New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-05
FOREIGN MAIL GLEANINGS.
MOTION TO CENsURE THE GLADSTONE
MINISTRY.
SPEECHES BY MR.. HARDY, MIR. GLADSTONE AND
OTuERs-TIIE GOVERNMENT SUSTAINED.

I'm the British House of Commons, on the
10th ~ February Mr. Cross moved That this House has
seen with regret the course taken by Her majesty
Government in carrying out the provisions oi 'no
Act OF last session relative to the judicial commune
OF the Prlvy Council and is Of opinion that the
elevation of Sir Robert Collier to tho Bench OF
the Court OF Common Pleas for the purpose only Oh
giving him a colorado qualification TO be paiu mem
Der OF the Judicial Committee and his Immediate trans
fer the Judicial Committee accordingly were acts
variance with spirit and intention Of tho statute ana
of evil example in the exercise OF judicial patronage
In the course Of the debate which ensued Sir Rounded
Palmer defended the Government In long speech ana
moved as an amendment That this House finds no just
cause for Parliamentary censure on the cohduct Vi 'o
Government IN the recent appointment Of Sir Robert
Parrett Collier to Judgeship OF the Common Pleas ana
the Judicial Committee OF the Privy Council"
Mr.. Hardy said 1t may DO moral justheatlon OF tno
Government they did not appoint an unfit man, but
IL ia no justification their conduct in legal point or
view If he contrary to the spirit OF the act OF Par
lament to appoint Judge In India without any
intention sending him to that country then 1t surely
Ia equally wrong make Judge OF the Court OIL
Common Pleas solely for the purpose OF ap-
pointing him q member Of the Judicial Com
mittee OF the Prvy Council. When my
honorable and learned friend felt himself obliged to
resort distinctions the House must think have
been Of opinion that he had a great deal his mind
with respect TO this transaction. 1t Is somewhat curl
oue too that when the Lord Advocate came to speak
he laid great stress on the words faTiiahenlfy zen
sure" II he thought that the act OF the GOvenmen
not altogether free from blame. say me act OF
the GOvernmentor 1t be regarded rather as the
act of two members of the Government, win when
their colleagues had nothing to dol 1t does, IN
deed Seem rather hard that during the recess, when
the Chancellor OF the Exchequer is riding his bicycle
somewhere or other la laugh ne Shonlu pe made resp1n
sblo for an appointment which two members OF the
Government had entirely in their hands But the
Government n body adopts the act ana IL Is qute
right should deal with them in their collective capa
Won like" says honorable and learned lrlenl'
visit them with censure." Why mott Because" he
tells u.s. the Government acted bona de ana the Lora
Chancellor is most excellent man II mas Seeh saG
believe elsewhere that he was so that ms y H
S on Sart am GHte Willing to admit that even his
failngs lean to virtues side" But still they are tal
shonld Tiolto The law Of the country whicR it is the
chief duty OF his office to maintain. The Lord Chan
| and would have gone Offering the appointment III
| the Judicial Committee TO other Judges had 1t not
| As to Sir r. Collier, l trust he will not be displaced
account OF anything which may happen here III ne
extremely sensitive the subject am very sorry or
it, attack has been made on his character nor mas
word been said to mpugn ether onS S Sscrycdy
attained to high judicial position. My only
slaughter path. That it has been otherwise not,
think, quite his fault. He seems to have outred hlseI
now enjoys. feel at all events that nothing is SO i'm
porant IN this country that the Government should
keep faith with Parliament Hear hearl rms Is nor
question Of attorney constructing satute 1t Is
| OF q Government dealing with It's spirit, ana
| they bound 10 act with the utmost chastity OF
| honor with which no fault could be found. Can
! men on both sides of the House. In the Press, and
throughout the country raising an unanimous cry against
lust passed. iIeSr We who take this view do so
because to dsplease the Government, but be-
cnt Of precedent which is full of evil Il is no matter
that tins precedent may have been set by men OF hlgh
character. We all the more on that account call upon
the House 10 ntOrpOse and express Its CONFORMATION OF
step which NAV be productive OF SUCH dangerous re-
nd il mn
Mr.. Gladstone said: This question has now had his
tory Of between three and four months, and 1t reminds
Inc very much Of what occurred in Ireland consider
able time back. The Government Of George l. Intro
duced into Ireland copper coinage, under crcum
stances in respects questionable and dscredablc.
Dean Swift made OF his unrivaled powers
through the Press to discredit the coinage, and
by system of sarcasm, reasoning invectiye, and
even misrepresentation wrought up the popular mind
almost to state Of fury. He pointed ont Ia his country
men, among other things, are told in the DRAPER
Letters" that SO ofWoods halfpcuce only equal to
legitimate pence He wrote letter after letter, and got
full possession Of the field After three OF these letters
had appeared Sir Isaac Newton. who at that time
and quality Of the coinage, and gave both de-
scriptioa Of the metal and the Teight OF tho
late the public mind was possessed by the witchery
OF the extraordinary productions OF swift and The bare
dry, prOsaic facts even OF such Sir l. Newton
totally inadequate to the purpose OF undeceyng
have heard tonight who, II 1t may be
said OF any man, would he admitted to stand at
the head OF the noble profession TO which he belongs In
whose integrity and Judgment every one places conf
dence and he has told us something OF the true character
Tho opneaI I am glad TO saw hes not TO an unedi-
Gated excited populacc but the British House of Com
mons assembled for judicial purpose The motion which
has brought forward by the honorable member for
South Lancashire Is motion strictly penal appeal to
the House, appeal to him, appeal TO the right honor
able who has Just spoken whether ths Is not
should have imported into topics which are perfectly
irrelevant ,,, 80. o., .,,
those illusions aud misrepre sentations which the
Righ Honorable gentleman has introduced into the
know has the living Of Ewene to do with tho conduct
OF the Government in this mattcri Cheers and counter
rsed to determine whether the Government have have
violated the spirit OF an act of Parliament prejudice
the case against them by drawing into the discussion
assertions of opinions with respect to other
matters which it Is absolutely impossible Tor US on TN;
Ewelme will only say this, that think the right hon
be acting fairly, IL they believe act of Para
ment has been violated IN that case, II they would
l n1or should they do 30 viii tell out to the
House Of Commons every syllable as TO what have had
IL House NO o Of mmons viii determine that my conduct in
reference that living deserves, not censure. hut APP
y right RoSdrabe fresd the Secretary for the Home
Department to whom also another OF those Irrelevant
references has been made except this that we do not ask
YOU to adopt opinions. All that ask OF You ia to
reserve your s ang .S question OF
consideration to be preqdiced by tine introduction OF
which nave nothing WndtsOeFer 10 40 Win H.
Allow me TO add that IL not my fault If | give any
oTcnse in the course Of the explanations and defense
which am about to make. II In the position in which
stand tax the patience OF honorable gentlemen oppO-
site will at least endeavor not to try their tempers
find no fault with honorable members opposite, or
on this side OF the House. who have Joined in this pro-
posal censure the Government The temptation was
perhaps great and in saying that do not mean TO
Imply anything dsrespectful They found the Chief
Jnstice OF England-the ChefJustce OF the Queens
Bench (cries OF ChieJustice OF Engand had written
a letter. 1t was too much to expect that the bias
Of a party In Parliament should not have be-
come Irresistible when they found themselves
fortified by the opinion OF the Chief OF the Com.