Page images
PDF
EPUB

States by the proceedings of our Govern- | crees of the 14th of October and the 14th ment, there was reason now to hope that of November, 1850, had, however, been the Government of the United States was more effective. In 1849 the number of disposed to negotiate cordially on the slaves landed in Brazil amounted to 54,000, point, and that great and important com- but in 1850 it sank to 23,000, and in mercial advantages would be gained to 1851 to 3,287. He therefore hoped that our North American Colonies by the set- in a very short time the importation of tlement of the question. His Lordship then slaves to Brazil would entirely cease. The referred to the next paragraph in Her Ma- slave trade was now principally directed to jesty's Speech relative to the recent opening Cuba, the only part of America in which of the great rivers of South America. It at present it was carried on to any extent. would be in their Lordships' recollection The means at the disposal of Government that in the last Session of Parliament, the for the suppression of this infamous traffic noble Lord opposite (Lord Beaumont) had could now be concentrated against the made a Motion on the subject of the great Cuban trade, and we might hope that soon internal waters of South America. At the slave trade would exist only in history. that time the Dictator, Rosas, who had for Her Majesty had also informed them that years refused access to our shipping to the the Portuguese Government had fully recoggreat rivers of the territories over which nised the justice of the claim which our he ruled, had been hurled from power, and Government have long urged for the abolihopes were entertained that his successors tion of the discriminating duties on the would adopt a more liberal policy. It was export of wine, and have passed a decree most satisfactory to know that all the ob- for giving complete effect to the stipulajects contemplated by the noble Lord and tions of the treaty on this subject; and he others who took part in that discussion had (the Earl of Donoughmore) thought the been accomplished; a joint mission of an noble Lord the present Foreign Secretary envoy of Her Majesty, together with one (Lord Malmesbury), deserved great credit from the President of the French Republic, for the successful issue to which the negohad been most cordially received at Buenos tiations on this subject had been brought. Ayres, and the whole of the internal waters Her Majesty next alluded to the affairs of of the Argentine Confederation had been India. The Committee which sat last thrown open to foreign commerce. It was Session on the subject rendered it adviscarcely possible to estimate the benefit sable to resume the inquiries which had which our trade would derive from this been already commenced with a view to measure. One whole State-the Republic legislation on the subject of the future goof Paraguay-would now for the first time vernment of our East India empire. be opened to us, and our produce could very large addition had been made of late now be conveyed, through these newly- years to our territory, and a war was now opened channels, nearly to the foot of proceeding which was very likely to lead the Andes. The next paragraph of the to still further additions. Her Majesty Speech adverted to the efforts recently next congratulated Parliament and the made by the Brazilian Government for the country on the generally improved condisuppression of the slave trade. It would tion of the nation, and the prosperous state be in the recollection of their Lordships of the industrious classes. He fully conthat the Government of Brazil had entered curred in these congratulations. It gave into a convention with this country on the him great pleasure to acknowledge that 23rd of November, 1826, subsequently ra- the state of the manufacturing population tified in London on the 13th of March, and the industrious classes generally was 1827, whereby the slave trade was de- at present most satisfactory. A difference clared to be piracy after three years from of opinion might and no doubt did exist on the date of ratification. A law against the cause of our prosperity; but he was the slave trade was subsequently enacted disposed to admit that the improved conby Brazil on the 7th of November, 1831; dition of the working classes might be atbut it proved ineffective. A large number tributed to the cheapness of their food. of slaves were annually imported into The increased importation of gold, and Brazil for several years afterwards. In the large amount of emigration to Aus1842 the number of slaves landed in Brazil tralia and America, might also have conwas 17,435, and in 1848 it had increased tributed to it. His Lordship then referred ty 60,000. The law enacted by Brazil in to the paragraph in the Speech relative September, 1850, and the subsequent de- to the general improvement of Ireland

A

"I have directed that the reports of the Comcation pursued at Oxford and Cambridge should be communicated to the governing bodies of those Universities, for their consideration, and I rely upon your readiness to remove any legal difficulties which may impede the desire of the Universities at large, or of the several Colleges, to introduce such amendments into their existing system as they may deem to be more in accordance with

the requirements of the present time."

