The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-06 00:00:00

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and. eulogised
the manner in w—
hir/
for War, ,
he dischat duties. He mentioned in term'
of approbati onth, 1 announcement in the Royal Sped
of the intent ion. , the law officers of the Croy
bi 11
to introduce aeanend the laws relatiel
to bankruptcy
alh\ insolvency, which ho believed
would give sati 'sfaetion.' to the commercial comrnueill
as it would be fra teed in cOuf Irmity with commercial ill'
formation. Ile al 40 commend; -td the announcement of tbs
intention to introd uco a bill fee a uniform rating in Elle
land and Wales.
After some genert tl remarks, the hon. member ooncluded
by seconding the ad( frees.
' The SPSA.E.ER the' a read th o Address.
Mr. WHITE st tid he v ma' most reluctant to (lir
tur,b the uitanint'dy of the house on the Ob.
Jed, but ho Celt that he would not be dir
ch„gint3. his duty if he d id not notice some ell
talents and some omission s in the Royal Spec'''.
In the first'
ill
place,, they had been told that th'
conduct of the Krouse of Lords last session was one of s
greatest iunovatio." tvf the constitution that had take
t
place for a cont'idtrrable period, and yet Ol
was no allusion node to that subject.
did not wish to eliminate t. House of Lords from the Cost,
stitution, but he assur,ed th a (Government that this eulte,i
would be agitated until it we is satisfactorily settled. P.„
thought there migh t have i'ven some more generous referee'
to the policy adopted by the' " mperor of the French. f,to
thought there should hate • been some more sp(
lb'
information rele five to retrench 'went, and he denounces(' va,
present Government as one of t 'he most extravagant
the world had ever known. The Chancellor of the Excl°
quer contended, with truth, force, and that eloquence
which he was unrivalled, that their k 'xPenditure was art
ous expenditure—(hear)—and he con, eluded by reinarlt
that his belief was, " that for such evils .As those of the 'pre
snot system nothing short of reform conk: be an effect'
rem,'dy." (Hear, hear.) Those words, coming from
high ao authority, made a deep impression on the mind
the natim7; and c amid the house, therefore, fail be
prised that riot a word was to be found about adminlitl/
tive reform in her /tAtajesty's Speech. (Hear, hear.)
(Mr. White) had never .been behind the official seen el ,
(laughter)—and he knew not, therefore, how 1030
speeches were framed ; but it might bo like the wo„
sisters in Macbeth---who could I:l3agine the noble lord t'
member for Li radon, thrusting in .his contribution of a :
form bill, and exclaiming, " a fing'er birth-strange
babe." (Loud laughter, caused by ther earnestness I st!
energy with which the hon. gentleman gave expression.;
the quotat ion.) But he wished they had an other fingelf
" the birth -strangled babe," in this ocean. (Hear) heat')
To complete the simile, he had only to clothe the F
Lord of the Treasury in the habiliments of VeCatej 117
proclaim him exclaiming
" Well done—l commend your pains,
And every one shall have the gains."
(Lan, lter.) He implored the noble lord no loneTer °
ignore the claims of the industrious classes to the franc(` Y:/
who were now groaning under the greatest wrongs e.
oppression. (Hear.) He confessed that he was not one t'v
those who believed that theyshould enter upon the preset'
session of Parlia went without the announcement of a Ile:
form Bill, and he treated with utter contempt the airdete.
reports that were int circulation before the meeting of F 81;
liament to the contrary. He very much regretted
her Majesty's Ministers had failed to announce their inte'llt;
Lion to bring in a measure on the subject, for he beliefei,
that they might have brought in a bill that would be ie),
calculated to satisfy the middle class of the people, l'OP"
it would also assist to extend the franchise to those indite
trious classes whom the noble lord, the member for ti's
city of London, some years ago told them "were most ttle
justly excluded from their rights." He meant to move
amendment to the Address. There wore other amee°'
ments, also, which he contemplated adverting to, but 10
would leave them in the hands of the hon. and learlei
gentleman who would second his amendment to addreeo
himself to. Before he sat down, however, ho must refer°
that part of her Majesty's Speech which had reference to
China. Upon that subject ho could say much, having, te,
he had, spent many years of his life in that country, 13,t
he felt he had already trespassed long on the /ad'
gen ce of the house, and he would content himself w'w,
remarking that any peace that was purchased by the
humiliation' of a people would always be looked 1111
with doubt a s to its stability ; and he must say, It
regard to the I'reaty of Tien-Tsin, that it would be a gn
delusion to believe that any concessions so extorted
might be expected to bo faithfully carried out when tile
military pressure under which they were exacted was
removed. (Hear, hear.) He could not but deplore till
great and utter ignoratnco which their diplomatists Its'
shown, and ho apprehended that the course which 1115
adopted contained within it the seeds of future wars. Pea
thanked the house for the attention with which they had
listened to him, the member for Plymouth, who was *e
independent supporter of the Government of the noble lord
—(laughter)—and who should dee:o;y regret the return to
power of the Derby Administration, as a great national
calamity. (Laughter.) He might, in conclusion, say o°.o
,
word to the noble lord at the head of thci Government, that
it might prove fatal to the Liberal party when it was dil4;
uoveteu [llitt viLook.LlAr I°--„
avowing sentiments of pure Liberal faith, had failed to bring
forward such a measure of reform of the representation a°
the country had a right to expect and was entitled to. 11°
would, in conclusion, move as an amendment to the Ad'
dress—" That her Majesty's Government should, at an earl
day, introduce a measure to extend the elective franchise t°
the boroughs and counties of the United Kingdom, in fol.
fitment of the express pledges given by her Majese
Government when they came into office--thus adopting *
course calculated to increase the loyal attachment of heft
Majesty's subjects to her Majesty's throne, and also 01
satisfying the long-deferred, but just expectations of the,
country." (Hear, hear.)
Mr. DIGBY SEYMOUR said he rose with great plea'
sure to second the amendment of his hon. friend. He inilett
however, in the first instance, say that ho did not entirely
agree in all that his hon. friend had expressed in some of
the observations which he had made. He agreed with hi*
hon. friend in the importance of his observations in refs"
tion to the vast expenditure .of the finances of the country'
When they reflected that in the present year'tho expert"
diture of the year would amonint to the enormous et°
of £74,400,000, and when they a:ecolleeted that so large
a proportion as £61,000,000 of that large sum was drawl'
for the maintenance of their military and naval armamelM
then it appeared to him necessary that some effective
steps should be taken in the present evasion to reduce
the national expenditure. (Hear, hear.) Why, wilen
they found that those £61,000,000 exceeded in amount
that of the whole of their exports in woollens and other
fabrics throughout the United Kingdom, they had some
evidence of the vast expenditure in which the country was
involved in connexion Kith their military and naval arms'
ments. Upon the question of Reform, to which his boo'
friend had referred, he entirely agreed with him, and it
would be impesstble for him, with reference to the pejo'
ciples upon which,he was returned to that house, to remain'
silent on that questim.Z. He should not be true to the prir
ciples he avowed to his constituents if he failed to express
his feelings on the subject. When he was returned by big
constituents, he said he should mot be carried away by Do;
tion. The first question put to hit); was whether he would
support her Majesty's Government, and under the impree
sion that the country could not obtain ee much from the
Earl of Derby on the question of reform, as from the noble
lord the member for the city of London, he gave, in refer'
ence to a veto of want of confidence, his vote in support of
her Majesty's 'present Government. But her Itlajestl'e
Government did not now hold out any promise that the
country should have reform. The country had had amour
ances in 1854, 1855, and 1859 respectively, from Lord Aber'
deen, Lord Derby, and the noble lord now at the head of
her Majesty's Government, that it should have a reform of
the representation of the people; but notwithstanding those
promises, no reform was yet granted. The hon. gentlemol
having referred to various topics in the Speech from the
throne, concluded by stating he felt great pleasure in seeolld .
ing the amendment of his hon. friend.
Mr. DISRAELI said—We reassemble under very lrle
portant circumstances, when it is of consequence that the
world should be convinced, as we all flattered ourselves 14

