HC Deb 22 February 1838 vol 41 cc46-7
Sir William Molesworth

said, that as it had been supposed he was not serious in his intention to bring on the motion of which he had given notice for the 6th of March, he begged to state that he was determined to take the sense of a full House upon it, with a view of ascertaining their opinion as to the delays which had taken place in, and as to the general conduct which had been pursued by, the Colonial Department. He should now, therefore, persevere in the motion of which he had given notice for a call of the House on that day. He intended to confine his motion for that day to the subject of the Colonial office, and not, as some persons imagined, make it a call upon the House to express an opinion with regard to her Majesty's Ministers generally, about whom he had, ever since the speech of the noble Lord at the head of the Home Department, at the commencement of this Session, been as perfectly indifferent and careless as he was about the ministers of the Czar of all the Russias or of the Emperor of China. His object was, firstly and chiefly to relieve those colonial possessions of her Majesty, in whose prosperity this country had the greatest interest, from the control of an imbecile and oppressive Government. This was his main wish. Secondly (and in so far a party question would be involved in the motion), his object was to ascertain and exhibit to the House and the country how many Members there were in this House, whether Tories, Whigs, or Radicals, who would, for mere party purposes, venture either to negative or refuse to maintain a proposition of the very greatest importance, and which almost every one of them, in their consciences, knew to be perfectly true. These were the reasons for which he now took the liberty to ask the House to grant his motion, namely, "that the House be called over on the 6th of March."

Motion agreed to.