The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-03-10 00:00:00

DEFEAT OF THE MINISTRY.

Mr. ETWALL moved for a select committee to enquire
into the administration of the Poor-laws in the Andover
Union, and into the management of the union work-
house.
Sir J. GRAHAM opposed the motion, and moved as an
amendment that Mr. Parker's report and the evidence
taken before him be laid on the table.. The Home Se-
cretary denounced the whole matter as a mere " poor-
house squabble," and said that instructions had been is-
sued for the discontinuance of bone-crushing in all the
unions. The grounds of Mr. Parker's resignation were
not merely his indiscretion, but his insubordination to the
Poor -law Commissioners.
Mr. Wakley, Mr. Christie, Mr. Ferrand, Captain Pe-
chell, Sir R. Inglis, Mr. Borthwick, Lord Pollington,
Mr. Fielden, and other hon. members, having all ex-
pressed their opinion that an investigation was necessary,
Sir J. GRAHAM again rose, and, amidst the derisive
cheering of the whole house, confessed that he should
yield to the expression of the opinion of the whole house."
He would withdraw his amendment, and bring it forward
as a substantive motion, and agree to the appointment of
the committee moved by Mr. Etwell. But the Home
Secretary sophistically added that he would not consent
to the amendment which Mr. Christie had on the paper,
to extend the enquiry into the conduct of the Poor-law
Commissioners in reference to the investigations at An-
dover, and to the resignation of Mr. Parker.
The amendment moved by Sir James Graham having
been withdrawn, and the original motion of Mr. Etilvell
having been put,
Mr. CHRISTIE moved the addition of the words—" And
into the conduct of the Poor-law Commissioners and
their late assistant commissioner, Mr. Parker, in refe-
rence to the two investigations held at Andover, and into
all the circumstances under which the Poor-law Commis-
sioners called upon Mr. Parker to resign his assistant
commissionership."
Mr. W. MILES supported the amendment. When he
consented to grant power to the Poor Law Commission-
ers, it was with the direct understanding that they were
to be strictly responsible to Parliament.
Mr. WAKLEY said, as the Government were made of
squeezable materials, and had yielded a point, they had
better yield more, and save themselves from the very dis-
agreeable catastrophe of being beaten in a division.
The Ministers resisted the amendment, and the House
divided :
For the amendment.. 92
Against it
Majority against Ministers........ —23
The most tremendous cheering announced this first de-
feat of the Government. As Lord J. Russell, Lord Mor-
peth, and the other leaders of the Whigs gave their votes
to the Ministers, successive peals of laughter and derision
were heard outside the house.

Mr. W. Cow PER moved for copies of despatches re-
ceived by the Secretary of State for Foreign' Affairs,
containing information about the persecution inflicted
upon the Basilian nuns of Minsk.
Sir R. PEEL said the only information he had on the
subject was from the British Consul at Warsaw, who,
having made inquiry, had reported that the atrocities
which appeared in the French newspapers were either
wholly unfounded, or were grossly exaggerated. The
Premier condemned in the strongest terms such barbar-
ities, if they had been committed ; but expressed his
entire belief that the Russian Government were ignorant
of them. He strongly advised the house to suspend their
judgment, and not to set the example of interfering with
the acts of other Governments.
Mr. COWPER withdrew his motion.