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    576 ^ ESaM^ay,

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    The Week In Parliament. Loed Jomr Russei...

    the counsel or conduct of the noble lord . ( Hear . ) Not only has he made speeches ori the state of Italy , but he ha « sent some of his friends on missions to that country ( hear , and laughter ) , and when we find that , notwithstanding the vast ability of the noble lord , and his great experience and eloquence , the state of Italy is rather aggravated than not , I can assure the noble lord that the Government is sensible that they must [ proceed in such affairs with very great deliberation . " Mr . Erskine Mather had , he said , behaved with such good feeling throughput the transaction , that every one must feel for him . It was a painful subject / but the former Government were responsible for the position of affairs in which Mr . Mather was so much concerned . i

    Lord Dudley Stttaet brought the debate to a close by criticising the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer , and pointing out America as an example of conduct in the case of outrages on her citizens . Of course , beyond the speech-making , the debate had no practical result .

    GENEBAL POLICY OF MINISTEES . We have observed that Lord John Russell appended a review of the general policy of Ministers to the animadversions he made on the Mather case , on Monday evening . For the sake of perspicuity we have separated , these dissimilar topics , and now present our readers with that portion of the debate which assumed the form of an indictment of Ministers . lord John Eussei-x reverted to the relative positions of the Ministry and the Opposition after his fall . He told the House , what it had been told fifty times before , that Ministers , urged by the Opposition , ha'd undertaken not to press any but essential measures , and to make the session .

    as short as possible . It was also attempted to extort from them some declaration of their future policy . In regard to the former , said Lord John , I cannot say that we obtained very full satisfaction ( laughter ); and with respect to the latter , we have been totally and entirety disappointed . He then ran through the precedents of what other ministers had done on acceding to office—showing how Lord Grey , in 1832 , and Sir Bobert ~ Peel , in 1834 , and Lord Melbburne in 1841 , had made full statements of their intentions . But the present Ministers had only been curious to conceal their intentions and their policy . ( Cheers . ) He insisted that nothing like an answer had been given to the question , did or did not Ministers intend to

    Oie the policy of Sir Robert Peel ; and he accused Derby and Mr . Disraeli" of being highly favourable to a f & ed dut y on corn . Then he described the budget speech , and adverted , " with a laughing accompaniment from the House , to Lord Derby ' s famous Mansion House speech , understood to be a supplement to the budget oration . He pointed out how expositions of policy , many and various , had been made by divers members of the Ministry . " Then we have a number of gentlemen supporters of the Government , who go down to the country and say that they wish above all things that no new corn laws shall be imposed ; and a gentleman who stood the other

    day before the electors at Maidstone as a Derbyite , said he rejoiced that we have at length got an honest Government , and that there is no chance of an imposition of a tax upon bread , or of that blessing being in any way taken from the . people . ( Hear , hear . ) I am reminded by an honourable friend near mo , th ' at the present candidate for Greenwich—a Derbyite , too—marches about tho town with the big loaf before him —( laughter)—^ promising that the present Government is to give a largo foaf and cheap bread . ( Continued laughter . ) That certainly woe most ambiguous . It did seem at last that wo had something like light , when the right hon . gentleman the Chancellor of tho Exchequer addressed his constituents , and told

    them that the time for tho restoration of tho protective duties of 1846 was past , that tho spirit of the ago was opposed to them , and that no minister could safely oppose tho spirit of the epoch in which he lives . ( Cheers . ) That is a wiso maxim . ( Laughter . ) Tho only thin g which astonishes us is that this light should have been bo long in reaching tho right hon . gentleman . ( Laughter . )" Commenting on Mr . Disraeli ' s manifesto to Buckinghamshire , Lord John pointed to tho assertion it contained , f that tho ront of land had doeroased by five millions , in consequonco of the incomo-tax and tho repeal of tho corn lawB ; and he declared , that if it was proposed to tax tho community to make good that loss , nothing could be more

