The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-04 00:00:00

CANADA.

Mr. PA K INGTOKT presented a petition from be-
tween 2,000 and 3,000 inhabitants of Montreal on the sub-
ject of the Ordinance for Incorporating the Seminary of
San Sulpice. The petitioners thought the ordinance
highly objectionable in principle and detail, inasmuch as
it perpetuated and aggravated the system of feudal tenure,
and violated the provisions of the2d and 3d Victoria, chap.
53. The petitioners prayed that the House would ad-
dress the Crown for an abolition of that obnoxious ordi-
nance.—Laid on the table.

The HON. MEMBER then begged to ask what would be
the immediate effect of that ordinance, and whether it
would be acted upon in Canada before it was submitted to
Parliament in the course of the next Session?
Lord JOHN RUSSELL could not state whether the
Governor-General would act upon the ordinance before it
had received the sanction of her Majesty's Government or
not, but it would be in his power to do so if he thought
proper.
Col. PERCEVAL presented a petition from Ennis-
killen, against the system of National Education in Ire-
land.

Mr. HA WE S presented a petition from the Surrey
Political Union, complaining of the treatment of political
prisoners.
Mr. PAKINGTON moved the Order of the Day
for the consideration of the Lords' Amendments to the
Sale of Beer Bill, for the purpose of postponing it.
Mr. HUME presented a petition from a parish in Man-
chester, against the connection between Church and
State. The Hon Member also presented a petition from
a person named Robert Caddy, now a prisoner in Bever-
ley, and complaining of the conduct pursued towards him
by the Visiting Justices. The petition detailed a system
of espionage and severity unparalleled in this or any other
country. He moved that the petition be printed, in order
to bring the matter before the House to-morrow.
Mr. FOX MAW, E begged to call the attention of
the House to the danger likely to arise from printing
petitions containing gross charges against the Magistrates,
which the Hon. Members presenting them would not ven-
ture to vouch for. If true, inquiry into the facts was ab-
solutely necessary ; if false, the result was that unfounded
charges were, by the printing of these petitions, cir-
culated throughout the country, and were calculated to
rouse the indignation of the lower classes against the Ma-
gistrates, and thereby do irreparable mischief.—( Hear.)
Mr. HUME said, if the Hon. Gentleman assured him
that inquiry would take place into these matters, he should
not press the motion. He had two other petitions of the
same description to present. He had written to the ma-
gistrate whose conduct was impugned, but he should
postpone them for the present.
Mr. FOX MAULE would pledge himself to institute
an inquiry, not only into the allegations of that petition,
but into those of every petition of a like nature.
Mr. L ANGD AL E, as a magistrate of the East
Riding of Yorkshire, expressed himself as most anxious
for full inquiry to be made.
PRIVILEGE.

Colonel PERCEVAL rose to draw the attention of
the House to a breach of privilege which regarded him-
self. In a Morning Paper of considerable circulation, par-
ticularly in Ireland, he had been represented as expressing
an opinion last night in the debate on the Irish Municipal
Corporation Bill directly contrary to the one he bad ex-
pressed. He had been made to express his approval of
the course-pursued by the Government, more particularly
by the Noble Lord the Secretary for Ireland, with regard
to the amendments sent down from the other House. He
certainly had expressed his approbation of the announce-
ment of the Noble Lord of his intention to grapple with
the whole question of judicial officers having seats in that
House; but he did not express his approbation of their con-
duct with regard to all the amendment. On the contrary,
he stated his disapproval of the interference of the House
with those salutary amendments. H eapproved of those
amendments as far as they went, and so far only, and he
only regretted that they did not go further. He had also
stated, that if it depended upon his vote that Bill would
never pass into a law. In justice to the consistency of his
political character he felt himself called upon to correct
this misstatement, which was calculated to do injury to
him among his friends in Ireland.
YEOVIL MAGISTRATES.
Mr. SANFORD wished to ask the Hon. Member for
Finsbury if he intended to follow up the petition he had
presented by any motion, as he was sure the Magistrates
were most anxious for inquiry.
Mr. 'l'. DUNCO MBE said it would be impossible to
institute an inqui-y into the allegations of the petition dur-
ing the present Session.
BUSINESS OF THE SESSION.
On the Order of the Day for the third reading of the
Consolidated Fund Bill,
_ _

Mr. HUME said he would take that opportunity of
drawing the attention of the House to the conduct of that
House, and to the state and feelings of the people. lie
exceedingly regretted the manner in which the most nu-
merously signed petition ever presented to Parliament—
that for the Charter—had been treated. Had it not been
treated in that manner, he thought the present discontents
would not have existed. Tbe'Reform Bill had disappointed
the people. The democratic principle was not properly
represented; he was of opinion that every man who paid
taxes, or who was liable to be drawn;in the militia, had a
right to vote in the election of Members of Parliament. The
prisons were now filled by persons who only sought for
change, in the same manner as the changes of 1832 were
produced. He admitted that those who had had re-
course to physical force and to the destruction of pro-
perty ought to be punished; but the greater part
of those now in prison were placed there for
making use of seditious language, and for attending
public meetings. The Ministry ought to recollect their
own conduct in 1832, and not press so hardly upon those
who were seeking further reforms, and who were only
pursuing the same course that they themselves had pursued
to carry the Reform Bill. He complained that they had
nothing whatever to show at the end of the Session. No-
thing had been done but enormously increasing their war
establishment, and the consequence was that new taxes
were obliged to be laid on the already overburdened people
of this country. As the present was the last occasion on
which be should have an opportunity of pronouncing his
opinion upon the finances of the country, he begged to
enter his protest against the policy of the Government. Ho
feaerd as the House was at present constituted it would be
impossible to expect any thing satisfactory from it.
The Bill was then read a third time and passed.
The Exchequer Bills Bill was read a third time and
passed. _