The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-19 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS-TUESDAY.

Mr. James, Mr. Childers, and Mr. Rippon took the oaths and
their seats, after which
The SPEAKER stated that the sureties not having been duly
completed in the cases of the Pontefract, Dudley, and Bodmin
election petitions, the orders for considering them were dis-
charged. The Dudley case, however, it will be seen, was after-
wards mentioned by Mr. Aglionby, and was to be again brought
forward on Wednesday.
The CH NcELLott of the EXCHEQUER presented further
papers regarding the Canadas, &c,
Mr. HUME presented two petitions from the " Brentford Po-
litical Union," and for measures of peace and conciliation as
regarded the Canadas.
Several petitions, and numerously signed, were presented for
the repeal of the post-horse duty, the window tax, the duty on
marine insurances, &c.

The ATTOLINEY.GENERAL (in answer to Captain Pechell's
inquiry) stated that the Lott:l Chancellor was preparing bills to
extend the jurisdiction ofsheriffs' courts to sums as high as £3O.
Also to amend the law as regarded the recovery of small debts
all over the country, and to assist the administration of crimi-
nal justice at quarter sessions.
Lurd JOHN RCSSELL (in answer to Mr. Williams's inquiry,
who doubted whether the course would give satisfaction) said
that the commissioners appointed to inquire into the distresses
of hand-loom weavers would have assistant eommissioners—a
mode of proceeding adopted in the poor laws inquiry, and which
gave satisfaction.

