The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-22 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF Cow-MMONS,Ig 21.
GAMES AND WAGERS BILL.
(Continued from our Afrernoan Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. WAKLEY considered that the Bill would operate most
harshly on the licensed vktuallers ; as to the informers, he
looked upon them as pests to society, end as such they ought
to be treated as strictly as possible in legislation.
Sir J. GRAHAM did not wish to press harshly upon the
licensed victuallers, further than to prevent the growing evil of
gambling. When the House went into Committee, he would
carefully consider what had fallen from the Hon. Members for
Lambeth and Finsbury.
After a few words from Mr. HAWF.S, the 13111 was read a
second time, and it was arranged that it should be committed
pro form i to-morrow, and another day appointed for its dis-
cussion.
The business of the House was then suspended till half-past
four o'clock.

The SPEAKER resumed the Chair at half-past Four
o'clock.
ROYAL ASSENT—SUMMONS FROM THE LORDS.
Sir Augustus Clifford, the Usher of the Black Rod.
summoned the House to attend the House of Lords to hear
the Royal Assent given to several public and private Bills (fur
which see Lords' report).
The SPEAKER, accompanied by several Hon. Members in
obedience to the summons, immediately left House.
The SPEAKER returned from the House of Lords at a
quarter past five o'clock, having been absent about forty
minu.es, when the House resumed.
DUDDESTON AND NECIIELLS IMPROVEMENT
BILL.
The report of this Bill was taken into consideration and
agreed to.

GRIMSBY DOCKS BILL.
The report of this Bill was also considered and anreed to.
EPPING RAILWAY BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
NEW ZEALAIND.
Mr. MACAULAY presented a petition from persons re-
sident in Edinburgh, and having friends and relations in New
Zealand, praying for an inquiry into the state of that colony.
Mi. SPOONER presented a similar petition from Bir-
mingham.
Air. DUNCAN presented a. petition from Dundee com-
plainirg of delay of the mails in Edinburgh.
LUNATIC ASYLUMS BILL.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from inhabitants
of tha county of Surrey, praying for the postponement of this
Bill, and alleging that the petitioners had important informa.
turn to communicate to the House on the subject, if time
were allowed.

SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY.
Mr. HAWES begged leave to take that opportunity of
putting a question to the Right Hon. Baronet opposite
( it Robert Peel) on the subject of the matters which
had transpired respecting the South-Eastern Railway.
He wished to ask whether the Government meant to act upon
their own responsibility in reference to the report of the Com-
mittee of the House? His question was, whether they had
taken into consideration the report of the Select Committee
of the House respecting the conduct of Mr. Benham,
Captain Boldero, and Mr. Wray ?—( Hear, hear.) lie wished
to know whether the Ministers, in the case of those gentlemen,
had acted upon their non responsibility, or were waiting for
further proceedings in the House ?
Sir ROBERT PEEL begged to state to the House, in an-
swer to the question of the Hon. Member, that the course
taken by her Majesty's Government was this : After
the consideration of the report of the Committee ap-
pointed to inquire into the matter hail been laid be-
fore them, a communication had been received from Mr. Bon-
ham and Captain Boldero, surrendering the offices which they
respectively held. They stated that although they had been
exonerated from any suspicion in this transaction; although their
characters were completely cleared, and although in
their official capacity they had not been influenced
by any suggestions of self-interest, yet, at the same
time, they felt that their efficiency as members of a pub-
lic body was likely to be impaired, and therefore they
tendered their resignation. With respect to Mr. Wray,
who held one office of Receiver-General to the Police
establishment, his Right Hoeourable Friend beside him
directed a communication to be forwarded to him,
ceiling upon him for an explanation, and, as re-
garded Mr. Ilignett, his Honourable and Gallant Friend the
Master-General of the Ordnance had informed him (Sir R.
Peel) that he had been formally dismissed her Majesty's service.
Captain BOLDERO felt truly the painful situation in
which he was placed before the House, and he would endeavour
to inform them, in as few words as possible, of every circum-
stance connecting his name in any way with these transactions.
