The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-25 00:00:00

10ET_IJRN3 ORDERED.

- -
On the motion of Mr. ()Twos, a variety of papers WWI
ordered relating to the CMS of Col. Outruns.
On the motion of Mr. Hums, the following return was
ordered:—Copies of the reports of the several swamis-
!goners on public works at Binge), Madras, and Bombay,
is the year 1851.2, together with copies of the minutes of
the members of the government thereon, and of any

orders of despatches of the Cost of Directors relating
thereto.

CONSOLIDATION OF THE STATUTE LAW.
Mr. KEA.TINO, in pursuance of Imhof, asked the Se-
cretin of State foe the Home Deparlaiim4 whether the
plan Mmanced by government, for the Offgagenient and
consolidation of the statute law, is hs ndle. fo comprehend
any measures for ensuring 'Fester unlwemity, elearnew,
and comisensas in the framag of hums acts of wha-
mmy.

Lord J. RUSSELL, who spoke very low,was understood
to reply in the affirmative.
LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND THE FOREIGN-

OFFICE.

Mr. CAYLEY wished to ',ern from the noble lord the
avail:see fur the City of London if it were true, u had been
reported, first, that he no longer held the seals of the Fo-
reign-office, and secondly, that he held no situation in the
government at present to which a salary was attached.

Lord J. RUSSELL said, in answer to the first question,
he begged to state that ho had resigned the °Mee of &ere-
tary of State for Foreign Affairs, which her Majesty had
been pleased to confer on Lord Clarendon ; and in answer
to the second question, he begged to say that he did not at
Fermat hold any clam to which a salary was attached.
Mr. CAYLEY then gave notice that on the first fitting
opportunity he would move that, considering the great in-
crease of public business of late years, and the eorresponding
increase of responsibility which devolved upon the leader of
that house, it was just and expedient that a salary should
be attached to the leadership of the Rouse of Commons.

THE PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL STEAM-
PACKET COMPANY AND THE GOVERNMENT
.___

MAILS.
Mr. H. BERKELEY wished to ask the right hon. gentle-
man the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, according to
a report alluded to in the Ci y article of the rinses of the
22nd inst., the Peninsular and Oriental Steam-packet
Company had made an application to the government to be
permitted to •Trop part of the contract entered into by them
last year, for an additional mail service, and if they had,
whether it was the intention of the government to acmde
to such a proposition ?
Sir J. GRAHAM said it was true the Peninsular and
Oriental Company had presented to the Board of Admiralty
a memorial prayieg that on certain conditions (as was un-
derstood) which were stated, there might be some relax-
ation of the existing contract; the memorialists stating that
the present demand for British shipping was altogether in-
consistent with its completion. Her Majesty's government
having thought it espedient to appoint a committee over
which the Postmaster-General presided, to that committee
the whole matter had been referred. The report had not
yet been received ; and it was of course impossible for him
to state what recommendations it would contain.
In reply to questions from Lord J. MANNIRA,
Lord J. RUSSELL stated that the government intended
to take the army estimator on the following (this) day, and
the ordnance estimates on Monday.

THE NORWICH ELECTION PETITION.
Mr. T. BUNCOMBE said, before proceeding to call the
attention of the house to the subject of which he had given
notice, he had a petition to present from Colonel Dickson,
• candidate for the representation of Norwich. He would
move that it be read by the clerk.
The petition of Colonel Dickson was then read. It com-
pleased of the injustice which the petitioner bad suffered by
the unauthorised withdrawal of the petition by Mr. Henry
Brown, the parliamentary agent, and concluded with is
prayer that the petitioner might be heard at the bar of the
house.
The HON. MEMBER said this subject appeared to him
one demanding the most serious attention ot that house, not
only as affecting the order of their proceedings, but also as
involving a breach of privileges, and an infringement of
the sacred right of the people to petition the house with
regard to any grievance which they might have sustained;
and it was his intention to conclude with a motion that cer-
tain parties should he summoned to the bar, in order that it
might be proved that • breach of the privileges and con-
tempt of that house had been perpetrated.
Mr. W. I'ATTEN said he rose to order. He wished to
know whether this was a question which affected the privi-
leges of the house ? (Hear, hear.)
Mr. T. BUNCOMBE said he too roes to order. It was
totally impossible for the house, until they had heard hies,
to say whether or not a breach of privilege had been com-
mitted. (Hear, hear.) He knew perfectly well beforehand
that an attempt would be made to strangle hie motion; but
he could not allow the chairman to use his "ways and means"
so as to prevent him from stating the case. (Laughter.)
He really believed that a breach of privilege had been com-
mitted, sad if he heard nothing front the Speaker he should
prooted.
The SPEAKER skid if the boo. member had anything
to state beyond what was stated in the petition read by the
clerk, there could be us objection to his proceeding ; other-
wise, it was Impassible to deeds whether or not the privi-
legniet efie Meru bad ban infringed. At present it did
not appear that a Womb at privilege bad been committed.
although the agent might have acted most improperly with
reference to the petition.
Mr. BUNCOMBE said his case was not confined
to the petition, which was only handed to him
en hoar or two before. His attention was first
drawn to the spot by an advertisement which sp-
in the Tints.. Knowing that in electioneering matters
as were often practised, he put himself in communica-
tion with Colonel Dickson, who assured him that it was no
hoax, and declared that he was ready to prove at the bar of
the hones that a breach of privilege had been perpetrated
by the parliamentary agent. He knew very well that tho
withdrawal of petitions took place under the 17th section
of the Controverted Elections Act; but the act stated that
the withdrawal must be under the signature either of the
petitioners or of their agent, and he maintained that Mr.
Brown was no agent at all in the matter. It would be
proved on investigation that Brown boasted that he had
done a good turn to the members for West Norfolk
by the withdrawal of the election petition from Norwich,
and had thrown over Dickson. Would it be denied that a
fraud had been committed, if Brown had acted without
authority, either from the local agent or from the peti-
tioners themselves; or that there had been no breach of
the priviliges of that house ? It was his intention to move
that both Col. Dielvon and Mr. Brown should be sum-
moned to the bar of the house, to explain the whole pro-
ceeding. He would first move that Col. Dickson do attend
I at the bar.
Mr. HUME said he entirely agreed with his hon. friend
that Mr. Brown wu responsible for hie conduct; but he
would suggest to him that he should follow the usage in
each cans, by moving that the petition be read, and bring-
forward the subject on the following day. (lieu, hear.)
1 Mr. W. PATTEN said he entirely concurred in the sag-
pWon of the hon. member for Montrose. He should not
have risen, however, but for the accusation of the hon.
member that he was attempting to swamp the petition.
The reverse was the fact ; be wished to prevent the petition
from being swamped by the adoption of a wrong course.
(Hear, bear.) He must say, however, that this was clearly
not a case of privilege.
Lord J. RUSSELL thought the best course that could
be pursued was that suggested by the hon. member for
Montrose, to let the petition be printed and leave it to the
house to consider whether it would deal with the petition
itself or refer the matter to a committee. He declined to
give any opinion on the subject.
Mr. BUNCOMBE said he begged to move that Colonel
Dickson be ordered to attend at thebar.

