HC Deb 14 July 1835 vol 29 cc546-9
Mr. Charlton

observed that he had yesterday given notice that he would call the attention of the House to a paragraph in The Morning Chronicle newspaper, in relation to his conduct as a Member of the House of Commons, as a breach of privilege. With the permission of the House, he would now say a few words, on condition that he should not be called to order by the hon. and learned Attorney-General, to explain the reasons which induced him to withdraw his notice. It must be perfectly in the recollection of the House, that so long ago as May last, the columns of The Morning Chronicle were filled with the most gross and virulent abuse of his public conduct. Now he was always desirous that the fullest inquiry should be made into every part of his public conduct; but no notice having been taken of the letters which he had addressed to the editor of The Morning Chronicle in justification of that conduct, he had, under such circumstances, felt it to be his duty to bring the matter before the House as a breach of privilege; and had accordingly given a notice to that effect yesterday evening. Since that time, however, the editor of The Morning Chronicle had published a long letter from him in defence of himself from the charges which had been alleged against him. It was far from his wish or intention when he wrote that letter, that the editor of The Morning Chronicle should inflict upon the readers of that paper the perusal of so long an epistle. All that he asked was, a public acknowledgment that the editor had received a letter from him, which was perfectly satisfactory on the points in question. He should have been still less inclined to notice the attacks which had been made upon him by The Morning Chronicle, if he had not ascertained that some evil-disposed persons, had sent copies of the papers in which those attacks appeared, to the town which he had the honour to represent. Having done that, the least they could do was to send copies of the paper in which his justification of himself had appeared. He must likewise take the liberty of saying, that a very important document, which he had sent with his letter to The Morning Chronicle, had been suppressed. He meant an allusion to the fact, he might almost call it a direct charge, that the attacks which had been made upon him in The Morning Chronicle, were not written by the editor of that paper, but by a private individual—the Secretary to the Municipal Commission; one whom the King, in appointing that Commission, had described as his trusty and well-beloved Joseph Parkes. He was the more induced to form that opinion, because that person had previously written to him a very civil letter, the expressions of which were couched in such terms as to give him every reason to believe that the attacks which had been made upon him in The Morning Chronicle were written by that hon. Gentleman, his Majesty's trusty and well-beloved Joseph Parkes. He thanked the House for the kindness with which they had listened to him; and he trusted that they would extend towards him a little morsel more of their patience, while he read a brief extract from the letter which he had written, and which appeared in The Morning Chronicle. After a detailed refutation of all the charges which had been alleged against him, he had thus proceeded: "I have thus gone through every charge; I have evaded none—on all I court inquiry, and feel thankful to you, rather than angry, for having given me an opportunity of vindicating myself. I have hitherto not made use of an unkind expression; and if, in conclusion, I say anything against your friends, the Ministers (in speaking on that remaining charge—namely, that I have voted against them), pray put it down to no party motive, for though I sit 'cheek by jowl with the Clives'"—and here he hoped he should stand excused with the right hon. Baronet to whom he was about to allude; for he was decidedly of opinion, if the right hon. Baronet would allow him to say so, that it was utterly impossible that anything which he (Mr. Charlton) might say of that right hon. Baronet, could raise or lower him in the estimation of that House or of the public. He had thought it necessary to make this apology to the right hon. Baronet, and he would now proceed with his extract. "I only sit there because there is no other place in which I can show my opposition to the Republican measures of the present Mi- nistry. Be assured it is not out of any regard to Sir Robert Peel, who, in admitting the principle of the unjust measure that is called Corporate Reform, appears to me to have thrown overboard all the principles he ever professed." "I am well aware that there is nothing which I can say that can exalt his character or expose him to censure; still as a public Member of Parliament that has been raised into more notoriety by your notice, I am bold to say, that in admitting its principle he has acted in direct contradiction to all the principles of his party, and has lent a hand to that love of change, and that thirst for what is called improvement, that this year demands the sacrifice of Corporations, against whom no criminality is proved. Another year it will demand a similar sacrifice of the local Magistracy; a short time longer, of the House of Peers, and lastly, of the Crown itself. Such a proposition comes with a better grace from the Ministry who have ever advocated democratical principles. Let them, however, understand the distinction between a Whig and a Republican:—let them beware, lest the Democracy do not become too strong for them;—let them remember that there is no checking the torrent, and when once Democracy has its swing, it sweeps all before it. Friend or foe 'tis all the same." The extract was very short. "Nay, it is said, and I believe it, that there is a special interference of Providence against the original propounders of the mischief:— Nec lex est justior ulla Quam necis artifices arte perire sua.' "To give the Democracy a fair and just power consistent with security to the other estates of the realm has ever been my object, but I will, to the utmost of my power, resist its sway when it is carried to excess. As you have been good enough to conclude your article with a saying of one famous man, I cannot do better than close mine with the saying of another no less famous, which is descriptive too exactly of my own feelings. When Lycurgus was asked why he, who in other respects, appeared so zealous for the equal rights of men, did not make his Government democratical rather than oligarchical, 'Go you,' said the Legislator,' and try a democracy in your own house!'—"P.S. I deny that—"[General cries of "Order, order, order!"]

The Speaker

observed, that the hon. Member for Ludlow must be quite aware that from the time at which he announced that it was not his intention to call the attention of the House by Motion to the subject respecting which he had given notice, everything; that he had said had been said only by the indulgence of the House; and therefore that hon. Gentleman must feel the propriety of abstaining from further pressing that indulgence, he not intending to conclude his observations with any Motion.

Mr. Charlton

begged the Speaker's pardon. He (Mr. Charlton) had stated at the commencement of his speech, that he withdrew his Motion on the condition of being allowed to make a few observations without being interrupted by the Attorney-General. [Cries of "Order, order, order!" amidst which the hon. Member sat down."]