The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-29 00:00:00

that, in these respects, of the right hon. gentleman, who
has great powers of description and of eloquence, in re.
presenting to the people of Buckinghamshire that terrific
scene for which he was indebted to h a own imagine•
tion— (" Oh, oh," and laughter)—rather than to fact,
it may most appropriately he said, as Wa3 said of the
greatest poet of our country—
" Existence saw him spurn her bounded reign,
And panting time toiled after him in vain."

That, no doubt, to a poet is great praise, but it is not
precisely the praise which a etatestnan ought to receive.
(Cheers.) He ought rather to confine himself within the
limits of that which actually ex;ste, and ought not to put
time so much out of breath as a poet may. (Hear, hear.)
Such being his statement with regard to these affairs 1
think the right hon. gentleman is bound to explain what
he really meant. But there is another matter upon
welch he made a statement to his constituents whiCh
appears to me to have been highly objectionable—l
allude to that statement of his which involves a eery se.
rious question—one not to be discussed in this house,
but one at the same time upon which the leonstittrion of
this country very much depends. It appears that
the
right hon. gentleman told his constituents that if a ma-
r 'city cf tt is house had voted a censure upon her Ma-
jesty's Government they would to defend their
opinions upon the hustings. (Ministerial cheering.) Now
I beg leave to remind the house what have bees the
maxims on the subject of other statesmen while pesse,e.
ing the confidence of the Crown. They have thought,
when there was a great question depending, upon which
no satisfactory cone r could be obtained in this honer-,
when the house and the Ministers of the Crown were de-
cide. ly at variance, such as was the case upon the great
India.B.ll of 1784, upon the Reform Bill of 1831, upon
the question of Free Trade in 1841—that the solution of
any such question should be sought in an appeal to the
electors of the united kingdom. But it is quite another
matter when the question is whether the Prime Minister
or a particular party should remain in office. And when.
Sir R. Peel, in 184 ti, explained his conduct in this home
on resigning (Alice, he stated that he had declined to
propose or to advise her Majesty to dissolve this hemp,
beceuse it was his opinion that that was a most deli-
ewe and sacred prerogative of the Crown, and ought
not to be exerc:sed for the purpose of anyindi-
vidual who might be at the head of affairs, or for the
purpose of any party. Now, that entirely agrees with
my opinion. And when I offered my resignation to her
Majesty in 1852 I declined to offer any advice to her
Majesty to dissolve the then Parliament. Bat there
seems to be an opinion acquiring weight, which lam
sorry to observe, that upon any occasion when the Mich-
ter has not a majority he may have recourse to that which
Burke calla 1, and I think truly called, a penal diesolu-
tion—tbat is to eay, be may not only put the membe rs
of this house to the great trouble and expenee cf an elec-
tion, but may expose them to the dangers of Any misre-
presentation to which they may be subject in the per-
formance of their duty. (Hear.) Now, that I think ought
not to be the relation between the Crown and the mem-
bers of the House of Commons. (Cheers.) Ycu, sir, and
your predecessors, when you have gone up to the other
bailee of Parliament to ask fur the approbation of the
Crown, have always asked that the most favourable con-
struction should be placed upon the motives and pro-
ceedings of this house. That prayer may have alluded
originally to the personal will of the Sovereign. That
personal will, as we all know, is now represented by the
advisers of the Crown, and the advisers of the Crown
are bound not lightly or needles:ly to attribute to of just,
unpatriotic, or dishonest motives the proceedings of the
majority of this house. (Hear) I lament very much that
it vi as thought necessary for the late Government to as'.
vice her Majesty to dissolve Parliament in the spring of
la,t year. I be ieve that dissolution was not justified
under the then existing circumstances. My opinion is
that my merle friend the member for Tiverton ought
then to. have tendered his re:.iguation and have advised
her Mej,!sty to call Lord Derby to her counc;le. I can-
act think, sir, that the evil to which I Lave referred witl
he remedied by Lord Derby saying that whenever he is
thwarted in Parllament—teat whenever any view which
he may aivance does rot meet with the approbation of
Parliament, he will at once advise her Majesty to dlr.
eolee Parliameet, and using that threat as a means c f
covering the actions of members c f this house. (Hear.)
I cae conceive nothing more likely to damage the con-
etittrion of the country—uot hing more likely to brie g
on that question which is a question which might, I be-
lieve, be entertained, but which could not be entertained
without considerable discussion and without considerable
deference of opinion—l mean the question of .shortening
the duration of Peiliarnents. (Hear ) That it a verb
'serious quest on, and if we bare repeated thre ate of die-
solution in order to compel memfiers e f this house, con-
trary to their own opinions, to vote according te the be-
hests c f a Minister, I can or ly say that this house will
stand el with the Crown and Al with the country, be-
cause the country which sends us here does so in order
that we may act for the public welfare, and not for the
benefit f any ledivienal. Lime are general considera-
tions, ant although the threat of a dissolution has act
been used in this house it has been used very commonly
in society. (Oh f and derisive elle, re.) lam sure that I
Dave heard it stated several times, and it is confirmed
by what was stated by the right hon. gentleman. [An
hoe. rnereber--" Where 71 The right hon. gentleman
i his epen•ch at Slough said, that it the vote of this home
hale been adverse to G evertrinent members of this house
would base had to defend their opinions to the country.
(Ileac.) Now, that could point to nothing but a dissolu-
tion of Parliament—(hear, bear)—and I say that before
Friday last, It appeared from cenversations on all sides,
that in ease of an adverse vote the G ivernment were •
tertnined to civics her Majesty to dissolve Parliament.
Tuey may contradict it if they can, and if they can I hope
they wid say that they had no such intention. (Oh, e h.)
After all, let me say again I think that, even after the
result of the late motiore the position of this house to-
wards the Government is the same as the position v hick
it held weep the Admiristrarion was first formed. (filer r,
try ar.) 11t1nnIntliat it renal is still to be re: n whether the
present Govertitnet:t can obtain and retain the suprort
ref that which is ca I.>d a Liberal House of Communes,
fry which I mean a House ef Cotnium e bound to sup-
pert measures of reform. (Uear, hear ) If they can
do so, then this house, which has already waited with
great patietc, will support them Ile tOOll as the y hare
gained that confidence. (Heer.) The solution of the
question has not yet been arrived at. (Hear, hear.) There
are various questions which have to be brought forward
upon which the Government will have to produce no a-
eures and to defend their opinions. (Hear, hear.) Ido
not wish to anticipate any of them—(oh ! oh !") but we
shall have several of them in the coulee of the next fert-
night or three weeks, and, if the Government succeed in
gaiuieg the majority r f the house, those who agree with
them vi ill of course rej rice, whi'es these who do not will
have to how to the decision. Olean bear.) I ate willing
to accept that position, far I think it a constitutional
position fir a Minister of the Crown, but I do not think
that airy Government which does not obtain c eufi lence,
which does not eseiblieh itself in the ()Onion of this
house, ought by threats of a dissolution, or hy any ruch
unworthy means of that kind, to endeavour to obtain
strength at the expense of the independence of members
of this house. (Cheers.)

