The political life of the Right Honourable Sir Robert Peel, bart. ..

Front matter

Prefented to The Cornell University, 1869,

BY

Goldwin Smith, M. A. Oxon.,

Chapter I

Parliament meets in 1830 — National Distress — Admitted Claims of Don Miguel— Question of Parliamentary Eeform becomes prominent— Party Virulence in Parliament — The Act of 1819 violently attacked — Defence by Wellington — Lord Eldon's Want of Knowledge— Tory Opposition to Ministers — Amendments to the Address— Mr Western's Attack — Mr Protheroe's — Mr Edward Davenport's— Mr Huskisson attacks the Address — Mr Peel's Defence — Transfer of Franchise from East Eetford to Birmingham lost by 27 Votes — Marquis of Blandford's Reform Bill — Lord John Russell moves that Members be given to Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and other populous Towns — Mr Peel opposes it— Newark Petition — The Duke of Newcastle's Speech — Its Effect on Public Feeling — Mr E. Davenport's Motion for Inquiry into the State of the Nation — Mr Sadler's Speech— Opposed by Messrs Peel and Huskisson — Death of George IV. — Changed Position of the Cabinet — William IV. dissolves Parliament — Revolution at Paris and Flight of the Bourbons follow— Deep Agricultural Suffering — Alarming Consequences— Effect upon the Elections and upon the Public Mind, Page 1

Chapter II

Results of the General Election— Reform generally anticipated— The new Parliament meets in November 1830— The royal Speech- Wise Conduct of Ministers as to France— Strength of the Opposi-

IV CONTENTS.

tion— Mr Brougham's Notice of a Motion for Eeform— Earl Grey's Speech— Its powerful Effect out of Doors— The Duke of Wellington disclaims Eeform — Consequent political Ferment— Mr Peel's guarded Tone— He declines to entertain the Question— Eoyal Visit to the City postponed by Ministers— Alarm and Irritation produced by this Event— Sir H. Parnell moves for a Committee on the Civil List— It is earned— Eesignation of Ministers— Death of the first Sir Eobert Peel— His Character— Character of the Wellington and Peel Administration— Earl Grey Premier— He declares for moderate Eeform — Lord Eadnor's Speech — Preston Election — First Eeform Bill, 1st March 1831— Sir Eobert Peel strongly opposes it — General Gascoygne's Motion — Ministers in a Minority — Dissolution of Parliament — Criticisms on Sir Eobert Peel's Conduct, Page 53

CHAPTEE III.

Eesults of the General Election of 1831 — Desperate Efforts of the Ministerialists — Their Success — Meeting of Parliament — Angry Discussions of the Peers — Sir Eobert Peel admits a Eeform to be inevitable — His Evasions as to the Causes of Distress — Second Eeform -bill — Second Beading 4th July — Bill carried up to the Peers — They peremptorily reject it — Eiots at Nottingham — Lord Ebrington's Motion of Confidence in Ministers carried — Cautious Opposition of Sir Eobert Peel — Parliament is prorogued — Sir Charles Wetherell — Bristol Eiots — Parliament meets in December— Eeform-bill again brought in — Second Beading powerfully opposed by Sir Eobert Peel — The Eusso-Dutch Loan Debate — Sir Eobert condemns Ministers — Eeform-bill passes — Sir Eobert Peel attacks Lord Durham — His exaggerated Predictions — The Peers read the Bill a second Time— Ministers beaten in Committee— They resign— The Duke of . Wellington assumes the Eeins of Government — Sir Eobert Peel refuses to join him — Consternation and Eage of the Ministerialists — A violent Eun for Gold— It is increased by Placards— Total Want of Confidence — Eestoration of the Whigs— The Bill becomes Law — Sir Eobert Peel's Explanation as to his Conduct— Exaggerated Views of this Event, .......... 104

