The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 8, 184

life had been passed. Their Lordships were well aware
of that Noble Lord's present position with regal d to the Go-
vernment.—( Hear.) Was he then, when he saw such conse-
quences arising from such declarations, to be precluded from
remarking on the speeches of public men, because they were de-
livered in other places, and were coneeived to be without
responsibility ? He decidedly felt himself entitled, in his place
in Parliament, to make such observations upon any such
speech ; and especially when that speech was delivered by a
Minister of the Crown—by a Member of the Cabinet. He
was ready to allow the utmost limit for the heat of debate, and
the impulse of eloquence. It was not this that he regretted.
What be did regret was, that this speech was not too warm
in its tone, but that it declared a fact, and it was of this fact
that he (the Marquis of Normanby) complained.. That Hon.
Gentleman declared, that a punishment had been inflicted
which would never be indicted again—that Colonel M‘Gregor
had suffered that which was not to be inflicted on any other
individual.—( Hear, hear.) The Noble Duke (the Duke of
Wellington), had said that he had found him (the Marquis of
Normanby) out in some inconsistencies. He had received
a letter from Colonel Shaw Kennedy, in which that
officer had expressed his regret that he had been mis-
apprehended in the particular instance of supposing himself in-
vested with the power of appointing msgistrates. But he (the
Marquis of Normanby) had not felt it his duty to continue
Colonel Shaw Kennedy in the post which he had held. He
did not speak in this motion of appointments but of promo-
tions. The Noble Duke (the Duke of Wellington)
seemed to think that he (the Marquis of -Nor-
manby) conceived that something had been taken from
the inspector-general which he had previously possessed.
Such was not the case. The appointment of head•constables
had never been held by the inspector-general, but he had
always possessed the power of appointing men from the lowest
ranks to the several ranks of commissioned officers. The rule
that had been observed ever since the institution of the fore e
was to give two out of three of the appointments of commis-
sioned officers to the force, and the parties who obtained them
were necessarily recommended by the inspector-general, and,
if the persons recommended were fit men, he thought that it
was net only wise, but right, that those recommendations
should be acted upon. In the ease immediately ender con-
sideration, he was ready to acknowledge that Major Priestley
was a very good man, but that Mr. Brownrigge was a snore
proper man for the purpose. The Noble Duke wished to
know where the whole of this matter originated. He said he
could net conceive where it had originated. He (the Marquis
of Normanby) would tell him. It had originated in the
speech of the Prime Minister of the Crown, in the first debate
in the present session. Sir Robert Peel had said, in that
speech, that, as the inspector-general had the direction and
the responsibility of the conduct of the constabulary force open
his shoulders, he ought to have the power of recommending
the appointment of all the officers of that force. He, there-
fore, should move for a return of the appointment of the
deputy inspector-general sinee the decease of the late Major
Galway, of the constabulary force in Ireland, and of any coal-
menications from the inspector-general respecting the ap-
pointments that had been made, and also a return of the
number of her Majesty's army in Ireland, from the Ist of
January, 1835, to the let of January, 1845, both inclasive.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
Contents
Non-contents
Majority against the motion —2o
The return for the number of " Her Majesty's Army," ece.,
was subsequently agreed to, with an amendment by the Duke
of WELLIYGTON, to the effect that a statement should also be
included in the return, of the number of soldiers sent out of
the country during the same period. The Noble Duke thought
this was requisite, in order to show the state of the country
dur;ng the years 1840 and 1341.
The House then adjourned._

ROUSE OF COMMONS, March 7.
The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly [before Four
o'clock.

NEW MEMBERS.
Mr. BRINSLEY SHERIDAN was introduced by Lord
Marcus Hill and Mr. Ord, and took the oaths and his
seat fur Shaftesbury, in the room of Lord Howard, now
Earl of Effingham.
Mr. DEEDES took the oaths and his seat for East
Kent, in the room of Sir E. Knatchbull.
Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN, in the absence of the
Hon. Member for Waterford, presented a petition in
favour of the Limerick and Waterford Railway Bill.
PUBLI-HOUSES.—SABBATII OBSERVANCE.
Mr. CAREW presented petitions from Llandrossy,
and other places in Wales, praying the House to adopt
measures fur restricting the number of public-houses,
and for preventing the sale of intoxicating liquors on
the Sunday.
Mr. THORNELY presented petitions from places in
Northumberland to the same effect.

Mr. KEMBLE presented petitions from Surrey to the
same effect.

Mr. J. S. WORTLEY presented similar petitions.
Lord ASHLEY presented a number of petitions from
places in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Scotland, to the
same effect.

Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment whether the permissive power, given under the 4th
and .sth of William IV., to the Poor law Commissioners
to make alterations in unions had ever been put in force?
Sir J. GRAHAM said that though such a power ex-
isted, it had, in fact, never been exercised.

