The Sun.
London, England, 1833-07-08 00:00:00

THE MOTION FOR A NEW HOUSE OF

COMMONS.
PERSONAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE MEMBERS.

(From the Spectator.)
The vote of the House of Commons on Tuesday
last, by which Mr. Hume's motion fora new House
was rejected by a decided majority, virtually
declares that one half of its Members are gene-
rally regardless of their duties to their constituents.
For it was asserted, that the present budding, which
will only accommodate 324 Members, was quire
large enough for 658 Members; because only half
of them attended, except on very particular occa-
sions. We should not have been surprised by the
use of this argament in the old Borough Parlia-
liaments, but the presumption on which it proceeds
is disgraceful to one which pretends to represent
the nation. Yet this was the reason which Lord
Althorp gave for voting against Mr. Hume.
If wholesome air is preferable to bad air—if order
and decorum are better than " shoving in and
shoving out"—if it is the duty of Members of Par-
liament to attend to the business intrusted to them
by their constituents—if common sense is to prevail
over mere prejudice—then the present House of
Commons ought to be abandoned for a convenient
and spacious building, in which the national busi-
ness may be transacted in decency and comfort.
The debate which ended in cushioning Mr.
Hume's motion, for the present session at least,
was in every point of view disgraceful. `The Mem-
bers were noisy and inattentive; the arguments of Lord
Althorp and Sir R. Peel were utterly valueless, and
delivered by the latter in an impertinent and con-
temptible tone, which deserved a more severe reproof
than it obtained from Mr. Hume. Sir Robert pre-
tended that he did not know who the Chairman of
the Committee was ! although he was himself a
member of that Committee, on the face of whose
report the name of the Chairman was moreover in-
scribed in the usual way.
No assembly of decent mechanics in the country
would be guilty of the indecorums which are con-
stantly committed in the House of Commons. The
decencies of civilized society appear to be totally
disregarded there. A few nights ago, one, of our
grave legislators amused his brother Members by
crowing like a cock ;" and there was a regular
chorus of scraping, hissing, and shouting, when Mr.
Poulett Scrope rose to speak upon a financial sub-
ject which he understood, though his audience did
not. Colonel Davies might well say that he was
ashamed of the behaviour of the House. Sir
Robert Peel himself acknowledged that there Was
" a great deal of talking, incessant buzz, coughing,
and very ungraceful attitudes" among the " master
spirits of the age," as he sneeringly denominated the
Members of the first Reformed Parliament. Mr.
Warburton declared, that " he was never in the
House two hours without undergoing bodily tor-
turP." Now the first step towards -a remedy of this
state of things, would be to provide decent accom-
modation for those at least whose sense of duty will
not permit tlictit to be absent at important discus-
sions and present only when a party vote is to be
be given. This first step, it seems, is not to be
taken. Our representatives prefer dirt and darkness
to cleanliness and convenience—a noxious vapour-
bath to a well ventilated apartment; and to this
sage decision they are conducted by the leaders of
the Whig and Tory parties, "Lord Althorp and Sir
Robert Peel.
The close of the present session will really be a
subject of congratulation to every wellwisher to his
country. Every additional vote passed seemds
the
cause additional disgust to those who expecte
their
new Parliament to turn over a new leaf In
mode of conducting the natior...e2.l...icerns

into Lytham.
Lyilt(11":mall
going down.
WRECK OF THE BARBARA, OF GREENOCK.
—On Thursday last, three of the fimhing-boats from
Southport, fell in with the hull of the sloop Barbara, of
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There is no doubt that the whole 61 the (n-,tv of this
Liverpool Advertiser.

F, RI A IPA R lAA ENT

Tills DAY, MoNDAY, JULY 8.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The gallery was opened soon after twelve, at which time we
found about fifty Members in the House.

Upon the motion of Mr. WILKS, the reading of the order
of the day on Willis's Divorce Bill was postponed to Wednes-
day, at twelve o'clock. .

