The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-26 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
Mr. Philip Miles and several other Members took
he oaths and their seats.

Several Honourable Members presented petitions
against the admissibility of Jews into Parliament.
Mr. J. O'CONNELL presented a petition from
the Archbishops and Bishops of the Roman Catholic
Church of Ireland, praying for the removal of all
civil disabilities affecting Roman Catholics.
PRIVATE BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
Mr. LABOUCHERE, in rising to move the ap-
pointment of a Select Committee, to consider whether
any and what improvement can be adopted in the
mode of conducting Private Business—to consist of
Mr. Labouchere, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Strutt, Lord
Granville Somerset, Mr. Francis Baring, Sir William
1 leathcote, .Mr. Hume, Mr. Wilson Patten, Mr.
Wrightson, Sir Robert Ferguson, Mr. William
Miles, Mr. Loch, Sir John yarde Buller, Sir George
Clerk, and Mr. Ord—said it would be remembered
that the House, in former Parliaments, before it
proceeded to consider the important branch of its duties
comprised in the private business, had always thought
it expedient to appoint a Select Committee to ascer-
tain if improvements could not be introduced into
the raachinervy by which that private business was
carried on. Now, he thought the circumstance
of the House having met two months before
the usual period, and consequently two months
before the private business could be entered
upon, afforded an excellent opportunity to
consider whether any further improvements could
not be made in the mode of conducting private
business. Of late years that private business had
become, and it was still becoming, of great import-
ance ; and he believed nothing had tended more to
raise the character of the House in the estimation of
the public than the salutary measures which had
been devised to divest the House of all suspicion
in its dealings with private Bills. He would re-
mind the House that two Committees sat last
session, and most important improvements resulted
from their deliberations. Oae of them was the estab-
lishMent of the rule that in future the duty of
ascertaining whether the petitioners for leave to bring
in private Bills had complied with the standing orders
should be vested in salaried officers of the House, and
from that alteration alone in the manner of conducting
private business a saving had been secured to the coun-
try of upwards of 100,0001., and at an expenditure,
too, of only between 1,1001. and 1,2001. He believed
the House and the country were mainly indebted for
these improvements to the Honourable Member for
Montrose, who in the last two sessions of Parliament
devoted the greatest care and attention to this
did he think it necessary
im-
portant subject. He did not think the House would
further improveinents that might have.. any difficulty in agreeing to his motion, nor
mode of conduetwinags
but still there was
over
rne to b enumeratee
made
in
theth e
the private business of the House,
without
of the subject that he
remarks upon it. itout making .one or two
could not
Hitherto,of from the ignorance or
inexperience of some
appointed to sit ono the Select Committees
pposed
.I::ivate Bills, results had
afterwards to be
rbeegenretteardr,ivaendd itatwaws,htihchereforee'
urehighlye desirable that
the House should devise some
of preventing these mistakes or irreguleaffiriteieesni means
a deal.
ing with private Bills. lie thought it
import N vaerlll
worthy of consideration whether the
duty of considering and deciding upon thet
the
merits of opposed Bills might not be wormed