Star.
London, England, 1828-06-03 00:00:00

SCOTCH PIXL4QI RILL.

Lord BELHAVEN moved, that this Bill be read a second
time. He understood that it would suit the convenience of several
Noble Lords to postpone any discussion of the subject until the
motion for going into a Committee.
The Earl of HADDIN GTON said, :hat it ought to be an in-
struction to the Committee to collect all the opinions and wishes of
all the members of the Scotch Peerage.
Lord REDEgDALEsaid, that tbit was a Bill which required
the moat serious consideration. It infringed the solemn compact
entered into in the Act of Union, and Parliament would not be
justified in passing it, unless it had the approbation of every indi-
vidual of the Scotch Peerage.- For the maintenance of the Articles
of Union, the Scotch nation had no guarantee but the faith of Par-
liament. They did not send a majority into either House of
Parliament, and If the Act of Union was to be violated by a majo-
rity of the United Parliament, without the consent of all the
parties interested, they would have no guarantee whatever. He
' would offer no opposition in the present stage of the Bill, but he
entertained a strong expression against the measure.
Lord BELHAVEN would at present offer only one remark in
reply to the Noble Lord. The solemn compact, upon which he
laid so much stress, had been violated before it was twelve months
old.—The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be
committed on Thursday, the 12th inst.
The Salmon Fishery (Scotland) Bill, on the motion of the Duke
of Amor., was committed.
Mr. Mumt, from the Bast India House, presented papers.
Mr. CaArrsa, from the Treasury, presented an Account of the
quantity of Woollen Goods exported during the last eight years.
Mr. Seams presented the 24th Report of the Commissioners
of the Caledonian CanaL—Adjourned.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
•
The Ayr and Calder Navigation Bill wu passed.
Mr. BY NG presented a Petition from Poplar against the New
Commercial Road Bill. _

Petitions were also presented against the Friendly Societies Bill,
from Bristol and Hull ; against an increased duty on cyder, from
Wells, in Sonsessetshire ; from ShifneU, against further concessions
to the Roman Catholics; from Ashton-under-Line, for a minimum
rate of wages • from Huddersfield, Cirencester and three places in
Suffolk. for the abolition of Negro Slavery; a similar Petition from
Ipswich, including also a reduction of duty on sugar; from C.arnsx-
von, Cardigan, Burford, Scarborough, and other places, in fattier
of a small nom currency ; from the Chamber of Commerce at
Dublin, for a repeal of the duty on coals entering that Port; from
Kilmore Union Parishes in Alkyls, complaining of the increasing
tithes levied by the incumbent, whom the Pentinnfrs represented
as never visiting his pariah, and yet demanding tithes to four times

