"After the majority of last Friday night, the House will be prepared for the announcement which I am now about to make. At a meeting of Her Majesty's servants on the following day, we considered what course it was incumbent upon us to pursue. It appeared to us that it was impossible to carry on satisfactorily the business of the Government in this House after the events of the preceding night. We considered also the alternative of advising Her Majesty to use her prerogative of dissolving Parliament; but we thought that there were such grave objections to such a course, that we declined to recommend it to the Crown. We there fore determined humbly to lay our resignations before Her Majesty; which I accordingly did upon the same afternoon. Her Majesty was graciously pleased to accept our resignations, and has since sent for the Earl of Derby; who, I understand, has undertaken the task of forming a Government. We therefore hold our offices only until our successors arc appointed by Her Majesty. Sir, after this statement I do not wish to recur to the various events which have taken place since the commencement of this session, and which may, perhaps, form the subject of debate hereafter; but I cannot conclude what I have to say upon this occasion without expressing my sincere thanks to those who have supported Her. Majesty's Government, and who, during upwards of five years, have enabled me to support a burden for which I confess I was otherwise totally unfit. (Cheers from the Ministerial side.) Having this confidence, and having had the advantage of this support, I have been enabled during that period so to conduct public affairs,

that we shall not leave them, in any great branch, whether of our domestic or foreign relations, in a state of which we need be at all ashamed. I wish further to state, with respect to one of my colleagues, to whom I am particularly indebted, that it is to the temperate wisdom and respected character of the Marquis of Lansdowne that the Government has owed the facility of being able to carry measures of great importance through the House of Lords, where a Ministry composed of the party to which I belong has not hitherto had the support of a majority. (Cheers.)

"As I have said, I do not wish to recur to past events, or indeed to dilate upon anything which may raise a difference of opinion in the House. With respect to the future, I shall only say that I shall think it my duty to oppose, out of office, as I have opposed in office, any restoration of the duty on corn-(Loud Ministerial cheers, with ironical cheers from the Protectionists)— whether under the name of protection or of revenue. I shall also think it my duty to support an extension of the suffrage to those who are fit to exercise the franchise for the welfare of the country; believing that such extension will add strength and solidity to our Parliamentary system. (Ministerial cheers.) I will say further, that I shall always use the little influence which I may possess for the maintenance of the blessings of peace.'

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I have only to add, that since I came into the House I have received a communication from the Earl of Derby, stating that it is his wish, for the convenience of the official arrangements which he has been charged by Her Majesty to make, that this House should adjourn till Friday next. In com

pliance with that wish, and to promote the public convenience, I therefore move that this House at its rising adjourn till Friday next." Mr. Hume said, that the course now proposed was in accordance with usual practice. He rose to express a hope that, should the House meet on the day named, the new Ministry would give an explanation of the policy they intended to pursue. His own support or opposition would depend on the character of their measures. He desired to see free trade carried out yet more fully than at present. But if the new Ministers intended to recur to the old system, let them have the manliness to declare it, and not make an appeal to the country without letting the people know what their policy was to be. The propoed adjournment was then agreed to.

The Earl of Derby's first exposition of policy as Prime Minister was made in the House of Lords on the 27th February. It excited the greatest interest, especially with reference to that question on which the party now in power had taken so decided a part-the regulation of our commercial system. It was marked by a full measure of that dignified eloquence for which the noble Earl was distinguished, and the pervading tone was calm, temperate, and conciliatory. Lord Derby commenced his harangue by offering a graceful tribute of admiration to the public and private virtues displayed by the Marquis of Lansdowne during his long political career. He then proceeded to say, that although the resignation of the late Administration had taken him completely by surprise, he had determined not to shrink from the responsibility of forming VOL. XCIV.

