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HOUSE OF LORDS . FRIDAY , Mabch 2 . rupKisojrMEjrr fob debt . . After the presentation of a "variety of petitions lordBROUGHAM stated thattheCommittee ofiheir Lordships on the Imprisonment for Debt Bill had thoroughly discussed the most important branches of that important question , and that he now entertained the most sanguine hepes that a satisfactory result would issue from the investigation . LordLYlvDHURSTexpressedhlniself of a similar opinion . - - . -
XEGRO SLATEBY . 1 / ord BROUGHAM , after presenting a number of petitions praying for the immediate and total abolition of slavery , defended himself from an atiaci made on him' ti y Captain PecheH , in the House of Parliament . His Lordship concluded by " moving for papers for the purpose of shewing whether I was EotprecipitateiB precluding allidea of charging the officers of the navy / with being influenced by leadmoney—whether I did not go out of my way , not in the righ £ direction , bnt in the -wrong , when I spoke only of the tendency , not of the effect of headmoney—when I limited myself to a discussion of the impolicy of the system , and carefully abstained from attributing any selfish motive to those who acted tinder it—whether , in short , the feet may not be { being the very reverse of that which I stated ) . that the effect as well as the tendency of this
headmoney has been to indnce the officers of crnizers to allow lie lading of slave-vessels to he completed before they commenced the work of capture .- I have been in communication with a very experienced naval officer , who understands this question well and who tells me that the object I have in view-wiH "be obtained if 1 can procure from the . Government—1 st . the dates of aU captures of slave-ships for the last ten ^ years ; 2 nd , extracts from the logs of the capturing ships on the days before and the day after each capture ; 3 rd , a return of all the other " ships on the coast of Africa on the same day -with the British ships stationed in cruizing there ; and , 4 th , the number of ships stationed onthe east coast of Africa during the last ten years , specifying the years and the names of the ships . " ~ After a few words from the Earl of MINTO aad Lord MELBOURNE , the motion was agreed to , and the House adjourned .
HOUSE OF COMMONS . FRIDAY , March 2 . The Committee appointed to try the merits ' of the City of Durham election reported that the sitting . Member had been duly elected . Mr . JOHN PARKER presented a petition from Sheffield , praying for the abolition of the apprenticeship system in the West Indies . Aiter the presentation of ~ a great number of petitions upon different subjects ^ Mr . AGLIWSBY puVtpoaed his motien with regard to the Ipswich election until after the minutes of the proceedings of the committee had been printed .
Captain PECHELL stated that he had received a communication from a Noble and Learned Lord in reference to the observations- which he had made on the previous evening in regard to the capture of slave vessels . The Hon . Member said that n he had said anything which ought to be withdrawn , he was willins to abide the decision of the Speaker on th * subject ; but he was not aware that anything had fallen irum him which he ought to ret ? actl , In answer to a question from Mr . PEASE , Mr . P . THOi : SCOs stated a Bill would be introduced in the course of the present session for the better regulation Of pilOtS . - ' . \ ilr . LANGX ) ALE drew attention to the speech made on Thursday evening by the Bishop of Exeter , and defended himself from the imputations cast upon ?; iin bv name in the conrse of that speech . Mr . " OTONNELL , The ATTORNEY-GENERAL , and Lord HOWICK , also said a few words in defence of their conduct .
The House then went into Committee on the Poor itelf t * f ( Ireland ) Bill , and the several clauses up io the 60 ih were disposed oi " . The Committee will sit aiaan on Friday . 7 The House adjourned at a quarter bpfore twelve until -Mondav .
HOUSE OF LORDS . MONDAY , March 5 . The Loed CHANCELLOR took his seat on ta ? Woolsack at five o ' clock . On the motion of Lord DEVON , the TTate . rmens Company s Bill was read a . second time , and ordered to be committed oh Thursday next . Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition- from * Exeter and its vicinity , signed by 7 , 60 J male inhabitants , amongst whom were several of the clergy , the Mayor , Council , etc ., prayiug for the abolition' of Isegro Apprenticeship in tae West Indies ; also a pennon from the same place , signed by 6 , 700 female inhabitants , praying to the same effect ! -The Noble and Learned Lord had been asked to state to the
House , that the reason why more of our countrywomen had not petitioned their Lordships on this subject was thatithadbeen thought , in many pans of the country that as we had an amiable countrywoman now oh the throne , it would be better for them to petition her ; and accordingly , on " Wednesday last , a petition had bi # n presented to ~ be r Majesty , signed by half a million , of females , praying for the abolition of Negro Appenticeship . The Noble and Learned Lord then presented petitions forthe same ol . ject—from a \ Yesieyan Methodist Chapel in the county of Devon ; the Inhabitants of Rochester , Chatham , and" its vicinity ; the Protesurnt Dksenters' Assembly in a Chapel in London-street , Birmingham ; in
Bewleyrails , Southampton . ; Abchurch Meeting House , Worcestershire- , Shirley-street , Warwick ; Chesham , Buckingham . ; from Gfassinbury and its neighbourhood ; Caatledownington and its vicinity , Leicestershire ; King's Norton ^ Worcestershire ; \ Vhitdeheatb , Worcestershire ; the Baptist Chapel , in Bond-street , Birmiiighani ; Islington and its neighbourhood ; Hamlet Brentsdod and its vicinity ; . Stanhopestreet Meeting-honse , Birmingham ; and Great L * icfc = ter-= treet Chapel Birmingham . The Noble and Learntd Lord then moved for a copy of the correspondence which had taken place witli Lieutenant Pvainsey , of her Majesty ' s ship , the Bluet Joke , respecting : the capture of the Marinettino in 1831 and 1 ^ 3-2 . - '" .- "
Lord SEAFGRTH moved for certain papers relative to the amount granted for slave compensation . The Marqnis of L 4 NSDOWNE presented a 2 > etiti 0 niromBahon- ] e-Moors , in favour of a National System of Education . . The Noble Marquis said that Le had also several petitions to present , which he would now lay onthe table , principally from places in Wiltshire , praying for a shortening of the duration of Negro Apprenticeship . : The Marquis of LANSDOTTNE presented returns with respect to the law of partnership ; and also the number of children under sis years of age , who had been confined in the Penitentiary during the hist seven years . - Lord GLENELG moved the first reading of the West India Save Abolition Bill
Lord BROUGHAM stated that he would , after he had seen the provisions of the Noble Lord ' s Bill , feel himself atliberty to renew his motion on Colonial Slavery at the earliest possible period , on which he should ' take the sense of lie House . The effect of his motion would be for the total repeal of Slavery ; and it would he founded on the order in Council of the 12 th of July , 1837 . Lord ASHBCRTON moved for re tarns relative to the voluntary commutation of Tithes , which were ordered .
