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574 ®f> * %taXttt+ [Saturday, 1 ."*t . '...
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The object of the Committee was to vote ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Gation Of The Gospel In Foreign Parts, H...
Tongued of English Ministers deigned to whisper to Austria that her conduct scandalizes the electors of Tiverton , and other respectable persons in England ? When anything is said in the House about the independence of Itajv , of when th # Minister of a despotic Sqygfgtgft Qflgrily . 4 $ * mands to be informed respecting tt | # intentions Qf Downing-street upon a Continental topic , there is
one invariable reply : —England wi | J gaaintain the treaties of 1815 . But wb . en Hungwpy is quashed ^ and Borne occupied , a » 4 ( he « 4 « $ en » of the ttq # town of Hamburg are massacred in their streets by Croatian soldiery then the $ atin Foreign Minister looks benignantly arouad « ponhis honourable but Radical friends— " if he may call them so "—and whistles , Lilibulero !
The hostile feelings evoked by the despotic decree of the Prussian Minister of the Interior reestablishing the Provincial diets , does not in the least surprise us . There has fallen on the eyes of the German bureaucrats a judicial blindness . They live apart from the people , whom they pretend to rule , governed by the watchwords which go forth from Warsaw and St . Petersburgh . The commonest facts , of whichanEnglishMinister could not be ignorant and live , are out of the range of their comprehension . Hence ihe attempt to reestablish the feudal assemblies , called Provincial Diets : about the same thing as if a good old Tory Ministry should come in and propose to repeal the Reform Bill and substitute the rotten boroughs .
574 ®F> * %Taxttt+ [Saturday, 1 ."*T . '...
574 ® f > * % taXttt + [ Saturday , 1 " * t . ' . _————— ¦ ¦„¦ nm »« ¦¦¦!¦ —¦¦ . i
The Object Of The Committee Was To Vote ...
The object of the Committee was to vote the estimates for the Civil Service . Mr . Hume objected to seyeral items included under the £ 97 , 747 demanded for royal palaces and public buildings ; especially the vote of £ 2615 for Frogmore and for Hampton Court stud-house ; and he recommended that there should be a parliamentary inquiry instituted as to how the Dean anil Chapter of St . George'a Chapel had •* got hold " of an estate left for the behoof of the Military Knights of Windsor , before the money demanded was voted . Under the head " Scotland / ' he found an item which puzzled him immensely ; £ 840 for lighting and water-rates for the house of the British Ambassador at Paris ! Lord John Russei / l defended
PARLIAMENT OP THE WEEK . As yet the House of Commons have done nothing but vote money , and money they continue to vote . Thus on Monday , after listening to a speech of M * - Disraeli , on what he would , and what wouldnot do , respecting the Customs and Inhabited House Duty , laying down the doctrine that the •? financial arrangements , of the country had become provisional , " and then permitting the bills to be . read a second time pro forma , under protest , the House resolved itself into a Committee of Supply .
the vote ; and took shelter under the plea that the public were now admitted to Hampton Court , Kew , and Richmond Park—of which he made a great merit , considering the right of admission in the light of a privilege . As to Frogmore , four kitchen-gardens h , a , u been given up , and a complete garden formed there . A desultory discussion ensued — Mr . Ellice bucking Lord John ; Colonel Salwey complaining of the lion and the unicorn at
Buckingham Pulace , famous for turning their backs upon the Queen ; Mr . Bright fastening on the charge for the house of the Biitish ambassador at Paris ; and Colonel Salwey actually going the length of moving that the vote fur the Militury Knights at Windsor be expunged for the reasons mentioned by Mr . Hume , characterising the estimate as a gross robbery ; but he withdrew his motion when Sir J <» mes Graham showed ttiut there wan absolutely no legal remedy against the t ) ean and Chapter . The whole vote was agreed to .
In the discussion on the next vote , £ 41 , 829 lor royal parks and p ' easure-grounds , Colonel Siunioui ' took occasion to deny that he hud been to the Exhibition , but he " would not say that he would not go . " This vote , together with votes of £ 3529 , tor ventilation in tho House of Commons , lor providing houses for the clerk and housekeeper , and of £ 116 , 386 for tho works of the new houses of Parliament , of £ 7000 for a record office , £ 61 , 481 for works at Holyhoad , and £ 144 , 000 for constructing harbours of refuge , wore agreed to . " With respect to the lust vote great complaint was made about the charge- for fortifications on the Channel Islands ; Mr . Uumk suggesting that Government should send down some " sober men" to examine the matter .
