The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-16 00:00:00

so. It was of the last importance that the house should
act with the strictest impartiality and justice in this
matter. The house had not withheld the writ in the case
of Blackburn, and it would therefore be an injustice if the
writ was withheld in the case of Bridgnorth. If the ques-
tion was pressed to a division, he should certainly vote for
the issuing of the writ, unless, indeed, there was anything
which removed it from the rule which had been established
in the case of Blackburn. He admitted that after an in-
terval of seven days, no petition came up, and that there
was this special circumstance of difference in the case of
Bridgnorth, that a petition was presented. • But that
petition was not very numerously signed, and it contained
no allegation which had not been distinctly raised before
the committee and thoroughly investigated by them.
The committee had laid the evidence before the house,
which proved that competent witnesses had been exa-
mined—one gave the result of twenty years' experience—
and the result was that no doubt could remain on the mind
of hon. members as to the true bearing of the evidence.
Taking all the circumstances dispassionately into conside-
ration, he did not think he should be acting with justice if
he refused the writ. _ _ _

Mr. HUME said the house had agreed to the rule that
in every case in which a member was unseated for bribery
a further inquiry should take place. He was sorry the
hon. member withdrew his motion in the case of the Black-
burn election. He was for allowing the inquiry into the
allegations in the Bridgnorth to be made, especially after
the statement of the hon. member for the West Riding,
that the family of the Whitmores could return their own
footman if they pleased. He trusted the house would not
stultify themselves by opposing inquiry into such serious
allegations.
Mr. DISRAELI said the hon. member for the West
Riding had placed his whole argument on one alleged fact
—that the Whitmore family possessed, not considerable,
but predominant influence in Bridgnorth, and that, as
patrons of the borough, they could return both members,
and, if they liked, their own butler—(no)—their own foot-
man. Either result would show what considerable influ-
ence the hon. gentleman alleged they possessed in the
borough. He would, however, produce an authority, not
the one quoted by the hon. member—an authority open to
every gentleman in the house— the authority of the public
journals—in which some circumstances were stated which
had relation to the borough of Bridgnorth. It was there
stated that a gentleman, having all the advantages of family
and high respectability, of long experience in that house
as a member, and who had held an eminent official post—
qualifications which entitled him to the confidence of any
constituency—this gentleman did not entirely rely on his
birth, Parliamentary experience, social position, or the re-
flected lustre his past official position ; for when he went
as a candidate to Bridgnorth he proceeded to avail himself
of the assistance of the gentleman asserted to possess such
overpowering influence in the borough. This gentle-
man, Mr. George Hope, not only went to Bridg-
north, but he went as a guest to Mr. Whitmore's mansion
at Bridgnorth. This gentleman, who not only possessed
singular advantages in his own person, which other candi-
dates did not enjoy, had the addititional advantage of being
introduced to the electors of Bridgnorth by Mr. Whit-
more at a public meeting, the asserted patron of the
borough. After canvassing the town Mr. Hope found he
could make no way. The opinions he expressed were
favourable to the Government, but they found no favour
with the electors of Bridgnorth, even though backed by
the influence of the alleged patron. Now, in the face of
these circumstances, he thought it was rather too much for
the hon. member for the West Riding to get up in such a
peremptory manner in that house, using his great influence
to make the people believe that Bridgnorth was a rotten
borough in the hands of a particular family, and that elec-
tions were not free. (Hear, hear.) The hon. member for
the West Riding had not the slightest authority for his
statement, which, though endorsed with his usual facility
by the hon. member for Montrose, was proved to be utterly
void of foundation. It was stated by the authority referred
to, that the family of the Whitmores exercised some in-
fluence in the borough—some influence they did possess
(and they deserved to possess it), and because they exer-
cised some influence, Mr. Cadogan chose to say they could
return their footman if they liked. This was the evidence
of a disappointed candidate only, who, like all disappointed
candidates, wished easily to account for a result not alto-
gether pleasing to himself. That was all the evidence ad-
duced for the unqualified statement of the hon. member for
the West Riding, and the hasty confirmation of the hon. mem-
ber for Montrose. The information afforded by the publicj our-
nals no one would pretend to contradict, that information
clearly proved that the asserted, patron of the borough of
Bridgnorth, who had recommended a gentleman with every
qualification in his favoar except that the electors could
not agree with his political opinions, could not prevail on
the borough to elect him. (Hear.)

After a few words from Sir H. WILLOUGHBY, Mr. H
HERBERT, and Mr. BALL, the house divided—