THE AFFAIRS OF CANADA

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Lord J. RcssELL then rose, and, agreeable to nntice,broueht
under the consideration of the house the affairs of Canada. He
regretted the necessity for calling upon the house to suspend
the constitutional liberties of that portion of the empire, and
arraigned the conduct of the House of Assembly, in order to
show that the present breach with that house was founded in
justice. His lordship then entered into a statement which em-
braced the leading points in the history of the Canadas from
the period of their conquest by this country, the proceedings of
the House of Assembly, and the subsequent acts which called
for the adoption of strong.measures by the executive govern-
ment. lo the course of his speech be combated the arguments
of those who argued for the separation of the colonies from the
mother country. It was his intention to move an address to her
Majesty, deploring the occurrences which had taken place, and '
pledging the house to such measures as were requisite to put
down the disturbances. He would afterwards move for leave
to bring in a bill to suspend the meeting of the House of As-
sembly. His lordship concluded by moving an address to her
Majesty to the effect already described, expressing the satis-
faction of the house that the designs of the disaffected had been
'opposed, no less by her Majesty's loyal subjects in North
America than by her Majesty's forces, and to assure her Ma-
jesty, that while their house was every ready to afford relief to
real grievances, they were fully determined to support the efforts
of her Majesty for the suppression of revolt, and the restoration
of tranquillity.
Mr. Hints condemned the conduct of ministers, contending
that they had no right to suspend the liberties of Canada on ac-
count of the conduct of a few demagogues; and he strongly
complained that the government had often talked of remedying
grievances and correcting abuses, but, that nearly all had ended
in talk.
Lord ELior would ask if'two great concessions had not been
mode to Canada? The first concession was the act of 1791,
which established a legislative assembly in the colony. The
noble lord then read the oath of allegiance prescribed to he
taken on that occasion, and contended that the recent proceed-
ings for furthering the revolt were a violation of it. The next
concession was the act of ISA by which the whole of the crown
revenues in Canada were made over to the legislative assembly.
Yet afterwards that very body refuses' the supplies which were
necessary to pay official salaries, and carry on the civil govern-
ment of the colony.
Sir J. R. Ca RN AC insisted that every effort was made by this
country to improve the colonies and elevate the condition of the
people. He deprecated the course pursued with regard to this
question by trading politicians and enthusiastic theorists. It
hart already done far too much mischief.
Mr. Gaore felt persuaded that unless a total change took
place in the constitution of the legislative council, no measures
of pacification would be of any avail. He thought he had a
right to complain that the noble lord called upon the house to
deliberate upon the address, without giving to the house any ex-
planation as to what the address was to be. Surely the noble
lord ought to have given some more distinct pledge of a future
redress of grievances in Canada. If the noble lord's argument
was good for anything, it went to prove the expediency of a se-
paration between Canada and the mother country., The course
pursued by government was only calculated to exasperate the
feelings of the people of Canada, and to cause them to despair
of justice from this country. He should therefore dissent from
the address, regretting that a more conciliatory course was not
to be pursued. ( Hear, hear.)
Sir Roegar PEG:. said that the noble lord (John Russell)
in the course of his speech had brought under the consideration
of the house two most important questions—one, an address to
the crown pledging the House of Commons to the support of .
the crown in suppressing the revolt which had broken out in
Lower Canada; the other, the suspension of the constitution,
and investing an individual with dictatorial powers. He was
called upon at that moment to give his opinion on one only of
these questions, namely, as to the policy of the address by which
be should pledge hinaself, as a member of that house, to support
the crown in its attempt to suppress a revolt on the part of a
portion of its subjects. It would have been more convenient if
the question las to the propriety of the address, and the
adoption of legislative measures had been kept more distinct.
The first question was of sufficient importance of itself to com-
mand the undivided attention of the house. When it should be-
come necessary to give his opioionjmon the legislative mea-
sures, he should be prepared to do so, but on that occasion he
should confine himself entirely to the question of the address.
In the first place, be regretted that so much time had been lost.
( Hear, hear.) If be hadabeen in the House of Commons on
the night previous to its s7paratiug for the holydays, he should
have voted for the proposition that they should meet without
delay for the purpose of considering the question of Canada
( Hear, hear.) They bad an intimation that Lower Canada was
in a state of open insurrection. They had had at that time
official information that the Queen's troops had been committed
in arms with the Queen's subjects—that the Queen's troops had
been called in to support the civil power, (hear, hear), and un-
der these circumstances no time should have been lost by the
House of Commons in taking such steps as would have the
effect of intimidating the insurgents and encouraging the loyal
inhabitants of the colony. (Cheers.) He did not see why
parliament should not have continued its sittings under such
circumstances. No doubt a great many of its members had
separated under the impression that no business of importance
would be transacted, but when the fact became known that a re-
volt bad taken place, and. when it was known that the aid of
parliament was required by the colonial executive, there was no
reason whatever to justify an adjournment for more than
three days before parliament should have been again called
together to give that assurance to the crown, which they at
that moment gave so heartily, that in suppressing imme-
diately this revolt her Majesty might firmly rely for support
on the Commons' House Of Parliament. (Loud cheers.)
The house had to complain, however, that it had received no
formal intimation upon this important subject by way of mes-
sage from the crowh. (Hear, hear.) Surely when the fact was
known that the Queen's troops had been called out, that they
had been in actual collision with the Queen's subjects, that one
detachment of them had been overpowered, that martial law
had been proclaimed, and that the most pressing instances were
made to other colonies for troops, surely, under such circum-
stances, the House of Commons was justified in expecting a
message from the crown. (Hear, hear.) He would venture to
say that, in the whole history of events of an analogous cha-
racter, none had ever occurred without such a communication
taking place from the crown soliciting the support of the House
of Commons. The main question before the house, however,
was, if it was fitting that the House of Commons should assure
her Majesty of its cordial support in putting down the revolt—
(hear
hear); and he must say that he never felt more sincerely
that he was right, than when, without passion, and after great
deliberation, and not without &cautious forecast of all the proba-
ble consequences, he came to the conclusion of offering to the
crown his assurances of cordial support in attempting at any
hazard to suppress this revolt. (Hear, hear.) The honourable
gentleman who had last spoken hail suggested a consideration
of very great importance. He had stated that the majority of
the inhabitants of Canada were dissatisfied with our control,
and as the present was a liberal government, the chance became
more hopeless. of our being ever enabled to establish a perma-
nent dominion over them. He would ask the honorable mem-
ber if he was prepared to act uponthat principle as to the whole
of our colonial empire, great as it is? (Hear, hear.) Let them
not forget the extent of the principle laid down. If the hon.
member meant to lay it down as a rule that, on the very first
announcement of dissatisfaction by a colony, the mother coun-
try was at once to concede to it a free government, he would ask
him to suppose that Canada was an Island, and say if this rule
should be acted upon? Would he say that, after possessing it
for a period of 70 years, as the result of a brilliant conquest,
that because the people became dissatisfied we should at once
1,77•_;.. '`,relinquish it? If this rule were to be laid down. why confine it
". '---""7' !!`.7l*-/he colonies? A principle, if true, must be equally just, whe..
_ • - ;.t . applied on a small or on a large scale. W try, we would
:z i s should notthe principle be applied to any part of England
l• ! . became dissatisfied ? The very fact i f their declaring
li
--t eke, dissatisfaction would at once justify par; lament in graut-