The Sun.
London, England, 1837-03-22 00:00:00

aid he hoped the lion. Member for Ipswich would persevere
with his amendment.
Colonel THOMPSON said he had beard it alleged as a
reason for the introduction of those words into the clause
which exempted Members of Parliament from arrest in cases
where, according to this Bill, other persons would be liable
to it, was because the Bill would not pass another place with-
out them. Now he thought that this House, if such were
the case, would, by consenting to this clause without the pro-
posed amendment, be doing a very unhandsome office for that
other place.
M. MARK PHILIPS thought the House too thin for a
a division, under such circumstances, to give persons out of
doors a just notion of the opinion of the House upon the
point.—( Hear, hear.)
After a few words from Sir R. Price, Mr. Wason, and the
Attorney- General,
Mr. FINCH expressed his astonishment at the observation
of the Gallant Member for Hull, that the clause was framed
as it now stood for the purpose of conciliating the other House
upon the Bill.
Alderman COPELAND expressed equal astonishment at
what had been urged with respect to the thinness of the House
and its being taken by surprise.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that he had intro-
duced the words into the clause exempting Members of Par-
liament from its full operation, not with reference to any
opinion that might be entertained of the measure itself by that
or any other House, but because he believed the introduction
of such words to be just and proper.—(Hear, hear.) The
clause gave a remedy against the person of a debtor after
neglecting to comply with the certain requisite forms and
orders of Court. &c. But he considered that a Member of
Parliament ought to be protected front all arrest, in order
that he might attend to the prover discharge of his duties as
a Member.—( Hear, hear.) If he were not so, false debts
might be sworn to against him, and he might be kept away
from the House by a malicious creditor, when it was absolutely
necessary for the interests of his constituents that he should
be there. In such a case he should lose the pleasure of
listening to the eloquence of the Hon. and Learned Member
for Knaresborough. By the present Bill the creditors of a
Member of Parliament would be placed in a much better situ-
ation than they were before, inasmuch as, while, by the
present system, all the property and even the servants of Mem-
bers of Parliament were privileged, they would by the present
measure have a remedy against all their property, whether
landed, personal, or funded ; in short, of every description
whatsoever.—( hear, hear, hear.) They would gain a great
deal, and lose nothing. Under such circumstances why should
Hon. Members wish to alter the division which had already
taken place upon the matter in a House much fuller than the
present ?
Mr. RICHARDS said he would be sorry to contribute
towards doing any thing which might prevent Hon. Members
listening to the Attorney-General's learned exposition of the
laws in that House.—( Cries of " Oh, oh.") lie was only
answering the sarcasm of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman.
—( Hear.) He would, however, maintain his objection to the
whole Bill, as altogether impracticable and impertinent, and
he hoped the Hon. Member for Ipswich would persist in
dividing the House, in which case lie would certainly give him
his vote.
Mr. G. F. YOUNG said the protection should not be
looked on as given to a Member of Parliament alone, but to his
constituents.—( Hear.) He objected to the question being got
rid of in this war by a side-wind, and in so thin a House.
Mr. A G LIO'NB Y Said that the House must have been fully
aware that the amendment would have been moved that night.
The motion upon the Order of the Day, sufficiently proved
such was the intention. When he considered all the circum-
stances of the question, he confessed he could not see why a
Member of Parliament should be more privileged from the pay-
ment of his debts than other persons. He thought the clause
gave him an undue protection, and one which the House was
by no means called on to give.
Mr. HUNIE said the House was insulted by such a clause,
and that, if Hon. Members agreed to it, they would appear to
the country to be shielding themselves from the payment of
their debts, or from the detection of fraud. He trusted the
amendment would be persevered in, and if it failed of success
on the present occasion, that it would be again brought for-
ward, both on the bringing up of the Report and on the third
reading of the Bill.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, after alluding to the di-
vision when the Bill was last in Committee, said that lie was
ignorant of the intention of Hon. Members to re-open this
question, and he had been taken by surprise, as well as many
others, who would no doubt have been present, had it been
generally understood that the subject would have been again
discussed this evening.
Mr. SCARLETT thought that a question that involved
the privileges of Parliament, ought not to be disposed of in so
thin a House.
Sir J. HOBHOUSE also thought it would be better to
defer the consideration of this question.
After a few words from Mr. HUGHES,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that if the words in
question were omitted the qualification of Members of Parlia-
ment would be virtually abolished. Hon. Gentlemen opposite
well knew that many Members had sat, and still sat, i❑ that
House on fictitious qualifications. Now, if the power of exa-
mination were given to the Commissioners any Member would
be bound to state what his qualification consisted in--a prac-
tice very inconvenient to Hon. Members so situated.
Mr. D. W. HARVEY said that the short speech of the
Hon. and Learned Attorney- General was admirably calculated
to catch votes on the other side of the House. The Hon. and
Learned Member virtually imputed to Hon. Members opposite
that they favoured fraudulent qualifications. No doubt what the
Hon. and Learned Member said was true, and that a Member
so interrogated by the Commissioners would, if his qualification
was fictitious, be called upon to prove his qualification, which,
if proved, was the property of his creditors; and if he could not
prove his qualification lie had no business in the House at all.
—( Hear.) Hon. Members had asked for a more full discussion
of the question. The division would give it them ; for if, as
was most likely, the Hon. and Learned Attorney-General,
opposed by Hon, Members opposite, i.nd by a tolerable sprink-
ling of Members on the Ministerial benches, lost his motion,
the matter would certainly be aftcrvrards discussed in a more
full House.—( Hear.)
Me, G, F, YOUNG moved that the Chairman do report
progress, and ask leave to sit again.
The gallery was then cleared for a division. During the ex-
clusion of strangers we understood Mr. Young withdrew his
motion. Tlia Committee therefore divided on the motion that
the words proposed to be left out do stand part of the 13111,
when the numbers were—
Ayes
Noes
Majority .
Mr. AG LIO NB Y then proposed a verbal amendment, the
terms of which we could not hear, but which was agreed to by
the Attorney- G eneral.
On the motion of Mr. RICHARDS the House resumed.
The Chairman reported progress, and asked leave to sit
again.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and
the House adjourned at Twelve o'Clock.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE•

