The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-02-04 00:00:00

Empertai Varliamint.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—THURSDAY.
The House of Lords did not sit to-day.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—THURSDAY.
A number of petitions were presented against any further
grant to Maynooth College, in favour of securities for pre-
serving unimpaired the Protestant religion, as by law esta-
blished, for churgh extension, and on other subjects.
Mr. DAsur and Sir E. SUGDEN postponed their motions
respecting the McFsrs. Hansard and the sheriff's.

ADJOURNED DERATE.--WANT OF CONFIDENCE IN
MINISTERS.
Lord POWERSCOURT said the speeches last night must
have convinced her Majesty's government ,of the truth of
the old adage, " that it was comparatively easy for a man to
defend himself against his. enemies,. but that it required.
supernatural aid to guard him ageinst hii friends." • (I-fear,
hear, and laughter from the opposition.)` Of all the speeches
which had been delivered upon this debate,-none were more
calculated to injure the government than-. the two principal
speeches on their side of the house—the speeches of the
noble lord (Howick) and of the right hon. gentleman the
new secretary at war ('Mr. Macaulay) It the .noble lord
were in his place, he (Lord P.) would congratulate him upon*.
the open and manly manner in which he had avowed his
reasons for resigning his post in the government—reasons.,
not from any personal Motive; or from disappointed ambition,
but on strong public grounds—(hear, hear)—and he might
congratulate gentlemen opposite on the support of the noble
lord, coupled, as it had been, with a speech which must
inevitably injure them most deeply. IA-ith regard to the
other speech to which he alluded, he must say that it was a
new thing, and, in his opinion, a most unpopular, thing, for
-a member of the cabinet to come down to 'that house, and
boldly and openly declare that he upheld and admired that
system of agitation to -which the country owed all the evils
(Cheers.) He thought it was
it *was now labouring unhhe
a new thing, and altosses.ser an unprecedented thing, for a
cabinet minister to come down to the house and speak in
terms of disparagement of the high and honourable office
of a privy councillor, in terms which expressed that that high
and honourable office was merely an empty name, arida nominal
title of distinction. It appeared to him to be a new and anomie-
lousthing for a cabinet minister to rise in his place in parliament
ostensibly for the purpose of answering a number of serious
charges brought against the administration of which he a
member, by the right hon. baronet. the member for Pem-..
broke, and instead of alluding in the most distant Manner—
(renewed cheering)—to any one of these charges, to fly off and
talk about the reformation—about some nondescript animal,
half roundhead, half cavalier—about the times of Milton and
Raleigh, and fifty other things, which had no more to do
with the matter in hand than if he had talked of the sudden
death of King Rufus, and entertained the house with a pane-
gyric upon his heroic deeds. (Cries of " Hear.") He (Lord
Powerscourt) thought the speech evidently well digested—
(cheers from the opposition)—concluded in a very odd and
peculiar manner. If he saw any resemblance to any hero, it
was the ancient Roman, who, as long as he found hostile
weapons against him, defended himself with great bravery,
but when he found a mortal blow had been inflicted by
friend, breathed out those memorable words, " et to Brute !"
He believed he spoke the sentiments of the great consti-
tuency that he represented when he stated that the present
state of the country required a strong government--a govern-
ment which would unite men of education, and the best
• wishes of both houses -of parliament--a government com-
posed of men, who, by their talent; character, and influence
would be enabled to carry on the affairs of the Government
with success. At the commencement of the debate• he
thou .ht no individual on the other side of the house would
• have had the hardihood to assert that the present Govern-
ment was entitled to that designation. He was satisfied that
a weaker or a more inefficient government never presided
over the destinies of a great nation than the present. It could
not be denied that the voluntary principle was the principle
on which the Government meant to act, but they did not
think the time had yet arrived when they could declare the
extreme limits to which they meant to carry their views.
