The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-29 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HO USE OF COMMONS, Auausr 27.
MR. HUME'S MOTION.
Concluded from our Paper of Saturday.
He (Sir C. WETHERELL) observed no increasing
love-liking for the Ministerial measure of Reform : and on
the banks of the Liffey, in the great city of Dublin, it
was evident, from the return of two Anti• Reformers, that
it had lost ground in public estimation. It might be said
that this was only in Ireland ; but what would be said of
Great Grimsby, where it Lad also retrograded, and where
two Members, deeply smitten with love for the beauteous
Bill, had been rejected?—(No, No.) At least the Noble
Lord who spoke so ably last night could not be called one
of its heartiest supporters. He would ask whether the Livery
of London would pretend to say that the time of the
House had been wasted by the discussion upon the Bi!l,
at a time when they sent down two Members to the
House to propose a clause insisting on their retaining
their present privileges. His (Sir C. NVetherell's) opinion
was, that the Bill had retrograded ; he had shown that to
be the case in Dublin and other places where there had been
new elections; it retrograded also in that printout mobile
of patriotism, the Livery of London. He was sure
the Noble Lord (Althorp) would not wish to defeat any
other important measure by insisting on this Bill being
brought forward to the exclusion of others. The
Hon. Member for Middlesex had made a calculation of the
number of hours occupied in the discussion of this subject,
and had taken credit to himself for having occupied so few
hours himself. If the Hon. Member had been abstinent
on the Reform Bill, he had spoken upon all other
topics quite sufficient for three fourths of the Mem-
bers of the House.—(Loud laughter.) He had spoken
on the Army Estimates, and on the Sugar DutiesOn
Wine and Windsor Castle—(Laughter)—and on the
Church and Chancery.—(Loud laughter.) Those were
certainly alliterations, and he would give the Hon. Member
another, which was Tea and Tithes.—(Load laughter.)
Although, therefore, he had been rather abstinent on the
Reform question he had bestowed a very considerable
Portion of his Parliamentary exuberance on all other sub-
jects.—(Laughter.) However, he (Sir C. Wether,ll)
must say that he was confident the alteration in the busi-
ness of the House, as proposed by this motion, would
add delay to the Reform Bill.—(Cheers from the Op-
position.) A great deal had been said of the health
and convenience of various persons who had spoken, but
nothing was said of the health and constitution of the
Speaker of the House—(Cheers)—und by the proposed
arrangement the health of that Right Hon. Gentleman
would materially suffer.—(Hear.)
Several Members rose amidst loud cries of" Question."
The SPEAKER then put the orit,inal motion, and the
amendment, upon which
Sir J. NEWPORT said a few words in explanation of
his former statement.
Lord ALTHORP said he had had frequent communi-
catiane with gentlemen relative to . the slow pro-
gress pf the Reform Bill, and he knew that many

gentlemen thought that sitting early would have the
effect of expediting it. He, however, entertained many
doubts upon that point.—(Loud cries of hear.) He did
not think the House could do more with the Bill by sit-