CONTENTS. V

Chapter IV

Frst reformed Parliament — Spread of Joint-stock Banks — Coercion Bill for Ireland — Sir Robert Peel supports it — Stronglyopposed by the Radical Party — Sir Robert's Address — Terrible Anecdote — His Defence of the Clergy and Blame of the Land-

-,. lords — Mr Thomas Attwood moves an Inquiry into the State u? the Country — Mr Matthias Attwood renews the Attempt — Mr <3pbbett's Motion against Sir Robert — Bank of England Notes mad^. a legal Tender — Sir Robert Peel vainly resists — Negro Slavery abolished — Sir Robert's Advice — Poor-law A mend - ment Act — Cautious Conduct of Sir Robert Peel — Probable Motives — Strong Reaction created by this Act — Division in the Cabinet — Earl Grey retires — First Melbourne Cabinet — Prorogation of Parliament — Earl Spencer dies — the King dismisses his Ministers — Sir Robert Peel forms a Ministry — Dissolves Parliament— Is in a Minority — Appropriation Resolutions — The Peel Ministry resigns — Improved position of Sir Robert Peel,

Chapter V

Recall of the Melbourne Cabinet — Mr O'Connell supports it — His Position and real Designs — Growth of the Joint-stock Banks — Municipal Reform-act — Session of 1836 — Irish Municipal Reform-bill — Sir R. Peel opposes it — Altered by the Peers, and dropped by Ministers — Commutation of Irish Tithes — Appropriation Clause — Sir Robert Peel attacks Ministers — Bill amended by the Peers — Amendments refused by the Commons— Violence of O'Connell— Real views of the Irish Catholic Hierarchy — Session of 1837 — President Jackson's monetary Measures — A Panic caused in England — Ruin of the Joint-stock Banks and American Trade — Alarm of the Bank of England — Weakness of Ministers — Distress —Mr Walter attacks the Poor-law — Mr Fielden's Statements — Agitation — Sir R. Peel supports Ministers — Confiscation of the Vixen — Mr Roebuck's Conduct — Sir Robert Peel's — Death of William IV. — Election of 1837 — Its Results — Revolt in Canada

Lord Durham's Mission — Agitation for the People's Charter —

Its Origin — The Birmingham Petition — Session of 1839 — Gloomy

VI CONTENTS.

State of public Affairs— Failure of Crops — Export of Gold— The Bank saved by the Bank of France — War in Affghanistan — Exasperation in Ireland — In Jamaica — Bill to suspend Jamaican Constitution— Sir B. Peel opposes it— Ministers resign, Page 212

CHAPTEE VI.

Indifference of the Country — Sir Robert Peel unexpectedly fails to form an Administration— Causes — Correspondence with the Queen — The Melbourne Cabinet replaced — Privilege Question — Stockdale's Suit against Hansard for Libel — Vacillation of the Commons — Sir Bobert Peel urges Besistance — Effects of the Poor-law on the Revenue — Great Imports of Grain — Mr Thomas Attwood predicts a coming Panic — Five per cent, added to the Taxes— Critical Position of the Bank— The Directors ask Aid of the Bank of France — Obtain Two and a half Millions Sterling — Great Pressure — The Crisis passes — The Queen's Marriage — Sir John Yarde Buller's Motion — Conduct of Sir Bobert Peel — Privilege Question renewed — Sir Bobert Peel ultimately supports Lord John Bussell — Act to legalize Publications by the Houses — Alarming Deficit in the Bevenue — Poor-law Exposures — Great Difficulties of the Ministry — Corn-law Agitation resisted by Ministers — Lord Melbourne's Opinions — Session of 1841 — A fixed Duty on Grain proposed by Government — Dissolution of Parliament — Elections adverse — Weakness of Ministers — Sir Bobert Peel opposes a fixed Duty — Obtains a large Majority — Ministers resign a second Time, 273

CHAPTEE VII.