    preposterous . As to the promised " revision of taxation , " would that satisfy tho farmers , who had boon told that if Lord Derby could bo got into oflico they should havo Protection P And ho claimed for tho lato Government the main of tho government measures , oxcopt tho Militia Bill , which was certainly their own , and from which they would dorivo all tho credit such a measure dosorvod . Ho thon fastened on the policy of ministers regarding education , showing how thoy proposed to disturb tho mixed eyBtom prevailing in Iroland , and altor the management clauses of tho National School Society . And ho charged thorn with obtaining tho grant for education , and then presenting thoir now minuto to tho Houho . Ho

    wound up by a gonoral attack . ' "I may pay that tho Government suffered from tho modo in which thoy havo proceeded to occupy oflico < n tho pruHant ' . Htato of affairs . Wo all know that hohvo loss of political reputation occurred to thorn whon , last year , thoy wore invited by tho Crown to occupy oflico , und thfry dockrod thoniHolvos unablo to fill tho sovoral oflicoH of tho Government . Soon after that it was publicly announced that thoy had made thoir dispositions , and that thoy had tho moans of forming a Govornmont whon callod upon to do so . ( Hoar , hoar . ) That ; announcement turned out to be correct ; for it appeared that a very lonrncd and eminent person had consented to occupy tho oflico of Lord

    that kiftd before this session ., -The very first night that I had the honour to take iny Seat the noble lord rose and opened his batteries . ¦ : ( Laughter , and ' : ' f Hear , hear' ) The noble lord has sometimes recurred to the' attack biif his drum hasibeen ihuffled , and his fire has been slack ( Laughter , and AHetury hear ' ' ) Arid now % e have iiis last effort } but I believe jhktit is a forlorn . Hope , and that hn will not take the citadel . " ( Renewed laughter . ) He repudiated Iiprd John ' s insinuation that he ( Mr Disraeli ) had advocated the re-imposition of duties on corn as compensation for reduced rents . What h really said was , that ? property , the value of ¦ which was depreciated , and . unjustly taxed , had a legiti mate claim for redress and relief . ( Loud cheers . )—

    -" The noble lord has also stated that he is not awn although I have referred to the great things that * f present Government has done ( and of which I was n I conscious that I had ) , that We have really done anythin of any consequence except the passing or the Militia B ' H —which he could not pass . ( Loud laughter . ) " ¦ What " says the noble lord , " is the Militia Bill P— -I make 5 . present of that ; and the next great measure on which vou plume yourselves so . rnuch , you only stole ft from our commission ; and when you introduced it you made such changes in it , that had it not been for my trust y friend the rilht ton . member for Tiverton , you , would have marred all its beauties . " ( Laughter . ) Biit if these Ibillk for the reform of Chaiicery pass , they will in my ' mind confer one of the

    greatest blessings wmen society nas experienced ; and no matter who may be the minister and what may be the parliament—neither the parliament nor the minister that passed it will be forgotten . ( Loud cheers . ) But there is something inore . I remember th , at on the 15 th of March , when the noble lord appeared in the ne w Opposition of which he was the recognised leader ^ he Came forward and said , that ife was meninabent on me to declare the measures which it had been thought necessary to pass j and when I mentioned that measure of phancery reform in the catalogue of those I meant to try , the noble lord received the intimation with a derisive scoff . ( Cheers . ) He was supported by all the sections of that new Opposition , and , more than all , by that section which , though the followingis small , make up for bulk of numbers by their fidelit y—by those ' that follow the noble lord the member for Tiverton , who

    said that he trusted the country would not be embarked in a phancery suit . ( Laughter *) Well , there is a prospect of that bill being carried ; but I do not claim any great credit for it , except that when a chance was offered us to do this great good to the country I did it , in spite of the noble lord the member for Tiverton . ( Loud cheers . )" He unmercifully lashed Lord John for ^^ his indignation respecting the alleged tampering with education . " I am here to defend the conduct of the Government . The noble lord says that for party—nay , for a higher object—for hustings purposes , we have been tampering with the established system of education . ( Cries of hear , near . ) Yes , you shall hear . ( Cheers and laughter . ) The noble lord cannot hear of education and religion being used for party purposes . Does he remember tho appropriation clause ? ( Cheers . )"

