The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-06 00:00:00

• seats rising as in an amphitheatre. The vote is taken
by each party rising in turn ; but, in case of its being
demanded, the ayes and noes may be called. The
Speaker attains to great accuracy in estimating the
respective numbers, and to great quickness in countine,
them. Members of the Executive Government have no
seats in the House. Twenty-eight standing Committees
are appointed at the commencement of a session, and
all Bills originate in these Committees. No question of
order is debated ; all such questions are decided by the
Speaker, and if his decision be appealed from to the House,
it is decided by vote, without debate. In this way
questions of order, questions of adjournment, and the
previous question,' to bring a debate to a close, are de•
tided by vote, without debate. Besides this, a rule has
been adopted to limit speeches to one hour ; this rule,
called the One-hour Rule, was adopted in the year 1841."
Mr. Curtis, speaking of this one-hour rule, says, " It
has greatly facilitated business. It has improved the
quality of the speeches ; public opinion is decidedly in
its favour. The best proof of this is, that as these rules
are adopted only from session to session, and there have
been changes of parties since they were adopted, both
parties have in turn adopted these rules and acted upon
them. The most intelligent and experienced gentlemen
of the country approve of them, both 'the previous
question' and the one-hour rule. The present Speaker
of the House of Representatives, Mr. Winthrop, has
lately, in a letter, expressed his opinion in favour of the
one-hour rule."

Mr. J. Randall, a counsel practising in the federal
courts of the United States, in the city of Philadelphia,
confirmed Mr. Curtis's statements ; expressed an opinion
that " the previous question" and the one- hour rule have
worked well. "At first the one-hour rule was much
opposed, but it has worked well ; it has fought its way
into public favour, and has the support not only of the
members of the Houe but of the people at large."
Your Committee,
in weighing the value of this evi-
dence, had to take into account how materially the con-
stitution and the mode of transacting business in the
House of Commons differed from those of the two Legis-
lative Assemblies referred to.
In France the cloture has been found available with-
out any restriction on the length of speeches. In the
United States a limitation of the length of speeches has
been found necessary in addition to the power of closing
the debate.
In France important motions are considered in the
bureaux before they are discussed in the House. a e
House meets in the morning, and the attendance is */
tinuous. The cloture, in the form in which it is usedain
France, could not be applied to our debates without the
risk of unjust surprises, and without other incon-
veniences.

In Washington a majority of the- House constitutes a
quorum; a majority, therefore, is always present, and
often a large portion of the whole number, which leaves
the power of demanding the " previous question" free
from many embarrassments with which it would be
attended here.

It is also of importance to recollect that the circum-
stance of her Majesty's Ministers having seats in the
House of Commons renders the subjects of discussion
more various and comprehensive than in legislative as-
semblies in which members of the Executive Govern-
ment are not permitted to be present, and where the de-
bates are of a less administrative character.
A great part of the legislation of the United States is
conducted by the Legislatures of the respective states.
The Parliament of the United Kingdom conducts the
whole work of public and private legislation, and to it
all parties have recourse for the redress of real or sup-
posed grievances. The extent, also, of the colonial em-
pire of Great Britain imposes very heavy additional
duties on the Imperial Legislature. It is certain that a
far greater amount of business is transacted by the Eng-
lish House of Commons than by the Chamber of Depu-
ties of France, or by the Legislative Assembly of the
United States.

Your Committee, appointed towards the close of the
session, and with a very limited time allowed for their
deliberations, felt that it would have been impossible,
with due attention and with care fitting the occasion, to
have introduced material changes in our existing system.
They felt that aay change recommended should be in
itself complete, and surely sufficient for its purpose.
They thought that any recommendation, to carry with
it due weight, should have had the, general, if not the
unanimous approval of the Committee.
After as full a deliberation as the pressure of other
business and the limited time would allow, your Com-
mittee have agreed unanimously to recommend the fol-
lowing alterations in the orders and practice of the
House:—

RECOMMENDATIONS.

