The Sun.
London, England, 1828-05-31 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, MAY 30.
The House met to•day for the first time after the Whit-
suntide holidays. .
Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a petition from the
Warders and.. Company of the Thames Watermen, against
certain claw** in the London Docks Bill.
.':'y:.-MINISTERIAL CHANGES.
Mr. PLANTA moved that the Speaker do issue
Lis- writ . for the election of a representative to serve
In Parliament, for the Shire of Perth, in the room of
Lientenant-General Sir Georg() Murray,. who since
his election had accepted the office of sue of his Majesty's
Principal Secretaries of State.
On the question being put from the Chair,

Mr. HUME rase—He • was quite aware that he

bad noright to rontroul his Majesty in the selection of his

iVlinisters, but as a Member of Parliament it was eompe

tent in him to express the opinions. he had forineul.in CCM-
sequeuce of the recent changes which had taken place:—
In the present state of our finances, when it appeared that
the Colonial Establishments were drain* this country,
when it was too notorious . that in almost every colony
which had a Rtilitary Governor, discontent and Oisosn-
tion prevailed, he for one anticipated that much goiel
would wise from the Administration of the Right
Honourable . Gentleman who very recently filled the
office of Secretary for the Colonies. He hoped that
within a very short period he would have been enabled
to congratulate this country upon the reduction of the
Colonial expenditure, and to congratulate the Colonies upon
'their improved system of governtuent, which, whilst it al-
layed their discontent, would place them in the situation of
supporting their own establishments. That hope appeared
to have no foundation. l.e could not look at the Cornelius,
where the Governments were sustained by the Government
at home, in the most arbitrary proceedings, he could.
not contemplate the traosactions now going on there
without apprehending the most disastrous consequences
front them ; be .could not therefore look otherwise thin
with re ret at the retirement of the Ilight Hon. Gentle-
man who latels° presided over the Colonies; and with the
same feelings of regret did he regard the military aPpOint-
ment just announced. It had been that of an individual
trained in the canip--accustomed to command and likely
to have little sympathy with the feelings of our Colonies.
Jae could not, therefore, but look at the appointment
Lieutenant-General Sir Gorge Murray as u
asiloositous circumstance. He did not meat' to de-
tract from, the military qualifications of that officer
front what he had heard of him lie was induced to be-
lieve that he was a most excellept Quartermaster-General,
and that one more obolisnt to the commands of his stiperior
did not exit.—(Lind cheers.) No one could perhaps ex-
reed him iu his character of a 'military cfficer ; but
Ile (Mr. Pantie) could not ferget what he had heard him
otate in that House, namely, that ‘.‘ lie knew the British
soldier well, and that be liked flogging better than any
%Lug cheers.)—With such a sample' Of
the about to be administered to the Co-
lsnieo, what soma the people of this country ex-.
met front the clomp which had just taken place.—
lie hail loo`lied at the Administration., of the Colo-
nies under Earl _Bathurst as highly disadvantageous, but
now, when lie saw o military officer appointed to the same
situation, he looked fero'ard to a worse state. He called
on the. House to consider the state of the colonies and of
our finances, anti he asked thent whether thq. must not
he of the sante opinion as himself. Who, he asked, could en-
dure the system of introducing military subjection into a
41nntry of free institutions? Would not the appointment of
civilians, except in one Or two cases,, be More in unison with
our civil establishments? He therefore protested agtiitist
Brie introdiiction of 'll. .Governnteot as subversive
the principles of our constitution. Unless some effectual
,hope were taken to resist it we should have aotting
military domination and extravagance.-,(Cheers,)
Col. .LtNDSAY could riot sit still and hear the obser vas,
thins of the -Iron. Member. for. Aberdeen. Was it to be
said that nriliLory command made in individual unfit for
civil office? ilfas-it to he said that •he who had risked his
life in the service of his country was therefore unfit to
serve in a Civil Department, or that lie who had been
brought up in honor ond . honesty was therefore grifit
for a cavil situation ?..--a(Ileor, hear. )----The observations of
the Roo. Member Were at least premature, and might
hive been withheld until some ante plausible ground was I
utTorde.l for- Vol objection. With regard to the iudividu4l
whose appointment occasioned the preaepx. discussion, the I
Gallant 111.1nber could assure the Hoare &bet few
were bc,...tßr qualified for the situation : .as a sollitsoo
officer,.:Juit individual was enabled to know'the sentito4nta
of the Colonist'; in most of them he had served, and was
well acquainted with the interest of the colony,to which
the Hon. Member Minded. • I
Sir G. WARREICDER wan ready, kaos'ing as lie did