    And then he pointed to more than one case in which the Whig Government had introduced clauses after the educational vote of the year had been taken . Turning from this subject , he defied anybody to quote any speech or sentence he had ever made or uttered which recommended a recurrence to the corn-laws which , were in force before 1846 . " When we come to this question of a fixed duty , on which you have talked so much , I say I will not p in my career , my political career , on what is not a principle but a rnoasurc . I should be very glad as a financier if there was a moderate fixed duty on corn . I admit that , and I see plenty of great authorities opposite ma who havo

    often and often advocated it . But if I find by circumstances which I do not wish now particularly to describe —( ironical cheers)—by aqts whichTE havo no wish now to denounce , that a fis c al proposition is invested with a peculiar odium , that it would bo ono of tho unwieest things a minister could do to propose such a tax , whether rightly or wrongly , I cannot seo that I am bound to propose it . Why , I could offor authorities in favour of autios on corn , not from my own bench , but from writings you perpetually quoted—men whose political opinions entirely agree with yours , distinguished writers , morabera of tho political economy club , not merely tho writings of Mr . M'f ! iilW > 1 i find ' wiinm nn / v > w » n n . lwn . vfi dfllotCU . tllOUgU

    now you shrink from his authority , but to tho writings ot Col . Torrons , to tho pages of Mr . Mill . I might appeal to scientific pages , and you would find it difficult to quoto otliors against mo ; but in governing mankind wo must look to something beyond more scientific propriety ; , ftna " a measure , though it may bo recommended by tho iugnoBt scientific authority , ia ono that tho popular will repudiates , I do not think that any ministor ia bound to propose it . Ho stated tho ministerial viows to bo tho reconciliation of tho producer and consumer , which was oU ' eot ed , Jio saiu , " when you havo not permitted tho consumer to flourum hileat

    by placing unjust taxes on tho producer , w > a"j samo timo you aro resolved to support no tax which wo givo to tho producer an unjust and artificial price lor uw production . <* And he terminated a spirited speech as follown : "I boliovo tho country will support tW " ., " ? " 7 ii , « boliovo that that tomporato policy will bo ratified » y «»' country . Tho noblo Vd tho inombor for tho W ^ London talks of our being' a party without a P rm ( n P ' . Well , ho hootob to bo in Opposition without ; a cry . ( UJioonw Ho confesses that noting is Joffc—no opinion , no n > oy < - mont , no agitation whatever is loft . Tho noblo lord , wiw tho imagination of a poot—for ho is still a poet—n . w last giiHp , to my groat imrprifio , discovered arosourw flomothing yvo must rally round ; wo must rally round apothegm of that profound gentleman tho mo «> W' *" llipon ., That right hon . gontloman ^^ ° ^ U ^ ^ 2 v his fltanaara tho fiieoription , 'No confidence m the vw » J

    ; Cfhaiicellor , and that several country gentlemen , abandoning the agreeable ' pursuitsand easy business which belongs to an English country gentleman ( a laugh ) , were ready to assume the terrible responsibilities of office ( laughter ) , so that a Government could be formed . But ther 0 was one thing which they seem to have entirely forgotten , ( hear 7 hear)— -that was , what wer 0 the principles on which they were to act . ' [ Laughter and cheers . ) ' I suppose they thought the principles of a Government a , trifle , ( Beriewed laughter . ) They have been wanting in fixed opinions on any subject .: Accordingly , no sooner does an hon . gentleman propose any subject , than they are ready to agree to his proposals . ( Hear , hear . ) _ An hon . gentleman opposite proceeds to raise the question of Maynooth . They allow that dangerous question to be raised , arid they say , 'We are quite ready to agree to the motion for inquiry , though we have no present intention , of abolishing Maynooth ;* and thus they allow Ireland to be agitated ^ though it is clear that no inquiry can take place . Another gentleman wants to have an alteratibtiin the managenient clauses on education . The Government are quite ready to let him have the alteration he seeks for . A part of the church of Irelaind is desirous of an alteration in the Irish education ; the Government says , ' By all means ; you are quite right . ' It is only for somebody to start some project or some crude notion ^ and the Government is at once ready to agree to it , an < J says , ' Here is a fair question to consider ; we do not agree that it can be carried into effect at once , but we think it quite right that the question should be agitated . ' ( Cheers . ) Why , sir , this is offering a premium for agitation on ail subjects . I have stated that it was our object to obtain an assurance that the parliament should be dissolved as speedily as possible consistent with public business , and afeo to obtain s ^ onie explanation of the policy of the Government . . That explanation we certainly have not obtained ; but we have ohtained that which . I think is quite sufficient . We have obtained enough to entitle my right hon . friend the member for Eipori to say that the _ question before us is , whether you have confidence in the Earl of Derby ' s Government , or whether you have not . ( Cheers . ) I know some hon , gentlemen think my right hon . friend ( Sir James Graham ) very unreasonable , who think with Sir Lucius O'Trigger , who , when told by Captain Absolute that he differed with him as to the opinions he expressed , replied that it was most extraordinary that he happened at that moment to be expressing no opinions whatever . Hon . gentlenienmay quarrel with his right hon . friend ( Sir James Graham ) , but their only ground of quarrel was , that they had no opinions whatever . ( Laughter . ) With great deference to them , I -think that in this country , itt England , that is quite a sufficient reason for my riglit hon . friend ' s distrust . { Hear . ) This country can only be satisfied when it haa men ruling iiu jot ?

