The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-06-02 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY.

Lord Jon.: RUSSELL gave notice, that in committee on
the sugar duties he would propose the reduction of duties
upon all foreign sugar to the rate of duties proposed by
her Majesty's Government upon free labour sugar • and
if the House consented to that resolution, he would then
move the abolition of all differential duties on foreign and
.Colonial
Sir R. PEEL moved an address of congratulation to the
Queen on the hirth of a Princess. The motion was se-
conded by Lord JOHN RUSSELL, and the address was
agreed to unanimously.
Mr. SHAW moved the discharge of Mr. Smith O'Brien,
.on the ground thathe had been twenty-five days in prison,
sad the labours of -the committee on which he had been
appointed were almost closed.
Sir R. PEEL scquiec.--ed in the motion, as he.considered
the authority of the house had been fully vindicated.
The house went into committee of supply, and some
miscellaneous votes were taken, after the usual objections
*aged by Mr. HumE ane. Mr. WILLIAMS.

HOUSE OF CORDS.-TUESDAY

The adjourned debate on tlle corn bill was resumed by

The. Earl of WILTON, who stated that he had for many
years supported the principles which bad actuated her
Majesty'kGovernment, and he .deeply regretted the pain-
ful necessity which now compelled him to oppose the pre-
sent measure. He would endeavour to confine his obser •
orations to two points—the operation of the bill of 1842,
and the grounds which had induced her Majesty's Minis-
ters to depattfrom the principles on which it was founded.
ale did not object to the principles of free trade, so far as
they were compatible with the institutions and condition
of the country, but relaxation mu-t 'have its limits.—
(Hear, hear.) He believed that no bill had ever so com-
pletely carried out the intention. of its enactor as the bill
of, 1842. -Under it an equalisation of prices had • taken
place, and c,,mrnerce, trade, manufactures, and agriculture
bad flourished. Why, then, quarrel with that prosperity,
and run the risk of new and dangerous prosperity ? The
groundwork of the proposed change was the scarcity of
the potato crop in Ireland, but he did not think that a
statesmanlike reason for making such an extensive change.
(Hear, hear.) He did not believe that the operation of the
bill would lower prices in the same proportion as the

wages of labour would be diminished-
The Duke of CAMBRIDGE said

Hear, hear.)
le had always acted on

the p.inciple of not giving a vote in opposition.to the mea-
sures sanctioned by the Soverti4n, and when he felt he
could not fully concur in any measure, he had not voted
at all, lie was too old now to change bis sentiments,

ote on the question

a paint

than in

ts to t

e alarm \

ion in

ly to flow from this m

the-balance of advantages

.s in its f

: the benefi
e had been

fore support it.
Earl of CARDIGAN
in the whole polio

avour, and should

enounced the extraordinary

of the Government, in which

he could no longer place confidence, and he wo
fore, oppose the bill.
The Earl of WINCTIELSEA was equally strenuous in
opposing a measure which he believed was alike opposed
to the feelings as to the interests of the tenantry of Eng-
land.

d, there-

The Earl of CLARENDON strongly advocated the prin-
ciples of free trade, ridiculing the apprehensions enter-
tained by some parties, that the British farmer would be
ruined, if this bill passed, by an overwhelming importation
of foreign grain.
The Earl of CAERNARVON was free to admit that the
principles of free trade in the abstract might be true, but
yet contended that they were wholly inapplicable to a
country like this. The noble lord further contended that
Sir R. Peel bad no right to change his policy without giv-
ing an opportunity to the constituency of the country of
saying whether their feelings coincided with the change
which had obviously taken place in the sentiments of the
Government. _ I

The Earl of HADDIN.GTON repudiated the idea that the
Government was called upon to appeal to the people be-
fore adopting the principles of free trade in corn. A great
emergency had arisen, and the Ministry had no other
course open than that which they had adopted.
The Earl of HAF.DIVICKE regretted to be obliged to
oppose those whom he had bug followed and supported.
The Earl of Wic-ruow moved the adjournment of the
debate until Thursday.