The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-16 00:00:00

r "No, no")---have come into their places, and, not con-
tent with bringing forward such measures as were upon
the papers of the house, are ransacking the pigeon-
holes of their predecessors with the view of pro.
posing measures which have not their confidence.
(Cries of "No, no," from the Ministerial side.) In
answer to that "No," I will presently prove nay
assertion. Since I have been a member of this houses
if there is one thing which more than another I have
heard insisted upon by the leaders of the present
Government, it is the necessity that a Minister should
have a policy and a principle. (Cheers.) Over and
over again have I heard the right hon. gentleman oppo.
site (Mr. Disraeli) denounce a Minister who had neither
a policy or a principle. Over and over again have I
heard him, in most magnificent language, and in peri-
phrastic phrases, denounce that hand-to-mouth system
which characterised the Whig party. (A, laugh.) As
we have been referred to speeches made at the hustings,
however, I may quote the language of the right hon.
gentleman the First Lord of the Admiralty (Sir J.
Pakington), who in his speech at Droitwieh put the
same idea into more homely phrases. The right hon.
gentleman said,—" What Englishmen like is that whe-
ther a man be light or wrong he should have an opinion
laugh)—and, having an opinion, should stick to it."
(Laughter.) New, let us sea what are the opinions of
the right hon. baronet, and whether his adhesion is to
his past principles or his present position. (A. laugh.) I
must call to the recollection of the house the conduct of
the noble lord at the head of the Government at the
commencement of the present session. On receipt of
intelligence of the guilty enterprise in Paris which we
all mourn, that noble lord called upon her Majesty's
Government in very strong language to bring forward
some effectual measure for repressing-such attempts in
this country. A measure was proposed in this house by
the late Administration, and what was the conduct of
the present Government ? When the hon. member for
Bridgwater (Mr. Kinglake) moved his amendment, which
I regard as the twin brother of the amendment pro-
posed ten days afterwards, what was the course taken
by the then Opposition ! (Hear.) The present Lord
Chancellor for Ireland (Mr. Napier), with all the solem-
nity which distinguishes him—(a langh)—callid upon the
house to pass the measure. "Be just," said he, " and
fear not." The present Chancellor of the,Exchequer was
loud in support of the bill. He treated the question as
almost one of French feeling, and give his earnest sup-
port to the introduction of toe measure as being agree-
able to the Emperor of the French. The amendment of
the hon. member for Bridgwater met with ncesupport.
It was withdrawn, and the introduction 'of the bill was
triumphantly carried. Ten days afterviar'di nay right
hon. friend the member for Ashton-rinder-Lynepfr.'llf.,
Gibson) moved another amendment, which was.singnlstrly
ingenious—(o last;h)—but ifyou, sir, (addressing
the Speaker), bad not decided it to be Parliamentary, I
should have said was highly irregular. (Laughter from
the Ministerial side.) The right hon. member fur Ashton
had hitherto taken a different course. - He had always
been the eloquent and able advocate of principles which
are supposed to be symbolised by the lamb—(a laugh)
—but on the occasion to which I refer he mounted the
lion. (Laud laughter.) The opportunity was too
tempting to the right hon. gentleman opposite and his
party. He lost no time in getting up behind the right
hon. member fir Ashton - (3 laugh)—and by good ma-
nagement and considerable address—aided, I am sorry
to say, by the finale what careless conduct of the noble
lord letely at the head ef the Government—(loud laugh-
ter and cheering)—he deceived, I was almost going to
say jockeyed, the noble lord. (Laughter and cheering.)
Now, I don't charge the hon. gentleman who did this
Kish intrigue, but I do say that it was a manoeuvre dis-
creditable to a party, and ail! not add to their reputa•
tion. (Cheers and laughter.) I will not detain the
house by going into any discussion of the Conspiracy
Bill. For my own part I lament that the neble lord
(Palmerston) did not sead an answer to the Walewski
despatch—(general cheering)— but I look upon that as a
venial erior, and, however strong my opinion may be,
I do nit thiek the omission called for the withdrawal
from the noble lord of the confidence ci this house.
(Hear, hear.) Now, sir, one word about this cele-
bra.ed W ale a' ki despatch, of which there have been
so many various readings. I find that no two gentle
men agree about it. The right honourable gentleman
the present Chancellor cf the Exchequer in his speech
here the other night called it an unfortunate lucubra •
ten ; the present Attorney-General for Ireland called
it an insu Ling despatch ; but what did the First Lord
of the Admiralty (Sir J, Pakington) tell his constituents
t Droitwich He raid to them, "Alter all, my opinion
is that the despatch has not been well translated.
(Laughter.) I feel certain that too much has been made
f it, and that no offence was intended by the French
Gevernment." Well, if that was the opinion of the right
hon. baronet he was bound, on such an occasion as the
last debate to have expressed it in this house. (Hear.)
He was, I think, bound to tell the house that in his
oeinion no offence was intended, and that the despatch
had not been well translated. He was probably think-
ing of his own translation, but he ought not to have de-
ferred acquainting us with so important a fact until he
appeared on the hustings upon his acceptance of office.
I think the Walewski despatch has been mad, more of
than it deserves. I believe that if the counsels of the
noble lord (Palmerston) had been followed an answer
we uld have been sent to that despatch, but as the house
has chosen to expel that noble lord from power on such
a ground, I, for one, am satisfied and bow to its deci-
sion. (Laughter.) We have been ief armed by a noble
I)rd (Lord Derby) in another place of only one measure
which he intends to submit to Parliament—via , a new
India Bill. I think no one who recollects the course
taken by the present Administration on the introduction
of an India Bill by the late Government could fail to be
' struck with such an announcement. What was the
course pursued on that occasion ? It is, I believe, con-
sidered discourteous to oppose the introduction f
any
bill, even when proposed by a private member ; but the
hon, member for Huntingdon (Mr. Baring) would not
permit the India Bill to be introdeced, and in another
place ray Lord Grey, to whom the noble earl (Derby)
applied for assistance in forming an Administration, pre-
sented a petition from the East India Company against
legislation, bJ.ire the bill was even submitted to this
house. On that occasion—the 12th of February—the
present President of the Board of Control (Lord Ellen-
borough) after abusing the Directors ef the East India
Company, made this very remarkable declaration:—
" I think the time for making any change is peculiarly
inopportune; if there had been any obstruction on the pare
of the Directors to the measures of Government, if they
had not made themselves in all respects ancillary to the
Government, then there would have been a necessity for
instant legislation; hut I have never heard it even sug.
gested that there has been on their part the slightest ob-
struction to any measure proposed by Government. Stand
as sovereigns of the country before you think of forming a
new Government. . . . I regard with distrust the measure
whatever it may be, which the Government intend to pro-
pose. I must say I always view with great distrust extem-
porised constitutions. Time and God's Providence alone
make constitutions of great empires ! When men in their
self-sufficiency and arrogance think they can at once strike
off a constitution which is to be the foundation of the hap-
piness or misery of millions of our fellow creatures they are
baffled by their own weakness and the littleness of mind
which pretends to grasp so vast and important a subject.
Such persons defeat their own objects."
Well, when the bill was bronpgr.ehsteinntttLchernment. The
house, wha
was the course taken by the
said : righti hon. gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer

