The Sun.
London, England, 1838-03-01 00:00:00

TRADES' UNIONS.

WAKLEY vresented a petition, signed by 304
houv..iiainters of the City of Dublin, denyini, the chargesbrought
against them, explaining the state of their trade, rind
inviting ioquiry into the whole of th. it proceedings. The pe-
titioners stated that instead off-a uniform rate of wages being
establishes'. there were four rates, and that any master might
take an unlimited numher of apprentices.—Referred to the
Trades' Combination Committee.
GLASGOW COTTON SPINNERS.
The ifox. NIEMBER then presented petitions from the
Wurking Men's Association of Sheffield ; from Biddlestone,
in the county of York, and from the Whitesmitlis of London,
pra)ing, fur a mitigation of the sentence passed on the Glasgow
Cotton Spinners.

CORN LAWS.
Sir IL FERGUSON presented a petition we Lelieve from
Duldin, praying for a repeal of the Corn Laws.

- pe“
THE SCOTCH CHURCH.
Mr. WRNIYSS presented a petition from Fife, against any
further grant to the Scotch Church.
NEGRO APPRENTICESIIIP.
An Hon. NIF.MBER, whme name we did not learn, prasentad
Fetitiong from Bristol anti other places agaii.st Negro Ap-
prenticeship.

Mr. MORRIS presented a petition from some place in
Cornwall, also against the Apprenticeship System,
Sir C. STYLE presented a petition from Scarborouo3,
against a Bill which bad been introduced by his Honourable