The House was, of course, aware that the South-Eastern
Railway Company had presented a petition to the House, in
which charges were brought against Mr. Bonham and himself.
The matter had been referred to a Committee of the House
for inquiry, and after mature deliberation and the strictest
inquiry—after witnesses had been examined, and after the do-
cuments connected with the transaction had been received and
perused, that Committee hail presented a report to this House,
to which he would briefly refer. The report stated ‘. Your
Committee, upon the evidence before them, cannot, entertain
a doubt that the paragraphs in Mr. Hignett's letters of the
3d of February, 1845, which refer to Captain' Boldero and Mr.
Bonham are altogether false. But your Committee find that
Capt. I3oldero and Mr. Bonham have trafficked in the shares
of a railway company, the progress of whose Bill depended
upon the consent of a public board, of which, at the time, they
were members ; and they are of opinion that such transactions
are inconsistent. with the maintenance of that strict impartiality
of conduct upon all public questions which is to be expected
from every servant of the Crown, and are calculated to impair
the confidence of the public in the integrity of members of
Government departments." And then went on to say--" Your
Committee entertain no doubt that the decisions of the
Master-General and the acts of the Board of Ordnance in re-
ference to these railway companies, were the result alone of a
desire to p.otect public interests, and to afford consistently with
them a reasonable and proper aceommodat on to the public in
the districts through which it was proposed that these railway s
should pass." Ihe Committee in that report stated
that nothing had transpired which led then to suppose that
the Master-General or other of the higher officers of the
Board of Ordnance had been influenced by other motives
than those which depended solely on the meres of the question
of railways itself. When he ( Capt. Boldero) was examined
before that Committee, lie exposed every private transac-
tion of his connected with railways without any hesitation,
and in the course of his evidence lie stated that he
had purchased some shares in the North Kent, but
he was not in the slightest degree implicated as a member of the
Board, nor would any decision of the Beard be affected by that
circumstance. After finishing his explanation he had not had an
opportunity of hearing the short.hatid writer read his notes, nor
did he get a sight of them on the next day. The real facts
which induced him to sell those shares were these. On Satur-
day the ith June after the business of the day was over, he
found by the Times newspaper that a military witness at-
tached to a powder establishment.at Feversham (the pro-
perty of the Board of Ordnance) had been examined. It was
evident to him that he might be called upon, in his character
as a Member of that House, and as holding a special situation
in the Board of Ordnance to explain the act of the Master-
General (who had not a seat in that House), with respect to
the passing of a railway line close to that work, and he decided
on disposing of the shares he had in the rival line. On Mon-
day, then, the 9th of June, he disposed of them on the principle
that if called upon to give an explanation to that House, or to
take part in any debate on the subject, he
might do so, without being impressed in any
way; by the fact that he was interested in the matter.
This was the impression made upon the minds of the Commit-
tee. He could assure the House that it was entirely inconsis-
tent with the mode in which the business was carried on in that
department. There was no power whatever, either negative or
affirmative, in his hands. The decision rested entirely in the
hands of the Master-General.—(Hear.) If there should be a
doubt about what he stated, he would undertake to say that
both those gentlemen would corroborate the statements
which he had made. There was the paragraph as
it stood, and he would ask the house if such
a paragraph were published to the world, what
course there was open to him, except that dictated by an
honourable mind ; and he put into the hands of the Right Hon.
Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury his resignation as clerk
to the Ordnance. In doing that he thought it his duty to
read the letter which he communicated to state his only
grounds for the course which he took. The words were to the
effect that he acted under a clear conviction and perfect con-
sciousness of the utter groundlessness of any imputation which
might be thrown on his character, either in his public or his
private capacity. This was all he wished to put forward; and
he would conclude by thanking the blouse fur the patient
manner in which they had heard him, at the same time hoping
that the words uttered by him had given offence to nobody.
Mr. HAWES wished to understand frees, the Secretary of
the Home Department, whether Mr. Wray was still continued
in office after the report was made ?