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY laid on the table a Bill to amend and extend the clauses of the 27 th and 21 st Geo . III ., which Bills were generally known by the name of Gilbert ' s Act . By this amended Bill it was proposed to enable clergymen to borrow three years ' . iucome upon'thai benefices for enabling them to build residences } that 30 years should be allowed for the discharge of the debt instead of 20 , as heretofore ; and that the distinction between non-resident and resident incumbents , should be done away with . ( Hear , hear . ) The Bill was read a first time . Lord GLENELG laid on the table certain papers , but did not audibly state what they were . The Marquis of SALISBURY moved for certain Returns relative to Turnpike Trusts under certain Acts of Parliament , which Lord MELBOURNE said he could hare no objection to—Adjourned . HOUSE OF COMMONS . MONDAY , Mahch 5 . ~
The Speaker took the chairat the usual time . ' ¦ Lord TEIGXMOUTH , who was received with loud cries of " Hear , hear , " from the opposition benches , took the oaths and his seatfbr Marylebone . Mr . PARKER bronght np certain papers from the Poor Law . Commissioners , and Mr . CRA _ FERpapers frem the Treasury . ¦ - - - . " ¦ -.-CoL GORE LAKGTONpreaented ^ petitionfrom the soap manufactnrers of Bath , praying for a repeal of the duty on soap . ' r Mr . V 1 LLIERS presented petitions from five towns in Staffordshire and Worcestershire , praying jforthe immediate . Abolitipn of Negro -Apprenticeshi ako
-p ; * . petition from the , inhabitants , of Wolrerhampfon i praying for enquiry 1 into fhe management of the Church ^ ropertyfiftst town ; tile petition was signed prindpalh- by persons of Cjoservafivfr opinions , and it stated that lie inomry woold exhibit > shameless and scandalous perveraion of tlitfpngihal intention to which file property wa * fo be ^ & ^ In maaT towmhipg m wM aiere irereiboasanto of inhabitants , there Trasnot a angle free seat for tbe poor , and the Ministers jaftbr receufed jenongn . to support them . In one parish , in which there were 3 ^ 00 inhabitants , the j £ ini * ter received only £ 100 per annum ) although
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the revenues of the parish / were enormous . Another fact was , that in 1811 , the Dean of Windsor , who was also Dean of Wolrerhampton , obtained an Act of Parliament , and let the mines , which were the property of the Church , only oneJburth of which " were applied to Church purposes , the remainder being appropriated by the Dean . ' The petitioners prayed that no future Dean might be appointed until some better provision was made of the property ; the petition further prayed that the present Dean might be made to account for the produce of the mines , in order that they might be made available to the purposes of the Church . The petition was then ordered to lie on the table . Mr . WARD presented a petition from the Chamber of Commerce of Sheffield , with respect to the Combination Laws . Referred to the Combination Committee .
Mr . M . J . O'CONNELLpresentedseveralpetiuons from parishes in the county of Kerry , jjraying for the Abolition of Tithes , for Municipal Reform , and the Vote byBallot . Captain WOOD presented a petition from the Licensed Victuallers of London and Westminster , praying for a Repeal of the Special Taxes on Servants and Windows , which pressed upon them ; against an extension of time for keeping open Beer Shops , and for the non-liability for articles lost in then- houses-Mr . LASCELLESand Mr . PEASE presented petitions against the Negro Apprenticeship System . Mr . HALL presented- a petition from the carpenters of Marylebone , praying for a remission of the sentence on the Glasgow Spinners . - Also one much affecting their constitution—fromcertain inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland , in favour of the Hygean system of medicine . The reason why the petition had been put into his hands he snpposed
was , that the gentlemen at the head of the establishment was one of his eonstituents , but he regretted it had not been put into the hands of some other Member who could speak with greater efficacy as to the power of medicine . Mr . G 1 LLON presented a petition from the Central Board of Dissenters in Scotland , signed by the chairman and Secretary , taking notice of an Act introduced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for endowing forty schools in Scotland . They acknowledged the advantages of education . They objected to the mode of appointing the schoolmasters , because the election was placei in the hands of the Ministers , Kirk Session , a » d Her itors , who were not the persons interested ; the ) - objected to the sectarian character of the measure , which excluded all who did not sign the Confession of Faith ; and they further objected to the election of the schoolmaster foT life , as it left no inducement for exertion in the discharge of then * dnties .
Mr . HAWES presented a pptmon from the coffee and eatinE-house keepers of the metropolis , complaining of the coal monopoly , by which they were great sufferer ^ and praying to be heard by thrar aeents and witnesses before the Committee upon the Coal Trade . The Hon . Member moved that tbe petition be printed , but we did not understand him to press the motion . On the motion of Mr . F . MAULE , certain returns were ordered of the criminal offender .- - who had been committed for trial at every sessions and
assizes durine the year 183 / . Mr . O'CONNELL presented a petition from the Protestant Dissenters of Chesham " , and other places , for the immediate Emancipation of the Negroes in our Colonies ; also a petition from the parish of Rosbacon , in tLe county of Kilkenny , against the Sahnon Fisheries' iiill ; and a petition from a parish in the county of Clare , praying for the total Abolition of Tithe * . Mr . HODGSON presented a petition from Barnstaple , praying for a reduction in the present exorbitant rates of postage .
Mr . HODGES preserved petition ; " from " several parishes in Kent , praying for alterations in tlie New Poor Law Bill . SirF . FRENCH postponed the motion of which he had given notice , relat ive to the better ventilation audTh' ght ing of the Houses of Parliament . Mr . HUME , in consequence of the return for wliich he meyed not yet being on the txble , postponed his motion relative to the appointment of the Honourable Mr . Primrosa to the office of Receiver-General of the Post Office , till Friday , by which t ime he trusted the return would be prepared . The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQl'ER vrn < sorry ths returns had been delayed , but he would take care they ' should be rer . dv bv Friday .
Mr . F . MAULE presented a petition from Dunravea , praying for the total Abolition of Tithe * . Mr . 11 U * ME presented a petition from a parish in Perth , proving lor the Abolition of the Corn Laws . Mr . ' DIYETT seeing the Chancellor ol th y Exchequer in his pla . ee . 'wished to call his attention to the very irregular manner in which the is .-ue of Newspaper Stamps was now ordered . He wished to ask whether there could hi ? any objection to regular half-yearly returns ? In his opinion it would be much more regular raid satisfactory .
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER - --aid that he could see no-difficulty in the proposition , nor could he see the slightest objection to it . The present mode of one Gentlem . uj rnovins for returns in January and another in April was very incouvenifut Mr . LOCH , the Chairman of th ^ Queen ' s County Election Comminee , appeared at the Bar , and reported that John Fitzpatrick , Esq ., had been dul y elected to serve in Parliament , and that the petition against such return was neither frivolous nor
ve . Mr . PUSEY gave notice th ? -t on TunrsJay next he should move that the proceedings before thnt Committee he laid on the Table . Colonel SEALE postponed to the 20 th of March thejnotion of which he nad given notice lor to-m > rrow night respecting mirmiiacnrred corn . We nnderstcod him to say that he thought the postponement necessary , as the House wou . ! be occupied the whole of to-inornnv wiia the motion of the Hon . Baronet the Member for Leeds .