the character oil%Sir G. Murray, to express his !respect fin.
him as i military nicer; every one who knew the ossoner
in which he had discherged his military. duties niust
mire him. But still the Gallant Member could not alloao
this opporosolty to pass withoott expressing the regret and
dismay with whieli he regatrdell the events which
had led to the motion then in the :Speaker's hands. Ile
was sorry that a GoVernment which had .been approved of by
the people and the House—which had inArodue,ed measures
,calculated to promote the best interests of the tannt\try—be was
sorry that a Government ao constituted should be broken
up on grounds so trivial, awl upon a question More fit to I
be a child's quarrel than a Stotesman's. When he con-
sidered the state of this country, gas, respects her internal
peace and external relations, he could not but regret that
the recent olmoge had taken place at a time when every,
thing was unseteed-oot measure virtually affelt:oo our.
;inertial. peace had istst been considered in one lames of
She Legislature, . and was ,now awaiting the dotisiolS
of the other. With respect to our external situation, ezialsl
it be denied that a general war was now pending over the
,country? What could be more soogioes what more mis-
chievous, than at a period so eoentful to embarrass his Ma-
jesty'e Councils? He could not but deplore:s.ll,4 would be
a most calamitous change under any cireunestsorCes, Put
what must be considered most particularly so uritler hie
eir nu Instances; in which wewere now placed. He regretted to
see the illuetrions individual now at the head of his
Majesty's Goveriamont pursue the atom which he now
appeared to follow. , e.sery one in the cosintry must ad-
mire the extraordinary military services of that tudividital,
and he (Sir George Wariender) entertained'the highest oul-
rairation of him; hut he could not refrain faint declaring;
that lie had some fears as to his future eareer.—(Cheers.)
He• hoped that the glories of his military achievements
would not he dimmed by the failure of his civil adminis-
toation.—(lfear.) He assured the Holm that if this de-
bate had net been opened, lie certainly would not have said
one word upon the sulject s but as it had, he thought the
better coarse would be to express his opinion in a straight-
forward way. If public runtoor wets' to be believed, there
was not the leastground for the miiiapwooonge„hich had
taken place,. and which now agitated the ootsetry from one
end to the other.
Sir A. HOPE would take tip the attention of the iistose
Sett tiar a short titre, to abode. to those observations of the
lion. Member for Aberdeen whiti, referred to the discon-
tent alleged to exist in our colonies, oval the impropriety of
ibvit,g military governors there. fle deosied both these
propositions, orol he thought that the case ots& to be
judged by its real merits. For his non pert
lie •v 4d
soy, that is almost every instance, military governments
iii
*heti:doilies had been an advasatage to the country; and,
certainly„ instead of increasing the expense, it decreased
it--where the military became also the eiyil governor—
and one individual was .employtal instead ftWto It was
oven knoWn that Sir G. Away had performed the des
tlf .every situation in which be hail keen placed in
countr t mon,
).`oo higtely satisfactory to the Kin am' to the y.
lie had insert,osited to the present situatkA by, the,free
voice of his SovnKeign, not at his own solicitatioO, Jill a§
a mato.sfit for the ;,,}t} ti office. Now, why a oto-ts,
who had been disiinguisheciiisson arduous and honourable
professpn-osseo'iO had received the oopfiilence of his consti-
tuents—audit.' ioson returned to tbAtiliouse because of the
way in which his mtlitary duties had boset
,discharged.-
-should be considered by any single iudivi:luel aeadisqua-
lified to bold that situation to which it was the ptiOsalest
. boast of this country any man, hoiv,,wg low his previous
condition, might attain, he was At a Ipso to .conceive.—
Was it possible that the House of Cgttunon p:} which
there were so Many gentlemen dittiegoished in the og-
fession of arms, could view with peseoliar jealousy the
elevation ofot mart who had lung beets daeoted to his
service? It should be r;ernetn-
cour;try and his country's
came forward to serve bis
hired, that Sir George MurraY
country when it was considered ie disgraye,to be ieactive,
when it was a reproach not to he useful, .Aught
lid
then to be deprived, for this very reason, of an
Aunity of serving his country still more materially, by,
discharging the duties of an office which luie Sovereign
had conferred neon hint, and which duties his Severeign
laid called upon him to perform? The late Secretory for
the Colonial Department was 'a gentleman, .than . whom
there was no one more deserving the gratitude of his .cOmo-
try, and no one could more sincerely regret his leaving the
office than he (Sir A. Hope) did ; but it should be remem-
bered, that though his experience was great, he was not
the only experienced person in the country. Sir George
Murray had intermixed with almost all our Coignes, and
knew their various situations well. AS Adjutant-General
in the West Indies, he must have bad alitutilant ()vertu..