"I say again you are beginning at the wrong end ; you
oughtu had put down the rebellion yon
to have adopted the course which 1 recommendei
last year. When you
ought to have sent to India a Royal Commission With
plenary powers, &c. Then when youh'td made yourselves
when the country had made itself master of the situation,
then it would hive been high time to legislate."—(The
Timice report, February 19, 1858.)
Bur, there was one speech made by a right hon. gentle-
man who did not take the objection that this was an im-
proper time to legislate. He, f irsooth, WllB for confirm-.
ing the present government of India for all time. The
right hon. member for Enniskillen (Mr. Whiteside)
answered the Speech of my right hon. friend the late
Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir C. Lewis) by quoting
the observations of another right hon. friend, the mem-
ber for Halifax (Sir C. Wood). Sir, I propose to
answer him by quoting his own speech in the same
manner.

The SPEAKER—It is irregular to quote in thi■
house speeches made here during the same session of
Parliament. (Cheers.)

Mr. B. OSBORNE—I quote these speeches as they
appear in print out of this House. (Hear, hear, and it
laugh.)
The SPEAKER—Certainly quotations from news-
papers cf .peeohes made in this house during the same
session of Parliament are not according to the rules of
this house. (Cheers.)

Mr. OSBORNE—I bow at once to what you have
laid eleven as the law, but it is the first time I have
ever heard it enunciated. (" Oh, '.°ll ?") However,
hon. gentlemen wiil not easily forget what was said on
that occasion. Tioe rigl,t hon. gentleman the member
for Enniskillen denounced the Ministry in the strongest
language f->r interfering with the East India Company
at all. He said it was the most perfect Government
that could be imagined, and he likened the Ministry to
a weathercock for altering their opinions
within four
years. What is their course now ! My Lord Derby
says he has great re pect for a majority of this house.
Whence this sudden reverence f When we recollect
that the admiseion of the Jaws to Parliament— (cheers)
—has been passed here by numerous and nverwhelming
that a majority in this house
majoritier, t
has altered his opinion as
liay it is a species of hypocrisy o pret end
to the proper time f)r bringiag in an India Bill. (Hear.)
The right boa. gentleman who has referred me to his
speech
at Droitwich found fault with her Majesty's late
advisers for their vacillation and weakness. I ask him
is there no vacillation in his own Cabinet ! What course
do they intend to pursue with regard to the Bank Act !
Hon. gentlemen wilt recollect that in December of last
year a committee was tamed for inquiring into the
operation of this Ac'. The present Chancellor of the
Exchequer opposed the appointment of that committee.
He said there was no occasion for further inquiry, and
he added that he was ready for instant legislation. I ask
the right hon. gentleman, have they settled that point
among themselves ! Then, again, when be talks of
nvtocinil.
lation, I ask him what course do the Gotvesrnme
tend to pursue with regard to church-rates 13ingT (Hear,
Isar.) The noble lord the member for
a's.,dlahyans:
(Lord Stanley) votes against church-rates, h
favourr of their total
aboleion. (Hear.) Then, wha 1
I believe, written a pamphlet in
The First Lord of
tend to do respecting education
tno
iSo the Governn eat in-
when he has brouel t
subject, has always teen an.
tleinun the
and by the right hon.
Presideet of the
forward
NAa
tddmai r
motiona I
sw.ered by the r
Vice-president of the Committee
(iSgihrotrlrb.otTioh.i4s:ntjg
gentleman
moaf
nTrtande,ep(rNel:e•nr vein.
of Council for Education (sir. Adderley). Then, again,
I should like to put a question with reference to the
Jew Bill. There are three right lion, pullet:on now 14