The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-07-02 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in moving the adjournment of the
House to Monday next, took the opportunity of alluding to the
attack on her Majesty, which he could not mention without
expressing his seep and serious regret that it should have
happened, a feeling in which he was convinced the country
generally sympathised. (Loud cheers.)
sir R. INGLIS and Mr. HEititiEs expressed their concur-
rence in these remarks of the noble lord.

The adjourned debate on Mr. Roebuck's motion, respecting
the affairs of Greece, was resumed by Mr. COCKBURN, who
replied to Mr. Gladstone's speech, in an address strongly sup-
porting the Government.
Sir It. PEEL repelled the insinuation of a conspiracy against
the Government, and emphatically denied that he was a party
to any compromise, or had any combination whatever. lie
bad approved of the domestic policy of the Government, and
of their commercial legislation, and therefore he had given
them an unostentatious support; and to prove that he had
made no compromise, such as that insinuated. he felt bound
to say that every day that passed convinced him that in the
cordial adoption of, and firm adherence to, the principles of
commercial policy now in operation, the peace and the true
interests of the country were involved. As to the accusation
of being in any way connected with foreign conspirators, he
laughed it to scorn and utterly repudiated it. With respect to
the resolution passed in the House of Lords, he had never seen
it until it appeared in the newspapers. The motion submitted to
the House implied approbation of the conduct of the Govern-
ment, and made a declaration of what the foreign policy of
this country should he. He sincerely wished he could approve
of the foreign policy of the Government, but, regarding it
especially in reference to Greece and France, he could not say
that it was the best calculated to maintain the honour of the
country and the interests of peace, and what, he asked, did
Lord John Russell mean the other night when he said Lord
Palmerston was not a Russian, nor an Austrian, nor a French
Minister? Did he mean thereby to cast a sarcasm on three
great Powers? No, he was far too wary. Then, did he mean
to contrast Lord Palmerston invidiously with Lord Aberdeen ?
If so, he must say that he looked back upon his official inter-
course with his noble friend with the most cordial satisfaction.
As respected this Greek question, he could not conscientiously
say that he thought the Government had pursued that course
which was most likely to conduce to the honour and dignity of
this country and the preservation of peace. If we interfered
with other countries, why should not America inculcate its
principle of self-government and of constitutional freedom
upon our colonies? And so in the case of India and China,
should we employ Dr. Bowring to lecture to the Chinese upon
the subject? if we did, we should only encumber the princi-
ples we advocated by our help ; we should be departing from
our estliblished policy, and should be encouraging the advo-
cates of those principles to look to us for aid, instead of work-
ing out for themselves their own political freedom.
Lord•J. RUSSELL repeated what he had said on a former
evening, that a similar resolution to that passed in the Lords
ought in fairness to have been submitted to the Commons,
where the Foreign Secretary had a seat. He remarked with
bitterness upon the part which Mr. Gladstone was understood
to have taken in conjunction with Lord Stanley, and contrasted
it with Mr. Disraeli's leadership in that house, to the para-
mount advantage of the hon. member for Bucks, whose career
lie described as an honourable course of opposition. He de-
nied that the foreign policy of this country should be conducted
for the benefit of other countries rather than our own. He
regretted to find the tendency lately exhibited to give credence
to communications made to depreciate English objects, and
thought it had a most mischievous effect. The noble lord re-
viewed the foreign policy of the government since its accession
to office. He thought it was of great use to Europe and to the
world to understand that the policy of England was equally
opposed to unbridled democracy and to absolute despotism—
the one invariably tending to the other, and both being alike
destructive of tranquillity. tie believed there was a foreign
cabal at work to overturn the policy of England, with a view to
see a government in this country more favourable to the estab-
lishment of absolute power in Europe ; but, for his own part,
he was prepared to abide by the verdict of the people of
England.
Mr. D'lsitsEm contended that the resolution of the House
of Lords was a fair and faithful interpretation of the law of
nations, and required no qualification whatever. He admitted
that the claims on Greece were well founded; but they were,
as all claims were, doubtful in their nature and exaggerated in
amount. The motion beforethe house would, if agreed to, be
practically a declaration that the principle of our foreign policy
should be the principle of supporting the cause of self-govern-
ment, and of encouragement of liberal institutions throughout
the world. That was a captivating declaration; but it would
lead to interminable interference, and to incessant disputes.
The hon. member reviewed,.at considerable length, the trans-
actions in Italy, Sicily, Denmark, and throughout Europe, and
contended that our old allies had been alienated from us by the
policy which had been pursued by Lord Palmerston. It was
impossible, therefore, that be could vote fora resolution affirm-
ing the propriety of that policy. He hoped the vote of that
night would inform not only Europe, but another hemisphere
Also, that England was determined that her future policy should
respect the rights of nations.

Mr. ROEBUCK shortly replied ; after which the house divided
and the numbers were—
For the resolution
Against it
Majority for government —46
The announcement of the numbers was received with voci-
ferous Cheering from the ministerial side .of the house.—Ad-
journeti at four o'clock.

HOUSE OF LORDS.---FRIDAY.
The Marquis of Lansdowne, in alluding to the atrocious as-
tiault op Majesty, gave utterance to the indignant feeling
which was experienced by all classes of her Majesty's subjects.
Jt was impossible to attribute.any motive for the attack. Lords
Stanley and Brougham cone irred in denouncing this dastardly
attack,,and the House was left sitting.