The Sun.
London, England, 1831-09-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HO USE OF LORDS, SEPTEMBER 26.
(Lord SHAFTESBURY on the Woolsack, the Lord Chan
cellor being absent.) .
One of the side galleries was fitted up in the course o
the day,-before the House met.
The E,trl of Los Low was introduced as Baron Ludlow,
and the Earl of DUN MORE as Baron Dunmore, and took
the oaths and their seats.
The Waterloo Bridge New Street Bill was returned from
the Commons, agreed to.
The Duke of RICHMOND, the Marquis of CLEVELAND,
and the Earl of ELDON, presented petitions from Galway,
in favour of the Galway franchises.
REFORM BILL.—WESTMINSTER PETITION.
The Marquis of WESTMINSTER rose to present the
petition in favour of the Reform Bill agreed to at the late
Westminster meeting. it was the duty and the practice
of their Lordships to throw wide open their doors to peti-
tions; but it was not common, in presenting petitions, to
enter at length into a discussion of the subject of those pe-
titions, unless the questions to which they referred hap-
pened to be of particularly great importance. The peti-
thin had been agreed to by a most numerous and respec-
table meeting of the Westminster electors. He was assured
by those who put the petition into his hands, that it was
a most numerous and respectable meeting, and that at that
meeting the petition had been agreed to unanimously. This
meeting, like many others of the same kind, had been caused
by certain remarks and observations made in this and the
other House, to the effect that the opinions of the people on
the subject of the Reform Bill had undergone a change. The
consequence was, that meetings were held in order to prove
people, so far from bring altered, were, if pos-
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i,smuscohfrtehtne arks were utterly unfounded, and that the
were accordingly prepat ing in all pars
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of
Lordships, praying them to pass the Reform Rill. In
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country,
ttsis course the metropolis was not behind-hand with the
rest of the country. He had now to present to their
Lordships the petition of the city of Westminster; and
their Lordships were aware that a meeting of the mer-
chants, bankers, and most respectable traders of the city
of London, had been held at the Mansion-house, with a
view to prepare a petition to be presented to their Lord-
ships, in favour of the great measure of Reform. That
meeting consisted of a most important holy, represent-
big the most extensive portion of the commercial interest
of the nation, and it was there proved that their opinion
of the Reform Bill bad undergone no alteration. That
meeting also was provoked by the remarks, that the opi-
nion of the people as to the Reform Bill had been changed.
Their Lordships would do well to look at what was said
at that meeting. It was ttmre sad that if the Reform
Bill should be rej,eted, the circumstance would be pro-
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of the greatest exasperation in the country, and
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taxes. Whether that remark was well founded or not,
he could not say, hut at least these observations were well

worthy of consideration. At Bristol, too, and other places,
meetings had been held, in order to petition their Lord-
ships in favour of the measure, and no meetings at all bad
been held for the contrary purpose of petitioning
their Lordships against it. He certainly had beard that
a petition had been got up and promoted by the ITai-
versity of Cambridge against the passing of the Bid,
and that the petition was sent through the county or
Cambridge for subsewiptions ; but their Lordships knew
„,eii what weight was to be aqached to such a petition.—
One thing was clear, that wherever the popular voice
could be heard, the opinion of the great body of the people
was decidedly and ardent:, in favour of the measure. It
had been said that public opinion had undergone an entire
change in the county of Dorset, and that an Anti-Reform
candidate would walk over the course. But what was the
fact? He bad heard that a Reform candidate had been
received in the county of Dorset with acclamation, and
that he was likely to walk over the course unopposed.—
In all quarters the popular opinion was decidedly in favour
of tho great measure of Reform, except, perhaps, in the
coy of Dublin—an exception upon which no great stress
could be laid. This being the case, he would pructed to
make a dew observations as to what might be expected to
be the e.liduct of their Lordships in reverence to this Re-
form Bill now on their table. The general inquiry out 01
doors is, " "What will the Lords do ?" He himself did not
pretend to know what they would do ; but if he were to
give an opinion on what their Lordships would do, he
should he inclined to say that they would agree to it almost
unanimously, In the first place, looltiug at private lute-

sous more than had signed the first petition from Chester

in favour of Reform.

