The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-28 00:00:00

the Committees wanted further improvement. At the
same time he thought his Hon. Friend had not com-
pleted the plan he intended to adopt.. He agreed that
the Committees ought, to be kept as pure as posAle
froru local interests. He thought that the pl•in pro-
posed by his Hon. Friend might he inure fully worked
out, and he would therefore wish that he would not call
on the House to come to a decision without further
consideration.

Mr. ESTCOURT thought that the Hon. Member
might more properly have introduced his proposition
some years ago, when abuses existed in regard to Com-
mittees on private Bills, which had since been removed.
The amendment had been made on various oceasinui,
and some of them it, too course of last Session. Be-
sides, no system could obviate every possible inconve-
nience ; and for his part be was of opinion that if they
removed from Private Bill Committees all Members
who had au interest in them, they would only deprive
themselves of the necessary local information.
Mr. LABOUCHERE hoped that his Hon. Friend
would noi; press his motion against the recom►nenda-
tion of the Committee of lust Session that the system
then adopted should have a fair trial. The question
whether Committees should be exclusively official and
divested of local interests was one of very great diffi-
culty. That House could not separate its Committees
from the representative character of the whole body,
and render them strictly judicial, as were the Com-
mittees of the House of Lords.

Mr. PItYME considered it would be a great evil
not to have local Members on the Committees, and
thought that a Committee, constituted on the plan of
the Hon. Member for Wigan, might, with the greatest
possible desire to do justice, commit gross injustice for
want of local knowledge.
Mr. HUME would ask the Hon. and Learned
Member for Cambridge what he would think if he were
to see a jury-box filled with persons having a local inte-
rest in the matter to be tried, and the cases of a jury
and committee were exactly similar. He would admit
that it had been usual to consider Members were placed
on those Committees to do the jobs of their constituents.
But that was an abuse which he wished to see done
away with altogether. He would admit that many
abuses which had existed formerly in respect to the ap-
pointment to Private Committees, had been remedied,
but that was only a reason for getting rid of the remain.
ing ones. He thought that the time had come
when there should be no more temporising, and would,
therefore, support the motion of his Hon. Friend. He,
for one, would not be afraid to go before the country on
this question, as he was convinced that every honest
constituency would say that they would rather submit a
question to a Committee having no local interests than
be subjected to jobbing.
Mr. RICE said that it was frequently considered an
advantage at quarter sessions and assizes for a jury to
have local knowledge of the matter in dispute.
• Mr. JAMES STEWART supported the motion.
Mr. E WART, with every disposition to accede to
the proposition of the Right Hon. Baronet felt so
strongly that justice and reason were on his side, that
he must press the question to a division.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the
House divided, when there appeared

For Mr. Ewart's resolutions 22
Against them 24

Majority against the resolutions —2
COPYRIGHT BILL.

On our admission to the gallery we found
Sergeant TALFOURD on his legs, moving for
leave to bring in a Bill to amend the law with respect
to copyright.
Mr. WARBURTON could assure the House that
he did not intend to let even a stage of the Bill pass
without offering to it his most strenuous and deter Mined
opposition. When the matter was formerly discussed,
either upon the introducing of the Bill or the second
reading, Gentlemen on that side of the House stated
that they entirely disagreed, both with respect to the
principle and details of the Bill, but if he (Mr. War-
burton) would allow the Hon. and Learned Member to
bring in the Bill, when it came into Committee they
would assist him (Mr. Warburton) in opposing the de-
tails of the Bill, and then there would no difficulty in
getting rid of the question. He (Mr. Warburton)
divided the House on the second reading, and those
Gentlemen voted with the lion. and Learned Gentle-
man. lie (Mr. Warburton), of course, supposed
that when the Bill came to the Committee he should
have had the assistance of those Members. Amongst
whom were her Majesty's Attorney-General and some
of the Cabinet Ministers ; but when the Bill came into
Committee he (Mr. Warburton) had as much reason
to complain of the state of the House as the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman had. Those had promised him
their support were not in attendance, and he had to
fight against the Bill single handed. He (Mr. War-
burton) would not commit the same mistake again, and
therefore it was that he was determined to fight it in
every stage, and if he could not get support in that'
House, he would endeavour to get it out of it. He
considered the Bill as one that was calculated to in-
flict the greatest injustice on certain portions of the
community. In the very outset of the question the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman and himself were at issue
upon the true principle on which the judgment of
Merrik.!rs ought to be guided with respect to
the measure. He (Mr. Warburton) considered that
that judgment ought to be formed upon its utility.
He did not agree with that mode of meeting the ques-
tion. He contended that the interests of authors and
the interests of the public were both to be considered,
and properly and duly weighed. It was upon these
grounds that the discussions before the Judges and the
House of Lords proceeded. Oa former occasions,
when this question had been argued, the Hon. and
Learned Member had said, " I have the common law
right with me."
Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD interrupted the Hon.
Member by saying that he was quite unaware that any
opposition would be made to his motion ; he had no
notice of it, and he trusted that the House would not
commit the injustice of taking advantage of his surprise.

—(Cries of ‘; Adjourn.") -
Mr. WARBURTON observed that he also had
been taken by surprise, for he was not aware until half
an hour before he cause down to the House of the motion
of the lion. Gentleman.

Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD stated, that not being
aware of the opposition, he would renew his motion on
Friday.

CONSTABULARY BILL.

Mr. HODGES obtained leave to bring in a Bill for
the better regulation of the Constabulary Force of
England and Wales.
The House adjourned at Eight o'Clock.

POST-OFFICE-MONEY ORDERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—l believe it is not generally known that money
to any amount may be remitted by Post-office orders.
It is true that not more than five pounds can be
drawn on one order, but parties may have as many
different orders for five pounds each as they please.

I am aware of this from the following circumstance :
A party who arrived in a post town too late for banking
hours, wished to remit the sum of twenty pounds, in
order to meet the payment of a bill ; he went to the
Post-office to make inquiries. The Postmaster said,
" I have just paid one party two separate orders of
the London Office for five pounds each, of consecutive
numbers and of the same date, and if you like to have
four orders for five pounds each you shall have them."
This was agreed to, the orders granted and forwarded,
and the money paid without hesitation, and this at the
small cost of two shillings.
As the public may not be aware of this convenience
existing, perhaps you will not hesitate in announcing it.
I am, Sir, yours, &c.
January 23, 1841. NORTHVILLE.