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a Government. The first point to which he should advert, in describing the future policy of himself and his colleagues, was the state of our foreign relations. most emphatic terms he expressed his earnest desire to maintain the blessings of universal peace; disavowed, on the one hand, the opinion that peace is best preserved by displays of large military and naval operations, and, on the other, the Utopian notion that we shall disarm the world by throwing down all our own defences; according to his notions it was our duty to follow towards all other powers a calm, temperate, deliberate, conciliatory course, generosity in offering redress and composed dignity in asking it; in particular, disclaiming the right to interfere in reference to the internal form of government which other nation's might choose for themselves. “I hold, my Lords, that we have no right as a nation to entertain particular prejudices or particular sympathies for this or that course of government which other countries may think fit to adopt, be those courses or forms of co overnment absolute despotism, limited monarchy, or constitutional republic. Be it an absolute Red Republic, that which is the choice of any nation as regards its internal government, that, I say, is the choice which a British statesman is bound to re cognise." Acting on these prin ciples, he hoped and trusted that the preservation of peace and the good understanding between nations might long continue: yet with that conviction, it was the duty of Government to put the country in a position of entire safety from hostile aggression. "My Lords, I believe that our naval forces never were in a better

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or more effective condition than they are at this moment. I believe that for all purposes which regard either security of our own shores, the defence of the numerous and distant colonies which form our empire, and the protection of that extensive commerce which crosses every sea and fills every port in the wide world-I believe that for all such purposes our Navy was never in a more effective state than it is now. Our regular Army is also, I am happy to inform your Lordships, in a state of perfect efficiency, so far as its numbers are concerned. I repeat the words so far as its numbers are concerned,' for as to the duties which it has to perform, there is no army in the world on which so heavy a load of military duty falls.

My Lords, I rejoice to think that for the maintenance of the tranquillity of England no military force, regular or irregular, is likely to be called for. But if the people are not a disciplined and organized force, they will meet any attempt of foreign aggression nder fearful disadvantages. It is ce, and when

right, in time of pouse we are not pressed by apprehensions, to take the necessary measures for the organization of an old constitutional force, that we may meet danger in some sort of military array and discipline."

The subject of armaments naturally introduced a reference to the foreign refugees, over whom we hold the shield of our protection. He warned those parties that they must beware of abusing that protection, nor compromise us by organising here, against their own country, measures which they know are in violation of the English laws. Having stated his foreign policy, he proceeded to dis

close, without reserve, his financial and commercial policy. Recurring to the measures introduced, with his warm and cordial approval, by Sir Robert Peel in 1842, for revising our Customs duties, he declared the principle of those measures to be, the freest admission of raw materials, but the imposition of duties principally and avowedly on those articles which enter into competition with the produce of our own soil and industry. That was also the principle of the American tariff. But we had proceeded recently on a different principle, admitting competition, and loading with an inordinate amount a certain small number of articles of immense and extensive consumption, and coming directly into the necessary consumption of the mass of the community.

"Between those two systems it appears to me, my Lords, that the American system is the most easily to be defended on principle, and is the least burdensome to the country in practice. At the same time, I do not shrink from expressing again that which I have expressed often on former occasions, nor from in office what I have repeating often stated out of office-that, in my individual opinion, I can see no grounds why, from the general system of imposing duties foreign imports, the article of corn should be a solitary exception. I state this, my Lords, as my opinion; but I think this to be a question which can only be satisfactorily solved by reference to the well-understood and clearly-expressed opinion of the intelligent portion of the community. Any possibility, any idea of dealing with a system so vast and extensive as the financial policy of this country, involving in its wide range, not

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only the whole of the Customs duties, but also all the incidences and pressure of domestic and local taxation-any scheme, I say, so large and extensive, requires to be dealt with by a Government strong, not only in the confidence of the country, but also in the confidence of Parliament, and capable of carrying its measures with a degree of care, and foresight, and deliberation, which no one can afford suddenly at the commencement of a Parliamentary session. I know, my Lords, that in the other House of Parliament my colleagues and I are in an undoubted minority. I do not know whether we can command a majority even here, in this House, which I now have the honour of addressing. But the same motives which induced me to sacrifice all other considerations to avoid the responsibility of leaving the Sovereign and the country at this time without an Administration, induce me to think that the public interest would not be consulted by any interruption for a considerable period of the sitting of the other House of Parliament at this period of the year, and in the present circumstances of the world. While, my Lords, I am aware that, with the view of carrying out the policy which I consider to be advantageous to the interests of the country, I should state frankly, and without reserve, my own opinions-while I make this confession, I must also confess that, situated as we are, we have a much humbler, but, at the same time, a more useful part to perform. I avow, my Lords, again, that we cannot depend on a majority in the other House of Parliament; and I avow that, in the face of this conviction, I have not declined the responsibility which has