Mr. DAVENPORT presented a petition from the owners
and occupiers of small houses in the Staffordshire Potteries,
against the Rating of Tenements Bill.
Sir G. STAUNTON presented a petition from Langston,
in Hampshire, relative to the southern fisheries.—Referred to
the Committee on Fisheries.
Mr. PEASE presented a petition from Robert Thompson,
an attorney, of Durham, relative to the. Bill for abolishing the
Imprisonment for Debt.
Sir R. FERGUSSON presented a petition from the city of
Londonderry, praying for better regulations in the shipment
and chartering of passengers.
Mr. FINN presented petitions from the merchants and
others of the city of Dublin ; from the merchants and others
of Kingstown ; and from the shipowners and shipmasters of
Dublin, complaining of the tonnage duties in the Dublin canals.
—Referred to the Committee.
Lord MILTON presented petitions from certain Baptists,
praying for the removal of disabilities, and against colonial
slavery.
Mr. TOOKE presented a petition from the carriers of
Truro,complaining of the great uncertainty respecting the assess-
ments of their vehicles, and of vexatious surcharges. In many
instances where they paid 4/. for a one horse van, they had
been surcharged 2/., for merely having another horse
to assist in dragging their vehicles up steep hills.-
(Hear.) The petitioners had memorialized the Treasury,
and petitioned the commissioners, but without avail. The
Hon. Member hoped that the case of the petitioners would
come within the scope of the Bill about to be brought in by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Mr. PENDARVES supported the prayer of the petition,
and expressed a similar hope.
Lord NORREYS presented a petition from the landowners
and agriculturists of Burford, Oxfordshire, praying that no
measure might be enforced for lessening the circulation of
Country bank notes.
Lord ORMELIE presented a petition from Muckart, in the
county of Perth, against uniting that parish with others, ac-
cording to a Bill now before the llmise. The inhabitants
had a strong objection to the union, and if it were enforced
against their wishes it might be legal, but would certainly
be arbitrary. Of those who enjoyed the elective franchise
in that parish, only five were for the union, and twenty
were against it; and in all, four-fifths of the hou.eholders
were opposed to :he measure. He also presented a petition,
on the same subject, from Thomas Boyd, who stated that h 6
income, as Registrar of seisins, would be considerably af-
t. cted by the proposed measure.
An Hos. MEMBER said he had been requested to support the
petition from Thomas Boyd, who had been Registrar of Seisins,
and who had performed his duty faithfully for upwards of
seventeen years. That House was bound to protect the in-
terests of such a public servant, and the proposed union would
deeply affect them. There were other reasons why the union
should not take place, which he would state at the proper
time. In the mean time, he cordially supported the prayer of
the petition.
Lord ORMELIE then presented a petition from the guild
or corporation of Perth against the Bankruptcy (Scotch) Bill.
He was glad that the Lord Advocate had given notice of his
intention to postpone that Bill, he would, therefore, say
nothing more upon it at present. Also one from the procurators
practising before the Sheriffs in Perthshire, praying the House
to use caution in altering the law, but suggesting that the
bankruptcy laws required revision. Also one from Perth, for
the abolition of slavery. _ _ _

Sir R. SINIEON presented a petition from Mr. Thomas
Day, against the Notaries Public Bill. He considered the
petitioner's situation most painful. He had been forty-six
years practising with honour and reputation as a notary, and
had, under the faith of an Act of Parliament, apprenticed his
son to the same profession, and now saw his prospects blighted
by the projected alteration of the law.
Mr. W. PATTEN presented a petition from the practi-
tioners of medicine in Wallington against the Apothecaries Act.

Mr. WILKS presented a petition from Winchester, pray-
ing for the abolition of several disabilities under which the Dis-
senters labour ; also one from Sion Chapel, Liverpool, praying
that the House, in the abolition of slavery, would provide for
the education of the slaves; one from the ministers and depu.
ties from the Dissenters of Suffolk, praying that their places of
worship might be exempted from parochial assessments, and
tar the registration of the births and marriages by themselves.
Mr. J. BULLER presented a petition, signed by 275 mer-
chants and bankers of Exeter, against the proposed plan of
giving a monopoly to country bankers.
Mr. DIVETT supported the petition, and condemned the
injustice and illiberality of the proposed scheme.
Admiral ADAMS presented nine petitions from Alloa, Ti).
libody, Dellar, Alva, and Muckersey, and the adjoining
districts, in favour of disconnecting several parishes from
Perthshire and annexing them to Kinross. '

Mr. HUME presented a petition ft:Om his Majesty's subjects
at the Cape of Good Hope, agreed to at a public meeting,
assembled under the sanction of the Governor, the object of
which was to take into consideration the Orders in Council of
the 2d of November, 1831, which proposed to pass certain re-
solutions for the general con uct of the slave-owners
in the colonies.—(Hear, hear.) The petitioners complain-
ed of their imposition as tinjust and uncalled-for;
but as his Majesty's Government had since the petition was
agreed to suspended those qrders in Council, the alarm of the
slave owners would be in a great measure obviated. The pe-
titioners stated their willingness to do every thing to ame-
liorate the condition of the slaves consistently with
their rights of property and the state of the colony ;
but urged the injustice of legislating on colonial subjects,
while they had no representative in that House. The Hon.
Member said he had already on a former occasion stated at
length his opinions on that subject ; and he hoped the atten-
tion of the Government would be seriously directed to it.
Mr. STANLEY expressed his hope that the Bill which his
Majesty's Government proposed on the subject ofslavery, recog-
nizing as it did the rights of property,would induce the petitioners
to co-operate with them for the purpose of carrying into effect
the intentions of the Legislature. He would not enter into
the question of colonial representation ; but as some important
qlocuments would shortly come under the attention of the
House relative to the state of this particular colony, the sub-
ject would then be much more conveniently discussed.
Mr. OLIPHANT pesented a petition from Bath, against
the Scotch Bankruptcy Bill.