HOUSE OF LORDS—Thursday, Feb. 1.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 318, 16 June 1849, Page 3

HOUSE OF LORDS—Thursday, Feb. 1.

Earl Brucf rose to move the Address in answer to Her Majesty's most gracious speech from the Tin one. He requested the indulgence of tluir loulships, as he had never before had the honor of .uldiessing their lordships. Her IVlajebty had been pleased to inform them Unit negoiiations weie existing with the Not thorn and Souihei n States of Europe, which were in a Mate of war. With regard to Sicily, this countiy must always feel a gteat interest in the wellbeing of that island, and he was rejoiced to hear that the fiench and English admirals had interfeied to pi event the perpetration of atiocities in that inland, which were homfSing even to those admnals, who had been used to the honors of warfare. Negotiations were now in progress for the pacification of that island, and he trusted that no observations would be made on that subject which might have the effect of intenupting the couise of those negotiations, He rejoiced to find that the estimates would be reduced. Twelve months since the 6tate of trade was deplorable. A rapid improvement had recently taken place, and that improvement would have been still more rapid had it not been for the slate of affairs on the Continent and in Ireland. The levenne had increased during the past year to the extent o! £722,000, and he believed there was every prospect that such improvement would go on rapidly increasing. He was happy to say that the allusion to Ireland in the speech fioin the Throne h<<d not been of so unsatisfactory a nature as it had been on a former occasion. Last year a rebellion had been apprehended. That rebellion had now been crushed. Thanks to the extraordinary powers which had been granted to the Lord-Lieutenant, and to (he energy, discretion, and firmness with which the Lord-Lieutenant had exercised those povi eis. (cheers,) Her Majesty's Government bad wished for a continuance of those poweis, and he hum bly submitted that as those powers had been found sufficient to put down lebellion, they would be continued to enable the Lord-Lieu-tenant to preset ye the peace and tranquillity of Ireland, lie could not but speak with the utmost regret of those public men of which this country has only just been deprived. Of one of those he would speak with the greatest respect, who had been temoved from among them, one w hose appearance was at all times remaikaMy welcomed hy this house, and whose departure was a severe loss to the country. i\or could he lefiaiufrom alluding to another gentleman who was also adi-tinguished member of the legislature, though he belonged to the other House of Pailiament, and whose.nnlimely death all would lament (hear, hear.) lie could not, however, while passing from this painful topic, help congratulating their lordships on the blessings which they had enjoyed under the existence of a constitutional monarchy, blessings which have been rendered apparent in the promotion of the geneial welfaie of the community, the loyalty of the people, and the honour of the Sovereign (heai, hear, hear.) The noble Toid concluded by reading a c >py of the Address, which was, as ÜbUdl, a lepiitttiou of tl.e speech. —Loid Bateman then icse to second the Address.—Loid Bio'igham regretted that the assent which he was desiious of giving to the teims of the Speech from the Throne, and ihe sentiments which had fallen from his noble triend in moving the Address in reply lo the Speech, v»vs not altogether so unqualified as he could wish. He gieatly feared that, in the fair representation of n anufaeturing and commeicMl prosperity of the country, his noble friends in the Government, and the equally noble suppoiters had made some slight mistake in the assumption of a gain at the present moment in Ihe i evenue, and i:i expressing an opinion that the retemie would progress in amount for some time in the future, He applauded all the measures which his nolle iiiends on the other side of the house had taken, b-t he feared the fa; ty aspect of things would lose something of its beauty, when he reminded their lordships that this gain would absolutely cea^e this very day, for it so happened tint this same £80 ,000 was last year rectivfd for the duties on corn, whirh dutiei had now altogether been virtually done away. And while alluding to this measure of free trade, lie, as an humblo but zealous friend of th it much abused principle of free trade, a principle to which he was so addicted, that he baJ most reluctantly given bis adhesion to the unconstitutional, and he might say almost unlawful means, by which it was carried into effect. —Lord Stanley rose, and sa; d, that with regard to Spain, Austria, Naples, D tnmark—-with every coun ry— we were in a posit'oa of disiuption, owing to our imsc'iievous iutervent'on, to our S) stem of fomenting underhand the spirit of disaffection, and then vainly attempting to strangle the c enure that had sprung up under our countenance. The Speech from the Tnrone spoke of arrangements making with the contending parties in the north apd r uth of Europe ; though vvh > th se j arties were was not at all clear ; but it was clear us day that we had no right or principle to justify us in entering at all into any such negotiations. Looking at the condition of Europe, and to the war (not " rebellion," as stated in tbe Royal Sperch) which had broken out in the Pun* jaub, he was «s onishid at the confidence of the government in itating to her Majesty that the aspect ot affairs was such as warranted them in proposing a great reduction of the naval and military forces of this country. But it wai the aspect of afi'a rs in a different placr, in the new Leagup, that induced her Majesty's advisers to make such a proportion. Ke, for one, would not agree in largely diininibhing the effective forces of the country, though he was ready to admit th t some reductions could be made in t!ie estimates. The Government boaited of commerxiol prosperity; but where was it to be found ? Oat of the six princi pal articles of our manure ures, there was a diminution in the expoits of 1848, as compired with the exports ot 1847. of JSt,OOO,OOO in value. After po-ii-traying the hUte of depression to which the agricultural and colonial inteiestc had been reduced, the noble lord declared his conviction that, if thur loidships desired to see the country pro per, and they hoped to n store th > ygricultuial and colonial interests to their former Hate, liny would have to retrace their steps, and ie'um to the principle of taking a large revenue Irova import duties, and to the principle of piotection Te concluJed by moving »n amendment by wuy of addition to the addie s, to tl.e eff ct —That theii lordships regict'tdtobe c impelled to represent to her M.ijthly that neither our relations wnh lortign power*, nor the state of the levenue, nor the condition of cur cm-