In the following year, 1851, on account of the Ministerial Crisis, and of the debates upon "the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill," be was unable to bring the Motion forward as soon as he could have wished, but he brought it forward late in; the Session; and although again opposed by the Government, the House confirmed its former decision by a still larger majority; and he had some reason to believe that, had his friends remained in office, he should have been spared the trouble of bringing this question again before the House, for he thought they would have deferred to the decision of the House, and also to what he conceived to be the unanswerable claims of the attorneys and solicitors to be relieved from this tax.

A Ministerial Crisis and other causes, which at this moment I am unable to explain, caused delay at Constantinople, and the Austrian Government, foreseeing the very great dangers that would arise from delay, called together the representatives of the other Powers—the Ministers of France, England, and Prussia—and proposed to take as a basis the note which had originated with the French Government, which, with some slight modifications, they proposed should be laid before the Governments of the Emperor and of the Sultan as a means of settling the differences.

We cannot afford to have a Ministerial Crisis needlessly brought on, or even risked, at a time when the attention of the country ought to be entirely occupied in providing for its defence, and for the vigorous conduct of the hostilities with which it is threatened.

Lord Panmure had taken a department that was newly founded in June last, and, before sufficient time had elapsed for this department to be in an efficient state, on the top of it was placed, in December, the Commissariat, taken from the Treasury; and then came the Ministerial Crisis; and on the top of all these conjoined departments was placed the department of the Secretary at War.

As far as I myself am concerned, Sir, perhaps I may be permitted, without leading the House too far back—inasmuch as we are (it has been justly so observed) in something like a chronic state of Ministerial Crisis, and inasmuch as it is difficult to separate the events of the last few days from those which preceded them within a very short period—to allude in one or two sentences to the first series of events in this crisis, and to the position in which my own name has appeared before the public in connection with the early stage of the proceedings.

It is, perhaps, using a strong word, but it appears to me that such a recall, after the delay which had already taken place in consequence of the Ministerial Crisis, would have been something like a breach of national faith.

It was not more than three months ago, when attending a dinner at which the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of the Colonies was present, he heard him state that in every despatch that came from the Colonies there was an account of a Ministerial Crisis; but he was afraid there was a much more dangerous system working in the Australian colonies than the mere playing at Ministerial crises, because he was satisfied that they were incurring debts which would be of the greatest possible inconvenience to them hereafter, and which would end in a very different result from one of mere postponement.

That, as your Lordships know, led to Another Ministerial Crisis.

Sir, under these circumstances, not seeing that there is on the part of hon. Gentlemen opposite more ability to form an Administration than existed when they found it necessary to retire from these benches last year—seeing that the Opposition consists of a number of sections, which no doubt can at any time combine and overwhelm the Queen's Government, whoever may happen to form it—seeing, from the present state of affairs, that there is no security, but almost a certainty that every February there will be a Ministerial Crisis, and perhaps its consequences—and believing that this state of affairs is prejudicial to the repute of Parliament and injurious to the best interests of the country, and believing, too, that it is of the utmost importance at this moment that the authority of the Government should be supported by the authority of Parliament, and not being conscious that during the time we have exercised power we have done anything to forfeit the good opinion of our fellow-countrymen—we have thought it our duty to advise Her Majesty to exercise her prerogative and to dissolve this Parliament.

Now as regards the first of these arguments it was true that the House agreed to the second reading of this measure three years ago; but since then we had had a Ministerial Crisis and a dissolution of Parliament, and he did not see that the Parliament of 1861 should consider itself implicitly bound 1897 by any hasty and ill-advised act of a Parliament that had preceded it, But on that occasion the noble Lord at the head of the Government (Viscount Palmerston) stated that be only voted for the second reading in order to affirm the principle that the county franchise ought to be reduced.

Although I was most anxious not to sacrifice a large amount of revenue, I was at the same time most 615 auxious not to be instrumental in producing a Ministerial Crisis.

Within a very short time a great change had taken place; a coup d'é tat had been effected which led to a change of Ministers, and produced what might fairly be called a Ministerial Crisis, because the Ministry that went out of office went, as was usual, out of the world at the same time; they were either strangled or despatched themselves as soon as they received the order.

