The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-18 00:00:00

serting its privileges, let them be stated. He called on
the Noble Lord to state his special circumstances, and
defied him to state one which should not lead to an oppo-
site conclusion to that at which he arrived. The House
had passed resolutions. Why did it keep resolutions on its
books, and yet be afraid to act on them ?—(Cheers.)
There was a judgment against them. Let them now
take their stand—let them do nothing harshly, but let not
Parliament be treated with contempt.---( Cheers.) They
would never command public opinion by their vacillating
conduct, for no tribunal could rise in dignity that per-
mitted itself to be treated with contempt.—(Cheers.)
This was the case of an actual interruption. That inter-
ruption they ought to remove in the regular and constitu-
tional manner. It was said they ought not to deal with
the wretched officer, but to go to the Judges. But how
did the Courts act? The Court of Exchequer, for in-
stance, would not allow any cause relating to the revenue
to be tried in any °tint. Court, and if a party persisted in
going on they would commit him.—( Cheers.) What
was the course they ought to pursue ? There was no
precedent for what the Noble Lord now proposed to do.
He therefore said that if a considerable majority of the
House was of opinion that privilege was necessary to be
enforczol, the safe and constitutional and respectable
course was to stop the execution through the Sheriff.—
( Cheers.) But if there should be so much difference of
opinion as that the amendment would be carried only by a
small majority, the privileges of the House had better die
a natural death than that the House should enter into a
struggle, of which the Courts would take every advantage.
The lion. and Learned Gentleman resumed his seat
amidst loud and lung continued cheers.
Sir E. SUGDEN said, in a great deal of what had
been said he entirely concurred, and the only difficulty
which he felt was the special circumstances in which the
House was placed. The Court ought not to have looked
at the publication as a libel, but as a confidential publica-
tion.—(Cheers.) He should like the House to rescind
the sale of R ports, and that a Committee should be ap-
pcieted to consider the propriety of publishing them.—
(Hear, hear.) The Judges were strongly impressed with
the opinion that the House was selling publications with-
out sufficient consideration. He did not consider the House
to be the sole judge of its privileges, for there were
cases which must of necessity go before a court of law ;
he wished the attention of the Court had been confined to
whether the House was entitled to publish the Rlsort or
not : but unfortunately it became a question in which all
the privileges of the House were involved, and so the
Judges considered it. His Learned Friend seemed to
forget what took place in the case of Buidett v. Abbot:
11 that cause actually went to the House of Lords, and that
House allowed them to judicate upon it. He fully believed
that the House had tho right to publish the Report
in question, and that the judgment of the Queen's
Bench was wrong. If his Hon. and Learned Friend
had addressed his speech at the time when Stozkdale com-
menced the action, he would have agreed in every thing
be proposed, but they having submitted to the Court, 'and
had judgment against them, they dare not now prevent him
from obtaining the fruit of his judgment. Then suppose
they were to proceed against the Sheriff, who would most
undoubtedly obey the Court—well, then, the House would
commit him to Newgate—mast undoubtedly the Judges of
the Queen's Bench would discharge him, and then they
must proceed and call the Judges of the land to their bar,
and they would tell them they did callthe case before them—
that it was brought in the regular manner into their Court,
and they were obliged to adjudicate upon it, which they
had done according to their conscience; what more, then,
could they do? He hoped the House would agree to the
resolution of the Noble Lord, and reject that of the Hon.
Member for Bridport. _ _ _

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL rose amidst loud
cries of " Divide." lie was anxious to explain the
grounds upon which be had formed his judgment upon
that important case, the more so because he had the
misfortune to differ from many of his friends around him.
The Judges were compelled to adjudica'e upon every case
that came before them, and they hsvirg only performed
their duty, of course the House would never think of pro-
ceeding against them. Well, then, suppose they were
to commit the Sheriff till the end of the Session, he
would then come out, and what course would they
take next Session. lie would then be fructus officii—he
would be no longer Sheriff, and they would never take the
new Sheriff who bad nothing to do with the case. He
hoped the House would adopt the Resolution of the Noble
Lord, which was the only manner in which they would es-
cape from the dilemma in which the House was placed.
Mr. WYNN supported the amendment. He said
that any person might sue out a writ against any Member
of the Ikuse, but from the time of Henry VIII , any
Sheriff who had attempted to carry it out had been laid
by the heels.—(Cheers.) The lion. Member addressed
the House at some length, amidst frequent and loud cries
of ' Divide, order," &c., which rendered the greater part
of his observations inaudible.

