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esent at the presentation of this address . He had ard with pleasure every word of the speech of his noble and learned Mend , except its commencement , and some of the epithets which were to be found in the . ^ oaTse of it . He dissented from the whole of the complimentary part of it . He must confess that the whole transaction filled him with " . unqualified disgust . " Lord MAliMESBtrnr palliated the affair in his peculiar way : — - He thought that the address was unnecessary , and he
x * egretted it for that reason . 3 ETe regretted , also , that a communication should have been made to the French Government through a channel not officially accredited But as ifc had been made , it was a source of congratulation to him ( tho Earl of Malmesbury ) to have been in Paris and to have seen the good effect which it had produced . He had spoken to various French Ministers , and other persons not in office , on the subject , and they had all received it with the greatest pleasure ; nor did they seem to Jiave the most distant idea that it emanated from any feelings derogatory to the English nation or Government .
After some conversation between Lord Campbell and the Lord Chancellor as to the kind of illegality that pertained to the address—Lord Campbell denning it as something the law had not sanctioned—the matter dropped .
THE BIRTH OF A PRINCE Gave rise to small speeches in both Houses of Parliament . In the House of Peers Lord Aberdeen spoke as follows : — " My lords , —Before proceeding to the business before the House , I wish , to submit a motion to your lordships , Which . I feel confident will receive your cordial and unanimous support . My lords , in consequence of a happy event , which we recognise to-day in the birth of a Prince , I am desirous of moving an address of congratulation to her Majesty , as an . expression on the part of this House of that devotion and attachment which her Majesty is so well
entitled to receive . ( Cheers . ) Persuasion is not necessary in asking your lordships to agree to such an address , and I feel that J should only be doing that which would be unbecoming , if I endeavoured to use any expression in order to induce your lordships to give your cordial assent to the motion I am about to make . I shall therefore simply move that a humble address be presented to her Majesty , congratulating her Majesty on the birth of another Prince , and assuring her Majesty that every addition to her Majesty ' s domestic happiness affords the highest satisfaction to your lordships' House . " ( Cheers . )
As Lord Derby was absent at the moment , his lieutenant , Lord Malmesbury , seconded the motion : —• " M y Lords , —Although , according to the forms of your lordships' House , it is unnecessary that any motion made by one peer should be seconded by another ; and although it is still more unnecessary that any member of this House should express to your lordships bis conviction that the sentiments expressed by the noble lord are shared in by every member of her Majesty ' s subjects , yet I feel I should be erring in my duty if , on the part of noble lords sitting on this side of the House , and in the absence of the Earl of
Derby , I did not express their entire concurrence in the sentiments uttered by tho noble earl , at the news we have just received of tho safe delivery of her Majesty . ( Cheors . ) My lords , every year adds to the affection which the subjects of Queen Victoria feel for her ; and no other expression of mine is necessary to prove to this House , or any other assembly of bor Majesty ' s subjects , that there ie but one feeling of loyalty and affection throughout the country for a Queen who has reigned so constitutionally , so kindly , and yet with so much strength and dignity , over the people of this empire . " ( Cheers . )
In the House of Commons the orators were Lord John RirasEMj and Mr . Disraeli . Both were brief . Lord J [ ohn said" Boforo wo proceed to tho ordinary businoss of tho day , the Houao will , no doubt—from those feelings of foyalfcy which had over distinguished it—bo anxious to congratalato her Majesty upon every addition to her Majosty ' s domestic happiness . I will not add anothor word , but will simply move that an humble address boprcsonted to her Majesty , congratulating her Majesty upon tho birth of anothor Prince , and to assure her Mojosty that every addition to her domestic happiness affords tho roast sincere satisfaction , to hor Majesty ' s faithful Commons . ( Cheers . )"
Performing the duty of tho Leader of tho Opposition , from which rumour said ho had boon deposed , Mr . Disraeli seconded the motion — " Sir , I havo tho honour of seconding tho address moved by tho noblo lord ; and I am st ' u-o that those feelings of affectionate loyalty which prevail amongst nil classes of hor Majesty's ' faithful HubjoctH , render hucIi a motion not a matter of moro coromony . Those feelings spring from a puro conviction on tho part of tho country tjmt tho Ttoyal houso of this realm is associated with tho bout interests of ( bin land . ( Cheers . )" Both addrcHSCH wero agreed to without a dissentient .
