The Express.
London, England, 1858-02-23 00:00:00

THE CITY CORPORATION REFORM BILL.

The Sheriffs of London peesi a POtitiin7iroro the Eord
Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council against the go-
vernment City Corporation Reform sal, which, on the mo-
tion of sir. Alderman Co nrrr, was referred to the select com-
mittee appointed to consider the bill.
PRIVATE BILLS.
The following bills were road • second time :—Balby and
Worksop-road; Basealaleigh•road ; Carron Railway; Chis-
wick Improvement; Durham and Cleveland Union Railway;
Rest Suffolk Railway; Ely Valley Railway; Garngad-
mad ; Gala's Property and Liabilities • Hampstead-heath
Park; Horsham Turnpike Trust; Lland•ff and Canton Dia-
triot Marketa; Limerick and Castleconnell Railway ; Liver-
pool Improvement; London and North Western Railway
(additional works) (No. 1.); London, Brighton, and South
Coast Railway (Shoreham to Hendeld, du.) Luton Gu ;
Madras Irrigation and Canal ; Maidstone Gas ; Manchester,
Hyde, and Mottram-road; Northampton Gas; North British
Railway (Haori& and Carlisle Junction Railway) ; Stock-
Etjiaalty, and Whaley-bridge Railway ; Stockton and
Railway (North Riding lime); Taunton Water;
T—e7seFon.servancy ; 'Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway;
West End of London and Clapham end Norwood Junction
Railway (Abandonment);
. Westminster Improvements (Sale
and Lease, &n.) ; Yar-lindge; London Tramway; Saint laeo-
nard,Shoreditch,Pariah; Went and Bronygarth.

•
WEXFORD HARBOUR EMBANKMENT BILL.
On the motion that tide tabs read a second time,
Mr. M•M ARON said that unless the promoters of the bill
would consent to the minion of °ciao clauses which ex-
empted them from pecuniary liabilities which they had in-
curred, he should move as an amendment that the bill be road
a second time that day six months.
Mr. OROOAN defended the bill, which wee objected to
by Mr. Fitzroy, and eventually the bill was read a mooed
time, on the understanding that the oLjectionable clauses
should be struck out.

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.
Mr. ROEBUCK—Sir, I gave notice of my intention on
Friday last to prompt a petition complaining of the conduct
of a member of this house, and perhaps it may save some
trouble if I read the petition. It is the petition of Edward
Lees Cam, and it Sheweth—That Issas Butt,
es
Queen's counsel, end a member of your house, did, es or
about the month of July or August, ISA corruptly enter
into an agreement with his Majesty Ali Mooted K or
his agents, to the effect that the said Isaac Butt, Esq.,
should, for a sum of money stipulated to be geld to him, ad-
vocate and prosecute in the House of Commas sad with the
East India Company, the claims of his Highness foe the
recovery of his territories of which be had been deprived by
the Hon. East India Company—that In pursuance of such
corrupt agreement divers fume of money hays bean acknally
id by the said Ali Moored Khan to the said had Butt,
, paid by the laid All Mooned Khao to the said baao Butt,
Esq, and that the petitioner is advised and believes that an thehouse instituting an inquiry into the circumstances sat
forth in the petition, It will be found that the said Lase
Butt, Esq has been guilty of a breach of the privileges of
your honourable house. Tour petitioner therefore prays
your honourable house to take the premises into consideration,
and to take such steps towards their investigation as to your
honourable house seems meet."
The petition was ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. ROB BUCIL—I now move that the petition be printed
and circulated with the votes, and I beg to give notice that I
will on Friday neat move for a select committee to Inquire
into the allegations of the petition.
Mr. I. BUTT—Mr. Speaker, I rise to enter my peeled
against the mane suggested by the hon. member. A charge
ha, bat publicly had* molest ate which I now deco es
as files; and more than this, I say, sad I sat premed le
rove, that It is the result of as vile sad uaprisalphid • ow
ermey as ever was made the foundation of a charge argot
• imam of this hones. I demand, sir, from the justice of
this house an mediate laventiestke. (Cheers.) Let the
Investigation be conducted in the way which I would prehr—
by public inquire at the her of this house—where, main I
dirate myself, I amcontent to stand se a criminal, sad
Where I art meet my mom keb koe, Or, U the bass Nei

