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HOUSE OF LORDS. -Tll U ITSDAY,…

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HOUSE OF LORDS. -Tll U ITSDAY, JCSE 25. THE CORN BILL. The Earl of Ripon moved the third reading of the corn importation bill. the Earl of Wicklow desired to call their lordships' attentioiA) two points, upon which no information had been given in the course of these proceedings. The first was the promise made by the Prime Minister of certain equivalents or compensations which were to accompany this measure, respecting which, however, nothing had been communicated to parliament. The other point was of infinitely more importance, to which allusion had been made, but no information had been given. Their lord- ships and the country had a right to insist that, before these measures were passed, her Majesty's government should state their expectations as to the future income of the country—whether it was their intention to renew the income-tax. If they did not intend to renew that tax, they were bound to show the sources of revenue to which they proposed to resort in order to supply the deficiency and if they did, they were bound to announce their inten- tion; though he believed that no future parliament would sanction such a tax as a permanent tax, at all events at its present amount. The Earl of Ripon replied, that with regard to the measures which the noble lord had said were to accom- pany the corn hill, he did not apprehend that they were to be considered as equivalents, but as measures which, being right in themselves, would, as far as they went, tend to diminish the cost of production. Some of these measures did not require legislative enactments; but one, an important and proper measure, quite independent of the corn law—namely a bill for the removal of paupers —had been brought into the other house. With regard to the continuation of the property tax, no government could be expected to give an answer that would amount to a pledge he must, therefore, decline to answer that question. The noble earl then proceeded to show, from official returns, the encouraging aspect of the customs duties, which had progressively increased in amount, notwithstanding the repeal and reduction of duties in the last four years. The amount of the custom duties in 1842 was f 19,661,000; in 1345 it was £ 19,829,000; whilst in the interval upwards of £ 4,000,000 of duties had been taken off. He had the strongest belief that, in Illimited number of years, the productiveness of the cus- ,toms duties would afford an ample resource but if not, 'parliament never would be unwilling to enable the coun- try to meet all its necessary demands. Lord Favcrsham entered his protest against this mea. sure, and went over some of the grounds of objection which had been urged by other peers. The Duke of Cleveland, in the course of his obser- vations, in which he reiterated his former objections to the measure, commented with some severity upon the use which had been made of the proxies upon the second reading of this bill, and which he thought was an abuse of that system of voting, the proxies of peers who were abient in distant parts of the world having been used in favour of the bill; amongst these was the proxy of the Marquis of Tweeddale, the Governor of Madras, whose engagements had probably kept him in ignorance of such a measure being before the house. The loss of confidence occasioned by this measure was one of its worst results. It was with the greatest pain that he felt obliged to con- fess that he could scarcely have any confidence in public men any longer and their lordships might easily con- ceive his feelings in thus having to stand aloof, after first belonging to one party in the state, and then to the other. But there was yet one in this country, of no mean talents, in whom he placed confidence-a noble lord who had just left his scat (Lord Stanley); to that noble lord he should always look up, not merely as his future guide, but his polar star; not from any favour received or expected, but, first, because of his talents, and also, what was still more essential in a statesman, the degree of honesty in his professions. That noble lord always spoke without any reservation or equivoca- tion there was never in his speeches any passage to which his opponents might point and say, Clever as he is, here is a loophole out of which one day or other he may escape." (" Hear, hear," and a laugh.) Enter- taining these sentiments, he must protest against the principle and policy of thismcasure. It was an uncalled- for and impolitic measure, and had been brought forward through a breach of faith on the part of the government. Lord Dalhousie justified the use of the Marquis of Tweeddale's proxy, which had been intrusted to him. This question had been before the country seven months, and the communication with India occupied only six weeks; during the whole of the discussion he had cor- responded with his noble relative upon the question, and it was his conviction that, had the marquis been in this country, he would have voted for the second reading of the bill. He might, perhaps, have voted for a fixed duty, and if the house had divided upon that question, he (Lord Dalhousie) would have given his proxy in favour of the proposition. Lord Gage spoke against the bill, and urged at con- siderable length, and with much force, the social and political mischiefs which weuld, in his opinion, result