The Sun.
London, England, 1835-06-02 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY SUMMARY,

In the LORDS last night Baron HATIIERTON (Mr. Littleton)
took the oaths and his seat. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY
asked several questions respecting the instructions sent out to
his Majesty's cruisers off the north coast of Spain and
amongst others whether arms and stores had been furnished by
this country to the Government of Spain? Lord MELBOURNE
answered " that no such instructions as those alluded to had
been sent out." The Bishop of LONDON presented a petition
from 1,734 inhabitants of Islington in favour of the Islington
Market Bill. Lord LYNDHURST laid on the table a Bill for
the purpose of rendering those marriages legal which were
contracted by parties within certain of the limits of affinity ;
the Bill proposed that a marriage within such limits, if not
disputed after a lapse of two years from solemnization, should
be considered legal, and the offspring, if any, legitimate. Lord
BROUGHAM wished the restrospective clause to attach from
this instant, and was favourable to a more comprehensive
measure. Lord LYNDHURST was willing to adopt the sugges-
tion of the Noble and Learned Lord. The Bishop of EXETER
doubted the policy of the Bill, particularly in reference to
marriages contracted abroad. The Bill was then ordered to
be read a first time.

In the COMMONS, several petitions were presented for and
against any grant to the Scotch Church. Mr. WILKS pre-
sented a petition similar to the one presented in the other
House a few nights since by Lord BROUGHAM, from the Dis-
senters residing within twelve miles of the Metropolis, against
Church-rates. The Hon. Member, in supporting his petition,
alluded to the triumphant procession which last week accom-
panied Mr. Childs, of Bungay, on his liberation, as a strong
proof of the existing spirit of resistance to these obnoxious
rates. The case of the Wolverhampton riots was brought be-
fore the House by Mr. THORNELEY, who said that nothing would
satisfy the country but the fullest and most impartial examina-
tion into the whole transaction ; and he asked whether it was
the intention of Lord John Russell to send down some confi-
dential agent to Wolverhampton, to investigate the matter.
The Noble Lord promised the fullest investigation into the cir-
cumstances of the riot. Lord JOHN RUSSELL postponed till
Friday his motion for leave to bring in a measure of Corporate
Reform. Lord MORPETH intimated that on Monday se'nnight
he would introduce a measure respecting the Irish Church.
Mr. CAYLEY brought forward, pursuant to notice, his motion
for a Select Committee on Agricultural Distress. After a
discussion, for which we efer to our Parliamentary Report, the
motion was negatived by a majority of 90. Mr. DIVETT ob-
tained leave to bring in a Bill for the Disfranchisement of the
Borough of Stafford. The orders of the day were then dis-
posed of, and the House adjourned at two o'clock.

BIRMINGHAM.-(YESTERDAY.)

GREAT PUBLIC MEETING.

Yesterday, a public meeting, convened by requisition to the
High Bailiff, signed by several hundreds of the most respect-
able inhabitants, was held in the Town Hall, for the purpose
of taking into consideration the propriety of addressing his
Majesty's Ministers, and the two Houses of Parliament, on the
important questions which at present agitate the public mind,
and especially on the recent change in his Majesty's Councils ;
on the subjects of Church and Corporation Reform, and the
grievances under which many of his Majesty's subjects still
labour on account of their religious belief.
The meeting was called for eleven o'clock, at which hour
there were about 4,000 persons present. At half-past eleven,
Paul Moon James, Esq., the High Bailiff, accompanied by
Thomas Findale, Esq., the Low Bailiff, entered the organ
gallery, and were loudly cheered. Amongst those present on
the right of the Chairman, were the Revs. John Kentish and
A. Bache, Unitarian Ministers, and J. Michael Donnell,
Catholic Priest, Williams Wills, Esq., William Redfern,
Esq., Thos. Clarke, Esq., Wm. Beal, Esq., late Low Bailiff,
John Beal, Esq., Frederick Wills, Esq., Thomas Ryland,
Esq., Clement Scholefield, Esq. On the left were G. F.
Muntz, Esq., William Barlow, Esq., William Boultbee, Esq.,
and several others.

