The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-05-19 00:00:00

MR. D'ISRAELI AND SIR ROBERT PEEL

The hon. member for Shrewsbury is undoubtedly the
evil genius of Sir Robert Peel, and the one member of the
house who appears to possess the power to disturb his
complacency. In the concluding debate on Friday night
upon the Corn Bill, Mr. D'lsraeli inflicted the following
severe castigation upon the premier, which called forth
from him very unusual symptoms of irritation :
" And now I must say a word in vindication of the right
hon. baronet. (Laughter.) I think that great injustice
has been dpne to him throughout the debate; that a jus-
tifiable misconception has universally prevailed respecting
the right hon. gentleman. He has been accused of a long
meditated deception, of a desire worthy of a great states-
man—even of an unprincipled one—to give up all the opi-
nions by which he rose to power. I acquit the right hon.
gentleman of any such intention, and I do for this reason,
that when I examine the career of the minister who now
fills a great space in the parliamentary history of this
country, I see that between 30 and 40 years, from the days
of Horner down to the days of the hon. member for Stock-
port, the right hon. gentleman has traded on the ideas and
intellects of others. (Cheers.) His life has been a great
appropriation clause. (Renewed cheers and laughter.)
He has been the burglar of others' intellects. Open the
index of Beatson, and from the days of the Conqueror
down to the termination of the last reign you will find no
statesman who has committed petty larceny on so great a
scale. (Cheers.) I believe, therefore, that when the
right hon. gentlemen undertook our cause on either side
of the house he was perfectly sincere in his advocacy. But
as in the course of the discussion the conventionalities he
had imbibed crumbled away from his grasp, feeling no
creative power to sustain him with new arguments—feel-
ing no spontaneous sentiment to force upon him convic-
tion ; the right hon. gentleman was reduced at last to de-
fending the noblest cause, based on the highest princi-
ples, the right hon. gentleman, faithful to the law of his
nature, embraced the new doctrines, the more vigorous,
life-like, popular doctrines of free-trade, just as he had
embraced the doctrines of Horner; just as he had em-
braced the doctrine of every leading man in this country
for the last 30 or 40 years, with the exception of the doc-
trine of Parliamentary reform, which the Whigs wisely
kept as their own, and did not allow it to grow to sufficient
maturity to, fall into the mouth of the right hon. gentle-
man. Mond cheers.)

THE PREMIER'S ANNOUNCEMENT AND ITS EFFECT

I remember when the whig budget was rejected, and
the right hon. gentleman installed into office, the changes
which he pronosed at the time created some suspicion ;
but all suspicion was hushed at the moment because the
right hon. gentleman was looked upon as the man who
could make the best bargain for the party. I want to
know what gentlemen think of their best bargain now.
(Laughter and cheers.) At last, sir, it was announced
that the first minister meditated another change. And
bow was that announcement made ? Were hon. gentle-
men called together, or had the influential members of the
house any intimation given to them of the nature of it ?
(Hear.) No, sir. It was announced through the columns
of a journal—(cries of " hear")—which is always careful
never to insert important information except on the high-
est authority. (Renewed cries of "hear.") And see the
effect which the announcement had on foreign ministers
and on foreign courts. I can bear witness to it. I know
one great potentate who sent for the English ambassador
and demanded an explanation of the announcement ; and
Ik- E- I;sh .mbar lor who called on a great po

..now an Engl►. a...
tentate and assured him that there %-
truth in the announcement. (Hear, and lauehter.) And
all this time members of the government—l have some of
them in my eye—were calling on other newspapers devo-
ted to the government, and instructing them to declare
that the announcement was an infamous fabrication. And
how ingenious was the conduct of the ministers—or of
that minister who formed the omnipotent minerity of the
cabinet. (Loud and ironical cheers.) After so much
agitation, after so much manoeuvring, and after the cabi-
net had been reformed, was it not somewhat strange that
the right honourable baronet should have talked and acted
as if we bad deserted him, and not as if he had deserted
us? (Great cheering.) Who can forget those tones ? Who
can forget that an indignant glance ?
. .

