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confiding-, he asked for a distinct , candid , and manly avowal of the intentions of Ministers respecting the importation of foreign corn . , , The CriANCELioit of the Exchequer was cheered when he rose to reply . Beginning with the end of the speech iust delivered , he ridiculed the " gloomy views" the Opposition as to the feeling of the country . Ljke Lord Derby he pointed to " that barometer of pubjjc opinion , the funds , to prove the tranquillity of things ; and he expressed a cynical surprise at the discovery made by the
Opposition that Government intended to propose a fixed duty . After stating what he might do but what he would not do , he declared that he would express the "feelings " of the Government " frankly , fairly , and without reserve . He then ran over the often-repeated statement ^ that his party had , after making various efforts to mitigate the effects of Corn-Law repeal , resolved to adjourn all further efforts until another parliament had been called . The question was in this state when suddenly a change of Government ensued . And he contended , that as the
change of Ministry had been brought about by no immediate act of theirs , they were not bound to state their intentions . " Why , " he tauntingly inquired , " are we , sitting on this side of the House , to take a different course of policy from that which we asserted on the other side of the House ? " a question met by cries of Oh ! oh ! and cheers . They were certainly noir bound to do so , but to adhere to the policy they had followed in Opposition . He denied that their position , as Ministers , occasioned any greater uncertainty than did their position in Parliament before ; and he contended that any " candid man" would acknowledge there was a difference in the duty of a party who mierht come into power by the profession of a
protective policy , and the duty of a party professing such a policy finding themselves in power . The change rather tended to decrease than to increase the uncertainty . " But the hon . and learned gentleman asks me to tell him whether , in another Parliament , we shall be prepared to propose a fixed duty , according to his own figures , of 5 Si upon corn . ( " No , no . " ) That is the question , as I understand it . (" No , no . " ) If it is not , I shall be glad to know what the real question is . " whether
Mr . VIM . IEKS . —" The question I put was , the Government intended to propose any scheme of commercial or fiscal legislation before the dissolution of Parliament in such , a way that the question of the principle of protection or a duty on corn should be submitted to the deliberate judgment of the electors . " ( Hear , hear . ) The CHAtfCEl-iiOK of the Exchequer , —" That is a mere Parliamentary periphrasis of what I said somewhat more simply . ( A laugh . ) Well , then , I say it is not the intention of the Government to do any thing of the kind . "
( Cheers and counter-cheers . ) -Their business was to propose measures calculated to redress the injustice done to the agricultural and other interests , by the changes of J . 846 , 1848 , and 1849 . " But we are not pledged to any measure . " ( Laughter from the Opposition , and cheers . ) Certainly not to a fixed duty of 5 s . " I know , " he said , maliciously , " there is a great desire on the Dart of gentlemen opposite that there should be a proposition for a fixed duty . ( " Hear , " and laughter . ) I regret , for their sakes , that I cannot give a promise to make any proposition of the kind . "
In fact he would state notlxing , promise nothing , but this , that the question should bo settled at the next election . " I am aware that the government is placed in some difficulties , but they are difficulties which , as we did not seek them , bo we will not shrink from them . ( Cheers . ) I am told , though I know not on what authority , that there has been , on the part of the new Government , an ad misericordiam appeal to the House of Commons . I am not aware of it . I have not sanctioned it . I have not mode it , nor have any of my colleagues . Let the blow bo where or how , wo shall do our best to encounter it . What wo
ask is , not fair play for the government , but fair play for the country . " ( Choerfl . ) Turning to the question of a dissolution , ho disclaimed , on the part of the government , all desire to put off that event longer than necessary ; and ho enumerated the measures , besides those 6 f Supply , and the Mutiny Bill , which he thought should be carried , namely , the Disfranohisement of St . Albans Bill , Chancery Reform , and a measure of National Defence . Having concluded this statement , he made a fierce party attack upon the Opposition . Thrusting his thumbs
