The Sun.
London, England, 1823-02-21 00:00:00

.PARLI A MENT,

HOUSE OF, .I,oltDS,.lieu.
'trite Earl of DARNLEY presented a .Pctition from Black.
born, 4*Bit:lSt the Insolverd Debtors's,Azt.
The Earl of 'SRA F.T ES'BURY presented a.similar Petition
trom Reverlo.—Laid on the table.
Mr. PAYSE.preientectr-the 'Repottor:the Commissioners of
the Thames Navigation.
k °REIGN- RD-LA/MOWS.
The Marquis of LA NSDOWN, atiting a Noble.. Earl in
his plke, mentioned his 'intention to. pit questions to-Morrow,
respecting Foreign Relations.
'The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, it would be inconve-',
Meat to attend to the intimation of the Noble Marquis
Morrow.
The. Marquis of LANSDOWN then fixed hie inquiry for
Nionday ; anti, on the motion of the Earl of fLivEnvocir.,,ithe
House Adjourned to Monday.

110 USE •OF GO'NIIIO.NS.
• :+4,t. DnowN, Warden of the Fleet Prison, presented
an account of the number of Debtors confined within that
Prison.
Several other accounts were presented from the different
Public Offices. They, witli the above, were ordered to lie on
the table.

INSOLVENT ACT.
Lord EASTNOR.presented petitions front Worcestershire
iind the City of Hereford against the insolvent Debtors'

Act.
Petitions to the same effect were presented from the following
places by the following Hon. Members r—FrOrn Portsmouth,
by Lord Hotharn; from Beverley, by Mr. Lane Fox ; front
Lancaster, by Lord Stanley ; from .11initlexstield, by Lord
Milton; from Ely, by Lord Charles Manners; from Abliton,
by Lord Duncannon from Knaresburgh, by Mr. Tierney ;
from Carmarthen, by Air. Jones.
They were all ordzred to,lie on the table.
11.11. pmas presented a petition from the Dean and
Chapter of Bristol against the Marriage Ace—Ordered to lie
on the table.
Mr. Alder man WOOD moved fora Return of the Prisoners
discharged from the several London Prisons for Debt within the
last four years..—Ordered.
Mr. C. HUTCHINSON presented a petition from certain
Attornies of-Tipperary against the Coroner's Bill...—Ordered to
lie on the table. •
Mr. BENETT presented two petitions from 'Wiltshire
against the 'rurnike Act passed last Session.—Ordered.to lie on
the table. -
AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. ~
•14.tril CHARLES MANNERS presented a Petition from
certain Landholders of Cambridge, complaining of 'Agricul.
tural Distrest—Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. MAXWELL presented a petition from Etenfrew, corn.
plashing of Agricultural Distress.
Sir THOMAS LETHBRIDGE supported the petition.
17.11 e though assistance ought to be demanded from his Mil.
jesty's Government. The Honourable Baronet spoke at come
length against the operation of our metores on the currency ;
and concluded by declaring his conviction that nothing but an
alteration of those measures would save the agricultural interest
front ruin.
Lord A. HAMILTON said.he could speak, front his own
knowledge, to the distress of the petitioners. tle was surprised
that the Members connected with Agriculture remitted- silent
tater the declaration made by Government, that nothing would
beproposed for their relief.
The petition was then ordered to lie on the table.
PUBLIC RUMOURS.
Mr. BROUGHAM, seeing one of the Lords of the Ad-
miralty in his place, begged to put a question to him respecting
an alarming report which had been extensively circulated in
this and a neighbouring country, to the capital of which it had
aLio reached. The report he alluded to was that a large fleet
had sailed from Brest, with sealed orders. Ile should be glad
• to hear a contradiction of the report ; and trusted that the
Right Hon. Baronet opposite would afford the House some in-
formation on the subject.
Sir FOUL} li CLERK assured the House that no such in.
formation had been received by the Admiralty.
111 r. BROUGHAM was happy to hear this assurance. Tire
Report was alarming, notfrorn any consequence which might be
apprehended as affecting this country, but only as it might tend
to bring into jeopardy the peace of Europe.
Lord:A.. lIAMILTOI,.,Isaid it was his intention to submit