Sir Eobert Peel's Ministry of 1841 — Conservative Triumph — Sir Robert's Estimate of his own Position — Deep Stagnation of Trade — Its Continuance — Session of 1842 — Sir Eobert proposes a modified Sliding-scale ; also relaxes the Tariff— His Plans carried by large Majorities — Energy of the Anti Corn-law League — Alarming Deficiency of the Revenue — Sir Robert's financial Exposition — He proposes an Income-tax for Three Years — Its Injustice and Delusion — The Income-tax carried — Sir Robert recognises, in the House, the Principle of Free-trade — Exultation of the Leaguers and Economists — Alarm of the High Conservative Party— Re-

CONTENTS. Vll

newal of the Poor-law — The Economists support the Minister — Committee of Banking Inquiry — Its Eeport— Sir Kobert's Uneasiness as to the Monetary Affairs of the Country— Mr O'Connell agitates a Eepeal of the Union — -His really desperate Condition — Critical State of Ireland in 1843 — Sir Kobert Peel's Calmness — The Monster Meetings — Treasonable Speeches and Publications — Meeting at Tara — Extraordinary Conduct of O'Connell— Continued Forbearance of Sir Kobert Peel — Clontarf Meeting stopped — O'Connell and his Confederates arrested — Their Trial and Sentence — Eapid'Fall of Mr O'Connell's Power— Bail way Mania — Bank-act of 1844— Mr Gilbart's Evidence — Factory Bills — The Working-classes aid the Leaguers — The Czar visits the Queen — His real Motive — His Keception, . . Page 324

CHAPTEE VIII.

Kailway Speculation — Its Effects — Its delusive Nature — Prices rise — Sir Kobert Peel encourages the Speculation — He proposes to add to Maynooth, and erect Irish Colleges — O'Connell's Opposition— Sir Eobert's Plan adopted — Income Tax renewed — Power of the League — Sir Eobert's Alarm — The Liberal Party court the League — Lord Howick denounces the Irish Church — Agitation in Ireland — The Potato Eot begins — Sir Eobert proposes open Ports — Cabinet Divisions ensue — Lord Stanley opposes it — Lord John Eussell's Letter — TJie-Peel Ministry suddenly breaks up — Lord John Eussell fails to form a Government — Earl Grey's Eefusal — Sir EobertPeel reconstructs his Cabinet — Lord Stanley joins the Conservatives — Triumph of the League — Their extravagant Assertions— Session of 1846 — BepejJ of the Corn-laws proposed — Powerful Opposition — MxP'Israeli — His Character — Sir Eobert's Defence — Its Errors — His Measures pass the Commons — Coercion-bill for Ireland — Tactics of the Whigs — Lord George Bentinck aids — Tariff passes — Coercion-bill negatived — The Peel Ministry resigns, 387

CHAPTEE IX.

Lord John Eussell's Ministry — Its Difficulties — Eailway Bubble bursts — Great Distress— The Potato perishes generally — Dread-

V1U CONTENTS.

ful State of Ireland — Famine — Mr O'Connell quits Ireland and dies — Ports opened — Enormous Imports of Grain — Panic of 1847 — The Act of 1844 suspended — The Crisis passes — Secret Committee— Austria seizes Cracow — Mr Hume proposes to stop the Eusso-Dutch Loan — Ministers shrink back — Sir Eobert Peel aids the Ministry — His Motives— French Troubles — Their Origin — Eevolution of 1848 — French Eepublic acknowledged — Navigation Laws attacked — Change of Circumstances causing this — Jew-bill negatived— Sir Eobert votes for it — Mr Bulwer driven from Madrid — Sir Eobert Peel again aids the Ministry — Austria rebukes Lord Palmerston — Terrible Condition of Ireland — Extraordinary Proposals of Sir Eobert Peel — Ministers adopt them — Irish Encumbered Estates Act passes — Its extraordinary Details — General Expectation of Sir Eobert Peel's Accession to Office — Don Pacifico — Eidiculous Quarrel with France — The French Ambassador quits London — Conduct of the French Authorities — The Ministers succumb to France — Vote of Censure by the Peers — Mr Eoebuck's Motion in Support of Ministers — Sir Eobert opposes it, and blames the Palmerston Policy — Sir Eobert is thrown from his Horse — His Death— -"Deep Impression made by it— His private Character — Analysis of his public Conduct, . .

