The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-29 00:00:00

would more that the home do resolve itself into c,tasaitatat
to consider the question of parliamentary was:4 with a
view of abolishing all oaths except the oath ot asteggiaata..
THE PARK FOR FINSBIA%:.
In reply to Mr. WAILLET, who isishejt haaw whiiket,
measuris were in progress with a t`-eve to comply with the.
wishes of the inhabitants of FiArmy and the City of Lou-
don, for the formation of a lark at the north-eist end of
London,
Lord 3. uussEv,,,, understood to say that he enter-
tained a lope tho. those wishes might be complied with,
I but he was not able to say when.
IRISII BUSINESS.

ID Irsoly to Sir H. W.
Sis W. SOMERVILLE said that it wu his intention to
Istocced with all the Irish bills on the per except the first.
DAMAGE TO HOUSES IN WHITEHALL-PLACE.
In reply to Col. Ltvosav,
Lord SEYMOUR said that, though contrary to the
wouldpr, the report of the architect on this matter
be laid on the table of the house.
ENFRANCHISEMENT OF COPYHOLDS.
Mr. AOLIONBY gave notice that next session he would
move for leave to bring in a bill for the compulsory enfran-
chisement of copyholde.
PETTY SESSIONS FEES.
Mr. AGLIONBY gave notice that he would next session
move for leave to bring in a bill to enable justices in petty
sessions to take pleas of guilty in the cue of persons charged