into his waistcoat , ho said , with a swaggering air , — "I should now sit down , did I not fool that I have a duty to perform to her Majesty ' s Ministers . The Opposition has very frankly inquired what are tho principles upon which the Administration is formed . There is a subject scarcely second to that in importance in tins country , and that is tho principle 011 which her Majesty ' s Opposition is formed . ( Groat cheering . ) I hope , therefore , I may bo permitted to take this opportunity of making that inquiry . YOhoerB . )"
Of course the meeting in Chosham-placo did not escape him . Ho was surprised to hear that ; " within a fortnight of resigning the govorninont of the country from an avow ed inability to carry it on ; " within a fortnight of tho declaration , to the House and to the Queon , that a dissolution was inexpedient , tho noble lord should bo engaged in constructing an opposition , the avowed object of which was to foreo Lord Derby to do that which Lord John Russell would not venture to attompt . No doubt tho noble lord had arrived at that conclusion witl * a due regard to all the important circumstances . " But" ho asked , * ' if I am to truat tho authoritative utatement , as I hare a right to do , the more especially Wh en . J havo mypejf , bow flWIoPffod on tho part of tlie
government , surely I am entitled to ; inquire what are the principles on which this new opposition _ is formed ( hear , hear)—an opposition which the noble lord has constructed under the inspiration and with the aid and assistance of the right hon . gentleman the member for Bipori ( cheers ) and the hon . gentleman the member for the West . Riding . ( Cheers . ) Sueh unbounded confidence exists between three such eminent ? men—I wish to know on what principie this new opposition is founded—this new opposition headed by a noble lord acknowledged b y all of us to be an able and fitting leader , with such experienced vice-heutonants as the right hon . gentleman the member forKipon and the hon . gentleman the member for the West Biding . ( Hear . ) What , I again ask , is the " principle on which the new otroosition is founded ? Is it the principle of . papa I
supremacy or Protestant ascendancy ? ( Cheers . ) Is it the principle of national defences or of perpetual peace ? ( Cheers and laughter . ) Is it the princip le of household suffrage or of the electoral groups P ( Laughter . ) Is it the opinion of the new opposition , along with the hon . member for the West Biding , that Free-trade is a panacea for all the evils of states ? Or is it the opinion of the n , ew opposition , in deference to the noble lord the member for London , thatFree-tradeisagreat exaggeration ? ( Cheers . ) He thought those questions ought to be frankly answered . For himself , great as were their difficulties , he did not despair . He had confidence in the good sense and temper of parliament ; and if these failed him , he was sure of the country , " convinced that it would support the government in their attempt to dp their duty to their sovereign , and in their resolution to baffle the manoeuvres of faction . " ( Loud
cheers . ) / *; Lord John Rtxssbm ., without preface , attacked the extraordinary plea put forward by Mr . Disraeli , and insinuated by Lord Derby— " That the present Governriment had only accepted office because the Queen was without a government . " "Why , " he continued , "it is-notorious that they have been for years trying to supplant the late government ; that they have been almost unscrupulous as to the means , and that they omittedno opportunity by which they could place themselves in the situation they now hold . ( Cries of 'Oh ! oh ! ' from the Ministerial side of the House , answered by ironical cheers from the Opposition . ) Not
¦ atisfied with making direct motions , adverse to Free-trade , they took advantage of any occasion of . a hostile motion to go down and swell the ranks of the opponents of Government . ( Cheers and counter cheers . ) It was this way that , without agreeing with the hon . member for Montrose , they came down to this House to support him in order to inflict a blow on the Government of that day . ( Hear , hear . ) What was their course at the commencement of the present session ? Did they refrain from any attack on the Government ? Did they confine themselves to weapons of legitimate warfare ? Did they not use poisoned arrows for the purpose of attacking the late Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland ? ( Loud cheers and counter-cheers . ) Had they not a motion of which they had given notice for the very
