The Sun.
London, England, 1833-03-01 00:00:00

MOUSE OF COMMONS, FEBRUARY 26.
_ .

The balloting for the Committee on the Bath Election,
and the receiving of the report of Members absent at the call,
prevented the opening of the gallery until half-past four
o'clock.
The Gloucester Road Bill, and several other private
Bills, were passed a stage.
Mr. LITTLETON brought up the report of the Com-
mittee appointed to propose at rangements for the receipt
of petitions. He stared that tie Committee had gone mi-
nutely into the subject, had classified the petitions, and pre-
pared a form by which the nature of each petition, the place
from whence it emanated, and the number of signatures,
would be seen at one view.—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. FINCH presented several petitions from places in
Westmoreland, for the better observance of the Sabbath.
Mr. GROTE presented a petition from a citizen of
London, praying that in any alteration in the Charter
of the East India Company, a provision might be
entered for the better securing to the seamen employed in
the service, the prize money that might become due to
them. The Hon. Member then presented a petition,
praying that an alteration might be made in the
laws of arbitration, so that a power might he given to

summon witnesses. He also presente I a petition from a
number of respectable men who came under the religious
denomination of Separatists; they prayed that the same
immunities might be granted to them, in relation to the
taking of oaths, that had been extended to others.—

(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member supported the
prayer of the petition, and expressed his gratification that
the Hon. Member for Cambridge was about to bring in a
Bill to remove those disabilities from all religious classes,
of whatever de,ornination.

Mr. O'CONNELL thought that cases in point were of
equal consequence, as bearing upon the subject, as abstract
principles. In a case which came under his own know-
ledge, a jack in office had refused the testimony of a con-
scientious witness, because, as a Separatist, he would not
tike the oath.

Mr. HUME called on the Hon. Member to wipe away
this stain. Its effect was to injure conscientious and moral
men, who could not make a sacrifice of religious princi
ple ; and to advantage those who were not over honest,
hut ready, without scruple of conscience, to swear to
whatever might serve them.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT and another Hon. Member,
supported the prayer of the petition, which was ordered
to he printed.
Mr. GROTE presented a petition from certain voters
in the borough of Chatham, complaining of undue Mu-
enc.• h i.ving been used at the ;ate election for t,•at borough,
and pr tying for the protection of the (tabor.—(Hear.)
The pe,ition w ts sign,ll by 490 person-, of whom 250 were
registered voters. They stated that of the 667 registered
voters in Chatham, 153 were in the employ went or Go-
vernment, SS were receiving halt-pay, and many others
were in some way or other connected with the Govern-
ment, making 401 voters who were subject to undue in-
fluence and intimidation. They stat,A, that during the
late contest, complaints had been made to Governtnent
of the exercise of that undue influence, hut that no
steps had been taken to cheek it ; on the contrary', many
persons who could not conscientiously vote for the Go
vernment candidate were requested to refrain from voting
at all ; and the petitioneis added. that if that influence
and intimidation were not done away with, it would 1.)-
much better to invest the officers of the dockyard
and others in the employ of Government with the whole
power of election. It was evident that the electors of
Chatham could not rx,rcist. their franchise freely with-
out the protection of the ballot, and the Hon. Member
hoped that it would be granted to them, as the only means
of securin•2; their honest and flee votes.
The petition was read, and ordered to be laid on the
tWIe.

The Hog. MEMBER. then presented a similar petition
From a plate, the name of w bleb we could not hear, in

the county of Carmarthen, signed by upwards of
two hundred freeholders. Many electors of thrt
county had teen induced by threats to vote Con-
trary to their conseience, and they
,prayed either
fur the protection of the ballet, or that they might be dim-
franchised. They also prayed for a repeal of the Septen-
nial Act, and for triennial Parliaments. He also presented
a petition from Richard Gayor, for.
,an alteration in the
law of patents.