The Sun.
London, England, 1808-02-04 00:00:00

NUMBER 4802.]

IMPERIAL PARLLBIENT.

HOUSE OF PEERS,
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3.

Lerd AUCKLAND rose pursuant to notice, to pre-
sent a Petition from Sir James Innis,. one of the
claimants to the Estates and Peerage of the Rot-
borough family. Knowing, as he did, ' the in-
_flexible partiality of his Learned and Noble Friend
il on the Woolsack, and his. anxious regard 'for the
fair and impartial administration of justice, he should
he the last man in the world to present any petition,
the prayer of which should, in the least, be inCom-
.
patible with. that acknowledged disposition of his
Noble and Learned Friend; but in the present
Case, there were special grounds which, in his
,'mind, were so strong as to recommend,it to very
,;- 'particular consideration. Among these his Lordship
enumerated the following :—That the petitioner's
,1144 vii:s ready for hearing, and Counsel attended
"AL a great expence from Scotland; when, owing
to the then state of public business, it was unavoid-
ably deferred ; that the petitioner was advanced to
an extreme old age ; that he could not enter upon
any family arrangements until this canse,was decid-
ed i. that there now stood for their LordShips' hear-
ing 160 causes ; and that were the petitioner to
wait for his turn, his cause would not be heard.
these six years to come, when, most probably, he
should be no more; that the Peerages were to be
decided on at the same time with the Estates ;
and that it was usual with their Lordships to attend
as early as possible to what related to their own
dignity and privileges : upon all these grounds, the
petitioner prayed that his cause might-.be heard on
the Bth of May next.
The. LORD CHANCELLOR was fully sensible of
the hardship of the case; but it struck him that
the claims of others, who each looked upon his as
the most important cause, were all entitled to equal
justice, and were all equally urgent fur a speedy.
hearing. There were now more than 160 causes
Waitibg their Lordships' decision ; and the one in
which the present petitioner was itaterested had a
~,''ery great number before it in priority of hearing.
tie could see no ground upon whiCh to get over that
ditliculty, except the orie conneefed with the decision
of the claims to the Peerage, and in his opinion that
ground might be referred to the Committee of Pri-
vileges.
Lbrd LAUDERDALE conceived that it would
be a great saving of their Lordships' time
.to ,have
both points discussed at once--that which related
the Peerage, And that which related to the
states ; and their Lordships would be pleased to
remember, that the latter point was rec,ommended
by his Majesty for an early hearing.
. Lora siputscaist torrc,burated the assertion respita-
ing- his Ilsjesty's recommendation.
The Loan CHANCELLOR suggested the idea, that
it would he better to refer the petition to the Com-
In ittee of Privileges, and then to state more fully the
grounds upon which 'it rested.
Lord AUCKLAND acquiesced in this idea, and
- . save notice, that on. Friday. next he shOuld move
to refer the petition to the Committee of Privileges.
Lord LAUDERDALE presented a Petition from. Sir
James Scott, praying to be heard by,Coun4el against
the Bill for repealing the Curates'.'Suspension.Bill.—
Adjourned.