    it who nave some principle » suuitj upuiiuxio . . u cma a very popular thing to say to the country , you have only to express your opinions on this or on that subject , that if we get a majority in favour of the corn-laws they shall be re-enacted , or that if the majority is in favour of freetrade , the present policy shall be carried out . That seems a popular question ; but depend upon it the country will decide only upon the clear and intelligible question , ' Will you , or will you not , place your confidence in a Government which has no opinions , no pr inciples , and which is ready to act upon ! any wind . " ( Loud cheering . ) The succeeding speakers confined themselves to the Mather case , until the Marquis of Gbanbt rose , and , amidst roars of laughter , jeers , and cries of "Oh , oh !" proceededtounfold a mummy protectionist speech , gravely asserting that " no class could be in a state of prosperity ; " that Jamaica was " reduced to barbarism ; " and other similar curious opinions . After a burst of derisive laughter at his extravagant expressions , ho continued" Ah ! they might laugh , and he was sorry to bo obliged to say it ; but this ho did say—that if it were a fact that tho largo proprietors were the sufferers , there would soon bo a retracing of our stops , and ho would not now be advocating in that House this course . ( Oh , oh ! ' laughtor , and cheers . ) Tho battle was not at all between tho agricultural and tho manufacturing interests . No , the battlo that had to bo fought was botweon capital and labour ; between industry ana idleness ; botweon tho man who worked and tho man who had already made or got a fortune . ( Cheers and laughter . ) Yes ; the working classes woro getting educated ; wcro beginning to think for thomsolvos on this subject . ( Chcors and counter cheers . ) The noblo lord ( Lord J . Ilussoll ) might talk theories ; but if ho wont into tho street and asked a labouring man about cheap broad , ho would got an answer that it was of little valuo to the working man to hoar of a sixpenny loaf , whon ho had only fourponco in his pocket . ( Contomptuous laughter from , tho Froo-tradors . ) Aye ; and they must liston to tho labourer- ( Ironical cheers . ) They ( tho Froo-tradors ) used odd phrases ; thoy said to tho Govornmont , ' You daro not propose a duty on corn . ' Darol Not if thoy had tho pooplo with themP as ho was sure thoy would havo . " ( Cheers and counter cheers . ) Why could ho not rise in that House without oxciting tho ridicule of its members ? Tho next speaker was Lord Pat / mutibton , who devoted a few energetic words to tho protection , and thon passed to the foreign tuioHtion . Thon tho CirANOBiiXOK of tho Exchequer , flrrtt defending Lord Mnbnesbury , pleaded to tho indictment of 1 'Joi'd John KubhcII . Ho bogan by flaying that ho could not follow tho " amiablo example" of lord Stanloy , and loavo Lord John unnoticed , nor could ho leavo tho reply onfcjroly to . hie noblo friond , Lord flrnnby ( laughter ); thon ho continued ; — " I am bound mysolf . to notice tho elaborate attack of tho noblo lord . Tho noblo lord has taken a review of what has occurred during tho briof poriod that wo havo Bftt on thoflo benches . Wo havo hoard from him ft BtatomoAt of

    576 ^ Esam^Ay,

    576 ^ ESaM ^ ay ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), June 19, 1852, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19061852/page/4/