426 The negotiations in Paris were not brought to a conclusion last year; and when the Recent Ministerial Crisis took place in Turin, Signor Marliani was recalled to Italy.

Some of the hon. Gentlemen opposite might also think so, and give their support to the Government in order to prevent a Ministerial Crisis.

And then, when they agreed to a Resolution respecting a matter relating to Scotland, they were suddenly thrown into a Ministerial Crisis.

He (Mr. Otway) thought that Ministers retained their seats with astonishing calmness and composure, although there had been a Ministerial Crisis about once a fortnight.

Scores had said that if the Budget were protested against it would involve a Ministerial Crisis.

Such men looked forward with the greatest interest to party quarrels and disputes in Parliament, in the hope of a Ministerial Crisis and a General Election; and so strong was this feeling, that in a borough in the West of Ireland the chairman whose duty it was to revise the list was appealed to by one voter in the name of all the Saints not to strike his name off, because if he did his bread would be gone.

Before you can discuss a single clause we will throw upon you the responsibility of a Ministerial Crisis; and if you press the Bill on in the sense in which the House passed the second reading, we will resign".

In the first place, it would have been perfectly legitimate and in accordance with the usages of this House, if a Bill of a private Member did not involve a Ministerial Crisis, to bring it on at half-past 11 or 12 o'clock; and there is no chance of my being able to get on the Bill sooner.

The whole nation is invited to be a party to a Ministerial Crisis.

They never had the slightest idea of asking for a Government night until the Government had met the measure he had in hand by raising the excitement of a Ministerial Crisis about it.

The House was well aware that the judgment even of 1255 the most sagacious politicians was sometimes warped by rumours industriously circulated of a Ministerial Crisis.

So strongly did he feel on the subject, that reckless of the result, he would have risked a Ministerial Crisis by voting in favour of a Motion he believed to be wise, just, and patriotic.

He also said that he had no surplus; but that was before the Ministerial Crisis, and the Government had altered their note since that had occurred.

That majority was relied upon, not only by a Ministry, but by a Dynasty, and that reliance was continued so long that at length the legitimate event of an election being denied, the popular dissatisfaction burst through its bounds, and what in this country would have been a Ministerial Crisis ended in a revolution.

He concurred with his hon. Friend the Member for Galway (Mr. T. P. O'Connor) in never having believed in the occurrence of a Serious Ministerial Crisis.

The Bill came on during the Ministerial Crisis, a time when, as a rule, Business was not taken.

LABOUCHERE asked whether Her Majesty's Government recognized this as a Ministerial Crisis?

but owing to the Ministerial Crisis which ensued, and which was followed by the resignation of the late Conservative Government, I was not able, according to the Rules of the House, to press my Question.

He resigned—we had a, Ministerial Crisis that was chronic.

We may, therefore, expect a Ministerial Crisis at any time during the Session, arising, as I have said, out of some English rather than the Irish Question.

Immediately after this there ensued a Ministerial Crisis in Italy, and Signor Crispi was succeeded by the Marquis de Rudini, who, in a speech in the Chamber, stated that his object was to withdraw from everywhere beyond the strip of territory along the coast.

CAPTAIN SINCLAIR: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, having regard to the importance of the subject, and especially to the varying accounts thereof, he will now lay before Parliament Papers explaining the Recent Ministerial Crisis in Cape Colony, including any communications which have passed between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Cape Colony.

We should not have had a Ministerial Crisis, and we should not have had this voluntary scheme had it not been deemed necessary to secure certain people who, in co-operation with the Government, were regarded as essential.

] Shortly afterwards a Ministerial Crisis arose, and it was not done.

They would have decided it, the cordite would have been produced and a Ministerial Crisis would have been avoided and the business of the country would have gone on much better than ever.

Otherwise the usefulness of Standing Committees will soon disappear, because the great merit of Standing Committees is that you can beat the Government without causing a Ministerial Crisis.

We were even informed that there was a Ministerial Crisis.

Mr. CHURCHILL: I regret that a Ministerial Crisis has arisen in Bagdad.

They did not make funeral orations; they did not threaten a Ministerial Crisis; they did not propose to go to the country.

The French Government received the most definite warning of what was going to take place, but it is alleged in Paris by those who know -and I believe it to be true -that the French Government carefully arranged a Ministerial Crisis.

Ministerial Crisis, 46.