The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-13 00:00:00

PONTEFRACT ELECTION.

Mr. W. P. WESTHEAD drew the attention of the
house to the contents of the report of the Pontefract elec-
tion committee, and proposed to make a motion with re-
spect to privilege.
Mr. MALINS rose to order. He had a motion on the
paper on the subject which should have precedence of that
of the hon. member.

The SPEAKER—The hon. member (Mr. Westhead)
said that he proposed to make a motion on the question of
privilege, and in doing so was strictly in order.
Mr. W. WESTHEAD said he wished to notice particu-
larly the three last paragraphs of the report. [The hon.
member read paragraphs 17,18, and 19.] The 18th paragraph
proposed to replace Mx Childers in theposition which he occu-
pied previous to the withdrawal of the petition, but he con-
tended that the house had no such power. Under the cir-
cumstances and considering the favourable view of the
committee with regard to Mr. Childers, he wished to know
whether the hon. member for Pontefract would not feel
called upon to resign.
Mr. MALINS rose again to order, which he considered
the honourable member was infringing, by asking an %hon.
member such a question.
The SPEAKER said that at present the hon. member
was in order.

Mr. WESTHEAD said that it was found by the com-
mittee that Mr. Childers and his agents were not guilty of
any corruption from the commencement of the proceedings
in connection with the arbitration :and the withdrawal of
the petition, repeated that it was quite impossible for the
House of Commons to restore the election petition in this
case to its original position. He concluded by moving the
production of the report.
Mr. SELWYN said, as a member of the committee, he
had proposed the 18th paragraph, on the ground that the
memorandum as to the reference did not contain a clear
agreement, and therefore that it was only fair to Mr.
Childers to restore him to the position he occupied before
the petition was withdrawn. The hon. and learned member
referred to the case of a petition against the return of a
member for Cork, where a mistake was committed, the
petition being withdrawn instead of that for Limerick, and
.when the house restored the member to his original posi.
tion. He also alluded to another case, that of the borough
of Norwich, where a similar course was adopted in
consequence of a petition being withdrawn without the full
authority of the principal. He suggested the same course
should be pursued in the present instance. He would,
therefore, move as an amendment that the order for re-
ference be declared null and void, and he suggested that
the original petition should be placed at the bottom of the
list.

Sir G. GREY denied that the house had any such
power.
After some further discussion,
Mr. OVEREND proposed that the whole question
should be referred to the right hon. baronet the Chancellor
of the Duchy of Lancaster, and the right hon. baronet the
member for Droitwitch.

The suggestion of the hon. and learned member was
ultimately agreed to, and the motion and amendment were
withdrawn. The subject then dropped.
TREATY WITH CHINA, &c.
In reply to Mr. GREGSON,
Lord J. RUSSELL said it was intended by the Emperor
of China to ratify the treaty entered into between him and
this country, and he would be invited to accredit a perma-
nent ambassador at China."

SEIZURE OF THE "HERALD," ITALY.
Mr. AYRTON asked the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs, what steps have been taken to obtain compensation
from the Government of Portugal for the seizure of the
" Herald ;" and also to obtain compensation from the Otto-
man Government for the injuries and losses inflicted on
British subjects at Juddah ?
Lord J. RUSSELL said the subject was under consi-
deration. In reply to the other queition he had to state
that their was no official confirmation of rumours which
appeared in the Vienna papers as to the state of Italy.
NEW WRITS—KINGSTON-UPON-HULL.
On the motion of Mr. MALINS, the following were
agreed to after some discussion :—To rescind the sessional
order of the 27th of July last, requiring two days' notice of
the issue of a writ, under certain circumstances.—That
Mr. Speaker do issue his warrant to the Clerk of the Crown
to make out a new writ for a burgess to serve in this pre-
sent Parliament for the borough of Kingston-upon-Hull,
in the room of Joseph Hoare, Esq., whose election has been
determined to be void.

MUSKETRY SCHOOL AT HYTHE.
Lord ELCHO moved for an •address for copies of any
reports relative to the instruction of volunteers in the Go-
vernment school at Hythe.
Mr. S. HERBERT said the report was to the object in
question.

- Lord PALMERSTON said the Government were desi-
rious to afford every assistance for the formation of volun-
teer corps in the country.
After some discussion the motion was agreed tot
Some returns were laid pn the table, and some bills were
were read a first time pro forma.

COMMTSSrIOIV PROROGATION.
At half-past two o'clock Sir G. CLIFFORD, the Usher of
the Black Rod, summoned the house to the bar of the House
of Lords to hear the Royal Assent given by commission to
several bills, and the Queen's Speech on prorogation of
Parliament.
The SPEAKER, accompanied by several members, ap-
peared at the bar of the upper house, and at the conclusion
of the Royal Speech returned.
The names of the different bills which had received tha
Royal assent and the Royal Speech were read (for
which see Lords' report), which terminated the proceedings
of the session.

ELECTION PETITIONS TO BE TRIED

IN THE NEXT SESSION.

Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.—Joseph Slade and
others, Robert James Roy Campbell, Colonel Wm. Lockyer
Freestun.
Carlisle.—John Park Arthur and John Graham.
Barnstaple.—Sir William Augustus Fraser, Bart., Sir
William Augustus Fraser, Bart.
Roscommon.—Denis O'Connor and Patrick Graham.
Great Yarmouth.—Joseph Bayly and Robert Pilgrim.
Newry: —Robert Dempster and Thomas Cardwell.
King's County.—D. Hume and John F. Cassidy.
Chatham—George Wilstead and George Pattison.
Dover.—Sir Wm. Russell, Bart.
Carlow.—Henry Cary and Thomas Harris Carroll, Henry
Cary and Thomas Harris Carroll.
Dundalk.—Patrick Dowdall and Matthew M. Graham.
Clare.—Nicholas Butler and John Barrymore Macna-
mara. _ _

Lyme Regis.—John George Sarsfield Macnamara Moore
and George Nathaniel Shore.

Peterborough.—William Vergette and others, Thomas
Scoley and Henry Freeman.

Athlone.—Robert Preston Bayley, James Wm. Fair,
Lawrence Kelly and Thomas Gill.
Norwich.—Josiah Fletcher and others, John Godwin
Johnson and Roger Kerrison, Philip Back and Gardiner
Christopher Stevens.