The Sun.
London, England, 1837-11-22 00:00:00

HOUSE.

Mr. BROTH ERTON rose to bring forward the motion
of which he had given notice. He should not have presumed
to introduce a motion of such a kind, if he did not feel that it
was a matter of importance not merely to the Members of that
House, but to the public at large. He proposed that no new
motion should be brought on after midnight, if any five Mem-
bers should express a wish that it should be postponed, and in
all such cases he intended that the Speaker should have power
to direct the postponement and proceed at once to the other
orders of the day. By this means the inconvenience arising from
motions of adjournment would be avoided, and the routine of
business would be allowed to progress without interruption.
They were all aware that mere motions of adjournment fre-
quently occupied a great portion of their time most unprofitably,
and that by such motions a minority could always defeat the
nishes of a majority. On the ground, therefore, of conveni-
ence, his motion had strong claims upon the consideration of
the liouse. Late sittings could not be otherwise than inju-
rious to the hcalths of the Members. This was an admitted
fact, and he thought it could not be deni,ll that the practice
retarded rather than facilitated public busine:s. Upon these
grounds he should, without further observation, move, " That
it being desirable, (Accept in particular cases, that the sittings
el this House should not be continued after midnight—re-
solved, that when any motion is brought on after twelve o'clock
at night, and a Member rises to speak to order, and moves
that the further debate on such question be adjourned to a fu-
ture day, such motion being supported by four other Mem-
bers rising in their places, Mr. Speaker shall immediately
declare the debate adjourned without putting the question to
the House, and proceed to the other Orders of the Day."
Mr. HINDLEY seconded the motion, and said that, with
the have of the House, he would adduce an authority in fa-
votir c f it. In the second report of the Poor L•►w Commis-
sioners it was stated that much inconvenience had arisen from
the evening sittings of parish boards, and that since the prac-
tice had been altered, and early meetings had been enforced,
much advantage had resulted. The Right Honourable Mem-
ber for Montgomeryshire had frequently admitted that owing
to late sittings many Bills had slipped through Parliament
without the investigation which their importance deserved,
and this, as well as the general inconven;etice which resulted
from it, induced him to give his support to the proposition of
his lion. Friend the Member for Salford.

- _
Mr. GOULBURN was averse to the motion, and hoped
the [lon. Member for Salford would consent to withdraw it.
Mr. POTTER suggested that the motion of his Hon.
Friend the Member for Salford contained an exception which
would prevent the possibility of inconvenience arising from it.
Mr. PEASE said that his Parliamentary experience con-
vinced him that the proposed regulation would be imprac-
ticable, and • he was therefore opposed to laying down any
general rule.
Mr. WAK LE Y said that two hundred years ago the prac-
tice of the House was to sit at eight in the morning, and to
rise at six or seven in the evening, instead of twelve. He
certainly disliked nocturnal depredations such as were con-
stantly committed in that House, and thought that the present
detective system required change. There were in the House
400 or 500 loungers, and it was notorious that those Hon.
Gentlemen, after amusing themselves at convivial parties, fre-
quently came into the House at a late hour, and disturbed the
proceedings of the working Members by unseemly and dis-
agreeable noises. This was a description of conduct which
ought not to be tolerated in any assembly.
Mr. WARBURTON said that, as the motion was worded,
he did not think they could agree to it. Placing such a power
in the hands of any five Members would, in his opinion, be
unwise, as it would tend to the destruction of all business. A
question could hardly be brought forward to which there would
not be at least five objectors, and as that which could be done
at twelve o'clock might be done at anv other hour, the result
which he apprehended would be inevitable.
Mr. S II A NV thought that whether they sat by day or by night
was perfeacsttlhy imeeffmeactteial,so fa
of
fit
vcoulr as the o present
render imt
uottitoen was con-
cerned,rly
impos-
sible for the Government to carry on the public business.
An HON. MEMBER said that if it were known that the House
was to adjourn at twelve, the public business would be brought
on at an earlier hour.
Mr. R. ST EUA RT opposed the motion, on the ground that
lie would not consent that any Hon. Gentlemen should have
the power of arresting a debate. The Orders of the Day
would be just as liable to objection as any other proceeding of

that House; aid the effect, therefore, of such a proposition
would be not only to prevent Bills to which there was no ob-
jection passing through their stages,. but to delay the whole of
the public as well as the private business of Parliament. The
Hon Gentleman entreated his Hon. Friend, the Member for
Salford, to withdraw his motion.
Mr. C. W. WYNN said that he must object to the motion
of the Hon. Member on principle, as he could not sanction the
idea of allowing any five Members to be dictators to the [louse.
Not only would the adoption of such a rule put a complete
stop to the progress of public business, but it would, in fact,
enable five Members at any moment to negative any given
question. There might, for instance, he five Hon. Gentle-
men who thought the Ballot was a measure which ought to be
carried,- and the consequence of assenting to this motion would
be, that those Hon. Gentlemen might say, " We will not allow
any public business to proceed until the_ Ballot is granted "
This, it was true, was an absurd ease; but he put it because he
thought it would show the absurdity of the motion.
Mr. P. FRENCH considered that it would be cxcredingly
unwise to give so small a minority such a power over the ma-
jority of the Members of the House.
. Mr. WA L LAC E expressed himself hostile to the motion.
Mr. F. BA RING obj'•cted to the motion on the ground
that it would fetter the hands of the House, and, at the same
time operate prejudicially en public business. The better way,
he thought would be ti leave the matter as it was, and abide
by the well-known sad constitutional mode of moving the
question of adjournment.
Mr. S. O'BRIEN supported the motion, and hoped his
Hun. Friend would press it to a division.
Mr. B ROTHE RTON said that if the House were deter.
mined not to put a stop to late sittings and nocturnal legisla-
tion, he could not, of course, help it. He had framed his mo-
tion according to the suggestion of those who now opposed it
—( A laugh)—but at all events it was his intention to take
the sense of the House on the principle which it involved.
The gallery was then cleared for a division, and the nuns.
bers were—
For the motion
Against it
Majority —so
The House then adjourned to this day.

