The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-14 00:00:00

LATE SITTINGS.

Mr. BROTHERTON (who was received with a loud burst of
merriment) then rose to' move that no new business objected
to by five Members, should be taken after twelve o'clock.—(Hear.)
He thought this proposition so reasonable as to need no argument
in support of it. It would tend to promote the health of the
House, and the benefit of the public, to conduct the business of
the House within reasonable hours. How could the House, again,
expect their proceedings to be reported fully and fairly, when the
Reporters were exhausted by sittings to three, four, or five in the
morning ?

Mr. EWA RT seconded the tnetion. He thought the true eco.
no:11y of time was to begin early. And he believed the publ:c busi-
ness would be much better carried on if it commenced at a more rea-
sonable time. When the House sat earlier, the speeches were
shorter, more pithy, and more to the point. Why should those
independent Members, who were able to devote their whole time to
the House of Commons, be made subordinate and subservient to the
convenience of those who merely made that House supplementary
to their legal business, which occupied them during the day ? He
was for a complete reform of the evil by early sittings—at all events
he would cordially support the present motion, which was a step
towards that reform.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said he saw no necessity for the motion.
—(Hear.) As the rules now stood, debates could be adjourned at
the general wish of the House. And he would certainly strongly
object to the House so binding itself dawn, that the debate on
some question of great national interest, should be liable to be
stopped or prevented, by the caprice of any five Members. He did
mot think that the House could gain by any arrangement which
would exclude merchants and lawyers* from attending to their
duties as Members. But with respect to what had been said of
official Members, he could only observe that, so far as he was con.
cerned, the alteration could not make much difference, as he
already devoted to his duties in the House, as much time as te
could devote to it under any arrangement. He did not thir:K that
he had worked this day more than usually, and he employed
nearly twelve hours upon those duties.—(Hear,her:.)
Sir ROBERT PEEL did not think it necessary to discuss the
question Gf morning sittings, as it was not contemplated to intro-
duce so great a change at present. Yie thought that it would be
highly inexpedient to give five A
r.embers the power of controlling
the decision of the House ; 'and it was impossible to fix upon any
hour at which it woull )--,e too late to bring on nes,. business. That
must depend alto,.g';ther upon circumstances. Sometimes half-past
ten o'clock rniP_:.t be too late, and at another time it might be neces-
sary to hr4:ng on new business at a much later hour. Yet he
wwl`!. object to give an express Parliamentary sanction to the
',ringing on of new business at twelve o'clock, or at eleven o'clock.
The House had sat to very late hours ever since the beginning of
the present Session, but not one instance had occurred in which the
1-I,n. Member for Salford's proposition would apply, so that that
measure would have no effect in pr venting late sittings.

Mr. BROTHERTON briefly replied, and said that he would
eertaiqly divide the House.

Accordingly the House divided, when there appeared—
For the motion
Against it
Majority against the motion
PRIVILEGE.
On our admission to the gallery we found

~145

Sir M. WOOD on his legs stating that he had been informed
that to-morrow the writ would be signed and sealed, ordering an
inquiry to take place in the action which had been brought in
Stockdale and Hansard, for the purpose of assessing the damages.
This would place the Sheriffs very probably in another situation of
great difficulty ; and what he had therefore to move was, that the
Speaker should be directed to order William Prevost and Thomas
Chatfield not to sign any writ of inquiry in the cause now pend-
ing of Stockdale and Hansard, and that Mr. Penlove be directed
not to seal the writ. lie understood that the damages were laid
at a very large sum—he believed 30,000/.

An HoN. MEMBER-50,0001.

Sir M. WOOD—An Hon. Member had said 50,000/.; and if
the writ of inquiry was issued, the Sheriffs would be placed very
probably in a sit u:.tion of great difficulty.
Sir ROBERT INGLIS doubted ray much whether the
present was such a question of privilege as would entitle it to
tike precedence of the other business of the House; and in the next
place he considered the motion, if granted, would be an assumption
of power on the part of the House, for which there was no precedent.
Mr. O'CONNELL was clearly of opinion that the present ques-
tion was one of privilege, and he felt equally certain that the motion
in its present shape could not be granted. He doubted very much
the power of the House to say that the writ should not be signed ;
but he admitted that it was important, if possible, to prevent pro-
ceedings in the action. Since Mr. Howard had been imprisoned his
business had been conducted by his clerk Mr. Pearce, and he did not
see, if the House had the power to imprison Mr. Howard, why it
should not have the power also to prevent his clerks from proceeding
with the action.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL considered the motion of such
importance, that he thought it would have been much better if the
Hon. Member had given notice of it. He thought that the motion
ought not to be acceded to without further information. His
Learned Colleague and himself had considered whether the step now
proposed could be taken, but they had not yet made up their minds
upen the subject. He would content himself now with moving the
previous question.

Mr. HUME thought if 'he House wished to protect its privileges
that they would stop every individual who attempted to interfere
with them. What he submitted was that the House ought to come
to a resolution that any one who executed the process of the Court
was guilty of a brcach of privilege.
After a few observations from Mr. Warburton and Mr. Jones,
Mr. KELLY said he could not support the motion of the Hon.
Baronet, but he felt it impossible for Hon. Gentlemen on the other
other side of the nous', to oppose it consistently with the course
which they had hitherto pursued.

. .
The original question was then put, snd negatived without a
division.

Mr. BROTITERTON then rose to move that no debate be al-
lowed upon a motion for adjournment after twelve o'clock, amidst
loud cries of " Clock, clock :" and loud laughter,—(ft was then
twenty minutes after twelve o'clock.)
The Colonial Passages Bill was then read a second time, upon
the motion of Mr. V. SMITH.—To be committed on Friday
fortnight.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER brought up the
Report of the Committee of Ways and Means, upon the Transfer
of Aids Bill, and the Amendments were agreed to.
The House then adjourned at Half.past Twelve o'Clock,