The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-04 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION

Colonel SA LWAY said the Right Hon. Baronet,'
the Member for the University of Oxford, was very
fond of taunting that side of the House with being a
tyrant majority, more especially upon this question.
There was, however, a poor man who bad been in
confinement for many months—he alluded to John
Thorogood—(Laughter, and cries of " Hear, hear.") -
That poor min obtained none of the sympathy of Hon.-
Members opposite, although he had been for fourteen
months the victim of a tyrant Church.—(Cheers.)
Mr. NICHOL believed that the Hon. Member was
himself the defendant in a Church-rate suit, so that it
was natural he should sympathize with John Thorogood
—(Laughter)—and he believed that he had very littlCV
chance of success.

Lord J. RUSSELL said, although it was against
his own opinion, he thought that in such a case it
would be better that there should be no dividion
—(Hear, hear)—he would therefore, though unwil-
lingly, agree to the motion of the Noble Lord.
The question was then put and agreed to, and
Dr. Chambers was called in and examined by the
SPEAKER.

What is your name ?—William Frederick Chambers,
I believe you are a physician ?—I am.
(LEFT SITTING.)

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

110 USE OF COMMONS, illeacs 3.
MR. SHERIFF EVANS.
Sir E. KNATCH BULL thought the Hon. Baro-
net who had just sat down, had followed a very unad.
vised course in going into the merits of the etas. He
did not believe the Hon. Baronet had any directions
from the individual himself for making the statement be
bad made, that he would never submit to the House.' He deprecated any mixing up of the character of the
Sheriff with the question under consideration. His
Noble Friend had performed his duty in a manner that
was perfectly respectful to the House, but he had Ince
treated in a perfectly different manner. He (Sir E. Knateh- -
bull) had risen. for the purpose of animadverting upon
an expression made use of by the Hon. aid Learned
Member for Dublin, who had called his Noble Friend
the most ludicrous person in the House. He was sure •
the Hon. and Learned Gentleman must regret baring
made use of that expression, .and in doing so he was
clearly out of order. He was of opinion that the course
the house ought to take was the one recommeaded by :
the Noble Lord. Before he sat down, he would repeat
his call upon the lion. arid Learned Gentfema■ for
explanation.
Mr. fIUME was sorry that words had passed, but
he would submit that the Noble Lord had previously.
made charges offensive to the sensibility of his Hon.
and Learned Friend. There was not an individual in
the House who would wish to keep the Sheriff in cen:,.,
finement, if he were really dangerously ill; but the
question was as to the manner in which the question
had been brought forward, and whether the Sheriff had
approached the House in a proper mariner. When the
worthy Alderman stated that the Sheriff held the
House in contempt, certainly they ought to require
from him a petition before he was aischarged.—(Hear.)
Sir It. PEEL said he wished to keep perfectly dis-
tinct the consideration of the particular ground on
which this proposal was made, and the general ques-
tion whether or not the Sheriff should be set at liberty.
—(Hear.) Some Hon. Gentlemen might perhaps
think that the Sheriff had sufficiently expiated his
offence. But let that question be mooted separately
and distinctly.—(Hear, hear.) Nothing could be
more discreditable to the House than that it should be
thought that they were desirous of getting out of the
difficulty by releasing the Sheriff on the plea of sick-
ness.--(Hear, hear.) He had infinitely rather that
the Sheriff should at once be dismissed unconditionally.
—(Hear, hear, hear.) Now, his Noble Friend had
stated—and he (Sir Robert) had heard nothing of the
matter till now—that front communications he had re-
ceived from the medical attendant of the Sheriff, he
believed that not only his health, but his life, was in
danger. And the question now we', whether the
House should hear the evidence of the medical i•an
to-;lay, or to-morrow ? He must say that he thought it
would be better to examine the medical man on the
present occasion, than wait. After he had heard the
evidence, he could then better determine what @ourse
he should support—immediate liberation, refusal, or
delay.—(Hear, hear.) But he begged to be under-
stood as giving no opinion whatever on the main
question.—(Hear.) The House, he was sure, would
feel, that although anxious to maintain their privileges,
yet that they ought not to carry their punishment to the
extent of personal injury on an individual who had net
been guilty of any moral offence.
Mr. Alderman WOOD explained, that 'viten be
spoke of the Sheriff not bending, he alluded only to the
expressions of the Learned Member for Dublin, as to
paying the money.