THE

POLITICAL LIFE

OP THE RIGHT HON.

SIR ROBERT PEEL, BART.

Chapter I

Parliament meets in 1830— National Distress— Admitted Claims of Don Miguel — Question of Parliamentary Eeform becomes prominent—Party Virulence in Parliament — The Act of 1819 violently attacked^-Defence by Wellington— Lord Eldon's Want of Knowledge— Tory Opposition to Ministers— Amendments to the Address—Mr Western's Attack— Mr Protheroe's— Mr Edward Davenport's—Mr Huskisson attacks the Address— Mr Peel's Defence- Transfer of Franchise from East Eetford to Birmingham lost by 27 Votes— Marquis of Blandford's Eeform Bill — Lord John Bussell moves that Members be given to Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds arid other populous Towns — Mr Peel opposes it — Newark Petition — The Duke of Newcastle's Speech — Its Effect on Public Feeling — Mr E. Davenport's Motion for Inquiry into the State of the Nation — Mr Sadler's Speech — Opposed by Messrs Peel and Huskisson — Death of George IV. — Changed Position of the Cabinet — William IV. dissolves Parliament — Eevolution at Paris and Flight of the Bourbons follow — Deep Agricultural Suffering — Alarming Consequences — Effect upon the Elections and upon the Public Mind.

The session of parliament of the year 1830 was opened by commission on the 4th of February. It found all interests in England suffering under the monetary

VOL. II. / A

2 POLITICAL LITE OP SIR ROBERT PEEL.

difficulties which the attempt during the preceding year to carry the Act of 1819 into something like full effect had necessarily created. A slow but continuous fall of the prices of every commodity, and a consequent want of confidence and growing stagnation in every branch of industry, whether agricultural or mercantile, were the results of this attempt. The working classes, however, were the greatest sufferers ; and their complaints were accordingly the loudest as well as the best founded. The distress was felt everywhere. In the manufacturing towns, the want of orders consequent upon the total want of confidence in the stability of prices, was causing numerous concerns to suspend operations and to dismiss the operatives whom they could not longer support. In the country, the farmers, not able, as merchants and manufacturers are, to discontinue their operations, were using every method to reduce the wages of their labourers to the lowest pittance capable of sustaining life ; and this endeavour on their part was giving rise to a struggle, on the part of the labourers, of the most deplorable and desperate description. Between employers and employed, in short, throughout the greater part of the United Kingdom, feelings of deadly irritation and hatred began to arise, accompanied, as such feelings are sure to be, with disaffection to the government, upon whom the blame of their existence is always in part thrown.

In consequence of these feelings, the tables of both Houses of Parliament were speedily covered with petitions, signed by all classes, in almost every department

CONTINUED PBESSURE ON THE NATION. 3

of industry, depicting their distresses, and beseeching the legislature to devise and apply a remedy; and in the Houses themselves, discussions of the most serious nature immediately arose, in which the national suffering was unhesitatingly ascribed to the blundering and dishonest legislation of former years, and a retracement of steps freely and fearlessly advocated. In Ireland the agitation was equal in amount, though in origin partly different. The gradual fall in the prices of every kind of grain was felt by the poor Irish farmer as well as by the English cultivator ; but to this was superadded religious animosity of the most deplorable kind, to which the Emancipation Act of 1829 seemed only to have given double bitterness.