CORRUPT TJT-ICOTIONS . , Some election matters won * discusHcd and alluded to on Tuesday ovm ' mg . Tho proposed Commission of Inquiry into bribery at Hull , was the most remarkable . Mr . LABOtroHBJlK moved an address to tho Crown , praying for tlio appointment of tho commission . In doing " bo , ho t-titcd the fiu-tH of tho case . After tin inquiry info tho circumstances of the litsfc election , Mr . Clay and Lord Uodeiioli were unseated . Corrupt " treating , " systematic bribery of the freemen at 30 * a-heftd , und bribery of tho poorer lO * . houaoholdors
( " who , " witnessed an agent , " were troublesome , as they did not know . exactly their own price" ) , were clearly proved . In admitting that the suspension of the writ was a serious step , Mr . Labouchere seemed to use irony against our electoral system . " The House would not accede to the proposal without great regret , seeing what the measure was with regard to so great a city as Hull . Hull was one of the most ancient and importantof our commercial communities ; it now comprised not less than 80 , 000 inhabitants , and it had a constituency of from 4000 to 5000 voters . " Mr . W . Forsyth , Mr . B . Brett , and Mr . Flood , were the proposed commissioners .
Mr . Walpole and Mr . BAnkes , objecting to this commission being made a precedent , gave a hesitating assent to the motion . ! The issue of a new writ for the borough of Lancaster was next discussed , Mr . W . Brown moving the issue . Mr . Thornely objected . Bribery and treating had been , clearly proved in the case of Lancaster . Mr . HtriTE pointed out the want of a general measure on this subject , promised by Lord John Russell , who was not uow in his place to pronounce on this motion . Mr . Aglionby complained of the caprice of the House ; the
issue of writs often depended on whether the motion was brought on before or after - dinner . The Chancellor of the Exchequer confessed that tho saying was too true . But in the present case , as neither the committee nor the inhabitants of the town objected , he thought the writ should be issued . Mr , Drttmmond asked why did they not adopt some means of " getting at the attornies , " who were at the very root of the evil of electoral corruption . Lord Stanley testified that Lancaster was corrupt , but , in the absence of a definite rule , he would vote for the issue of the writ . The motion was then agreed to .
The other election matters were not of weight . The Athlone election petition has been withdrawn . The consideration of the Norwich case was postponed for a week . The evidence taken before the Windsor committee is to be printed . A bill , -to provide that candidate ' s agents , convicted of bribery , should be named to the House , was intimated among the notices of motion . On the motion of Mr . Vernon Smith , chairman of the Cambridge Election Committee , an address for a commission to inquire into corrupt practices at elections in that borough , where , according to the evidence taken before the committee , there had existed extensive and systematic corruption , was agreed to . Alan to these topics , is the question of the
DOCKYARD APPOINTMENTS of the late Administration . Sir B . Hall gave notice that he would call attention to Parliamentary Papers 271 and 272 , relating to dockyard appointments and promotions , and , if necessary , found a motion upon them . Mr . Stafford appealed to Lord John Russell and the Houso to give every facility for full inquiry . Mr . Disraeli suggested that the matter should be discussed " the very first thing" on Monday . Lord John Kussell suggested , instead , next Thursday ,
which was finally fixed . On this subject , in reply to Mr . Tufnell , Sir J . Graham stated , amid cheers , that the orders respecting promotions in the dockyards issued by the present Board of Admiralty , had been made as permanent as they could be without an Act of Parliament ; for tho first time , as regards dockyard regulations , they were imposed by an Order in Council , passed by her Majesty , and could not bo repealed without an appeal to the same authority . Two very diverse subjects wove discussed in succession on Tuesday ; the first was
RAILWAY ACCIDENTS . The subject . of railway casualties was introduced by Mr . II . Brown , who proposed a general resolution , stating that it was the duty of the Government to provide effectual measures for tho safety of tho public while travelling on railways . Alter referring to the notorious profusion of fatal and grievous iiccidents , Mr . Brown pointed out the impropriety of Lord Campbell's 13511—it valued tho useful man in pence and tho merely ornamental man in pounds . Most of the accidents resulted from disregard of arrangements or insufficiency of staff . Mr . F . French seconded tho motion , pointing' out the source of tho evil . When tho railway companies had paid eleven millions in Parliamentary expenses they could not afford to keep Huflicieiit staffs .