was, that at a crisis like the present the Sovereign of these
islands is supported by a devoted people and an unite
Parliament. (Hear, hear.) I do not propose to criticise
the amendment which has been offered to the house. 151,,..
deed I think it hardly necessary to enter into the subjec'
at all. I would, however, say in vindication of the Govern'
went, although it is certainly not my office to defend thezof
that the reception which was given to the comprehensive
measure of reform which they introduced last session by •
great many of their own supporters—(hear, hear) —was 10t
of a character calculated to make them hold it a matter 01,
duty again to solicit the opinions of the house on the
subject of Parliamentary Reform. (Hear, hear.) To
the second reading of that measure those on this side

of the houseofferedno opposition ; and therefore the Govear

ment secured for it free and fair discussion, and every opPor
tuuity of improving, altering, and amending it. Yet, not-
withstanding the forbearance and moderation of the Opp°'
sition, the great majority of the speakers en the beneheo

opposite to us, including many gentlemen representing
capital cities and considerable communities, expressed the
most decided hostility to that measure of the Government'
(Hear, hear.) I think, therefore, that those who find fault
with the Government for their reluctance in again bringing
forward a proposition of reform should reflect what were
the chief elements of the opposition to the former measure.
When we consider the present situation of the question, I
do not think it is open to gentlemen opposite to accuse the
Government of having betrayed the interests intrusted to
them. I certainly do not myself complain of the omission.
I cannot but think that a measure for the reform or recoil"
struction of this house should not be introduced at a time,
when there is no probability of its being adapted, and that
a Minister would incur a great responsibility who again
Introduced such a subject from a mistaken sense of honour
to n party which was not unanimous in supporting Ills
original proposal. As far as those matters are concerned,
to which the hon. mover and seconder of the amendment
have referred, I am perfectly content to give a general Sur
port to the Address. I should not have troubled the house
with any observations to-night, had it not appeared to me
tthat gime Tf kink WPt 0,11161 DAMN UNTO 44401 i Pa TOO'