The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-06 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(LAST NIGHT.)

The Src.ticra took the Chair precisely at Four o'clock,
when he informed the Members present that, agreeably to
the wish of the House, a list of Private Committees had
been drawn up.

COURT OF CHANCERY.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL moved for a return of
the number of persons that had been committed to
prison fer contempt within the last ten years ; awl also for
an account of the number at the present time in confine-
went—Ordered.

Mr. D. W. HARVEY gave notice, that on the 25th
instant he should move for a Committee to inquire into
the revenues arising from Crown Lands
Mr. G. BANKES moved for a return of the Fees charged
in the Courts of Fort George and Fort William, Bengal.

Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN moved for several returns
connected with the Cotton Manufactures, enumerating the
duties paid and drawbJeks allowed since the year 1814.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition front Killarney
against the Sub-letting Act ; and another from the
Roman - Catholics of Kilkenny to flee same effect.
The Hon. Member then presented another petition from
the Roman Catholics of the parishes of St. Michael's and
St. John's, Dublin, against the Vestry Act. The peti-
tioners complained that persons of the Roman Catholic
Religion bad not a right to be compelled to pay towards
the support of any other religion. They were quite willing
voluntarily to contribute towards the support of other re-
ligious sects, as a proof of which, from a sense of Chris-
tian charity, he would mention the fact, that on a recent
occasion a Roman Catholic Archbishop, he meant Dr.
Murray, gave a most liberal subscription towards the erec-
tion of a Methodist chapel.—(Hear, hear.)—The Hon.
Member then presented a petition from the same parish
against the Sub-letting Act.