The question of University reform was akin to that of ecclesiastical reform. He thought the Universities should have the power of reforming themselves, and he hoped Parliament would confer on them such powers as were necessary to enable the heads of them to adapt those venerable seats of learning to the wants of the age. Her Majesty had also alluded to the question of transportation:

after its many years of care and suffering. | those capitulary institutions and our great The sufferings which the people of Ireland Universities might not be made more conhad endured were not to be described, and sonant to the wants of the age; but the could only be understood by those who, rights of the National Church should not like himself, had witnessed them. That be in any manner endangered by those reunhappy country, however, was now, he forms. Her Majesty had alluded to the was happy to state, slowly recovering from question of University reform :the slough of despond in which she had been so unfortunately plunged. He re-missioners for inquiring into the system of edujoiced to think that the policy which he understood the Government of the noble Earl intended to pursue towards Ireland was so just and good. Ireland must not be treated according to the cold and formal theories of political economy-she was in a peculiar position, and required peculiar treatment-she required indulgent care -she needed the paternal hand of Government to assist her in recovering from her exhaustion to develop her resources, and gradually to establish a sound system. He was sorry, however, to remark upon some dark features in the picture of Irish affairs -he alluded to those disturbances and murders which had recently occurred there. | One would have thought that the scenes of ruin and desolation which had taken place throughout the island would have taught the Irish people the absolute necessity of obedience to the laws, and that from the observance of the laws they were alone to expect prosperity; but it seemed that the terrible lesson had, at least together discontinued." some extent, been lost upon them, and that insubordination and violence prevailed in many districts. He hoped the Government would assist to their utmost in developing the resources of Ireland, and encouraging industry and trade, but, at the same time, outrage must be repressed, and the power of the law must be maintained. Obedience to the law was an ingredient of the first necessity towards the tranquillity and regeneration of Ireland. The noble Earl then alluded to the following paragraph in the Royal Speech :

"Anxious to promote the efficiency of every branch of our National Church, I have thought fit to issue a Commission to inquire and report to me how far, in their opinion, the capitular institutions of the country are capable of being made more effective for the great objects of religious worship, religious education, and ecclesiastical discipline."

"The system of secondary punishments has usefully occupied the labours of successive Parliaments, and I shall rejoice if you shall find it possible to devise means by which, without giving encouragement to crime, transportation to Van Diemen's Land may at no distant period be alto

This question had long occupied the attention of their Lordships. The Colonies had often remonstrated against the present system, and the Government were anxious to find out some other mode of punishment which would not entail the evils now complained of. He had stated that the Militia law was the great Act of last Session, but there was one other great measure also which had been passed into law, he meant that of legal reform. Her Majesty observed upon it

"The subject of legal reform continues to in the last Session of Parliament have been folengage my anxious attention. The Acts passed lowed up by the orders necessary for putting them in operation; inquiries are in progress, by my direction, with a view of bringing into harcourts; and Bills will be submitted to you for mony the testamentary jurisdiction of my several effecting further improvements in the administra

tion of the law."

The National Church must always be an He felt sure that all their Lordships would object of solicitude to their Lordships, but, concur with him in thanking the noble and like all ancient institutions, it needed re-learned Lord on the woolsack for the zeal, form; but those reforms must be adminis- ability, and perseverance which he had tered with a tender hand. It was worth shown in carrying out the intentions of their Lordships' while to inquire whether the Legislature. The Government, he

terest and with advantage in ages still far distant. From one comment which had been made on his death, he begged leave to dissent. Now that he was gone, it was said that, if an European war should unfortunately break out, we should have no general capable of directing the action of the war, and of leading our troops on to victory. To that assertion he could not assent; for, in his opinion, the Duke of Wellington would have lived in vain, had he not inspired Englishmen by his example to follow in the course which he himself had run. He believed that there were many men now living who had drunk from the holy fountain which he had opened, and who were anxious to emulate his bright example. He believed that if a day should come when it was necessary to fight our battle on our own shores, we should find a hero equal to the occasion, and that among the officers formed under Wellington's eye, and by his precepts, there would be no lack of men capable of confronting the best chieftain which our enemies might bring against them. The noble Earl (who was throughout very indistinctly heard) then concluded by moving-" That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, in answer to Her gracious Speech from the Throne.'