•, EAST RETFORD.
'MINISTERIAL EXPLANATIONS.
Mr. TENNISON said, that in. rising to move the
Order Oahe Day for the House going into a Committee
on the gust Rettord Disfranchisement Bill, he must ex-
press hiaiYegret that a Bill like this, which rested on
grounds per fectly distinct from all party considerations,
a Bill which he hoped could have been productive of
nothing but unmixed good, should have given occasion
to a chafge of Government, and to the removal from
his Majesty's Councils of men in whom a great majority
of the people placed confidence, and who enjoyed both
their respect and their esteem. It must be felt by all
as a great misfortune, that at a crisis like the present the
Cabinet 'should be deprived of the services of men who
were known to be the advocates of sound principles of
policy, and on whom the country mainly depended for
the measures most conducive to its best interests, both
at home bad abroad. The House and the public has
yet to Ireihn with whom rested the Maine of this change.
He coon! *et believe that the Right Hon. Gentleman
I lately at the 'head. of- tie 'Colonial* Department (Mr.
Huskisson), after having joined the Administration of
the Duke of Wellington, and after having so long formed
an efficient part of it, would leave that Administration
without very good reason, in the difficulties and em-
barrassment which must at any time, but particularly
at the present, accompany any material change in his
Majesty's Councils. He was unwilling, on the other
hand, to believe that the Duke of Wellington, after hav-
ing called upon the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Hus-
kisson) to form part of his adthinistration, would seize
on the first pretext that presented itself for throwing
him off. There were only two modes in which, as it
appealed to him, Ministers could retire from the public
service :—the first mode was resignation ; and the second,
the dismissal of his servants by the Soveteign. The
Right Hon. Gentleman, therefore, either abandoned his
post at a time of peculiar difficulty, when questions of
the greatest moment, affecting bothLtheir domestic and
foreign policy, were under consideration ; or else the
Duke of Wellington advised his Majesty to dismiss the
Right Hon. Gentleman from his Councils. He trusted,
when the Order of the Day was read fOr going into a
Committee on the East Retford Disfranchisement Bill,
the Right Hon. Gentleman would take that opportunity
of-communicating some information to the House on
this high and important matter. He hoped it would
turn out that this Bill was not in reality the foundation
'of a change which all must lament. However that
might be, be should feel it his duty to t ersevere in the
measure—(Hear). Having from the first taken it up on
constitutional grounds, no consideration should iodise.
him to abandon it. Having betute explained these
grounds at length, he should not tie pass on the House
by going into the sulsket again.
The Order of the Day bating been read,
Mr. H USK ISSO.N. said, the peculiar circumstahees
under which he presented himself to the notice of the
House, were such as he trusted wool: ii gain for him
their patent indulgence. It was qui.e unnecessary &tsar
he should make any more elaborate appeal than this in
claiming sonic portion or attent'on. Notw ithstanjing
the examples set in modern times—notwithstanding the
explanation given by his Right Hon. Friend di- Home
Secretary (Mr. Peel) of the motives which influenced
him when he retired from office some time baak—and-
notwithstanding the appeal made to him by the Hon.
Gentleman opposite (Mr. Tenuisr,n), he was not still
prepared to subscribe to the doctrine that a Nlinister of
the Crown, when he retired from the Counci's of his
country, was necessarily bound to explain the grounds
upon whirl) he ceased to hold office. For any thing he
might have dune while in a responsible office, or for
any thing he might have omitted to do, lie was fully
prepared and willing to answer any questions that
might be put to him, and to tender to the House, and
to the country, as NI an account as any of his prede-
cessors. But while he denied the abstract right of being
called upon to explain his motives in retiring from the
public service, he admitted at the same time that there
were in the present case peculiar circumstances, which
rendered it a debt, as well to the public as to his own
character, to state to the House what took place.—
When IN Right Lim. Friend ( Mr. Secretary Peel) re-
tired some time back, he explained at lengths and with
this usual force, the motives which induced him to re-
linquish an office in which he had done such efficient
and valuable service to the public. The duty lie (Mr.
Huskisson) had now to perform was of a nature some-
what different. He bad not to state the motives which
led to his resignation, for he did not resign ; but he had
to state the circumstances which led to his removal.—
Of the motives which induced others to act upon such
circumstances he would say nothing ; but he was wil-
ling to believe that the circumstances wete such as made
it appear to them that theywere called upon to act as they
had done,in the discharge of a public duty. If it should be
suspected, or represented in any quarter, that he lightly
and trivially withdrew from the public service, they who
had such an impression on their minds would be enabled
to form a more correct judgment if he proceeded to ex-
plain the whole of the circumstances from the outset.
If he could be so far forgetful of the duty he owed to
his Sovereign, of what was due to the situation of great
public trust in which he was placed, as to relinquish
office upon trivial considerations, he would indeed merit
the most serious condemnation. Knowing the difficul-
ties and embarrassments that must necessarily arise
from the change of public men in the midst of a Session,
the derangement and delay of the public business in all
its departments, the inconvenience of suspending mea-
sures which were in a state of preparation; knowing
besides that the present was perhaps a most critical and
delicate conjuncture in their foreign relations, and that
in the present situation of Europe the country might
possibly be called upon to take some decisive step; in
such a state of things, to have resigned lightly would
be criminal ; and to be removed, as he must contend
he had been, without adequate cause, was a circum-
stance to be lamented. He should endeavour, with the
permission of the House, to unravel the affair. In a
case where the consequences resulting from this change
were of so serious a nature, and might possibly become
still more serious, he was bound to take care that the
blame did not rest at his door. At an early period of
the present Session there were two Bills under the
consideration of the House, founded upon certain
improper practices which occurred in two boroughs.

