The Sun.
London, England, 1835-04-08 00:00:00

CANTERBURY ELECTION.

Mr. C. BULLER then presented a petition from Canter-
bury, complaining of the decision of the Election Committee
lately appointed to inquire into the election of that city. He was
sorry to bring forth the petition in consequence of the absence of
several Hon. Members who had been on the Committee. He
had given notice to the Sitting Member for Canterbury, not
knowing the interest he might take in the matter. The peti-
tioners stated that they had bebeenput to great expense, and were
prepared to prove that Mr. Villiers was duly returned, and pre-
pared to meet the car of Mr. Lushington, but were pre-
vented from establishing their case, in consequence of
the decision of the Committee, which they had stated
was contrary to the Act of Parliament providing for such cases.
The petitioners prayed that so mischievous a decision might
not be drawn into a precedent, which would be alike destruc-
tive to the rights of the petitioners and the elective body in
general. All he wished to call the attention of the House to
was the excessive hardship the petitioners had been subjected to,
by the very incomplete decision which was given by the
Committee.—( Hear, hear.) Be had received a statement from
Canterbury, which seemed to him so remarkable that he
wished to draw the attention of the House to it. It
mentioned that as the names of the Committee, to whom the
decision of the election had been referred, were known, they
had been marked with the letters C and R for Conservatives
and Reformers ; and so sure an indication was this considered
of what would be the decision of the Committee, that the
triumph was celebrated there beforehand. This showed what
was the public opinion as to the justice of Parliamentary Com-
mittees.

Mr. LU SHINGT ON rose, but was for a considerable time
almost totally inaudible. He was understood to complain of
the allegations of the petition, which he said were totally un-
founded. The petitioners complained of being aggrieved ; for
his own part, he conceived he had the greatest reason to com-
plain, inasmuch as he had been kept for nearly two months and
a half out of his seat.

Mr. SPRING RICE did not think this the proper time
for entering on a discussion on the merits of an election pe-
tition, which ought to have appeared before the Com-
mittee. No one could deny but that it was possible for
Committees to make mistakes, and in those cases it was
perfectly justifiable to bring the circumstances before the con-
sideration of Parliament. He remembered, in his own
case, a friend bringing forward a petition on his behalf,
with respect to a legal construction ; but though he did this
as far as the law was concerned, it was the furthest from his
mind to appeal against the decision of the Committees.
After a few observations from Sir E. KNATCIIBULL, Lord
SANDON, and Mr. AGLIONBY,
Mr. BULLE R wished that Hon. Members would take the
trouble to listen to what he did say. He did not impugn the
decision of the Committee by any means, but merely stated
what the opinion of the people of Canterbury was. It was
his intention to move that no Committee shall have the power
of deciding upon a portion of a case, instead of upon the whole.
Sir C. LEMON presented a petition from a town in Corn-
wall against the increased spirit licences.
Mr. POTTER presented a petition from Wigan against
certain clauses in the Dissenters' Marriage Bill.
Lord JAMES STE WART presented petitions from Ar-
gyle, and other places in Scotland, in favour of the Bill for
the abolition of Imprisonment for Debt.
Petitions (of no public importance) were presented up to
five o'clock. Sir R. Peel entered the House at ten minutes
before five o'clock, and was received with cheers from both sides
of the House. He was followed by upwards of 100 Mem-
bers, who were most anxious for seats, but they were obliged
to content themselves with standing at the back, and places
in the gallery—the House being then quite full.
Mr. RICHARDS rose to present a petition from James
Nicholls, of Lincoln's Inn, attorney at law, against the Bill for
the Abolition of Imprisonment for Debt. The Hon. Gentle-
man persisted in reading the petition, though repeatedly inter-
rupted by loud cries of " Oh, oh !" and other expressions of
impatience.

RESIGNATION
OF

MINISTERS.

The SPEAKER went through his daily list of Members in
turn to present petitions. Amidst the continued anxiety of
the House not a word could be heard until

Sir R. PEEL rose, and immediately the utmost silence
was observed in every part of the House, when the Right Hon.
Baronet proceeded as follows :—Sir, it is my intention that the
Mutiny Bill be read a third time, and in making that motion,

