The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-18 00:00:00

Mr, DISRAELI thought the observation aeplied by
'drib
Right Hum. Geetlenian to his predecessor in the
dtitte might wish equel justice to retorted upon him-
a"O'• What was the line of argument pursued by the
fight Hon. Gentleman? First of all he proposed to
Prove that the Cestle of Dublin had undergone a great
revolution, and that it was co longer the rest of au-
thority and omnipotent influence, and that all those
corrupt means of which they had heard so much had
ceased, because it had le.ceme pure, and that was the
reason why he called upon thaw to abolish the office of
Lord-Lieutenant —(Cheers.) The Right Hon. Gentle-
ten painte I the country as in a state which required
411 administration of no ordinary character, and then
Proposed to destroy .the local Government, which he
admitted had become a pure relmiuistration.—(Hear,
tear.) He felt the difficulty of the question before the
11°11se• In the only division which had taken place on
'drib
subject he had recorded his vote with the Go-
vernment, thinking it but au act of Parliamentary cour-
tesy to permit a MiniAer to introduce a meisure of this
beture; but upon that occasion he had ventured to ex-
press the objeoviene which presented themselves to his
mind. Since then belied had an opportunity of perusing the
and had an OpPurtunity of listening tr the speeches
of lion. Members on both sides, and bed heard nothing
Ithich could shake the general impression which some
'ls3's ago he had ventured to express. He bad, more-
ever, reason to feel confidence in that opinion, from the
„
'°lishiousness that throughout this discussion no strong
Party feeling had iiiterposed.—(Hear, hear.) He had a
prong inapt ession thnt the measure brought under their
'consideration was an unwise measure, and one which
iriattld not wink; and, before lone, the country, and that
„nise would recoguiee the consequence of such qualities.
lie wished, with the permission of the House. to state his
reasons for arriving at this conclusion. *What was the
reciple of the Bill? The Right Hon. the Secretary of
tate had endeavoured to impress on the House that the
Principle on which they had to decide was, the abolition
„,°r maintenance of the Lord-Lieutenancy in Ireland.
There he entirely differed froth him. The principle
Of the Bill was expressed in its title. The object
of the Bill was to provide for the abolition of the office
of Lord-Lieutenant, and the appointment of a fourth
oseretary of State was as much a principle of the Bill as
the abolition of the Lord-Lieutenancy. He made this
observation in passing, because it had been referred to as
stnere question of detail for the consideration of the
k%enamittee. But he would argue the case for a moment
Pon the ground chosen, though unfairly, by the Secre-
tary of State. The object of the Bill, then, was to
abolish an office which had existed for centuries, and
Which even in its present farm, modified by modern ex-
?_lrieuce and adapted to modern practice, had flourished
for nearly fifty years. But if they were going to abolish
!itch an office, what were they going to substitute?—
Olean) Some might prove that it had been made the
keens of corruption; others, that it was totally inade-
tilde to the difficulties with' which it had to cope, but,
to man Was justified in voting for its abolition unless
e Was prepared to find a substitute.—(Hear.) Nothing
could authorise a rash and precipitate vote, the effect of
which would be to &stre y an ancient form of adminis-
tration unless a substitute were provided. This was
ten the first time that ,a new Secretary of State had
on proposed tor institution by a Ministry, and assented
'0 by the House. A third Secretary of State was pro-
Posed a; Minister of England for the administration of
e colonies in 1768, he believed. The plantations of
England were so prosperous, and her colonial interests
*ere developing themst lees in so striking and satisfac-
'tory a manner, thet a third Secretary of State was ab-
solutely required. What was the consequence? Ten
sears afterwards they lost their colonies.—(Hear, hear.)
44/1e new Secretary in 1768 was established particularly
2 guard the fortunes of our American plantations, and
tea years afterviards the plantations of America no
longer belonged to his Majesty.—(Hear, hear.) There•
,Ore, so far as precedent was concerned, the proposition
to establish a third Secretary having been so unfortunate
he looked with some suspicion on the establishment of a
a
Remvenber what were the words of Mr. Pitt when
rib proposed the union. He said his object was to place
trader osie public will the direction of the whole force
ofthe empire. Was the proposition to establish a fourth
ecretary calculated to realise the plan of Mr. Pitt. On
the contrary, it would call into being a great ministe-
rial officer, second to none but the first minister, who,
Pieud of his position, would think himself entitled to
stand upon the rights of his office, and insist on his own
views.
Possibly the policy he would recommend might
e wise, but still it would be his policy, and not that of
the'Cabinet.—(llear, hear.) The Government had been
;Aced whether the fourth Secretary was to be resident in
reland or net: No one had answered that question.—
(Rear, beer.) If he 'was to be resident he was a go-
Verner.—(Elear, hear.) All the consequences of the
Present system which they pronounced injurious, but
Irhieh he was nor prepared to udrnir, must again occur.
If he were nut resident they must depend upon the sub-
ordinates of the Government.—(Hear, hear.) Nor could
rib see that under any circumstances they could free
themselves from local influence and local manage-
- !tent. The only difference between the present and
the ancient system wee that under the latter they would
have the local management of an individual of exalted
Position and high character, whil; under the former they
might have the local management of obscure and possibly
:intriguing persons.—(Hear, bear,) But it was said that
it was an anOmalouS office. It was possible; but were
41U:images so rare in our ancient Constitution that the
moment one was discovered it must be destroyed? Did
anything in this country exist by force of pure reason,
or were not even anomalies sometimes sources of strength
!thick no wise statesman would idly destroy?—(Hear,
'lest.) The office of lord mayor was an anomaly.—
' hear.) If you were to describe to a foreigner
that in a metropolis with 2.000,000 of inhabitants, he
~Was the chief magistrate of probably net more than
00,000 inhabitants, what would be his astonishment?
