The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-25 00:00:00

HO USE OF COMMONS, lITARcu 24.

The SexAxr:ft took the Cuair this arternoon precisely at
Three o'clock.
Mr. HOWARD presented a petition from the county
of Wicklow, in which the petitioners, after alluding to the
agitation that exists in that county respecting the repeal
of the Union, state that they are ready to support his Ma-
icsty's Ministers in carrying into effect the extension of any
law for the suppression of illegal associations in Ireland.
Sir JAMES SCARLETT presented a petition from
Milton in favour of the plan of Reform. Ile must ob.
serve, however, that he could not support the prayer of
the petition.—(Hear.) He could not agree with the views
of the petitioners in favour of the Bill—(Hear)—but as
the measure had the approbation of his constituents (not
his) he was ready to resign the trust reposed in him into
their hands.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUNT highly approved of the determination of the
Hon. and Learned Member to resign his trust ints the hands
of his constituents. It was no more thaw what every
Member should do, when he could not agree with

those who returned him to the House.—(Hear, hear.)
He (Mr. Hunt) would only now observe that be was
happy he had lived to see the day when not a single
Member of Parliament was bold enough to get up in
his place and state that he was opposed to all Re-
form_ It was admitted on all hands that some
Reform must take place, but be had never found even
amongst the humblest classes the slightest desire for a re-
publican form of Government. Every individual, high
or low, would be satisfied with a House of Commons
freely chosen by the people.
Mr. G. DAWSON was sitting the other evening
close by the side of the Hon. Member fur Ps eston, and
distinctly heard him declare that he should prefer a Re-
public to any other form of Government.
Mr. HUNT (with great warmth)—l declare most po-
sitively I never said any such thing.

The SPEAKER. called the Hon. Member to order.

Mr. DAWSON certainly understood the Hon. Member
to say so, and could only imagine that from the
extensive plan of Reform proposed by his Majesty's
Ministers, he now thought proper to forget his declaration.
He could only repeat that he well recollected hearing the
Hon. Member snake use of such an assertion.—( Hear.)
Mr. HUNT again, and in the most positive manner,
denied that he h ever expressed himself more fivour-
able to a Republic than to the British Constitution,
and he appealed to the Hon. Member for Middlesex, whe-
ther be had ever heard him express himself in favour of a
Republic. He was sure the people of England had no
wish for revolution ; all they desired was a restitution of
their rights, and a cheap form of Govetntnent. In these
wishes he cordially agreed with them.
Mr. HUME, as he had been appealed to, must say
that the charge against the Hon. Member for Preston
must have arisen in mistake. He had never heard that
Hon. Member express himself in favour of a republican
form of Government.

THE PRESTON AND WIGAN RAIL-ROAD BILL.
Atter some discussion, in which some Members took
a part, this Bill was read a third time and passed.
Captain MAITLAND presented a petition born Ber-
wick against the :Ministerial plan of Reform.
Sir J. BRYDGES supported the petition. The plan of
Reform proposed by Government would change a British
House of Commons into a Chamber of Deputies ; a
British House of Lords into a Chamber of Peers ; and a
British King into a King of the British.—(Hear.)
Captain MAITLAND said the petition had been agreed
to at a public meeting regularly called, and no amendment
was proposed.

Lord EDWARD SOMERSET presented a petition
from the county of Gloucester in favour of the Reform
measure brought in Ly his Majesty's Government.
But though his Lordship felt it his duty to present
the petition, yet for his own part he could not
concur in that measure, which he considered calcu-
lated to overturn the hest institutions •f the country ;
therefore he had not given, nor would• he give; his vote
in favour of it.

Sir WILLIAM GUISE said that if he had thought
the measure a revolutionary measure, he would not have
supported it as he had done; or a measure calculated to
overtlitow the be-t institutions of the country. He did
not mean to say the Bill ought not in a Committee to
be materially modified.

Mr. CHIP PS hid voted for the second reading of the
Bill, but he certainly should not have done no had he not
considered that it would undergo considerable alterations
in passing through ,he Committte.
Sir E. SUGDEN considered that the Honourable
Member who had spoken last must certainly have given
his vote under an entire mistake, becaus the NAle
Lord who had introduced the Bill, had declared he would
submit to no 'lteration in it. He had said there the Bill
was, and told the House it must either accept it or reject
it altogether.

Mr. DAVIS said the Hon. and Learned Gentleman was
wrong in point of fact. The Noble Lord had not said
that he would permit no alterations—he had said that
he would permit no alterations in the principle of the
Bill, but that if the measure was thrown out another
should afterwards be introduced, with a view to carry into
effect the principle of the present Bill. A considerable
discussion followed, in which a number of Members took
part 111. my of them had voted in favour of the Bill, though
tiny hcped it would he materially modified and altered
in passing through the Committee.