For the motion
Against it

184
. 50

Majority for issuing the writ 134
THt SHIP VIOLET.
Mr. WHALLEY said he had given notice of a motion on
the subject of the capture of the ship Violet by pirates in
1851; but, as the information which he had received on
the subject from the Government rendered the motion 'un-
necessary, he begged to withdraw it.
Motion accordingly withdrawn.
SELECT COMMITTEES.
Mr. EWART rose to move for a select committee to in-
quire whether the constitution and action of the select
committees of this house might not be improved by gene-
rally diminishing the number of members composing such
committees, and by making provision for their giving more
undivided attention to subjects committed to their consi-
deration than they are able to do under the present system.
He said he was anxious to call the attention of the house
to the subject, with the -view of remedying what he consi-
dered the evils of the present system of constituting select
committees. It often happened that there were conflicting
committees sitting ; that members were appointed to more
than one committee at the same time, and were thus pre-
vented from discharging the duties imposed on them. The
hon. and learned member concluded by proposing the above
motion.
The question having been put,
Mr. SOTHERON, as chairman of select committees,
bore testimony to the inconveniences of the present sys-
tem, and concurred generally with Mr. Ewart as to its
reform. At the same time he urged the postponement of
the motion, in order to give more deliberate consideration
' to the subject.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he was ready to accept the sug-
gestion of his hon. friend who had just sat down, as to its
being advisable that the motion should not be pressed at
that moment. Ho thought it would be better to make the
motion at a future time, and in more general terms ; so
that the committee which should be appointed might not
be confined exclusively to the suggestions contained in the
motion of the hon. member for Dumfries, but might be
enabled to offer other suggestions which would tend to
facilitate the progress of business in that house. He
quite agreed with his hon. friend that it was highly desir-
able, now that there were so many subjects for the consi-
deration of committees, that the number of members
usually appointed to sit upon those committees should be
as small as possible. He hoped, at all events, that his
hon. friend would -set an example in the nomination of
the committee for which he had moved, of the advantages
of a small number, and that he would not propose a large
number to consider the subject which he had brought under
their notice that evening. It was highly desirable also that
members should be constant in their attendance with respect
to the subjects which they might be appointed to consider.
It often happened that members were absent, without
whose opinion and authority the report of the committee
would not be looked upon as of as great value as it other-
wise would be. That was a question, however, with
which it was extremely difficult to deal effectually, and
one which required much deliberation. Very often the
day of the appointment of the committee was early in the
'session, and members usually attended in very full num-
bers to hear all the evidence ; and then about the middle of
July, it being proposed by the chairman to come to a reso-
lution upon the subject of investigation, out of the fifteen
or sixteen members who had been originally appointed, not
more than seven or eight generally appeared. Four or five,
therefore, formed a majority, and it was upon the opinion
of those four or five members that the house was obliged to
frame its decision. He repeated, however, that the object
which his hon. friend had in view was somewhat difficult
of attainment, and he hoped he would not proceed with
his motion for the present.
Mr. RICH thought the suggestions of the hon. member
for Dumfries deserved the serious consideration of the
house ; he (Mr. Rich) felt assured that there was hardly a
member of the house who had not observed how very hastily
committees were usually nominated. He did not wish his
hon. friend should press the motion, however, at that
moment, though he sincerely hoped that he might ulti-
mately succeed in the object which he had in view.
Lord H. VANE thought it a matter of extreme impor-
tance that the members usually appointed to serve upon
committees of that house should be lessened. It would be
better, however, in his opinion, that the hon.. member for
Dumfries should postpone his motion until he should have
been enabled to place himself in communication with the
Government upon the subject.
Mr. E. DENISON was not quite sure whether the pre-
sent mode of appointing select committees was looked upon
as altogether objectionable or not. It might be very con-
venient that the number of members upon these committees
should be diminished; but, at the same time, a large pro-
portion of young members should not be appointed to act
upon them in all cases. He should tell his hon. friend the
member for Dumfries, that he for one could not enter into
an inquiry upon the subject with any very sanguine hope
of a material improvement being effected in the present
system.
Mr. FRENCH wished that the inquiry should be ex-
tended not only to the members who might constitute the
committee, but also to the subjects which should be
brought under their notice.
Mr. E WART said if the hon. member for Melton (Mr.
J. E. Denison) had been present when he (Mr. Ewart) had
introduced the question, he would have been aware that
he excepted very important: committees, such as those sit-
ting upon the affairs of India, from the same regulations
as those which he proposed for the appointment of those
of minor consideration. In bringing forward his motion
his only desire had been to improve, as far as possible, the
interior organisation of that house. He would at once
yield to the suggestions made by the noble lord the member
for London as to the propriety of not pressing it prema-
turely upon the attention of the house, and would, there-
fore, postpone it until some more favourable opportunity
of introducing it should present itself.
The motion was then withdrawn.
Mr. WHALLEY moved for a select committee to exa-
mine the returns made to that house by the Inclosure
Commissioners and the Commissioners of the Board of
Health, and to inquire into the operation of the Tidal
Harbour commission, and to report whether any inconve-
nience or any benefit has resulted from the mode of pro-
ceedingin regard to private bills adopted by those com-
missionersloners respectively, and whether the same can with
advantagemr. bper extendedEto
dh
o othere
thoughtclasses
obbujseienteisosn.
which h AriN
a 4 been urged against the last motion also applied
twootullide obne very difficult
under their consideration—namely, that it
difficult to obtain members at present to
serve on any committee which would have to inquire into
any new subject. He should further
tsay, that although he
thought there ought to be a change iwnttleam?de of conduct-
txep
ebnussiiynee salts in that house, oiutsedid not appear
ew
totrakim
the motio of the hon. member was calculated to promote
ainsgliPttrilevae
object that
H.ALLEY mated that ho did not mean to
th
jalstr.
press his motion to a division.
The motion was then withdrawn.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY.

gentlemen
Colonel MITRE moved that the following
should be the select committee on the National
mlre:._.
Colonel Mure, Mr. Labouchere, Lord Seymorn.
Stir-
ling, Mr. Milnes, Mr. Hardinge, Mr. Ewart, 31.1": Gou.ib
Mr. Baring Wall, Mr. Raikes Currie, Mr. Hamilton 11;
Vernon, Mr. Marshall,
Charteris. Sir Williaw Molckiworth, and Isir:
.