The Earl of ELDON—The Noble Marquis was pleased
to say that their Lordships Ivid no interest in the question.
He had heard these words from his lips, and the advice

given that the Peers should not interfere with the mea-
sure. But since they had been so much advised, he also
would give their Lordships his advice, and that was to do
their duty—( Hear, hear, hear)—and he had no doubt but
they would do it.—(Hear, hear, from both sides of the
House.) He did not say at present what that duty was;

but he would say that even for the sake of the people
themselves, their Lordships ought to do their duty.—
(Hear, belt., from both sides of the House.) He had
no hesitation in saying, that many Noble Lords whom
he highly respected would do their duty, by
giving that opinion of the measure which he would feel it
his duty to give. But so far was it from the Peers having
no interest in this question, that they would have no Con-
stitution at all left, unless the Peers had, and took an in•
terest in it. He would go no farther. lie had been bred in

loyalty—he had been bred to the law, and loved the law
and, having now reached the age of fun:A:ore years, he
would rather die, than admit that the Peers had no in-
terest in the question. lie would maintain, that to say
that the Peers had no interest in the quer•tion, was one of
the must absurd propositions thrt had ever been uttered.
Some Noble Lords might think that it was their duty

to assent to this Bill. He gave no opiniou at pre►ent
on that point. But he hoped and helieved, that their
Lordships would do their duty conscientiously and fear-
lessly—be the consequences what they might.—(Hear,
hear.) He was determined conscientiously to do his duty,
and he could not be wrong if he did his duty according to
his own opinion ; and at his time of life he would say,
that he did not wish that life to be prolonged a anonient
longer, if it were possible that he should be restrained by
any petitions, clamours, or resolutions, by any favour, pre-
judice—(Hear, hear)—or fear from doing his duty, be
the consequences what they might. To tell bim that the
Peers had no interest in this question! Yes, the Peers had
an interest in it; and the King too had an interest in it;
and if the measure should pass, and those consequences
should follow, which, in his opinion, would follow, then
let those who thought they did their duty in voting for it,
console themselves with the consciousness of having done
that duty. It might be said that he was mistaken in his
view of the subject ; but be the consequences what they
might, he would do his duty.—(Hear, hear.)
The Marquis of WESTMINSTER—The Noble and
Learned Earl was very much mistaken when he repre-
sented him as having said that the Peers had no interest in
the question.—(Hear, hear, from the Ministerial Benches.)
lie did not say that the Peers had no interest in the ques-
tion, but that the Commons had a peculiar interest in it,
and he said so still.—(Hear, hear.)
The petitions were laid on the table.
AFFAIRS OF BELGIUM.

Lord GODERICH expressed his hope that, as his Noble
Friend at the head of the Administration had not been able,
on account of a domestic calamity, to attend in his place
that evening, the Noble Marquis (Londonderry) would
postpone his motion relative to the affairs of Belgium till
another day in the present week, and he suggested Thurs-
day or Friday.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY was deeply sensible
of the domestic calamity which bad befallen the Noble
Earl, and a Noble Friend of his (Lord Durham), who was
connected with the Noble Earl. He would, therefore,
postpone his motion till Thursday. He was sorry to see
that the Noble and Learned Lord who usually sat on the
Woolsack was not present, but he hoped he would be pre-
' sent on Thursday, as that Noble and Learned Lord had
taken such a prominent part in these discussions, and his
speeches had such weight with the public. When he
looked at the Standing Orders relative to the attendance of
the Keeper of the Great Seal in that House, he could not
help being surprised at the strange and repeated absences
of the Noble and Learned Lord.
To a question from the Earl of ABFRDEEN,
Lord AUCKLAND replied, that it was intended to pro.
pose the second reading of the Wine Duties Bill to-morrow.
REFORM.

Eat] MULGRAVE presented a petition from Whitby,
in Yorkshire, preying their Lordships to pass the Reform
Bill. The petition was signed by 2,000 persons more
than had ever signed a petit:on at that pace on any former
occasion. His Lordship also presented a petition from
Gisborough, in Yorkshire, to the same effect, and observed
that the Peers had an interest in the question of Reform,
in common with the rest of the people. They had no se-
pirate interest in it.
Petitions to the same effect were also presented by the
Earl of Essex from Launceston ; by the Marquis of Lans-
downe ; from Ballinadoolly in the county of Galway ; by
Lord Suffield from Haddingliam in Norfolk ; and by the
Duke of Hamilton from Lanark ; all of which were ordered
to lie on the table.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition from
certain tradesmen in London, relative to the keeping open
of the shops on Sunday.
Lord CLIFFORD presented a petition in favour of the
Galway franchises.