Sir J. GRAHAM said that as soon as the report which the,
Hon. Gentleman referred to was presented to him he thought
after mature reflection, that the transaction of 1836 had no
connexion with the subject-matter which gave rise to the in-
quiry. He thought that it was then his (Sir J. Graham's)
duty to animadvert strongly on his (Mr. Wray's) conduct in
1836, and he was deserving- of serious animadverson. His ap-
prehension up to that time was that he (Mr. Wray) had no
right to employ himself in any other business than
that connected with his office.—(Cries of " Hear.")
Since that period the official labour which had devolved on
Mr. Wray had considerably increased, and there had, in conse-
quence, been an augmentation of his salary. Mr. Wray had, .
therefore, been called upon to give his time exclusively
to the business of his office, and he had been informed that
any employment that he might enter into not immediately
connected with his office, would be considered as a ground
for his immediate removal from the situation which
he held. He (Sir James Graham) had looked
at this matter dispassionately, and, in his humble judgment, the
course which he had adopted was the proper one.
Mr. HAWES—Has the Right lion. Gentleman any ob-
jection to lay the letter to which he has alluded on the table of
the House ?
Sir JAMES GRAHAM—Under the peculiar circumstances
of this case—although I have before refused in such cases to
produce the terms in which the Secretary of State has thought
fit to discharge his duty—yet, in this case, lam prepared to
lay the letter on the table of the House.
Mr. ROEBUCK —lf lunch rstood the Right Hon. Gentleman
rightly, hese id that in the appointment of Mr. Wray, that gen-
tleman was not restricted from applying himself to other busi-
ness. Was it understood that lie was to employ himself in the
character of a barrister—that was, that he was not to withdraw
himself from Westminster-hall? I want to know whether it
was considered that this was a palliation of the proceedings of
Mr. Wray, and whether he was justified in employing himself
in the business of canvassing votes for the private purposes of
the South-Eastern Railway Company ?
Sir J. G ItAH AM-1 conceive that no circumstance would
be a palliation of the particular transaction to which the Hon.
Gentleman refers. I consider that to be indefensible ; but
considering the lapse of time which has taken place, and other
considerations which 1 have specified, on the whole, wishing not
to act with undue severity, but to do an act of justice, I have
thought it best to take the course I have stated.
He del conceive that a great deal of misapprehension s
Air. WARD begged to say a few wordsi on
~thnise.siustbtjdecitr;
ei.esnaild in regard to to Mr. Wray, and if anything could
tcioonmsiinfitt
scoorilial:icet.z!tstew:al siiitltileiedyisegariaciss-f3u6l.mode of forming the
,I, saida,i
d ht
he had a d.s
theardcitl
stateth at explanation
things a
as the
coniTidrderja.blße UsuSrpSrEisLe
thst had been spoken of here this
Hon. Member had described as existing in 1836 was no excuse
whatever for the conduct . e .
evening.
Ir.fewßii
he
h
wordsai i in
neverhad
explanation.
a
Sir communication
with Mr. Wray on this subject, but he had weighed the evidence
1.1: WARDGRAHsaiv said a
,„
that had been elicited verve carefully, and had, upon his own
responsibility, and without consulting anybody, written a
letter of severe animadversion to Mr. Wray upon the subject.
Colonel SII3THORP said, that this discussion only con-
vinced him of the necessity that existed for having every
Member of this House called up and examined.—( Laughter. )
He could take his oath that he never had had any connexion
with any railway schemes ; but these transactions only con-
vinced him the more of this fact, that though this was called
the reformed House of Commons, he conceived they were
more in the mud and dirt than ever.—( Laughter. )
Mr. F. FRENCH said that as his name had been mixed
up in this tranaction by a Noble Lord, and as an attack had
been made upon him, he would take an early opportunity of
again calling the attention of the House to it.

The subject then dropped.
NEW ZEALAND.
Mr. WARD presented a petition from the New Zealand
Company praying the House not to separate until they had
adopted such measures as would remove the occasion for fur-
ther controversy.

SUPPLY.
On the order of the day being read for the House ping into
Committee of Supply, •
Mr. C. BULLER said he entirely concurred in the prayer
of the petition which had just been presented to the House.