Lord SANDON presented a petition from the Corporation of Liverpool , in favour of Mr . R Hill ' s plan for a . "universal penny -pottage . Lord J . RUSSELL appeared at the Bar . and , on being asked by the Speaker , ' What have you there ' : " said " An answer to the Address of this House to her Majesty , voted on the 27 th day of February last , and presented to her Majesty on the 28 th "—her Majesty will take into her consideration the best means of affording promotion to the officers of Marines , consistently with a due regard to economy , and the just claims of the other branches of her Majesty ' s ? srvice . " The Noble Lord then said—In moving the Order of the Pay , I think it my duty to state to the House the course which her Majesty ' s
Ministers propose to take as to the Address to which her Majesty ' s answer has just been read . On the 27 th of Fehruary , an Address was agreed to by a majority of 14 on the subject of promotion in the Royal Marines . That Address was sent to the department to which it referred , and , on the recommendation of that department , Ministers thought it their duty to take the whole subject into their considerat ion . The Address was not a solitary one , for a similar Address respecting promotion of officers in the army was carried towards the end of last year , certainly in a very thin House—the thinnest that could entertain any question—the majority being 21 to 19 . But there were also several notices of motions upon the same subject in the last Session , ^ vhich
pressed the matter npon the attention of the Government in such a manner as that they feel it necessary to br ing it before the consideration of tlie House . ( Hear , hear . ) It is according to the usual practice of the Constitution that reward and promotion should proceed from , the Crown , and that the check a : ; d controul of the public expenditure should proceed from the House of Commons . ( HeaT , hear . ) That which is the ancient practice of the Constitution seems no less conformable to reason , and to the just balance of the powers of the Constitution , than it is conformable to the ancient and invariable custom . CHear , hear . ) The officers serving her Majesty , ^ whether in the military or naval sendee , or any ofher , have a r ight to look to the Crown for reward or
protection , ( Hear , hear . ) There can be ho more grateful duty for the Sovereign than to distribute those rewards and promotions which meritorious conduct or long service may seem to require . ( Hear , hear . ) On the other hand , if there is any excess in the expenditure , the people of the country have a right to call upon the representatives in the House of Commons to check and controul that expenditure , and restrain any prodigality . But if snen motions as these were to succeed one after another , it is obvious that this salutary rule would cease to operate —the officers of the navy or army would go to the Admiralty or to the Horse Guards , and represent their claims , as a class , or perhaps their individual claims , and being refused , they wouW exuect to
receive from the House of Commons those honours arid that promotion which they had foiled to obtain from the Executive department of the State . ( Hear . ) I feel that it is my dnty to call fhe attention of the House to this circumstance , because if such prece dents are set on occasions on which general attention is not directed to the subject , owing to the fact of their being either a thin House , or the attention of the Honse being engrossed by some other subject , a very great and mischie roos - change would take place in the Constitution of the countnr—namely , that the Crown would be invested with thepbwer of curbing , checking , or denying , and the House of
Commons with mat of granting rewards and tiromotion . fJHear j hear . ) Considering the subject * therefore , in thw point of Tie ? r vher Mfg ' esiy ' s Ministers have thought proper to advise her Mtgestyj thatan answer should be retortted to this Address ^ expressing the willingness of the Crown to-compry with the ¦ wjahe * of the House of Commons * but at tbe . same time recommending that a Commission or a Committee should be appointed , composed of persons distinguished by their rank , both in the naval and military services , combined with a certain number of dvihans , to consider the whole question as regarded promotion , and the present system of rewards conferred on naval and military services .
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With respect to this hatter part of the subject , I would wish to caU the attention : of the House to another circumstance which occurred in the debate that took place the other night with respect to the promotion of the marines . 'My Hon ; Friend who tits near me , the Secretary of the Board of Admiralty , said , thatiudeference . to the wish of the House of Commons * as expressed last year , the Board of Admiralty had taken the subject into consideration , with a viewto further promotions among the marines , butwith a view to public economy .. One gentleman certainly who formed the majority , said the wishes of the House of Commons had been , mistaken ; that the intention of the House "was that economy should not be consulted in carrying into
effect their wishes . Their wishes were that promotion shonld-be granted to officers of marines , and that on this subject it was not necessary to look to no principle of economy in the service . It behoves ns to cooidder , and before long thp House will Have to consider on what principle these public > ervices are to be carried on . For many years past , since the year 1825 , these services have been carried on by the several departments of the Executive Government with a carerbl view to economy in the pubb ' c expenditure . In 1821 , the Hon . Member for Kilkenny moved an Address to the Crown , expressing , among several other things , that economy should be carried out to the greatest extent in the military and naval departments of the country . ( Hear , hear , hear . ) An amendment was moved by another Hon . Member , Mr . Banks , we understood . ) Lord Londonderry
declared that the sense of the motion and the amendment was the same , but he preferred the amendment , as he thought the motion implied censure ; but in the general circumstances he fully concurred with the Address . At the end of that Address it was stated—" And further , that his Majesty will be graciously pleased to direct that every possible saving that can be made without detriment to the public interest may be effected in those establishments which" the country is bound to maintain for the safety of the United Kingdom ; more especially in the military expenditure , ; and by a constant and vigilant controul and superintendence over that and all the other departments connected with the administration of the ample supplies voted by this House . " Sir , I conceive that every Government . since then has been bound by the terms and spirit of that Address . The Government of that time
earned economy to a greater extent ; that of the Duke of Wellington pursued it , and that of Earl Grey carried out the principles of retrenchment ^ and a reduction of the public expenditure . If economy and retrenchment were not to bu their guiding principles , it could be no definition of the power of the Crown , but that extension of liberality should proceed from the Crown , and be made to the , House by the recommendation of the Crown . ( Hear , hear . ) If the House was prepared to sny that a more liberal rule should be adopted—that meritorious ¦ officers should receive more , ample rewards than hitherto , the whole of the subject should be looked into ; a comparison of the services made by competent persons , and the result laid before the House . Then
the Honse of Commons would have 'before-it , first , the question of what increased allowance should be made to these officers in the nav < tl and military senice , and then the question which' should never he lost sight of , that tht ; House would , require to provide for that increased expenditure . ( Hear . ) U ' hen the question was one .. of reward to a-particular service , the House was all generosity ; but . when the question was considered as regarded the taxes , the disposition of the House was to deprive the Crown of those means by whicli alone such increased rewards could be given . ( Hear . ) lie hud thought it necessary to state < o much to the House , because he thought tlie Government would not do its duty if they allowed one nioriun after another to be carried