He knew there were yet some of their supporters who de-
clared an adhesion to the protestant establishments of the
country, but that adhesion was given in such a manner, so
sleepy were they in their support, that they were more calcu-
lated to paralyse their energies than to advance the sacred
cause, whirls they declared their anxiety to struggle for ; with
regard to the Church, he could not help adverting to the
policy which the Government had. pursued ; lie thought every
effort they made to what they called submission was no-
thing more or less than a surrender of those sacred rights
to the enemies of the church. Ile knew full well that the
large and thinking portion of time people outside that house
would not suffer a continuance of such a government; there
was also a numerous and highly respectable party in that
house, who were perfectly free from any kind of bigotry
and prejudice, these, backed by the stronger body outside
of these walls, would form a phalanx so powerful that it
would be impossible for the ministers to retain their place.
(Hear.) He was ready to admit that they cheerfully ab-
stained from all outward expressions of dislike to the church,
but they also abstained from all expressions in its favour,
and did not hesitate to give the party to which he had alluded
all the increased weight of their expressive ilence, because
if they expressed openly their adhesion to that church, they
would run the risk of offending that party by which. they were
supported, and if they would insert the word protestant into
any of their state documents they would offend the ears of
that numerous body who, if they were sincere disciples of
the religion which they professed, must ardently desire the
abolition of protestantisin. (Hear, hear, and loud cheers.)
The voice of public opinion called for men to assume the
reins of government, who would not be ashamed to announce
their principles of religion, who would truckle not to any
party, but who would manfully assert in a straight forward
.manner the principles of their policy—a party who would not
stand upon the breadth of court favour alone--not upon party
claims alone—but would rest their claims upon the public
confidence on their sound opinions andprinciplee. This was
the policy which they had pursued with regard to the church
. which they were afraid to attack, but ho considered their
conduct in state affairs were even more culpable. Under the
names of forbearance and generosity they had displayed a
despicable and culpable weakness. He would not allude,
except in passing, to the speech of the noble lord at Liver-.
pool, or to that of the Attorney-General at Edinburgh, which
had been so ably commented upon last night. He should
say, however, that it was unworthy and undignified on the
• part of the ministers of the crown to go in imitation of an
hon. gentleman opposite, un an agitating tour through the
country. There was one part of the speech of the noble lord
which he would allude to—that was, his boast of it paltry-.
economy in the secret service money.. iieWondered'Whether
the noble lord; when he Made that toast Contemplated his
coming to the house with the extravagant demand with which
he came down a few nights ago ? he wondered whether it
ever struck him, when he boasted. of that paltry economy,
that a judicious expenditure of that money might have saved
the lives of maul of those who fell at Newport, by obtain-
ing for him a timely-notice of the danger whichwas intended.
Mr. Fox Seleeen defended the speech of Mr. Macauley,
and said, the opinions of the public as to the conduct of the
ministry had to be decided out of doors, and to that quarter.
he was ready to defer. The noble lord could not produce
one single measure which the government had ever intro-
duced which tended to injure the church ; hut they could
produce Many measures passed. by that house through her
majesty's present government on the subject of the church,
every one of which tended to confirm and streegthen the
• principles on which it was founded in the hearts of the people.
Mr. LIDDELL attacked the ministers on their finances.
Captain PECImELL defended them on their exercise of
naval patronage, alir' ed a speech lately delivered by the
Rev. Nlr. Anderscs. neighton.
Mr. LAsEELLI:,,i remested the charge of disunion which had
been preferred against the tories, and rebuked Mr. Macaulay
for having chosen such a crisis as the present for the utter-
ance of an eulogy on agitation. .
Mr. HANDLEY though professing himself friendly to the
existiquaegsctloorun
al an e
one.n'
open yet
comcommended the ministers for leaving
the •
Sir A.
DemsyStrLE vindicated the speech of Mr. Anderson.
