The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-26 00:00:00

ties on a question t f such impottance, affecting the
rights of the people at large.—(llear.)
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the suagestion c.f the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman was, no doubt, deserving of
attention from the temperate manner in which he had
made ih The propesition also of the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman on the face of it append a very fair one.
Still it was evident that there were parts f the Bdl
which app, arcl to him (Lord J. Russell) such as could,
and such as ought, to be taken now; and yet those were
the very parts with respect to which the county Mem-
bers would with the postp -.element to take place. He
owned it appeared to him that the question upon et bleb
the Hon. and Learned Gentleman lied made up his mind,
and upon which many Hon. Members opposite had made
up their minds—namely, what should be the county
franchise, did re t require postponement —(Cheers and
count ,r cheers.) Th v q iestion hal been two years be•
fore the public in Ireland, and the plan of the Govern-
ment was in twat known. If the Hoe. and Learned
Member was ready to discuss thst question, and eh fir
the consideration of more intricate matters, he was
ready to enter ill) the spirit r f his proposition. Bat if
he meant that the Committee should now consider the
registration clauen and agree to all those parts of the
Bill which conformed to the Bill brought in by Lord
Stanley, and postponed altog.tber the consideration of
the franchise, to diet course he could not consent.—
(Hear.) It was prop ised to extend the county franchise
in Ireland now enjoyed by little more than 30,000, to
200,000. Such was the object of the Bill; it was in fact
a question of principle, and one which the Committee
was now prepared to discuss.
Mr. F. MACKENZIE thought it quite clear that no
concession was to be expected from the Noble Lord.
The course pursued by the Opposition had been charee-
terised as unprecedented; but he ren embered more
than one occasion daring his own c xperience in which a
similar course had been pursued, and with success.
The course pursued by the Government, however, es a'
certainly unpre enlenteel.
Mr. SADLEIR did not ES° to prolong the discus-
sion, but just to remind t'io Hon. Gentleman that this
Bit had, in fee', ne more thin two new clauses in it.—
(Hear, hear.) Toe rest of the clauses were the same as
those in the Bill of last session and two years ago, and
the object of these was clearly indicated in the altered
title. These two clauses had nothing to do with the
principle a the Bill, but merely relayed to rating.
There was not the slighh.st grouud, therefore, for say-
ing that the House had been taken by surprise.
Colonel CHA'T'TER rON said if he were dispcoed to
agree to every clause in the Bill, he should still feel it
his duty, as a Member et that House, ,t r protest against
the unconstitutional course pursued by the Grevernment.
He did not obje:t to an extension of the franchise, but
thought his constituente did not understand the Bill. He
would take that oisportanity of repelling the imputation
which had been cast upon him by his Honourahle
colleague, who said he did not possess 1 the
confidence of his constituents. Ho appealed to
any Member whether it would be possible or probable
that a body of 700 or 809 most respectable men would
have used such exertions to obtain for him the honour-
able position which he now held if such were the case.
It hed also been asserted that Protectionist principles
had nothing whatever to do with his reture. This he
denied, for many had given him their support on the
solo condition that he would support protectior.
Mr. ANSTEY could not take the same low estimate
of the intelligence of the constituency of the people of
Cork as their lion. and Gallant Representative. There
appeared to be no contest as to the principle of the Bill,
or the necessity for immediat legislation. Why hesitate
then to go into Committee ? It would be time enough
to postpone clauses when difficulties arose.
Captain HARRIS concluded from the silence main-
tained on the other side that a conviction prevailed there
that the conduct of the Government wet; unjustifiable.
—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and "No, no.") Honourable
Members opposite were plt aced to assign motives as in-
fluencing the conduct of those who resis'el going on
with the Committee, and professed to be acquainted
alike with their tactics, their meetings, and the state of
their stomachs. Oae saw the cloven foot of protection
peeping out, and they wound up all by telling them that
they wished to maintain the present franchise, although
this was denied by every Member who had spoken met
his side of the house. He was one of Vie sleepy Mem-
bers who were present on Friday night when the Noble
Lord proposed to proceed tc-night with a Bill which was
nothing more nor less than a reform Bill for Ireland.—
(Hear, hear.) If the Noble Lord had beea proposing a
reform Bill for England would he have acted in the same
manner— would hu have given way in such a case? lie
believed this to be nothing but the forerunner of an
English reform Bill, and was only intended to test the
feeling of the people.
Mr. W. T. FAGAN denied that he had ever used the
expression tbit his Hon. and Gallant Colleague (Colonel
Chettertoe) did not possess the confidence a his consti-
tuents. he had never sta-el it, but lie had no hesitation
in string now that he hsd not, politically speaking, the
confidence of the citizens of Cork. He also defied any
person to maintain that protection had aeything to do
with his election, and if an election should occur in a
few months he would venture to assert that protection
would not find much favour there. With reference to
this Bill, he would only sly that precisely the same Bill
had been printed two years ac', with the exception of
the two clauses, and he hal discussed it twelve months
ago with his constituents, who ware perfectly familiar
with it.
Lord C. HAMILTON sail the Hon. Gentleman ap•
peered to know that the Bill of last year was to be the
Government me wure whereas he (Lord C. Hamilton),
not having the advantage of the same confident al com-
munications, was certainly not aware that the Govern-
ment, when they brought forward a Bill for the sale
purpose of withdrawing it, intended to convey to the
public that this was to be their measure for the fellow-
irg year. Sir2h was not, eel t duly, the ordinary por-
cess. Hon. Members talked of the Bill as all but decided
upon last year, the fact being that not a single vote was
taken upon it. This was certainly a new theory of con-
stitutioual legislation.
Mr. NEWDEGATE called attention to the fact that
the Roman Catholic clergy ha I become converts to Por-
tectirmist principles. He was assured that many of
them were so deeply impressed with the evils under
which their country was suffering that they were willing
to recognise free trade as a great error and to adopt a
rounder policy.
The Committee then divided, when there appeared—
For reporting progress... ... 63
Against it 155
Majority —92
Mr. ADDERLEY protes• el against the usconstitu-
tional coarse pursued by the Government, who had left
it a matter of uncertainty whether they were to discuss
the constitutions to be grant al to five of our colonies of
a reform Bill for Ireland. And what was the reason
assigned by the Noble Lord at the head of the Govern-
ment for delaying the Australian Constitute en Bill?
That it was necessary to make the parties interested
better acquainted with its provisions—the very argai-
ment urged as a grouud for postponement in the pre-
sent case.—(llear, hear.) If large constitutional mea-
sures like these were to be shulllsd and changed from
place to place, so that the House hardly knew within 48
hours which of two such great questions was to bo dis-
cussed, it would be far better to leave legislation entirely
in the hands of the Government, and cenfine themselves
to those Iced Parliaments of which they had heard
lately. He knew very well that there were many Hoe.
Gentlemen opposite aho would be perfectly willing to
pass any Bill under heaven the object ef which was the
extension of the franchise. The Hon. Gentleman con-
cluded by moving that the Chairman do now leave the
chair.