was happy to say, did not propose to stop | unmistakeable; and the pages of those rethe progress of these reforms, but were markable volumes would be read with inprepared to bring in other measures which he trusted would meet their Lordships' concurrence. The noble Lords on the other side had arrogated to themselves the title of reformers. He did not quarrel with that designation, but he must apply the same epithet to noble Lords on his side of the House; and certainly the noble and learned Lord on the woolsack had proved himself well deserving of the name of reformer-for he believed none had done so much in the same time to promote legal reform, and place those reforms upon a sound principle. He had thought it better to reserve the most prominent paragraph in the Speech for the last subject of his observations. He believed their Lordships, in common with the whole nation, felt as one man with respect to the illustrious deceasedthat great man who had in youth fought our battles, and who in age had guided our councils-that chair, which was now vacant, was that which their Lordships were long accustomed to see filled by the venerable presence of the Duke of Wellington, who, with painful solicitude, from the advancing weakness of mortality, endeavoured to catch the words which fell from their Lordships, and continued at more than fourscore years to discharge his public duty to the last. So much had been said, and so ably said, by public writers and orators-from the press, from the pulpit and the platform-upon the great features of "WE, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal the Duke's character, that it was unne-Subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in cessary for him to dwell upon them at any length; but there was one point in his character which he thought had not been sufficiently dwelt upon-that his loss was not so much a loss to this nation as to the whole world. As a soldier he restored the equilibrium of Europe, and evoked order out of chaos, and in after years as a civilian, he preserved, by his moderation and good counsel, that peace which he had established by his genius and his valour. When that great man's ashes were laid in St. Paul's, his remains would be followed not by Englishmen only, but by deputations from most of the great nations of Europe. He had left behind him memorials of his worth which would live as long as the literature of the country lasted-documents not remarkable for their eloquence and fine writing, but the character of the man was stamped upon the despatches of the Duke of Wellington in a manner

[ocr errors]

The following is a copy of the Address agreed to:

"MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN,

Parliament assembled, beg leave to return Your

Majesty our humble Thanks for Your Majesty's most gracious Speech from the Throne.

"WE beg leave to assure Your Majesty of our Participation in the deep Sorrow which Your Majesty in meeting us has been pleased to express, that our Deliberations can no longer be aided by the Counsels of that illustrious Man whose great Achievements have exalted the Name of England, and in whose Loyalty and Patriotism the Interests of Your Majesty's Throne and People ever found an unfailing Support.

"WE beg also to assure Your Majesty that we cordially desire to join with Your Majesty in taking such Steps as may mark our Sense of the irreparable Loss which the Country has sustained by the Death of Arthur Duke of Wellington.

"We thank Your Majesty for Your Majesty's gracious Acknowledgement of the Readiness with which your Majesty's Subjects in general have come forward, in pursuance of the Act of last

Session, to join the Ranks of the Militia; and rence with Your Majesty in the Opinion that it for the expression of Your Majesty's confident will be advisable to resume the Inquiries which Trust that the Force thus raised by voluntary were commenced by the late Parliament with a Elistment will be calculated to give effective Aid | view to Legislation on the Subject of the future to Your Majesty's regular Army for the Protec- Government of Your Majesty's East Indian Postion and Security of the Country.

"We thank Your Majesty for informing us that Your Majesty continues to receive from all Foreign Powers Assurances of their anxious Desire to maintain the friendly Relations now happily subsisting with Your Majesty's Government.

sessions.

