The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-27 00:00:00

Mr. HUME presented a petition from person. confined for debt In
Whitecross-street Prison, expressing their regret that the Imprisonment
for Debt Bill dial not afford that relief which they had expected, and
praying the House to prevent unfortunate insolvents being placed in
the situation of criminals.
DRAWBACK ON REFINED SUGAR.

Mr. LOCKHART (we believe) presented a petition from GlasgoW,
against the reduction of the drawback on refined sugar, praying at
least that such reduction may be moderate.
SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION IN CANADA.

Mr. GLADSTONE presented a petition from the Bishop and ClergY
of Montreal, complaining of spiritual destitution in Canada.
BURSTING OF STEAM BOILERS.

Mr. LEADER presented a petition from a Rev. Gentleman, stating
that he had discovered a mode of preventing steam-boilers from bursting,
and praying the House to aid him in obtaining for it a patent.—(A lauglh)
The SPEAKER said the petition was not presentable.
MAYNOOTH COLLEGE. • -

Captain ALSA GER presented a petition from Kent, against the
annual grant to Mayncoth College.
Mr. FRENCH presented a petition from the delegates of the Irish
College of Surgeons in favour of the Medical Charities' Bill.
The Earl of LINCOLN presented a petition from the Binghain
Union, for an alteration in the Poor-law Amendment Act.
Mr. CLIVE presented a petition praying fur an improvement
rural police in the county of Surrey.
Mr. GREEN presented a petition from Manchester against the Bill
for the conveyance of the mails by railways.
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK presented a petition from Glasgow,
praying fora reduction of the rates of postage. in the

CONVEYANCE OF MAILS BY RAILWAYS BILL. ,
Sir J. GRAHAM asked if it were intended to bring on this Bill, and
whether the 11th and 12th clauses were to be retained
Mr. LABOUCHERE said, after mature deliberation, it was not his
intention to press the adoption of either of these clauses.—(Hear, hear
At the same time, he begged to say, that he had not altered In'
opinions as to the justice of these clauses, but he had arrived 't
the conclusion he had stated more in deference to the judgment °f
others, who thought, perhaps justly, that it would be better
to postpone the extreme measure till the milder course bad been tried
and had failed.—(Hear.) He considered the details of the Bill would
be better considered in a Select Committee, and to that end he
hoped the Bill would be allowed to be read a second time to-night with'
out opposition.

Mr. GILLON said in Committee he should move that these clauso
be retained.

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY BILL.

Mr. ROUND moved the further consideration of the report on this Bill•
Mr. FRESLIFIELD said lie was unconnected with the district
through which this railway passed, and he would not therefore enter
into local matters. But he thought it right to call the attention
cf the House to the extraordinary provisions contained in the 13'11'
It was provided that if the railway should be interrupted, either wilfully'
or negligently, and the party be convicted of that obstruction, he shoula
be subjected to two years' imprisonment, with hard labour. This WA'
certainly a strong provision ; but if it was a proper one it ought to D''
applicable to all railways. He would suggest to the consideration of the
President of the Board of Trade that a general Bill should be intro-
duced to regulate railways.

Mr. LABOUCHERE was understood to say that the suggestion
should be attended to.

The Bill was then ordered to be engrossed.
The Report on the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway wa'
further considered.

Mr. GLADSTONE postponed, until the 10th July, his motion re'a-
tive to the petition from the inhabitants of Albany, in the colony of the
Cape of Good Hope.

The SPEAKER said as the House wonid not sit for the dispatch of
business on Thursday, it might be convenient for those Members svi,('
wished to give notices for Thursday fortnight to be permitted to Big'`'
those notices tomorrow,

Sir C. STYLE gave notice, that if the House refused to accede 1°
the instruction to the Committee, to be moved by the Hon. Member 1)':
Sheffield (the appropriation clause), he would then move that the 13'11
be re-committed that day three months.—(Hear.)
Mr. HUME said, as the ceremony of the Coronation could not take
i
place until half-past eleven o'clock, he put it to the House whether t
.
would not answer all purposes if the House were to assemble at Din'
o'clock in place of eight.—(Cheers.) Leaking at what had taken Pl 3"
at the last ceremony of the kind, that would certainly be early enough.-
(Cheers.)

