The Sun.
London, England, 1825-02-24 00:00:00

DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK•

Old Annuities
New Ditto
Ex. 'Bills 10001.2 d.
Ditto 'Ad.
Ditto 5001.'2d.
10. 6l 61
Ditto Small .. 2d.-61 63
Dittolld.
Ditto Con uner ccal
Bank for Act.

India for Acct.
Cons. for Acct 93

N DS, AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Neapolitan, 5 per cent.

Neapolitan Scrip
Peruvian Bonds
Portuguese Bonds , 90i
Prussian,- 5 per ct.
Ditto New lOOl
Russian, New, 5 per et. 97i1
Spanish 1821, 5 per ct. 231
1823. ditto ... 19 8-
French Rentes
Exchange ... —f. --c-
Scrip

PRICES OF SHARES AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Per $1‘Irf.1rf.
Alliance Fire and Life Assurance Company
Ditto, Marine Department
5
Protector Fire Assurance Company
10.
A nglo,3lexican Mining Company
'Anglo-Chilian Mining Company
Brazilian Mining Company
2'
Chilian -M 22
,Mining Company
Colombian Mining Company )6 k
General Mining Association
Hibernian Mining ClniPanY .
p.--... P....,;,.... Mining cunipany
.
Rio de la Plata :2n Mining Company
`2o'
Tlalptixahua Mining Company
United Mexican Mining Company
Ditto New
Welch Iron and Coal Mining Company
- ' 9
Continental Gas Company If
London and Northern Railway Company ....... .............• i.
tv
Australian Company
British Iron Company
Bristol Ship Canal Company
Canada Company
33
35
34
Equitable Loan Bank Company
'2l
General Steam Navigation Company
t
Gold Coast Association ~.!
Great Westminster Dairy Company
Metropolitan Fish Company
Provincial Bank of Ireland
Patent Bricks, 6 A 6 ii
a

FOREIGN 111A11,4.

A RR! V ED.

Duu.

Guernsey and Jersey
Cottenburgh
liamburgli -
France -

II 10 11 WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW:
Slorning, 24 minutes after 6.1 Evening, 52 minutes after

THE surT.

SOLI:31 QUIS DICE:RE FA LS UM A U BEAT g

LONDON,
THURSDAY EVENING, FE8.24, 18'25.

At a late period of the last Session of Perlis"
melt, an attempt was made in the House of Cotw
mous to revive the old but neglected rule, that
Members shall abstain from voting on private
business in which they themselves have an inne'
diate interest, and the subject was resumed la'S
night, in consequence of the proceedings of the,
House on the preceding evening upon the vote 01
Mr. GRENFELL. We sincerely congratulate the
country on the unanimity with which the con'
trary practice was reprobated. No gentleman
offered an excuse for it; all owned it to be 49
mischievous and unbecoming as, unhappily, it iS
inveterate ; what remedy could be applied, er
whether it were prudent to make trial of any,
seemed a more doubtful consideration, and the
discussion terminated in Mr. HUME'S giving notice
that he "should on Friday next submit a specific
motion to the House upon the subject.
Time present Session opens in a season of con"
mercial adventure unexampled within living me'
mory. Multitudes of every class are now wait'
ing the determination of Parliament on enter'
prizes, which involve an enormous, it may be
said alarming, amount of private happiness and
fortune, and affect, iii no trifling measure, tile
tranquillity and welfare of the whole king(inni.
It becomes, therefore, a solemn and anxious
question, whether interests so manifold, compli'
cated) and momentous) shall depend) as hereto'

fore, upon a struggle of rivals and partizans, or
4e dealt with in the dispassionate spirit of judges

and representatives.

The Committee appointed last Session has, on
this head, decided nothing. A new law or Stand-
ing Order would indeed have been superfluous,
for the rule was already unequivocal. The pre-
cedents adduced on this subject by a learned

Writer on Parliamentary customs* are co►►clusive
in themselves, and a moderate research would
Probably augment their number. 44 The rule,"
ys Mr. IldursEr.r., 46 was always attended to in
questions relative to the seat of the Member, on
the bearing of controverted Elections, and has
been strictly observed in cases of very great mo-
ment ; but in matters of lesser importance, yet
Where the private interest of the Member has
been essentially concerned, it has been entirely
neglected, contrary not only to the laws of de-
cency, but of justice ; and it would be for the
honour of the House of Commons if this rule,
Which 170 years ago ' was agreeable to former
order and precedent. in like cases,' was revived
and established."

A great and leading principle, not merely of the
English Law and Constitution, but of universal
justice, " that no man shall be judge in his own
cause," is palpably violated in the breach of this
regulation. And it is a strange incon.istency,
that if the cause be of a criminal nature, if a de-
bate arise on any matter of accusation, however
trifling, against a Member present in his place,
the rule is reverentially observed, and the inte-
rested person withdraws upon the first hint ; but
if the cause be a civil one, if the Member have

property at stake, however vast the amount, if
the question be, whether his fortune, or that of a
r►val party shall increase or dwindle away, he
scruples not to be present, active, assiduous, and
to cast the whole weight of his vote and influence

Into his own scale.
The House of Commons, at this day espe
cially, is the umpire of conflicting interests, far
more important, publicly and privately, than
such as usually come within the jurisdiction of
our Courts of Law. Shall tl►e judgment be less
Pure in proportion as the cause is greater and
more notorious ? A person who should offer
himself as Juryman on a trial affecting his own
estate would be repulsed from the box. A Ma-
gistrate, however opulent and respectable, with-
draws from the discussion of an appeal in which
his own parish has a few pounds at stake yet
the same Gentleman, if a Member of Parlia-
rnent, may vote and labour without scruple in a
contest between two great Commercial Con►pa-
nies, although half his fortune should be embark-
ed with one of the conflicting parties.
In the ordinary administration of justice (as
has been said) deep reproach would be incurred,
if a Judge or Juryman should try a cause in-
volving any interest of his own, however natural
or legitimate. But how grievously would the
scandal be augmented, if it were found that,
while the suit was depending, an interest had
been created in his breast, by admitting him, to
beneficial share in the litigated property !
The cure of these evils, it is said, lies not in
authoritative interference, but in the will and
resolution of members themselves. It must be
left to individual honour. Experience, however,
chews that vicious customs are not so eradicated.
The Gentlemen who have dealt most largely in
the practice now complained of, are perhaps su-
Perinr to all imputation in their general brans-
4ctions with the world. But habit, and example,
and the circumstances of a present and urgent
'ease, will too often obscure the moral perceptions
even of acute and well-intentioned men. Abuses
with which we are daily conversant scarcely
°ffend the sight ; they must be removed to a dis-
tance before the eye can take in their full de-
formity. It appears wonderful at this day, that
honourable and intelligent members should have
mixed in the proceedings which took place on
"controverted elections before Mr. GREYVILLE'S
Act ; yet the gentlemen who acted on those oc-
'casiens were surely not all wanting in wisdom
and integrity, though it is as certain that the
transactions were often inconsistent with both.
It is too much to expect that individuals should
7ettounce the advantages of this long-sanctioned
irregularity, while others continue to profit by
the old licence. A Member who has property
dependent on the award of Parliament will
hardly forego the protection of his own vote,
When he sees a rival in interest availing him-
self of the common privilege. A general
determination may 'subdue time evil ; indi-
vidual firmness will not and cannot correct
it. A resolution declared by vote (and could
that vote be less than unanimous ?) to main-
tain the old parliamentary rule, in spite of im-
Portunity or temptation, and repress all efforts

patsell, Vol. 11. p. 160.