The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-07 00:00:00

PRIVILEGES OF COUNSEL

Mr. EWART gave notice that he would, on an
early opportunity, introduce a Bill to allow counsel
the privilege of replying in criminal cases.
SCOTCH BANKS. _ _ _

Mr. MACAULAY put the question, of which he
had given notice, as to the intentions of the Right
Honourable Baronet at the head of the Government
with respect to the Scotch Banks. The Right
Honourable Baronet could not be aware how this
subject had excited the public mind in Scotland. If
he had placed a right construction upon the words to
which he had alluded, he trusted that the Right Hon.
Gentleman would feel it compatible with his public
duty to give some information on the subject.
Sir ROBERT PEEL—It certainly would not be
consistent with my sense of public duty to make any
explanation now as to the character of the measure,
which I shall, at as early a period as I can,
consistently with the performance of other public
bu,iness, bring under the consideration of the House.
In the course of last ses:ion, in the Speech from the
Throne, the ',mention of Parliament-Was-called to the
state of the laws affecting the. Bank of England and
other banking establishments. I was - constantly
pressed by gentlemen representing various interests
to give some notions of the general outline of the
measure that it was intended to propose. I steadily
refused, and I said that I would give a full
and fair explanation when I brought forward
the measure. Now I must take the same course with
respect to any measure affecting the banking esta-
blishments of Ireland and Scotland. I must re.erve
to myself the opprtunity of stating the nature of
those measures, until I ask leave to bring in the Bill
which is in the .-.tontem)lation of the Government.
I believe that the Right Hon. Gentleman has put an
erroneous construction on the words which fell from
a colleague of mine. I believe it was stated in the House
of Lords that reference was made in the speech from the
throne to the currency of Ireland and Scotland. I
believe that what my Noble Friend intended to say
was, that the same references had been made to the
banking establishments of those two countries has had
been made with respect to the banking establishments
of this. I trust the Right lion. Gentleman will
excuse me from giving any explanation until I ask
leave to bring in the measure, and I do hope that no
inference will be drawn as to the intentions of the
Government from the explanations I have now given.
—(A laugh.)
OTAHEITE.

Sir G. GREY wished to put a question to the
First Lord of the Treasury, in reference to that por-
tion of her Majesty's speech which referred to the
discussions which had taken place last year between
her Majesty's Government and the French Govern-
ment, relative to the island of Otaheite. As the close
of last session the Right Hon. Gentleman declined
giving any detailed information as to the nature of the
correspondence which had taken place between thetwo
countries, and expressed his intention ofsubmitting to the
House, at a future period, full information on the
subject. Now, without expressing any opinion as to
the course the Government had taken, he might
say, that no man more sincerely rejoiced
than himself, that the dissensions between
the two countries had been so satisfactorily arranged
between the two Governments. He for one would
be extremely unwilling to press for the production of
any correspondence which might tend to create a
feeling of irritation, or foment discord and jealousy
between the two countries. At the same time it could
not be overlooked that this question was exciting a
very warm interest among a very large class of
persons in this country, as it was regarded as of great
importance both to our national honour and interest.
At present the House was in possession of no informa-
tion except that which they had derived through the
medium of the public newspapers, from documents
that had been submitted to the French Chambers. He
wished to know whether the Right Hon. Gentleman
had any objection to produce the correspondence
which had taken place ?
Sir R. FEEL trusted that, as the correspondence
was of a somewhat delicate nature, the Right Hon.
Gentleman would not press for the production of the
whole of it. Now that the affair had come to a ter-
mination honourable to the two countries, and, he
trusted, satisfactory to all parties, he did hope that he
should not be pressed for the production of the whole of
the documents. He would have the greatest pleasure in
laying before the House the result of those negotia-
tions—that was to say, the two letters of M. Guizot
and the letter of his Noble Friend. He objected to
the production of this correspondence on exclusively
public grounds. It was not necessary for the vindi-
cation of the character of Mr. Pritchard, because
Mr. Pritchard had been originally appointed.
hefore those differences existed, to a situation
of higher emolument, and which embraced a more
extended' sphere of action, and that appointment had
been conferred since these transactions had taken
place. If he were to present the whole of the docu-
ments to the house he would have to present a
correspondence which had taken place between
officers in the naval service of France, and in
the naval service of this country, of a highly
irritating character ; and, as the whole affair
had been amicably settled, he should be exceedingly
sorry to be compelled to produce that correspon-
dence.—(Loud cheers) But that amicable termina-
tion had been chiefly brought about, not by corre-
spondence, but by daily communication, between the
representative of the French Government in this
country and his Noble Friend and himself.
Any correspondence, therefore, which could be
produced would present but an imperfect record
of what had pa-sed. The representative of the
French Government had more ample mean; in his
power of presenting an accurate record of what had
passed, hut no such record existed as far as the Eng-
lish Government was concerned. He could assure