"WE humbly assure Your Majesty that we participate in the Pleasure which Your Majesty is pleased to express at being enabled, by the Blessing of Providence, to congratulate us on the generally improved Condition of the Country, and especially of the Industrious Classes; and we beg humbly to thank Your Majesty for Your Majesty's gracious Recommendation that if we should be of opinion that recent Legislation in contributing, with other Causes, to this happy Result, has at the same Time inflicted unavoidable Injury on certain important Interests, we should dispassionately consider how far it may be practicable equitably to mitigate that Injury, and to enable the Industry of the Country to meet successfully that unrestricted Competition to which Parliament, in its Wisdom, has decided that it should be subjected.

"WE beg humbly to thank Your Majesty for the Information that frequent and well-founded Complaints on the Part of Your Majesty's North American Colonies, of Infractions, by Citizens of the United States, of the Fishery Convention of 1818, have induced Your Majesty to despatch, for the Protection of their Interests, a Class of Vessels better adapted to the Service than those which had been previously employed; that this Step has led to Discussions with the Government of the United States; and that, while the Rights of Your Majesty's Subjects have been firmly maintained, the friendly Spirit in which the Question has been treated induces Your Majesty to hope that the ultimate Result may be a mutually beneficial Extension and Improvement of our Com-provement, notwithstanding many Obstacles, has mercial Intercourse with that great Republic.

"WE thank Your Majesty for informing us that the special Mission which, in concert with the Prince President of the French Republic, Your Majesty deemed it right to send to the Argentine Confederation, has been received with the utmost Cordiality; and that the wise and enlightened Policy of the Provisional Director has already opened to the Commerce of the World the great Rivers, hitherto closed, which afford an Access to the Interior of the vast Continent of South America.

"WE humbly assure Your Majesty that we receive with Satisfaction the Announcement that the sincere and zealous Efforts of the Government of Brazil for the Suppression of the Slave Trade, now nearly extinguished on that Coast, have enabled Your Majesty to suspend the stringent Measures which Your Majesty had been compelled reluctantly to adopt, a Recurrence to which we, in common with Your Majesty, anxiously hope may be proved to be unnecessary.

"We thank Your Majesty for the Information that Your Majesty trusts that the general Im

extended to Ireland; and we assure Your Majesty that while Your Majesty may rely with Confidence on our Aid, should it be required, to restrain that unhappy Spirit of Insubordination and Turbulence which produces many and aggravates all of the Evils which affect that Portion of Your Majesty's Dominions, we shall readily attend to Your Majesty's gracious Recommendation that we should adopt such a liberal and generous Policy towards Ireland as may encourage and assist her to rally from the Depression in which she has been sunk by the sufferings of late Years.

"WE thank Your Majesty for informing us that Your Majesty, anxious to promote the Efficiency of every Branch of our National Church, has thought fit to issue a Commission to inquire and report to Your Majesty how far, in their Opinion, the Capitular Institutions of the Country are capable of being made more effective for the great Objects of Religious Worship, Religious Education, and Ecclesiastical Discipline.

"WE beg humbly to thank Your Majesty for "WE thank Your Majesty for informing us that directing that the Reports of the Commissioners the Government of Her Most Faithful Majesty for inquiring into the System of Education purhave fully recognized the Justice of the Claim sued at Oxford and Cambridge should be comwhich Your Majesty's Government have long municated to the governing Bodies of those Uniurged for the Abolition of the discriminating Duties❘versities, for their Consideration; and we humbly on the Export of Wine, and have passed a Decree assure Your Majesty that Your Majesty may rely for giving complete Effect to the Stipulations of upon our Readiness to remove any legal Diffithe Treaty on this Subject. culties which may impede the Desire of the Uni"WE beg leave to express our humble Concur-versities at large, or of the several Colleges, to