Colleague.
BISHOPRIC OF SODOR. AND MAN.
Mr. BORT HWIC K pr sented a petition from the magis-
trates, and clergy of Evesham, against the abelition of the
Bishopric of Sodor and Man.
NEW POOR LAW.
Mr. W. D U NCO MB E sail that he had a petition to pre-
sent from the parish cf Huddersfield, in the West Riding of
rkshire, to which lie would wish to have called the attention
of the Under Secretary of Stew for the Home Department,
bet he was sorry to find that he was not in his place. The
petition referred to the meetings of Guardians which took
place in Huddersfield on the sth and 12th of June last, on the
subject of the new Poor Law. The importance of the sub-
ject created considerable excitement in the town, in consequence
of which the Magistrates were called on by certain individuals
to bring in the military, which they, in the exercise of their
discretion, refused to do. A representation was immediately&
forwarded to the Under-Secretary of State by the parties, whorl
had suggested the calling out of the military, containing
calumnies and misrepresentations with respect to the conduct
of the magistrates upon that occasion. Now, the petitioners
stated that the magistrates acted wisely in refusing to call out
the military, as the peace of the county was not dis-
turbed, and they expressed generally their warm ap-
proval of the manner in which the magistrates had
conducted themselves.—( Hear.) The prayer of the petition
was that the House would order the production of any corres-
pondence which might have taken place in reference to this
subject, between the Lerd Lieutenant and Magistrates of the
County and the under- Secretary of State. The Hon. Mem-
ber begged to state in conclusion, that he bad submitted this
petition to the Secretary of State, but he was sorry to say that
he had paid no attention to it. The petition was ordered to
lie on the table.
BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.—MR. O'CONNELL.
On the motion of Lord MAIDSTONE, the Order of the
Day for the attendance of Mr. O'Connell in his place was now
read.
The SPEAKER inquired if Mr. O'Connell was in
his place.
Mr. O'CONNELL rose and said—" I am here, Sir." The
lion. and Learned Member then sat down.
The SPEAKER—PIease to stand up.
Mr. O'CONNELL then rose.
The SPEAKER—Mr. O'Connell, you have permitted
yourself to he betrayed into the use of expressions at a public
meeting with respect to:which this House has come to the fol-
lowing resolutions :
" That the expressions in the said speech, containing a
charge of foul perjury against the Members of this House in
the discharge of their judicial duties, I.re a false and scanda-
lets imputation on the honour and conduct of the Members of
this House.
" That Mr. O'Connell having avowed that lie had used the
said expressions, has been guilty of a breach of the priviliges of
this House ; and, finally, that he be reprimanded in his place."
The charge of foul perjury is one of the heaviest that can be
preferred. You cannot be surprised that having cast so
grave an imputation on the Members of this House, it
has aroused the indignation of those against whom it
was directed, and that you have exposed yourself to the severest
censure and displeasure of this House. You have endeavoured
to vindicate your conduct by alleging that you were impelled
by a strong sense of the defective constitution of the present
tribunal for the trial of controverted elections, and that you
sought to effect a remedy for that evil by stimulating public
opinion. It is unnecessary for me to remind you, that at the
time when you used the expressions which have been condemned,
this House had recognised, with scarcely any difference of
opinion, the expediency of attempting to apply a real remedy
to the evils of which you complained, and that your energies and
talents could not have found a more legitimate useful employment
than in endeavouring to render the measure before this House
(Ancient for its object. You have further alleged, and it is
true, that others have used language as strong as those which
you employed with respect to this House and its Members.
In general this House has been of' opinion that it consulted its
real dignity, and obeyed the dictates of true wisdom, in relying
for protection and defence against misrepresentation and ca-
lumny, on the consciousness of the zeal and fidelity with will, h
it discharges its duty to the people whom it represents. The
case, however, is very different when one of the Members of this
House seeks 6 disparage and to degrade this House in public
estimation, by charging a large portion of its Members with foul
perjury. No one knows better than you do, that the laws and
constitution of this realm have invested this House with power
and authority so large, that its acts must always have an im-
portant influence on the well-being of the State, and that no
power and authority can be beneficially exercised, unless they
are administered by those who are respected. It is, there-
fore, the first duty of Members of this House to contribute,
by all proper moans to sustain that character, which is as
essential to the credit of the House itself, as for the'
interest of the country. If, unhappily, the day should ever
arrive, when from any cause this House should be stripped'
of the mural influence of character, and of the respect
of the people, its means of resistance to inex&dient, un-
reasonable, or unjust demands, wouldbe so weakened, that tbiel
great assembly, now popularly constituted, might be tossed and'
driven by every successive current, and the safety of the State
might be endangered. I should be unworthy of the station
which I hold, if I did not feel the deepest interest in whatever
can touch or affect the:character of this House, and it is there-
fore with great pain that I have been compelled, in the discharge
of my duty, thus to animadvert upon the conduct of a Member
who has sought to disparage this House by impugning the
conduct and honour of a large portion of its Members. It now
only remains that, in obedience to the commands of this House,