been thrown upon me. I know that, in conducting the affairs of the country, we shall have to appeal to the forbearance of our opponents, and likewise to the indulgence of our friends. But, my Lords, I have that confidence in the good sense, judgment, and patriotism of the other House, which induces me to believe that it will not unnecessarily introduce subjects of a controversial and party character, for the mere purpose of interrupting the course of sound and useful legislation, and of driving the Government out of that moderate and temperate course which it has prescribed to itself. I think, my Lords, that, without dealing with such questions, we have subjects enough of a useful social character fully to occupy our time, and even that of the other House of Parliament. If, avoiding all unnecessary party measures, we apply ourselves to those great objects which the country has so long been expecting-measures of legal reform, for improving and simplifying the administration of law and justice; and measures of social reform, for improving the condition and comforts of the people,-I believe that, even with a minority in the House of Commons, we shall not be uselessly or dishonourably conducting the affairs of the country, and I am confident, that if we are interrupted by a factious opposition, that factiousness will, at no distant period, recoil on those who pursue it."

Lord Derby proceeded to state that it was not his intention to adopt and carry out the measure of representative reform proposed by Lord John Russell, which he characterised as an indefinite plan for unsettling everything and settling nothing, and which began by

exciting the country, and finished by dissatisfying it. He had heard, indeed, that this scheme of franchise reform was to be combined with one for enormously improving the education of the country, though he could not quite see the connection between the two subjects, and for this reason he begged distinctly to state, that by education he did not mean the mere acquirement of temporal knowledge, or the development of the intellectual faculties, but that education which was built on the basis of all knowledge-the study of the Scriptures. For the promotion of such education he relied with confidence on the enlightened exertions of the parochial clergy of the Established Church. To uphold that Church in its integrity was not only the interest, but the duty, of Government, which, while it tolerated the religious faith of other persuasions, was bound to extend the influence of the Church of England, and to lend it every assistance in diffusing through the land the knowledge of divine truth. The noble Lord concluded his speech by declaring that he had undertaken the governing of the country, trusting to the blessing and guidance of Divine Providence; and he solemnly disclaimed all motives of personal ambition in accepting that dangerous elevation to which he had been raised by the favour of his Sovereign. In the discharge of the duties of that post," he declared, "no consideration shall sway me, except that which led me to accept it-the paramount consideration of public duty. With that feeling on my mind, with the deep conviction of the sincerity of my own motives, and trusting to the guidance of a higher Power than my own, I venture to undertake a task from

which I might have shrunk appalled by its magnitude; and be the period of my administration long or short, not only shall I have attained the highest object of personal ambition, but I shall have fulfilled one of the highest ends of human being, if, in the course of it, I can have in the slightest degree advanced the great objects of 'peace on earth, goodwill towards men,' the social, the moral, the religious improvement of my country-'the safety, honour, and welfare of our Sovereign and her dominions.' (General cheering.)

Earl Grey said he would not attempt to enter at length upon the various topics discussed by Lord Derby, but he could not help entering his protest against the inferences drawn by the noble Earl from a comparison between the American tariff and our system of free trade. He must also express his consternation at hearing that a tax on the food of the country was contemplated by the Government.

After some observations from Lord Derby, who explained that he had distinctly said that the question could only be solved by the intelligent portion of the community, and that it was not the intention of the Government to make any proposition on the subject at present,

Earl Grey expressed himself greatly relieved, but implored Lord Derby not to keep the country in suspense on a matter concerning which it had a right to early information.

Earl Fitzwilliam regretted that Lord Grey, instead of taking a comprehensive view of Lord Derby's speech, had selected one particular topic, and that the most exciting, for discussion and com