The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-13 00:00:00

of " Capital and Currency," or as the Secretary for the
Treasury ; because, with the single exception of the
honourable gentleman himself, there was no representa
tive of the school of vihich he was once the apost'e.
but of which he (Mr. Peacocke) believed he
was no linger a disci; le. (Laughter.) If there was one
question more than another to which the attention of
the committee ought to be directed it was that of coun
try issues. On le,:hing over the debate of the other
evening he found that that euhject was alluded to by
only one gentleman' viz., his hon. friend the member fer
Inverness-shire. But that hon. gentleman's name was
not on the committee. There was another most kepi-
tent point. He believed that it. was a very general opi-
nion that it was they intention of the Bank Act that the
bullion in the issue department should be exclusively
for the purpose of securing the convertibility of the note,
and that, the 1101 er of the bank note should have a spe-
cial lien upon it. Now, if the bank should break, was
the holder of such a note to be paid pani passe with
every other credit or ? That the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer must admit was a very important question for the
consideration of the committee, but not one of those hor.
gentlemen whose names had been proposed bad alluded to
it, And so he (Mr. Peac)cke) was told that this was a fair
and impartial committee for the purposes of inquiry.
He declined to propose any alteration of it. He
thought that the play was amusing as it stood, and he
did not wish to interfere with the performance or the
distribution of the parts in this most solema comedy.
(Laughter.)

Mr. DISRAELI begged to repeat the appeal which
he made the other evening to the Government, to intro-
duce a bill at once without the intervention of a com-
mittee, as he thought that all the information that might
be needed could be furnished during the discussion of
the bill in its several stages in the house. The Govern-
ment bad matured their opinion on the subject, and he
thought it was most unadvisable to appoint a committee
toinvestigate a subject with respect to which the Go-
vernment was prepared to undertake, on its own respon-
sibility, the introduction of a bill. He (Mr. Disraeli)
was nut disposed to divide the house upon the appoint-
ment of a committee unless be should receive more en-
couragement than he then anticipated. Bat there was
another point which was scarcely less important which
be would urge upon the Government, and that was the
expediency of not only changing the names, but reducing
the size of the committee, which was unwieldy. All the
opinions that ought to be represented might be repre-
sented by a committee exactly half the size. Why not
have a c3mmittee of 11, as they chose 11's at cricket ?
(Laughter.)

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it
appeared to be the general wish of the house that a se-
lect committee should be appointed on this subject, and
although he thought there was no necessity for one yet
he would yield to that desire. Even if he bad deter-
mined to introduce a bill in the first instance he believed
that the majority of the house would have referred it to
a select committee. There was a general expectation,
both within the house and out of doors, that the sub-
ject should undergo investigation before a com-
mittee. On referring to former committees upon
this subject he found that they were generally
composed of 26 or 28. The last committee
was composed of 26. In proposing, therefore, a com-
mittee of 12, he did not choose an unreasonable num-
ber. The many applications which had been made to
him by hon. members de-irous of being appointed on the
committee induced him to believe that it was the general
wish that the committee should be composed of at least
22 members.

Mr. HADFIELD complained of the absence from the
list of every hon. gentlemen representing the manufac-
turing districts in the north of England.

Mr. TITE expressed his approval of an inquiry by a
select committee as a preliminary step to the introduc-
tion of a bill.

All the names preceding that of Mr. Pollard• Urquhart
having been put from the chair and agreed t),
Mr. GROG AN proposed the substitution of Mr.
Vance's name for that of Mr. Urquhart, on the ground
that the latter represented an agricultural, while the
former represented a mercantile. constituency.
After a few words from Mr. NEWDEGATE,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought
that it was not the first time that the hon. gentleman
had made a motion of a similar nature with respect to
his colleague ; and he also thought that his colleague
had made a similar motion with regard to himself.
(Laughter.) He himself would adhere to the names
which he had set clown, and, as among those names
were the name of the hon. member for the University of
Dublin, an accomplished financier, and of the hon.
member for NVestmeath, who had on previous occa-
sions txhibited considerable acquaintance with the sub-
ject, he did not think that Irish commercial interests
were not fairly represented.