apply . ng to one particular service , and not call the attention of the * House to the whole subject . The way thvy proposed to do so , was to appoint gentlemen who had been known to the country from their high character and ' great ' lak'uts in the senice of their country in both services , with "' whom should be joined some civilians—that they should t ; ik « the whule subject under their consideration— that tlioy should report to the House ; that if necessary there shoul-1 be a recommendation to the House , mid that then the House should decide upon the whole tuiijcctiu a ' gcntra . 1 inuniitT ; and that they should not . ^ iw rewiuds from a . liberality or a laxity of principle , which would iutikti a must important and pernicious change in the constitution of the country —on-j which would naturally make the officers look
for nothing bui iVkivs aud hardships from ¦ the Crown , and on tlie othrr hand , expect generosity from tbe Hou ^ e of Commons . ( Hear , hear . ) He trusted the cuurse taken by ti : e GbYttrnini'iit v . 'ould Lriiig . tlie whole system before the House in a .. fair ¦ and impartial mjinvAM-. ( C'i : »? yrs . ) . Colonel SIBTHGiCP , before the House ' . vent into Cuininittee , wis ' . u'd to ' - ' cail its attention to some of the recent a ; -pointir . eut . s which had bepn made by a Government which came in on the professions of retrenclOTA'ut and economy , more especially to appointiutnis v . liich had been unvn to Members of that House , lie was not :. b (; iif to enter into detail as to these appointments , us tliut would be interfering uiiiiecessiirilv v-ith tbe busi j RWs- ' -of { he House , but
wht * nhe looked to India . to Ireland , tu Canada , and , as was rel : « v : it to lii » motion , whi * u he looked : it the recent app ' -iiitment of a MfniLer of that Honouruhle IIou .= e to a Comniiss ' on ^ r .-rhip of Greenwich Hospital , lie thought it would . bu well for the Government to iufonn the Iior . ii' . if the gentlemen so : ; ppointea were . ' likely to attend to their duty . Vihen he looked at all" these things , he wished that the prerogative was not so cramped , —first by that House , and then again by bam-i ' ul advice out of it . ( lle ; : r , hear . ) It was his duty to state couscicnti . insly ,,-ti » a ! 3 io motiw but one , that ot ' t ! jo discharge of his duty a < a Member of that Mouse , Ti ad induced him to ifurici ; -tlu- recent Jtpjjoiiuini'uc of the Hoiiouraule ; ui > l Learned Member , for Tipiierarvto tho
Coiaimss . iouersliip ol ( ireeiswk ' a Uosjvunl . —( llvnr , hear . ) He believi-d ho did so in coj : sonauc « will ) the feelings of the greater part of that profession , which had every jjjg ht to complain ol the neglect shown to them . lie niiyht , ]; i . 'rhaps , be rold time 1 )\ " an Avt of Purluiuivnt uf tlie lijth of Geo . 1 V ., ciiap . "iu , it was expressly declared that the appoiiitinent ol t :: e five Commissioners , three of them \> md Commissions >' . should lie at the pleasure of the J-lxecutivc GovernuK'iit , and that in that very Act of Parliament there was an exception , although he knew not why -that the Commissiouers , and the Clerk oi ' tl ; e Works , slioul i not-necessarily be professional men . Or lie miy ' nt be told there were cases ' in which auph ' cati *>; , s had been made of men not in
iier Majesty ' s sonije . —( Hear , li .-ar , hear . ) He had no doubt taut the Coinuiissioners perfonned their duty with great ability and integrity ; but . when he looked to the appointment of the Hun . and Learned AIember for Tipperanv . vhus . etransceiidam eloquence in . that House heluu ; always admired , h »! could not but feel that it was an a t of sreut injustice to the officers of her JViaje .-ty ' . s navy ! The ' ru were many Admirals' and Captains ( the relatives' of men to whom the country were eternally in-. Jebte-. i ) wlio were capable- of doiuj , ' the dmy of those Commissioners : altliou ^' . i it was said , that naval officers were not men ol business , and wvre incojnpetent to manage the estates of the hospital , which he admitted were very large , he believeJ of tiie value of £ L , M 0 , WU . It
was not oJ an individual , but the ' Government tharhe ( CoL S . ) complained . There was the office of Clerk to the Ordnance— one , he believed , of great importance—which had not to this hour been rilled . It seemed to be going begging about . The -Government it seemud , had been unablf to find a -Member , of that House to accept it , " though indeed" ( Continued the Gallant Colonel ) " they have . not oHl-re * it to me . " - ( Laughter . ) Probably the Noble Lord ( J . Russell ) would be able ; to ailbrJ some explanation of the affair "; but ( observed the Gallant Ofiicer ) , s . eing that liis Lordship wus iu dcyp rerlection - ' -theNoble Lord is apparently uuuble just * now ''
explain any dung , for he seems to be dreaming , I hope of his speedy resignation . —( Laughter . ) The-Gallant Colonel then read this notices . Lord JOHN RUSSELL stated tUat the Noble and Gallant Member should move his resolution as anameuJment upon the IL ; use going into a Comniitiee of Supply on tue Navy Estimates . He would therefore move that the Order of the Day be now for the House going into a Committee of Supply . . ' ~ ¦ ; The Orders of the Day haviug been read , Colonel SIBTHORP proposed - . his ' amendments relative to the appointment , Arc , to Greenwich Hopical , which was afterwards " withdrawn .
' 7 VAVY ESTIMATES . Mr . C . WOOD then rose to lay these estimates before the House , in doing which he was most indistinctly heard .. He observed that the simple form in whicli the estimates were prepared rendered it unnecessary for him { to occupy the House by auy long statement respecting them . After various explanations on matters of detail the Hon . Gentleman said , it was with great regret that he had found himself compelled to propose a higher estimate than last year . He could assure the Committee that every attention had ^ been paid to economy , as far as it was consistent with a due regard to the demands of the public service . He should conclude by moving that 25 , 165 seamen and boys , and 9 , 000 marines , be in her
employed Majesty ' s naval senice for the vear ending 31 st March , 1837 . The resolution having been put from the chair , _ Mr . HLME said he was sorry to find that no reductions were to be , made in this departmeut , aitaougn the circumstances which for the last two years hai been adduced in justification of the increased estimates no longer existed . He did not indeed see any ' drcumstuiices which could possibly justify the increase in the expenditure for the naval service which had taken place in the last five years . A committee was appointed in the year 1819 , with a view to a reduction ; we had been " going baefcwards ever since then . He again called on her Majesty ' s Government to state why the increase was going on . So far ' back as the year 1825 , Sir G . Cockburn , who was considered a great
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authority on those questions , said he saw no reason why , if peace continued , the estiniatea should hot be reduced ; to what they were in . the year 1819 . j Lord ; Grey took pfnee in 1830 , under a ? ledge of economy ; but what had been the result ? nstead of a diminution there had been it gradnal increase , and now there ^ v as a fi irther - increase proposed without one / word of explanation ^ - The naval service was divided , into effective and ' noneffective ; the charge for the effective service amounted to only £ 3 , 500 , 000 , and the half-pay amounted to half that sum , or about £ 1 ^ 00 , 000 . This \ ras attributable to the bad system of promotion . He would ask what were the circumstances that obliged them ; tc ( keep up a force of 34 , 000 seamen and marines ^ when after the war , in the years 1819 , 1820 , and 1821 , the force never exceeded 20 , 000 or 21 , 000 ? The fact was , we 1 ;
were mamtonm ' g-,. lMge ' -flee ' t 3 V . fpr .. -theSpuif 56 se . ' . 'of interfering with the . affairs of other countries , by whom we were considered only as interlopers . - ' :: : ' -A ^ T , sQme ;' sqnabbnng : ^ et ^ een :. Mr . \ H-iume . anid a host of Honourable interested Member ^ , in the shape of Captains , < ftc . v the vote M'as agreed to . The next vote , haniely , that a sum not exceeding £ 1 , 072 , 497 : be granted for defraying the charges ttiid expenses of the seataen aiid marines emplbyed . in her Majesty ' s service from the 31 st of March , 1838 j up'to ' the . 31 stbfMar ^ The next vote , that a sum nptexceeding £ 520 , 747 , be granted for : defraying the expenses of the Victualling Department for seintien arid marines , was agreed to . ' '¦ " ¦ . ; ' :: " ' : ¦ : ' - ;¦ ; ' ¦¦ ' . - .. ' ¦ . ' . : ¦ ' '¦ On the next vote , namely , that a sum not exceeding £ 112 , 637 be granted lor defraying the expenses of the ¦ salaries to the officers , and the other contingent expenses of the Admiralty-office , being put , after some little debate , was agreed to . ' ' .