EPSOM RACES.

The Surrey Stakes (Handicap) of 25 sots. each, 15 ft., and only
5 if declared on or before the Ist of April, with 100 sous. added.
Cup Course.
Mr. John Day's Venison, 4 yrs, Bst. 91b ; Mr. Robertson's Luci-
fer, 5 yrs, BSt. 71b ; Lord Egremont's Hock, 4 yrs, Bst. 71b. ; Mr.
Houldsworth's Turban, 5 yrs, Bst. 41b ; Mr. W. Edwards's Royal
George, 4 yrs, Bst 31b ; Duke of Richmond's Pussy, 6 yrs, Bst. 21b;
Mr. Robertson's g. Olympic, 6 yrs, Bst. 21b ; Lord Tavistock's
Jack-in-the-Green, 4 yes, Bst. ; Captain Gardnor's Magician, 4
yrs, 7st. 131 b ; Mr. Phillimore's Lady Anna, 4 yrs, ist. I llb ;
Duke of Richmond's Tiber, 5 yrs, 7st. 41b ; Mr. Houldsworth's
Reuben, 4 yrs, ist. 41b ; Duke of Richmond's Sepoy, 4 yes, 7st.
41b ; Mr. Shelley's The Pope, 4 yrs, 6st. 1 21b ; Mr. Dawson's Fair
Jane, 4 yrs, 6st. 121 b ; Lord Egremont's Helga, 4 yrs, 6st. 121 b ;
Colonel Peel's Fantastic, 3 yrs, 6st. 101 b ; Mr. Bowes's Mickle
Fell, 3 yrs, 6st. 101 b ; Mr. Ludlow na. b. g. Fifer, 3 yrs, 6st. 101 b ;
Mr. Roe's Idiot, 4 yi s, 6st. 51b; Lord Exeter's Gauutlett, 3 yrs,
6st. 51b ; General Grosvenor's Laodice, 3 yrs, fist. 31b ; Mr. Fair-
lie's Nelson, by Lamplighter, 3 yrs, sst. 101 b.

The Royal Stud at Hampton Court consists of two English
(Actreon and The Colonel) and tw•o Arabian stallions, 35 English
and 3 Arabian brood mares, 11 yearling colts, 13 yearling fillies,
and 13 or 14 foals ; several mares have not yet foaled. The young
stock is very promising.