with petty larcen y.
SIR J. FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION.
Mr. ANSTEY wished to know from the hon. gentleman
the secretary to the Admiralty whether, from any report
which had been received at the Admiralty, he could say
whether the report which appeared in the newspapers re-
specting the expedition of Sir J. Franklin was a fabrication
or not, and, if it was, whether it was the intention of the
government to put in force the laws regarding those who
circulated false news ?
Mr. I'AHKF.It said the only report which he had seen
was that which appeared in the newspapers. Whether
it was a fabrication or not he had no mean' of knowing.
CASE OF MR. ALDERMAN SALOMONS.
On the motion for considering the petitions from Green-
wich,
The SPEAKER said that before proceeding with the
seder of the day he had better read to the house the follow-
lag letter which he had received from Mr. Salmons :
boat Cumheriaati Place, Friday, July 23, 1851.
Itia,—l am sols:•M twit It Is my duty rsepecifsily to inform you
and the house, that two actions; at lee Warr the statute, have been
maim need against me, lee penaltits slimed to be iticurresl by me for
hoe', g .A,,,..41, on MOIN!Ay tad, the right of witting and voting in
the lieu. of 0 misson• a. undid, r for Greenwich, and that at the
trial of three action. any era du' inns or proceeding which the house
may .lost ran be given la evidence in that action.—With the 'Telenet
reatcA. I have the hor.nur to he, sir, your most obedient servant,
To the Hight Hon. the Speaker. Davis SALMONS. 1
Sir li. HALL, in rising In bring the matter of the peti-1
lion from the electors of Greenwich before the house,
begged to thank the noble lord at the head of the governs
meat for enabling him to bring forward the motion at 1111
early a period of the evening, and also fur enabling him to
being it on as a suhatiuitiie motion. lie also begged te
tender to the noble lord the thanks of those whore advocate
be was on the present occasion. Should any objection be
made to that within, he certainly should take the sense oil
the house upon it. (Hear, hear.) Ills proposition was of
so simple and plain a character, so based on Justice and
founded in equity, that he hoped the house would readily
convent to the prayer of the petitions which he presented
from the electors of Greenwich—to he heard by coun-
sel at the bar. Mr. Salomon' having been elected,
presented himself at the table of the house, and
be took the oath on the Old Testament, thereby
acknowledging that he was a Jew—(hear, hear)—but
when leg cant to the last weeds the hour deli rained that
he should he a Christian, and he was ordered to withdraw.
(Mar.) Now, this was an absurd and leilicrous, as well as
painful, isceition for the house to be placed in; and these
were tam. in which the INOM could not afford to appear
ludicrous before the eyee of the public. If they did Mi
they would very quickly hareme contemptible in public ere
timation. (Ileac.) Mr. Salomon voted three times its
the house, for which he was now threatened with actions;
he ado, addressed the house, tad all who heard him mass
admire both the determination he showed to retain his seat,
and the respect with which he addressed that asaembly.
(Hear, hear.) But that 'Pelee having passed a I, soluticsi
on a former oceasion, which revolution was made a prece-
dent of in the present instance—that because the oath hail ,
not leen taken worsting to law, the law being quite
indefinite, and the hest leaver, holding different
opinions with regent to it, he was to be ejected
and ilierniesed from that amembly. (Hear, bear.) That
was as efouril position to be placed in. Ito considered
that the resolution of last year was most hastily concocted,
and most unadvisedly passed. (Hear, hear.) And whether
the noble lord determinist to oppose or support the present
I motion, he hoped he would nut put another motion on the
paper similar to the one of last year, for it was so absurd
that the time must come when it must lie rescinded.
(Cheers.) There was a precedent for rescinding such a
resolution in the case of Mr. Wilkes, who having pub-
lieheit what was called un outrageous libel un the King,
and " An Faeoy on Woman" of a meet licentious character,
was expelled the house in 17Gi1. lie was redlecteil by the
electors of Middlesex ; hut, notwithstanding that, the house
seated Col. lioutledge, by resolution, in his place. But on
the 14th April, 1751. that resolution was ordered to be
expunged from the journals, as being subversive of the
rights of the whole electoral laxly of the kingdom. (Hear.)
So in thin ease, if they passed ouch a resolution, it would,
a. the petition mated, "he subversive of the rights of the
whole body of elector, of this kingdom." It would be
stultifying their proceeilimes to pane one resolution one day
and a different one the neat. (Load cheers.) When he (Sir
H. Hall) mime-steel the possibility of such a petition, the
noble lord said lie could give no opinion, but that he would
I meek tee prectidente. Now he (Sir H. Hall) hail searched
fir proreden,s, and he was satisfied that there WAS uo peeve-
', eat for the course which had limn pursued in this case.
The lion. member concluded by moving that the electors
of Greenwich should be heard at the bar of the house.
Mr. ANSTEY seconded the motion.
The ATTOItNEY-GENIeItAL said he thought this
station ought not to he acceded to. (Hear, heir.) Ile put
it to the house whether any new light could he
thrown on a subject which had been discussed in two sex
aims of parliament, and on which the house hail come to
a solemn resolution. With respect to the position of the
electors of Greenwich, it mire be remembered that they
elected Mr. Alderman Salomon with a full knowledge of
the former resolution of the house.
Mr. ANSTEY said it might be inferred from the speech
of the lion. and learned gentleman, that he had not heard
the letter in which Mr. Alderman salomons told the house
that actions against him for penalties were, not threatened,
but actually CIMMVOCCII, and remarked that any resolution
of that house might influence the decision of the court. If
the house persisted it would place itself in collision with
the courts of law, and lie (Mr. Anstey) believed the result
would be that they would have, in the most abject manner,
to retrace their steps. Wishing to save the house from this
mortifying dilemma, lie entreated them to hear before they
condemned.
Sir F. TIiESIGEIL observed that, although a sufßcient
, reason had been Resigned by the Attorney-General against
1 agreeing to a motion for hearing a one-aided orpiment at
the bee, there woo soother obj. ction on the face of the peti-
tion, which prayed that the petitioners might be heard in
defence of their undoubted right to be represented by the I
representative they had chosen. 'f his right hail never been
disputed; the question wes, whether the representative
they hail chosen hail qualified himself by law to sit in that
house.
Mr. C. VILLIEItS spoke in favour of the motion; Mr.
Newdereite, Sir J. Helmer, and Sir R. Inglis against it.
Mr. AtiLIONIIY, who supported the motion, wished to
hear the opinion of a member of the government upon the
question. lie thought delay woo desirable, cousidering that
the house was acting in a judicial capecity, and that its re-
solution would be evidence in a court of law.
Lord J. lit SSELL---A• his hon. and learned friend was
desirous that some member of the government ahould
speak upon the question besides the Attorney-General, he
would in a few words state his opinion to the house.
It appeared to him that the electors of Greenwich
had rie locus atainli in the case. In their petition they said
they regretted to know that the house contemplate,' some
measure by which their rights would be interfered with ;
but the house contemplated no inceiture of the kind. (Hear,
bear.) The house was simply pursuing its duty. (Hear,
bear.) It was incumbent on theca when a member pre-
sented himself at the table to see that he was sworn accord- ,
lag to what they believed to be the law. (Hear, hear.)
le hither they were right in their interpretation of the law
was another question, but it was their duty to see that the '
oaths, were taken according to the law as they understood
it. Ile could not, however, agree with the hon. gentleman
the member for Oxford University that the election of a
perein who refused to take the oaths was like the election
of a woman, a lunatic, a minor, or an alien, because to be
either of three as. a positive legal disqualification to sitting
in that house. (Hear, hear.) But the present case was
perfectly similar to that of a pereou coming to the table and
refusing to take the oath of allegiance. It was obvious that
they, could not say that a person so refusing because he had
Wei% chosen by the electors must be allowed to sit without
taking the oath of allegiance, and that to prevent him would
be to Whaler* with the rights and privileges of the cousti-
traent body. (Hear, hear.) Yet the Argument of the hon.
baronet (Sir IL Hall), and those who followed him, was
worth uothiug if it did not go to that extent. (Cheers.)
His lion. friend who last spoke had asked what was the use
of the electors haring the power to elect if they had not
OW rill'AUS of securing to their representative the right of
sitting in that hoe«, ? That was true in the abstract, but,
still to entitle the member to sit, he most comply with what
the law molted of him as the preliminary to his taking
his scat. The hon. member for Greenwich hied nut done so;
and, In mainenuing the law in this respect, the house was
not interfering with the rights of the electors of Greenwich,
bat we. upholding the rights of the electoral body through
out the kingdom. With regard to the question of law,
every one knew that a resolution of the House of Commons
was not law—all they could do was to interpret the law.
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY supported the motion
Mr. MACGREGOR, who spoke amid impatient calls for
a dis idea, considered this a question of civil and religious
liberty. and that the gos eminent were now tAkine a course
in direct violation of the principles they professed.
The house divided—
For tee modes 7l
Against it
.. .

The lotion was oomsespaently lost.
THE CASE OF BARON It0T11:4CIIILD.
Mr. It. CU RRIE said tluit after the decision w which
the house had just arrived in the caw of Mr. Alderman
ttalomons, he would forbear from moving than the prnyer
of the petition adopted at a meeting of Baron
Uothsehild s constituents, over which he had the
honour to preside, should be complied with—namely,
that e se in the baton's cane be alto Marti at