The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-27 00:00:00

QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE.

Mr. MALINS said that before the notices of motion
were called, he wished to refer for a motion to what had
taken place last night. The house would remember that
he put a question to the First Lord of the Admiralty with
regard to certain charges which had been made against the
hon. member for Tynemouth, upon which occasion the
Speaker, on being referred to, stated that anything affect-
ing the right of an hon. member's seat in that house in-
volved a question of privilege. Ho then gave notice that
ho would bring the subject forward this evening; but he
had since been informed that it was not competent for him
to refer to a debate which had passed. Unless he was at
liberty to refer to the debate of last Friday, it would be
perfectly, useless for him to bring the matter before the
house, and therefore he now appealed to the right hon.
gentleman in the chair, to know whether he was at liberty
to refer to the debate in question.
The SPEAKER, said that the notice given by the hon.
and learned gentleman was most irregular. If any notice
was to be taken of certain words in the speech of an hon.
member, it ought to be taken at the time the words were
used ; but it was altogether informal to refer directly to
that speech. . _

SUNDAY TRADING BILL.
Mr. OTWAY wished to ask a question of the Secretary
of State for the Rome Department with reference to the
Sunday-trading Bill. Considerable manifestation of popu-
lar feeling had been exhibited out of doors in consequence
of the progress of this bill, and he therefore wished to ask
whether the measure had the sanction of her Majesty's
Government? and if the noble lord the member for Mid-
dlesex should think right to persevere with the bill,
whether the Goyernment would oppose or support its fur-
ther progress?

Sit:G.GREY said it was not his intention, if the noble
:ord should persevere with the bill, to offer any opposition
to the house going on to consider its provisions in com-
mittee, and in committee 'he should state his opinion of
any amendments which might be proposed.
Mr. OTWAY said at the proper time he should move
that the bill be read that day three months.
Mr. ROEBUCK said that in committee he should move
that all the clubs in London be included in the provisions
of the bill, (Hear, hear.)
Mr. M. GIBSON asked whether the house were dis-
tinctly to understand that the Government assumed no re-
sponsibility whatever with respect to this measure ?
Sir G. GREY said it was not a Government measure.
It had been introduced by the noble lord the member for
Middlesex, and supported, he believed, by almost all the
metropolitan members. (No, no.) The Government were
not at all responsible for it. He had already expressed
his opinion with regard to many details ; and he should
be prepared to do so upon any question that might here-
after be brought before the house.
Mr. MASSEY asked whether the noble lord the mem-
ber for Middlesex intended to persevere with the bill?
Lord R. GROSVENOR said ho had no objection to
reply to the question of the hon. gentleman;but he hoped
the house would grant its induglence by allowing him to
do so at some length. He supposed that the hon. ...oldie-
man had put the question in consequence of whatb had
passed in Hyde-park last Sunday. (Cheers, and cries of
" No, no.") He begged to inform the house that since
that meeting tooleplace he had received several letters
from working men, in which they spoke of th. persons
there assembled in no very complimentary language.
(Hear, hear.) It was not his intention to speak in un-
courteous terms of those persons, forhe considered that the
expression of opinion of the very humblest classes of
society ought not to be treated with indifference and con-
tempt, provided always that the opinion was expressed in
a proper manner.
Mr. ROEBUCK rose to order. He wished to know
whether an hon. gentleman, in replying to a question, was
allowed to use arguments which ought to be answered at
the time tiny were used? (Cheers.)
The SPEAKER said the noble lord was certainly not in
order; but ho had appealed to the indulgence of the house
in the commencement of his remarks.
Lord R. GROSVENOR was continuing his address,
when he was interrupted by cries of " Order."
The SPEAKER said un hon. gentleman having taken an
objection to the noble lord's proceeding, which was not
strictly in order, he should suggest to the noble lord to
postpone his observations until the bill came before the
house.
Lord R GROSVENOR, in reply to the hon. gentleman
(Mr. Massey), stated that -the responsibility did not rest
with him, bat with the house, and he did intend to perse-
vere with the bill.
OFFICIAL SALARIES.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS asked the First Lord of the Trea-
sury whether, in compliance with the vote of the house on
the 22d May, the Government intended to carry into effect
the recommendations of the select committee of 1850 re-
spectit, official salaries?
Lord PALMERSTON said that the recommendations of
the committee had been very maturely considered by the
Government at the time. Many of them were carried into
effect, and some were not. Explanations on the subject
were then given to Parliament. What had passed on a
former evening did not at all touch the question of official
salaries; the discussion turned entirely on certain diplomatic
appointments and the salaries attached to some of those
appointments. The resolution wee carried, although the