nation . Among { he oii » $ m $ tf tfre most notable were Mr . Anstet , wh <} 4 eclared hisj intention of opposing all votes of a sircar nature , and Mr . W . J . Fox , on the ground thaj we have no right either to persecute or endow any mligion whatever * When the cwftjBittee divided th « p were—I f or Mr . gaponer ' f amendment , 119 ; against it , 121 . Majority for Ministers , 2 . After najfpwly escaping thin $ hoal , the question Qf Q & pial saLaries came on . Government demanded The
. # 63 , 700 for # M » fw > asury djeaartm ^ nt . Sec * e >« ry of the Treasury * Sir C . Trevelyan , has had his salary maintained at £ 2500 , in the teeth of the recommendation of the Committee on Official Salaries , that it should be reduced by £ 500 , —a reduction which Mr . Bebe 8 Foe . d moved should be made . He was supported by Mr . Disraeli ; and Lord John Russell came tp the rescue of the Chancellor of the Exchequer . A long discussion ensued , but neither party advanced anything new . The committee
divided—For Mr . Beresford ' s amendment , 72 ; against it , 118 . Majority against , 46 . After agreeing to two other votes , the Chairman reported progress , and the House resumed . The only other notable incident which occurred during the evening was the rejection , by 66 to 12 , of the Act of Parliament Abbreviation Repeal Bill . The House adjourned at a quarter to two o'clock . The House must have felt it quite a relief , when on Tuesday they had other than supply matter to debate . A series of election questions came on first . John Strutt and Charles Cunningham were ordered into ^ he custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms , for having signed of caused to be signed the name of Thomas Hughes Bradford , without his authority , to a petition
presented to the House against the return of Mr . Bethell for th , e borough , of Aylesbury . At a later hour , the Sergeant reported that the culprits were in custody ; and on the motion of the Attorney-General , it was agreed that they should be brought to the bar , reprimanded by the Speaker , and discharged on the payment of fees . They were accordingly brought in and severely reprimanded , The Speaker- said that , John Strutt and Charles Cunningham had been guilty of " gross misconduct , " which could not be palliated or excused , as they were not , and could not be ignorant of the rules of the House . He was commanded to convey to them the expression of the " marked displeasure" of the House . The offenders bowed and withdrew .
The House went into committee on the St . Alban s Bribery Commission Bill . Mr . Bankes objected to the first clause : and moved that it should be omitted . The House divided on the motion that the clause 3 hould stand part of the Bill . For the clause , 66 ; against it , 17 . Majority for , 49 . The remaining clauses were slightly amended , the bill reported , ordered to be reprinted , and the House resumed . Mr . Wodbhousb presented a petition from an elector of S t . Alban s , averring tha t Mr . Edwards had been so long and so intimately mixed up with the bribery and corruption carried on at St . Alban ' s , that the ends of justice would be frustrated by his
discharge before a full inquiry had been made . Mr . Spoonbu moved that Edwards be discharged , on the ground that he had made a full and complete confession of his guilt , that he had been in prison nine weeks , that he was very ill , that his imprisonment had caused his wife so much anxiety that she was confined to her bed , and that Ed wards denied that he could exercise any control whatever over the absent witnesses , and that he would willing appear before any tribunal the House might appoint , and give a full account of all the transactions in which he had been concerned . The motion was objected to , but Mr . Spponer pressed it to a division , when there were—For the motion 4 ; against it , 133 . Majority , 129 .
Mr . Basb brought on his motion for a repeal of one half of the malt tax . The House seemed to feel that this was only a weak repetition of the debate on Mr . Cayley's motion . Mr . Bass , however , being a brewer made some new points , lie denied that it was a brewers' question—few were in favour of it . Neither did he think it a malsteru' question—both parties being desirous of keeping things as they are . He contended that a change had taken place in tho taste of the public with respect to heer : —
" The public , instead of having recourse to the strong intoxicating beer which they formerly drank in great quttnlitic'B , now preferred beer of moderate strength . ( Hear , heqr . ) Jde could upeuk ou this point from bin own experience ; because for one barrel of beer of moderate strength which he sold twelve years ago , he now sold more tlmn ten ; and for three of strong beer which he then sold , he did not now dell one . ( Hear , hear . ) There was another reason why the consumption of beer was not so liu-ge tm it might have been . Ahnout all other articles had decreased in priuu , whereas beer hud not chiinged itu price for twenty-que yeiua . While barley Itud ranged from 30 s . to ( JOa . per quarter , the price of beer uuu ulwuyu remained the niwik-. ( Laughter . ) H < - assured the Uouuu tluU there were reasons for the stubiiiiy of the price of beer which diet uut o * iut iu uJJ trude 0 . ( Contintuu i iayyfyer . )"
Increase of confutation had followed reduction of duty i * b # many f ases that he did not see why the same e $£$$ ahoji & not result from the repeal of the malt-tax . «« Then th . ere was the case of bread , " exclaimed the honourable member . " The Legislature had abolished the duty on cpns , and the consequence had been that the people h . ad consaia ? d 10 , 000 , 000 quarters of -wheat per annum , jnore than they had consumed before the repeal of the corn JftWa , $ >? , vrh & t was beer but bread in another fam ( toufftyer ) , and he would maintain , not the Hwi agreeable form feither ? ( ' Hear , hear , ' and continued laughter ) . Lard Naas had asserted that the morality of his countrymen would be . improved if they had more whisky . ( Laughter . )