PARLIAMENTARY DI VISION.

MR. IVAKLEY'S AMENDMENT.

(From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.)

MoNnAY, NOT, 20.

" That this House embrace the earliest opportunity of respect-
fully assuring her Majesty that it will in the present Session of
Parliament take into consideration the state of the Representatioa
of the People in this branch of the Legislature, with a view to in
sure by Law an equitable extension of the Elective Franchise."—
Ayes 20, Noes 509.
MINORITY.
•Aglionby, H. A.—Cockermouth
Attwood, Thos.—Birmingham
Brabazon, Sir William—Dublin Co.
Browne, IL D.—Mayo
Bryan, John—Kilkenny Co.
Butler, Hon. P.—Kilkenny Co
Collins, \V.—Warwick
Denistoun, J.—Glasgow
Duncombr, Thomas—Finsbury
Fielden, John—Oldham
Finch, F.— Walsall
Grote, George—London

—AYES, 20.
Hallyburton, Lord D.—lrorfarshire
Hume, Joseph—Kilkenny
Leader, John T.—Westinineer
Vigors, N.—Carlow Co.
Ware, H. G.—Sheffield
White, Andrew —Sunderl .ncl"
White, Samuel—Leitrim Co.
Williams, William—Coventry

TELLERS.
Nfolesworth, Sir William—Leeds
Wakley, Thomas--Finsbury

MARKET INTELLIGENCE.

(From the London Neu Price Current of last Evening.)
SUGAR.-On the part of both the grocers and refiners there
has been less disposition evinced to purchase British Planta-
tion. Berbice ordinary dry brown selling at 625. to 633. ; St.
Vincent's gray and good strong brown for refining at 645. 61.
to 655. ; Jamaica middling and good middling yellow, with
colour and strength, 665. to 675. ; fine, 695. to 70s. ; very
fine, 71s ; the two latter descriptions arc in proportion by far
the cheapest, and are very scarce. This afternoon there was
very little business doing, both grocers and refiners purchasing
very sparingly. Barbadoes were taken readily at lid. to Is.
advance on former rates; fine went at 70s. to 71s. ; good
68s. to 695. ; middling, 665. 6d. to 675. 6d. Refined Sugar
has been in good demand by the grocers; a further advance of
Is. has been established ; Lumps passing the standard selling
at 8I s., rather under at 795. to 80s. ; brown Lumps at 7Gs. for
large, and 775. for small, single and powder. Loaves at 78s. to
795. ; but yesterday there was less disposition evinced to
purchase.
MAURITIUS.-The grocers have been ready buyers at im-
proving prices, and 5,812 bags at auction were taken readily
at Is. to Is. 64. advance on former rates, good to fine yellow
sold at 67e. to 695., low to good middling 635. 6d. to 665.
EAST INDIA.-Bengal subject to the low rate of duty has
been in brisk demand privately by the grocers at Is. to is. 6d.
advance on farmer rates, and 1,100 bags at public sale were
taken eagerly, fully supporting the advance, low to middling
white sold at 655. 6d. to 693.,fine at 703. 6d. to 723., damaged
and damp, 625. 6d. to 68s.
FOREIGN.-Privately for some parcels of white Brazil 265.
to 345. have been paid; some arrivals are near at hand; two
floating cargoes of Bahia have been sold deliverable here, one
at 203. for good brown and 30s. for white, and the other at
19s. for brown, and 295. f)r white._ _ _

MoLasstts.—Prices of West India have further improved
Is. to Is. 6d. ; sales of fine St. Vincents made at 333. ; the
supply is still very short, and all brought forward is taken
readily.
CoFFsE.—Jamaica, good mid. at 110 s. to 1161., low mid.
and m'd. 102 s. to 105 s. Gd , good to good fine tine ord. 725.
to 995. ; Berbice, good ord. unclean 76•. to 775., fine fine
ord. SOs., triage, 493. 6d. to 513. ; Demerara, unclean fine
fine ord. 80s. ; St. Domingo at 6J. to Is. advance on pre-
vious rates; 423. obtained for good ord. mixed coluury, and
300 bags Rio at 38s. for mixed good ord., being also Is.
above former rates. This afternoon there were no public
sales. British Plantation and Ceylon were in limited demand
by private contract at fully previous rates. Foreign is inquired
after.