However mortifying this state of affairs must have been to the administration, it could not be wholly concealed nor ignored. The royal speech, accordingly, though it avoided all mention of the agitated state of Ireland, candidly admitted the prevalence of a distress too universal and notorious to be denied. After congratulating the Houses on the cessation of hostilities between the Czar and the Ottoman Porte, through a treaty which really set up the Czar's authority in the dominions of the Sultan, and literally ejected the Turks from two of their finest and most valuable provinces, Moldavia and Wallachia ; and after lamenting the dissensions in Portugal, where the entire body of Portuguese lawyers had decided, and rationally decided, in favour of the claims of Don Miguel,* the * When, on the occupation of Lisbon by the French under Junot, the royal family of Portugal fled to Brazil, Don Pedro, the eldest speech from the throne expressed his Majesty's sorrow that, notwithstanding " the export, in the last year, of British produce and manufactures had exceeded that of any former year, distress should prevail amongst the agricultural and manufacturing classes in some parts of the United Kingdom." Neither the Duke of Wellington nor Mr Peel had then, it seems, learned a truth which has been demonstrated since that time ; that is to say, that an excess of exports is often caused by domestic distress; the goods, unsaleable at home, being sent abroad.

The royal speech also went on to say that, " although the national income during the last year had not attained the full amount at which it had been estimated, the diminution was not such as to cause any doubt as to the future prosperity of the revenue ; " — a sentence which appears to imply that ministers were well aware of another fact,?of a somewhat paradoxical nature, — namely, that, under a system like that of England, a

son, became Emperor of Brazil ; but on the absolute condition that " he should renounce, for himself and his heirs, all claim to the crown of Portugal;" in short, on the condition that, as far as Portugal was concerned, he should be politically dead. Don Pedro, however, applying this condition only to the male line, set up a claim for his daughter, Donna Maria ; whilst the Portuguese lawyers decided the right to be with Don Miguel, the next brother to Pedro, as it would have been in the ordinary course, supposing Pedro to have died without any heirs. In this controversy, the " liberal " or " English party," sided with Donna Maria ; whilst the priests, the lawyers generally, and the major part of the people, preferred Miguel ; the church property here (as in Spain) being the great bone of contention.

EFFECT OE COMPETITION ON THE REVENUE. 5

monetary pressure tends, frequently, not to decrease the revenue, but to augment it. It is the tendency of the British financial system constantly to augment the floating capital in the hands of capitalists ; and it is the tendency of a money-pressure to drive men to increase their business to meet the decline in prices and profits. To enable them to do this, the capital is advanced to the great merchant and enterprising manufacturer ; and, in their employment of it, these last cannot choose but add to the revenue. For neither merchandise nor manufactures can be carried forward nor distributed without payment of additional wages ; and under a heavy indirect taxation a full half of the workman's wages finds its way infallibly to the exchequer. And this process must necessarily go on until a commercial zero is reached. For, as additional goods must be thrown upon the market, to enable the manufacturer or merchant to meet the added wages, taxes, and other advances, which the extension of traffic renders requisite, — prices are by this very effort driven still lower, and a repetition of the process is thus brought about, year after year, until profit be attenuated to a shadow, and the stronger trader saves himself by thus ruining his weaker competitors.

In the temper in which the two Houses of Parliament met on the 4th February 1830, angry discussion could not long be avoided. By the measure of 1829 in favour of the Catholics, the great Tory party had been completely divided, and passion had now entirely taken the place of policy. It was soon apparent that many members of the Tory party, who had acquiesced in the Act of 1819, were now, in order to harass Mr Peel, who in an evil hour had suffered his name to be attached to it, as if he were the originator of a measure in the concoction of which he really played a very subordinate part, ready to take advantage of the deep distress which the working of that Act was now creating, and to throw blame on all concerned in carrying out the measure. But, whilst the Tory party was thus severed and set against itself, the opposition was hourly gaining strength.