LORD ELLENBOROUGH'S LETTER.
Mr. SPRING RICE had a petition to present on a
subject which was likely shortly to engage the attention
of the H iuse, it wee respecting the East India Com-
pany's Charter. But before he presented that petition,
he wished to ask a question of his lion, and Learned
Friend opposite, and to that question he wished to
call the particular attention of the House, as it was of
great importance. A letter had lately appeared in the
public prints bearing the signature of the Noble President
of the Board of Controul, which he had not yet contra-
dicted. That letter stated matters of vast importance,
and intimated very broadly the intentions of Go-
vernment. The question, therefere, that he then
took the liberty to ask was, whether that letter was or was
not genuine, and also whether it received the sanction of
Government, and whether there would be any objection to
lay the letter before Parliament.
Mr. G. BANKES had no hesitation in giving all the
information in his power respecting the letter alluded to
by his Hon. Friend. But he must beg to say, that on ac-
count of an afflicting circumstance in the family of the
Noble Lord (Ellenborough) he hall not had an opportunity
of seeing hint on the subject. tie could take on himself,
however, to -ay, that if the letter was genuine it was a pri-
eve and confidential communionion, and never for a moment
intended to meet the public eye. No copy of the original
letter having been made, he could not take upon himself
to say whether or not the one published in the public
papers wan or was not correct. But this he would say, that
it was a letter such as one gentleman would write to another
in confidence. He was sure Sir J. Malcolm had never
sanctioned its publicity. On the contrary lie had ex-
preneed the deepest regret that it had been published, and
by whatever means it had become public it was a breach
of the greatest confidence. He, however, must again
postively state that he could not say whether or not
the published copy was correctly given. The Noble Lord
had been in the habit of corresponding with Sir J. Mal-
colm, and this was one of those letters of which no copy
sees kept. He had no means of informing the House of
any further particulars respecting the letter, but
if any Honourable Member wished to ask any questions,
be could assure them that he felt no disposition to shrink
from inquiry. He should have been able to give them
more information on the subject, had it not been for the
eliritressing affliction in the Noble Lord's family.
lir. BROUGHAM made a few observations, bnt in so
low a tone that it was impossible to catch the tenor of
them.
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR considered that the letter, what-
ever it might be, was such as to call on the House to
Lave before it clearly and distinctly stated whether it was
ass authentie document or not?
Mr. GEORGE BANKES—I stated expressly n.y
belief was that the Noble Lord could not state
whether that what had appeared in the public papers
was an accurate copy of the letter which he wrote
or not. He stated to me that he had sent off the
letter without keeping any copy of it, hut that it was
strictly and confidentially a private communication, and
that it had only been made public by a most base violation
of that confidence.
Mr. TRANT said that whatever might be the senti-
ments contained in a letter that had been communicated to
the public in the way which this letter had, he should
he very sorry if his Honourable Friend with whom
he was euttnected should attempt to found any proceeding
upon such a document. If confidence was to be violated
in the manner which it bad been on the present occasion,
there would be attend to the most important communications
both friendly and otherwise, aid be could not conceive that
any gentleman could think it right to proceed on a docu-
ment made public in this manner. He meant not to give
any opinion at all upon the contents of the letter; but lie
pretested against proceedings being taken upon a letter
weideutly written in the most private manner from one
gentleman to another, coming before the public by the most
aeriosse breach of confidence. Knowing a good deal of
East India matters as he ,he could state that papers
must occasionally be placed is the keeping of per-
sons who might be induced to make an improper
use of them ; but surely no one would think of making
this the stepping-stone or foundation of any future act.
Mr. SPRING RICE wished to inform the Hon. Mem-
t4rfor Dover, that with respect to the mode in which this
vapor had come to the knowledge of the public he
:.othiz,g. The paper was before the public ;
and raking the liberty of asking the question of
the iloaasareble Gentleman, which he bad done, he
had taken the kindest course of proceeding it was pos-
eihle for hien to adopt, because it gave the Hon. Gentle
loan the opportunity of denying the authenticity of that
fottenne The autbenticity had taut been denied, the letter
was neer before the public—it was a document from a
public' mats, and be the disgrace of its coming before the
public upon ;Thom it might, because cf betraying
COl2 fidenee, disgeeae would certainly zest on the
Meiribees of that House, in his opinion, were no
notice now taken of it by them. In private proceed-
teinfidenne teas always sacred ; but he had no
-idea of private and confidential communications being
Pea Tied to the present extent. Private communications
iseteitt to be treated by all with confidence and respect; but
when Gentlemen came to deal with the situation of
communications were being made so mate.
aielly affecting the governors of a territory such as was
new the case, it was in vain to talk of the same confi-
dence surrounding that communication that belonged to a
private -communication between one individual and another.
Whatever might be the means by which the letter had
now before the public, there it was, and in some way or
,ANer there it must stand or there it must fall.
Jtene HUME rather thought that if the doctrine of the
11:;erj„ Geneitenan opposite were to be admitted es a wend
dectsine, tin/ 'douse must expect to remain in almost total
jeonrance of an 4-411 duct of this Government with respect
the affairs of Indin, It happened that a large portion
of the business of Inds was conducted under private
although puUix tlespatches were at the
same time purported to be sent cif. Ile (Mr. Hume)
lwl not the slightest hesitation ill avowing himself to
•*e in possession of a copy of the letter in question
vvh.isfa}tad been forwarded directly to him from Cg.'ostta,
'The letteil had been publiehed in every newopaper 14 Cdi,
cutta, and circulated throughout Bombay, the undoubted
object of which was to give to Sir J. Malcolm the opprtu-
siity of saying that he had triumphed over the King's Court;
alien the King's Court was no longer to be considered the
protet4or of the natives of India, the object for which it
eves eetanlielied, but that he (Sir J. Malgoltn) was to he
considered as the supreme Government, lent any man should
hereafter dare to express a free and public opieion coo-
wary to his notions- Sir John Dewar, or whatever his
"me was—(Laughter)--hod been appointed Chief Jus-
tice, because he had entertained notions of the law that Sir
John Malcolm did, that is, that he was considered to
truckle to the objeete of the Government, whatever might
be the orileis from the King's Court. Thie hed
spread dismay throughout the whole colony of Bom-
bay, because it was believed that unless the natives
truckled to the views of the Government, whatever theb
oninions might be, that they were to have no peace and
no protection from the Judges, inasmuch as they were told,
that by two Seniors and one Jursior being sent out, they
might be capable of leading the refractory Judge there, like
a wild elephant between two tame ones!—(Muck
laughtet.)—Considering that this was calculated to
interrupt the orders of the King's Court, the
Member thought it a subject calling for imme-
diate interference, and he trusted that his Noble Friend