The Sun.
London, England, 1834-07-09 00:00:00

the people of England to say, that when the votes were laid
before them they would not have intelligence enough to un-
derstand on what principle their representatives had acted.
The Reform Bill having passed, the people should be placed
in the best possible situation as regarded their means of ob-
taining accounts of information as to the votes of their repre-
sentatives, in order that they might be able to form a proper
estimate of the claims of the candidates who. might offer them-
selves. As to the principle of the motion, he was strongly in
its favour ; but as regarded the means by which it was pro-
posed to carry that principle into effect, he spoke with consi-
derable diffidence, because the experiment had yet to be made.
Mr. Secretary RICE said the House had decided that this
was a fit subject for the inquiry of a Committee—that there was
still the question before them as to the means by which the
object was to be effected. He would, in the first instance, ask
whether, by the course pursued at present, their constituents
(lid not obtain a competent knowledge of the votes of Members
of that House.—(No, no.) In all important questions the
divisions were published, and they were generally accurate.
When they were not so, he knew that Members were put to
the trouble of writing letters to correct them, and he could
easily understand why they should be desirous of relieving
themselves from the performance of this task ; but, on the
other hand, if they adopted either of the plans proposed to re-
medy the evil, he feared that the sacrifice of time on the part
of the House would be considerable. _ _

Mr. KENNEDY thought the thanks of the country emi-
nently due to the Hon. Member for St. Albans, for his zeal in
bringing this subject before the House, and trusted he would
persevere and bring it to a happy conclusion.—_( Hear, hear.)
Whoever had seen the facility with which names were taken
in such large assemblies as the Halls of Lincoln's Inn and the
Middle Temple, could have no doubt of the practicability of
the recommendation of the Committee. He trusted the House
would agree to the measure, and carry it into effect, as he
considered it only next in importance to triennial Parlia-
ments.—( Hear.)
Mr. C. WYNN opposed the motion. He thought that the
effect of having authorised divisions would be to increase the
number of the divisions. There were no constituencies who
had not ample means at present of knowing how their repre-
sentatives voted.

Vv
Sir M. W. RIDLEY thought that the proposed plan
would lead to great inconvenience and loss of time.
The House then divided on the motion—
Ayes • 76
Noes
Majority in favour of the motion —44
Loud cheers followed the announcement of the numbers.

On our return to the gallery, we found Mr. EWART ar-
guing the propriety of carrying the plan into immediate effect.
Mr. WARD said he had no objection to this, if the clerks
were but appointed, and submitted a resolution to the effect,
" That the plans proposed by the Committee be acted on be-
fore the close of the present session, and the clerks appointed
as soon as possible."
The question being put—
Sir ROBERT PE EL wished to know why they did not
proceed with the plan at once. As the principle had been
affirmed by that House, why not proceed at once to put it in
practice. It was not his intention to throw impediments in
the way of a measure which the House had resolved upon,
but, as it had been resolved upon, why not proceed at once to
give the proposition a fair trial. If the proposition for callinff
Hon. Members by name required stronger light, it would be
important for this reason to make the trial. Then it would be
well to ascertain whether the plan of sending the supposed
minority to the lobby, as was now the practice, or deciding
from separate sides of the House, would be the most conve-
nient. In his opinion it would be better to try the plan with-
out making permanent employment for clerks, and ascertain
whether the divisions could not be better taken by Members of
that House, more conversant with the forms. This latter
mode of taking the divisions by Members, seemed to him the
best mode of giving- the proposition a fair trial.
Mr. WARD felt obliged by the suggestion of the Right
Hon. Baronet, and acknowledged the difficulty of procuring
persons to give a fair trial to the plan.
Sir ROBERT PEEL still insisted that some immediate
and decided steps should be taken to put the plan into execu-
tion, and suggested to the Hon. Member the propriety of
taking two or three days to consider how it could receive a
trial before they burdened themselves with the expense of per-
manent officers for the purpose.
Sir EDWARD KNATCHBULL thought that a strong
objection lay against the plan, because of the time it would
consume, and the dissatisfaction such a consequence would
create out of doors. The experiment was, in his opinion, not
worth the waste of time it would occasion.
Mr. CUTL AR FE RGU SSON denied that the public
would be dissatisfied with the plan. It would, on the con-
trary, give great satisfaction to the public to have the votes
correctly given, which was not the case now, as he could in-
stance in his own experience, though he was not in the habit
of addressing the newspapers on the subject.
Mr. CLAY was of opinion that it was of as much impor-
tance to the public to have an exact account of the votes, as to
have exact reports of speeches.
Mr. SANDFORD inquired how the divisions were to be
published ?
Mr. WARD—In the Votes.
Mr. HUME volunteered to make the experiment to-mor-
row, to find another teller, and name every man in the House.
—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. O'CONNELL was glad that they had proceeded so
far in the course of common sense. In next session he hoped
they would sit in the day time, and break
.up at eight o'clock
in the evening, by which means overmuch speaking would be
avoided, and more business got through.
The motion was then agreed to.
ROYAL MARRIAGE ACT.

Colonel WILLIAMS moved for leave to bring in a Bill to
repeal the 12th Geo. 111., c. 11, called the Royal Marriage
Act, for the purpose of restoring to the members of the Royal
Family their just and natural rights, and to afford a prospect
that the Government of England will in time be under an influence
entirely English. The Hon. Member described the Act as
one of peculiar hardship on the members of the Royal Family,
nor did he see any reason why England should not furnish as
good mates for those illustrious persons as Germany.
Mr. BUCKINGHAM seconded the motion.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL hoped that the Hon.
Gentleman would withdraw it. The Royal Marriage Act did
not prevent the marriage with an English subject ; it only
rendered the assent of his Majesty requisite.
Mr. O'CONNELL said that such, however, had been the
effect of the Bill, and such was its intention. It was doubtful
whether the Act was so expressed, however, as people imagined.
A very serious question might arise on it, and it was doubtful
whether it extended to marriages out of England.
After a few words from Mr. POTTER and Mr. S. RICE,

Colonel WILLIAMS withdrew his motion.
Mr. BARNARD moved for certain returns relative to the
Greenwich Court of Requests.
Mr. LYNCH obtained leave to bring in a Bill to repeal so
much of Act 19 Geo. 11., c. 13, as annuls and makes void all
marriages celebrated by any Popish priest between Protestant
and Protestant, or between Protestant and Catholic.
Mr. SANDFORD begged leave to bring in a Bill to
amend the General Turnpike Act.
The Customs Bill was, on the motion of Mr. Labouchere,
read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Friday
next.
The order of the day for going into Committee on the
Tithes Ireland Bill was postponed till to-morrow.
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT BILL.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the order of the
the day for the second reading of this bill.
Mr. S. LE FEVRE suggested that the Highway Bill
should precede.
Mr. O'CONNELL hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman
would not give way. In his opinion, the Bill was the most
important and salutary alteration in the law which had been
introduced. It cleared away from our system of jurisprudence
the greatest reproach which ever was on it—indiscriminate
cruelty on the victim of misfortune.—( Hear. )
The order of the day was then read, and the Bill was read
a second time, without discussion or opposition, and was or-
dered to be committed on Friday next.