The advocates of an efficient and searching reform of the system of parliamentary representation had never, whilst the country had moderate ease, been strong enough to shake any ministry ; but this was no longer the case. A considerable number of men of talent, both within and without the walls of Parliament, who had never countenanced the party-views of the old Whig opposition, now joined them upon the common platform of parliamentary reform, — being convinced that nothing short of the energy of a popular House of Commons would ever be equal to the arduous task of curing the gigantic mischiefs of the fatal Act of 1819 ; and being also convinced that no risk, thus incurred, could be really equal to the misery and mischief of suffering that injustice to continue without redress and without alleviation. To this reforming party the success of Mr O'Connell's agitation had given vast confidence ; and to their numbers the pervading distress throughout the community was daily adding many men who had before feared the question

QUESTION OE PARLIAMENTARY REFORM. 7

of reform as one of disguised revolution, but who now looked at it as the only refuge from ruin left them. The old Whig party, who had sometimes advocated reform and sometimes shelved it, as it happened to suit the exigence of the hour, were not slow to take advantage of this position of things. Of the policy of the rash Act of ,1819, their more consistent and venerable leader, Earl Grey, had not only all along entertained, but had manfully expressed, very great doubt ; but in the passing of the measure the Whig party were fully as deeply implicated as were their Tory competitors. No one could deny this, and no one did deny it : but this did not act as a motive to prevent the Whig party from availing themselves of the discontent and disaffection caused by this suicidal act to ruin their political adversaries. With this end in view, they now fomented the agitation for a parliamentary reform, which became louder and louder every hour ; and in this movement they were not only assisted by the more extreme party of radical reformers, English and Irish, headed by Sir Francis Burdett and Daniel O'Connell, but, mirabile dictti, also by the Marquis of Blandford, General Gascoyne, and others of the extreme anti-catholic Tory party.

Having met in this temper, the two Houses were not tardy in their exhibition of the bitter feelings of hostility to the administration now entertained so widely. In the House of Lords, an amendment to the address in answer to the speech from the throne was moved by Earl Stanhope, in a speech of great asperity. In the course of this pungent address,

Lord Stanhope strongly asserted the universality of the distress now prevailing, and as unhesitatingly ascribed the whole to the rash and fatal legislation of 1819. In this onslaught upon the ministry he was ably backed by Lord Carnarvon : and," sooth to say, this was a topic with regard to which no men could be more unprepared to answer than were (with the exception of Mr Peel) the existing cabinet.

From the very first, the high Tory party, as it existed during the earlier period of the war, disliked and vehemently distrusted the whole growing sect of political economists. Unhappily, however, although this distrust was, in many points of view, not without foundation, such men as Perceval, Vansittart, Eldon, and Wellington, contenting themselves with distrusting, neglected to make themselves at all events sufficiently acquainted with the young and in most parts imperfect science, to enable them to give plausible answers to the diatribes of its professors. A perfect knowledge of all the phenomena of circulating money is attainable by ordinary intellects, though seldom attained ; and, had the Duke of "Wellington been aware of this truth, he would, by a little inquiry, have avoided the ridiculous assertion with which he met the complaints of Lords Stanhope and Carnarvon. In reply to the asseveration that Mr Peel's Act was causing the pressure complained of, the Duke actually went so far as to assert that the money in circulation at that moment was, notwithstanding the low and declining markets, equal to the highest amount when the paper money was in its most de-

THE ACT OP 1819 VIOLENTLY ATTACKED. 9

predated state ! He might as well have asserted that, when the thermometer stood at 32°, the temperature was the same as when it rose to 64°. The assertion, however, was made ; and, to prove it, the noble Duke produced the following extraordinary comparative statement : —

Highest Amount during Bank Restriction.

Bank of England notes, . . £30,000,000

Country bank notes, . . . 23,000,000

£64,000,000

Amount in Circulation in 1829.

