The Sun.
London, England, 1840-01-23 00:00:00

BANK OF ENGLAND.

At a Court of Directors, held on fh( 23d January,
Resolved—" That the rate of interest on bills of ex-
change and notes discounted at the Bank of England be
five per cent. from th;s day."

per
On the above being known, Consols were done at 911
or the Account.

CLOSING PRICES.
BRITISH FUNDS-
Bank Stock
Ni Ditto Bonds ............ , 3
3 per Cent Cram .... ...... . 91% Ditto Old AnnUi!'i,eS ...... ......
NI Per Cent, Red ......... . 9i.% Ditto Sew Anoint." "*"*--.'
3 per Cent. Red ............... 0"...1
d r R Pm.
New 314 per Cent ............ psi, tEx IOW 2 ---
A , Fills, , , 18 pm.
New 5 Der Cent ...... .... ........ i Ditto '- ii
India Stock .... ......... ............21IN
Jan 181i0 ..... , .............
Jan. 186,i
......
Oet. 1859
133 i India Stock for °Pg.— . 91%
—OR EI 0 N(3°l.n'sdNisit°sl °Pg
.....e.:..ce—n;• Austrian, 5 per cent .... Portuguese nonds, bp •
B.2lgian, 5 per cent,.......
.... —
Brazilian Bonds ................. Prussian, 5 per cent
Buenos Ayres, 6 per cent...... Russian Bonds, 5 per cent —
Chilian, 6 per cent. .......... .... 37 Ditto, 'Metallic
Colombian 6 per cent„, ....... !Spanish, 5 per cent .........
12
Ditto, IS2-1! ......................... lilac), Deferred
—l.—c
Danish, 3 per cent. ....... ....... French, 5 per cent.........._
_. ,
Greek Bonds, 1825, 5 per ct. Exchange ............. .. ......
...._. —c
New Ditto
Mexican, 5 per cent .... French, 3 per cent.......... r
5-2 c.
Ditto, 6 per cent. 182 a........
'Dutch, IN per cent.......
" ....
.101146
Peruvian. 182.5.6 per cent.... IlYtto 5 per cent. ........ ....
~,,

, -
Birmingham and GlouceSsfiteAr RRalil'way •••••••• ******** 519%
Eastern Counties Railway ....... *********
4 tircat Western Railway , ***** .................. ********
20
Ditto New Shares ................................
London and Brighton Railway ............... .........
London and Blackwall
........... ........... 711
Manchester and Leeds ...............
Railway • ......... 17
Ditto New Shares •• ............
........... ....... .
North Midland Railway. •...... ......
Ditto New Shares .......................................... 13%

EXPEDITION TO ClllNA.~—'r lie Master-Ge
neral of the Ordnance has transmitted orders to Woolwieh for
a party of artillery and artificeri to be selected from volunteers
of civilians out of the Royal Arsenal, to be embarked in the
-
ships of war now fitting out for the coasts of China. Howitzers
w
and rockets are being prepared with the utmost celerity; in
fact, the workmen have been employed even on Sundays, in
addition to extra hours during the
Officers of the Royal
Artillery have been directed to hold themselves in readiness for
instant embarkation, but from the particular nature of the ser-
vice in view at present, the absolute selection has not yet
taken place, and they are not to be taken according to the
roster," or usual routine of duty. The non-commissioned
officersand gunners are to be all picked men from the several
battalions, although the Commandant of the garrison is desi-
rousp of selecting them from: the seventh battalion. Twelve
arsenal artificers belonging to the Laboratory Department have
voluntered to accompany the ex edition
on receiving double
pay; and it is stated to be the plan to purchase on the voyage
(as near the Chinese seas as possible) several ships which are
to be filled with combustitles, and converted Into fire ships by
these artificers, in conjunction with the naval department, and
then intended to be employed among the Chinese war junks.

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

At a Special Court, summoned this day, the LORD MAYOR
rose and said he had to mal,o a communication to the Court,
which, perhaps, n. had never fallen to the lot M any previous
Lord Mayor to make—that the Sheriffs were prevented from
attending by reason of their having been taken into custody by
the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons.—(Loud
cries of " Hear.")
The resolutions of the Court of Aldermen were then read,
expressing their surprise and regret at the committal, and ap-
pointing a Committee to provide for the emergency.
Mr. WIRE said he thought it would be unwise now to enter
at large into the merits or demerits of the question.---(Hear,
hear.) He considered the best course would be to appoint a
Committee to co-operate with the Committee of the Court of
Aldermen—perhaps, also, going a little further, and expressing
sympathy with the Sheriffs.—( Hear, hear.) He suggested
that resolutions of this nature be agreed to :—First, that the
office of Sheriff of London and Middlesex being vested in the
Corporation of London, and executed by two Freemen of the
city, elected by Livery, in Common Hall assembled, it becomes
the duty of this Court to see that none of its rights be infringed.
This was merely a declaratory resolution, expressing the de-
termination of the Court to maintain rights which had been
vested in the city by long prescription, by undoubted charter—
which had been often struggled for by their ancestors, and
which had frequently been of the greatest service to the liberties
of the nation—(Che, rs)—and most assuredly this Court did not
want spirit to assert and maintain these rights.--(Cheers.)
At this stage of the proceedings a worthy Alderman sug-
gested that the votes of the House of Commons be read, which
give official information of the committal and its cause.
Mr. WIRE proceeded to read the 2d Resolution—" That this
Court finding that the Sheriffs have been committed by the
House of Commons, for discharging the duties of their high
and distinguished office, as declared by the Court of Queen's
Bench"—