He now was about to bring the subject again before the House,
impressed with the importance and necessity of the case. The
facts he had to state were very few, but they were of great im-
portance. The newspapers had put the House in possession of
events which had occurred in New Zealand of late—events
which had excited deep consideration for what had
passed, and anxious apprehensions for the future. Those
events had been predicted three years ago.--( Hear. )
Due notice was given of the attack which was made on the
7th. The Governor sent all the available forces at his dis-
posal, and what was the result? All that force was com-
pletely routed.-.-( Hear, hear.) The most ancient settlement
of Europeans in the South Seas was completely swept away
from the earth.--( Hear, hear.) The settlement of the Bay
of islands was pillaged, and every human habitation therein
was destroyed. —( Hear, hear.) But it had been said, a short
time ago, that the news from New Zealand justified the ex-
pectation that the attacks of the natives would end there. But
on the contrary, it appeared that this was ()lly the commence-
ment of a war, to be caeried on against all the settlements.
—( Hear, hear.) The chief, John Heki, who, to do
him justice, carried on war in a chivalrous spirit,
end with all the refinement of European warfare—
with a refinement of which, at least, one European
nation could not boast—( Hear, hear)—ltad given notice of
the day when he would take the seat of government —acting,
; erhaps, upon the;Lacedemonian maxim, that to tell the enemy
your real intentions is the best mode of deceiving him
(
Hear, and laughter. ) He had taken advantage of the dis-
sensions in New Zealand, and had declared that lie would not
carry on war against the peaceable settlers, but against the
Government. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman then read
extracts from recent letters from New Zealand, to the effect
which he had stated, as to Heki's conduct and intentions. The
lion. Secretary to the Ordnance said it was satisfactory that,
at the Bay of Islands, the church of the missionary settlements
was not interfered with. That was not the ease. The only
mission which was not disturbed was that of the French
missionaries, who (and he said it without any invidious in-
tention), had not availed themselves of their influence with
the natives to secure lands for themselves. But the British
missionaries were looked upon as a part of the Government,
and they were, therefore, revolved in the hostility of the
natives. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman then read a letter
from Auckland, describing the deplorable state of the colonists
there, and attributing all the evils of the settlement to the policy
of the Government. The settlement was crowded with con-
victs. and those white savages were worse than brown.—( Hear,
hear.) The settling of convicts there was, on the part of the
Government, a gross breach of faith, and there had been
nothing but mischief in Auckland ever since. Their lawless
nduct in the present crisis created more alarm in the minds
of the settlers than the threats of the natives.— (Hear, hear.)
The property carried off by Heki was said to be of the value of
30,000/ , and the last accounts from the colony stated that the
Governor was alarmed on account of the effect which th's
fact might have upon the conduct of the friendly tribes. It.
was
not in the north that the prine'pal settlements of the Eng-
lish were located. In the south the settlers had expended
2,000,0004, and the New Zealand Company 600,0001. But
the Government had withdrawn from the southern settlements
almost every means of protection.—( Hear, hear.) At
effington, where there were'between 2,000 and 3,t00 settlers,
there was not a' single soldier. And New Ply where the population was composed of English agriculturmouthists brought out by a Committee of which Lord St. Germans was
et the head, was in the neighbourhood of the most powerful of
all the tribes, and was entirely unprotected.—( Hear, hear.)
He did not think it was justice to poor Captain Fitzroy to
throw all the blame upon him. He believed that the policy of
the Government was to blame.—( Hear, hear.) He attributed
all the evils to the policy of Lord Stanley, and he read nume-
rous extracts from the correspondence of the settlers, altogether
inculpating Lord Stanley as the cause of the disasters which
had befallen the colony. He would ask any calm and con-
siderate man to lock at the position of New Zealand, and the
results of those measures, and then say if all those disasters
might not have been avoided by firmness on the part of the
Government, and by a wise and humane policy.--( Hear, hear.)
