§ Lord John Russellwished to know from the right hon. Gentleman at the head of her Majesty's Government, whether he were prepared to state to the House the course he meant to pursue with respect to those other important measures which had been adverted to in her Majesty's Speech, both as regarded the finances of the country and the import duties? The right hon. Gentleman had already stated that he was anxious at the earliest opportunity to make his statement. It was obvious, for many reasons, and considering that the public were affected in various ways, that the statement should be made at the earliest possible 812 period. There were, it was well known, various rumours afloat as to what the changes might be; the markets were affected, and various evils flowed from the present delay. At the same time, the right hon. Gentleman might be of opinion, that it would be injurious to make his financial statement at this moment. What he meant to say was, that he did not wish to give any opinion as to the proceeding of the right hon. Gentleman, but to leave it to his own judgment as to what he deemed the most proper course to pursue. But then, if the right hon. Gentleman thought it necessary to make his statement at the earliest period, he might do so, by taking a vote in supply, and asking for votes on account, without going regularly through the estimates necessary for a Committee of Ways and Means. He did not mean to say that that was the course that should be taken by the right hon. Gentleman; but he wished to know whether the right hon. Gentleman intended to wait until they had formally and regularly gone through the estimates in a Committee of Supply, or whether any course was about to be taken by him, by which his statement might be laid at an early period before the House?
§ Sir Robert Peelreplied, that he was now in the same difficulty in which the the noble Lord had been placed, when the former Government existed. At the commencement of the Session, the attention of the House was called to the Corn-laws and the Import Duties. The course was then notified by the Government, that it was the intention of the Government to make an alteration in the Corn-laws. In the last Session there was a distinct recommendation from the Throne to consider the Corn-laws, and also the restrictions on commerce. Had, then, the noble Lord continued in office, there would have been the same difficulty to be contended with that he himself now had to encounter. Here there was the same intimation on the part of her Majesty's Government—there was the same intimation to bring forward similar subjects, and the same interval must have elapsed then as now between the announcement of the measures, and the placing them in detail before the House. He had thought it much better to proceed at once with the question of the Corn-laws, than to delay his proposal respecting it until he had entered into an explanation of the other 813 matters that he meant to bring forward. He had no apprehension that there were any considerations of public interest to prevent him making his statement on the part of the Government at as early a period as possible. It would be necessary to make it in a Committee of Ways and Means, and so far as the public interest was concerned, he thought it would be advisable to make it at as early a period as possible. He certainly did not anticipate that the discussion on the Corn-laws would have continued so long. He thought it necessary that a decision should be come to as to the Corn-law, and it appeared to him of very great importance, if the sense of the House were decidedly in favour of his proposition, that it should be embodied in a bill, as the proposition was one that he believed no one would deny was a great relaxation of the existing duties. Even those who decidedly objected to a sliding scale of any sort could not, he supposed, but regard his measure as an improvement on that which had already existed. He thought, then, that if the sense of the House was decidedly in favour of the measure, it ought to be passed into a law as soon as possible. As soon as he possibly could, he meant to bring in the bill. As yet he had not been able to do so, on account of the length of the preliminary discussion that had taken place. He did not complain of that, but he mentioned it as a fact, to show why he had not been able to proceed. As soon as he should have the opportunity, he meant to propose the votes for the army and navy. He mentioned these because he believed there would be no great difference of opinion, either as to the army estimates or the navy estimates, if the House should be of opinion that they did not exceed the demand necessary for the public service. When he got these votes, he meant then to propose that the House resolve itself into a Committee of Ways and Means, and then explain the whole of the intentions of her Majesty's Government with respect to financial affairs. The first moment he could have that opportunity, he would avail himself of it. What he meant to propose was, that the opinion of the House be taken on the principle of the Corn-law, and the scale of duties under it, and then to move afterwards that they proceed with the votes in supply and then with the Committee of Ways and Means.
Subject at an end.