The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-06 00:00:00

and told him it was utterly impossible for him to attend.
lie was in hopes that this explanation was sufficient.
it was quite impossible that he could do duty upon both
these Committees.

Mr. ESCOURT was not sorry that his Hon. Friend
had bnught this matter before the House, because it
was of considerable importance with reference to the
carrying out of that plan which . they adopted,
for the purpose of forming a Congress to investigate
railway projects. His llon. Friend had most accuratey
stated aa that had passed on the occasion. When the
letter of his Hon. Friend was laid before the Com-
mittee of Selection, they found that what he had
stated was that he had served upon two Com-
mittees, and that he could not discharge both duties.
ire apprehended that the House would consider whether
the being appointed upon r. public Committee exempted
a Member of that House from his Parliameatary duties.
If his Hon. Friend, however, had stated, on a similar
occasion, the facts which now appeared, considerable
difficulty would have been avoided. lie was very glad
that he had an opportunity of stating to the House
that if an Hon. Member felt reason for considering that
he could not serve, it would be attended with great con-
venience if he instantly informed the Committee of his
inability to act. The Committee of Selection did not
consider the explanations of the Hon. Member sufficient
excuse, and, therefore, did not excuse him. The same
circumstance occurred in several other cases, and they
were dealt with in the same way. However. the Com-
mittee of Selection would, of ceurse,adopt whatever mea-
sure the House might think proper to adopt in reference
to this-rule.

Mr. LABOUCHERE said it was quite obvious that
the fact of an Hon. Member serving on a public Com-
mittee could not excuse him serving on a Committee of
this House.

Mr. HUME differed altogether from the Hon. Gen-
tleman. The duties of the Committees were twofold.
One of those duties was of national importance, the
other related to private interests. He could not under •
stand why Comnntttes on measures of great public
and national implrtance should be neglected for
the business of private Committees. Attendatiee on
public Committees was not compulsory. It wa, com-
pulsory on Committees on private Bills. Ile vas
at the head of a Committee appointed to investigate a
subject of great national importance. Several
Members who were appointed on that Committt e had
been asked if they would attend; they had all replied that
they should be most happy to attend, but that they were
on Committees on private Bills, which they were com-
pelled to attend. Nov there was the Committee on
Prisons in Scotland; that was a subject of national
importance ; but several Members who bad been
appointed on that Committee had been since drafted
off - into private Committees. Now, he thought the
public business ought not to be neglected in this
manner. Members should be compelled to attend
on public Committees in the same mariner as
they were compelled to attend on private Committees,
end Members who were placed on public Committees
ought not to be compelled to serve on any others. His
Honourable Friend had stated that there were upwards
of one hundred Members serving on Railway Com-
uiittees, but there were live hundred Members
still to be chosen from. He did not know whether or
not there was a scarcity of Members, but if f uch was
the case they ought to have a call of the House, and
compel the attendance of Members.--(Hear.) There
were many Members absent, upwards of 100, as far
as he knew, without any reason. Their attendance
should be enforced, in order to compel them to
attend on Parliamentary Committees:

S.r J. TYRRELL had great satisfaction in seeing a
large number of Irish Members present. They ought
t.) call upon the gentlemen of Ireland to take their fair
share of business.

Lord J. RUSSELL could not agree with the Hon.
Member for Montrose that the fact of a Member being
appointed to a public Committee was an excuse for his
not attending a railway Committee upon n bleb the at-
tendance was compulsory; because everybody knew that
a Member upon a public Committee might leave London
&together, and go to reside in the country without being
missed. But he agreed with the Hon. Member for Mon-
trose that as the House had adopted a compulsory course,
they ought to require the attendance of Members who k. pt
away without leave of absence, or any justification.—
(Hear, hear.) It was obvious that the abserce of those
Members rendered the duties more onerous to others.
—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") He thought, therefore, that
the House ought to be obliged to the Hon. Member
for Montrose for calling attention to the subject.—(Hear,
hear)—and he hoped that the House, by a call or other-
wise, would enforce the attendance of the Members who
mere absent without excuse.