Bank of England notes, . . £19,900,000

Country bank notes, . . . 9,200,000

£65,100,000

Making every allowance for the increase of commercial transactions, and of the population up to 1830, it is utterly impossible that, with such a circulation, the fall in prices now in progress could have occurred to so great an extent, supposing the estimate to be in itself credible. But it is a preposterous statement on the face of it. To obtain £28,000,000 in gold, the Duke must have taken the whole coinage since 1819, and assumed it to be current, without deduction for exportation, and the sums locked up in the tills of bankers, discounters, and merchants. The gold in circulation in 1829 could only be to such extent as was absolutely necessary to replace the notes under £5, which would have been in circulation but for the Act of 1819. The bank, however, never had, at any period, more than nine millions of this paper out ; and, if we take the country small notes at the same sum, this is far short of £28,000,000, whilst it is as much as can possibly be allowed. The statement as to silver coin is equally fallacious, — the probability being that not more than half of that amount was ever current at one and the same period.

This unfortunate attempt at economical calculation on the part of the military minister, of course became the source of some amusement to those who had any knowledge of such matters. Elsewhere, it had no effect of any kind ; nor did the assertion of over-production, as an excuse for the continuous fall of prices universally over the kingdom, fare much better. The grain crops were known to be under average, nor was it easy to see Avhy the home-market for fabrics should be more over-burdened than usual, when it was said, in the same breath, that " exports" were beyond all former precedent.* The amendment was, of course,

* Shortly after this, Lord Eldon exhibited another instance of the exceeding want of knowledge amongst the High Tory leaders of all relating to the vital question of currency. Some person having observed that fewer complaints of distress came from Northumberland than from the other counties, Lord Eldon absolutely attributed the exemption to " the Scotch small notes," which, he said, " circulated on the English side of the Border I" He seemed to be totally unaware that, unless a regular course of exchange

MINISTERS ATTACKED IN BOTH HOUSES. 1 1

negatived ; but it was a significant fact that the Dukes of Cumberland, Newcastle, and Richmond; the Earls of Stanhope, Tankerville, Winchilsea, and Radnor; and Lords Rivers and Northwich, divided in favour of it. In the House of Commons a scene was enacted, — similar in nature, but very dissimilar, if the composition of the amendments proposed, and of the speeches by which they were supported, be taken into consideration. The address was moved by Lord Darlington, and seconded by Mr Ward ; after which, Sir Edward Knatchbull, one of the high Tory party, proposed an amendment, merely to the effect that the distress complained of was universal, and not partial, which was seconded by Sir John Brydges. To Sir John Brydges succeeded Mr Western, who, in a short but bitter speech, attacked violently the conduct of ministers, who, he said, had put the national distress " into a parenthesis," and who, having ascribed the alarming state of affairs to the Act of 1819, described it as " one of the most mischievous measures that ever was devised for the destruction of a nation." After Mr Western rose Mr Protheroe (member for Evesham), who, after apologizing for his want of oratorical powers, and the difficulty he felt" from not being in the habit of frequently addressing the House, procould be established between Scotland and England, — making Scotland, thus far, a foreign country,— the value of money there must conform to that of English money, and Scottish prices rule in conformity with English prices. When that is the case, it cannot make any difference, excepting to the bankers only, whether payments be made in sovereigns or one -pound notes.

ceeded in a most uncompromising speech to attack the whole system of government ; and concluded by moving a series of amendments, describing the effects of that system, especially as aggravated by the blunders and fatuities of the Economists in 1819.* Mr Protheroe's amendment was supported by Mr Alderman Waithman, who stated that he could vouch for the substantial truth of its allegations. To Mr Waithman succeeded Mr Edward Davenport, member for Shaftesbury, who again attributed the entire pressure to the operation of the Cash Payments Act, and exposed the utter absurdity of the statement of the Duke of Wellington, by contrasting it with an equally ridiculous allegation made by Mr Goulburn, when Chancellor of the Exchequer, on a former occasion. This he did as follows : —

* The following paragraphs form a part of the amendment of the honourable member for Evesham : —