Mr. GREENE presented similar petitions.
An 1101/. MEMBER. presented petitions to the same
effect from places in the West of England.
Mr. HENLEY presented similar petitions.
Mr. FOX MAULE presented similar petitions.
Mr. LANE FOX presented similar petitions.
AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION.

Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN begged to ask the Right
llon. C;entlemaii at the head of the Government when
it was intended that the abolition of duty on agricultural
seeds Al ould take effect ? Also, whether the list would
include clover seed ?

Sir R. PEEL said, the removal of duty would take
place after the present sowing ; probably, in the month
of June. Clover seed would not be included.
PURCHASE OF CALIFORNIA.
Mr. S. WORTLEY said he wished to put a question
to the Eight Hon. Baronet at the head of the Govern-
ment on the subject of a paragraph which appeared in
the newspapers, and which appeared to receive confir-
mation, in a neighbouring country. It was stated in the
Times newspaper that the English Government had
offered to Santa Anna a sum of 25,000,000 dollars for
the province of California in 1837, and that that beauti-
ful province was on the point of being given up to Great
Britliin. The paragraph stated that that was another
proof of the undermining ambition of Great Britain ;
and it also stated that 5,000,000 dollars had been
offered by the American Government. Now, though
that was a paragraph in the newspapers, it professed to
have some foundation, and considering the avidity with
which all statements cif that kind were laid hold of, both
in France and in the United States, tending to raise
prejudices against the policy of Great Britain, he wished
to ask, first, whether the Right Hon. Gentleman was
aware of any correspondence on this subject having
taken place ; and, secondly, whether there was auy
foundation whatever for such statement ?

Sir R. PEEL begged to state in the most distinct and
explicit man-aer, in answer to the question put by his
lion. Friend, that he was not aware of the existence of
any such correspondence, and he believed the report al-
luded to was as utterly without foundation as any report
that ever existed. There were a great many reports re-
specting the undermining ambition of Great Britain,
but he believed such reports were often spread as a pal-
liation for the, insertion of others. Ile was not aware of
any such correspondence being carded on, and he could
find no trace of such a correspondence, so that the report
was utterly destitute of the shadow of a foundation.
Lord PALMERSTON said, on behalf of the late Go-
vernment, that they had never offered in 1537, or any
other year, 37,000,000 of dollars, or any other sum for
any Mexican province.
BUENOS AYRES.

Lord PAL3rIERSON gave notice that he would, on
Monday, put a question to the Right Hon. Baronet on
the subject of a note presented by Mr. Mandeville, the
representative of Great Britain, on the 16th December,
1542, to the Government of Buenos Ayres, on the subject
of the dispute between that Government and Monte
Video.

long explanation, for the purpose, as it eppeared to him,
of justifying the motion of which he had gisen no-
tice. He (Lord Lincoln) begged distinctly to repeat
what he had stated on the last night, that this motion
was a gross imputation on himself, as far as his public
character was concerned. Ile did not blame the Hon.
Gentleman for bringing forward this subject. IF he sus-
pected a public serrant, he was quite right in bringing it
forward. W hat he (Lord Lincoln) did say, and what
he conceived he had a right to say, was, that when the
Hon. Member had placed the notice on the books of
the House—a notice, the plain intent and meaning of
which was, to charge corruption to a public:
servant in the discharge of his official duties—
when such notice had once appeared ul:on the books of
the House, it was an injustice to him (Lord Lincoln)
and towards the pubiic, who were as much interested
in the character of their eervant, as he
himself was—(Hear, hear)—not to bring that
subject forward at the very earliest opportunity, in
order to give that public servant an opportunity of clear-
ing hit character. The Hon, Member for Coventry had
not yet even acknowledged the injustice of the imputa-
tion in the motion which he brought forward. He (Lord
Lineoln):agreed with the Hon. Member that any Hon.
Member giving notice of a motion should bring it for-
ward himself. But why, he asked, did the Hon. Member
for Coventry not act on his own principles, and bring
this motion forward himself ? Why did he leave it to
the Hon. Member for Montrose to do so in his absence ?
That was one cause of complaint he had against the
Hon. Member for Coventry. Another war., that he had
put a notice on the books which bore en the (nee of it a
moat unfair representation of the facts. The Hen.
Gentlemen, with a perversion of vision, had read the
motion on the books, and then the extract from the
report of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, in a
manner which was intended to convey to the douse
most unfair representation of the case, and he would not
be wrong in supposing, with an evident intention to mis-
lead thellowie of Commons, and to lend the public to a
different interpretation then the facts of the case war-
ranted. What was the extract which the Hon. Gentle
man had quoted ? It would be found in the 29th page
of the report issued by the Commissioners of Weeds
and Forests in August lest—" To sale of certain perts
or portions of land adjoining to the Ilafod estate."
What was the motion of the lion. Member ? It was
for a return of all surveys and valuations of 7,438 acres
of land sold for 1,0491. 155. 9d. The Hon. Member had
shown by his statement—though he was absent from the
House last night, that he had read his (Lord Lin-
coln's) observations upon this subject, in that morning's
papers, and therefore he had made himself master
of them, and of the explanation he (Lord Lincoln) had
given of this affair; and yet the Hon. Gentleman now
professed to say that that which he had just read was a
full and fair representation of the transaction through-
out. He (cord Lincoln) would not now enter upon any
further explanation on this subject.—(Hear, hear.) He
conceived that he entered upon it at sufficient length
last night ; and be said then, and he would say now,
that he was ready to produce, and he would produce, in
spite of the remonstrances of the House to the contrary,
all the documents connected with the transaction, cal-
culated to give the fullest explanation, except, perhaps,
a mass of letters which contained a quantity of matter
irrelevant to the subject, and which it would he an enor-
mous and almost useless labour to wade through.—
(Hear.) He said last night, and he would say now
again, that, even in the absence of these documents, not
the slightest doubt remained upon the mind of any other
Hon. Member of the House ; but if a suspicion did dwell
upon the mind of the Hon. Member opposite, he (Lord
Lincoln) hoped, when all the documents were before the
House—and indeed he thought he was bound to do so
—to bring forward a substantive proposition upon it—
(Hear, hear)—and if he did not, he (Lord Lincoln) would
then feel himself in a position to impute to the Hon.
Member that which would be anything but creditable to
him.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman had said that
if he were in the House last night, the result of the de-
bate on this subject would have been very different from
what it was.—(Hear, hear.) Now he (Lord Lincoln)
would insist upon the production and the reading of all
the documents he had alluded to ; and when they had
been read he did think that the Hon. Member would be
bound, in justice to the public, in justice to that House,
and in justice to the Hon. Member's fair fame, to place
upon the books of that House a motion founded upon
this investigation.—(Loud cheers.) .