That when leave shall have been given to bring in a
Bill, the questions of the first reading and printing
shall be decided without debate, or amendment moved.
That when an order of the day shall have been read
for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the
whole House upon a Bill which has already been con-
sidered in Committee, Mr. Speaker shall forthwith
leave the chair without any question put, unless a Mem-
ber shall have given notice of an instruction to such
Committee; but such resolution shall not apply to the
case where the Bill shall have passed through Com-
mittee pro forma for the purpose of being printed.
That when after due notice it shall have been ordered
by the House that orders of the day have precedence of
notices of motions, the House may resolve itself into a
Committee of Supply, or Ways and Means..
That when any Committee of ,the whole House shall
have gone through a Bill, and made amendments thereto,
the Chairman of such Committee shall report the same
forthwith; and that a day be appointed for the further
consideration of such report.
That on the consideration of the report of a Bill any
new clauses proposed to be added be first offered; and
the House shall then proceed to consider the Bill, and the
amendments made by the Committee.
That, in the case of an adjourned debate, it would be
of advantage that the debate should be resumed on the
next sitting day, and should have precedence over all
other business. Your Committee is at the same time
aware that there might be public inconvenience in laying
down any strict rule on the subject, fettering the discre-
tion of the House, and compelling the resumption of the
adjourned debate in preference to other business as a
matter of course. They content themselves with ex-
pressing a strong opinion that it would be advisable, both
with reference to the satisfactory discussion of the sub-
ject under consideration and to the general progress of
public business, that debates should, as far as possible,
be continued from day to day; and that there should be
such a relaxation of the rules of the House in respect of
the precedence of notices and orders of the day as to
leave the House entire liberty to give precedence on the
following day to an adjourned debate.
That with respect to any Bill brought to this House
from the House of Lords, or returned by the House of
Lords to this House with amendments, whereby any pe-
cuniary penalty, forfeiture, or fee, shall be authorised,
imposed, appropriated, regulated, varied, or extinguished,
this House will not insist on its ancient and undoubted
privileges in the following cases :-
Ist. When the object of such pecuniary penalty or for-
feiture is to secure the execution of the Act, or the pu-
nishment or prevention of offences.
2d. Where such fees are imposed in respect of benefit
taken, or services rendered under the Act, and in order
to the execution of the Act, and are not made payable
into the Treasury or Exchequer, or in aid of the public
revenue, and do not form the ground of public account
ing by the parties receiving the same, either in respect of
deficit or surplus.
3d. When such Bill shall be a private Bill for a local
or personal Act.
Your Committee, having considered the provisions of
the Parliamentary Proceedings Adjournment Bill, do
not think it advisable to recommend it for adoption by
the House.

Your Committee trust that these alterations will be in
,hemselves useful improvements.

But is not so much on any new rules, especially re-
strictive rules, that your Committee would desire to
rely for the prompt and efficient dispatch of business
by the House. The increasing business calls for in-
creased consideration on the part of Members in the ex-
ercise of their individual privileges.
Your Committee would desire to rely on the good
feeling of the House, and on the forbearance of its Mem-
bers, and on a general acquiescence in the enforcement
by the Speaker of that established rule of the House
which reqnires that Members should strictly confine
themselves to matters immediately pertinent to the sub-
ject of debate.

Your Committee, however, venture to express an
opinio❑ that the satisfactory conduct and progress of the
business of the House must mainly depend upon her Ma-
jesty's Government, holding, as they do, the chief control
over its management.
They believe that by the careful preparation of mea-
sures, their early introduction, the judicious distribution
of business between the two Houses, and the order and
method with which measures are conducted, the Govern-
ment can contribute in an essential degree to the easy
and convenient conduct of business. They trust the ef-
forts of the Government would be seconded by those of
independent Members, and that a general determination
would prevail to carry on the public business with regu-
larity and dispatch.
Aug. 14.

BARNET CATTLE FAIR—SECOND DAY.—Yester-
day
thea
former y
fothe
ebuyers ts mthisafnyair were fully as numerous as on
of the salesmen, graziers, and
jobbers in cattle had to attend Smithfield market on
Monday. By ten o'clock business became very brisk
among the store beasts of all kinds, particularly the
Scots and Herefords, which maintained the high prices
of Monday, the best Scots making 15L per head, Here.
fords and Devons from 141. to 181. per head, prime Welsh
beasts from 81. to 121. per head. Mitch cows and in
calvers were nearly all disposed of by four o'clock. The
Irish beasts rather hung on hand, several lots remaining
unsold, and these are sent off to Harlow fair. The horse
fair was well attended by buyers, the best cart horses
making from 40 to 50 guineas each; cart colts, two years
old, were nearly all sold, the very best selling for 35
guineas each. Welsh ponies and horses wore thinned
out the first day, not more than 200 being left, ponies
making from 61. to 151. each; best horses from 25 to 30
guineas each. Very little stock remains of any kind for
the third day's fair.
BAIL OF A. CHARTIST LEADER.—At the Judges
chambers yesterday, before the Lord Chief Justice Wilde,
John Shaw, a Chartist leader, charged with sedition, and
who has carried on an extensive business in the Commer-
cial-road East, as an undertaker, was admitted to bail.
The bail given was his own recognizance of 1001., and
two sureties of 501. each.

A company is
projected for establishing the omni-
bus system in Dublin, where, owing to some imperfec-
tions in the Police Acts, now at length remedied, the
omnibus has hitherto been a prohibited article.
FATAL ACCIDENT TO F. GOOLD, ESQ.—We regret
to state that F. Goold, Esq., barrister, eldest son of the
late Master Goold, was drowned yesterday off the Sligo
coast by the upsetting of a sail boat,—lrish Paper,