Lord J. RUSSELL said, as it seemed to be the sense of the House th't
such a plan would be more convenient, and, as he believed, that there
would be sufficient time for the House to get into the Abbey if they
at nine o'clock, he was disposed to agree to it. Of course, it was desiraDt,"
that upon such an occasion Honourable Members should be at the
barriers by the hour appointed for their being closed, as some difficulty
might be experienced.

The SPEAKER suggested that it would be more regular if the.
House came to a resolution to meet at nine, there having been 3 re'u-
lotion already agreed to that the House should meet at eight.
Mr. HUME would then move that the first resolution should be
amended, by inserting the words "nine o'clock" for the assemblivg of
the House instead of eight, and that the House be called over at half-
past nine.

Lord MAHON put a question relative to the time that Members Of
the House of Commons would be allowed to pass the barriers.
Mr. HUME said the better way would be to have published "with
the votes, an extract for the Earl Marshal's Order, stating the times
which the different barriers would be be closed.
It was then resolved that the House be called over at half-past nine 0"
Thursday.

In answer to Mr. Sergeant JACKSON,
Lord J. RUSSELL said the House would sit tomorrow, but not
late he hoped.

. CHURCH LEASES COMMITTEE.
Lord DUNGANNON asked whether the Report of the Chureti
Leases Committee, would be laid upon the table during the Pre"l7t
session ?
Lord J. RUSSELL replied, that he could not answer for the procee3—
inns of that Committee.

