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

law, and which the house had admitted not to be law,
because they had not appealed from that decision. If
the Noble Lord proceeded by an enabling law, how, he
would ask, could they limit the privileges that House
might claim and what the other House of Parliament
would accede to?—(Hear, hear.) He felt strongly the
difficulty in which the House was placed, but he thought
it was their duty as good subjects to obey the law, and
as an amendment, he would move, though it was not his
intention to press it to a division—" That the House,
having directed the Attorney-General to appear on be-
half of Messrs. Hansard and Son in an action against them
for the publication of certain papers alleged to contai libel-
lous matter against John Joseph Stockdale, which papers
the House directed them to publish, and the Attorney-
General having accordingly appeared on behalf of the
defendants in the Court of Queen's Bench, and argued
the question of law that arose upon the demurrer, and
judgment being passed against the defendants by the
unanimous decision of the Court of Queen's Bench, and
the ordinary appeal not having been adopts I, and
damages having been awarded agasnst Messrs. Hansard'
and Son, and the same being able to be levied—the
House do not resist such execution of the law." That
Iva.? yielding the question in his opinion, but not more
than was necessary under existing circumstances.
The original motion and the amendment haring been
put,
Sir R. INGLIS withdrew his amendment-

Mr. WARBURTON deprecated the course pur-
sued by the Right Hon. Member for the Tower Ham-
lets, who had expounded strong opinions, but had come
to no conclusion. He should me ve as an amendment
to the motion of the Noble Lord the adoption of that
part of the report that bad been suggested by the Hon.
and Learned Member for Newark, to whose exertions
the Committee were greatly indebted. That which he
should move as an amendment was to the following
effect :—" That an acquiescence in the judgment
pronounced in the case, will create, on the part of the
House, great impediment in the future necessary ex-
ercise of the Parliamentary authority in vindication
of its privileges, and therefore it is necessary that the
House should forthwith declare, that the prosecution
of the said action, and the attempt to levy any da-
mages upon the defendant for the publication by him,
in pursuance of its orders, directly impedes the effec-
tual exercise of their Parliamentary functions, and is
a high contempt of the privileges of the House ; and
that the House will visit with its severe displeasure
all officers, ministers, and others, who shall act
or aid any in manner in enforcing the judgment
in such action, or otherwise troubling or mo-
lesting the said defendant for such publication."
The House had already decided upon the case, and
all that the Hon. Member for Newark called upon
them to do was to stand by their resolution, to which
they had already agreed.• But some said, " Be prudent
in this case, and we will be valiant in the next." That
was supposing that a new action would be commenced
—that another Stockdale would arise. But suppose
that, immediately after they had prorogued, this Stock-
dale or another one, were to commence an action or
press it on, they, on meeting again, might find that the
action had been tried and execution levied, what would
become of their threat in such a case as that—what
would they care then for the severest displeasure of the
House ? They would again be told that the poor
Sheriff was not the guilty party—that it was too late to
commit him—they would again be recommended to
allow judgment to go by default—to let execution be
levied, but they would be more valiant next time. For
these reasons he moved his amendment.