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

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, JUNE 26.
The LORD CIIANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack shortly after
Fire o'clock,

A message from the House of Commons brought up the Festiniog
Railway Company Bill.
Lord KENYON presented petitions from the Guardians of Unions in
several towns in Lancashire, against the Poor.law Bill.
The Bishop of ELY presented a petition from the Dean and Chapter
of Ely, against certain clauses in the Benefices Pluralities Bill.

VOTING BY PROXY.
The Marquis of WESTMINSTER postponed until next Session the
motion of which he had given notice, relatiye to the privilege enjoyed by
their Lordships in voting by proxy. He did so because he thought it
would be useless to bring it forward.

The Earl of FITZ WILLIAM thought the subject of the privilege of
their Lordships to vote by proxy was one of great importance, and not
lightly to be disposed off. He doubted very much whether his Noble Friend
understood the subject himself, because he had stated on a former occasion
that proxies of Noble Lords had gone forth after they had ceased to
exist. He wished to know whether the votes of all the Members of the
House of Commons were not given by proxy. Every Member of
that House voted as the proxy of his constituents. The principle
on which proxies in this House were given was, that the party was una-
ble from illness to attend; and the Peer to whom it was entrusted heard
the whole of the debate, and was at liberty to give it to that side
which he thought right. Being convinced that erroneous opinions
were entertained upon the subject out of doors, lie had made the few
observations he had done.

Lord BROUGHAM could not but admire the chivalrous spirit of his
Noble Friend, who, when he saw no other champion for proxies, had put
himself forth as one; notwithstanding that, however, he (Lord B.)
would never beeome a convert to so absurd a practice.—(Cheers.) He
could not agree with his Noble Friend that the Members of the House
of Commons were to be considered in the light of delegates.
The subject then dropped.
A Message from the House of Commons brought up the Slave Trade
Treaties, and several other Bills.

The Earl of HADDINGTON presented a petition from J. J. Hope
Johnstone, the claimant of the Annandale Peerage, praying that he
might be allowed to lay a short additional case before their Lordships, in
order further to substantiate his claim.
The Earl of DARTMOUTH presented a petition from Birmingham
against the Sale of Beer Bill.

NEGRO SLAVERY.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the Negroes and
Apprentices of St. Thomas in the Vale, in the Island of Jamaica, com-
plaining of the cruelties they suffered, and praying for redress. The
Noble Lord believed that this was the first time the negroes had ♦entured
to petition their Lordships, and he trusted that it would have its due
weight. The Noble Lord presented several other petitions to the same
effect from various parts of England. The Noble Lord also presented
petitions from different parts of Scotland against further endowments to
the Church of that country.
GLASGOW WATERWORKS COMMITTEF;
The Duke of RICHMOND said he understood that it had been
arranged that the Committee on the Glasgow Waterworks Bill was not
to meet to-morrow. He could not understand why they should
not meet the day before the Coronation. Noble Lords were
not like peeresses or ladies who wished to lay in bed to preserve
their complexion.—(Laughter.) He thought it was a waste of time
for the Committee to adjourn over to-morrow.
Lord PORTMAN, as Chairman of the Committee, said that it had
been considered useless for the Committee to meet to-morrow.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE deprecated allowing Committees to adjourn
over a day as a matter of course, without stating the grounds for
doing so.

Lord BROUGHAM concurred entirely with what had fallen
from the Noble Lord. It would be useless laying down a
rule, as their Lordships had done, if it were not to be strictly
adhered to. A party that was Unfavourable to a measure might
gain the whole object he had in view by such an adjournment as had
taken place in the present instance. He thought the leave that had
been given ought to be rescinded.

The Duke of RICHMOND did not wish to rescind the order;
all he desired was, that the House should express its opinion upon
such a course being adopted. He thought this Committee ought for
the remainder of the session to sit from ten to five o'clock.—(Laughter.)
Here the subject dropped.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented several petitions from Dissenting
congregations in Yorkshire, against an additional endowment to the
Scotch Church ; and also a petition from Halifax, for an alteration in
the beer laws.