RIOTS AT CANTERBURY.
1i
gi,LenorndoJti.,ReUtbSrS.Esre.Liecstacidonithina
Committee ttehe t enquire Right Hon
n. Memberto e
Gii-
vernment with reference to John Nicholls Thom. He had one re<lw'
t
to make to the House, and that was the Right Honourable G entleni't.
oihe conduct for Kent ent
of
might be allowed to bring on his motion before the other orders 0,
the day.
Sir E. KNATCHBULL was ready to proceed at once with his inc...
tion, if Hot/. Gentlemen would allow him to take precedence.
Mr. GILLON said his motion on the subject of internal communica-
tion taxation stood first, and he felt it would be impossible for him toe
concede to the request which had been made.—(olll) He had alreoY
postponed it twice.
Mr. PALMER said lie had a notice on the paper of some imports et'e.
in which perhaps the conduct of the Noble Lord was also at stake. If he
did not bring it forward now, he would do so on the first resolution being
moved on the Irish Poor-law Bill.
Mr. Sergeant JACKSON said he had a notice,
No. 3, and wou:d
agree to waive it.—(Hear, hear.)
Captain MATHEW regretted that the Hon. Member opposite had
not acceded to the request of the Noble Lord.—(Hear.) He felt the
motion which he (Captain Mathew) had on the paper to be of consider
able importance, but after the request which had been made by the Noble
Lord, he did not feel justified in persisting.
Sir HUSSEY VIVIAN trusted the Hon. Member (Mr. Gillon) would
accede to the request which had been made.
Major lIANDLEY had also a motion on the Paper, but he had no
hesitation in postponing it. At thesame time he must state the regre°
he felt that the Right Hon. Baronet opposite (Sir Edward Knatchbull)
was about to waste the time of the House in a party conflict.—(Order")
The SPEAKER called on the Honourable Member for Falkirk tt
state what course he intended to pursue.
Mr. GILLON said there was a vast number of his fellow-couutrylnelf
looking anxiously at the result of the debate on his motion, "Lill' .
would receive much blame if he postponed his motion without having -
day fixed for bringing it on.
After a short conversation between various Members, the Honnur`ii°
Member postponed his motion till the first Supply day.
Sir E. KNATCHBULL then rose, and said he hoped he should re-
ceive the indulgence of the House while he ventured to state the case of
which he had given notice. He regretted the Honourable Se!::.
ber for Lincolnshire should have taken on himself to tell hi
and to tell the House that he was determined to engage, 11e19
a party skirmish. He believed that in the result the }Won",
Member would find himself in error. The question was one of a eery
serious character. It had been his (Sir E. Knatchbull's) fate to sit in tn`;‘,
House many years, and he had been throughout an opponent of the Snu
Lord the Secretary for the Home Department, and he would say to the
Noble Lord, as he felt convinced the Noble Lord would say to him, that
during the whole of that period, nothing but that which was kind at.`,,
cordial had passed between them.—(Hear, hear, from Lord J. ItiL
The recollection of that increased the pain he felt in having to brin!
forward the present case, because it was one affecting the Noble lAndii
Immediately after the conclusion of the events referred to, he (Sir
Knatchbull) had moved for papers which had elicited a candid and
,
honourable explanation from the Noble Lord, who had truly declare'
that the conduct of all the authorities concerned had been Per-
fectly justifiable—(Hear hear.) He (Sir E. Knatchbull) could assure
the Noble Lord he did not come down to the House to make an 'Wall'
on the Government—to criminate, or attempt to criminate, the Noble
Lord, or the Master-General of the Ordnance. (The noise in
the
House was so great that Sir E. Knatchbull could not tl'r
a minute or two proceed ; and the Speaker was compelled 10
interfere, and repeatedly call for order.) The farts of the case, how-
ever, were sufficiently strong for inquiry ; and he thought the House
would agree to the necessity of appointing a Committee of Inquiry on the,
subject, not to report thereon, but simply to collect evidence.
Nor oilshe think the Noble Lord himself could justly object to this course. He-
declared that he would introduce into the discussion nothing extra.;
neous ; though, if he were inclined to take the course which had
been imputed to him by the Honourable Member opposite (Mr. Han`
ley) he could easily advert to many topics calculated, perhaps, to
greater excitement than he wished to produce. Heshould carefully ava
all topics or an inflammatory nature. The gentleman who had read ti' .
short papers which were oe the table were aware of the general case
whirls
he was about to bring forward. He spoke under feelings of consider"
able distress when he adverted to this calamitous event which hail .
takers alace in the county he had the honour to represent. There hail
been a most extraordinary violation of the peace—lives had beers lost'
blood had been shed, and the general opinion was that some enquiry
necessary as to the cause which had led to these events. It had beets th;
general topic of conversation, and he had been continually asked Ite:„.
it happened that a person circumstanced as Courtenay was, w 39 i
loose on the public.—(Hear, hear.) That was a question which he had
been unable to answer, and which he now asked the Noble Lord to
answer, and he hoped that the Noble Lord would be able to answer
it satisfactorily.—(llear, hear.) In the year 1833 a person calling
himself Courtenay was convicted of perjury on the clearest evidence.,
and sentenced to three months imprisonment and seven year' trance
portation. Shortly after this period it appeared that he was of unsoun:
mind, and under the 9th of Gco. IV., by the direction of Lord Wl-
bourne, he was removed from the gaol at Maidstone to the county
asylum. There he remained until October, when a warrant W.
sent by the Noble Lord the Secretary tor the Home Depart-
ment to the authorities of the asylum, whereby a free Pard"l
was given to Courtenay. The first letter on the paper before tire
House was a request that Courtenay might not be discharged, until his
father, or some one authorised by him, attended at the Asylum to receive
him. He wished to ask by what authority the man called Courtenay was
detained In custody after a free pardon had been sent down to him—
the detention after was clearly illegal. Shortlyrafter, the prisoner
was released under the provisions of the Act of 9th Get/4e
the Fourth. The Noble Lord applied for a certificate and received en'
on the Bth of September, which stated that the Peisoner was
of sound bodily health, but of unsound mind. No further inquiry
was made, and of that he complained, anti a free pardon W. 4
sent down on the 9th October, accompanied with an order for the iln-
mediate release of the prisoner who was so declared to be of unsound
mind. He knew it was stated that he might be unsound of mind, and
still not dangerous. Had the Noble Lord made any inquiry in Kent
he would have found that 99 out of every 100 would have been of a very
different opinon, and that from a judgment formed upon his previous con-
duct. Ile would ask the Noble Lord what were the circumstances one
what were the real grounds that induced the Noble Lord to grant ti!.!
pardon I He would state from the papers lie had before him what
the sole and the entire came—(" Hear, hear," from Sir Hussey Vivian...)
He was glad to find the Hon. and Gallant Officer was ready to throw
his protection around the Noble Lord. He believed it was through
the Hon. and Gallant Officer's interference that the man was liberated,
although there was no letter from the Hon. and Gallant Officer. It ap-
peared that Cour' enay's father having promised to vote for Lord Eliot,
voted for the opposite candidate, after ccmmunication with the Hei-.
Gentleman opposite. He (Sir E. K) had been given to understand
that all this while there had been information in the Home Office as