The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-25 00:00:00

instructive eloquence hill not be without its good etf
Mr. Hums gaye notice, That on Friday ni-xt (this cycnicg.t
he would-move the Hue on the subject, for the purre,-....*
.or ascertaining how far the nulitoni of Parliament has gCri
in disytalifying persui,sliallng A dircrtin tat est, crorn votio4
in Ceminittee.....; on Private Bills. 'Without anticipating at
all the result of' this inquiry, we eptinot suffer Ilse
.sttlisc)
to pass us without that disenasioa whizb its importanec -
seems to call for. The question chi; :-*ClAighl
Member of the IloOse-br Couto:6ns tote permitted to-) to
nn tlie;passink of any Bill, of ethicNU by,
en intertal ?. For our o's*t see' really do net sac bet
such a question,swith refersticejo Sfecnseri of the Britials
Legislature, tan be gravely agitaled.• As•regards •-•
in a Court of Justice, there is groundAv ceithr,Ain the to, •
simony. of a person • interested in thevtrtit 7oft.thi.Cause,
The known policy of this rule of law is, to preven'24lioaivi q
necs•asrily have a strong bias oh !heir minds, from Mint .
placed 'in a situation where their-, interest' MA/nurture•
them- to depart from the truth ; and although .that.inj
' terest may be so
.slie,'ltt as lei.. to .IJo alkliktify tJ 4-`•
have any weight, still the r; le N enfmged stir •.•
in an appeal, for instance, cgaitist a pooN rate, :It •
parishioner paying ratcs is not a comyetent tit •
prove. the liability of the appellant to 11e rstid, becau* hie
own portion of the rate would be lessened by the appeiltat'it
being made to contribute. It may be that hi; inters**
the decision would not Amount to a penny in the year.; its?
the rule-of law must be adhered to ; anti as it applies 44.4
all persons, from the most upright to the midst centript tirg
of all conditions in life, fro* t!ie wealthiest, irhese•tAls-
timOsy no pecuniary interest. wc'idd effecti to the innifp..
indigent, whom the slrabtest Was might it.fluence,-ti is dr*
forced, and very properly, in alt cases NV ith cu 4 'Crceptjort.l3t:t
to extend thii doctrine of incompetrnci to :,‘lewb.,r-sof. Oak.-
!lament, seems—to us at least-4uite twer.6sterottl. Thert
is no saying where the operation if this principle %foul;
end. If an objection, On aecotint bf interest, were held tut
disqualify a Member from voting on every measure to whiC4
it relates, not only would the theraCter and integrity of
every Membtr he exposed'to.perpetnal itnj;eacliniput, bK
inquiries contemptible in their ttlect, anti degrialing la •
their consequences, but the Legiffature itielf would aoo
become, for all useful purposes, virtually annitilpted. Pro
PCBLIC have a right to the Vote of their Iteprisentative ii
every cafe, he it has it in/Iy, which comets before th; •
House ; arid there exists no autherity in Parliament irkiiit
can deprive the public of that 'right, by paing on any
Representative a sentence of disqualification. The pre*
rogative of votiAg is concerted oh every Member by thp
Constitution; it is a prerogative which Parliament' esic
neither give nor take away. If a r.lember is to be at
qualified from voting, because lie may chance to Levi irbfne
private interest in competition with that to which such Vot
may relate, where is tuis principle to stop? On any
connected with the modification of thins, or which in ir4
manner ir.volved the interes's 4...1 the Church of the
Clergy, the Bench of Bishops should be excluded front
voting, as having an interest which ranged theM undi►
adverse banners. All the advice which their wiitiotts
might suggest must be excluded. On all Ellis, whetbi...-
regarding the Corn Lsws, or in any shape affecting thu
agricoltural interests, no Country Gentlemen could bfs
heard ; the very nature of the subject mutt operate at b.
primitiunce his rote. But, on the Same plinciple u# reatoti-
ing, the Commercial Members, having an's:typo:he interest,
be on their aide etpianye rporeaTo arnsplrosite i-i.•