Sitting of 7 May 1839

MINUTES.
Petitions presented. By Mr. HOPE JOHN
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STONE, from Kirkudbright, against the Repeal of the Corn-laws.—By Viscount DUNGANNON, from places in Cambridgeshire, against any further Grant to Maynooth College; and from Denbigh, against the Government plan of Education.—By Mr. LIDDELL, from places in the county of Durham, for Church Extension in Canada; and against any scheme of Education not founded on the Scriptures.—By Sir R. BATESON, from several places in the county of Londonderry, against compelling Presbyterian Soldiers to attend Divine Service in any but their own Chapels; and for appointing Presbyterian Chaplains to Presbyterian Regiments.—By Sir GEORGE SINCLAIR, from a place in Scotland, for the Repeal of the Catholic Emancipation Act.—By Mr. PAKINGTON, from Worcester, for Scriptural Education.—By Viscount INGESTRIE, Sergeant TALFOURD, and Messrs. BRISCOE, AGLIONEY, ELLIS, and M. PHILIPS, from a number of places, for a Uniform Penny Postage.

RESIGNATION OF HER MAJESTY'S MINISTERS.
Lord John Russell:—Sir, I wish to make a communication to the House, in consequence of what took place last night on the motion of the right hon. Baronet opposite, for the rejection of the Bill to provide for the government of Jamaica. Sir, it will be evident to this House, that that was a bill requiring more than ordinary support—more than ordinary confidence—and that it has met with less support and less confidence on the part of this House than that which has usually been given to her Majesty's Ministers. It has, therefore, become their duty to consider in what position they are placed with respect to that bill. It would undoubtedly be in their power to proceed to another stage of that bill, and again to ask the opinion of the House on the question; but we see no reason to suppose that the judgment of the House, upon a second trial, would be different from that which it has already declared. We might, likewise, with the support of the majority no greater than that received last night, send the bill to the House of Lords, and leave it to the House of Lords to deal with it as they should think proper. But this course, Sir, upon a bill which certainly vests in the Government here, and the governor and council of Jamaica unusual powers, would have the appearance of throwing upon the House of Lords a responsibility, which we do not think that we are fairly entitled to throw upon them, after the vote which has been come to in the House of Commons. It therefore seems to us, that there is no option but to give up the bill which we thought it our duty to bring forward. It is, then, a question whether, having brought forward a bill of that importance, we shall leave the state of affairs in Jamaica, in the West-India colonies, and in our colonies generally, in that state in which the ministers of the Crown ought not to be content

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to leave these colonies. It is obvious that in Jamaica the authority of the Crown will be greatly weakened by a vote of the House of Commons, giving, in effect and in impression, support to the contumacy, as I must call it, of the House of Assembly, against the proposition of the Ministers of the Crown. But it is obvious that the effect likewise will be, that with regard to the other colonies, where hitherto there has been, if not a ready and eager, yet an ultimate compliance with the wishes of the Crown, there will be a disposition rather to imitate the resistance made in Jamaica, than to persevere in the course of obedience which they have pursued hitherto. But there is this further question. It was our intention, and our duty, to have brought forward, within these few days, another measure relating to the colonies—relating to the important provinces of Upper and Lower Canada—the affairs of which required and still require, the most deliberate consideration of Parliament. It is evident that the measure with regard to Jamaica having been so opposed—having been opposed by such large numbers in this House, we could not calculate on that support which is necessary for the settlement of the affairs of Canada. Therefore, Sir, in continuing in the administration of affairs, not having, as we think we have not, a sufficient degree of confidence and support to carry on those affairs efficiently in this House, we should be exposing to jeopardy the colonial empire of this country, many of our colonies being, I will not say in a state of hazard, but in a state of uncertainty, concerning which, questions of considerable importance are pending. Hitherto her Majesty's Ministers have thought themselves justified in continuing in the administration of affairs, supported as we were by the confidence of the Crown, and by the confidence of the House of Commons. But, Sir, after the vote of last night, I do not think that we are entitled to say, that upon the great and important affairs of the colonies, upon which Government is obliged to come to a decision, we have such support and such confidence in this House as will enable us efficiently to carry on the public business. Sir, it has, therefore, become the duty of her Majesty's Ministers, on consideration of all those circumstances, humbly to tender their resignation to her Majesty. Sir, with regard to the course to be pursued to-night, it will be the course usual on those occasions. I shall move for a short adjourn-
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ment, in order to enable her Majesty to form an administration that may carry on the affairs of the empire. But, Sir, I cannot close what I now have to say, without expressing on this occasion, as I shall be ready to express on every occasion, and as I shall feel to the latest moment of my life, my gratitude to those who have supported the Government during the four years in which we have held the arduous situations in which we have been placed—and that, too, in no unimportant difficulties—in no circumstances of case or facility; but who have supported Government in such a manner, that although it had not at any time the confidence of a majority of the House of Lords, we felt it nevertheless consistent with our duty to carry on the administration of the affairs of the country. Sir, I say to those who have given this efficient support, and who have been always ready to show in this House that they were willing to do every thing in their power to promote the great principles on which we were agreed, I must again say, that I shall always feel the deepest gratitude. Sir, I will now only conclude by moving, that this House, at its rising, do adjourn to Monday next.
Motion agreed to. Adjourned.

