The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-08 00:00:00

(!-L..,(4/L.

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that there was no evidence to warrant the House in granting
the application.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL contended that the peti-
tinr.er had acted perfectly light_ 'I here was no reason to bc.
lieve that Mr. Harrison was an incempetentsecurity. There was
no insinuation that he was unsubstantial, anil it lay with those who
charged fraud to prove fraud. (Opposition laughter.)
and was not to he inferred, it must be proved. It appeared
throughout that Mr. Harrison had merely fallen into a aria
take, and the construction put upon the Act of Parliament ,by
the Speaker, that the recognizanceashould not be entered intp
until seven days after the presentation of the petition' tOrTel*
ponded with his (the Attorney. General's). Within tho last WOW
he had bad a conversation with A -Warned Mai of his, (MN
Austin), who, speaking most respoctfay, thought that tia.."
Speaker was wrong. —( Hear, and a laugh.) It was very
likely that where these differences of opinion (tilted, Mit
Ilarr.son, although ft legal man, might fall i
f•lva-Jndanboenireoriglefft appeared throughout to have acted far -:,
he had allowed his name - ta be given in, and
V'e'l that he could not do SO
he subseently discov
Lot by a- direct av`i,tto,ation*to the House. The present
w:-a a ease in wh..lt power conferred by the Act of Par.
Hann nt on the
exercised - ib.use might be fairly exercised. It was
rn cas..s where special matter was stated, and
vm:;_f.ed on oath to the sa.isfaction of the House: On these
grounds, he contended that the application ought to bo cots .
tabled.
Sir T. FREMANTLE said it was impossible untP:she seven
dl3 a appointed for inquiring into the suretie:. )..ad elapsed to
ascertain whether Mr. Harrison was a valid
(Herr, bear, hoar.) And if, at the not surety or .—.
it should turn out that Mr. H. V:dS D'A worth 500/., the sitting
ell`'.ration of that period,
Nlembers would be injured.: -(Thar, hear.)
unjust that the petitioners
If, however, the
error had been Lona
should sustain any ..ajury. —(lean) It was perfectly com-
petent to enlaT:.-the time for that gentleman to enter into
his recognizance. If it should turn out that he was worth
500/., no objectiore could be made to give him an opportunity of
romploting hi; recognizance. when he returned from Paris, which
won/c1 be i'. appeared at the end of three weeks froM this period.
--(Hear.) Or the debate might be adjourned for a week, and
at the expiration of that time the House would know whether
the examiners had passed the name of Mr. Harrison or not.
if they had not it would be vexata questio ; if they had
Mr. Harrison might complete his recognizance, as this
petition would riotscome on for trial till summer.—(Hrzdr,
hear.) He therefore moved that the debate be adjourned for
a week.--( Hear, hear. )
Mr. W. \V. W YNN was quite inaudible.
Mr. BULLER was inclined to think the prop nition cf
the Hon. Member for Buckingham a very !'air ouc. If, as it
seemed to be, there existed a doubt as to Mr. Harrison being
a valid Sure:37, the best way to test that was by referring
the matter to the examine r 3, and if they replied that he was,
tini~ might then he given to him to enter into recognizances.
It was said that Mr. Harrison 'could be back in three weeks.
As it had b.-en proposed to enlarge the time for entering into
recogi.i7ances to three weeks, he was ready to accede to it,
Provided that such an indulgence was justified Try the report of
tie examiner.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL was of opinion that no
indulgence ought to bo E.Yi‘re3 in the case if it were found that
;he party was not a sufficient surety.
Tlic,‘ debate .vas then adjourned.
TIIE SPEAKER.
Mr. HUAiE was about t. address the House when a general
cry of " order, chair, chair," arose, and profound silence being
restored.

The SPEAKER addressed the House. He stated that he'
muld nut bc mistaken when he observed, that during the
proceedings a hich took place upon the close of the debate
on the motion of the lion. Member for Mormonth (Mr.
131ewitt), it was undoubtedly evident that an opinion pre-
vailed in some qu rteis that his conduct was open to ex-
ception. He c,uki not forget that he was the servant
of the House. It was a matter of deep regret to him to
find that he did not possess so raueli of the confidence of the
House, which from the first moment of his being placed
in that chair, it had been I.as highest ambition to obtain. by
truth and impartiality.—( Crie _rs from the Ministerial Benches. )
Ile hal reflected ealinbl on the transaction of last night, and
had endeavotn-cd, as iar as he was able, to give full effect to
every thing that was said by all persans. He had done that
which he thought all men who had a sincere and honest
desre for truth would do in matters concerning themselves
he endeavo:.red to estimate as correctly as he could the real
character of that debate ; and continued the Right Hon. Gent.
with great, emotion, judging oft hat transaction by its character,
I am ecmpelled to confess that it does appear to me.that there
were appearances which indicated I did not possess that degree
ofconfidence able!) I thin!: it is essential that the person holding
the sitwtion whielt I am now placed in should at all times pos-
sess. nave always in my own mind made agrcat distinction be-
tween those ditties which were imposed on me by the regulations
ar.d forms of this House, and those duties which are the most seri.
ens duties, though not the least important, namely, the moral
duties of the Speaker. Unless the Speaker does possess the con-
fidence of the House in these respects. he cannot discharge the
duties imposed on him either with credit to himself, or with
advantage to the House. Ido not, in any thing I have
said in the smallest degree wish—indeed nothing is farther
from my intentiou—to provoke a discussion of any kind or
sort. . I only %Nish to express what my own feelings are," and
to give to this House the assurance, which 1 do most
solemnly, that if I shall again see what appears to, sac
a simitar indication, I shall think the time has come
which, perhaps, if I had followed the dictates of my own
judgment, would have come ere now, in which I should have
relieved myself from the duties now imposed upon me. Having'
made this statement to the House, I shall thus leave the matter;
but I could not quietly rest without stating to the House what
the imi•ressioes on my mind were .—( Loud cheering from the
Ministerial benches.)
Mr. HUME wished to correct an error into which he bad
fallen last night, in noticing the conduct of the Hon. Member
for Ripper). Ile (Mr. Haine) had stated that he had spoken
for two hours, and concluded by withdrawing the motion. That
was his i n;-ression and also the impression of others. He
found, however, by the votes that the motion had not been
withdraw.), but negatived a ithout a division, and he felt bound.
to correzA the error.

