The Sun.
London, England, 1827-06-02 00:00:00

THE 11INISTRY.

The Earl of WINCHELSKA, understanding Parlia-
ment was likely to be prorogued in:a few weeks' time, con-
sidered that he should not be acting with courtesy to their
Lordships, and in particular to the Noble Marquis oppo-
site, who expressed a wish to be informed, whether it still
was his intention to bring forward the important motion
of which he had given notice ; he considered that he should
not be acting with fairness, if he allowed the House to ad-
journ that day without giving an explicit answer on the
subject. When he gave notice of that motion, he did so
with the strong conviction, that his Majesty's Govern-
ment formed, as it was, by the coalition of two oppo-
site parties, did not present that uniformity of feeling
which entitled it to the confidence of the country.—When
he considered that the settlement of questions of the great-
est importance had been avowedly stated by those who
were considered the leaders of their party, as tending to
the ultimate tranquillity of the country ; and when he re-
marked that those Members of the late Government who
formed part of the present Government, had been strongly
opposed to those questions, he had, acting from a convic-
tion that there was not that unanimity in the Government
necessary to entitle it to support, given notice of that mo-
tion, which, he distinctly stated, he now withdrew.—
When he considered that the notices of motions to he
brought ender the consideration of the House, and which
would fairly have brought to the test the principles of the
individuals who supported them—when he considered that
those notices of motions had been withdrawn and aban-
doned, lie must, therefore, conclude that the unanimity of
opinion in the Government must have arisen from some
concession of principles of the Noble Lords opposite to clear
their characters, and they might avail themselves of an op-
portunity, before the expiration of the present session of
Parliament, to state inwhat situation they stood, and upon
what consideration they had been induced to come forward
to support the Government.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN.said that the Noble Earl
had very candidly, in consistence with the courtesy expected
from him by the House, and by himself, finally stated his
intention of abandoning' that. notice of a motion which he
had undoubtedly given for the purpose of eliciting such a
statement as would be incumbent on him (Lord Lansdown)
to give, in answer to the charges which the Noble Earl in-
tended to make. But it was not for hint to inquire into
the motives which had induced the Noble Earl at any time
to conceive the intention of giving notice of a motion ulna
any subject or upon any question which subsequent consi-
deration might have induced him to withdraw. He was,
however, certain that he was justified in entertaining the
opinion—as there was nothing irregular in the course
which the Noble Earl intended to pursue, but which was
on the contrary, the regular, the received, and constitutional
course, in which every Noble Lord, who thought he had
reason to complain of the constitution of the King's Go-
vernment had a right to submit his views upon the con-
stitution of that Government to this House and the coun-
try—that the Noble Earl had at last seen good reasons to
abstain from proposing to the House to adopt the opinion
which he at one time had been induced to form, whatever
reasons lie might have,,or indeed must have had, for adopt-
ing such an opinion, the Noble Earl had for reasons, and
he had no doubt most sufficient reasons, determined upon
altering that course, and it would be therefore highly un-
becoming in him (Lord Lansdown) to avail himself of the
few observations which the Noble Earl had thought fit to
make in withdrawing his notice of the motion, to enter
upon that subject which the Noble Earl did not consider
as furnishing a ground for any Parliamentary proceedings.
He therefore assumed, as he had a right to assume, that
the Noble Earl now saw nothing tangible in that respect—
that after having given notice of a motion for the consi-
deration of the House, yet, upon reflection with himself,
and after communication with others, he considered that
he had not sufficient grounds fur submitting that motion
to the •House. But in stating his intention to abstain
from making any motion, the Noble Earl had briefly in-
timated that he conceived that that unanimity which he
stated to be desirable in his Majesty's Government had been
obtained by some concession which he had not thought fit
to particularize. The Noble, Earl had alluded to notices
of motions which had been withdrawn. He did not know
to what motions the Noble Earl alluded, for lie knew of
no notices having been given and withdrawn, excepting
those which had been given from the other• side of the
House, and which had been as successively withdrawn,
as fast as they were made. He wished, however, to take
this opportunity, in the face of that House and in the face
of the country, to declare, that no one opinion which lie
had ever entertained upon any subject had been withdrawn
or compromised, as affording a ground for that connec-
tion, Which, upon the grounds of public principle and
honour, and upon the grounds of public principle and
honour only, he had thought it to be his public duty to
form ; and when he should hereafter hear any allusion
made to this subject, he should beg the favour of any
Noble Lord who made such allusion, having access to those
records:of the proceedings of that House which were known
to exist, and having the benefit of that diligent attention
which the Noble Lords opposite had given to those pro-
ceedings.-.-he should beg the favour, lie repeated, of the
Noble Lord availing himself of those sources which lie had
mentioned, to point out that particular opinion, which at
any' hne he had given, which the Noble Lord might think
inconsistent with the . course he was now pursuing. He
had thOught it his duty to give hie support toe Government
with which be had no connexion,--a course, perhaps, un-
intelligible to some Noble Lords—publiely and loudly, upon
principles which he thought important to the welfare of
the country. He had gone still farther, and *hen he had
seen Noble Lords acquiescing in silence in those measures
of policy to which they now made objections, connected
with the commerce and navigation of the country, he
thought it his duty to come forward to state his warm con-
currence in those measures, warning Noble Lords, at the
same time, of their extent and importance ; and having so
warned them, and having so stated his own concurrence
and approbation, lie had had the good fortune to see those
measures unanimously carried. He little thought that that
unanimity, revealed in those measures which were adopted
with the approbation of this House and the country, would
' be made the basis of a charge, not only against the King's
Government, but also against those individuals who, in
consistence with the principles they had acted upon, conti-
' nued to manifest on the one side of the House that support
which they had loudly proclaimed from the other.—
(Hear.)—As that unanimity had been useful to the House
before, so that unanimity was the foundation of the con-
, nexion which, on public grounds, he thought right to form.
He should say no more upon the present occasion, but to
state that he was obliged to the Noble Earl for the informa-
tion he had given to the House, and he should certuinly
consider all further notice of this subject as unnecessary,
' unless some Noble Lord should take it up.
The Earl of CARLISLE hoped he might be permitted
to say a few words. In obeying the command of his Ma-
• jesty in accepting the office which he held, be was not

PRICE 7D.

con.cioue of baring forfeited any pledge, or abandoned any
principle.

The Marquis of SALISBURY, in presenting a petition
from a place in Staffordshire, against the proposed altera-
tion in the torn laws, took occasion to defend himself from
the charge of inconsistency brought against him, in com-
mon with other Noble Lords. Whoa the questions re-
specting free trade wire first brought before the considera-
tion of Parliament, he Mai but inexperiensed in public
affairs, and he did nob know whether he should now have
courage to state his opinion respecting those measures, if he
did not see that it was strengthened by experience of the
benefits which that system produced. He was entitled to
argue, from the present, that-that system was the cause of
the distress, unless the Noble Lord opposite could prove it
to be otherwise. He was ready to submit a motion on the
state of the Government at the earliest opportunity, pro-
vided he had sufficient information to enable him to do so.

Lord REDESDALE defended himself from the charge
of inconsistency, and concluded by baying, that since the
year 1820, he considered that Lord Liverpool had been
departing from the principles which had formerly iquided
-his Majesty's Government; and therefore, from that year,
he had disagreed with him.