to the ilottseet motion connected with the recent imprnionmen
of Mr. Eawring, in France. Ile begged to ask the Right lion
decretary oppueite whether there was any thing in the present
relations between this county and Trance which would render
Ittib,iectioneble to bring fortvierd such a motion at the present
• SMreklecretary CANNING said, that the discretion Upon all
. other parts of the subject being solely with the Noble Lotd, he
be,gged to say, that he saw nothing at the present moment in
the relatilm between France and England Which could render
Koch a tnetion objectionable as to time.
PA RLIAMENTARY REFORM
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that had he not been pre-
vioutly apprized that the motion he should have the honour of
submitting to the House would be opposed, he should have
trimten it 30 much as a matter of coarse as nut to trouble them
with a single retuark,upon the subject. Ile proposed to move
for the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the right es
now axe:vend, of voting for the Elections of Members to serve
;n Parliament Gar Clues and Boroughs, and the numbers of
those, in each' City and Town, who exercised that right. Un-
demanding that lite motion would be opposed, he Should pro-
ceed to state the grounds and the precedents upon which he
bed made the application. He had always understood that
tau production of papers, or -the affording of information
Itkely to elucidate or to bear upon .the subject of a motion
tender notice, Will never refused or , withheld ; and latterly,
he' admitted, that these facilities were readily yielded by
tire, other sole of the House, upon every question within
the gope of discussion. He could •at once refer the House
to a case directly in point. It was in' that of motion made
ber his Noble Friend 'andel. him (Lord A. Hamilton),
woo had taken so laudable, but so unsuccessful a part in the
dleetiesions on, the &inch Representation. The motien to
*lsiah lie referred, was Wade illt Session, .'for a list of the
Freeholders qualified to vote on the Election of Aleinhers for
:;eotch Counties„ That motion was not OppC,A4d ; and, by the
reara tto it, there appeared about 70 or HU constituents on an
ererage for sash County Member of Scotland. There was en-
other motion made so late as last night by hire Noble Friend,
for a return of the Burghs in which the election was regulated
by the TOWll,Council, with a: list of the numbers end goatlike-
tient of each Town Council. The return to this motion would
diseleee. the whole history of Elections for 48..etelt Burglie, and
Stele motien Was not oppoeed. Ha should flinch wish to be
informed why he was to be treated with leis favour than his
Noble Friend ; or way a motion not dietingdieliable In principle
Iron) his should be thought objectionahree merely because it
cote from 'him. Another eearecident to Y, hichlie would refer
the House' it w.s to be found in the case of a Committee.ap-
,pointed by the House to search the Lords' Journal*, for all in-
thrmation touching the dignity yr ,office of a Feer of the
ream. Not only was the motion fur this Committee unop-
„posed by the Howie,. but the Lords themselves offered no ob-
, onion to the examination ofe their Jciunals on that subject, so
. little were they alarmed at ara,inquiry iitte their dignity.--.A
Repilet hid been made by that Committee under the advice
of the present Lord ltedeedale reenitekehle, for ite lengthein-
duetly,,and rowlock, rather dien ;itsKenney. The epiennt-
. merit of the Committee,
.however,' was -still a precedent in
,point. A Committee had alio been appointed on the motion
of this lion. Friend, the Member for Shrewsbury, for ascer-
taining what Members.of that douse held places under, or de-
rived emolument froth the Crown t and the motion resit had
scan reads by the, reconimendation of the Chair. The Cont-
. Mittee for which he :limpid move, would have the meow; of ae-
certainingefroot tile different returning, officers, all the particu-
lati.required ; and eithough there would, doubtlesi, lie great
diffieuity in getting e, return perfectly accurate, the Com-
osWeie cotld gene its object; for a general Return made
with tolerable accuracy would be sufficient, The House
would remember,' that ,when the comtnittee of Education
were app rusted, they wrote 'for information to the Cler-
gymen oi every perish in the kingdom ; that they obtained
nienr aoswere, sonic eatistactory anti oters not; that truism
tOrritl they obtained no return at all ; but still they were
entitled, by the irifilrmation they actually' did obtained
to einupile it most valuable document, commonly =lied the
Education Digest. The information which be should want
would be very material; and he bad no doubt it Might be
gained' by the gm ae meson and itithe same matiner. He had
beard,-however, that what lie now asked would not be granted
:by the opposers of Parliamentary Reform. He thought thoee
opposers always took higher ground. He thought they had
always said, " eve adimi your facts, but we contend the
Howie in its present state works well." 'Would they now, at
time when all public' Institutions And Constitutions an general
were so minutely scrutinized, would they conceal from the
public whowore their constituents :' Tt 'refuse this Motion
• would he to abandon the ground they had previously taken. Not
;Ay would their opposition be an :uhantitmment of titat mond,
but it vl°l." little avail thern ; for the returns foe which ho
celled were already before the world though hot in Ito corral. a
form as he wisletel They were Stated in hooke extensively
lreulated, and generally relied upon. "Thest.ficti were, Iniown
d others were divulged nut Teter hurtful then the former
he reputation of the House. It was well known, for io-