from the undue concession made by this measure to the democracy of the country. Lord Stanhope characterized this measure as the off- spring of a strange, monstrous, and unnatural com- bination of political parties, conspiring together to destroy protection, which each had advocated, though in a different manner. The noble earl then insisted upon the injustice of applying the principle of free trade to a class which had to contend with land-tax, malt-tax, and hop- duty, whilst the manufacturer had no tax imposed upon his capital. He exposed the mistakes committed by two learned prelates as to the effect which this bill would produce in conjunction with the tithe commutation act, and re-urged the hardships it would inflict upon lessees and parties to contracts, whose relations it would totally aiter. In conclusion, the noble earl solemnly warned their lordships of the consequences of this measure, which would be nothing less than ruin and a revolution, and he cast upon the head of its authors all the calamities and convulsions of that revolution. The Earl of Selkirk did not believe that this was, as had been said, the last time this" question would come before their lordships or that, when this bill passed, the corn law would be no further heard of. If his anti- cipations were true,, he trusted that they would retrace Lieu-steps, and return to what he considered the most successful corn law. The Duke of Richmond said, as no noble lord had moved that this bill be read a third time this day six months, he should put that motion upon record. He at the same time asked whether the government were of opinion that the measures of compensation promised in the speech of Sir Robert Peel ought to be introduced ? It might happen that the present government would go "ut of office as soon as this bill passed, and they would have no pledge but speeches, which now-a-days were no pledges at all. His grace declared that he would per- suade the farmers of this country to be up and stirring, to try and regain protection, and to agitate till they got rid of the local burdens upon them. He trusted that the ministers were going to resign, because he thought their resignation would be of service to their country, and show future statesmen that they cannot break pledges with impunity. 0 The Earl of Ellenborough replied, that the opinions of (he ministers had undergone no change upon the subject referred to by the noble duke, and whatever might be the government of the country, he and his colleagues would consider themselves bound to endeavour to obtain every one of those meas-ares. The question was then put from the woolsack by the Lord Chancellor that the corn law repeal bill be read a third time, and the "contents" were declared to have it. '1 he next question was, "That the bill do pass," and again the decision was given that the "contents" had ir. SO THE CORN-LAW REPEAL BILL WAS PASSED. CUSTOMS BILL. I Lord Dalhousie then moved the third reading of the customs duties bill; upon which The Duke of Richmond moved its postponement for six months. This amendment, after a few words from Lords Ashburton, Dalhousie, and Stanley, was negatived; and the bill wa.s read a third time and passed. After sorue further business, their lordships adjourned. FRIDAY, JUNE 26. Their lordships met at half-past four o'clock, when the royal assent was given by commission to the fol- lowing bills :-The corn importation bill; the customs duties bill; the explosive substances bill; together with sixty-one private bills, principally railway bills. The Lords Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Buccleugh, the Earl of Haddington, and the Earl of Dalhousie. On the motion of the Marquis of Clanrirarde, an f,cidi-ess was agreed upon to her Majesty, complaining of the delay that had taken place in the completion of the r.ew House of Lords, in consequence of the obstacles created relative to ventilation, and praying a remedy. Lord Canning having referred to the commissioners' report on the subject, presented a petition from Dr. Ileid, praying to be heard at the bar of their lordships' house ;:1 favour of his system of ventilation. Some desultory conversation followed, and the subject then dropped. On themotioll of the Earl of Ripon, the order of the (by for receiving the reports on Yiscount Hardinge and Lord Gough's annuity bills were postponed. Lord Brougham laid upon the table a bill similar to that which he had introduced in 1842, for the purpose (f repressing crime in Ireland, by changing the venue in criminal prosecutions. The noble and learned lord said t1nt he vas induced to bring in the bill in consequence of the rejection of the coercion bill in the House of Commons. The Marquis of Westminster moved the second read- in of the summary juriscIictioll for juvenile offenders bill, the object of which was to extend the power of summary c-on victioii. The noble marquis having stated the details of the measure, The Lord Chancellor suggested the expediency of postponing the debate on the bill in the present state of the government. The Marquis of Westminster acquiesced in the sugges- tion, and the further consideration of the measure was adjourned to next Monday week. Adjourned. MONDAY, JUNK 29. The Lord Chancellor took his seat upon the Wool- sack a fcw minutes before five o'clock. The attendance of Peers was more numerous than ordinary, and there was also a considerable number of Peeresses in the Gallery. Lord Iirougham