The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-18 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The reporters' gallery was thrown open at half-
past one, when we found that upwards of forty
Members had assembled on the floor of the House.
The group every moment received fresh accessions,
and shortly before two the meats and spaces between
the benches and between the table and the door of the
House were inconveniently filled. Amongst the crowd
we observed—the Attorney and Solicitor- General, Mr.
Tufnell, Lord Seymour, and Mr. J. A. Smith, the
proposer and seconder of the Speaker, Mr. Greene,
Mr. Masterman, Ir. Alderman Sidney, Mr. spencer,
Mr. W. J. Fox, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Macgregor, Mr.
Baines, Mr. B. Cochrane, Mr. Collins, Mr. Moffatt,
Mr. Browne, Colonel Peel, Mr. Disraeli, Sir
James Duke, Mr. Bernal, Lord Harry Vane,
Mr. Feargus O'Connor (who seated himself next
Colonel Peel, on the Opposition bench, after heartily
shaking hands with the Attorney-General and Mr.
Spooner), Sergeant Talfourd, Mr. Cowan, Sir
H. Inglis, Mr. H. Muntz, Mr. Martin, Mr. Fox
Maule, Mr. Goulburn, &c., &c.

Mr. Ley, the Clerk of the House, took his seat at
the table shortly before two o'clock.

Most of the old Members occupied the same seats
as during the last Parliament.

The Speaker of the last Commons entered the
House at two o'clock. He was extremely well
received by the Honourable Members, who at the
time numbered full 500.

Lord John Russell and the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer entered shortly after. They were followed
by Lord Morpeth, Mr. Labouchere, and Lord Marcus
Hill. Lord George Bentinck came in about the
same time.

At a quarter-past two there was a general move
from the body of the House to the seats.
Mr. Williams, the door-keeper, then ushered in
Sir Augustus Clifford, the Usher of the Black
Rod, who was arrayed in full uniform. Advancing
to the table and addressing Mr. Ley, he said—
' Gentlemen, I am commanded by the Lords Com-
missioners, by virtue of the writs addressed to them
by her Majesty, to require the immediate attendance
in the House of Peers of this Honourable House, to
hear the royal commission read."
More than two-thirds of the Members followed Sir
Augustus Clifford to the bar of the House of Lords.
The Members returned in a quarter of an hour.

After a short pause,
Lord SEYMOUR rose and said, amidst the
most profound attention—Gentlemen, having heard
from her Majesty's gracious Commission that
this House is now called upon to choose
a Speaker, I offer myself for the purpose
of proposing a motion which I believe will
meet with the cordial unanimity of all who hear
me.—(Loud cheers.) Those Honourable Mem-
bers who in former Parliaments have wit-
nessed the ability, the judgment, and the
impartiality—(Cheers)—with which Mr.o harles Shaw
Lefevre has discharged the high and important duties
of the Speaker of this House will, at once, agree
with me that, at the present time, no other selec-
tion should be made.—(Continued cheering.) lam
sure that his conduct has been equally satisfactory
to Members within the House, as it has been equally
advantageous to the public service.—(Hear, hear.)
Those Hon. Members who have not had the advan-
tage of a seat in this House, and who have not wit-
nessed his conduct in the chair, will, I think, best
discharge their first public duty by agreeing in the
selection of that Right Hon. Gentleman who, on
every occasion—amidst the heat of party conflict and
of political debate—has been able, with great cour-
tesy and urbanity, to maintain the authority of
the chair—(Loud cheering)—and thereby to
uphold the dignity and the high character of this
great deliberative assembly.—(Hear, hear.) I be-
lieve also that they will find from his experience
—from his knowledge of the details of private and
of public business, that they will obtain the greatest
advantage from his experience in those matters
which young Members cannot at once be-
come intimately acquainted. I believe that
Honourable Members will be unanimous in
supporting the motion ; and therefore it will be un-
necessary for me to say anything more in favour
of it ; and I shall, therefore, conclude by
proposing, " That the Right Hon. Mr. Charles
Shaw Lefevre do take the chair.”—(Loud cheers,
which lasted for some minutes.)
Mr. d. A. SMITH seconded the motion.