HL Deb 26 February 1838 vol 41 cc96-7
Lord Brougham

said, that he would take the opportunity which presenting some petitions afforded him of contradicting some statements respecting himself which had appeared in a Government paper of yesterday (Sunday,) intimating that he had no doubt altered his opinion on the Poor-laws, and that he had set on the hon. Member for Southwark (an individual not very likely to be set on or set off by the opinions of any other person) to carry into execution some plan, the nature of which he (Lord Brougham) was really not at all aware of, for the purpose of not committing himself with respect to the Poor-law Bill. The same paper also asserted, as a matter which was not at all doubted, that he (Lord Brougham) had also set on another hon. Gentleman (one in all probability as little subject to influence as the hon. Member for Southwark), the hon. Baronet the Member for Leeds to give notice of a motion respecting the administration of the colonial department. With that hon. Baronet he had never been in a room but once; and although he had great respect for the talents and integrity of the hon. Baronet, and agreed with him in many of his political opinions, he by no means agreed with him in them all. But the fact was, that he had never had any political communication with either of the individuals alluded to; and had never had any communication whatever with any human being on the subject of the hon. Baronet's notice. Nay, there was one and that an important part of the hon. Baronet's notice on which he differed from him. As he had already stated in that House he did not think the noble Lord at the head of the colonial department should be exposed to bear the whole of the blame respecting the Canadian question; and if the notice were his he would strike out the noble Lord's name, and extend the charge to the whole Government; every Member of which was, in his opinion, equally liable to the accusation. He wished all public secretaries, and private secretaries, and under secretaries, and over secretaries would employ themselves in earning their respective salaries, rather than in telling such stupid tales to the editors of newspapers; for he was sure that no man in that capacity would invent anything so absurd.