JOINT STOCK BANKS.
Mr. HINDLE Y begged to ask the Right lion. the Cittin-
color of the Exchequer whether it was his intentir;n. to re--
new the Committee of last Session upon Joint Stfaek Banks?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQILER said it was
his intention to do so.

REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS A.l;tlj MARRIAGES,
Mr. ESTCOURT begged to :Lathe Noble Lord ti ques-
tion to an Act whieli- had passed during the last
session-of Pa.rlianint for tie Registration of Births and Ma-
riages. Many represer:,‘Mims had been made to him of the
inconvenience that load arisen front the operations of some
of the provisions of that Act, and he would be glad to
know whether it Has the intention of the Noble Lord during
the present Session to introduce any measure for the amend-
me,at or alte-ation of that Act ?

Lord JOHN RUSSELL:Understood that some complaints
had been made as to particular clauses, but it was not his in-
tmtion to make any alteration in the operation of the law.
IRISH ELECTION ,PETITION FUND.
Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN believed that as a question of *pri-
vilege had precedence, he was entitled now to address the
House. It was not unlikely that in bringing forward a ques-
tion of this kind he should feel some embarrassment, -but
when he mentioned that bringing it forward at this moment
was in a manner forced upon him, he trusted he should receive
a liberal share of the indulgence of the House. When he asked
last night that his petition might be printed, he expected that
a Member of greater weight in the House than himself would
have taken up the subject. The resistance that was made when
he asked that his petition might be printed induced several
g-,entlemen around him to insist on his right. Having done
so, he did not now come so well prepared to the dis-
mission of the question as he should have , done, if
lie had had longer time to have consulted the authorities on
the subject. He was, however, very anxious to take the opi-
nion of the House upon the manner of bringing forward the
question. The fact of this snbscription was a matter of pelblie
notoriety, and as it had not yet been submitted to the opinion of
the Hou.e, it appeared to hint to be the most legitimate.
way in which it could be submitted, was by one of the parties
interested coming forward with his own case as be now did.
,As he forbore, last night, so..he should to-night, from entering
into any of the circumstances connected with the
.petition,pre-
sented against .his election He should not ,have thosilit
it right to have inquired whether that subscription was legal
or illegal, considering that if it was supposed there was arty
thing vicious in his election, the subscription might have
been regarded as morally right.—( Cheers.) The Honour-
able Baronet the Member for Wilts and his confederates—
( Cheers)—had nothing to do with the electors of Limerick.
Under these circumstances was it unfair that he should appeal
to the House, and zsk whether the conspiracy was constitu-
tional or not ?—(Cheers.) He would ask whether Members
representing placer in Ireland were met in such an unfair way?
He would take the case of the Dublin petition ; was it pos-
sible for either the petitioners or the person petitioned
against to enter into such a contest without being pos..
s..ssed of a very. reat fortune? Was it possible for any
one to defend a petition when the assured expense was tO
exceed 8,0001. or 9.0001. ? A Member would not do so even whin
he hail only to fight against a local subscription; how, then,
could it be expected that he should be able to do so, when
he was not only to fight against a local subscription but against
a subscription raised from all parts of the country.—( Cheers. )
Take again the case of the Petitioner against the return from
Longford—the Committee there absolutely undertook to per-
form those duties which the law threw upon the assistart Barris-
ster.—( Hear.) They had struck off 84 votes, and. suppose the
majority had been 300, they might on the same principle have
struck off 400 votes, and who could hate withstood the ex-
pense of such an enquiry ? Ile consiered that he was justi-
fied in calling the attention of the -House to the fact of those
who had subscribed to the fund being interested in the result.
He would begin with the Carlton Club, and they bad' a clear
interest in promoting tht subscription, for if they gained ten
or twelve votes by this means they would get themselves into
office, 'rho party also who had set this plan afloat, were
likewise interested, for they W i‘it chiefly professional persons,
who would reap largely by its operation. 'Ho said, furthe.r,
that that portion or the press which espoused the cause of
these subscriptions were also interested parties, for he could
net believe that the long tsavertisernents which appeared indite
tTriiomtie,..sina.ni Standard were inserted from motives of pure pa-
tyh
e convenienttreasury
additional for filling
rue!
(v),,cfuov
xacceasn. tii:leuomht-ilam4slibeati and bringing
sbe they
.111:gleliroaegs
very
oetrher Irish Members were the
cause, at least so it was declared, of entering into this subscrip-
t
-its. The old and the young—the master and the disciple—the
mistress and the maid—all put their names to the list as subscri-
Ibers to the fund feA, opposing the returns for Ireland, and that
under the grossest rni,nprt•bentatiotiF. He was not sure if
the glaitcv was inquired lute, that there would not be fowls'