One of these Bills regarded 'die bOrongh of Penryn;
and it was proposed that the elective franchise of
that borou,e,h should be transferred to Manchester.
In another Bill it was proposed that the franchise should
be transferred to Birmingham. On the 21st of March
last a very long and able discussion of the latter Bill,
that for transferring the franchise to Birmingham, took
place. His Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Secretary
Peel) upon that occasion said, that as there were two
Bills before the House, he thought it desirable to give
the franchise in one case to a good commercial town—
and in the other, to open it to the adjoining Hundred.
His Right Honourable Friend enforced the propriety of
this course with his usual force and ability. It was con.
tended on the other side, that the franchise in one case
should be transferred to some large town, whatever
might be the fate of the other. He should not now
enter into the particular arguments which were brought
to support both sides of the .question. He 'rose at a late
period of the debate, and saw, as he thought, good
reasons for supporting that view o( the question taken
by his Right Honourable Friend. It would appear
that, as reported, he then made Use of the following
.words—o, If the present case stood alone, I should sup-
port the propelition for transferring the franchise of
East Retford to some great.commercial town.* At that
Nine it* felt assured, from what had previously tioitt
urgedliy eis Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Secretary
Peel), Om he dlid not outstep the line of a rgu meat which
had been adopted by his Right Honourable Frieird.-
(Hear). This he now stated boldly. He thought at the
time that in what had fallen from him, he confined h;m-
self within the view taken by his Right Hon. Friend,.
However, after the explanation subsequently gives by
his Right Hon. Friend, he found that he had gone
beyond the line to which his Right Hon. Friend com-
mitted himself. On the Ist ofApril, ten days after the Bill
for disfranchising the borough of Penryn passed that
House, from that until the 19th of May, ,no further
proceeding took place on the East Retford Bill. ilk
Right Honourable Friend (Mr.
:Sectetary Peel), sag-
gested eiat it might be made what was called a wait-
ing Billiontil it should be known what was the fate of
the Penryn Bill in the other House of Parliament. On
the 19th of May, however, it was proposed to take a
further proceeding on the East Retford Bill. It was
then known to every Member in that House, that the
Penryn Bill was so circumstanced in the other House,
that, either the franchise should be transferred to the
Hundred, or the Bill reje:ted altogether. Under these
circumstances he felt all the difficulty of the situation
in which he was:placed. He could not now aliude'to
what occurred in another place, 'of which he was' no
longer a member (in the Cabinet). This, however, he
must say, that his Right Honourable Friend (Mr.. S-
ecretary Peel) on the 19th of May. was fell), aware
to *bat extent be (Mr. Huskisson) had Committed his
opinion 00 the question• in the debate which pre.
viously took place. It was perfectly well known to
all his Colleagues That Members rot the Government, In
cases of this kind, were at liberty to pursue the course
which appeared to each the mot elo,oble. He was not
-at liberty therefore to :4 more upon this point. The
flonse would recollect that the Member for Hertford-
shire (Mr. N. Calvert) moved an. amendmeo• `4.
preamble of Ifs'.2..st Dot, watch went to admit ,
tae Hundred of Bassetlaw into the elective franchiSe,