an objection to that course—for it is not for me to choose the.
tribunal—let • select committee now beappointed, and let that
West eammitilmi meet to-morrow. (Cheers.) I wish to
Bow ma impotalken on the course which has best taken by
the best. end learned member for Sheffield. The question
new Is whether the charge be true or not. (Cheers.) On
=evening I came here intending to take part in the
debate if I should be so fortunate se to obtain the
opportunity. I found • letter from the hon. and learned
enclaring • copy of the petition. On Friday morning
I mule to him. I kept no copp of the letter, but the hon.
eel hinniell wanes will be able to correct me if I state
mythic( Ineorreet. I stated that I had received a copy of
the potitioe—that it had taken on by surprise—that I gave
rt eleineseate it contained the meet unqualified denial—that
Imbibed is meet it la the lest ineense—that a charge of this
mine Anil not ill a weber of the house for
bum tilliout log I rid that to make my
elatimeng eamplete it wadi he ateessary for me to rehr to
•aaa famarattetait which were in Dublin, and
edirbilMes arm& mid find but myself, and I
fhogibre inked him le the pnesintation of the petition in
inks Se &ewe theepgarennity organ to Dublin and obtain-
ingibeilisensarnia I watt further end said that he must know
that east a statement, even if proved to be false, must be
gebtal to any maa—that • discussion upon it mail
=the case of the prince whose name was rsterrod
dons I said, In full reliance on your honour and
ems omodtres, I will lay before you a statement of sway
t. that La occurred between me and the primes be-
fore you preesst the petition. I did not anticipate the
hoist em to that mune on the pert of the hon. sad
gentleman. I received a reply from him, stating
tf I attended in ay plus In the house on Fridag
I should bear him give a notice reverting the Pa-
tios. y reply wee, that under any oirenmetances I mud
meet the accusation the very moment It went forth to the
publio—that I believed I was ready to meet it, but that be
would feel that in a popular assembly there was • great
diffetence between magi, stating the effect of documents
and reading them. I proposed to leave for Dublin after
the sitting on Friday night, sad to be in my
place on Wednesday ia readiness to meet the charge.
Probably my letter wee rather late, but I received no answer
to it. I waited at home till half-peat four expecting an
answer, bet not receiving one, I came down and found that
the has. and learned gentleman had not only given notice
respecting the petition, but had stated, if I am correctly in-
formed, by belief in its ellegations. Under these circum-
stances I ask—it is the only thing I ask—of the justice of
the house—l make no appeal to the sympathy of the first
assembly of gentlemen in the world—but I demand of the
ic.=of thie house that not one hour, not one moment
then the rules of the house reader necessary shall
this odious charge be kept hanging over my head. (Cheers.)
Investigate it at the liar. Let Mr. Caffes be called there.
Appoint a committee now. I appeal to the house, as an
assembly of gentlemen. lam lot surf I should be in order
in moving as an amendment that the committee be appointed.
I have spoken to no one in the house on the subject. I have
canvassed no one. I have avoided the house. I have
plated my case in the hands of an hon. friend. I now retire
from the house. Let the house take what course It likes. If
you isMittite an investigation, T am ewe that I shall come
bum it without any stain on my honour, or any stain on ray
reputation, except the indelible one that the discussion of
mob imputations leaves on a man circumstanced as I am
—(chms, and Mae of " no, no")—however false may be the
charge, or however vile may be the motives in which it
originated. 1 ask the hoses to try me at once, and say whe-
ther lam guilty or not. [The bon. and learned gentleman
then retired front the how eeddst loud cheers.)
Mr. ROEBUCK ebeereell that In giving notice of the pre-
sentation of the petition be had proposed to appoint the com-
mittee at the moos time.

Mr.. FAGAN darailisd as behalf of Mr. Butt an imme-
diate inquiry. he pro ems of &minting the eommittee by
means of the comTmittee of 00100 wail too slow, and asked
the hones itself to appoint a eeesmittee at once. He reed •
Hat of twelve members whom he suggested for the
A dismission ensued, in which Mr. Disraeli aro.
Grey advocated the appointmrnt of the committee by the
committee of selection. Mr. Bright and others urged that it
should be appointed by the home; while Mr. W. Patten ob-
served that the committee of selection would have to report
its choice of • committee to the house before it could act.
Ultimately, the house seleotad•oommittee of seven member.,
with instructions to sit this day.

The SPEAKER then pat the names misfits, beginning
with Mr. Henley.
Lord GODERICH remarked that they would all know
what he alluded to when be said that some members of the
committee might in a few days no longer be members of that
house, and therefore ha wished to know what would be the
consequence ? (Laughter.)
en 0. ORB presed that If the Dame of any hoe.
member wee moved and ha made no objection, be gave a tacit
that he would seem on the committee.
"amalr,ll3lLEY mid this proposition had been suddenly
brought to his notice. Any member might fairly my he
declined to serve, end he should decline. (Laughter.)
The motion that Mr. Henley should be one of the com-
mittee wee thee negatived.
The/WEAKER next put the name of Lord John Man-
ners, which raised another burst of merriment, which wee
increased when that whisked arose anJ declined to eerie.

Sir J. PAXINOTON mid his name was not on the lid,
and therefore he might appeal to the house whether tide was
• convenient mode of procedure ?
Mr. S. HERBERT mid the home would reset to-looney,
either in the ordinary course er for the hoeing of write.
(No.) They might meet tomorrow tiff the purpose of
approving the cemmittee nominated by the committee of
selection.

---Mr.ivielpole's =BM WOII nest put.
Mr. WALPOLE rose amidst much laughter, and said be
should be Willbag to sit en any committee the house might
appoint him to, but at the same time as first one member
said he could not serve, sad then another, he hoped he should
not be thought to be taking an improper comes if he also
declined to Item.

Mr. Walpole's name was then negatived.
The Damn of Sir J. Graham, Mr. Sidney Herbert, Mr. M
Bright, Mr. Serjesat Klaglake, r. IBourerie, Sir W. Cod-
and Mr. Wilson Patten were than mocessively pat
sad agreed to.
Mr. ROEBUCK said he supposed there moat be some cue
to conduct the case before the committee, and u he had pre-
naiad the petition he felt it his duty to offer himself to the
hoar._ _ _ .

—SirJ. GRAHAM observed that Ina former parliament in
• similar ow It was decided that • member should be ra-
tified to attend to conduct the case adversely to the amused.
The hon. and learned member for ShAad had undertaken
that duty. On the other hand some one should be appointed
to conduct the drama

moved th►t Berjeant Deasy be appointed to
attend the committee on the part of Mr. Butt.
A motion was then opted to that Mr. Roebuck and Mr.
fierjeent Deasy have power to attend the committee, and to
take part in the proceedings, but not to vote.