Colonel SIi3THORP expressed his determination to
give the meaiure all the opposition in his plwer, in con-
sequence of the unlnndieme way in which tl-e Goren:-
meat bad acted. The Hon. and Gallant Gentleman re-

tarred to the division of the previous Thursday night,
and observed that if the adherents of the Treasury had
been excluded the Government would have been left in
a minerly. They were now commencing a most dan-
geroua.and unconstitutional course, and tl.e duty of the
House was to stop them at once. le hope 1 his friends
on thet side of the House would avail themselves of all
the forms that Parliament allowed to prevent the Gc-
nutmeat from bullying and over-riding them and the
country.— (Hear.)
Mr. REYNOLDS reminded the House that this was
the sixth div,ision they had had upon the glestior, and
Bike I how far such a course was to be preceedel in ?
Hon. Memkcrs opposite would 1(01 very much offended if
their conduct end termed factious; but it had teen
qualified by the Hon. Member fur Bucks, who hal termed
it a factious proceeding for constitutional purposes. He
did not know how the country would telee such pro-
ceedings. He had always looked upon the Hon. Member
for Warwickihire as the advocate of local and popular
government in Australia, and comparing that with his
conduct on the present occasion towards Ireland,
ho must say that it was somewhat inconsistent. Why,
at one time, he had almost looked upon the Hon. Ger-
tleman as the advocate of the repeal of the unior. It
Was said that it was distance lent enchantment to the
view, and it would be well for the people of Ireland if
they were at a distance, as they might thou hope for the
sympathies of the lion. Member for Warwick. They
had been now three hours engara d in a factious opposi-
tion, and he thought the bast thing that could be done
was to leave Hon. Gentlemen on the other side to take
their own course. Like certain animals that should be
nameless, they would cont.nue swimming till they cut
their own threats.—(A laugh.) It appeared to him
that they were working out that principle; they bad
certainly pushed Ministers ti their saddbeskirts the
other nighr, and some of his countrymen might probably
imagine that they meant well, but that delusion, if it
existed, would be dispelled by their conduct that night.
The Government had been of late becoming almost poll
tically insolvent in the et es of the people of Ireland,
but the opposite party had again [et them up in capital.
It would obtain fo the Government great popularity on
the other side of the Channel, and the cry in every one's
mouth would be, that Lord John Russell was fighting
like a game cock far the political privileges and fran-
chisee of the Irish peep'e.—(A laugh.)
Lord C. HAMILTON hoped the Id h re =plc wauld
understand what was going on in th. t H ease Viet night
—he hoped they would-understand that there were in
that Howe lush and English Members who would rot
allow me Imes to be brought forward in a manner wholly
unprecedented, if not unconstitutional.—(Hear, hear.)
The Bill proposed t r increase the franchise, and it had
only been introduced to the House on Wednesday last.
It was, in fact, one of the most important Bills intro-
duced us regarded Leland since the R form Bill, and yet
all the ordinary utaeer of Parliament had been derail d
from with regard to it. He maintained that Ireland e
entitled to the sarnt regard and consideration and re,pect
as any ataer part of the empire ; and that due time
should be afforded ta the people of Irelaed anti her re-
presentatives to consider its provisions; more especially
as the whole basis cf the Bill proceeded on what did not
exist—namely, uniform rating.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. DISRAELI said it might be %cry convenient to,
the Government to endeavour to convey to the people of