ting in the morning than by sitting eight continuous hours
in the evening.—(Cheers from the Opposition.) With
respect to one objection to this motion, be must say that
he never contemplated-the exclusion of all other subjects
from diseussions4:o-lear)—indeed, it had generally hap-
pened•vthat subjects had taken precedence.
The'strason ,why theY bad not been able to devote
eight7.hours ?every day to this Bill was, that such
long, discussiOns upon petitions took plaee.—(Cheers.)
If that could be avoided in future (and it was only to be
avoided, by the discretion of Hon. Members), they could
proceed with the Reform Bill by tire o'clock. He thought
that, looking at what had already been done by sitting
early on Saturdly, it afforded no evidence of being able to
get through business more expeditiously by sitting miller
every day. Having stated that he wished to be guided
by the opinion of the House (for he was not guided
by the pressure out of doors), because he did not
wish to put forward his own opinion first, he now
begged to state that he thought it better to commence
the Reform Bill, in future, at five o'clock ; he, therefore,
would suggest to his Hon. Friend (Mr. Hume) to with-
draw the motion, upon the understanding that, in the dis-
cretion of Hon. Members, they would, in presenting peti-
tions, enable them to proceed at five o'clock with the Re-
form Bill.—(Cheers.)
Sir R. PEEL felt highly gratified at the course pursued
by the Noble Lord—(Cheers)—and he begged that Hon.
Members would, as far as was consistent with their duty,
avoid pressing forward any other business.—(Hear.) Not
personal inconvenience alone, but a sense of public duty
should induce the House to go on with the business, to enable
Members to return to their seats in the country in order
to perform the duties attached to them there, He hoped,
that in future the debates on petitions would he as short
as possible; he for one would nut object to sitting at twelve
o'clock, but it was an innovation on old habits, and as
they could only sit eight hours a day, he could see no be-
nefit that would accrue from the proposed alteration. He
hoped the Noble Lord and other lion. Members would
adopt the suggestions now thrown out, and that they would
proceed in the same amicable manner to the discussion of
the Reform Bill.—(Cheers.)
Sir F. BURDETT was happy in the course pursued
by the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peel). His Sir F.
Burdett's mind had been made up to vote for the motion
of the Hon. Member for Middlesex; but after what had
fallen from the Noble Lord (Althorp), he hoped his lion.
Friend would withdraw his motion, and allow the Reform
Bill to be immediately proceeded in.—(Hear.)
Mr. BRISCOE rose amidst load cries of " Question,"
which continued for a long period to prevent his speak-
ing. At last he was heard to ask if the Hon. Member
for Middlesex would withdraw his motiop ?

Mr. HUME being loudly called for, said he would have
felt very great pleasure in acceding to the proposition of
the Noble Lord ; but when lie found that the only real
objections to his motion were made by that party who
opposed the meeting of the House on Saturdays—a party
who had caused all the delay in the progress of the Bill—
he felt great pain to be obliged to refuse the Noble
Lord's request. It was because that party thought that
his proposition would accelerate the Bill that they opposed
his motion, the carrying of which he was convinced would
be the means of expediting the meaure.
Mr. BRISCOE rose again, and was loudly assailed with
cries of " Spoke," " Question." At length, amidst much
noise, he said he had come prepared to support the mo-
tion, though from what had fallen from the Noble Lord,
he wished that it should he withdrawn. He contended,
however, that after the experience they bad had of leaving
the discussion upon petitions to the discretion of the Hon.
Members, they should not leave any thing to their future
discretion, but that at five o'clock every afternoon the Bill
should be proceeded in. He begged the House to bear in
mind that all the objections to the motion came from the
opposite party, which was a proof that they thought the
proposition would expedite the measure.
Colonel WOOD hoped that if the motion were carried,

