The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-04 00:00:00

must have sent out reinforcements sufficient to protect
them. Those reinforcements will be able to protect the
British residents in the north as well as in the south of
China. It seems to me that all the mischief that could be
done has been already done, for have they not burned down
the factories and all the mercantile residences at Canton
8,000 or 10,009 houses have been du troyed—that is to say,
the residences of about 30,000 or 40,000 inhabitants. All
this mischief is done, and a vote of this house cannot make
the matter worse. The noble lord predicts that terrible
dangers would result from a change of ministry ; but we
all remember that in the midst of the last Chinese war, in
1840, Sir Robert Peel was carried into power,—and yet we
do not find that British interests in China suffered by that
change of ministry, for the war was, in fact, carried on
more fiercely than before. The noble lord has found fault
with the terms of my motion, which he says were dictated
by a combination of parties ; but I beg to state distinctly
that no one in this house, with the exception of my right
honourable friend the member for Manchester (Mr. M.
Gibson), was consulted by me with regard to the terms of
my motion. Neither directly nor indirectly, was any in-
timation given of my motion to any hon. gentleman oppo-
site, or in any other part of the house, with the exception
of my right hon. friend. I challenge contradiction of that
asaertion from any and every quarter. (Cheers.) How, then,
can the noble lord charge me with entering into a conspiracy
to drive him from office ? He has talked about party com-
binations, but why has he not had the boldness to tell the
house that I cannot hope to gain anything by a change of
ministry ? I shall not take office in consequence of any
change of ministry, nor do I hope or expect that the divi-
sion on my motion will lead to that change of ministry
of which the noble lord has so much dread. But even
if that should be the result of my motion I do
not think that a change of Ministry would be any great
calamity. (Laughter.) During the 17 or 18 years that I
have liscl a seat in this house I know that, whenever a
change of Ministry is expected those who are interested in
supporting the existing Ministry are all on the qui rive—
they tell us that Heaven and earth will come together if
tho dreaded change should happen. And I never knew a
change of Government where the people did not gain some-
thing by it. ( Laughter and cheers.) And I will tell the
house what will be the result of a change of Ministers. I
take it for granted that either the right hon gentleman
opposite (Mr. Disraeli) or my right hon. friend near me
(Mr. Gladstone) will be the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
What will be the effect ? They will take that budget and
reconsider it, an I we shall have a reduction of 2,000,0 Of.
in the expend,ture. Now, the noble lord (Palmerston)
sometimes dealt some hard blows at me, but there is so
much polish in his thrusts Vast it is impossible for me to
be angry with him. (Cheers.) No person in this house
has fewer enemies, and lam not among them. (Hear.)
Yet I will tell the noble lord candidly that I should make
a most excellent bargain for the country if I disposed of
him for that 2,009,000/. of reduction. (Much laughter, in
which Lord Palmerston heartily joined.) I have only one
more remark to make, and it is about the hon. and learned
member for Hertford. I must confess his speech a little
surprised me. (hear, hear.) He took me to task for the
character 1 had given of British merchants engaged in the
China trade, and he argued in favour of calling those Bri-
tish merchants to give evidence in favour of the Govern-
ment. Now, if any one happens to recollect, there was a
little while ago a meeting at the Freemasons' Tavern, at
which Lord Shaftesbury ought to have presided, but being
obliged to rig up a. jury-mast—(a laugh)—and improvise a
president, they called upon the hon. and learned member
for Hertford to take the chair. What was that meeting
for? Why, every speaker denounced the British mer-
chants in China for carrying on the opium trade. (Hear,
hear.) It was from those speeches, which I carefully
read, and from which, as is my wont, I cut out certain
passages, that I got so much information with regard
to these Chinese merchants. (Cheers and laughter.) I can
never be angry with the hon. member for Liverpool, who
has certainly a feminine way of scolding, but if I bad in-
troduced a tithe of the facts which have been forced upon
my notice as to the doings of this exceptional body of Bri-
tish merchants, the hon. member, instead of scolding me,
would have been obliged to find arguments to defend his
friends. The hon. member for Hertford (Mr. T. Chambers)
took us to task for not acting in a judicial way. He was
the president of a meeting where the speakers excommuni-
cated and outlawed the British merchants, yet he called
upon these outlawed representatives of the British mer-
chants as evidence to the character of the Government.
(Laughter.) I am obliged to the house for having heard me.
In all sincerity I wish this motion to be taken without re-
ference to its consequences, and with the sole desire to do
justice to the merits of the case. I think it hard that any
hon. gentleman should be debarred from giving an honest
vote on a question of this importance. I will admit that
Parliament government must be carried on by parties. If
parties were more advanced, and came up to my standard,
I might join them; but as it is I am isolated, and am con-
tent to be a pioneer. But there are great occasions upon
which all parties ought to give an honest and conscientious
vote. We all of us have moments when we look back upon
such a vote as this with more satisfaction than any vote
given in the mere scramble of parties. I tell my hon.
friends near me (on the Ministerial benches), many of
whom, I fear, are giving their votes with heavy hearts,
that I wish they would look at this question free from
party bias, and give that vote which will be most for thole
own peace and happiness of mind. (Cheers.)
Mr. SINNAIRD was unable to obtain a hearing for
some moments in consequence of loud cries of "Divide?'
Silence was restored, upon his promise not to detain the
house, and he then said he was present at the meeting
referred to by the hon. member for the West Riding, and
he did not shrink from owning it. The right hon. mem-
ber for Wiltshire asked him how he could reconcile the
vote he was about to give in favour of the Government
with his objections to the opium traffic, and the right hon.
baronet, the member for Carlisle wont so far as to say he
washed his hands of the blood-guiltiness in the slaughter
at Canton. For the hundreds of lives lost by recent pro-
ceedings at Canton hundreds of thousands of lives were
lost in consequence of the opium trade.
The house then divided, and the numbers were—
For the motion
Against it
Majority against the Government l6
As soon as the clerk at the table handed to Mr. Cobden
the paper containing the statement of the numbers, and it
was seen that the Government was defeated, there was a
loud cheer, which was suspended while the numbers were
announced ; but after their announcement it was repeated,
and continued for some minutes.
THE WINE DUTIES.

Mr. OLIVEXItA Lad upon the paper a notice of motion
for the appointment of a select committee upon the wino
duties; but, at the suggestion of the Chancellor of the
Ex,thequer, ho consented to postpone it for a fortnight.
The house adjourned at 25 minutes after 2 o'clock.

Comltry Markets.

LIVERPOOL M -__AROH 3.

At this morning's market we had a moderate attendance of
dealers, but their operations were rather unimportant.
Wheat sold at Friday's full rates, and in some instances Id
and 2d per bushel decline on the w, ek was submitted to.
Flour has still a dragging sale, and can be bought on easier
terms. Indian corn was in less demand to-day, and prices
were barely supported, No other change occurred is the
week's quotations.