but-went to annihilate courletely the franchi,e of aka
Retford, and to create in Bassetlaw an en, irely new
mode of election, making the qualification a rate cf 201.
for each elector, and of 401. for the Mayor. He ob-
served at the time that this would be quite an anomp':y
in their system of representation. He did not believe
that the Member for Hertfordshire himself (Mr. N. Cal-
vert) was able to show how his machinery could work.•
how many there si ere in the Ilundred of Bassetl rw that
could be rated at 201. how the Mayor was to be elected,
or how it was to be ascertained that he paid rate to the
amount of 401. On the whole, it appealed to him a
must extraordinary proceeding to erect in one corner
of the county of Nottingham a principle of representa-
tion which existed no where else, and which, at the
same time, went to annihilate all the franchises of East
Retford. His lt,ght Hon. Fi iend (Mr. Secretary Peel),
when this amendment was proposed by the Member for
Herttotshite, showed, and es he thought, showed suc-
cessfully, that in the form:-r proceedings on the Bill he
had taken such aline as had left him perfettly.sit lit
betty to adopt the amendment. But the very argu-
ments which hi, Right Hon; Friend used in proof of
his consi,ttn:y, would, it he (Mr. Huskisson) were to
sty port the amendment, militate with equal „force •
against hini in the opposite direction. He said it fear-
lessly, that his Right Hon. Friend took a pound on
%filch it was impossible that he (Mr. Huskisson) could
maintain himself. Every cord by Which his Right
Honourable Friend supported his view of the question,
left his position vulnerable and open to attack. It was
order these circumstances that his Noble Friend fl‘,rd
Sandon) said, " if the Secretary for Home Affairs op-
poses the transfer of the franchise of Eist Retford to -
Birmingham, I call for the vote of the Colonial Secre-
tary in support of it." Thus publicly calved upon to
redeem a pledge, what course had he pursue? As a
public man, and a man of honour, was there any other
alternative left him than to rise in his place and acknow-
ledge the pledge? He did so rise, and avow the pledge
he gave. But at the same time he endeavoured to show
the Member for Hertfordshire (Mr. N. Calvert) that his
proposition for transferring the fracchjses to the hun-
dred of Bassetlaw, and requiring such qualification in
the electors, was quite a novel proposition, that it in,
troduced a new pi inciple in the system of representation,
and therefore required mature and serious considera-
tion. lie endeavoured to prevail upon him to adjourn
the proceedings, that time might be given for consider.
ing what might be the possible effect of the new species
of machinery which he proposed to set up. His Right
Hon. Friend (Mr. Secretary Peel) no doubt must have
observed the difficulty in which he (Mr. Huskisson) was
placed. He admitted that his Right Hon. Friend's
course was a straight-forward one—but were he (Mr.
Huskisson) to pursue the same course, it was impossible
he could maintain his consistency. He could not vote
with his Right Hon. Friend, alter what had fallen from
him in a former stage of the Bill. Such having been
the case, he proposed that no vote should be proceeded
to that evening. It this course, so natural and so
obvious, had been adopted, when they came to the fur-
ther discusiion of the subject afterwards, no inconve-
nience could arise to theExecutiveGovernment,whatever
line he might take. He proposed the postponement of
the discussion. The House, however, having been
pressed to a division, it was utterly impossible that be

