Star.
London, England, 1828-02-19 00:00:00

?lacing Lord Althorpc in the chair of that -Committee. lam quite
convinced chat there was no intention whatever of treatln you veil I,
disrespect, or of etposing you to the embarrassment of nut being iu
your proper place, in all that eel rtes to a matter so closely connected
with your own Department. It is certainly unfortunate that any
thing whatever was said to Lord Ahhorpr, before it was settled
that something should be said; bet it by no means follows from
tbat circumstance that the Government ought to be placed in
jeopardy if it can be avoided. especially at a moment so peculiarly
inconvenient to the King's service and to the public interest, as the
present must necessarily be. Nuw as to tbe appointment itself, I
must say, that it appears to me that you greatly overrate the ob-
jections and difficulties."

re, continued the lion. Gentleman, I shall not read
the Noble Lord's Argument, as I do not think it neces-
cary to the purpose for which I read this letter:
_ _

R I wish very much you vt Dish! well consider the matter before
you decide to withdraw front the Government, under circumstances

which would cause so much embarrassment."

The embarrassment to which the Noble Lord here
alludes was the probable resignation of other members of
the Government, in consequence of that of Mr. Herder.

" If I thought I was counselling any thing discreditable to you
personally, nothing would 'induce me to lay this view of the case
before you, but we all owe much to the King and to the public
good, and although I feel every day more and more the extent of
the sacrifice which office requires, and the pressure. bodily and
mental, which it imposes, I feel that we ought, if possible, to meet
Parlianient to justify our measures, and then leave it to Parliameut
to take what course they may choose in deciding upon our fate."
Now that letter would prove that nothing was farther
from his Noble Ftieon's mind, than a wish to make the
proceeding of the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Herries)
the ground of dissolving the Government. As to the
alleged alteration, predicted by the Hon. Gentleman
who had sp ken last, of the policy of the Colonial
Department, he was ready to assert there was no such
alteration intended ; but that all the improvements,
whose foundation was laid by the Noble I.ord, I rtely
at the head of that office, were in the course of being
carried into certain though slow executi n. For him-
self, and he stated it as a reason why he did not
retire from office, he believed that the principles of*
Mr. Canning—that is, the principles of improvement—
would be carried inlo effect by the present G ivernment—
those opinions of public policy, whose elements that
great S-atesman had found scattered in the public
mind ; but had concentrated them by the potent in-
fluence of his talents into one focus of active operation.
As to his Right Honourable Friend the Secretary for
the Colonies (Mr. ffuskissf n) be w4s sure that, had he
allowed himself to shtink through cowardice from the
official connexion with hi. late Iriends, he would stand
much lower in the opinion of the Country than he did
At present----(Chet rs). As to the debate of that night he
should say, the country had been already drugged with
personalities—the House would do better to wait until
they should see what measures the Ministers would
actually carry into effect, than to waste the public time
in discussing personal matters, or indulging public
curiosity —(Cheers).
Lord A LTHORPE said, that he had but little to say
on the present occasion, but what he did personally
know, lie would communicate to the House. He never
supposed that the flight Hon. Gentleman had any per-
ol-jection to himself, and therefore he could not
have acted horn any personal feeing. When he was
first askel whether he would take the Chair on the
Finance Committee, he required time to consider of it,
,mod subsequently he said that he would accept it, pro-
vided he was to be at liberty to op,lose or support such
measures of the Government as he klisapproved or ap-
_ . .

proved of—if thi• libtrty were conceded, he felt thAt es
A Metall:it, of PArlianient I.e could not jiwifiAhly refuse.
(lle4r, heat). But it he had been ay.aie that the slight-
est wish esisted in any quarter to place any one else
there, he should have at "nce declined, and thus have
relieved himself fit nr a lAbotionb duty. The Right

[lon. Gentleman o!'jected that re was connected with
patty. He avowed that he was so, and he was not
ashamed of it; but it oas some% hat singular that the
objection should have heed oracle last spring, which
WAS the only time in fact that, i.l consequence of the
changes in the Cabinet, he belonged to no party what-
ever—([gear ).
Sir GEORGE WA RENDER said :hat he could
not give his confidence to the present Administration,
which he looked upon as being ill calculated to benefit
the C Question ; for the Right lion. Gentleman
(Mr. Peel) had once refused to sit in the Cabinet, the
head of which was favoutable to the Cialms of the
Ca:holics, which w •s tantamount to a declaration, the
tenure of his office depended upon a successful oprosi-
lion CO _those claims—(Cheers). For this trawl) he could
not help looking upon the present Cabinet with a dis-
trustful eye.
Lord MILTON said, that if the object of the ques-
tions put by the Noble Lerd (Noraianbl) had teen
moody the grrification of tole curiosity, he v mild admit
that & great portion of ;he time of the House had been
wasted to little put po.e ; but he would contend that fife
dharacter of Officers of the State was a ..übj2ct of great
Ipnblic importance, and the public had a tight to be
'made acquainted with any thing ty which that elm-
Iractet was implicated. Ile felt bound to say that the
'statement of the Master f the Mint had made out a
good case for himself; but the country could oat
help suspecting, however, that in rs cent transacti. ns,
he was actuated rather by private feeling, than by mo.
tives of public justice. He lamented that the statement
would most likely give a handle to the public, to say
that the conduct df public men was sometimes influenced
by private feeling. He had hoped that tl:e Secretary for
the Colonies had more substantial guarantees than those'
which he imagined he held in the persons who held
office with him. It the Right Hon. Gentleman were
to bring forward one of his measures, and carry it
through that House -successfully, and if the measure
should afterwards be deseatej in the Lords, of what use
then would be the guarantees to which he had so 411.1'
illicitly trusted?
Lord MORPE 1.11 said, that he saw the Right Hon.
Gentleinan (Mr. Ht.olisson) rise with the most anxious
hope—he-heard him with the greatest attention, and
witnessed his conclusion with the most unfeigned dis-
appointment. From all he had heard, it appearcd to
him that the Right lion. Gentleman had abandoned
tho:e who were willing to promote his pol cy. Ile had I
united himsejf with those who had thwarted and op-
posed it, and had let the party of Mi. Canning without
a leader, and without a name--(Cheers).
Lord PALMERSTON said, that much had been
said relative to the understanding. upon which himself
and sevei ai of his blends bad joined the Administration,
and it was said that they were not justified in doing so
by sufficient assurances. With respect to himself, when
applic ti- n was made to him, he said that he crold
give no answer until he knew who the persons were
that were expected to become members of the Admi-
nistration. Wl:en, however, he learnt that his Right
Honourable Friend, the Secretaty for the Colonies,
and when he saw his Noble Friend, the Secretary fur
Foreign Affairs, enter the Cabinet, and when, in
add tion, he saw the President of the Board of
Trade be.ome a Member of the Government, he felt that
there could be no n:cessity for any other stipulatious
than the retaining those Right Honourable 6eialernen
in office. With respect to the policy of Mr. Canning
or rather to what was called such,l he had to observe,