Mr. W ARBORTON thought the course he bad
recommended was most advisable after cry of
" Spoke.") No ; he was speaking to the amendment.
For himself, he disclaimed the power of examining a
medical man. Few in that House were capable of doing
so in such a manner as to elicit the truth. As Hon.
Friend near him said the Coroner for Middleisex—
( Hear, hear)—but he was not present. He oensi-
dered that the Hon. Member for Finsbury was an in-
dividual competent to examine a medical man. Very
few persons in that House were. He thought it way
much better that the examination should be put off until
to-morrow ; but if the examination did take place to-day
be hoped the same witness would be in attendance to-
morrow, in order that the Coroner for Middlesex or any
other person who had received a medical education
might examine him. He had no objection, however, to
withdraw his amendment.—(Hear, hear.)
TI c amendment having been withdrawn,
Mr. Freeman was called in, and examined as fellows by
the SPEAKER :

What. is your name ?—Joseph Freeman.
Are you the medical attendant on Lir. sheriff
Evans ?--I am.

Have you received information of his illness ?--I
have.

When did you see him last ?—This morning .
What is his present state of health ?-1t is very
bad, Sir.
Do you consider it is likely to be endangered by any
further confinement by order of this House?-1 have
DO doubt it will ; he is subject to a liver complaint.
Has he long suffered under that complaint ?—For
several years.

Do you know if he has been accustomed to an aetive
life P—Very much FO.

By Mr. O'CONNELL—In what branch of th•
profession are you, a physician or a surgeon %—I am a
surgeon.

flow long have you been in attendance upon Mr.
Sheriff Evans ?—Seven or eight years.
Have you been in constant attendance upon hiss
during that period ?—Almost constant.
Has ha been ill all the time I—He has whit into-
vals.

sional character. He had stood near the bar when the
evidence of Mr. Freeman was given last night, and be
observed the manner in which that evidence was given.
And, in consequence of that, he made inquiries whether
Mr. Freeman was a man of eminence in his profession,
and the result of that inquiry was, that he was a gentle..
man of eminence and great practice in this part of
the metropolis. He understood that that gentle-
man had come forward under the impression that
the life of the individual, whore he had been in the
habit of attending for years, was in danger.—(Hear,)
He therefore thought that it would not be beneath the
dignity of that House to consider whether they would
not listen to that individual. With respect to Dr.
Cambers, he thought after the mode in which Mr.
Freeman was examined last night, he bad acted per-
fectly right in sending for Dr. Chambers. Though
every Hon. Member did not know the character of Mr,
Freeman they did that of Dr. Chambers.
Mr. LAMBTON thought that the Noble Lord the
Member for Hertford ought to explain to the house
whether, when he made his speech yesterday, he was aware that Mr: Sheriff Evans was going to offer himself
as a candidate for the borough of Lewes, and he thought
it was also due to the House that he should state
whether he knew of it at the time he made his speech
that evening.
Lord MA HON would answer the two questions in one word. The first and only intimation he hat had of
the intention of Mr. Sheriff Evans was reading his ad-
dress in the Times Newspaper that morning. lie did
not know whether that was an authentic document or
not.—( Hear, hear, and a laugh.)
Sir H. PEEL thought the House ought to look to
this subject in its judicial capacity only. He (Sir H.
Peel) had come down to the House, expecting that the
subject he had to decide would be, whether the evi-
dence given at the bar yesterday was sufficient to
tify the House in liberating Mr. Sheriff Evans, and be
had come down to the House with the intention of
discharging fearlessly the painfal duty of declaring
that in his opinion that evidence was not sufficient
to justify the House in taking such a step.--(Hear,
hear.) He had, however, been unespected!), called
upon to decide another question, which was, whether
Dr. Sir William Chambers should be permitted to
be examined at the bar ; and considering the course
that had been adopted with respect to Mr. Sheriff
Wheelton, and considering the high character of Dr.
Chambers, and theconsequent importance of his evidence
he thought the House ought not to object to Dr.
Chambers being called in to give his evidence at the
bar. As he had before said upon the evidence, as given
by Mr. Freeman, he did not think the House would be
justified in discharging Mr. Sheriff Evans, and if Dr.
Chambers's evidence was of a similar import, he should
be preparod to follow the course he had hithe►to
determined to adopt. But, supposing that Dr. Cham-
bers should show that Mr. Sheriff Evans's health had
been greatly impaired by his confinement, he should have f-
regretted extremely if he had not been examined at the
Bar.