Mr . CarowkMj opposed tho resolution on the grounds that tho committee now Hitting- on railways wort ; examining tho question in all its bearings , and were obtaining the best ovidenco that could be had . I To bad also sent to Franco and Belgium for information . Inspecting Government interference they had laid boforo them a document of groat importance , namely , a report to tho Congress of tho United States . In that report it was said , that it might be doubtful whether a more direct Intorforonco would not tend to
increase the danger of the public instead of to diminish it ; because to affect the authority from which the regulations must emanate , would give rise to confusion and embarrassment , would engender bad feeling and hostility between the companies and the Government , ¦ would take from the officers their responsibility , and might thus lead to ' results disastrous to the safety of the public . Surely that was a subject worth inquiring into .
Mr . J . M'GnEaoR defended railway directors in general . The precautions uow taken on railways were unknown some years ago , and , considering the number of passengers travelling by rail , the accidents were not so very numerous . Mr . D . Waddington followed in the same strain . Directors always acted on the suggestions of the Board of Trade , and when an accident occurred were as full of anxiety as if it had occurred in their own families . Directors would rather like Government control . Mr . Laing continued the vindica tion of the companies , backing his arguments with statistics .
In comparing English with foreign lines , they must always bear in mind the difference of speed , and the difference in the number of trains run . In Belgium there were fewer accidents on the railways ; but the speed was not much greater than the old stage-coach speed in England . In France and America there wero fewer accidents ; but the speed was altogether lower , and fewer trains were run . While the English lines were running ten or twelve trains every day , the others were only running four or five . And as the continental lines approximated inore to the English style of travelling , tbe number of accidents was
increasing very rapidly , Recently , be had seen an account of five accidents on the Prussian railways in one week only . On tbe American railways , as tbe speed had been increased , the number of accidents had increased most alarmingly ; the one in which the President of the United States had lost bis son was as calamitous as any that had occurred in this country . By the last official return of the Board of Trade , for the half-year ending the 30 th of June , 1852 , it appeared that the whole number of persons travelling had been 39 , 249 , 605 ; -while only one passenger had been killed from causes beyond bis own control . Mr . Brown then withdrew his motion .
CHEAP WINE Was the object of Mr . Oliveira ' s motion ; proposing a committee of the whole House with a view to the reduction of the present duties on imported wines to Is . per imperial gallon . The mover claimed a wide importance for the motion ; it affected not alone " the narrow question whether wine shall be cheap or dear , " but also our finance , foreign treaties , and , indirectly , tbe peace of the world . By diminishing the duty on wine an increased revenue could be obtained ; and tbe exports of English manufactures to the wine producing countries would be a certain consequence . That sufficient wine to meet the increased consumption can be produced is an established fact . Portugal alone produces 900 , 000 pipes of wine—sound wholesome wine suited to the tastes of our middling and humbler
classes , possessing body , flavour , rind warmth . France produces 90 , 000 , 000 gallons , Teneriffe 25 , 000 pipes , and Madeira 30 , 000 pipes . A taste for wine is spreading among- our artisans and labourers . A victualler in tho Strand said before the committee : — " Bricklayers' labourers , coalheavers , journeymen carpenters , and men of all grades , come in and take their glass o £ wine . You never see anybody drunk in my house ; wo havo had 1 , 000 people a day , and not a drunken man amongst them . Irish labourers frequently carry homo a bottle of port to their families . I havo seen them
. Tbe CirANOioixou of the Exchequer , promising that he must reserve bis opinion on this question until he made his financial statement , avowed that very little had fallen from the lion , gentleman in which he did not thoroughly concur . He was not of tho same opinion with those who thought that it was visionary to hope for a greatly increased consumption of wine in this country—tho taste of the people not lving in that direction . But he thought that the taste of the people of this country with respect to wine was altogether tho result of the fiscal system that bad prevailed for so long a period . Considering wine as one of the greatest gifts of Providence to man considering- tbe place it
oecucome miles to get a bottle of draught wine eome miles to tret a bottle of draught unit
pied as a means of subsistence and as a restorative of health—considering its superiority in that respect over alcoholic spirits—lie must confess that it would bo most desirable , if possible , to male *; a most important change in tho wino duties . The extension of trade with other nations of Europe , the breaking down of the virtual monopoly created by the present system , tho getting rid of the spurious articles which were brought into demand by tho present high rate of duty —all these and many more advantages undoubtedly recommended tho proposition of tho lion , gentleman to favour---not , perhaps , tbe very alteration which ho recommended , but such an alteration an would bring nbout in time a change in tho wine duties . I Jut tho ? mention was one of revenue-, and ho doubted the accu-
Untitled Article
April 0 , 1853 . J THE LEADER . 341
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 9, 1853, page 341, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1981/page/5/
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