The next vote , of £ 2 , 425 , for the office for the registry of merchant seiunen , was then agreed to ; as were also the following : — ' ' . * ¦ \ £ 20 , 230 for the scientific departments of the Navy . £ 121 , 793 forher ' 'Majesty ' s naval establishuieuts at home . :.. . - ¦ ¦ ¦ " . : . ¦ .. ^ . "¦ . ; . "' . ' ,. ' ¦; ; . ¦; ¦ ' '• £ 18 , 8 Si for naval establishments abroad . -. ^ 450 , 093 ¦; for wages to artificers , &c . at naval establishnients at home . £ 24 , 850 for Wages , &c . in the naval establishments abroad . '¦ . ' . - ' ¦¦' ¦ : ¦ ¦ ¦ "¦ ¦' : ¦ £ 554 , 383 for naval stores for building and repairing ofthe fleet . ^ ¦ , .:. : - £ 89 , 7 SG for new works and improvements . £ 17 , H 47 f « r medicine ajidiriedical stores . ; £ 7 S 3 , 6 S-2 for the ' . half-pay , of the navy and marines . £ 525 , 85 ( 5 for the military pensions and allowances of the navv department . .
- "On the . liiotion for granting a sum not less than £ 200 , 033 for civil pensions and allowances , , Mr . HUM I ?' -. objected to the grant . Cuptaiii DUNDAS contended tha , t the pensions ahdall 6 \ vanc . e . s in question were not fairly divided between the ofticerri of the navy and the officers of the marines . Mr . C . WOOD observed that these pensions and allowancesAvere confined to officers on . -hall-pay , ' There wore only four marine officers who yrere in a condition to be entitled'to them . The sum to which tho inariutfs ; were entitled was one-fifteenth of the whole sum , or £ 72 ; whenreas . they had received a sixth , or £ 300 .. , LorJ ( 1 . LENNOX expressed his hope that the commission which was to be appointed was intended , not ta defeat the motion carried ilie other day , but to do bona fide justice to the Roy ill Marine corps . ¦ ' . ¦ Mr . C . WOOD observed that the object of the commission was to do justice to the corns in
q .-The -grant was then . agreed to ; as was also a grant of £ 14 i \ GMi . for . ireiglii , ttc ., ou nccouut of the arniy aii ' . l ordiutncL departint-ut . \ The last grant \ vas : then -tnov ' ed , vix— £ 6 ( 5 , 330 , for freight , A c , to convey convicts to New South Wales and Van Diein , an's Land . After a few observations on the desirability of altering themuthod of conveying convicts hi Ireland . The vote was agreed to . Mr . BKiiNAi- having left the Chair the House resnmed , and the report wsis ordered to be received to-morrow . 1 ¦ ¦ . - ¦
Mr . LITTON moved , for leave to bring in a bill U > restore the ' -ancient jurisdiction of the Court oi Chuncery in Ireland , enabling masters of that court , upon petition , to execute renewals of leases for lives , containing covenants ' for renewalin tho names oi persons bound by such cpvpnants ' , to execute the same , and being put oi" the jurisdiction of the court , and to extend such powers to cases of terms for years or . livesuepcndeiit upon years . No objection Wing made on the part of the Irish Govornmeiit , leave was given to bring in the bill . ' The 'Houseadjourned ivt twelve o ' clock .
HQUSE OF COMMONS . TUESDAY , March 6 . The petition against the return for Huntingdon County was withdrawn . Mr , E . 'l \ liaiiibridge was declared duly elected for Taunton . The Clerk of Committees- brought up the reduced , list of the lleadiiiif and-Tralwi Kli'Clion-Coniinittw >« -.
VOTHOr CI > . \» l"llE ON THE COLOXI . VL . SKCUETARY . Sir WILLIAM MOLESWOIITH , himng been called on by : the Speaker rose and addressed the House . From the low tone of voice and rapid enuuciadon of the Hon . UaroiM , together with the noise which prevailed in the body of the Llousv . ' , he was irnperfeccly heard in ( 1 k > gallery . We umlurstood him to say , thut . no man . required the indulgence of the House more than himself , as : the siibject which he was about to submit to its consideration vs ^ hs of so important as well ;\ s of ' so delicate a nature , that he could not'but'feel his ov . n inability . to dp . justice to it . On that nccon-nt . liu- was most anxious at that time to correct a misrepresentation that had gone
abroad , relative tp certain opmionsf with regard to the Colonies ., that lv . id"been imputed to ^ him . ( Iltv ii r , hear . ) lie knew not wherefore , these opinions had been imputed to him ; in liis humble judgment they were very unpopular , and it was almost unnecessary for him to say that hi * ; : liuded to tlits opinions of those who thought tliac tlu ' bos't tiling that could be done with the Colonies was to r , » t quit of them . ¦ - ' . ( Cries of H enr , hear . ) From the . ^ o ? eu tiiiientshe begged leave totally to-dissent .. Ili '^ aw many great advantages resulting from the po >' -c *? ipn of colonies , ami he would instance thy Wo . st Itulies and Australia in support of thatopinion . These . were no new opinions of his , for so long as five years ago he had the honour of assisting in tliu fi ) rmation of a cplpny ^ by be ' coiniiig one of ti : e Trustees ibr a
coijsiiierable sum of money to promote its loruiatiqu . Would it be right , he would ask , to tJiiiaiicipate Canada ? In his opinion , the question of the emauci . pu . tion Of the Colonies was a" . question of time and experience . ( IIear . ) Wits it " not an abuse that such : i man as Sir F . B . Mead should haw been appointed as Governor of-. * o important a , ' Colouy as upper Canada ? Was it not an abuse that such a man should haw hud the opportunity of fomenting rebellion . Wris .. it hot an abusg that they should have been obliged to appoint iri Lower Canada a military Governor , and wore abouttodelegate autocratic powers to' ' an _ indiviilual , however much he was deserving of confidence ¦? . Those were evils growing out of the possession of colonies , ft was also an abuse that from 40 to ;"> 0 communities should be
handed over to the governir . ent ot a man so notoriously incompeti / iit and ¦ incapable as the present Colonial Secretary . These were evils ; but still the balance was greatly in favour of having Colonial possessions . He would yield to no man in a desire to preserve and extend the Colonial dependencies of this country . He would have wished that the United States had never been sop ? . rated from Great Britain , but when lie reflected that the local Government in that Colony had no sympathies with , iiud'did not possess the confidence of its inhabitants , he could not but feel that the connection , could not b <; . continued with advantage or satisfaction to either . It was precisely on this ground , that he advocated
the cause of the people of C ' linada ; He could not but ' sympathise ' with a people . struggling to preserve tluar just rights and liberties . He felt that the local liovernmeht of that colony was neither entitled to their respect nor contidence , and that the system of policy pursued towards it by the mother cpuntry was unjust and oppressive . There . was . another disadvantage undtjr which he laboured , and from which , with the permission of tht * Houser hi ? would shortly relieve himself . He knew that the ^ fiotion which ' he wasaboutto bring under the consideration of the House was distasteful to some Hon . Members upon that side , for they wereawafe- how difficult it was for them to deny tlie charges which it iuvolved ,
and which every one in that House believed in his conscience vvas true . He fxpected that , relying on the charitable assistance of tha Right Honourable Baronet and his friends opposite , they would endeavour to make this motion unpopular with the House , by ascribing to it a democratic tendency and object . He meant to bring before the House , not merely the system ef-policy which had been pursued tpvyaras Canadainparticular , but the whole system pfColohial policy * ... ( Hedr , hear . ) Tlie Governmeiit which was the best for a colony , must in all cases depend on the special qircumstarices of tht » case . What was good for one colony , might be vfery bad indeed for another . Some colonies might ¦'¦ perhaps ] require a despotic authority—others an aristocratic powei >^
