The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-23 00:00:00

one. For thit) 'perhaps, the present Gtvernment might
not be to blame ; but at all events It was an unfortunate
state of things. Lord Palmerston then scouted as chime-
rical and impracticable the plan of the present Govern-
ment for blockading the African coast. Much had lately
been heard of the cordiality subsisting between England
and France. The only fruit he had yet seen from their
union was the suppression of the efforts of liberty in
Spain. He would rather behold those great countries
united to free the slave than to enslave the free. If they
were to use their joint influence in earnest with Brazil,
they might surely accompli,h something. Sir R. Peel
had lately mentioned, as one of the motives for encoun•
tering the toils of office, the hope of obtaining posthu-
mous fame. Such fame a British minister could obtain
only by serving England, or by serving mankind at large.
From serving England the present ministers were very
much precluded by their peculiar position. They were
interdicted by their own supporters from the complete
disenthralment of commerce. The full emancipation of
the Catholics from all their practical disabilities was an
object which they had not chosen to leave open to them-
selves. Education, on a large scale, was a blessing which
their followers would not allow them to bestow upon the
people. In the affairs of Europe they could not acquire
distinction for their country ; because they had long since
made their election that she should cease to hold that
front rank which until of late she had proudly occupied,
and drop astern to take up her berth in the wake of every
foreign Power: But it was still open to them to abc lish
the slave trade; in that work they would be impeded by
none of their supporters. By achieving it they might ac-
quire immortal glory—by neglecting it, they would earn
for themselves a dishonour in comparison of which the
reputation of the worst of Governments would be en-
viable.

Sir R. PEEL observed, that the noble lord had a way of
exercising his powers at the end of each session, upon
some motion to which the most fastidious minister could
not object, and upon which, therefore, he had the advan-
tage of exhibiting his eloquence, without the hazard of an
adverse division. In all which had been said about the
enormities of the slave trade, Sir R. Peel said be fully
concurred, though he believed the numbers of imported
negroes had been a little overstated. Two nations only
were now opposed to the complete abolition of that trade
—Spain and Brazil. If they would sincerely join for its
suppression, the object would be accomplished : without
their aid, it was almost impossible wholly to attain it.
He charged those two governments, therefore, with the
' whole responsibility of the still continuing guilt. He would
adjure them by the highest motives; but, if those should
be insufficient, he would warn them of the precarious
tenure by which their power was now held, and of the
proved resolve of the whole negro population to relieve
themselves from the state of slavery. That resolve of
theirs had been revealed under the influence of the torture
by slave insurgents taken in several successive revolts;
and it was fixed and universal. With respect to the in-
vidious contrast which the noble lord had attempted to
draw between the late and the present government, he
would give full credit to Lord Palmerston for the efforts
made by him when at the head of the Foreign Depart-
ment; but he must assert the not inferior diligence and
earnestness of the present government. If difficulties
had occurred in the ratification of the treaty with France,
they were difficulties wholly occasioned by that irritation
of French feelings which the measures of the noble lord
bad roused. He justified the instructions given to our
naval officers against any transgression of the principles of
international law. He vindicated the policy of block-
ading the African coast, by reference to the opinions of
officers who had served on that station, confirmed by the
deliberate judgment and high authority of Sir George
Cockburn. But, he did not propose a total discontinu-
ance of the force now employed to watch the Brazilian
coast. He adverted to Lord Palmerston's observations
upon the good understanding between France and Eng-
land, which he was sure could not be preserved by any
concessions discreditable to either; he expressed his deep
conviction of the importance of its preservation, and
condemned the conduct of those who attempted to dis-
turb it. France and England had, in this spirit of union,
made strong representations to Spain and Brazil, and had
declared their determination to insist on the fulfilment of
the treaties. His own wish was not to enslave the free;
on the contrary, he desired to see Spain, the country to
which Lord Palmerston's phrase seemed to apply, enjoy-
ing free institutions under a limited monarchy; he had
likewise the highest respect for the character of Espar-
tero ; but he was not disposed to any active interference
by England in Spanish affairs. The noble lord appeared
to have now made his motion, of which he had given no-
tice last March, mainly for the sake of his peroration ;
he, of course, could not suffer such a gem to remain in
obscurity. He could not take it with him into the coun-
try ; if he had done that, he would have been repeating
the speech to himself all the autumn, as hefmust already
have been doing all the last month. As to the unfetter-
ing of commerce, at all events the present ministry had
done more than its immediate predecessors, who had at-
tempted nothing until their last moments. As to the
emancipation of the catholics, surely he had not been
without his share in the advancement of that object.
And as to general education, his attempt of last year had
been defeated by his regular opponents, not by those who
generally supported him. The last avenue to fame
Pointed out by the noble lord was the abolition of the
slave trade. To that object the government were
earnestly attentive ; they would pursue it with the sin-
cerest zeal—but at the same time with a just and prudent
regard to the principles of international law.
The returns were agreed to.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-WEDNESDAY.

The Commons met at twelve o'clock.

Mr. Spooner took his seat for Birmingham, and was
much cheered by the tories as he approached the table to
take the oaths. .

The House went into Committee on the Poor-law
Amendment Bill, and went through the clauses from 37
to 55, when the House resumed.
In the evening, after forwarding a variety of minor bills
one stage, the House went into committee on the Metio-
politan Buildings Bill, and all the principal clauses, after
lengthened conversations, were adopted, and the report
was ordered to be received on Friday at twelve o'clock.
Adjourned at half-past ten.