The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-11 00:00:00

respect to the blockades, and th• information to be fur-
nished, was very extensive, and would be laid on the
table as speedily as possible.
THE ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION.

ILord ASHLEY said that before the notice of the Hon.
Member for Cockermouth was taken by the House he
begged to say a word or two, and he trusted that he
might be permitted to observe that whatever dif-
ference of opinion existed with respect to the
high functionaries of the Ecclesiastical Commission
in their public capacities, there was still in exist-
ence among them the greatest amount of private esteem.
He did not think that this House was the proper tri-
bunal to adjudicate this matter. A large portion of the
evidence which must be brought before the Committee
must consist of matters which had taken place without
the walls of the House, and what had taken
place within the House consisted of a few words
dropped in the heat of debate. He did not think
it possible that the Noble Lord could possibly at this
distance of time charge his memory as to what had fallen
from him. Ile was convinced that the whole affair had
arisen out of a misunderstanding, because he was quite
sure that the Hon. Member for Cockermouth was
quite sincere in his measures; he had undertaken
them on principle, and that accounted in a great
measure for his warmth with which be spoke. He was
quite convinced that all this had arisen out of a misun-
derstanding, and he thought that the House ought not to
entertain the matter any further. He should, therefore,
move that the orders of the day be proceeded with.
After a short pause,
Mr. LIGRSMAN said if he understood that the
House wished to adopt the resolution of the Noble Lord,
he hoped he should have an opportunity of saying a few
words. The letter which had been alluded to had been
misunderstood, and perhaps he ought to state to the
House what interpretation he meant to put on it, and
how far he intended to make any complaint against the
Noble Lord, teed how readily he withdrew any imputation
on his conduct. Perhaps it would be more satisfactory
that the retractation should not be a mere compliment,
but that he should tell the House and the Noble Lord
what he really did feel in the matter. He (Mr. Horse-
man) believed the Noble Lord was annoyed at his
persevering in his motions respecting de Church,
and had taken advantage of those opportunities
which he possessed of dispensing with disagreeable
motions which came from Members who had not a
party, and had incautiously carried his opposition to too
• great an extent. He believed the utmost that the Noble
Lord intended to do was to annoy him (Mr. Horsman),
1 and he must admit that his Noble Friend had
given him reason to complain for imputations of
personal motives bad been cast upon him, of which th©
Noble Lord was the only party who knew the injustice,
and he felt disappointed that ho did not give him the
benefit of his testimony, as to their untruth. He as-
sured the Noble Lord that there never should be a
revival of such differences again, and he promised
that in the discus iei of public questions ho would
be most anxious not to allude to anything in the
smallest degree painful to the Noble Lord.
Again he expressed his sincere regret for anything he
had written which could be at all disagreeable to the
feelings of the Noble Lord, and in retracting every word
that he bad written or uttered that was at all calculated
to impngn the motives or acts of the Noble Lord
or his Right Honourable Colleague the Secre-
tary of State for the Home Department,
he begged to apologise to the House that to should have
been the cause of taking so much of their time uselessly.
Lord J. RUSSELL certainly had received the im-
pression from the letter that the Hon. Gentleman sup-
posed that he intended to deceive him, and he felt most
unconscious of any such intention. However, he had
heard with greet satisfaction that the Honourable
Gentleman does not now persist in the charge, but de-
clares that he never intended to make it. Now, with
regard to the latter observations of the Hon. Gentle-
man, he could of course only attribute to his proceed-
ings in pressing forward certain questions with an earnest
desire to serve the public, and he believed in pressing
forward these questions, the Hon. Gentleman had no
other object but the general benefit of the public. The
Hon. Gentleman, however, must remember that he (Lord
John Russell) stood in a different position to what he did,
for while the Honourable Gentleman was at liberty to
press his views and intentions upon the House to
the fullest extent, he (Lord John Russell) as a
Minister of the Crown, when he undertook any measure
it was his duty to show that that the measure was not
only just, but to wait patiently tili the House was
clearly of that opinion before he could expect to be suc-
cessful in carrying it,through. In regard, therefore, to the
particular measure which had given rise to ibis dispute,
He had felt it required not only the further attention of
the House, but the serious consideration of parties out of
it before he could hope to have it agreed to, and he was
very happy that the Honourable Gentleman was now
ready to make every allowancef or the position in which
he (Lord John Russell) had been placed. For
his own part he could assure the Honourable Gentle-
man that he should be always ready to grant him
any reasonable indulgence that he might require.
upon these subjects, and again he gave him full credit
for the honor of his intentions and purity of his motives.
Sir GEORGE GREY wished to add one word only
to this discussion, and that was simply to express the
satisfaction he felt at the manner in which the Hon.
Gentleman had retracted the charge. At the
same time ho must add his regret if, while
tmarting under the unjust imputation which
the charge conveyed, he was betrayed to any
warmth of feeling or expression. He could only assure
the Hon. Gentleman Wet as far as be was concerned
it was his earnest desire that every indulgence should be
afforded him in dealing with these questions.—(Hear.)
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
Mr. SANDALS asked the President of the Board of
Trade whether the Government has any intention of in-
troducing a measure of agricultural statis.tics during the
present session, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer
could not now object on the ground of deficiency of the
ways and means.

