Star.
London, England, 1828-02-12 00:00:00

connected with them he Committee the I intended
to be appointed, and the ii.ode in whict► that Committee
was to bt formed. When, however; the time al I ved
at which Parliament was assembled—the moist-h of
November_ttere were many ciicum,tAnces connected
with our relations a ith Foreign Powers, which rendered
it absolutely impossible that I should then be prepared
to submit to my Colleagues any definite or satisfactyry
view of that subject. True it is the state of Portugal
was becoming more and more settled ; there was every
reason to believe that the Government at Lisbon would
soon assume a form satisfadtory to every well-wisher
both to this country and to that, and that the time was
not far diStant when it would be competent to the British
Government to withdraw its troops from the stations
they occupied on the shores of the Tagus. Still it was
a matter of uncertainty how early that desirable object
could be attained; and, above all, it was a matter of un-
certainty how soon the relations between this country

and the Porte might be brought to an issue. Hence it was
impossible for me to state what might be the extent of
the demands on our revenue; and the maintenance or

reduction of our establishments must of course depend
very much upon our external relations. Such being
the case, the whole question of finance could not be
brought before Parliament, and for these reasons the
propriety of appointing a.Committet was not submitted
to the House of Commom; that the subject was not out
of our minds may be easily supposed. In the course of
that friendly and official intercourse which necessarily
takes place between Members of Government not sus-
picious nor jealous of each other (I saw no symptoms of
suspicion or jealousy, and I am sure the Noble Mar-
4uis will 'confirm me in this opinion)—(Cheers from the
Marquis of I•ansdovns)—it was intimated by a Mem.
her of tbs. Cabioin.• that, in his opinion, it would be
a very deeinible 'thing if there were placed in the
Chair of the • CoMmittee an individual in the other
Hots's*, whom he considered eminently qualified. With
regard to the individual whose name was suggested to
me, I will-say this—l have known him long, and have
ti very sincere regard for him. I know him to be •
Man of the highest honour and of the most inco.ruptible
integtity. I know him to be a man apt.for business,,
and conversant with all those point's-which would ne-
cessarily come under the view of the Committee of
Finance—(Cheers). It was impossible, then, that I
should have felt any personal objections to the appoint.
ment of that individual; but as the matter was not,
brought regularly before the Government, and as his
nanie was only meuti sued to me in a casual and inci-
dental manner, I did not conceive that I was called
upon to express any other opinion than this—that that
being a question especially within the province of the
House of Commons, I should entirely approve of the
topsides ate decision of those members of the Cabinet
who belonged to that branch of the Legislature. Such
'was the course I took—it was not taken in any regular
or official way, but under those circumstances simply as
a matter of conversation. It did, however, happen,
without my being aware at the time such a step had
been adoeted. that a communication on the subject had
been made, .though not with a view in any degree to
pledge he Government to the individual in queitioa, for
the purpose of ascertaining whether, if Ministers should
feel disposed to recommend his nomination as Chairman
of the Committee, he would undertake the duty ? That
communication, I beg to say again, was certainly made
without my knowledge;-it was also made without the
knowledge of the Member of the Government who,
from his situation, must necessarily be materially in.
terested in all matters relating to that subject; I mean,
that the communication had been made without the
immediate knowledge of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer. But it was not made at all as a point that
was settlici, and it Was not Made in a manner to pledge
,tote Government, or to bind it in any way, at lean
as I understood afterwards—had any objection been
made, it was not intended to persist in the appoint.
ment. When I learnt that the communication had been
made, the result of which to myself was personally
nothing, but satisfactory from the opinion I entertained
of the individual, the first question I asked was, whether
there had been any previous communication with the
Chancellor of the Exchequer? I was informed that
there bad not been any. I lamented that—l could not
but lament it, and I thought it an oversight. It seemed
to me an unfortunate circumstance that any thing should
have passed upon the subject beyond our own immediate
circle. I begged that no time should be lost in putting
my Right Hon. Friend in possession of what bad been.
said, and in explaining to him the whole of the cir-
cumstances. This was done by my Right Hon. Friend
the Secretary of State for the Colonies. He explained
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer 'all that had occurred.
No objection was made by the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer—no offence was taken by him at the tithe, as far
as I have heard, to any thing that bad been done.
It did, however, so happen, that the next day—after
be had had the subject under his consideration—he found that
tberi were very strong objections to the proposed appointment
which had been so submitted to him. He stated those objec-
tions to me; but I understood them to refer much more to the
fact, that no previous communication bad been bad with him,
than to the individual who had been named, and to whose ap-
pointment he could not accede. Explanations followed between
the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State
for the Colonies, and various letters passed between them. I
certainly considered those explanations perfectly satisfactory;
and so, I have every reason to believe, did the Secretary of State
for the Colonies. He was so entirely convinced that he had re-
moved the objections of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that
he never communicated to me the correspondence that had
passed between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Right
Honourable Gentleman, who originally suggested the name of
'the individual qualibed to be Chairman of the Committee. I
therefore conceived that the explanation had bee, perfectly
satisfactory. There might be differences of opinion as to the pro-
priety of what had been done; difficulties were to be surmounted,
and objections unquestionably might be made; but I bad no reason
to believe tikat there was any such difference of opinion a, would
leave any party concerned to conceive that if that appointment
were persisted in, it would be impossible for the individual objetting
to remain longer a Member of the Government. All this, the
House will bear in mind, took place between the end of November
and the beginning of December; and on the 224 December I re-
ceived &letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, ht which be
btu of all stated to me his objection to the appointment proposed,
as a matter of form. He also mentioned the general grounds, of
a public nature, on which he rested his resistance to the nominatios
that had been made; and he concluded his letter by observing, that
" wider these circumstances, and feeling these objections so
measly upon principle, be felt it his duty to place his office at my
disposal, if it should be any coovenktice to me to appoint any other
person in his stead." The conclusion I drew certainly from that
letter was, that my Right Honeurabk Friend tendered the resigna-
tion of his place if the proposed nomination took place. It was ut-
terly iinponibk nut to see that that was the obvious meaning of the
communication. I felt it my duty so to consider it. In answer
to my Right Honourable Friend, I stated that he bad greatly mis-
understood the share I had in tke previous discussion, which
be called a negociation. I explained to hint in writing, as I
haw. now doss to your Lordships, Mow this misappreheosiois had
arisen. I assured him there was no ground for saying that any
megeciatioo had been settled and concluded without his approbation ;
kw, in fact, I was not aware of it till it was passed. I told biro it
was a great mistake on his part to suppose that any case had, in my
opinion, otsurred, in which it would be convenient for ms that he
shield quit office • and that, at all events, I trusted that.be would
come to no final decision until the whole matter was fully and fairly
considered. I felt it my duty to transmit copies of these two letters
to my Right lion. Friend the Secretary of State, as he was alluded
to IN the letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I will not
Niter into a long detail, chicle would be tedious to your Lord-
ships. The result was, that while, on the one head, the Chao-