-and he did not know more than two or three of the colonies , in which he should not be afraid to see the experiment of a pure democracy . ( Hear , heaf . ) This , he trusted , would convince the House that this motion had no reference to a general abstract opinion ^ whatever that migh t be ; it had no : more a democratic object or teiideucy than if proposed by the Hon . Baronet opposite , the Member lor Tannwprthj seconded by the Hob ; Baronet , the Member for the University of Oxford . It might' be called invidious to attack Lord Glenelg , and it might be objected that he was not leis competent of more iricompeteut than many of his colleagues—that his office was filled as pompetently a « most of the other Office ? in the Cabinet . And that the Cabinet being responsible for neglect of duty in every
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department of the State , the censure of the Hb » ise ought to be as Me \\ directed ; against the : iwhole Cabinet as against one Member . Trie was not very certain—he '¦ •'• W 9 S not quite convinced ; that there might not be some force in the kat objection to his motion y bat yrould the Honse permit him briefly to istate his > reason- 'for calling for a vote of want of confidence in Lord ; Glehel | 1 ' { Tb $ Colonial ^^ Office differed materially from every other department of the " State . All the other branches jof the Government administered oily : —they ^ administered ^ for vs who : were representea : in tnis Assembly . The Colonial Office administered for the Colonies , not one of which possessed any representative in any Assembly to ^ which the ^ Colonial OfHce wais in any tae otner oi tne
aegree resppusiDie . jxu prancnes Government administered bnly ; they did not legjislate . Bnt the Colonial ; Office j besides conducting administrations , comprising civil , military , financial , executive , and ecclesiastical functions , rendered ; still more difficult by the various lawa , institutions , manners , languages , and wants of distant and widely separated communities- ^ besides all these duties , which could hardly be performed well by one office , as if they weremot sufficiently complicated and incongruous , it had also to legislate more or less for all those colonie 3 vehich possessed no reprer sentatiye assembl y either by ^ instructions to ^ the povernors , by Order in Council , or by instructions sent out to Ministers . resideut in tha Colonies . That would be bad enough if all the Colonies were
close together , and close to England , but let the House recollect hbw widely- separated . they were , and how distaut from , powning-street was even Canada—the Colony now under discus ? ion . In many Colonies a year niust elapse before a letter could be answered . — - [ The noise in the H 6 use increased to siich a degree , that the _ Hon . Bayonet paused , and there were loud cries of " Order , order , "" Bar , bar . " After some little delay , Sir Williain Molesworth resumed , but in such a tone of voice , and fr ^ queiitly turning his batck to the Chair , and consequently to the Reporters Gallery , that ; we ftjund great difficulty in collecting the purport of Ms observations . ] Such were the complicated duties of the office , that it was doubtful whether
the Colonial Secretary even read all the letters addressed tahiiu ' i and much depended on assiduity of his attention to his dutieSf- - ( L 6 ud cries of hear . ) His attention must be directed , not to the state of affairs at the time of his last advices , but to the period when his dispaches would arrive in that Colony . How could that be done unless he possessed great foresight . It was well known that the administrative and legislative difliculties of the office were jn- ' creased ten thousand-fold by the great distance of " these Colonies . But it must also be recollected that great duties were imposed unoii tiie Colonial Mini-. ster " , with respect to the administration pf criminal jurisprudence , over a vast tract of country , in the adininistrntion of secondary punishments , i ( Hear ,
hear , ) The individual vf ] id was appointed to such an olrice ought . to be all competent to the conducting ot ' public affairs , and a inest effective individual . The Colonial Minister incurred vast obligations , and as such ought pVculiarly to be subjected to the cohtrouli of tliat House . Certainly ^ not . The Minister holding so important a situation , when he found himself incompetent to the discharge of his duties , was bound to resign . He did not speak of Lord Glenelg in particular , but of every Colonial Minister . In every other part of the' State the Minister was accountable to that House ; not so , however , with respect to the Colonial Secretary . The Colonial Minister , so far as that House was concerned , was almost irresponsible to it . Again , in the Cabihef
the Minister oi any other Depfartment was iu some degree nceptintable to his colleagues , ' but this was not tlie c ;\ se with the Colonial Secretary . It was truo that sometimes other Members , of the G ovehimout came down and made speeches upon Colonial alliiirs but every person must know" that'that speech was in effect prepared in the Colonial office . The office was one of great and paramount importance then why were the Government sp weak as to retain in it one so notoriously incompetent , as Lord Glenelg ? It had been objected by many Hon . Members , that his motion , if earned , would be indirectly a censure upon her . Majesty's Government ^ and Hon . Gentlnmenmight affirm that he was endeavouring to overturn the Government—that he was
endeavouring to uiidenniue the Cabinet ol Lord Melbourne , and it might , be insinuated that his object was to let the Tories in . He at ouce admitted that the House could not agree to the motion without passing a censure upon the Administration , which lu'Jcontended ought to be responsiblei not forthe acts , or rather non-acts of Lord Gienelg , but for keeping himinoince . Ilu at ouce admitted that he would not be sorry if the result of his motion were to give the natives a better Administration , as well as a better Colonial Secre' . ary . Suppose the motion was carried , audthe Ministry were to resign , was it a necessary consequence that the Hon . Gentlemen opposite must come in . ; and even if they did he thouahtit would be better than 'having aMinisiry
professing liberal princip les , tut acting upon Tory ones , in order to keep in power . But even were the Ministers to q \ iit ' their present convulsivegrasp of power , what a libel it was to say that her ¦ Majesty could not fiud a firm and stable Ministry in the Liberal pnrty . ( Cries of hear , hear . ) He thought it better at once to explain his ieelings on this subject , but he hoped the House would do him the justice to believe , that in bringing forward this mctipu he wasBO more actuated by a feeling of hostility tpwards the Government than he was actuated by a feeling of personal hostility towards Lord Glenelg . His object was to relieve the Colonial possessions of this cpuntry from the injustice and oppression under which they ¦ groaned , and to call the attention of the
House to the state of the Colonies in various parts of the world , and to establish some ' sort of . responsibility ¦ in the Colonial' - Office . ( Hear , hear . ) 1 hese were his objects , and they ( Jpuld not fail tp . be attainedif the motion succeeded . He would ask . whether the Colonies were not in a condition requiring a more than usually wise and vigilant Minister at the head of that department . Was not the present a crisis which required that there should be placed at the head of that departmeut , a statesn ^ au upon whose vigilance , foresight , honour , and firmness , the country might place reliance . lie would ask whether the present Secretary for the Colonies possessed ; these qualifications . Had he hot proved by his acts that he , -was unable to grapple -with the difficulties by