introduce such Amendments into their existing echo in the heart of every class of Her System as they may deem to be more in accord- Majesty's subjects, and in none more than ance with the Requirements of the present Time. in their Lordships' House. The memory "WE humbly beg to assure Your Majesty that of the great Duke would be ever revered we concur in the Opinion that the System of by his countrymen as that of one who was Secondary Punishments has usefully occupied the exemplar and type of those great nathe Labours of successive Parliaments; and that tional virtues, devotion to the Sovereign, we shall rejoice with Your Majesty if we shall and attachment to the constitution, which find it possible to devise Means by which, without distinguished the people of this country. giving Encouragement to Crime, Transportation If the illustrious warrior had been still to Van Diemen's Land may at no distant Period living, he had no doubt that he would view be altogether discontinued. with satisfaction the happy results of that measure on which he himself bestowed so much attention, and on which he addressed their Lordships-he rather thought on the last time he ever spoke in that Houseeffect. He alluded to the Militia Bill, which with so much authority and with so great was the next subject to which Her Majesty alluded in Her Speech, in which She expressed Her acknowledgments for the manner in which the people had cheerfully duties; and it was gratifying to observe come forward in the discharge of their that all classes had submitted with readi"WE humbly beg to assure Your Majesty that ness to the requirements of the public serto these and other Measures affecting the Social vice, that volunteers had come forward with Condition of the Country we shall give our carnest alacrity, and that at the present moment and zealous Attention, and that we join most fer-nearly all the regiments had completed vently in Your Majesty's Prayer that by the Blessing of Almighty God our Deliberations may be guided to the Well-being and Happiness of Your Majesty's People."

"WE thank Your Majesty for informing us that the Subject of Legal Reform continues to engage Your Majesty's anxious attention; that the Acts passed in the last Session of Parliament have been followed up by the Orders necessary for putting them in operation; that Inquiries are in progress, by Your Majesty's Direction, with a view of bringing into Harmony the Testamentary Jurisdiction of Your Majesty's several Courts;

and that Bills will be submitted to us for effecting further Improvements in the Administration of

the Law.

The MARQUESS of BATH rose to second the Address. He said, that he must begin by entreating their Lordships to make allowances for the deficiencies of one who then addressed the House for the first time; and by their Lordships' kind indulgence he would proceed to make a few observations in support of the Motion which had been made by the noble Earl. The first topic in Her Majesty's Speech was the death of that lamented hero the Duke of Wellington. Her Majesty said—

their full complements. Great praise was due, therefore, to the officers for the prompt way in which they had discharged their duty, and to the people of this country, that had been made upon them. who had so readily responded to the call conduct on this occasion the people of EngBy their land had declared that though, at the present moment, there was nothing to fear from any foreign Power, and that though foreign affairs could not be in a more satisfactory condition than at present, yet, that if any change were to occur hereafter, their country would be protected, and that they had nothing to dread for their altars and their homes; and that, whatever dangers threatened, they would prove that they had "I cannot meet you for the first time, after the dissolution of Parliament, without expressing my their constitution which justly distinguished never lost that love for their country and deep sorrow, in which I am sure you will participate, that your deliberations can no longer be them over every other nation in the world. aided by the counsels of that illustrious man, He would not trouble their Lordships whose great achievements have exalted the name with any remarks on the present state of England, and in whose loyalty and patriotism of foreign affairs, though the settlement the interests of my throne and of my people ever found an unfailing support. I rely with confidence of the fisheries question with America on your desire to join with me in taking such which if not in so satisfactory a condisteps as may mark your sense of the irreparable loss which the country has sustained by the death of Arthur Duke of Wellington."

He was sure the sentiments expressed by Her Majesty, when She condoled with them on so great a loss, would find an VOL. CXXIII. [THIRD SERIES.]

tion as might be wished, could not fail being satisfactory to their Lordships-at least secured to this country assurances of a desire to maintain peace and friendly relations; and he would therefore proceed to that passage of the Speech in which Her

C

« PreviousContinue »