MINUTES.
Bill. Read a second time:—Exchequer Bills. Petitions presented. By the Duke of RICHMOND, from Inverness, and other places, for a Uniform Penny post-

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age; and from Lanark, against the Duty on Foreign Fruit.—By Lord BROUGHAM, from several places, against the Beer Act.—By the Earl of CAWDOR, from Nairn, for Church Extension in Scotland; and by the Dime of RICHMOND, from Elgin, and other places, to the same effect.

SALE OF BEER.
The Earl of Portmanbegged to ask his noble Friend (Lord Brougham) who had given notice fur that evening of bringing forward a Beer Bill, whether it might not be convenient to postpone it, considering that a bill upon the same subject stood for discussion on the following night in another place. He asked of him to reflect whether it might not be desirable that the subject should be taken into consideration by the Government, rather than precipitated at this moment.
Lord Broughamsaid, he could very well understand why his noble Friend said "this moment." He should not give to his noble Friend an answer at this moment, but he would give him an answer in a quarter of an hour. He then presented petitions in favour of a repeal of the Beer Bill, from Lewes, Salford, Stockport, Salford, and other places. He also called particular attention to a petition on the same subject from the mayor, clergymen, and inhabitants of Bristol.

RESIGNATION OF MINISTERS.
Viscount Melbourne said: I consider it, my Lords, my duty to seize the earliest opportunity afforded to me to acquaint your Lordships, that in consequence of the vote to which the House of Commons has come this morning, and which your Lordships may all see by the votes of that House of Parliament—a vote which, though not immediately fatal to the measure against which it was directed, yet at the same time is one, that it must be obvious to all who are acquainted with Parliamentary proceedings, is such, as they must know, will render the final success of the measure totally impossible; and considering my Lords, the measure as of the highest possible importance, of the most paramount importance, to the welfare of the great island to which it relates, and to the working out of the great measure of negro emancipation, which was voted by both Houses of Parliament with so much satisfaction, and for which such great sacrifices were made; considering, I say, this measure of the utmost, the most paramount, and indis-
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pensable importance for the completion of that great object—considering, too, that the vote on this occasion is not only necessarily fatal to the ultimate success of that great measure, but that it also does, with sufficient clearness and distinctness, indicate such a want of confidence on the part of a great proportion of that House of Parliament, as to render it impossible that we should continue to administer the affairs of her Majesty's Government in a manner that can be useful or beneficial to the country, and which render it impossible that we can take measures of energy and importance that are absolutely required by the situation and circumstances of the country; but which, my Lords, if they are taken, allow me to say, that then there is no danger or peril whatever to be apprehended from any of the conflicting and difficult matters which at present hang over this country—I say, then, my Lords, under these considerations, and under the pressure of these circumstances, we have thought it to be our duty to tender the resignation of the offices which we hold, and her Majesty has been graciously pleased to accept our resignation. And we now only retain these offices, and discharge the functions connected with them, until other arrangements can be made, and successors appointed, to carry on the business of the country.
Lord Brougham: My Lords, after what has fallen from the noble Lord I shall postpone the second reading of the Beer Bill, although I consider that bill to be of more importance as regards the public morals than the resignation of any ministry. I do not apprehend that any legislature will be so wanting in a due regard to what I hold to be the highest functions of the Legislature, namely, superintending the morals, the instruction, and the welfare of the people under their care, as to allow any mere party feeling, any temporary, and, it may be, only momentary gratification of those feelings, to interfere with what I hold to be the highest duty of the senate in this country. My lords, I hold this bill, the repealing the sale of beer act, to be of greater moment than any party question that can divide either House of Parliament; and I shall persist, whoever holds the office of Minister of this country, in my endeavours to obtain the repeal of a measure, which I believe to be permanently fraught with mischief to the character of the country. I have only to add, in reference to

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what has fallen from my noble Friend respecting the measure, touched, and as he thought justly, fatally touched by the vote of this morning in the other House of Parliament—that I greatly rejoice to hear him say that one of his reasons for lamenting the fate of that measure was, that it tended to interfere with the well working of the great measure of negro emancipation. My lords, that measure was confined to Jamaica—that measure, if it was good as a complement to the emancipation Act in Jamaica, was good for all the other slave colonies; and I therefore take the earliest occasion of stating, that I shall not be wanting in my duty to that great measure of emancipation, and that whoever holds the government of this country, I shall give that government an early opportunity of testifying what I verily believe to be the unanimous determination of all parties, of all men, and of both houses of Parliament—the strict enforcement, according to the spirit as well as the letter, of the great measure of negro emancipation all over the colonies; and no greater error—believe me—no greater error was committed by men, by parties, by assemblies, or by legislatures in general, than the Jamaica Assembly will commit, if they believe that this is a triumph of the white over the black. Men may duller as to the mode of proceeding—men may prefer one mode, or they may prefer another, but there is no loss sustained by the slave, who has been emancipated, in the loss of one measure, if other measures can be propounded, which will effectually secure the working, and enforcement in the spirit as well as in the letter, all over the colonies, as well as in Jamaica, of the great measure of negro emancipation. My Lords, all the legislators of this country, and all the people of this country, are solemnly pledged to take that course; and I do not believe that any Government can stand in this country for forty-eight hours which showed that it was not determined firmly and honestly to execute that law.
Viscount St. Vincentsaid, that being connected with Jamaica, he certainly rejoiced in the recent vote of the House of Commons. He did so, because he considered the bill that had been introduced as calculated to place both blacks and whites under an arbitrary and despotic Government.
Adjourned.