Mr . Bass was not prepared to accept the proposition of Lord Naas , but he contended that beer of moderate strength would become an article of diet , instead of an agent of intoxication , and would assist in improving the morality of the people . The debate was very dull , and there was a general disposition to shirk discussion . The Chancellok of the Exchequer opposed the motion in a short speech apparently more else amusement
for form ' s sake than anything . Some was afforded by Mr . Brotherton and Mr . H . Drummond ; the former contending that whisky and beer were both deleterious , and the latter standing up for beer as the poor man ' s beverage ; Colonel Sibthorp capping the climax by declaring that " he was not one of those individuals who , like the honourable member for JSalford , lived upon cabbage-water . " ( Laughter . ) On a division there were-
—For Mr . Bass '? motion , 31 ; against it , 76 . Majority against , 45 . Mr . Cobden moved his resolution on the international reduction of armaments , advocating what is understood to be the peace policy . Mr . Cpbden said that he did not intend to discuss the amount of Continental armies ; when he spoke of warlike preparations he alluded only to navies and fortifications . He regarded armies as the *• standing curse" of the present generation . ( Cheers . ) Those on the Continent , he was told , were maintained to keep down domestic revolt and maintain internal order as it was called . And how , then , could he persuade foreign governments to reduce their armies . He believed that if England and France reduced their naval forces and fortifications , other countries
might afterwards follow with a reduction of their armies . He then showed that in France , as in this country , the navy estimates were framed with reference to what the other state was supposed to be doing ; the consequence of this policy was not only to . keep up irritatiqn , but to encourage , exaggerated repprts of the armaments of the two countries , the increased prep actions of each reacting upon and provoking the other . Groundless panics , thus created , had of late years entailed upon England and France an enormous expenditure for superfluous fortifications , as well as augmentations of their navies .
W as it not possible to put a stop to this rivalry of waste and folly , to agree to a limitation of forces , and thus , abandon a policy which was a source of mutual injury ? America was ready to adopt this principle . Russia could offer no practical obstacle if France and England concurred ; and he contended that , so far from the present time being unfavourable to the experiment , it was most auspicious . He suggested no specific form of action ; he only asked that diplomacy should put itself more in harmony with the spirit of tho age . He begged to move '' an address to her
Majesty , praying that she will direct the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to enter into communication with the Government of France , and endeavour to prevent \ n future the rivalry of warlike preparations in time of peace , which has hitherto been the policy of the two Governments , and to promote , if possible , a mutual reduction of armaments . " Mr . Uhquhaut and Mr . Maokinnon opposed the motion ; the latter , as impracticable , though desirable ; the former , because it attributed the augmentation of our navies to the musty diplomatic policy of former times , whereas it was Lord Palmerston who had been the cause of
all this warlike preparation on the part of I ' ranee , liord PAiiWKKSToif eaid , however little he might think the methods by which Mr . Cobden endeavoured to give effect to his principles were tho best calculated to attain the end ho proposed , lie subscribed implicitly to tho general tendency of his views . His objection to this motion was that it aimed too much at divesting this country of her means of defence , without waiting till other countries had placed themselves in a similar position . Mr . Cobden had avowedly left out of consideration the large military force ol
France ; but in comparing relative means of ofl ' enco , our attention must not be confined to line of battle ships . If a great country like , this wished to bo « t peace with outer Powers , \ t inu , 6 t take caro to maintain unimpaired its ability to repel attack , and without cherishing any hostile sentiment , it wa 8 our duty to ourselves , and to the functions which Provident hnd destined this oountry to fulfil , to keep her in such a position . He thought the plan of action proposed hy Mr . Oobdon could lead to no practicable result ; but h <> said : — " 1 shall be ready to adopt the motion and speech <> f the honourable gentleman , mm tho expression of an " *"
Tho interest of the evening attached to the vote for Maynooth . Mr . fch'ooN tit proposed that it be reduced by £ 1236 10 b . ; in other words , that there should bo jiotlung gmntucl t <> Maynooth thia year . Tho diacus-4 iou ' on this vote ran high and tho division clone . The opponents of the vote urged that tho Catholics jmdl treated tho vote with contempt , and proved < Vc , fy £ ) j ^ Wf » jMuu-Rt . (» ful ; that , they only had a right to X ^ C ^ M ^ q ^ I ^^^" ' im » > l $ ht to " equality . " and that / r ~^ y ^ STiWM ^ wH * V ' roll P' iIlllHinu < u UH **¦ directly enf ^ ' f ^^^^^^^^ M /^ ion » dveiHe to the welfare of the VO \ ^ _ V ^ ' ' » i ' . -VA '; ' , , ' ¦( \ ' - ¦ - ' ¦ ' 5 . ' \ : ¦ ¦ -
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), June 21, 1851, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_21061851/page/2/
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