The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-20 00:00:00

THE JEWS BILL.

On the motion that the house go into committee on
;his bill,

Mr. KNIGHTLEY said he thought that if the Lords
intended to admit Jews to Parliament it would have been
wiser to agree to the bill sent up to them by the Com-
mons than to pass this queer measure of an Irish com-
promise, accompanied by reasons why its provisions
ought not to be acted upon by the house.
Mr. GILPIN characterised the bill as a miserable
subterfuge, and only a little better than nothing at all.
Mr. BENTINCK declared that by the bill a direct
and aggravated insult was offered to the House of Com-
mons and to the Jews themselves. He contended that
the house was bound to include Turks, heretics, and
infidels in the bill.

Mr. SPOONER thought the bill a great disgrace to
the other branch of the Legislature, and that it was an
insult to this house to ask it to agree to a measure every
word of which was reprobated except the olject it was
to carry out.
Lord J. RUSSELL, at the request of Mr. SPOONER,
showed that there was nothing unconstitutional in the
provisions of the bill.

The house divided, when the numbers were—

For going into committee 144
Again4t it
Majority --104
The SPEAKER then left the chair, and the house went
into committee, amidst roars of laughter, on the dis-
covery having been made that Mr. Spooner, by a mis-
take, took the wrong turning in the passages to the
division, and voted in effect for the admission of the
Jews to Parliament, instead of against it. The hon.
member joined heartily in the laugh.
The house then went into committee upon tha bill,
when

Mr. SPOONER moved to add a proviso to the first
clause, "That such resolution bo not acted on tell the
clevent of the Crown be signified to both Houses of
Parliamei. 4,"
The motion was negatived, and this and the other
clauses were agreed to without amendment.

GOVERNMENT OF NEW CALEDONTA. 11TT,L.

The h ia3 tiaving it.oit low committee on

1S L 1 I,

Mr. -GLADSTONE said he pre-umed this bill had
been recommitted by the right hon. batouet the Secre-
tary for the Colonies, but nut for the purpose of intro-
ducing any material amendments in it. He would not,
therefore, take up the time of the committee with any
formal motion ; but he begged to submit for the con-
sideration of the committee what he believed to be the
material construction of the bill. It was a matter of
principle, and he, for one, attached very great import-
ance to principle. The frame of the bill constituted a
new Government for Caledonia, and it provided that at
any future period her M.j -sty's Government might es-
tablish free institutions in the colony. There appeared,
then, to be two modes of establishing a colony—one of
those was the true, and the other the false one. He
thought the colony ought to be established, not on the
principles that they established their convict colonies,
but as a colony in which the society founding it should
be empowered to at once originate free institutions. He
wished that the Government could be prevailed upon to
embody in the bill that they were about to found a free
colony. He was quite prepare] to place responsibility
in the Executive Government, From the bill it would
be supposed that we founded a colony not fit for free-
dom. He regretted the terme in which the bill bad been
conceived and framed. Instead of being progressive, it
was rather retrogressive ; and it merely calculated that
a period would arrive when free institutions might be
I introduced into Ne v Caledonia.

Mr. LABOUCLIE RE agreed in the general principles
stated by Mr. Gladstone as to the establishment and
growth of free institutions in colonies about tobe newly
started, and alluded to the manner in which Vancouver's
Island hal grown up. The old English constitution
was the best with which they could start ; but there
were peculiar features connected with the Colony of
New Caledonia, and having reference to the geld
producing countries, to which they should not close their
eyes. With those features staling them in the face, ha
thought it would not have been prudent on the part of
her Majesty's Government to go the length in the first
instance which the right hon. gentleman contended for.
Upon the whole, he thought the Government deserved
credit for the manner in which the bill was framed, and
he should feel inclined to give it support. The third
clause, however, required some explanation. The Queen
and Council should not have the power of framing any
constitution as a permanent constitution without the
consent of Parliament.
Mr. ROEBUCK thought there was some mistake
with regard to the powers of the Crown. Without any
act of Parliament the Crown could give any constitution
it pleased. It should be borne in mind that this bill
would expire in four years, The measure would not aid
the Colonial Secretary in the government of New Cale-
donia. They were spending their time for no pUrpose.
They ought to have stated in the bill that at the end of
three years representative institutions would be given to
the colony. Not having done that they had done no-
thing. It would be much better to allow New Cale-
donia to have free institutions to-morrow than to leave
it in doubt when they were to be established.
Sir E. B. LYTTON regretted that Mr. Gladstone had
not expressed his views on the second reading of the bill.
This was not an optional measure, but one rendered im-
perative by the information which the Government bad
received. After receiving the indulgent favour of the
house in all the stages of the bill, they could not go
back and accept the suggestion of the right honour-
able gentleman, which would alter the entire charac-
ter of the measure. In the Governor-General great
responsibility must be placed. It was the desire of
the Government that there should be representative in-
stitutions within the four years, if there were materials
for them. If a separate population were rapidly
formed in that part of the country, the Government
might be advised to constitute an elective chamber.
By an Order in Council the Crown could at once sanction
two elective chambers. He felt the force of the obser-
vations of the hon. and learned gentleman as to the
necessity of a sufficient force to enable the governor to
preserve order, and at the same time he would say that
it would be desirable to regulate that force in accordance
with the actual wants of the colony. He trusted, how-
ever, tuat the bill having so far received the cupport of
the house, it would now be agreed to, to meet the urgent
necessities of the case.
After a few words from Mr. ROEBUCK in explanation,
Clause 1 was agreed to.
Ou clause 2,
11 r. BU IT said that by the clause the present Govern-
tnent, which was of an arbitrary character, might con-
tinue, without Parliament having the power to inter-
fere. He thought the clause should be amended, to
render it imperative to put an end to the arbitrary
Government at the end of four years.
Mr. BAILLIE said the power of doing so would rest
with the Legislative Assembly.
The clause was then agreed to.
On clause 3,
Mr. LABOUCHERE objected that the clause gave
this country the power to establish any form of govern-
ment she chose---a power which she did not possess in
any other colony,
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said the short answer
to the objection was, the whole question would have to
be reconsidered at the natural expiration of the act., end
it would then be absolutely necessary to come to Parlia-
ment again, if the colony in the meantime did not es-
tablish self-governing institutions.
Mr. LABOUCHERE did not see aoy necessity for
corning again to the house on the expiration of the act,
while, in fact, the clause gave the Government the
power of establishing whatever institutions they thought
proper at the end of the four years. Such a course
vriuld be exceedingly inconvenient.
Mr. ROEBUCK did not see the ferce of the objec-
tion. The Queen had the power of giving by charter
any constitution she thought proper ; and the moment
that constitution was given, the colony would have the
power of taxing itself.
Lord J. RUSSELL said the statements of his right
hon. friend and the hon. and learned member for Shef-
field were not inconsistent with each other. The Qaaen
had the power of giving a constitution by charter, but
the taxing powers of any legislative assembly would de-
pend upon the people of the colony.
Tne SOLICITOR-GENERAL concurred in the views
expressed by the noble lord on this point.
The clause was agreed to, as were the remaining
clauses and the preamble ; and the house having resumed,
the bill was reported.
CIVIL BILLS, &c. (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
The Railway Cheap Trains BM passed through corn.
mittee.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER having
moved to discharge the order for the Police-Force (Ire-
land) Bill,
Mr. J. D. FITZGERA.LD gave notice that he would
next session move for the appointment of a select com-
mittee to inquire into the government of the Dublin
police.