'Mr

J
could preserve his consistency if he gave any other vote
than that which heoil.give. He knew it had been said
in a certain ri*ter, that he might shelter his ennsis-
tency by urgingin the House that he did not yet know
the fate of the Pentya Bills, and was, therefore, free to
adopt the proposition of the Honourable Member for
Hertfordshire. He (Mr. Huskisson) should consider
such a subterfuge utterly unworthy of himself as a
public man—unworthy of every Gentleman sitting in
that House. The supporters of the Bill considered that
it was virtually lost by the Amendment. If the fran-
chise of Penryn was transferred to the Hundred, his
Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Secretary Peel) would
have considered himself bound to vote for transferring
the franchise of East Retford to Birmingham. The
case of Penryn, however, not having been decided on,
his Right Honourable Friend was perfectly at liberty
to pursue the course he did with respect to Eist Ret-
ford. He (Mr. Huskisson) was differently situated: he
was so placed that he could not, without manifest and
gross inconsistency, support the amendment of the pre-
amble. Under these circumstances a division took
place, and he voted as he thought he was bound in cots-1
sistency to do. The House adjourned at rather a late
hour, not, however, without his perceiving, by certain
looks and a certain manner, what the impression was
that his vote had produced. He went away from the
House under the influence of an impression produced
by these appearances. He looked at them, perhaps,
through a magnifying medium, and not without some
vague apprehension that his conduct might be represen-
ted in another quartet in a manner which might operate
to his disadvantage before he had time for explanation.
In such a state of mind and body, not very strong in
health, after having been laboriously employed for
fit-kelp or sixteen hours of that day, he on returning
home did that which next morning he might, on reflec-
tion, have thought it better to have postponed. He did
not, however, hesitate to say,. that he should hive
thought himself bound in couttesy towards the Noble
Duke to take, on the next day, the earliest oppor-
tunity of doing that which he had done on the pre-
vious night, and to inform him, that whatever might be
the feelings or the circumstances under which he gave
bis vote, he was quite ready to pay the penalty of it by
resignation, if the occasion should be deerned.sufficiently
important to call for such a step. He had now arrived
at a point where he found himself placed under consi-
derable difficulty., If he merely stated the purport of
the correspondence which he had with the Noble Duke,
he might omit something which would expose him to
the suspicion of not giving a favourable or correct re-
port. On the other hand, it might be obvious that it
was extremely irksome to read publicly what was,
strictly speaking, a confidential correspondence—(Cries
of "Read"). He had already stated tha circumstances
in which, as respected his own personal feelings, he was
placed by the vote of that night. If from an over-
punctilious idea of what was due both to the Noble
Duke and to himself, he wrote too soon after the occur-
rence took place, he regretted having done so. Had he
waited some time longer he might have been able to
express himself with more clearness and precision, and
thus have prevented the misconception to which his Petter
gave rise. His first letter bore date the 20th of May,
at two o'clock in the morning, and was to the follow-
ipg effect:
(No. 1.)
Downing-street, Tuesday Morning. 2, Lat. May 20.
Mt MAR Dues—After the vote which, in regard to my own
transiency and personal character, I have found myself, from the
coarse of this evening's debate. compelled to give on the Rat
lletford question, I owe to you, as the head of the Administration,
and to Mr. Peel, as the Leader of the House of Commons, to los:
1.. ..ornekny you an opportunity of placing my office in
other hands, as the arty means in my powes or urev«,,, i.ir
injury to the King's service which may ensue from the appearance
of disunion in his Majesty's Councils, however unrounded in reality,
or however unimportant in itself the question which bas given rise
to that appearance.
Regretting the necessity of troubling you with this communication,
Believe me, my deas Duke, over truly yours,
(Signed) W. HUSKISSON.
On this•he wrote private and confidential, and inclosed
• and sealed it. The cover was also sealed, and he sent
it in a cabinet box. He would not conceal lrcm the
House that it was written hastily, and under the in
fluence of strong feelings. If a member of the Govern-
ment could not, and was not at liberty to harve recourse
to immediate communication of this kind, it he was not
free- to substitute it for verbal communication. serious
inconvenience might arise. 'To this he received the
followtag answet

(No. 2.)
London, May 20, 1828.
•My dna* lltnicnison—Your letter of two this morning, which
I receisstsi 4f ten, has surpiiied me much, and has given me great
concern. I have considered it my duty to lay it before the King.
Ever yours, roost sincerely, •
(Signed> WELLINGTON.
The night lion. W. Iluskibion.
He was once before placed in a similar situation. In the
month of May, 182`2, Lord Londonderry moved a Re-
solution in that House, declaring it to be expedient that
his Majesty should be emposeeted to ra=te the sum of
one Milton by Exchequer bilk, to be given to Corn -
nlisirioneis, and advar.ced by them on the security of
Cernthen in bond. ennceiving such a measure as this
to bill'hicria,istent with sound principle, and. being at
vdrTHk selih all' his 'previous opinions on the subject,
he nOposse.r. die Resolution, which was after words aban-
&Wird: Nest day he went to Lord Liverpool, then at
due grad ite Administration, and did the same thing
vitsith he dit upon this occasion, but with-a quite chi-
Itieur —About ten o'clock`oejuesday,
Lhict Ds4ley called upon him on a matter of business.
After transactint the business, a conversation accursed
vilrich led hint to say that be had beau guilty on the
previntii high( Or a little indiscretions, and that he felt
himself Stalled upon by sense of public dO4 to pay the
price at iitl tsy plating his office at the disposal i•f the
Doke rd Wellington, who had' accepted his resignation.
Hit Noble Friend iminediately observed there must be
some "mistake, god be would go over to the Duke of
Wellington; stud there will be an end of the matter.
Ldrd Matey went to the Date, and soon returned,
saying the Duke declared he had made no mistake, and
peisisted resoluicoo of laying the letter before the
King. Ile' thin requested another Noble Friend to go
to tie NOW Dirke with an explanation of the circum
stances' ender Whi'ch the fetter was written. He did so,
anCllrbug• Km Sack an, answer, that the Duke of
Wellington cOnsisleredit a positive resignation. He then
wrote to the Duke of.Wellingtou the following letter :

L