The Hioii BAILIFF read the Requisition after which he
spoke to the following effect :—Whatever proceedings might
spring out of that meeting, he hoped they would lose nothing
of their force or efficacy from the st.ict impartiality which
would be observed towards all present, and from the patience
and good feeling which would govern the whole of the pro-
ceedings. It was his duty, as Chairman, to insure for all
a fair and impartial hearing ; that he would do, as far as pos-
sible ; but without their co-operation his endeavours would be
ineffectual.—( Cheers. )
The Low BAILIFF then addressed the meeting. It was
highly gratifying to him to see so numerous and highly re-
spectable a meeting as the present, convened to discuss the
important subjects contained in the requisition. He would
not then enter upon those topics, knowing that they would Le
considered with so much more ability by Mr. Muntz and
others, who were competent to enter fully upon them. He
would merely say he had full confidence in his Majesty's Minis-
ters—that they would not only carry on the great principles
of Reform now under consideration, and, by so doing, satisfy
the people upon those points, but that they would eventually
• • • •'• changes as would lead to the general prosperity
and happiness of the nation.—(Cheers.) He begged leave to
propose the first resolution.
G. F. MUNTZ now presented himself, and was received
with great cheering, which lasted for some time. He most
cordially seconded the resolution. The question was—
Why they should support his Majesty's Ministers on the pre-
sent occasion? The reason was very simple—because
they could not but see very clearly that there was a deter-
mination on the part of the enemies of the people to pre-
vent them from carrying those measures of reform which
were necessary, and to carry which they were returned to
office by the Representatives of the empire.—( Cheers.)
They had met some time since in that Hall to return men to
Parliament for the purpose of carrying out the Reform Bill.
Those gentlemen whom they had returned--(Cheers)—and
the other Representatives of the people, had resolved on doing
so, and the result was, that the present Ministry, as the most
likely to effect that object, were now in power.—(Cheers.)
One of the consequences of the Reform Bill was a strong and
just desire on the part of the people to effect a reform in the
Irish Church.—( Loud and continued cheering.) It was a
notorious fact that a great proportion of the tithes collected
in that country were taken from those who did not belong
to the Established Church, and who consequently could
not be supposed to derive any benefit or advantage
from it. Men without any congregations received the
Church property in Ireland, than which he could not well
suppose a more unjust, and, between man and man, a more
untenable system.—(Loud cheers.) The Tories had pro-
posed (knowing they could not retain things as they were)
to dispose of the surplus revenue, but they wished to apply
it exclusively to the education of Protestants. Now what
relief would this be to the Catholic? What did it matter
to the Catholic how it was applied, if his child were not to
receive benefit from it ? The present Government, however,
took a different view of it. They wanted to educate all classes,
well knowing that upon the education of a people depended
their real and solid happiness.—( Loud cheers.) This was
the real difference between the late and the present Govern-
ments. The late Ministers wished to confine their education ; if
compelled to educate at all, to give it to a favoured few ; whilst
the present Ministers wish to educate and instruct all,
without distinction of creed or party.---( Cheers.) Upon this
question the late Government went out, and upon the carrying
of this great, and he would unhesitatingly say, national and
god-like principle, the present Government rests its claims to
the support of the people.--( Cheers, and cries of " They
have it.") The Tories in the House of Commons called the
means used by the representatives of the people to carry out
this principle factious. Was there ever such an unfounded
accusation ? What was the Reform Bill carried for if not to
enable the people to send men to Parliament who could and
would legislate according to their wishes ? And was it not
the wish of the people, not only of Ireland but of England,
that the Irish Church should be reformed of its abuses, and
that the people of that country should also be educated 2
( Great cheering.) It appeared, however, they had
got into a new era. It was deemed factious now-a-days for
Members of Parliament to express the opinions and wishes
of their constituents ; and lest the Tory Members in the
House who made these charges of factious opposition against
the people's Representatives should be supposed to say that
which was untrue, it was endeavoured by their friends out
of doors to get up what was called a re-action, or an ex-
pression of public opinion, as it was termed.--(Laughter.)
To aid and assist in this good work, it appeared, a Con-
servative meeting was called in Birmingham, and an address
was got up upon the subject. Was there ever such a farce?
The people of Birmingham sign an address against those
principles, to obtain which they spent years of toil and
labour ?---( Cheers, arid cries of" And will again, if necessary.")
No, it was not the people who sent up the Address. It was a
few gentlemen of the town, not the people. But it was said
that the document was signed by Merchants, Bankers, &c.,
and when he heard all this, he had the curiosity to go to Dee's
Hotel to see the list. Now, all he would say about the list
was this, that he was quite sure it did not contain the names of
all the Bankers, Merchants, and Traders of Birmingham.--
( Cheers.) As he had said before, it was a farce, and not
worth noticing, only to say it was not such as the country
might think it to be, if not contradicted.—( Hear.) Yet
he did not believe the people of England would or could for a
moment imagine that such a document emanated from the
men of Birmingham.—( Cheers.) The Tory address, when
he saw it, had got three leaves of foolscap paper attached to,
and he hoped he would not again be told that it had all the
rank and wealth of the town attached to it. He did not wish
to deduct from any man's merits, or from the united merits of
the gentlemen who had signed it, but he denied, most unequi-
vocally, that it contained anything like that importance which
would justify Ministers, situate as the present were, in
regulating their conduct by it.---( Loud and continued cheers.)
No : the present Ministers, if they knew anything, must know
better._( Loud and tremendous cheering.) The gentlemen
who had got up the Tory address, once condemned him and his
friends of the Liberal party, for keeping up the Political
Union ; but now, knowing well that power sufficient to be
available must be derived from the people, they were endea-
vouring (but too late) to engage the attention and affections of
those whom they had long since and oft abused, and he would
say, grossly insulted and trampled upon.—( Loud cheers. )
[Through some accident, the rest of the Report had not
arrived up to the time when we went to Press. If it arrive,
we shall give.it in a Second Edition. The meeting went off
with the utmost tranquillity.l

The rumours of appointments to the office of Clerk
of Parliament are all premature ; it is possible, indeed, that
no appointment may be made to that office, as
arrange.
ments are spoken of for executing its
....ties.
We We can contrak:, me report of the death of Earl
Forter,zia, and the consequent elevation of Lord Ebrington to
the peerage. His Lordship is in the enjoyment of his custo-
mary health,