But to turn from this evil to another point, and a far more im-
portant one, namely, what was the remedy proposed to be sup-
plied by the Government? What hope was there that any
effectual remedy would be applied ?—( Hear.) lie really
feared that there would be no real satisfaction afforded by
merely making Captain Fitzroy a scope-goat, unless the Go-
vernment gave a satisfactory proof of their intention to pursue
a different course. The Government had removed Captain Fitz-
roy, but had they dealt in the same way with some of the subordi-
nate:?—( Hear.) For he (Mr. Buller) would contend for it,
that it was not Captain Fitzroy alone, but every member of the
Government in New Zealand that should have been removed ;
yet they had not heard of a single removal of one of those
subordinates ; on the contrary, they had heard that the very last
act of the Government was in reference to Mr. Sliortland,
who, though his acts in his official capacity in New Zealand,
were anything but praiseworthy, yet he had been rewarded by
an appointment in the West India Islands. Now, he would
refer to some circumstances which had occurred in the
late debate ; he did not mean the words, but the general tone
of the speeches—he would refer to words hereafter.—( Hear. )
The Right Hon. Gentleman opposite on that occasion made use of sentiments which he ( Mr. Beller) believed to be in con-
formity with his feelings, and he believed he intended to give
them effect. —( Hear, hear.) And, now, let him ask what was
the general effect of those sentiments? Upen that debate he
(Mr. Buller) had been reproved by some of his friends for pies_
trig the House to a division, because it was alleged that he had
gorte too far in doing so.—(Hear, hear.) And it had been
said that some Hon. Members opposite would vote with this
side of the House if the assurances then made by the Govern-
ment should not be carried out.—( Hear, hear.) he
and those who voted with him held out; and the result of the
last debate on this question was now before the House in the
shape of Lord Stanley's instructions to the new Governor of
New Zealand—(Hear)—and it was quite apparent that
there was to be no more stable assurance that a satisfactory or-
^ re( o, would be made than those instructions.—( Hear,
rsment .
hear. ) Here the Hon. Member read a short extract from the
preliminary instruction, which generalised the nature of the
duties of the Governor, and he then went on by asking what
especial security there was that even these instructions would be
carried into effect ; or under what circumstances they had been
issui d ?—( Hear ) These instructions had been issued with-
out the Government knowing whether he to whom they were
addressed would accept all the responsibility they involved, and
the wretched salary and painful task of repairing all the
blunders of his predecessor.—(Hear, hear. ) Yet this was time
present state of the colonial Government. —( !fear, hear. ) If
these instructions should have miscarried in their way out,
then there was the chance of the Government, of the Co-
lony being intrusted to the Colonial Secretary, of
whom he would only say that his speeches in the Legislative
Assembly of that colcny were specimens of the greatest absur-
dity he hail ever heard.—( Laughter.) Well, now let him
(31 r. Buller) contrast those instructions with the declarations
of the Right Hon. Baronet opposite in the last debate on this
question. The Right Hon. Baronet, in his speech on that tic
casion, said that a representative government would be
suitable to the colony, coupled with municipal institu-
tions and a regular system of local taxation. Well, that
would be satisfactory if it were granted. But did it
mean that there should merely he mayors, and aldermen, and
paving boards, where they were not wanted; or did it mean that, like the institutions of America, those municipal insti-
tutions were to supply the places of larger and more compre-
hensive bodies?—(Hear hear.) Before he entered further
upon this question let him call the attention of the House to
the fact that the present governing body of New Zealand con-
sisted of a few individuals appointed by the Governor, and
removable at the will of the Governor, in case they should vote
against him,--( Hear, hear.) Yet that was the system
which Lord Stanley, by his instructions, would propose
to keep up.—(Hear, hear.) Now, let him ask, what did
all this mean ?—( Hear, hear,) Was this what the Govern-
ment were prepared to call a boon to this new colony
( Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman opposite had said
that " New Zealand was in a fit condition for receiving a re-
presentative Government ;" and this, then, was to comprehend
the fulfilment of all his promises to this colony ?—( Hear, hear. )
NI, hat had become of the question as to the settlement of the
claims for land ?—(Hear, hear.) According to the instruc-
tions of Lord Stanley, it would appear that that question was
to be left in precisely the same position as that in which it
stood before._(llear, hear.) There was only one-third about
which an award had been taken. The remaining two-thirds
were not adjudicated upon. What, after all, was the present
state of affairs with respect to New Zealand? Why, it
was nothing but the old story over again, of one set
of instructions being shown before they were sent
nut, and another set shown after they had been forwarded.