EVENING EDITION.

Were yen treating him as your patient before his
committal ?.---Yes.
How long have you been in attendance upon him this
last time ?—For the last two or three weeks 1 kave
attended hint frequently.
Have you prescribed for him ?—Yes.
State as well as you can how long before his arrest
it was that yon last attended him ?—I cannot say ; he
was not well when he was first confined.
-Can you recollect about how long the last fit en-
dured ?—Some days, Sir ; I cannot exactly say.
Can yon coma at all near the period ?—I really can-
not say, Sir.
Do you keep a journal ?—No.
Do yon keep a fee book ?—Yes.
How often did you prescribe for kim during his last
illness ?—I cannot say, Sir.
Are yon in any branch of profession besides a sur-
geon ?—Yes, an apothecary.
You ought to know tolerably well bow often you
prescribed for him ?—I think daily.
Can you tell how long you prescribed daily for him ?
—No, Sir, I cannot.
Can you give any sort of guess ?—I cannot recollect ;
I should think from a week to a fortnight.
lisiff soon after he was in confinement were you called
opodlifo attend him ?—I think about three days.
Three days ago, or three days after he was ar-
rated ?—Three days a'ter the time of his arrest.
Have you been prescribing for him ever since ?
Yes.

What disease did you prescribe for ?—A liver com-
plaint.
No gnat ?—No gout ; no symptoms of it.
Ie he getting worse or better under your care ?—He
je 'rowing worse under his confinement.
I hope there is ne immediate danger ?—I cannot say
there is.

An HON. MEMBER—Has Mr. Sheriff Evans' liver
niltrZed since his confinement ?—I could not say that
It las; but it is larger than natural.
IS there any induration of the liver!—No.
Mr. WARBURTON—Has Mr. Sheriff Evans
horn put npon the dietary that is usual in the ease of
complaints of she liver?—He has.
Sir R. PEEL—Has any other medical Din been
called in P—No.
You lave not felt it necessary to call in any other
alediesi man ?.—No.
Mr._ELLIOTT—Is there any active inflammation
going on in the liver of Mr. Sheriff Evans ?—No.
Do yon apprehend anything from chronic inilansma-
die ?—Not at present.
De you tbitk if he was allowed air and exercise, and
dials returned to the House of Commons, that his com-
plaint would be ameliorated ?—I think not, as his mind
is not at easc..—(A laugh.)
Do you allow Mr. Sheriff Evans to take wine or
hot ?—fie generally takes a glass; or two of sherry
a day.
How long is it since he was confined to his bed ?
Yokes not been confined at all.
Sir lI INGLIS—Has there been any communica-
tion isetweon pou and the Sheriff on the subject of Mr.
Arens' health before you stated your opinion to Lord
Makes P—Certain ly not.
eel. WOOD—Were you induced, by what you
observed yourself, to make the statement which you
aside to Lord Mahon ?—I was.
Lord MAHON—Aro you of opinion that the dan-
ger to his health is increased by every day's confine-
event ?—I am.
Lord J. RUSSELL—Were you induced, by the
state of his health, to call in another physician for the
purpose of consultation P—l have not done so, but I
ke.vo no objection to do it.—(A laugh.)
Lord STANLEY—What exercise does he take?
----He walks for an hour or so every day in the cleis-
!Vs.

Has he availed himself as much as he might of the
opportunity of taking that exercise P.— The easterly
winds prevented him.—(A laugh.)
Mr. ELLIOTT—If he were out of confinement
would he take more exercise in the present state of
the weather ?—I think he could not.-1,11 laugh.)
By Mr. GISBORNE—Have you made this sug-
gestion to the House of your own accord, or have you
been advised to make it ?—I made it of my own ac•
cord.