I wish to avail myself of the opportunity which it affords me
of signifying to the House, that I, in conjunction with all my
colleagues in his Majesty's service, and in conformity with
their unanimous opinion, have felt it incumbent upon
us, tipon combined consideration of the vote to which
the House came last night, and of our position as a Govern-
ment, to signify to his Majesty that it was our duty to place
the offices which we held at the disposal of his Majesty. Ido
not hesitate to say that I have taken this course with the utmost
reluctance, and not without the deepest sense of its necessity,
because I felt that being in possession of the confidence
of the King, and having. received from his Majesty the
most cordial and unremitting support—looking at the pre-
sent position of public affairs, and at the present
state of political parties—looking also at their strength—the
numerical strength of that great party by which we have been
supported—l have felt it my duty to continue the attempt
of administering the public affairs, as the responsible
advisers of the Crown up to the latest moment consistent with
the interests of the public service. Sir, when Ido not hesitate
to avow that reluctance. I believe I shall have credit with a
great majority of the House of Commons—( Loud cries of
" Hear," from the Opposition)---that that reluctance is con-
nected with public principle.—( Reiterated Opposition cheers. )
I have a strong impression that when a public man, at a crisis
of great importance, undertakes the public trust of adminis-
tering the :affairs of the Government of this country, that
he does incur an obligation of persevering in the administration
of those affairs as long as it is possible. Ido feel that no in-
terference with public life—that no disgust to the labours it
imposes—that no personal mortifications—no reference to
private feeling, should sanction a public man, on light grounds,
in withdrawing from that post to which the favour of his So-
vereign had called him; but, at the same time, there is an evil
in exhibiting to the country the want on the part of Government
of that support in the House of Commons which shall enable it
satisfactorily to conduct the public business—which shall
enable it to exercise a legitimate and necessary con-
troul over the proceedings of this House---( Hear, hear)
a controul conferred on it by the position of that confidence.—
( Cries of " Hear, hear.) I repeat, Sir, there is an evil in that
exhibition of weakness to which limits must be placed.—
( Hear, hear.) I must say that, reverting to all that has
occurred since the commencement of the present Ses-
sion—looking to the little progress that we have been ena-
bled to make from the want of that support and confidence—
looking to what has occurred on each of the last four nights, in
which his Majesty's Ministers have had the misfortune to be in a
minority on each occasion on Thursday last, on Friday last, on
Monday, and on last night, although that minority was a smaller
one than that with which we commenced this Session—advert-
ing to the fact that on that occasion we received the support
of those who not having general and unlimited confidence
in the Government, yet still have given to that Govern-
ment a cordial and honourable support.—(Great cheers.)
on every question on which it was necessary to give it. Ad-
verting to all these considerations, I must say, in my opinion,
the time is come, when it is incumbent upon us to withdraw
from office. In addition to these considerations, the vote of last
night—that vote I conceived implied a want of confidence
in his Majesty's Government, because it was not necessary, in
my opinion, for any public purpose to come to that vote.-
-( Great cheering.) It was tantamount to a declaration
on that part of the House, that the House had not that con-
fidence in his Majesty's Government which entitled the Members
of the present Government to submit to the consideration of
the House the measures of which it had given notice. ( Cheers. )
The Noble Lord had signified his intention, if the vote the
House had came to last night should meet with its
approbation, that he would follow it up with an address to the
Crown. Sir, I conceive, as great embarrassment of the public
affairs would have arisen by the presentation of that Address,
and as I had no right to think the House would take a different
view with respect to it, I thought it incumbent upon me, and in
that view I have acted exactly in conformity with my col-
leagues—l thought that my public duty was—l thought that
.a.
public duty was imposed upon me, which I sincerely felt—l
thought that the time was fast approaching when resig-
nation was inevitable, and that I ought not to persevere
in a useless struggle, which might involve his Majesty and the
country in additional difficulties and inconveniencies. Sir, we
consider that vote was not merely tantamount to a declaration
of a want of confidence, but the vote of last night
implied the necessity of a full change of the system in Ire-
land, so far as the Church revenues were concerned. Sir, we
considered that that would impose such difficulties in the way of
the practical administration of the Government in Ireland as to
render it incumbent on us to enter no farther into the consi-
deration of that question. In addition, Sir, to the fact of the
vote being tantamount to a want of confidence, it also
imposed on us the necessity of undertaking the practical
execution of the laws in Ireland, when a majority—a con-
siderable majority of the House had approved of a prin-
ciple at variance with the principle with which he get out.
Sir, the vote of last night is not an abstract principle, the
practical execution of which could be carried into effect by us.
—( Loud cheers.) There may, Sir, be points on which
the House of Commons may come to a different opinion