The motion having bees ci;d7"
The SPEAK ER said it oagbt first to be decided whether
the question was one of privilege or not; otherwise the
might establish a very inconvenient precedent. By the Bth
maim 11 & 12 Victoria, petitions might be withthawn by
the reties or their agents. Of course, therefore, the parties
to the petition woaldappear to ha bound by the sat of their
= red *Gogh it might be very proper to inquire
the spot had actstidni,Fily or not, he did not
co nsilm *et any privilege was to have been inter-
fered with as the ease then s So far the case did not
seem to b one cloprivilege.
Aber a few words from Mr. Hamm, which were inau-
dible.

Still GREY thought that after the Speaker had de-
deed that the lama= was not one of privilege' the only
course open to the his. member was that of moving that
the petition should be printed. (Hear, hear.)
_ _

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said the 'gentian wa's, bad or had
not a hard been oommitted upon that houss—(" no, so ")
Pe —by a party representing himself as an agent of certain
re
Mr. WALPOLE said, by ths net of parliament -
agent had power to withdraw a petition, and, radar rush
etrestinstaaoss, the question before the hones, though it
might be a very proper ens for inquiry, wee clearly rot
ton of privilege.

Yr. T. MINCOMBE maid as the Speaker thought his
motion premature, he would not press it, but would move
at ones that the petition be printed with the elites.
The first motion was then withdrawn, and the petition
ordered to be printed.
THE NEW ELECTION PETITION.
LASCELLEE presented the report of the select com-
mittee in rateremes to this petition ; which was that Wil-
liam 11 h, hail bees dely elected. The committee
added a oiscabWast des deg, that harlot examleed the
trots as honk sides, the daes contained in the petition
dadnot sprier to theta to call" for any special remark.

THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.
Sir J. PARINGTON rose to cell the attention of the
hews to the mate of the Animallea enksaiss, and the Rues-
ties of Iseesjpertatist sad to mews he espies of the dis-
till& hem filr J. Pakhgtea to the revermin of New South
Wales, Vleteria, and South Australia, dated 15'h Demm-
her, 1602, sad his dispatch le the Lied-Governor of Van
Dismea's Lead, dated 14th December, 1862. His object
was to plat out the policy which he thought ought
to be adopted by the imperial government towards
those (eeks in the extraordinary and unexpected circum-
stances in which they were placed. There bad of late
yeses bees • growing inclination on the part of that boas'
to asterisk sslraial questions ; and no colonies had excited
puss, keseem theft those of Australia. No longer ago
that het mks that hoes. devoted considerable attention
to Ile abbe of die gamy of New Zealand ; and within a
mime prima a eonedtation was framed for the Australian
00{0111111r he foal weaseiousuese of the fact that im-
portant lloookofes were then impending. The discoveries
of geld bed dialated the prosperity of the colonies to e
sat ezlesseassry extent, and had led to a vast increase
of populates. There were, ha believed, no statistics
wale would enable them to determine what amount of
gold had been collected, but he certainly would net in
over-rating it if he estimated it at 10,000. within the
first year. Of course such important discoveries bad
tended greatly to increase the material prosperity of the
colonies. He wished, however, to guard himself against
a charge of exaggeration on that subject. He thought it
desirable that it should be generally known that so far