Stich was the conti a-4 between his real position and
'is general reputation. And yet he was treated with
ceremonial almost roya', and held an office which
had contributed to the liberty of the country and the
!ilaintenance of its high spirit.—(Hear, hear.) In the
aistory of England he was a eery considerable personage,
~atild one to whom the people of Ebgland were consider-
401y indebted. The Right Baronet the Member for
%/niworth, like the other distinguished orator, on whose
*Pe ech he had made a slight comment, appeared to him
ea have delivered a most unawerable speech against the
measure
of the Government.—(Hear, hear.) The Right
on- Gentleman closed his address by stating that,
"evertheless, he should support the measure of trio Go-
'vernment as an experiment. He had no great taste for
13tperimental legislation.—(Cheers.) He had seen many
"ungs introduced as experiments which had not suc-
ceeded. Not to touch upon things that might create ill-
"'nod, he might instance the income-tax as an cxperi7
%eat that had not succeeded, but which could not be
Itteily got rid of.—(Hear, hear.) While the Right Hon.
Itentleman consented to the abrogation of the office, he
laid that he would only consent to it upon certain terms
*--namely, that the citizens of Dublin should have an
equitable and liberal consideration. Before the House
ent to a vote on the measure, he thought they ought to
Equitable
some explanation on that point.—(Hear, hear.)
•ciquitable and liberal compensation comprehended
great deal, and he thought the citizens of Dublin
should press for some definition. He knew an unhappy
',Liss with which he was connected who had been pro-
reed- corn pensatioß, equitable compensation, by the
hle Lord—a promise never forgotten by them, and
sever performed by him.—(Loud cheers.) If the Hon.
ember for Dublin had no better assurance of compen-
-lation he would advise him to hint no means of op-
tieing it, and hope for nothing hereafter. Ho (Mr.
the
had been puzzling his brains to know what tax
.:_!e Noble Lord 'meant' to impose, and had pictured to
mlatself the Noble Lord proposing a loan to be turned
afterwards into u gift.—(Hear). A hint had been
!brown out .to tren'f.-r the adoeleistration of criminal
Justice to Cie Lord CFancellor. He did not think that
the prerogative of mercy was one that lawyers should be
celled upon to exercise. He f,,r one deprecated such u
Mange. lie disclaimed anything like. party feeling on
e present occasion, but he contended that the case
tade by the Government for the abolition of the Lord-
ientenaney was a weak one—that the measure was in
:self unwise and unstivesmanlike, and unnecessarily of-
'easive to the people of Ireland, and he should therefore
°PPose it.
Sir R. INGLIS said the brilliant eloquence of the
Bight Hon. Gentleman could not induce him. to overlook
1 closiegs observations:, and which were cheered loudly
by the Miniaterial side of the House. The Right Hon.
i-01111,,mati evidently designei and hinted at the restora-
tion, if he might so call it, of the Church of Rome in the
i Ingdom of Ireland.-i-( Rear.) To that, or to any mea-
sure tending to it, he should be at all times prepared to
pure and determined oppositio.—(Leud cheers.)
te could not uneerstand bow it was n
that neither of the
4,l.'irt parties who had during the last ten years held
alfi
tce in that country had proposed a measure similar
i° the resent. It wits evident that both were agreed
up.% th p e time for such a change was not come, and as no
*:tirnetion had been risen up to a very recent period of
°3* irate s Lime he must it that the circurnstanCee
that
e iwitici.d this change in the eovi rnment
Of
srelenif tied occurred but very recently. It
could
nn t 1)9 prete.“:cd that any Lord-Lieutenant
Vhad neglected the duties of his high „office, and
If athe power was to be transferred to a Secretary of
Late they gained nothing-. If that secretary resided in
ateland, he would be a worse kind of Lord-Lieutenant,
" if he resided in England, he could not discharge its
auties ge its
with anything like the same efficiency. For these
Wagons he should vote vgainst the Bill.
Alr, REYNOLDS would commence by thanking the
oyHon: Gentleman, in his own name and the name
theme citiz-ns of Dublin, for the intimation ho had given
,of some measure of compensatiort.—(A laugh.)
lie of
however, that compensation would be nothing
riot an empty sound.—(Hear. heir.) He bad been as-
p'ted by the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) that the
e°Ple of Dublin would lose nothing by the abolition,
41 theyl34, would have occasional visits from the Queen;
ta %when he asked if a clause to that effect would be in-
(titurced into the Bill, he received a nod, which plainly
'tCL)ated that it would not be done. He beard nothing
th,4B Way of argument in- favour of the measure but
qttito ,
construction of the tubular bridge across the Menai
to laugn.) ne did not think the Government
earnest
with regard to this 'feature, and that they
tttiehonly meditating a speedy end honourable retreat,
%do_ ; would, as their friend., strongly counsel them to
thitri hat me isure as tint dily as possible. He did not
readtt liessible that the Secretary of S-ate, who was al-
feirl cverwhelmcd with business, could conduct the af-
ee,t. t!l' Ireland. Because Ile'and had been badly goe
Nehol.,"_ they must abolish the Lord-Lieutenancy. Rut
Wo,S: fault wss it if she was badly governed? He
kemalu not or en up old sores, or refer to the misgovern-
lana'„'vhich took : place in the reign of Crete% ell—(A
ancri—or of Henry the Eighth, or any other of the able
lluePowerful monarchs of thet country. They were to
conaezt fourth Secretary of State—an Englishman, of
)044; who, bseauFe he resided in Downing-street and
of the affairs cf Ireland, was better able
lIPPrfl ireleoci tilittl a nobleman resident on the
conmentoatlng with the leading civil and mill.-