The Sun.
London, England, 1830-06-29 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(LAST NIGHT.)

The Oaths were administered to Members up to
Four o'clock, at which time the House was very full.
Mr. BROUGHAM said he rose for the purpose
of stating that he should in a few days present a
petition of great importance relating to slavery;
and seeing the Right Hon. Secretary of State in
his place, he would take that opportunity of asking
what course of proceeding it was intended to take
during the time the arrangements rendered necessary
by the demise of the Crown were completing ?
Sir R. PEEL said to-morrow night his Majesty
would make a direct communication to Parliament;
he therefore thought it would be better not to dis-
cuss what proceedings should be adopted until that
communication was before the House.
Mr. BROUGHAM did not wish to harrass or
cause any difficulty. He would, however, now give
notice, that on Tuesday, the Gth of July, he should
bring forward a most important motion on the sub-
ject of Colonial Slavery.
Sir R. PEEL then moved that the House ad-
journ, when

Mr. BROUGHAM again rose—Although he did
not wish to enter upon any business that night, per-
haps the House would permit him to make a few
observations on what he had felt it his duty to state
on Saturday, relating to the conduct of a high officer,
of the Royal Household. He entertained no feel-
Inge of disrespect towards that officer, and he thought
that he was in justice bound to say that he under-
stood the situation filled by the Lord High Steward
was one that prevented him leaving before a cer-
tain hour in the day. He (Mr, Brougham) felt
called uponin candour and justice, to make this state-
ment. It was a subject of peculiar importance that
some arrangement should be made to prevent a similar
occurrence in future. The House ought to be alive
to its own dignity—its rights, and its importance ;'
and if some notice had not been taken of what,
occurred on Saturday, it might have otherwise
been supposed in some quarters that they were in-
different to their rights. He did hope that every
Member would see the necessity of compelling any
officer, however high his rank, to do his duty, and
also not to treat with disrespect the rights and pri-
vileges of that House.
Sir ROBERT PEEL—As he before said he
had reason to believe his Majesty to-morrow would
make a communication to Parliament. He did
not wish now to enter into any subject calculated to
promote discussion. He must, however, say he ex-
tremely regretted that the Learned Gentleman on the
opposite side should on Saturday have made a state-
ment reflecting upon the Lord High Steward. He,
could assure the House that it was far from the inten-
tion of the Lord High Steward to treat the rights or
privileges of that House with disrespect.—(Hear.)H
It should be remembered that it was the duty of
that officer to be in personal attendance on the King,
which was the case in the present instance up tol
half-past three o'clock in the morning on which
his Majesty died, and after death there were duties
which he had to perform. He (Sir Robert Peel)
thought a mere reference to these facts was quite
sufficient to acquit the Lord High Steward of any
blame. In the first place, the Lord High Steward
had been in personal attendance on his Majesty during
the whole of his illness; and, in the second
place, he held the office of Constable of Windsor
Castle. He was sure under these circumstances,
and when it was considered the pressure and diffi-
culties he was at that time labouring under, the
House would at once acquit him of all disrespect.
Mr. C. W. WYNNE said he thought the oaths
ladministered by the Lord High Steward were quite
unnecessary to be done by that officer. They might
just as well, in the event of the demise of the Crown,
be taken at the table of that House, in a similar
!manner to what they were on all other oc-
casions. He (Mr. Wynne), eighteen years since,
had brought in a Bill to abolish taking the oaths
before the Lord High Steward, but that measure
was rejected by the other House of Parliament. He
would, however, take this opportunity of giving