The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-01 00:00:00

RECOVERY OF DEBTS.

Captain PEC HE LL gave notice that he should bring in a
Bill to extend the recovery of debts in the Sheriff's Court to
sums under 501.—( Hear, hear, and laughter.)
MR. LECHMERE CHARLTON.

The SPEAKER.—I have received two letters, one from
the Lord Chancellor and the other from Mr. Lechmerc
Charlton, a Member of this House, which I think it my duty
to read. The letter from the Lord Chancellor is as
follows : " Bruton-street, 31st January, 1837. Sir,
I have the honour of making known to you for the informa-
tion of the House of Commons, that I issued my warrant
on the 28th of November last for the commitment of
E. L. Charlton, Esq., one of the Members for the Borough
of Ludlow, for a contempt of the High Court of Chancery, in
writing and sending a certain letter dated the 24th of October
last, to William Brougham, Esq., one of the Masters of the
Court, which was followed by a certain other letter, dated the
9th November last, addressed to myself. I have thought it
right to make this communication for the purpose of accounting
for the absence of the Hon. Member, and to testify my high
respect for your Hon. House."—( Hear, hear.) The letter
from Mr. Lechmere Charlton is as follows-i—" Fendall's
Hotel, Palace-yard, 31st January, 1837.—Sir, I have just
reason to believe that Mr. William Butt, who is a messenger
of the Court of Chancery, and others employed by him, are
determined, under the direction of the Lord Chancellor,
to interrupt me in my progress to the House this day, and I
humbly request that you will ipuchsafe to extend to me your
protection. I seek not to withdraw myself from the criminal
jurisdiction of the realm. To be protected, however, from the
violence of the Crown or its Ministers, is I apprehend the esta-
blished and undoubted privilege of a Member of Parliament. I
ask for no more than to be allowed without molestation to take
my seat, to state what, no doubt, is, already known to the
House, and then submit, with all respect, to its decision."--
(We were not able to bear every sentence of the last letter,
as the Speaker read it, but the above is a correct outline.)
Mr. HUME did not know if any Gentleman intended to
make any motion on this subject. He wished to have pro-
perly ascertained %hat were the grounds of the impediment of
which Mr. Charlton complained, and when this was regularly
before the House, the House would be in a condition to state

its opinion. He thought the better course would be to have
the letters, referred to by the Lord Chancellor and by
Mr. Charlton, printed and placed iu the hands of Members.
Mr. ROEBUCK wished to have ascertained whether or
not the Hon. Gent. made the
.attempt to come down to the
House ; because if he had not, then he could not have been
stopped on the way.
After a conversation in an under tone, which did not reach
the gallery,
Sir ROBERT PEEL thought the letter should be printed,
for the purpose of enabling the House to consider to-morrow
what course they ought to adopt. It might be a question
whether the Lord Chancellor's letter should not be referred
to a Select Committee, which was the course adopted with re-
spect to the case of Mr. Long Wellesley. The Lord Chan-
cellor stated in his letter that he had issued the writ ; and for
the purpose of accounting for the absence of Mr. Lcchmere
Charlton, he stated that he had done so, and that probably,
in consequence thereof, Mr. Charlton might not attend. The
Right Hon. Baronet concluded by moving that the letters be
printed, and be taken into consideration to-morrow.
Lord JOHN HUSSELL had supposed the letter of the
Lord Chancellor and the letter of Mr. Charlton would appear
on the Votes of the House to-morrow in order that the subject
might be properly taken into consideration. He could not but
agree with the proposition of the Hon. Baronet that the letter
should be printed, and taken into consideration to-morrow.
making that proposition, he begged it to be understood
that he did not raise the point put forward by the Hon. Merri-
lbcr for Bath.