The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-08 00:00:00

scores of letters, requesting him not to be put down by
any opposition in that House, but to stand forth true to
the truth. That was the basis on which he had addressed
the House ; on that basis he would stand, on that basis
ho would fall, and on the part of the working classes he
implored them for a Select Committee.
Mr. VILLIERS said he did not know what the Hon.
Member who had just sat down meant by asking Hon.
Members on his side of the House for a Committee of
Inquiry. He thought it was his (the Hon. Member for
Knaresborough's) duty to move for an inquiry, and he
(Mr. Villiers) was sure that there was no one on his
side of the House who would oppose him ; on the con-
trary, every one would support him.
Mr. FIELDEN, who spoke in a very low tone of
voice, was understood to say that he believed a great
deal of truth had fallen from the Hon. Member for
Knaresborough, but he believed that the farm-
ers were carrying on the same trickery as
that of which the manufacturers were guilty.
The Hon. Member was then understood to advert to a
charge lately brought against a poor man, who stated
that he was driven by distress to commit the offence ; he
had to maintain himself, a wife, and five children ; and
though it was then the depth of winter, he had no
means of getting a fire. He had earned nothing that
week, and the week before he earned only 6s. 3d., out
of which he paid two debts of ls. 3d. and,ls. 4d., and
the remaining 3s. 7-id. was all.he had for the support of
his family. He stated these facts to the Magistrate,
who said that that was not a justification for acting
improperly, The poor man admitted that, but said that
distress drove men to do what they would not otherwise
do. If he was sent to prison, he would get something
to eat, and he was then starving. The fate, however,
of the poor man was, that he was fined 10s., including
costs. On the sentence being announced, the poor man
said he could not pay 10d., much less los., and he was
committed to prison for 14 days. These crimes did not
arise from the dishonesty of the working classes, but
from the sheer poverty in which the country was
immersed.
Mr. LAMBTON said that as a Member for one of
the northern counties he took a great interest in the
subject then before the House ; and he certainly could
not help saying that there ought to be a Select Com-
mittee appointed to inquire into the matter.—(Hear,
hear.) He was sure that that was the feeling of the
House, and he rose to ask the Hon. Gentleman opposite
when he would move for a Committee. _ _

Mr. FERRAN!) said that when he had brought for-
ward his charges the llon. Member for Wolverhampton
had told him that the matter should not rest where it
was. He had thought after that statement of the Hon.
Member for Wolverhampton that he would instantly ask
for a Select Committee, in order that the charges might
be investigated. He had now only to say that he would
himself move for a Select Committee of Inquiry before
Easter, if some other Hon. Member had not previously
made such a motion.

Mr. VILLIERS said that he had already repelled the
charges. He had produced a statement, signed by 72
manufactures, to show that they were unfounded.

THE NAVY ESTIMATES.

Captain PECHELL said that he wished to correct an
error which had been committed in the reports of what
had fallen from him the other evening in the debate on.
the Navy Estimates. It was stated that he had ex-
pressed himself favourable to large estimates for the pur-
pose of equipping more powerful fleets on the several
stations. Now, that statement was altogether erroneous.
Hon Gentlemen opposite had said on former occasions
that our Navy was in an inefficient state and ought to be
increased ; but he had been of a different opinion. He
had always maintained the proper policy for this country
to pursue, was not to exhaust her strength in the peace
establishment. The Minister of Marine of France had
denied the statement of an intended reduction. The
difference between himself and the Right Hon. Baronet
was between the Minister of Finance and the Minister of
Marine. He was inclined to attach the most credit to
the latter on such matters. It was quite clear that the
French Government were not in the least disposed to re •
duce their force. He approved of the policy of the Noble
Lord, the Member for Tiverton, and he trusted that that
policy would be pursued by the present Government.