He did not mean to say that there had been bad faith on the
part of the Government, but the New Zealand Company had
suffered as much as though bad faiths had been practised to-
wards them. It was a most singular thing, however, that
Lord Stanley had made two similar mistakes with respect to
the New Zealand Company, within two years. He had con-
ducted the business of a great public department in a very
loose manner. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman here read
lengthy extracts from the correspondence which had taken
place between the Government Commissioners in New Zea-
land and the representative of the New Zealand Company, to
show, that it always was the intention of the Government
Commissioner to recognise the claims of the New Zealand
Company.—(Hcar.) He did not mention this matter it,
consequence of the amount of land which it involved, that
amount being not more than 25,000 acres. But to show that
Lord Stanley was carrying on the controversy in the old spirit ;
and, refusing to agree to the award of his own commissionere
that Noble Lord had, since the last debate on this subject,
taken a public opportunity of expressing his views upon this
subject. Now had that Noble Lord, as his speech evinced,
any disposition to follow the course laid down in the speech of
the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite on this subject? No, he
feel not. What was the tenor of the Noble Lord's speech ?
Why, simply a declaration of obstinate adhesion to the very
worst principles of the old colonial policy. In a word, the
speech of the Noble Lord might be taken as an answer to the
speeches of the two Right Hon. Baronets
,opposite. In that
,Z,reda John l (I=7.
never down to that
riaot itohne of
laleiteteexr:
hipedebeheetnhegtNli.lotybleofLomridlisra,(Tridbeeseetniniatatntitiaolinete,Nt3o,eetviL;
Although this charge
limir had it been attempted to be proved. Another remarkable.
point inntltieo
aN
trelnut.aimsow, by that treaty, the land in New Zealand was de.
dared to be as much the right of the natives es was the land in
dohbelreetlioortdh'es speechtreaty o'fvaNslt'.shietattilegcal?
yeeetand or Scotland the property of its owners. What did
Lord' Stanley do ? Why, he sent out instructions to the
Governor to impose a wild land-tax, with the distinct view cf
confiscating the land. He said that the treaty of Waitangi
should be religiously and sacredly adhered to. The words
sacred and religious ought, not to be played with in such a way..
If they thought the New Zealanders were competent to make
treaties, those treaties ought to be observed as much as though
they had been made with any European power. —(llear
beenik]a rt i que, imposed orup Canadaon te fort)a have hear. ) What would the people of Guedaloupe,
or
the s apiudr pint' seao fi swild lg had
acna tdi-ntga their hard ? This teal merely the old story told in Roderick Random
of the ring-dropping system. Every means had now been
exhausted for getting redress from her Majesty's Government,
and while the present spirit animated the Colonial-office no
hope could be entertained. The New Zealand Company
therefore, were compelled to come again to that House to laer
their case again before them. 'What he had to ask the House
was, whether they would leave for the next six months the
colony of 'sew Zealand to be subjected to the operation of the
spirit which animated the officials of the colonial department.
Would they back up Lord Stanley by refusing to vote with him
(Mr. Buller)? He was sure that no one would think that he.
had ()taught forward this motion in any party spirit. He vies
indeed sorry that a melancholy event had deprived him of thea
assistance of many who would have rendered him great service,
more especially his Noble Friend (Lord Howick) of vehO'se
presence a recent melancholy event had deprived them for ewer.
In the recent division he had had the support of many F,on.
Gentlerinn on the opposite side, and he would have had 'more
but that assurances had been rested upon which were deemed
satisfactory. He believed that in such a question as this there
were gentlemen opposite who would not allow party fee/ ing to
operate, and he called upon them not to sacrifice an may
~ortant
eolany merely for the purpose of bolstering up the policy , of any
Minister whatever.—(Cheers.) The Hon. and Leariv ;d Gen.