the Hon. Member himself (Mr. Hume) would always be
in his place, for, during many of the discussions he had
been absent ; as to the• [lon. Member occupying so short
a time of the House in discussions upon the Bill, he (Co-
lonel Wood) believed that had arisen from some parts of
the Bill affecting materially a part of the Hon. Member's
constituents.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME denied that what the Gallant Officer had
spoken was the fact, for he had been in every division of
the House except one ; and he had only been absent three
days, and that was solely from indisposition. As to the
Bill affecting his constituents, he was instructed on the
hustings to do all he could to press the Bill on, even as
now, when the Ministers themselves were slackening.
Lord ALTHORP thought it due to his character to re-
but a charge made by the Hon. Member, that he had exhi-
bited any slackness in the progress of this Bill. He ap-
pealed to the House—be appealed to the public—whether
he had ever exhibited any alsckness.--(Cheers.) If ha
could not agree with the Hon. Member's motion, it was
not because he was slackening, but because lie did not
think it would have the effect the Hon. Member anticipated.
—(Cheers.) Entertaining that opinion, and as the Hon.
Member would not withdraw the motion, he (Lord Al-
thorp) should be obliged to vote against it.—(Cheers from
the Opposition.)
• Mr. W. WYNN bore testimony to the moderation and
temper, and, at the same time, perseverance displayed by
the Noble Lord—conduct which was the most efficient
way of expediting the Bill.
Mr. LABOUCHERE spoke to a similar effect, and de-
clared if the public only knew how much the Noble Lord's
conduct had tended towards expediting the measure, it
would be properly appreciated.—(Cheers.) He, as a Re-
, former, felt grateful for the manner in which the Noble
Lord had conducted those proceedings.
Lord EBRINGTON said no one in that House, or in
the country at large, could say with a shadow of justice
that the N, ble Lord had in his conduct relative to the
Reform Bill—pushing and supporting it through good
report and evil report—shown himself to be slack, as
the Hun. Member for Middlesex had insinuated.—Ofear.)
His conduA exonerated him from such an imputation
most triumphantly.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. HUME was anxious to correct what certainly was
to he considered a mere lapses linyux—(l-lear, hear,)—
he could see a wrong construction had been put upon
what he had stated.—(Hear, hear, bear.) He would,
however, say, that all he meant by the expression
was, that an impression, as he understood, was abroad that
Government were slack in their support of the Bill, and
that that was the proper opportunity of trying it. He
could assure the Noble Lord, the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, and the Noble Lord who had just sat down,
that no one was ever on any occasion more ready
than himself to give testimony to the good tem-
per, moderation, and zeal, and perseverance with which
the Reform Bill bad been pursued by him, and he meant
nothing at all personal in the remark he had perhaps un-
advisedly thrown out.—(Hear, hear.) He could not but
think, when he saw the course that was taken against him
eurproonr?
ahnisd,octiciaesrieofon
re, however
Isle
.ien(rMruriwlilitltittnlge)
bsa
ev
ws has, imself lin
f saw
sufficient reason in what the Noble Lord had said, to in-
duce hint to withdraw his motion.—(Hear, hear, hear.)
Ile did so, however, with considerable regret, because
upon the discussion of it two hours of the time of
the house had already been consunsed. At the same
time if the statements made on that (the Opposition)
side of the Ilouse were at all to be depended upon—and
he did hope they were to be depended upon—the time
would not have been altogether lost.—(llear, hear.)
The motion was then withdrawn.
Mr. HENRY GRATTAN then took the oaths and his seat
for Meath.

REFORM BILL.
Lord ALTHORP moved the order of the day fur
the House resolving into a Committee on the Reform Bill,
and the Speaker having left the Chair,
Mr. BERNAL read the 92d clause, and two amend-
ments having been disposed of,
Mr. ESTCOURT moved that all the present rights of
voting in elections of cit'zens and burgesses to serve in
Parliament (except such rights as appertain to boroughs
enumerated in schedule A) be permanently preserved.
Sir C. 'WETHERELL wished to propose an amend-
ment on this clause. The first question to be considered
was, whether the rights referred to were to be preserved
as they now stood ; and secondly, were they to be pre-
served with the qualification of requiring residence within
the walls of the borough ? He bad alsvays grounded his
objections to the present Bill on the principle of disfran-
chisement, and upon the same principle he now objected to
the disfranchisement of a voter who happened to be a non-
resident. The Noble Lord opposite had lately had a gold
box resented to him by the city of London, on which
were the words " Magna Charta and Reform ;" but he (Sir
C. Wetherell) felt confident, if that Noble Lord allowed
the present clause to form part of the Bill, he would be
obliged to drop the words Magna Charts, if he did not
that of Reform. It had been said that this was an
extremely popular Bill, he denied in toto such a pro-
position, to his mind it was extremely unpopular,
for it extended the privileges of the higher orders, and
took them away from the lower. He considered the pre-
sent clause a most obnoxious one, and he should therefore
vote against it. The amendment, however, of his lion.