Mr. E. YORKE presented petitions from landowners,
and occupiers of land, in the county of Cambridge, com-
plaining that the interests of agriculturists had been
overlooked in the past measures of the Government, and
praying that an adequate protection should be afforded
them.

Mr. WILLIAMS rose amid loud cries of " Order, order,"
and said he merely wished to say a word or two in explana-
tion. He begged to remind the Noble Lord opposite that his
notice was merely to the effect that he would move for copies
of the surveyor's valuation of the estate purchased by the Duke
of Newcastle, and described in the report of her Majesty's
Commissioners of Woods and Forests. When he had framed
his notice upon the subject, he showed it to an Hon. Member
opposite, who approved of it ; and he then showed it to the
Hon. Member for Montrose, and it was at his suggestion that
he had altered it to its present form. With regard to the
other things which the Noble Lord bad thrown out—(Cries of
" Spoke, spoke," amidst which the Hon. Member sat down).
Mr. HUME said, as he had been alluded to, he begged to
assure his Hon. Friend that he was very sorry that he was not
there on the previous cvening.—( blear, beer.) He had
meant to act kindly to the Hon. Gentleman and the Noble
Lord.—(Hear, hear.) He must confess that when his Hon.
Frieod consulted him, he said that the entry was very sus-
picious, but he advised him to get the papers first, and not
commit himself before he was acquainted with the facts.
He promised his Hon. Friend, not only that he would assist
him in getting the papers, but if they were not satisfactory, in
obtaining " further inquiry." That was the usual and proper
course for an Hon. Member to pursue under such circum-
stances.—( Hear, hear.) He could not agree with the Noble
Lord as to the course which an Hon. Member was bound to
pursue, after bringing forward a subject of this nature ; he
thought that if he were satisfied that was a sufficient reason
for withdrawing.—( Hear, hear, and laughter.) lie must now
confess that, as long as he had been in Parliament, he had never
heard an explanation more satisfactory, and more exculpatory
than that of the Noble Lord.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) He
would not be a party to. suspending for one moment the duty
of freeing the Noble Lord from suspicion.
Mr. MACKINNON wished to say a few words in expla-
nation. About a year and a half ago, he was treating for the
purchase of this estate, and he was fully aware of the claims
which the Government might have had upon it. With regard
to what had been said by the Hon. Gentleman, he begged to
say, that if the estate was sold by auction that it would not
bring one-twentieth of what it brought by private contract,
beeaase it would be of no value to any other person exempt the
Duke of Newcastle.
The subject then dropped.
cusToms. DUTIES.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave notice
that if the debate on the property and income-tax was concluded
in sufficient time on Monday evening, he would propose to go
into a Committee on the Customs' Duties on that night, for tho
purpose of giving effect to that resolution which repeals the ex-
port duties.