The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-07-09 00:00:00

Commons.

"Sir,—l beg most respectfully to submit to your notice
the following points:—
"1. lam advised that the interruption on the 27th of
April and my removal on the 10th of May last from the
House by the Sergeant-at-Arms, when engaged according to
law and in precise compliance with the rules and orders of
the House in attempting to perform the duty of taking my
seat, was on each occasion absolutely illegal, and was an in-
fringement of my rights and in breach of my privileges as a
duly returned member of the House.
"2. I am advised that the House of Commons had not
any authority, either by statute or according to its own pre-
cedents, to pass any resolution interrupting me or authorize
ing the Serjeant-at-Arms so to remove me, I being then in
the exercise of my lawful right and attempting the orderly
performance of my legal duty.
"3. I am advised that I skould have been justified in re-
sisting the use of the illegal and therefore unjustifiable
physical force on the part of the Serjeant-at-Arms.
"4. I am advised that, notwithstanding the illegality of
the said forcible removal of myself by the Serjeant-at-
Ams, I have no remedy in any court of law against the
said Serjeant-at-Arms, as the privileges of the House of
Commons protect its officer even in wrongful acts, if such
acts are done in pursuance of the order of the [louse.
"5. I am advised that the order of the House of the 10th
of May last, a copy of which order has been served upon
me, does not authorise the Serjeant-at-arms to use force or
to employ force to prevent my re-entry into the House, to
the table of which I have been properly introdu:ed, for the
purpose of completely complying with the law in order to
take my seat at the time and in the manner provided by the
tanding Orders. _

"u. That if such order should be construed to authorise
the said Serjeant-at-Arms to attempt by force to prevent
me from entering the House to complete and fulfil the duty
required from me by law, in the manner provided by the
Standing Orders, than that any such user of force would
be absolutely illegal, and may be lawfully resisted and
overcome by Me.
"I beg, therefore, Sir, most respectfully to give notice
that I claim to disregard the order of the House on the 10th
day of Slay last, and to treat the same as not requiring obedi-
ence from me, on the ground that such order is absolutely
illegal. Ido not dispute the power of the House in its
pleasure to vacate my seat if once I have taken it. In
such case it wonld be for the electors of Northampton to
decide on a iiew election as to whom they would wish
further to represent them. Ido not question, nor should I
resist, the authority of the House to arrest me ; this right
it has exercised over Englishmen far m,,re important than
my self • but I do deny, and, if it unhappily becomes neces-
sary, shall feel it my duty to resist, the claim to prevent
me, in spite of the law and by physical force alone, from
complying with the return and mandate of my constituents,
whose lawful representative I am.
"In the name of the law, Sir, and of my constituents, I
also most respectfully give notice that I shall, in the manner
and at the time provided by the Standing Orders of the
House, again present myself at the table of the House to
complete the fulfilment of the duty imposed on me be law,
and in the course of the performance of which duty I have
been most improperly and illegally interrupted and hindered.
"I, having obtained the leave of my constituents to this
effect, would have waited and would still wait the reason-
able pleasure of the House as to any leAslation with refer-
ence to the manner of my taking my seat; but, as the Reuse
does not express any opinion on this subject, and does not
challenge in any way the lawfulness of my return, it is due
to my constituents that I should insist on the performance
of my duty in my unchallenged lawful right, and thus put
an end to a state of things without precedent in the history
of Parliament.
'

-"I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient ser-
vant, "Cli. BRADLAUGII."
"July 4, 1881."
The Speaker added: I have deemed it my duty to com
municate this letter to the House, because it contests the
authority and orders of the House. I may add, also, that I
have given special directions to the Serjeant•at-Arms to
enface the order of the 10th of May.
Lord It. Churchill gave notice that he would move to omit
the letter from the Votes ; but the Speaker said this would
be an unprecedented motion, and the proper course would be
to move to expunge it.
Lord R. Churchill said he would do this; and Mr. Gorst
having asked that the Clerk at the table should read the
resolution, Sir S. Northcote and Mr. Gladstone joined in
advising the House to leave the matter in the hands of its
Executive.

The House went again into Committee on the Irish Land
Bib, and 'after a discussion on the Seventh Clause it was
added to the Bill upon a division by 289 to 157. The Eighth
Clause was agreed to, and progress was reported.
At the Evening Sitting the consideration of the Land Bill
was resumed, when Clauses 9, 10, and 11 were agreed to, and
shortly after the Committee adjourned.
The House adjourned at one o'clock.