The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-26 00:00:00

RESIGNATION OF LORD JOHN RUSSELL.

The Duke of NEWCASTLE—My Lords, it has
already been announced in the other House of Parlia-
ment that the noble lord who is the leader of the Go-
♦ernment in that house has tendered to her Majesty his
resignation of the office which he held as President of the
Council, and her Majesty has been graciously pleased
to accept that resignation. Under these circumstances,
on the motion of the Government, the Hougo of
Commons consented to adjourn until to-morrow.
My noble friend, the First Lord of the Treasury,
in consequence of that resignation has gone down to
Windsor, and I think your lordship,: will agree with me
that it will be in accordance with precedent, as well as
for the convenience of the house, if your lordships
would follow the example of the House of Commons in
this instance, although it may not; be essentially neces-
sary, and consent to adjourn until to-morrow. I hope,
therefore, those noble lords who have notices on the
paper will consent to postpone them accordingly. I
move that the house do now adjourn.
The Earl of WINCHELSE..k. was understood to de-
cline postponing his motion.
The Earl of DERBY said it would be to his personal
convenience, as well as for the convenience of the peers
generally, if the noble earl would postpone his motion
until another opportunity.

The Earl of WINCHELSEA. reluctantly gave way to
this appeal.

Earl FITZWILLIANI wished to remind their lord-
ships tkat they had been informed of the resignation of
one of the most important members of the Government,
one who held as prominent a position out of doors as in
Parliament, and he thought it was at variance with cus-
tom, if not with the principles of the constitution, that
their lordships should proceed to act upon the fact
without first receiving some explanation of the causes
which had led to the resignation.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE—The noble earl will
permit me to interrupt him. The noble lord to whom
be is about to refer has not yet made any statement in his
place in the House of Commons ; but I have every
reason to believe he will make a statement to-morrow
night of the causes which have ied to his resignation.
It would not, therefore, be fair to the noble lord if the
noble earl were to continue his observations now, and
I hope he will see the inexpediency of pursuing the
subject at present. (Hear, hear.)

Earl FITZWILLIAM would of course give way, but
at the same time he felt that an event of this description
ought not to be communicated to either House of Par-
liament without any explanation as to what were the
grounds of the resignation. It did appear to him
that the course they were taking was at variance with
the constitution, as the explanation ought to be made
at the same-time the fact was communicated. (Hear.)
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE (who was scarcely
audible in the gallery) appealed to the noble earl
to withhold his comrnmenti for the present. The
noble lord who had resigned his office was
the best person to give any explanation of causes
which had led to his resignation, and he would riot have
an opportnnity of making any statement until to-morrow.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—YESTERDAY.
The SPZASIR took the chair shortly before 4 o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. LDSIIIIVITON took the oaths and his seat for Can.
terbury.

Mr. BROTRE RTPON ETITIONS.
presented a petition from the
stage carriage
proprietorsyon of Salford, praying for a re-
duction of the dut
Mr. EWART presented eaprreisaigsiessn.
T HE wage,Clt lIE A .
from a place in
Scotland against the arrestrs:si
THE ARMY IN
iunllreto-morrow bia mo.
Mr. ROEBUCK postponed
, and
initiate, the condition
wolitolle conduct •f
mo-
tion for a select committee to in(
Ci duty it has
of the army before Sebastopol
those departments of the Government
been to minister to the wants of the army,
THE WAR AND THE COLONIES.
Sir G. GREY brought up some papers, by command
of her Majesty, and took the opportunity of stating what
the contents of them were. They consisted of -Addresses
and resolutions passed by several colonial legis-
latures and public bodies in several of her Majes-
ty's oolonies with reference to the subject of the
war in which we are engaged. The house would be
gratified to find that all of them expressed feelings of
the most devoted loyalty and attachment to her Majesty,
and breathe also an earnest sympathy for the country with
regard to the war. Some of them contained substantial
prosfs of their sincerity in the shape of offers to contri-
bute to th© fund for the relief of those whose husbands
or parents had fallen on the field of battle. The address
from Canada, which was brought over by Lord Elgin,
was the joint address of the Council arid National
Assembly of es,nada, and mentioned that the Legisla-
ture of that colony had voted 20,000/. towards the
Patriotic Fund. Within the last few days he had re-
ceived from Sir F. Head, the new Governor
Colony, two drafts for 10,0001. each, being amount
which the Legislature had so voted. (Cheers.)
Ur, ADDERLY wished to know if .)
Government
in, ,

tended to send out any formal acknowledgment of these
addresses

Sir G. GREY said they were addresses to her Ma-
jesty, and he had received her Majesty's command to
acknowledge them.
The papers were ordered to lie on the table.
SAVINGS BANKS AND FRIENDLY
SOCIETIES BILL.

On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, the order of the day for the second
reading of this bill was read for the purpose of being
postpczted until to-morrow.
RESIGNATION OF LORD JOHN RUSSELL.

Mr. lIAYTER said—Sir, the noble lord, the mem-
ber for the city of London, has requested me to
state that he has considered it consistent with
his public duty respectfully to tender to her Ma-
jesty his resignation of the office which he held, which
resignation her Majesty has been graciously pleased to
accept. The noble lord will take an early occasion of
stating to this house the grounds on which he was in-
duced to come to that resolution. (Hear, hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON Sir, after the statement
which has just been made by puy right hon. friend, I
trust the house will not think that her Majesty's Govern-
ment are trespassing too much on their indulgence if I
ask the house to adjourn until to-morrow. There are
obvious reasons, I think, why I should make that pro-
posal ; and I should hope, therefore, those gentlemen
who have motions standing for to-night will have the
goodness to postpone them until to-morrow, when they
will stand in the same position as they do now. I beg
to move that this house do now adjourn.
Mr. DRUMMOND—I must remind the noble lord
that those who have notices of motion for to-night will
not stand in the same position to-morrow night. I don't
know, of course, what the feelings of the house may be,
nor do I desire to bring is my motion to-night, but I
cannot consent to any postponement unless the noble
lord will give precedence to-morrow to the motions as
they now stand in the paper for to-night.
Sir J. PAKINGTO.N— Sir, in reference to the motion
of which I have given notice for to-night, on the subject
of national education, I wish to state that after the ap-
peal which has been made to as by the Government,
I certainly shall not think of bringing on my motion to-
night—(hear, hear)—and I will, therefore, with the per-
mission of the house, postpone it until this day week.
From the state of the notice book, however, it is highly
improbable whether I shall be able to bring it on then,
but I trust that the Government will, in consideration of
my giving way now, afford me facilities for bringing it
forward on an early day. (Hear, hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON said it was the wish and in-
tention of the Government that the motions should
stand to-morrow night in the same order that they stood
to-night.

Mr. ROEBUCK said unless the house should other-
wise determine his motion could not take precedence of
the order of the day to-morrow, and he trusted her ➢ia-
jesty's Government would consent to his motion being
taken first to-morrow night.
Lord PALMERSTON said the Government could
have no possible objection to that, because there were
no orders of the day for to-morrow. (Hear, hear.)
The house then adjourned at twenty-five minutes to
five o'clock.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.

The directors have resolved to recommend to the pro-
prietors, at the general meeting on the 15th February
next, that the dividend fer the half-year ending 31st
December, 1854, be at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum
on the capital.