kr. LABOUCHERE said the subject had been and( r
the consideration of the Government, and that a mea-
sure was in the course of preparation, which he hoped
to bring forward during the present session.
POOR LAW REPORTS.
Mr. DISRAELI asked the Hon. Gentleman, the
Secretary of Stite for the Home Department, whether he
had received the annual report of the Poor-Law Com-
missioners of Ireland, and the annual report of the
Supervisor of Poor-Laws for Scotland, and when they
would Le laid on the table of the House ?
Sir G. GREY said he bad not received either of the
reports referred to, but would make inquiry respecting
them.

IRISH LIGHT-HOUSES.
Colonel CHAT I ERTON asked the President of the
Board of Trade if it was the intention of the Govern-
ment this session to bring in a Bill for regulating Irish
lighthouses?
The answer of Mr. LADOIJCIIERE was wholly in-
audible in the gallery.
CAPTAIN WATSON'S PROCLAMATION AT
CEYLON.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he rose to perform an act
of justice tow ards a gal'ant officer in the army,
whose feelings had been wounded by a state-
ment made in the House on Wednesday last,
during the de',:ate on Ceylon; he referred to Captain
Watson, who had been for more than twenty years
an officer in the army. A mistake had been
committed by the Honourable Member for Inver-
ness-shire (Me. Baillie) in commenting upon a
proclamation said to have been issued by
Captain Watson, during the disturbances in Ceylon.
Having read a copy or the statement made by the
honourable Member for Invernesshire,:: Mr.
Baillie, in which he asserted that Captain
Watson hal issued the violent proclamation
of threatening death and confiscation of goods to any
one who was in any way instrumental in harbouring or
assisting the pretender in Ceylon (the substance of which
appeared in our columns on Wednesday last), the Noble
Lord proceeded to say that on Captain Watson was now
iaLondon, having been summoned to this country to ap-
pear as a witness before the Ceylon Committee, and after '
reading this statement Lad written a letter to
Lord Grey repudiating, in the strongest terms,
the imputations on his chara;ter. It tsar only
on the morning of the day on which V e letter was
written that Captain Watson had seen in the papers
the attack made upon him by the Hop. Mt mber, which
he said was most unjustifiable and unfair under the cir-
cumstances, esTo2ially as the Hoe. Member for Invereess
was aware. that he was about to appear before the Com-
mittee to give his testimony respecting all the c'reum-
stances, and stat n; that the documents on which the
Honourable Member had relied fer his coudemeeeim
were altogether spuriouP, and that the Hon. Member
who had attached any credit to them, had been imposed
upon by infamous forgeries.—(Hear.) His Lordship
road this letter at length, and during its perusal
was frequently interrupted by the enthusiastic cheers
from the ministerial benches, and frequently from both
steles of the House. After having finished the letter,
and then in conclusion said : After that letter I have
not another word to add.
Mr. BAILLIE deeply regretted that he should have
Lean imposed upon, but said that the documents on
which he had relied bore Captain Watson's signature,
and had teen sworn before two justices in Ceylon.—
(Hear, and laughter.) No one in that House would
more deeply regret than ho should the having
been instrumental in casting unmerited imputations on
any man. The Hon. Member sat down amid a derisive
laughter, and,

The SPEAKER then put the motion fur proceeding
cp the orders of the day.
The orders of the day were the❑ read.
AFFAIRS OF CEYLON.

Mr. HAWES moved for la Seclect Committeen on
Ceylon ; Mr. BaiHie, Mr. Hume, Sir Joshua Walmsley,
Sir Robert Peel, Sir James Hogg, Mr. Gladstcno, Mr.
Charles Vilib rs, Mr. Disraeli, Mr. Hawes, Mr. Adderley,
Mr. Wilson, Mr. Stuart Wortley, Lord Hotham, Mr.
M'Cullagh, and Major Blackall.
Mr. HUME begged to state, before the committee
was appointed, that he could not expect justice
ju,ce
would be done in this most important question. When
the Noble ;Lord rejected the recommeneWion of the
Commitlec that a commission should go out to Ceylon,
there to examine into tha affair.; he took the oppor-
tunity of stating that when he had presented the
the petition, it was the wish cf the petitioners that
a full and fair inquiry should be instituted. He con-
eidered the Committee the second best thing, certainly;
but still he did not expect that fall justice could be ob-
-.talc el He had suggested that Lord Torrington and oners
interested in the inquiry should hive leave of absence
to return home, in order that they might not interfere
to prevent any witnesses that wc:c necessary being
sent here.—(llear, hear.) He knew that many
r eron3 had been intimidated from giving
evidence fairly and freely,
by the p
these reasons he did not expect public officers, ,and for
that this Committee
could fairly into the grounds of the rebellion.
He had no doubt that in Committee they would be able
to prove that such means bad been made use of.