next week , which was a vote of want of confidence in the Government ? And , after this , can they pretend they were surprised when they were asked to take office , or that they were asked to take office on any other ground but because they had made a successful opposition to the Government . ( Hear , hear . ) Upon th e very occasion on which the noble lord the membe r for Tiverton refused to the Government of the day leave to bring in a bill with respect to tho militia—as upon the motion of the hon . member for Montrose—they came down , without any regard to the subject , without any opinion with respect to it —( cries of' No , no !' cheers , and counter-cheers)—I believe , myself , without any opinion with respect to that subject , ( cheers ,
andcountor-^ cheors , ) and they took the unusual course of refusing to the Minister leave tobring in a bill witb ^ . respect to the militia . ( Hear . ) I own lam surprised that , after that course , they should make an a llegation that they only accepted office because tho Queen was left without a Govornment . ( Hear , hear . ) " He proceoded to show that he had quitted office in consequence of these incessant attacks and occasional defeats which must follow from iha course adopted , to take tho House by surprise . He felt that if he were not driven out of office , he would bo " worried" out of it by gentlemen in opposition ; and under these circumstancos he thought it was a false pretence to Bftv that honourable gentlemen opposite had only accepted
office because the Queen was without a Government . He explained how Lord Derby ' s spoech on the 27 th had altered his position . Lord Dorb y proposed to govern with a minority . Now , if ho ( Lord John Russell ) had thrown up office because ho thought it unconstitutional to govern with an uncertain majority , how much more unconstitutional was it in tho noble lord to attempt to govern with a confessed minority . And then they were not to discuss controversial questions , but wait until next Fobruary to learn whothor Ministers intended to tax tho food or tho people . Ho oxposod the absurdities ^ and injustice of a fixed duty , and charged Mr . Disraoli with not dealing frankly with tho house in ropl y to tho questions of Mr . Villiera . It was proposed to roior tho quostion to tho intelligent portion of the people of England ; but upon this quostion the whole community is intoUigoQjfc . ( Cheers , and countor-choors . )
Lord . John Russell entered into a statistical statement to prove tho bonoflcittl effects of free-trade ; and members loft the house in great numbers . After roviowing the free-trade policy , ho returned to the question of the propriety of a dissolution , concluding that Ministers wore bound to dissolve as speedily as possible ; and flinging in their tooth tlio defiance that , instead of dc « orving reversal , tho policy of free 4 rade demanded extension , Mr . Hbekips made a general reply to Lord John Russell , retorting the chwrgo that tho late cabinet foil
stated last year , having then listened to him when his proposed measures on the subject of agricultural relief seemed somewhat mystified ( a laugh )— -I stated that I was forced to go to another house for . the information which I wished and I said that there were peers who acted in combination with the party of the right hon . gentleman who had been quite explicit as to their general policy . That policy was as I understood ^ it , first to change the Administration , next to dissolve Parliament , then to impose duties on imports and among them upon corn . That was then my solution A clue having thus been given elsewhere as to the objects of what Was then the party in opposition , I adhere to that view of their objects now , and I call on them todomr
through the incessant attacks of gentlemen in opposi . tion , by saying that ; the main opposition came irom tlie * liberal camp . He also went into considerable detail respecting the navigation laws , with | heviewof showing how injurious to pur interests those laws had been ' Sir James Gbaham folldwedMr . Herries , and made a great speech ,. the main object of which was to show that the object pf the present Ministry was to reverse the policy g % free-trade ^ and he succeeded ia showing it . Clearing away the groAmd by makingSeveral smart hite at Mr . Disraeli , and Ministers in general , he entered boldly on his course , declaring that he had no doubt what , ever as to what were the intentions of Ministers . "« T
it if they can ., They have succeeded in their first move--( hear ) -rrthey have displaced the \ last Ministry , and are in power themselves ; and it is now my belief that Aney wish to dissolve Parliament for thejpiirpose of imposing ; if they can ( hear , hear ) , in the new House , dutieaon imports , and among those , duties on corn . ; ( 'Hear , hear , ' . firom the Ministerial benches . ) Do I represent the matter righfly ? Well , it is entirely a question of evidence , and we Rave a difficulty here in ascertaining it , ; ( Cheers . ) " Nqw , hehad the most perfect reliance on the honour of Lord Derby , and what he had stated , b y that Sir James was convinced he would abide : Then , citing various speeches made by Lord Derby since ; the 28 th of ^ February ^ 1861 , lie read