" Vectabor humeris tune ego inimicis equc
Meaeque terra cedet insolentite ;"

which means to say, " I, a protectionist minister, mean
to govern England with the aid of the Anti-Corn-Law
League. (Cheers.) And, as for the country gentlemen.
why, I snap my fingers at them." (Continued cheers.)
Yet it appeared to me that even then the right hon. gen-
tleman had no cause to complain of his party. It is very

true that, on a subsequent occasion; VO gentlemen re-
corded their sense of his conduct. (Hear, hear.) But
then he might have remembered the considerable section
of converts that he obtained, even in the last hour. (Loud
laughter.) Why, what a compliment to a minister—not
only to vote for him, but to vote for him against your opi-
nions—(much cheering)—and in favour of opinions which
he had always drilled you to distrust. That was a scene I
believe unprecedented in the House of Commons. Indeed,
I recollect nothing equal to it, unless it be the conversion
of the Saxons by Charlemagne, which is the only histori-
.

cal incident that bears anyypaiallel to that illustrious oc-
casion. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Then, the Saxons,
trained from the banks of the Rhine, determined to resist
any more movements on the part of the Great Caesar; but
when the Emperor appeared, instead of conquering he
converted them. How were they converted ? In batta-
lions—converted in battalions and baptized in platoons.
(Roars of laughter.) It was utterly impossible to bring
this nation from a state of reprobation to a state of grace
with a celerity sufficiently quick. (Laughter.) When I
saw the hundred and twelve fall into rank and file—(con-
tinued laughter)—l was irresistibly reminded of that me-
morable incident on the banks of the Rhine. (Cheers.)—
Mr. D'lsrueli's speech.

SIR ROBERT'S DEFENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT
MEASURES.

My first consideration was, what was the best means
for averting a great calamity ; and, secondly, to relieve
the people, I was hound to protect from the temptation
of famine and misery. I cannot charge myself or my
colleagues with having been unfaithful to the trust I have
undertaken. Ido not believe that the great institutions
of the country have suffered from this administration.
The noble lord who has just spoken has expressed a hope
that the discussions which have threatened the main-
tenance of amicable relations between this country and
the United States would be brought to a happy conclusion.
I think I can appeal to the course which we have pursued
as evidence that we have not abandoned the honour of
this country ; and I can appeal to past experience as
showing au earnest desire, by any effort consistent with
my honour, to maintain friendly relations with every
country on the face of the globe. (Hear, hear.) These
principles will ever continue to influence me so long as I
have a share in the management of the affairs of this
country. If I look to the prerogatives of the crown—if
1 look to the position of the church—if I look to true in-
fluence of the aristocracy, I cannot charge myself with
having taken any course inconsistent with Conservative
principles, or calculated to interfere with the high prin-
ciples of any branch of the legislature, or any institutions
established in the country. My earnest wish has ever
been to impress the people with the feeling that the legis-
lature is animated by a desire of carrying on their im-
portant proceedings on the principle of justice. I have a
strong belief that the great object we all contemplate is to
alleviate the social condition of that class of the people
with whom we are brought into no direct relations by the
exercise of the legislative franchise. (Hear, hear.) I
wish to convince them that our object is to apportion
taxation in such a way as to relieve industry and labour
from any undue burden,—(hear, hear)—and transfer it,
as far as is consistent with the public safety, to those who
are better able to bear it. I look at the abs.ence of any
commitment for sedition—l look at the calm that prevails
in the public mind—l look at the increased and growing
confidence on account of the course which you have taken
in relieving trade from restrictions and industry from un-
just burdens—l see that where there was dissatisfaction
there is contentment—where there was turbulence I see
there is peace—where there was disloyalty I see there is
loyalty—l see a disposition to confide in you, and not to
agitate questions that are at the foundation of your con-
stitution. Deprive me of power to-morrow, you can never
deprive me of the consciousness that I have exercised the
powers committed to me from no corrupt or interested
motives,—(cheers)—from no view to the gratification of
personal ambition or any personal enmity ; that I have
laboured to maintain peace abroad consistently witb the
national honour, and defending every just institution to
increase the confidence of the great body of the people in
the justice of your decisions, and by the means of equal
law to dispense with all coercive powers,—(" hear, hear,"
from the Irish members)—and to maintain attachment to
the throne, and loyalty to the constitution, from a con-
viction of the benefit that would accrue to the great body
of the people. (Cie rs.)—Sir Robert Peel's speech,

May Ig, 1 R4G.

RAILWAY INTELLIUENCE.

It appear': from a return ordered on' the motion of
Colonel Sibtholp',• that the total cost of the' gauge com-
mis; ion has been only £571 10s.
The directors of the Newcastle and Carlisle Ita;lway
have commenced running cheap trains to all the stations
along their lines, on Sundays, at the luw rate of one half-
penny per mile.
At a meeting or shareholders in the Northumberland
and Lancashire Railway, held at Eastwood's hotel, on
Thursday, Eyre Evans, Esq., in the chair, a motion was
passed authorising the directors to wind up the concern.
The keeper of a boarding-house in London lately sent
in a bill of 13s. 6d. against the Birmingham and Leicester
Railway Company, for soup and claret, consumed by one
of its promoters ! _ .

disputes between the engineers and provisional
committee of the Liverpool, Preston, and North Union
Railway, have been arranged, and the amount in hand,
after paying expenses, is to be divided amoo4st the share-
holders.