to that of the Government upon sonic abstract principle of
great importance, but still there might be such a case
wherein the Government might govern even in opposition to
the House.—( Cheers.) But, Sir, the vote of last night places
things in a very different position. You cannot leave the
question of tithes in its present state. At present you are
in a position in which you cannot remain. In the uncer-
tainty which prevails, you cannot by any possibility enforce
the collection of tithes.—( Cheers.) Nothing would be more
dangerous than to leave the question in its present state. Pro-
perty of all sorts would be placed in the utmost jeopardy. We
could not carry out your principle—( Hear, hear)—and there-
fore we considered your vote of last night as tantamount to
a vote of no confidence. Sir, under these circumstances, if
we had remained in power—if we had continued in the Govern-
ment—we would have been pressed for an immediate settlement
of that question upon the Tithe Bill of which we have given
notice, one of the principles of which was to be the remission
of our claim upon the Irish clergy, for the instalments due
under the Million Act.—( Cheers. ) Sir I cannot see—l can-
not for a moment suppose—that the House would have
come to a different conclusion. I cannot anticipate that
the House would have sanctioned that principle—that it
would have given up its right to those instalments without the
recognition of the principle of the vote of last night.—
( Hear, hear, hear.) Under these circumstances, and
having -reason to apprehend the delay of a few days,
would make no material difference ; considering also that we
must have shortly proceeded with the Tithe Bill, on which
we must have again clashed with the House, we
did consider that the vote of last night was
tantamount to a resolution of no confidence in the Ministry.—
( Cheers.) Being firmly resolved to adhere to the principle of
that Bill—( Loud Ministerial cheering, continued for some
minutes)—being firmly resolved not to admit the principle
of the vote of last night, under any circumstances.—( Reite-
rated cheering)—under all these combined considera-
tions, we feel it to be our duty—to be incumbent on us
as public men, respectfully to request his Majesty to accept
the resignation of our various seals.—( Great cheering from the
Opposition.) Sir, I have therefore to state that we hold our
I offices for the execution of public business only—and to pre-
vent public inconvenience—until our successors are appointed.
Perhaps the best course I can take will be to propose a short
adjournment. I shall not propose it beyond Monday. I should
have made the motion for adjournment at once, but that
there would be an objection to it until another matter had been
disposed of. Perhaps the House will feel at this present
moment, and in
.the existing state of public affairs, that
any public discussion of other business will be unnecessary,
and I trust that the motion will be agreed to almost, if
not quite, unanimously.—(Loud cheery from the Opposition.)
If inconvenience should be likely to arise to the par-
ties interested in the Election Committee, for which
a ballot is fixed for to-morrow, the House will, perhaps,
meet for the purpose of making that ballot in order to prevent
such inconvenience, consenting at the same time to the ad-
journment till Monday. It is with a view to preserve
the public interests that I move the third reading of the Mu-
tiny Bill, which I hope will be as unanimously agreed to as the
motion fer adjournment.—( Hear, hear.) I wish to give this
explanation as briefly as possible, and in a manner the least
likely to excite any angry feelings.—( Tremendous cheering. )
The whole of my life has been spent in the House of Commons,
and I desire that the remainder may be spent there ; and what-
ever may be the conduct of others, I shall always be anxious to
stand well with the House, whether in a majority or in a mino-
rity.—( Renewed cheering.) I well know that under
no circumstances of censure or difficulty would I ever
have advised the resignation of that great source
of moral strength, which consists in a strict adherence to the
principles of the spirit of the Constitution of the country ; for I
am sure that adherence will be the surest safeguard against
any impending danger, and that is why I believe myself and
my colleagues ought not to persist in carrying on public affairs,
after a fair trial, and against the decided opinion of a majority of
the House of Commons. It is because 1 have that conviction
deeply rooted in my mind, although I do sincerely regret the ne-
cessity which has compelled me to abandon the King's service at
this moment. Yet upon the balance of public feeling, I con-
fess that I shall most directly promote the ultimate interests
of the country by retiring, than by persisting in a fruitless attempt
to carry on public affairs. The Right Hon. Baronet sat down
amid reiterated cheering from all sides of the House.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL wished only to state that, with
regard to the course which the Right Hon. Gentleman had
proposed to pursue with respect to the adjournment,
he believed there could be no objection to that. With regard
to the rest that he had stated, he believed that the Right
Honourable Gentleman had only acted in uniformity
with those feelings which had actuated the gentlemen on his
(Lord John Russell's) side of the House.—( Hear, hear, hear. )
The House, after the presentation of a few petitions of no
public interest, adjourned till to-morrow.

Sir ROBERT PEEL left the House immediately after-
wards, and was received by the assembled crowd with loud
cheers. The Right Hon. Baronet appeared in excellent
spirits, and was followed by a vast number of persons to the
Home Office, in Downing-street, by whom he was repeat-