Lord HOWICK rose amidst much noise. He said
as Chairman of the Committee he begged to say
that the Honourable Member for Newark had ably
and unanswerably demonstrated that the House had
the power of printing any paper they pleased, and the
higher power of adjudicating solely upon their own pri-
vileges.—(Loud cheers.) That speech had not been
answered in any way, and therefore he need not
take up the time of the House in trying to add
his testimony to it. It was admitted on all hands
that the sale of papers made no difference in the question,
yet the Honourable Member for Ripon said we ought
to rescind the resolution allowing that sale—and even the
Judges had shown a blameable ignorance of the manner in
*which the sale of those papers was conducted.—(Cheers.)
The Lord Chief Justice said that House made a profit by
the sale of papers, and he did not know how far that war;
constitutional. Now the House no more made money by
the sale of papers than it did by the sale of old
stores in the Ordnance Department, or any other Govern-
ment office. What was the course they were now to pur-
sue ? He believed they had committed a mistake in having
instructed the Atto,ney- General to argue the plea; it
ought to have been put in and left there, and at the same
time the House ought to have committed Mr. Stockdale,
his attorney, and counsel.—(Laughter.) He had long
thought that it would be better to concede in the
present case, as they must make a stand somewhere,
and lie thought they would do it with more dignity then
than after they had afforded a bad precedent. He was
afraid the majority would be against him, but he hoped
that it would not in future preclude the House from as-
serting their privilege.
' Mr. KELLY rose, but the House was very impa-
tient, and the Learned Gentleman was scarcely audible
in the gallery. He said unless he could obtain the
attention of the House, he should move the adjournment
of the debate.—(ol), oh.) He entirely agreed with the
resolution of the Noble Lord, and disagreed with the
amendment. He could not sit down without protesting
against the manner in which the judgments of the Court
had been dealt with. —( Loud cries of " Divide.")
The Gallery was then cleared for a division, when the
numbers were—

For the amendment
Against it
Majority —lB
The first resolution was then agreed to.
Mr. HUMI?, said this was the commencement of a
system of humiliation disgraceful to the House of Com-
mons, and he trusted that some Member of the Committee
would state when they might expect ulterior measures.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL did nut think the House was
bound to wait for the production of any report from the
Committee, supposing any case should arise which might
make it necessary for the house to take any measures.
He was sorry the Mon. Member for Kilkenny should feel
so humiliated.—( Laughter. )
Mr HUME denied that he had any share in the humi-
liation. He told them before that they were being dragged
through the mud ; they were now thick in the quagmire.—.
( Laughter.)
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw. The House
divided, when there appeared—
For the Resolution 133
Against it 36
Majority —97

Lard JOHN RUSALL postponed the third reading
of the Jamaica Bill till Wednesday.
WINDSOR CASTLE STABLES BILL.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved
the third reading of the above Bill.
Mr. HUME objected to proceeding with such a Bill at
that late hour.

Lord DUNGANNON hoped no obstruction would be
thrown in the way of suck a Bill.
After a few words from the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, the Bill was read a third time and
passed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then
obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the Improvement of
the River Shannon. Also a Bill to amend the Acts for
Public Works. _ .

'(he other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and
the House adjourned at Two o"Closk.

ASHTO.N-UINDER-LYINE, JUNE 15

CHARTIST DELEGATE MEETING.

At a meeting of Delegates from the towns of Man-
chester, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Coke, Burnley, Po-
diham, Middleton, Hyde, Ashton-under-Lyne, Staley-
Btidge, Radcliffe Bridge, &c., held at Mr. Wheeler's
Printing Office, in Whittle-street, Manchester, this day,
the following resolution was unanimously passed :
" Resolved—That this meeting having taken into con-
sideration all the circumstances connected with the
present movement, do consider it absolutely necessary
that a meeting of Deputies from all the Radical Associa-
tions in the counties of York, Lancaster, Chester,
Derby, &c., shall be held at the sign of the Flock-up-
to-Glory Inn, Clover-street, Rochdale, on Tuesday, the
25th of June instant, for the purpose of resolving on
the best means of creating a better and more effective
organisation throughout all the northern districts of
England : to adopt measures to prevent the further
arrests of any of the advocates of the people's cause :
to establish a national defence fund for the support of
all Chartists who are, or may be, arrested : to decide
on measures relative to the Rural Police ; to consider
the position now occupied by the Convention, as well as
to ascertain and declare our capabilities of carrying out
the ulterior measures recommended by the Convention,
r. n(1 to decide on every possible means of co-operating
with our br4thren in all parts of England, Scotland,
and Wales, and for the purpose of securing as soon as
possible the great Charter of the people's liberties."
As many Members of the Convention as can make
it convenient are expected to attend.

JOHN RAWSON, Secretary, pro tem.

BODIES FOUND IN THE THAMES.—From in-
quirie • s made of the authorities of the various parishes
situated along the banks of the River between Vauxhall
Bridge and Greenwich, it appears that during the present
year no fewer than one hundred bodies of persons above
the age of sixteen have been picked up in the Thames be-
tween the places above n-.entioncd, being for the most part
females. One-half or more were buried by tho parishes,
their names and residences being unknown.