which he was surrouvjaed . 1 heiewere the questions which he called upon the House to answer and decide . It mattered not what Coloiiy he began witli to prove the assertion which he had made , for the whole system , of our Colonial policy presented the same aspect . During the last Session a Committee had been appointed to inquire into the state of par Colonial dependencies . The evidence taken before that . Committee disclosed a state of things which could hardly have been believed by those even who had moved the inquiry . It described a state of moral corniption and social infamy , such as could scarcely have been credited . The evidence was in the hands of Honourable Members , and there was no one who read it but must believe that the evils which were
there described were augmenting instead of diini ? nishing , and had at length reached such a pitch as to . require some prompt ' anil decisive remedy . He would ask the Right Hon . Baronet opposite if such was not the fact .. The first step . towards remedying the evil was inquiry , and one would have supposed that the Colonial Minister would have taken some active stejjs in furtherance of it . Such , however was not' the case . The Noble Lord , the Ali'mber for Stro . ucl ,- to be sure , assented to the inquiry , hut nothing further was done by Go vernment in the mutter . ( Cries of hear , hear . ) Considering the colonial nature of the subject , why did Iiiot , in order to obtain the sanction ol govern ' - me ' nt , address myself to the Noble Lord fit the head
of colonial affairs r Simply , because I believed thnt such an application would be in vain . 1 was afraid of the proverbial indecision and supmeness of " : that minister , and I believed that the only sure mode of obtaining an -inqiiiry on this colonial " subject was to pass by the colonial miuister , and apply to another minister vrhoiedepartmsntis eminently -notcoloii-i . il My opinion of the colonial minister may have been erroneous , hut it was formed on common report and belief ; : and the fact , therefore , is , that , so far as I am concerned , the important information as toNMv South Wales and Van Dieman's Land now beforethe House would not have been obtained if I had not made bold , in seeking a colonial inquiry , to proceed as if there were no such department as that over
wliich Lord CJlenelgpresidps . Sir , if I had wanted any justification for such a course , I should find it in another prpceeding , or rather neglect ^ 6 f Lord Glenelg ' s with regard to New South Wales . While the ; moral and social corruption of that colony exceeds belief , its economical prosperity is equally remarkable . Nothing can be more clearly established b y ; the evidence taken before the transportation committee , thaiL the fact that both the evil and the good have one and the same cause , namely , a regular and increasing supply of convict labourers ; If the streani of convict emigratipn be stayed v the source bftW economical prosperity will be dried up , unless , indeed , some other means be adopted pf supplying the colony yrith labourers . Amongst tiiose most conversant with the subject there ; is butone opinion as to the evils which arise from supplying the
colonies with labour by means of transportation ; but one opinion as to the necessity , if thecolonjr ^^ is to be saved from ruin , of promotine the emigration of free labourers . Themeans , too of promoting emigration exist to an almost incredible extent . They were called into existence by the Noble Lord , the Secret taryofWar when he was under-secretary forthe colonies in the year 1831 . The Noble ; Lord ' sregulations for the disposal of wa ^ te lands in New South Wales and Van Diematt '« Land " ( which did nottake effect until- tb > year 1832 ) have actually ^^ produced an enngration fiinJamounting to about ; Jt' 400 , 000 sterling | andperspiis ^ onwhose e ^ erienceandpudgment the greatest reliance may he placed estimate the future revenue from the sale of waste lands at £ 200 , 000 ayear in New ^^ , South Wales alone . Here ; then , ate abundant means of supplying the colony with a substitute for convict labour . Nowy what
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has Lord Glenelg done ywith this * vast emigratipn fund ? He allowed a portion of it to be pbced at the disposal of a private society , who expendrd the publicmoney in sending ont to the colony ; shipload after shipload , of the most abandoned and iiTeciahMu able prostitutes . He placed another portion of it at the disposal , of one Mr .: John Marshall , a sort of agent ^ or broker for shipping , who performs ( without any responsibility ) for tne ( Colonial-office the diflBi . putt functions of conducting emigration a wjth _ ; the public money of the cplpny . But this is * ot all ; only a portion of this vast emigration fund has been applied , however improperly , to its purpose . The remainder , amounnting to no less a sum than £ 200 , 000 , is locked up in the public chest at Sydney , lying idle , of no nse ; whatever , although the demand for labour is more urgent than at any previous time , mai iu ©
and tue colonists have venemenuy . pravea money which they paid for land may be expended according to the conditions on whicb . they paid it . ( Hear , hear . ) And this sum in ihe pabhc chest u not only useless , but it iei worse than nseless ; for , sitice ready money was paid for the land , a great part of the currency is thus absorbed and locked up m the ( Jovernment chest . The loud and ^ frequent complaints of the Colbuists on this subpect have fallen upon the ear of the Noble Lord ; as if he were stone deaf . There is another fact , sir , as to New South Wales , from which the people of that Colony might be justified in ihfemng that there really is no stchpersohage in existence as theCp lpnialMinister thatljord Glenelg is a merely imaginaryj ) ersQnage , a nominal beinff without functions to perform , or at
least capacity to perform mem . For many years NewSouthWales has been governed by an act which expired in the ' year 1836 . That act established a temporary system and form of Gpyernment— -a systhni and form of Government suited to the time when the act passed—that is , when the majority of the inhabitants of the Colony were eohvicts under punishmiprit . Need I add that this system of pnv visional Government was ( necessarily under the circumstances ) of a most despotic character ; that it neglected altogether the principle of representation , and gave tp the Colpnists no voice whatever in the management of their own affairs ? But since then the circumstances of the Colony have altogether changed . The free Colonists have become the
majo ^ ty . ThPse free Colonist ? , naturally desirous to obtain some of the rights of Englishineh , have looked forward with the deepest anxiety to the period when ; the New South Wales Act would expire— -to the time when Parliament would have to legislate anew on the subject , and when they might hope that Parliament , in forming a constitution for a free people , would bestow on them some degree of representationj and give them some voice in the management of their own local affairs . To the Colonists of New South Wales , therefore , 1836 was a most important year . Was the Noble Lord , the Colonial Minister , prepared for thin very important colonial occasion ? l ) id he submit to Paruanient a new constitution for the Colony ? : . No ; he