The electric telegraph has again been the means of se-
curing s delinquent. A pay-sergeant of a regiment at
Portsmouth, after robbing his captain, absconded, but was
secured at the London terminus of the South Western
Railway, information of his flight having been sent for-
ward by the telegraph.
HUDSONIAN RAILWAYS.—On cross-examination before
the committee on the South Midland Railway Bill, Mr.
Hudson said he had never cast up the capital of the lines
with which he was connected, but it might amount to
£35,000,000 and the distance they traversed might be
2,000 miles, but he had never counted it.
One of Stephenson's new six-wheeled engines ran from
Birmingham to Wolverton last week, with a load of 100
tons, in an hour and ten minutes. The distance is fifty-
two and a half-miles, which makes precisely forty-five
miles and a half an hour—a splendid performance with%
heavy train.

NOT DONE YET.-A prospectus of" The Direct Bombay
and Madras Railway" appeared in the Times of Thurs-
day. Capital, £4,500,000, in 90,000 shares of £5O each.
The plans of the line have been submitted to Prince
Albert, Earls Auckland, Ripon, and Dalhousie, Lord
Metcalfe. Sir Howard Douglas, &c., and have been highly
approved.
LIABILITIES OF COMMITTEE-MEN.—In the Court of
Queen's Bench, on Tuesday, Mr. Hooper, the highly
respectable advertising-agent, recovered from Mr. Mac-
donald, one of the provisional committee-men of the de-
funct Cape of Good Hope Great Western Railway, the
amount of his bill (£420) for advertising the prospectus
of the scheme.

RAILWAY RECEIPTS.—The amount of traffic for the
last week, on nearly 1,800 miles of railway, was £138,532►
thus accounted for :—.£74,990 for the conveyance of pas-
sengers only, £35,581 for the carriage of goods, and a re-
mainder of £27,961 for passengers and goods together,
not respectively apportioned ; being an increase over the
corresponding week of last year of £24,885.
The South-Eastern Company have obtained the con-
sent of the Admiralty to tunnel under Greenwich Park.
This permission will give the company as direct a line as
possible into the districts to which they have so long de-
sired to afford railway accommodation. This route will
enable them to carry the passengers to Wools ich in 12 or
15 minutes; to Gravesend within half an hour; and to
Stroud, Rochester, and Chatham within the hour.
An important case was decided in the Vice-Chancellor's
Court on Thursday—Fernihough v. Leader and others.
This was an indirect attempt to obtain £lOO from a pro-
visional committeeman for expenses in the Great Grimsby,
Sheffield, Potteries and Grand Junction Railway, there
being funds in hand ; and an injunction was granted to
stay the actions of Leader and others, creditors of the
company.
COMPENSATION FOR A RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—Mr.
Feargrieve, formerly of Gateshead, tailor, has recovered
£420 from the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Rail-
way Company, for the injury sustained by his wile about
twelve months ago, near the Belmont station, by the train
getting off the line and overturning the carriage, by means
of which her right band was so severely injured that she
has nearly lost the use of it.
PEAT SUBSTITUTED FOR COAL AS RAILWAY FUEL•
—On the line frcm Milan to Monza, an experiment has
been tried which is of consequence for the future of loco-
motion. At some points, where fossil could not easily
be obtained, peat turf has been substituted with success,
and with a saving of thirty to forty per cent. on the cost
of fuel. In Sardinia, where coal is rare, railways will
find resources in the frequent bogs.
Beech, a pointarnan on the Northampton aid Peter-
borough Railway, has been committed to prison for two
months, with hard labour, for neglect of duty : he should
have turned some points at Bilsworth, but employed him-
self instead in making a mousetrap; whereby an engine of
a luggage train was overturned, and the whole train, with
the people attending it, might have been dashed down an
embankment. _

FRACAS.—On Saturday evening, being the night after
Rutherglen fair, some of the " Navies," as they are
called, persons employed in the construction of the rail-
way in the neighbourhood of Rutherglen, commenced
melee, and being interfered with by the very small force
of police or town officers by which that burgh is pro-
tected, several of them were very roughly treated, and a
considerable number of windows damaged. Renfrew
paper. _