extracts from them , with parenthetical comments , and interrupted by exciting cheers from both sides . These extracts clearly Showed that Lord Derby intended to restore aduty on imports and on corn . There was no hesitation about it , but a frank declaration of his undoubted intention to pursue a certain line of poficy . Sir James piled pr < K ) f on prqof that such was the case . But he brought forward also more interesting testimony * " At that time , when the noble lord ( Lord John Russell ) resigned , and the present First Lord of the Treasury attempted to form a Ministry , the whole arrangement was kept open pending die return of the right hon . gentleman ( Mr . Gladstone ) who was then upon the Continent . Earl Derby made to him a proposal
to join his Government . But what was the preliminary point ? My right hon . friend asked thenoble e " arl whit we have asked in vain here —( cheers )—' What are your intentions on the subject of protection ? ' The Earl of Derby said , 'My opinion is pronounced ; I am quite decided in favour of duties on imports , and 1 am not prepared to say that corn should be excepted . ' My right hon . friend , therefore , true to those principles which he had constantly advocated in reference to this question , said , ' That preliminary step , then , is fatal to our union . I cannot consent to 'join your Administration . ' ([ Cheers . ) So earnest was Lord Derby in adhering to the faith of his pledges , and so sincere in his opinion in favour of a reverhad mado the
sal of a Free-trade policy , that , thouglThe whole of his arrangements as to the formation of on Administration to depend upon the adhesion of my right hon . friend , when he got that answer he abandoned the project , ( hear , ) concoiving that success was not possible . I i * gwt that the noble lord the member for Tiverton ( Lord lalmerston ) is not in his place to add his testimony ; out unless I tun greatly deceived—I should have stated , it w his presence , and he could have contradicted rne tt 1 W misinformed—I am told , and I confidently believe , that the Earl of Derby had an interview , by the pormMBion ot her Majesty , with the noble lord the member for EwWgJ when the present Administration was formed ; that W > qja should take part ia
propose to that noble viscount that he the new Administration , and that the voae question « was put last year by my right hon . friend the ra ° H »> or ^ Oxford was put this year , and within the la * t tortrigliW the noble lord—that tho same question , I * ay , was put , ftna the same answer given—that it was as possible tor ^ ° *^ to flow backward from the ocean as for the corn laws to do repealed ( loud cheers ) j and that it waa impossible tor wm to > in the Administration . Well , but » ow I t ^ t ^ time I have gone very far to prove my case . iV » W { My rolianoo is implicit on the honour of Lord WBut ho was not content . Ho accumulated other prw" - There was Mr . Ohiistopher and Sir John Trollope . w » did ho eay ? And tho extract may bo takon as a specunw of tho modo in which Sir James dealt with hw
queano-Sir John Trollope said— . " I wUl state to you , in his own words , what W ™*''** said his futuro policy would bo . From thorn JJJJJJJ gathor , what every man must know , that tnw , ^ does not rest with him or with the administration , can do nothing unless backed by tho constituencies w ^ empire . " Thia is , most certainly tho case j we ^ L y quan-ol on that point . I £ ( addressing tho W ™ ' ^ sido of tho house ) you frankly ay ow 31 p ° lv £ nrocato Book to bring it about by a difisolution . T do not depma dissolution ; on tho oontraty , I shall t ** ° ™ ofiT 6 W atato the reasons why I eludl / urgo you to take w ^ without delay , 90 that womAy join ibbuo < ° ? ' doajdo . country bo eufTorcd to know what it oM w fc *] , „ rOhnora ^ What dnnH tlio riffht ^ llon . ffontloniftn % ft .
head of tho Poor-law board continue to etato r- ^ quotihff from the Earl of Derby ' s speech to ^ " " ffoOt of tho 27 th of Fobruary on tho address passaged tno «» ^ which I havo alroady givpn , to tho bouso , tna np »» gontloman then coos on to 4 dd— ^ untova d « Lord DorbyUiw rofow tho matter to tho oloo ^
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Leader (1850-1860), March 20, 1852, page 264, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1927/page/4/
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