The Sun.
London, England, 1812-12-02 00:00:00

ELECTION PETITIONS,

Lord CASTLEREAGH then rose. to propose mak-
ing arrangements with respect to the ballot for
Committees to try the merits of Conte!ge'd Elec-
tions. He stated that he (lid not conceive it could
either suit the convenience of the House, or
prove beneficial to the parties concerned, were,
they to. take up the consideration of these subjects
during the, short period of their sitting before .the
holidays; But it would be desirable to take up
the subject as soon after their subsequent
ing as possible. In the view he at present took
of the subject, he should have to propose that the
adjournment should' extend to the first Tuesday in
February ; and he thought the following Tuesday
would be 4 proper time to fix tot. proceeding to
ballot for the first Committee on an Election-Pe-
tition. In 'selecting the first, they would, of
course, proceed according to the usageS of the
House.
_ .

The SPEAKER obser'.-ed, that by the usages of
the House, the Noble Lord must mean that they
were to begin•with the cases in which no returns
had been made, as their first class—with the.cases
in .which there had been double returns, as their
second class—with the cases iir which there had
been returns of the sane indii'idual for two or
inure places, as their third class-,-and, lastly; with
the cases in whichthe returns were complained of
as undue and improper. He had consulted the
returas.made, and found there were none in the
two former cases, and therefore the House might
exercise their judgment in proceeding with the
latter. •

The question that the House should not take
any of these Petitions into consideration before
the Holidays, was then put and carried.
The SPEAKER said, if there were any Petitions
complaining of undue Elections, this was the time
to present them.

A Petition was forthwith' presented against the
return of Messrs. Robson and Gurney, for Shaftes-
bury Lthe Petitioners were, Messrs. Weatherall

and Thellusson, the rejected Candidates ; and
Tuesday, the 9th of February, was appointed
for balloting for a Committee to try the merits of

the same.

REGULATIONS RESPECTING ORDERS OF THE DAY

AND NOTICD4.

Lord CASTLEREAGH next called the attention of
the Hotise to this subjeet,- and proposed a regula-
tion, the same as that agreed to last Session ;
which had been faund so admirably to promote
and expedite the dispatch of public business,
namely, that on MondayS and Fridays the Orders
of the Day should take precedence of the Notices
in,their discussions, and the'Noble Lord concluded
'by moving a IkeSOlUt lon to that effect. •
Cu its being put from the Chair,
Mr. Wurrn READ rose; not to repeat the argu-
ments he had on former :occasions used against
this practice, or to take the sense of the House
upon the subject, but to enter his protest against
it, as tending to throw much power and influence
in that House into the hands of the Ministers of
the Crown, whoever they might lie, Members
who had a recollection of their ancient usages
must look on this innovatiOn With' a jealous eye;
for himself, he put in a claim to his right, as hold-
ing a seat in that House, not onlyto bring forward
the subject of any notice on these days, before the
Orders of the Day, but also to originate, as far as
his courtesy did not prevent him, any Motion he
thought fit, without a notice at
Lord MILTO N also objected to the regulation, as
a novel practice, contrary to the
,oldsusage of Par•
liament, and asserted the right of Members to
disregard it. He contended that it cramped,. in-
stead of facilitating public business.
The Resolution was then put and carried.