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—I can
hardly flAtter my,clt that hon. gentlemen have read the
observations which I very recently had the opportunity
of addressing to EC:IMO cf my constituents whom I had the
I,onour or mettirg ; hut of this lam quite sure, that the

noble lord has a,Eurned that hon. gentlemen present
c.)uld not have read 'them—(hear, hear)—btcause the
no L., lord has endeavocrod to convey to the house that
during the recess I went down to the county of which I

have the honour of brim one of the representltivee,

abusing tin House of Commons, complaining of it.: con•
duct, and declaring that htr Majesty's .Ministers bad
not rectived a fair and equitable treatment. (Hear.)
Perhaps the noble lord will portmit rue to remind him,
fur he has toad those observations—indeed (pointing to
the noble lord, who was perusing a document)-4 see
that he is still reading them —('ou I laughter)—and I
must say that in my Opinion he would heave done much
better to study t►.em Uef nhand—(hear, hear)—perhapp,
I say, the noble lord wi.l penult me to remind him
that there is no', in that Fpetch a single statement
or a single phrase which authorises the statement which
he has made !—( 'Oh, oh !" and "Hear, hear")—not a
single sentence, I repeat, which authorises that state-
ment, or a single phrase which justifies the impression
which he wished to convey. (Loud cries of " Hear,

hear.") Nay more, I say that if hon. gentlemen will
read that speech thsy will find statements and phrases
whic..l convey a directly c2ntrary meaning. (Hear.) I
am speaking from memory, but I think that I have a
very fair rec,llection of what took place, and I felt it
my duty to say in reference to some observations of ntt
lion, gentleman, that I for one—and from my positioU
I might be considered a candid and impartial judge—
bad 110 reason to complain of the present House of Com.
mons. Considering that it was elected under the aus-
pices of our rivals, considering that it was supposed to
possess an overwhelming majority agair.st us when we
assumed the reins of office, I was bound to say that the
Government bad received from the House c f Commons,
as a body, a generous courtesy, and on more than one
occasion the sense and spirit of the House of Commons

had ht fild the uncea-ing in'rigues and the restless ma-

cbinationB by which, from the first moment cf our enter-

ingoffice the Government cf the Queen had been assailed.
(Cheers.) Was that an attack upon the House of Com-
mons I (Cheers.) If so, I can only say that it was no
rscAved as such Ly those to whom it was addressed, ard
I ara sure that all who hates.. to ms, when the) recall
chat 1 bace statsd to their ecul'ectioc, will absolve sce
from the charge whi:;h the noble lord has wished by
inuerida to convey to tb Louse. Mine was a dir-
lo r— (e lau_4l.)—and the noble lord has had the desert
—(laughter)—and although it has taken more prepara-
tion I do not think that the entertainment cf the noble
lord has been happier than that which I enjoyed.
(" Hear," and laughter ) The noble lord says that he
thinks himself entitled to make the observations which
he has addressed to the house in cones quenceof the grave
cbarac'er of certain statements which I made in relation
to foreign affairs. He seems astounded at my having
stated that when we acceded tooffice the question of peace
or war with France was of a very minute and delicate
charrickr. The noble lord says that, after hearing that
for the first time, he consulted Lord Clarendon upon the
subject., and that noble lord bad informed him that be

hal no knowledge of the immediate Bang r of such .an
event as war with France. Now, why did not the noble