only asked Parliament to renewthe old Act for one year- ; but in 1837 it will be supposed , when this Act of a twelvemonth would have expired , that the Noble Lord was prepared . Not a bit of it ! In 1837 he again asked for and obtained the renewal of the old Act for another : twelvemonth . But > perhaps , it may be said , that the Noble . Lord believed that the Colony was not ripe for any other . ' than-the old despotic constitution , and that he acted deliberately iu renewing the old Act from year to year . ¦ Not at all , Sir ; for pn both occ . asipns the Undersecretary for the Colonies , acting undoubtedly on behalf of his chief , gave notice of his inteiirion to to propose an entirely new Act for the Government of the Colon } ' : On both occasions , no doubt , the
Noble Lord intended to relieve the Colonists of New South Wales from their anxiety on a subject which ' must everbe one of the deepest intere . stto i ' rueuien ; but on both occasions he only exhibited his own infirmity of purpose . Is he prepared this year ? Or are we to renew the old Act lor the third time ? Are we for the third time to tell , the free peppleof this Colony ' -.-that we care so little-, about ^ theni ag to neglect altogether a matter ; about wliich they care above all things ? And if we do so , are we to wonder : at their resentment ? ( Hear , hear . ) Here then , sir , as respects one Colony , are . three great questions urgently pressing on the unwilling attention of the Tsoble Lord , First , a remedy for the terrible evils of transportation ; secondly , a
meaiis of saving the Colony irom economical ruin ; aiid , * thirdly , a new constitution -for ; the-Colony . Each of these questions is rendered more diilicult by the Noble Lord ' s . neglect ; of it hitherto . If we are to judge by the past , what are-we to expect for the future ? As respects New South Wales I have only to add further , that this is one of several Colonies of vvhich tlie Governors have recently resigned , or been recalled , on account of differences bet . weHii thosf Gpvernors and the departmeht over which Lord Glenelg so neglectfully presides . In the neighbourhood of our penal Colonies there exist circumstances which , while they call for prompt and vigorous action from the Colonial Minister , strongly exhibit Lord Glenelg ' s inattention and neglect . I
allude , sir ,. to the state of many islands m the South Seas , whose inhabitants , are subjected to every species of evil from the lawless residence amongst them of British subjects , aud especially of convicts who , have escaped from our penal ; settlements . The Islands of New Zealand afford the / . •' most' striking example both of an urgent necessity for some comprehensive measure of prevention , and of Lord Glenelg ' s carelessness .. < And here again . 1 may refer to a Committ-ie of this : ¦ House j the Cominitte « on aborigine * , wliich in 183 o * collected very conclusive evideiice pn the subject , and of ¦ which the Under-Stfcretary for the Colonies , the . Hon . Gentleman the Member for t ) e \ onp 6 rt , was a member . It appears from the evidence before that Committee , and from
other document's- recently laid on the table of the House , that not less than two thousand British subjects have settled in New Zealand , that sp ^ many as twQhundred of them are absconded . convicts , that they are not subject to any ; law or authority , that they do exactly what pleases them , that they have pleased to cpmmit crimes towards the natives at which humanity shudders ; - and that , in fact , the native race is rapidly , disappearing before them . It is in evidence that our lawless fellow-subjects have excited the native tribes to wars and massacres , in order to obtain tattoed heads as an article of commerce ; that they have taught the natives to employ corrosive sublimate in poispning their enemie ? , and have actually sold them that poison for the purpose {
that these outcasts froni British society have taken nn . activeipart in the . ' -crnel massacres of one tribe by another ; that they have iiitroduced the use of ardent spirits and of fast-destroying ; disease ; and that , as a na"tural consequence , " tlie '' -natives are swept off in a ratio which promises in no very distant period to leave the country destitute of a single aborig inal inhabitant . " Now ,, is this a , case of urgency : Is this a . matter to be slept over for years , until the native race ' shall have disappeared altogether ? And , again , I venture to ask the right honourable gentleman . the President of the Board of Trade , whether he h : is iipt received a meinorial , signed by a large number of the merchants and shipowners pf London trading to the South Seas , representing that unless
promptmeasures be taken to establish British author : ity in NewZealand , it is fully to beexpected that the lawless .- - British settlers in that country will become a piratical comiivumty ,. like the buccaneers of old . and luny the greatest daiiger is to be apprehended to our shippihg ? What has the Noble Lordj who should haw been most , conversant vvitlitljis evil and thi » danger—vvhathiis he done either in behalf of the natives of New Zealand or of our shipping in the . South Sea ;; ? What has he proposed ? He hasdone , proposed , thought- of , absolutely nothiDg ;! If it had be ^ n a matter in the moon he coul d not have been more-careless about it I The next colony to whicli I will refer is the Mauritius :. Last year the . state of that . calony was brought under the consideratioh of
this House . On a motion for a committee of inquiry . Vafibus facts , proving the very disturbed eonditionof the Mauritius , were stated by an Koii .. Gentleman intimatel y ! acquainted with the subject—4 mean the learned civilian , the Member ibr the Tower Hainlefe . Tliose statements were hot contradicted by anyone . To -his high arid unquestionable authority rsh : ill now appeal fpr the facts I am about to mention . He said— "The most extraordinary circumstances have been detailed to me ( and they are not yetdetiieel ) as to the conduct , or rather misconduct , of various governpra of the islarid of Mauritius ; and as to the administration of justice , or rather its maladministration , there . " > ' Since the year lfelO there has been in that colon y a perpetual violation of the statute
law of the land ; upwards of 20 , 000 felouies have been tjominitted ( as ^ admitted by Sir George Murray ) and remain unpunished ^ without one ¦ solitary exception ; and up . to the present hour these . ' wrongs . remain Unredressed . " The slave trade has beeu carried on in opposition to law . Thesi ? are a few of the facts addnced by the learned civilian , when he demanded last year , an inquiry into the state of the ; Mauritius . What has Lord Glenelg done , proposed ,: thought of , with a view to the cr itical state , ot ; the colony of the Mauritius ? If information on the subject were required bythis House ^ the return , I fear , would be " i \ 7 ^ " I « matters not where the emergency may exist , _ or how great it may be , in every case where decisioii , activityi enerifv , is especially reauired , there we
shall find ,, not that the Noble Lord hasdone more than in other cases , but only that his inactivity , and supinesess are . the more to be : deprecated and regretted . The next colony to wh 6 se critical , might I not say- deplorable , state I would wish , sir , to call your attention , is our settlement in Southern Africa , at the Cape of Good Hope * a territory larger tto the whole of-the . mother Country . It was once inhabited by numerous aborigines , rich in flocks and herds—by- the Hottentots and the far superior race , of the Caffires ; The natives havei nearly disappeared , partlycmassacred v partly driven from theu native country ; even now the system of destruction is gomg on ; and in proportion as our nx > ntiers are extended the native tribes are swept away . The colonists , on the most futile pretexts , have frequently carried off the cattle of the natives . The natives , de-
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), March 10, 1838, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct342/page/6/
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