The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-23 00:00:00

THE OFFICE OF SPEAKER.

Sir R. H. INGLIS then rose to move fora select com-
mittee ".to consider the-best means of providing for the
execution of the 'office of Speaker in the—event of-Mr.
Speaker's absence from illness or other cause." He did
not believe that this motion would excite hostile or un-
kind feelings on the part of any one, but that, on the
contrary, it would receive the support of all parties. When
he last suggested it, it was favourably received by the
right hon. gentleman who was then the leader of the
house, and he had also a communication from the noble
lord the present leader, not only promising his support,
but.offering to serve on the committee. But this ques-
tion was one involving so materially the position of the
first person in the house, that he should not have under-
taken to bring forward this motion had he felt that he
was acting contrary to the wishes or feelings of the
Speakar himself. The wonder was, not that such a mo-
tion was brought forward now, but that no provision
on the subject should have been made up to the present
time. Most of them would remember the difficulties
that had arisen during the last ten years from doubts re-
specting the accuracy of the Speaker's warrant, and they
should take care that it would defy all legal objection ;
but it was still more important that the officer who sub-
scribed the warrant should himself be duly appohited.
It was not sufficient that the house should appoint some
one of its members in the Speaker's absence to take his
place. The precedents showed that the course had been
recommended in former times, and resisted by great con-
stitutional lawyers, because the recognition of the
Speaker by the Sovereign on the Throne was a necessary
preliminary to his taking part in any of the business of
the house. If that were the constitutional doctrine, he
contended that no resolution of the house, no address
from the house to the Crown, with an answer from the
Crown in favour of such address, would reconcile any
adverse party to a proceeding emanating from an autho-
rity which he was advised to dispute. (Hear, hear.)
The same authority which enabled the Speaker to sit in
the chair with so much dignity and usefulness, must be
employed with reference to the individual who was to
succeed him, even for a day, because on that day occur-
rences might arise that would produce very serious in-
convenience. He hoped the necessity he had endea-
voured to point out would never occur, and that the
Speaker would long continue to fill his present station ;
but when they looked to the uncertainty, not only of
life but of health, and not only of the life and health of
the Speaker but of those dear to him, which might cause
his absence, they must see how necessary it was that his
motion should be adopted.
Mr. HUME opposed the motion. It appeared that
during sixty—years there was scarcely an occasion when
the- Speaker was unable to attend, and when such occa-
sions did occur the remedy applied was sufficient, and no
difficulty was experienced. If the necessity arose the
chairman of ways and means could discharge the 'duty,
and when a similar proposition to that now brought for-
ward was made in the committee up stairs, an honour-
able member observed that if there was no deputy he
would never be wanted, but if there was a deputy it
would be found that the chair would be more frequently
filled by him than by the Speaker. (Hear, hear.) It
might be urged that public companies had vice-chair-
men' but no public companies were ever blessed with
such healthy officers as the Speakers of the House of Com-
mons had been. (Laughter.) As long as the right
occura iifdo
ta
wb saesn
qt iun
igt
e himself.
possible
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awz esvoemil,e t
chaeuys we orefo r
hon. gentleman sat in the chair, no occasion, he trusted,
aw°ll Tueldorta
temporary absence might occur, but he hoped the good
reuse of the house, in such an event, would enable them
to find a substitute. He thought they should continue
the course they had hitherto adopted, without making
any new appointment. .

Tile motion was put and carried.
PAYMENT OF WAGES.

On the motion of Sir H. HALFORD, leave was given
to bring in a bill to secure the payment of wages without
stoppages.

MAYNOOTH COLLEGE.

Mr. SPOONER presented petitions deprecating the
continuance of the grant to Maynooth, and praying that
it might be immediately stopped.
Captain ARCHDALL presented a petition from Fer-
tnanagh, praying for the removal of the grant.
Some other .petitions having been presented to the
same effect,

Mr. SPOONER said that during the last Parliament
he had thought it to be his duty to bring under the con-
sideration of the then existing House of Commons the
system of education carried on in Maynooth. He had
asked the house for a select committee to inquire into
the system of education, and he had stated his reasons
for so doing. He had stated that he was prepared to
prove that the education there carried on was injurious
to society, detrimental to morality, completely subver-
sive of due allegiance to the Sovereign, and antagonistic
to the holy word of God. He had stated that as his
opinion, having read and studied their works and made
himself master of a great number of them. He had then
asked for a committee of inquiry, because he thought
that very few members of the house had taken the
trouble to investigate the system of education taught in
that college. Ho knew of his own knowledge that there
were many Roman Catholics, in the house and out of it,
who knew nothing of the doctrines there inculcated ; and
there was one gentleman, not now a member of the house,
to whom he quoted some of those books, who said they
were not his opinions, and if they were taught at May-
nooth the sooner it was abandoned the better. He be-
lieved the public were not aware of the system of educa-
tion taught there, and all the consequences that must fol-
low from it. When he brought forward this question before
he had received no small amount of personal abuse, he
was met with imputations of sinister motives, and he was
charged with wishing to raise an electioneering cry, but
he was not • met with a single denial of the truth of his
statement. His charge was admitted, and he felt that
there was no necessity for further inquiry. He would
say more ; he moved for an inquiry, not from-any doubt
respectirig the necessity for that inquiry pressing on his
mind, but with very considerable doubt whether he was
right in limiting himself to inquiry, because he feared
that _by asking merely for an inquiry into details, it
would be considered that he recognised the principle,
and thought it was right if the details were correct. He
opposed the measure of 1845, and he still held the same
opinion ; but still he thought it better to ask for an
inquiry. He asked that the house would
jo its duty to
the country, to the Sovereign, and to itself. Every one
of them was sworn to do the best in his power to support
the Established religion in Church and State.
An HON. MEMBER—No, no.
Mr. SPOONER begged to refer the hon. gentleman
to the oath he had taken.
An HON. MEMBER—Read it.

Mr. SPOONER would read it, and abide by what he
had said. Did anybody deny that the Protestant oath
was of the nature he had stated ? Here was the oath ;
" I do swear. that I will bear faith and true allegiance
to her Majesty Queen Victoria, and her will defend
—(loud cries of " hear, hear")—to the utmost of my
power against all traitorous conspiracies and attempts
whatever which shall be made against her- crown and
dignity'." (Renewed cries of "hear, hear.") Now, what
was the oath the Sovereign had taken? Was she not bound
to maintain the constitution in Church and State ; and
were they proving their true allegiance to' the Crown if
they neglected to support the constitution in:Church and
State. (A laugh.) Honourable gentlemen Might laugh;
but if there was any meaning in the words. " bear true
allegiance to her Majesty," they must defend her in the
exercise of the duties which the State imposed upon her.
One of thoie duties, and the main duty, was to support
the Protestant institutions in Church and State, and he
defied any person to contradict him. Here was the form
of the oath—" I do swear that I will defend to the ut-
most of my power the settlement of property within this
realm as established by the law, and Ido hereby dis-
claim, disavow, and solemnly abjure 'any intention to
subvert the Protestant' Church esfabliShment, as settled
by law, within this-realm ; and I do solemnly swear that
I will never'exercise any privilege which I am or may
become entitled to, to disturb or weaken the Protestant
religion or Government in the -United Kingdom ; and I
do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and
declare that I- do make this declaration and every part
thereof in he plain and ordinary sense of the words,
without any evasion, qualification, or mental reserva-
tion." The Crown held its title by the performance' of
the duty of preserving the constitution in Church and
State • and how could the Protestant members exercise
• true allegiance to the Crown, if they did not themselves