Mr. SYDNEY lier ism • nf 11ridiculed the childish
T success u y
notion that the tories
relief bill; and desire to repeal the Rom n
a Catholic
exposed the inconsistency of Mr. Handley,
who was not Only
opposed to his
own
vnsupporting a government very generally
ea-
gerly nanvassed,
to opinions on the corn laws, but had ea-
most inveterate enemies of new
solicitor-general, one of the
of Unit code. Any hope of disunion
among the conservatives would meet, he 'said, with signal
disappointment. They were a. compact phalanx, looking
vsLoithra lio
the utmost confidence to their leader ; to whom, indeed,
ieu k also must shortly accede, unless he should
continue to think that the government, though too discredi-
table for him to
b
to Eupport. .ong to, was not too discreditable for him
Mr. WARD explained the reasons why, after having so
often expressed opinions unfavourable to the ministry, he
was now about to aid
with his vote. The expectation
of a more radical policy, emne
to Oppose the gyoesalscrriv'i'ealsitt,be motive with the con-
servativess
and he
was with him the mo-
tive to support it. Last
11 would have voted against
ministers ; but minister
reen.ssell had found " a middle
point" on which they could
sive reform—not such as Lord 1-loee'rje point was
progTes-
merely nominal, but a real reforin.ie
,tradvocisted, which was
questions had been conceded by Lord Johnh principle of open
open question had really become a necessaryßussell h and an
grea
• t change. The amasses would not be step in every
conciliated,
ra-
dicalism was at length placed in a favourable ed, and
most eloquent advocate of the ballot had bednir"el" The
the cabinet ; and these were sufficient inthiceme"
Lulea into
radicals to give their confidence to the ministers. to the.
Lord STANLEY then rose, and spoke. for upwards of
an
hour and a half with great vigour and effect. It had been
asked, he said, why this motion had nut been made in some
former year. It was because the leading me:nbers of the
party had felt that it did not become. them to displace a lin-
zustry, unless they had a prospect of becoming able to con-
duet a government themselves. But it was now become
known from the people, and even from one of the late mi-
nisters, (Lord llowick), that the most respectable sup-
porters of the present cabinet were rapidly failing off from
them, and that the eyes of the country were opening. Bat,
whether the present battle should be won or lOste-and he knew
that this division would be against him—the result would nut
produce the slightest variations in the course of the great con-
servative ative body. Fail as often as they might, they would still
watch
and contronl the government, still keep the fixed line of
their duty as a great defend the ministers
at united party, still .
when in the right and still
defeat those ran.j,ta,ginst their mischievous allies,
to the country. measures which would be detrimental
ssess the
places of the goverunievni•'igs might continue to ' ,e
by the tories. Parties but its authority would be wield
people, who would knosovnadenow stand unmasked before the
what the expectations, by which
ntt s-ere time connexions, anti
power. They were supported now government were kept in
don't approve them, but we use t7hrei . Wen who say, " \V n
be •
Theause we can push
them onward for our own purposes."
questions now likely to arise were those relating
most important
of bread, the mode of exercising; the
elective
to the supply
the extent to which that franchise should be ‘g
franchise, and
subjects of such importance the principles of tibuted. On
should be known to members before they the government
pledged themselves
to its support. Yet, who could understand the sentimentsselves
. of
these ministers on the corn-laws ? Each had a
opinion—the gentleman who had last acceded to the62:lriante
being a known stickler for, that free trade in corn which the
head of the administration had characterised as the maddest
of all conceivable speculations. Of the ballot the same newt-
corner was a vehement advocate; while the leader of the
House of Commons declared it to be dangerous and uncon-
stitutional. If it were asked 'as to extension of franchise,
what was to be the limit, the answer was " progressive re-
form ;" whn:li seemed to mean all that every body fancied.
Lord Howick, however, had objected to progressive reform
so construed. That noble lord was not a man to be startled
at a tolerably large measure of reform ; but the new doctrine
was too much even for him, and he refused to go further.
el was impossible to imagine a government less deserving of
confidence than one where all shades of opinion were admit-
ted, but no man was found who held n his hand and said,
" Thus far will I go, and further."
ter. f 1 I •
At the conclusion of Lord werful address, the
Stanley's powerful
debate was again adjourned, to be resumed the next evening.
The house adjourned at a quarter-past twelve o'clock.

HOUSE OF LORDS.i 'e.t DA v.
Lard BROUGHAM asked the Lord Chancellor if he were
prepared to' make such an alteration
in the objectionable
clause of Prince Albert's N
aturalization 11111 would as pre-
ventunpleasant -discussions.
The Lord CUANCELLOR replied, that hehould propose
titit the clause be a tered so as to give her‘N.lnaejes etty the power
to allow the Prince .to take precedence
heir apparent to thC throne.' ANTER airy
Lord BROUGHAM said, "but to continue only v during the
life of her Majesty?" •