said that he had to put a question to the Noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with respect to some very favourable reports v. hich he had seen in the public prints, regarding our relations with America. These reports were most flat- tering, and he had no doubt of their truth. Lord Aberdeen said that he had been frequently asked questions by several Peers on the other side of the House, with regard to their policy with the United States, and he felt that those questions were always put with the best possible feeling. With respect to our relations with America, the President had sent a message to the Senate with a direct refusal to agree to the proposition of this country to refer the whole matter to arbitration. Since that proceeding on the part of the President, he (Lord Aberdeen) thought proper to adopt another course, which «■<« to draw up another proposal, and send it to the 'iritish Minister. He had that morning received a letter î .,iii Mr. Pakcnham, a portion of which he would read i" their Lordships. The letter stated, that in conformity ith what he had the honour to say in his dispatch of the 7th instant, lie had presented to the Senate the message j ith which he WIl charged, and after a few hours' debate I en Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the Senate by a | .-1" r" "1 nsajoritv of 38 to 12, adopted the resolutions proposed by her Majesty's Government, and advised the President to adopt the terms offered by her Majesty's Government. Mr. Buchanan had sent to him that morning, and had informed him that the conditions offered by her Majesty's Government had been aeceptcd by the Government of the United States without the addition or alteration of one single wor(I.-(Ilear, hear.) Gratifying as that intelligence was, he felt it an act of duty and justice, and it was a duty of as much pleasure as justice, to pay his tribute to the friendly and conciliatory course which had been adopted by the United States Minister in this country. He had long known him, and had had reason to respect him in an official capacity some fifteen or six- teen years ago. He was certaiu that by every means in his (the American Minister's) power, he had contributed to the present result. He was certain that there was no person in that House or this country who more cordially participated in the satisfaction which they might expe- rience than Mr. M'Lane, the American Minister. RESIGNATION OF MINISTERS. The Duke of Wellington—I have to announce to your Lordships that her Majesty's servants have tendered to her Majesty their resignation of the offices which they have held in her Majesty's service. In consequence of that, her Majesty has sent for a Noble Lord, with a view to form an early administration of the Government of this country. As the affairs of this country are now, my Lords, this information will probably induce your Lord- ships to think that it will be desirable to suspend the discussion of those measures which are likely to become measures of controversy in this House until those who have the honour of being her Majesty's servants shall have an opportunity of forming their arrangements, and shall be able to come down to this House to transact the public business. One question has been voted for the consideration of this House on Thursday next. My Noble Friend near me has given notice of his intention to move the second reading of the Bangor and St. Asaph Bishopric Bill on Thursday, and I snbmit to my Noble Friend the necessity of postponing the second reading until her Majesty's servants can come down to this House to attend to the discussion upon it, as her Majesty is interested in this measure. There are other measures which will require your Lordships immediate attention, and one of them may be laid upon the table this day—I mean the short sugar Bill for the continuation of the duties on sugar for one month from the 5th of July next, and which it is desirable should pass this House without delay, whoever may be her Majesty's servants. It is desirable that, under these circumstances, I should pro- pose to your Lordships not to adjourn, but to continue sitting from day to day for the consideration and the passing of this measu-e but the consideration of those measures which must be matter of controversy, should be postponed until the new Government shall be in a position to attend to them. Lord Brougham signified his readiness to postpone his motion. The Earl of Powjs also signified a similar intention. The Marquis of Lansdowne entirely subscribed to the propriety of the course proposed by the Noble Duke, of postponing for the present all business likely to involve public discussion, and he thought that the Parliament was indebted to her Majesty's Government for keeping in office till the measure respecting the sugar duties be passed. He would suggest also to the Noble Duke the propriety of dispensing with the standing orders for the purpose of expediting the passing of the measure. I METROPOLITAN TERMINI. The Report of the Commissioners of the Metropolitan Termini was laid on the table. SUGAR DUTIES BILL. After some delay, the Bill for continuing the Sugar Duties for one month longer was brought up and read a first time. The Duke of Buccleuch gave notice that he should move to-morrow the suspension of the standing orders, in order that the Bill may be read a second time. Their Lordships then adjourned.

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