwithia
the next three months they might not have a notional
bankruptcy, unless another letter were to be honed by the
First Lord of the Treasury and the Chancellorof the Ex-
chequer, authorising the Bank of England to violate the
law? He wished to ask the ri,lht hen. gentlemen the
Chancellor of the Exchequer what course he intended to
adopt ? Would he take a timely view of the question. and
allow the whole subject to be inquired into? What was
the object of the motion of the hen. member,for
ham ? Let them be wise in time, and net postpone their
reforms and alterations ton long ; for if they drew too
much on the public toleration, the people would rush ,in
and abolish their monetary
laws altogether.
Mr. POLLARD-URQITHART said, if they Consented to
the motion of the hon. member for Wrmingham, an impres-
sion would go abroad that they did not regard with that just
abhorrence which they ought to do those two propositions__
lowering the standard of gold and diminishing the oonver-
tibility of the note—which, he believed, if adopted
would be most injurious to a great commercial country
the
alreeeßinaggltaond motion, they would diminish their credit, which depended so much upon credit. By
It was the good faith which this country
and their security, and increase the rate of interest which
they now paid.
had always maintained that enabled them to raise money
upon such advantageous terms, and gave England so much
power and influence among the nations of Europe. By
adhering to that good faith they, in this small island, were
enabled to say to the ruler of the vast territories of Russia,
" Tbus farshalt thou go, and no further ;" and they wero
also enabled to so far reduce the general taxation as 'to
place it in the power of the poorer classes to procure cheap
bread, tea, sugar, coffee, and other noceEsaries of life In
-
fact, this good faith war the mightiest weapon which their
Ot.t.SIMS I Mall T 444 St the Mat %%Olt_