Mr. HEPPELL, interrupting, doubted whether the Court had
official information that the Sheriffs had been committed in the
discharge of their duty—for the House of Commons shrouded
themselves in obscurity, and did not express the cause of the
commitment on the warrant.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. PEWTRESS rose to order.—(Cries of " Hear.")
Mr. WIRE proceeded reading his resolution. The Sheriffs
had been committed for the discharge of their duties as de-
clared by the Court of Queen's Bench, and acting in a
legal and Constitutional. manner.—(Cheers.) This Court
deeply sympathizes with them, and hereby offers its tribute of
respect to them for the firmness, discretion, and dignity, with
which they had conducted themselves on this most important
occasion."—', Cheers.) He intended to follow up these reso-
lutions by another one, appointing a Committee to co-operate
with the Committee of the Court of Aldermen.
Alderman THOMPSON was so convinced the course the
House of Commons had taken on this occasion was unjustifia-
ble, that he could not be satisfied with the resolutions just
moved. The course the House of Commons had taken was
entirely unprecedented.—(Cries of " No, no.") The She-
riffs were incarcerated within the walls of Parliament.—
( Hear, hear.) Why was that course followed in-
stead of adopting the usual course of sending them to
Newgate or the Tower—obviously because the House of Com-
mons, in pursuing what they called the protection of their pri-
vileges, felt a wait of confidence in the justice of their pro-
ceedings—( Cheers)—and therefore wished to have the Sheriffs
in their own custody, in order to keep them out of the
operation of that great protection of English liberty—the
Habeas Corpus.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.) He had never
met with a single citizen who had not considered this course
unjustifiable and unconstitutional—(Hear, hear)—and he
should not consider that the Court had done their duty till they
harl adopted a very strong petition and remonstrance to the
House 'for this encroachment on their liberties.—(Cheers.)
And he should recommend that if possible this petition should
be presented to-day.—(Hear, hear, and a cry of " By the whole
Corporation.") Yes, by the whole Corporation—(Cheers)—
and he should move this after the resolutions of Mr. Wire were
agredd to.
Mr. STEVENS begged the Court to consider what they
were about.—( Hear, hear.) The Court of Aldermen had
been very cautious what they did, and yet they wished to
compel this Court to a more decided course. It
by no means necessarily followed that, because the
House had committed the Sheriffs—that therefore the House
must be wrong and the Sheriffs right—(Hear, hear) —and
ought not the Court to pause before they took so decided a step
as to censure the House of Commons ?—(Hear.) He looked
upon the House of Commons not merely as so many gentlemen,
but as the representatives of the whole nation ; therefore, were
not their privileges the privileges of the nation ?—( Hear,
hear.) Ought not the Court to be content with appointing a
Committee to co-operate with the Court of Aldermen?—
(Hear, hear.)

Alderman BROWN felt so indignant at the course pursued
by the House of Commons, that he dared not trust him-
self to give expression to his feelings.—( Hear.) The
question was, whether the country should be under certain de-
fined laws, or uncertain and undefined privilegs.—( Hear, hear. )
For his part, he considered it better to be under one absolute
despot—not under '658 tyrants.—(" Oh, oh." and " Hear,
hear.") He could not help holding up to admiration—that is
to wonder—the course pursued by the Government, who had
acted unfaithfully in this matter to their Royal Mistress and to
the liberties of England.—( Cheers, and " Oh, oh !")
Mr. LAWRENCE rose to order, but—
The LORD MAYOR decided against him, and
Mr. Alderman BROWN proceedel in the same strain.
Mr. LAWRENCE cried out, " Sir Robert Peel."

Mr. Alderman BRovvx said, with Pain he was obliged to
confess that Sir Robert Peel had on this occasion disappointed
those who thought better of him.--( Loud cheers and laughter.)
Mr. Alderman White said he considered that
in supporting the privileges of tke House he should
be supporting the liberties of the nation—(Hear, hear,
hear)--and he would never consent to live under, what Ben-
tham, called, the ascendency of a wretched judge-made law
over the rights of the • people.—(Loud cheers.) That
the present mode of publishing - the proceedings of the
House was.-beneficial to the people, who could doubt
who bad read Sir Robert Peel's admirable speech.—(Cheers.)
It was in 1679 that the proceedings of the House were first
published, and then the sound argument used was that it was
fitting the people should know what they did, and posterity
should know what they had done.—( Cheers. ) Was it not
apparent that the rights of the elected must be the rights of the
electors, And that the privileges of the representatives were
those of the represented?—(Cheers. )