I should reprimand you, as I now accordingly do.
Mr. O'CONNELL then rose amid much cheering, and ad-
dressed the House as follows :—Sir, it seems to me that it is
extremely inconvenient to follow the precedent here laid down.
On the present occasion I have been deprived of considerable
advantage in my defence by the mode the House has adopted.
As to myself, personal, it is but ef small importance what my
inconvenience and suffering may be ; but it is of great import-
ance to the House and to the country, that its proceedings
should be so arranged as not to produce a moral disparage-
ment between the House and the country at large, and the
morality of the House is not to be disparaged if any party
violates that morality. It is not, Sir, because we are
pleased to say we are pure, that the country is to judge us to be
so.—(Cheers.) It is not, Sir, because a majority of 9, or
99, or 200 have declared themselves free from shame, that the
country is to believe them to be so.—( Cheers.) As to my-
self, Sir, the morality or immorality of the House is imma-
terial ; but it is most important to the true administration of
justice, that all decisions and proceedings of this House
should be free from political and party bias. In my opinion,
Sir, and in that no doubt of the country, this House does
not vindicate itself by such a resolution as the present, any
more than the judges did, who vindicated themselves from
taking ship-money.—( Cheers.) I am sorry, Sir, that I was
not in the House, or that I did not know what the resolutions
to iflo moved for were. Taking my words, such as they were,
to be the same as those placed in the resolution, are they, I
would ask, sufficient to enable the House to declare the lan-
guage tole false, and inconsistent with the fact? I have no
hesitation in declaring it not to be so, and that facts might be
brought forward to show that what I have stated is true, and
that the greatest partiality has been exercised in Election
Committees. Is there any gentlemen, I would ask, who
could declare that it was their firm belief that Election Com-
mittees were impartial ?—( Cheers.) No ono can doubt that
the greatest party bias influences the members of such Com-
mittees. It is admitted that many gentlemen vote in Elec-
tion Committees by party bias. In the motion of last
night it is expressly so stated. It is there stated that
many of the Members sworn to try the merits of Election
petitions are biassed by party interests and attachments.
If that is not perjury I know not what is.—( Cheers.) That
charged Members with being biassed in Committees by their
party feelings—if that is not a charge of' perjury then I have
never used the word, because that was all I meant to convey.
—( Cheers.) The Gentlemen opposite may lay the flattering
unction to their souls, but I ask will the public go with them?—
(Cheers.) In order to do so they must disclaim that these tribu-
nals were actuated by party feelings—have they done so? No—
( Cheers)--nor can they. As for the Bill before the House it is
nothing—it says that these Committees are partial, and then
goes on to continue them, I mean no disrespect to the Gen-
tleman who introduced the Bill, but it does nut apply any re-
medy. The public has long been opposed to the system.—
(Cheers.) I hold in my hand a pamphlet which was published
by a Parliamentary agent above a year ago, in which, speaking
of these Committees, he says, " I have not known a single
case, in which the parties interested, as also the Gentlemen of'
the Bar, did not look more at the character and political opi-
nions of the Members of the Committee, as furnishing grounds
for success, than to the merits of the case. "—( Cheers.) He pro-
ceeds—" The evil has continued to increase until it has be-
come intolerable." I have, Sir, received your reprimand, be-
cause I have felt it to be intolerable to the part of the country
from which I come. He proceeds—" No Member is safe—no
Member is secure of his seat, nor can any petitioner hope to
succeed with the best case—all depends upon the political
opinions of the Committee."—( Cheers.) lam aware that lam
not very popular with the Gentlemen opposite. It may be my
fault; but if so, it is one I cannot repent of.—( Loud cheers.)
Instead of assailing me, why du not the lion. Gentlemen
attack the gentleman who has put forth my sentiments in a
publication which met them in every publisher's shop e-
-(Loud cheers.) I tell them that they cannot stifle
either the voice of the public nor mine. I have every respect
for the assembly of the Gentlemen around me, but no respect
for any body will ever keep me from speaking the truth.
Many of the Gentlemen present will remember that Galileo
was put into prison for sa)ing, that the world went round—
they may also remember that it is said that after the bolts and
bars were drawn upon 'din, he crud out through the key-
hole, " the world goes rounds still." The writer I refer
to is not a Whig, much less a Radical as I am—but lie be-
longs in politics to a party opposed to me ; and he says,
"Nothing depends on the merite—every thing depends on the
Committee." I ask Gentlemen to put their hands to their
hearts, and to say whether that is true or false ?—(Cheers.)
Parties endeavour to get Committees of the most extraordi-
nary nature. I have heard even to-day of a most extraordi-
nary circumstance with respect to a Committee.—
( Loud cheering, which continued far some seconds. The
observation was made, we believe, in allusion to the
fact of a gentleman having allowed himself to be
bellotted for on the City of London Committee, not-
withstanding he voted for, and was an active partizan of,
the petitioner.) And it really was suggested to me—only the
Noble Lord has conducted his case with so much perfect cor-
rectness towards me, I must say that I will not at all think of
involving him in any species of even legitimate complaint—
but it has been suggested to me that it was arranged my case
' should be brought on early, before the facts of that other ease