Lord G. SOMERSET said that as he was the
person who proposed the compulsory resolution, the
House might expect him to say something upon this
-question. It certainly was not intended that the resolu-
tion should be enforced without any modification.
But he thought that the attendance of his Iron. Friend
the Member for Winchester, upon the public Committee
was not of that constraining character which should excuse
him from attending to the railway Committee. which he
(Lord G. Somerset) considered of as much importance
to the public as the business of Committees called public.
Dr. BOWRING thought as the House had come to a
resolution on the subject of Railway Committees that
regulatian should to be enforced. The questions for the
consideration of the Committees were of the utmost im-
portance, and it was quite impossible they could be
attended to if Hon. Members were not compelled to attend.
Mr. STUART WORTLEY said it would be impos-
sible to admit the excuse of the Hon. Member for Win-
chester without neutralising the effect of the very regu-
lation passed by the House.
Mr. P. M. STEWART said he had been appoirted
Chairman on a Railway Committee while he was serving
on two public Committees. He had applied to the Hon.
Gentleman the Chairman of the Committe of Selection,
to be relieved from the Railway Committee, but
he was informed he had no locus standi before the Com-
mittee of Selection in making such an application. lie
was therefore obliged-to leave the comparative repose of
the two Committees to consider ten Bills and listen
to twenty lawyers. If the House should come to a de*
cision in favour of the Hon. Member opposite, he (Mr.
Stewart), hoped it would be made retrospective.
Captain BERKELEY said the Members who thought
proper to attend the Repeal Association had never been
summoned on any Committee.
Mr. SOTHERON thought the Hon. Member for
Winchester had better be relieved from further attend-
ance on this Committee.—(Cries of " No, no.")
Mr. F. SHAW said he had served upon a Committee
at great iaconvenience to himself. He understood that
about forty Committees would be appointed, so that a
constant attendance of about 200 Members would be
absolutely requisite.
Sir GEORGE GREY said there ought to be some
motion on the subject. He would suggest to the Noble
Lord that the Honourable Member be directed to attend
the Committee to-morrow.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET said that after the
general expr(ssion of the House he thought no moti,:n
on the subject would be necessary.
_ _ _

Viseotini CA STLEREA G II vi:ished to know whether,
if those Iri,li Members did nut attend, the Sergeant-at-
Arms would not be sent over to Ireland to compel the
attendance of such Members.—(Bear.) He agreed en-
tirely with his Hon. Friend opposite that some under-
standing must be come to on this matter, and he ceuld
not help expressing his surprise that none of the names
of those gentlemen had yet appeared on the list.—(hear.)
He regretted that the Right llcnourable Gentleman
(the Recorder of Dublin) should have made such a
friendly attack.—(Laughter.) Yes, a friei,diy attack on
the Hon. Member for the University of Oxford. lie
seemed to say, "I will excuse you for non-attendance,
and •put you to serve upon another." If a preference
was extended to one, it ought to be extended to all.
Mr. M. MILNES wished to ask the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman what would take place if an Hon. Member re-
fused to attend the summons ?
Mr. HUME said, that if this were made a compul-
sory matter, he hoped that a call of the [louse would
take place immediately, so that every Hon. Member
who could not furnish a sufficient apology might be
compelled to attend.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said he had put a question to
the Noble Lord, and he hoped he would answer him.
Lord G. SOMERSET said be was not aware that
the Noble Lord had put a question to him. He
conceived that any Member who had been selected
by the Committee of Selection to serve on a Railway
Committee would, if he had not obeyed that call, be
committed, by order of the House, to the custody
of the Sergeant-at-Arms. The case had not yet arisen,
and the House expressed no opinion upon it. He
hoped, however, when the case did arise, that the House
would not allow their resolutions, emanating from
a Committee, to be considered as so much waste paper.
He was afraid, if the attendance of Members was not
enforced, that they would not attend at ail.—(Haar.)
Lord CASTLEREAGH said that the Noble 14,,rd
had Dot answered hiq question. He wished to ask him
distinctly- whether, in the event of certain Members
from Ireland not attending, they would be compelled to
do so ?
Lord G. SOMERSET said that if any Member, whe-
ther from Ireland, Scotland, or England, did not attend
when summoned by the Committee of Selection, he
(Lord Granville Somerset) should certainly propose to
the House that such Member be committed to the cus-
tody of the Sergeant-at-Arms.—(" Hear, hear," and
cries of " Move, move.")
Sir G. GREY begged to move that the Hon. Member
for Winchester (Mr. B. Escott) be directed to attend
upon a Railway Committee to-morrow.
The SPEAKER having put the question that Mr.
Bingham Escott be directed to attend upon the Railway
Committee, Group Q, to-morrow—(Laughter),
Mr. ESCOTT said the Right Hon. Gentleman oppo-
site misunderstood the reasons which he gave for

net. attendins, the Committee. He did not re-
fuse to attend because he preferred bc lug on a public
Committee. What he meant to state was, that it was
incompatible with his duty on the public Committee to
attend upon a railway Committee also. Not only as it
seemed to him did he exercise a sound discretion in re-
fusing, but he took the only course that would enable to
him to perform his duty to the House.
The gallery was then cleared for a division but none
took place. On our entrance
Mr. HUME was aldressiug the House, and gave no•
Lice that on Friday he would move for a call of the
ll•ku€e, and that every Member not present be rcqucsttd
to attend on that day ten days.
LONDON AND CROYDON RAILWAY.
Lord JERMYN moved the ss•eond reading of the
London and Crevdon
Dr. BUWRINTG said a few words in opposition to it.
These was a very large population in those towns
that had been named t bat they would not object
to th:. formation of the line, provided no of
,r
etc.
was to run near the town ot Newmarket.s nilde
time
chided by movin, that the Bin be read
h,_
that day six months.
Mr. P. of Trade, and
not delegate its powers to the Board ,
imivARD conceived that that House should