The witness was then ordered to withdraw.
Alderman HUMPHERY said that be had seen
the Sheriff about the time he had called in his medical
adviser, and the Sherif knew nothing at the time of the
communication that had been since made to the House.
Mr. LIDDELL said that he could also answer that
the Sheriff hail no previous knowledge of the steps that
bad been taken.
Mr. F. KELLY said that he thought it right to
state to the House that he had many occasions of seeing
Mr. Sheriff Evans, and he could undertake to assure
the House, as far as his observation enabled him to form
*judgment on the matter, that he appeared to him to be
seriously suffering is his health for the last two or three
weeks. He had seen him grow worse and worse every
,time he sailed on him. He had complained to him (Mr.
Kelly) that his health was seriously impaired, and he
had made that communication at a time when he did
as, see that any censequencee could result from it.
Lord MAHON then moved, in compliance with the
suggestion of the Noble Lord the Secretary for the
Colonies, that the evidence that had been taken should
be printed with the Votes of the House, and taken into
I consideration to-morrow.
Mr. HUME submitted to the House that the evi-
dence just taken was more flimsy and more unfair even
to the Sheriff than he had ever heard.—(Hear, hear.)
So far from printing, he hoped it would be allowed to
steep with many of the other publications of the House.
The motion was then essreed to.
INLAND WAREHOUSING BILL.
Air. GOLTLBURN wished to put a question rela-
tive to a discussion which had taken place in the House
_jail sight. The House was aware that it was his (Mr.
Goalburn's) intention to move for a Select Committee
to consider the whole question of the Inland Warehous-
ing Bill, but after remaining till ten o'clock he under-
,abood the navy estimates would occupy the House till
.ao late an hour that it would be unnecessary for him to
wait longer. In his absence it appeared that the Commitee
(the wetninatiou of which was in courtesy generally left to
the person proposing it), had been moved by the Right
Hon. Gentleman, and appeared upon the Votes of that
morning. He really thought, for the sake of precedent,
that some explanation should be given to the House, for
nothing more objectionable could well be brought for-
ward than a proceeding of that sort.
L A BOLT C HERE said the Right Hon. Gentle
wan had made two complaints--first, that the Com-
mittee had been moved during his absence—and he was
cure that nothing was further from his intention than to
do anything which the Right Hon. Gentleman might
think unfair. He had asked the Hon. Baronet the
Member for Stamford, to make the motion, but he had
declined to do so ; at the same time that he had made
no abjection to his (Mr. Labouchere) making it.—
(Cheers.) There was, however, one point on which he
felt that an explanation was required—that was as to
the fact of the names of the proposed Members
.of the Committee having appeared in the list of
Votes. If he had done this he felt that he should
not only have been wanting in common courtesy,
but that be would have been guilty of a breach of
an express understanding with the Right Hon. Gentle-
man opposite. He wits therefore most anxious to ex-
plain bow this had happened. When he saw the notice
on the Votes that morning he was quite as much sur-
prised as the Right lion. Gentleman himself. The
simple account of the transaction was this—himself and
his lion. Friend the Member for Cheshire were die-
cussing the proposed Committee, and lie asked him to
name some Members who he thought would be desirous
of serving on the Committee. Each of them had taken a
list cad put dawn the names of those they thought likely
to bt desirous of being on the Committee. He had put
ens of the I:sts in his pocket when he had left the House ;
the ether had been inadvertently left on the table of
the House. The Clerk having found it there after the
Howes bad adjourned, had concluded it was left there
as a notice of motion.—(Cheers.) He was anxious to
give this explanation for the purpose of removing an
idea of want of courtesy from the minds of the House,
Indeed so little had he been prepared to propose
this
n
list that he had only consulted two of the
gentleen who
, were named in it. It was merely a rough draft which
he was prepared to discuss with the Right Hon. Gentle-
man opposite. He trusted this explanation would be
sonsiAered satisfactory.
Mr. GOUL BURN felt perfectly satisfied with this
explanation.
Ir. COLQUHOUN wished to ask the Noble Lord
whether any measure was in contemplation for settling
the differences which bad unfortunately arisen between
Ilia Civil and Ecclesiastical Courts of Scotland.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the subject was one
of great importance, but he was not yet prepared to
state what were the intentions of the Government on
this subject.
Aar. COLQUHOUN said he wished also to know
if it were true that the Noble Lord had stated to the
Deputation that the Government intended to state
early in this month the nature of a measure they would
propose upon the subject.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that such an im-
preseian must have been erroneous ; all he had stated
was that the Government would not bring forward any
measure on the subject which they thought would not be
perfectly satisfactory ; and if, on consideration they
' thought they could not propose such a measure, they
would state that to the deputation.
Sir ROBERT PEEL hoped that the Noble Lord
, would also give the House an assurance that ho would
! state to the House the result of his consideration as
speedily as possible. Ho had been under the impres-
sion, and he knew that many others were also, that the
Government were about to attempt a legislative male-
ment of the question.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL had no objection to state
that he would give a notice of any measure he intended
to bring forward, and that he would likewise state to
the House, as soon as he had come to the conclusion
that no legislative measure could be proposed.