The Sun.
London, England, 1817-06-03 00:00:00

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OP LORDS,- MONDAY, Jutaa 2.
The Stone Bottles' Excise Duty Bill was read
a third time, and passed.
The Edinburgh Police 13ill was reported,
Petitions were presented from the Parish of St.
Pancras against a part of the Metropolis Paving
a►►d Lighting Bill. The objection was against
that provision in the Bill which clhected iron
pipes to be used in all cases, whether for gas or
other purposes. The petitioners conceived that
iron pipes, however proper in other cases, were
not proper for gas,
The Petitions were referred to the Committee
on the Bill,---Adiourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

ELECTION Or A SPEAKER..
'rite House re-assembled yesterday. The at-
endaoce was remarkably full, more than four
tundred and fifty Members being present at the
ime the House is usually made.
Lord CASTLERRAGIi rose at four o'clock, and
lelivered the following Message front clic Prince
Regent, in a low tone of voice, not distinctly
audible in the gallery.:--
" I have it in command from his Royal Highness the Prince
Regent to acquaint the House, that your late Speal.4r, hav-
ing communicated to his Royal Highness his inability, from
indisposition, longer to fill the Chair, and informed him of
his resignation, his Royal Highness, desirous' that-public
`business should suffer as" short an interruption as possible,
hat- been pleased to take . the earliest opportunity of com-
municating this event to the House, and of conveying his
pleasure that the House do immediately proceed to the
election of a new Speaker."
Sir J. Mellott., beginning in rather a low tone
of voice, hoped the House would do him the
jus-
tice to believe that he felt the sincerest regret at
the event to which the Message referred, and a
proportional reluctance to offer himself to their
notice on the occasion. His reluctance In come
forward arose not only from a knowledge of the
high estimation in which the talents, the charac-
ter, and conduct of their late Speaker were held,
and his inability to do justice to his merits, but
from a fear that he might not be able to bring
forward, in a sufficiently prominent point of view,
the merits of one qualified to succeed him. He
felt no reluctance, however, to propose the Right
Honourable Gentleman whom he meant to point
out to the notice of the House to fill the chair ;
for, divesting himself of the feelings to which he
had referred, he would assure them, that if one
better qualified for the high office had presented •
himself to his mind, he would not have proposed
him, it was unnecessary on the present occasion
to waste the time or to trespass on the patience of
the House by many observations. if we were
now at the commencement of a new Parliament,
in which many 'Members took their seats for the
first time, it might be requisite to state the qua.
Utica and conduct necessary for filling the chair,
in order to direct their attention to it proper
choice : but in addressing the House in this its
filth session, in which every Member had wit-
tressed its proceedings for a longer or a shorter
period, and when every one knew the qualities
requisite for the arduous and dignified Situation of
Speaker, it was perfectly superfluous to enlarge
upon them. He might execute this duty to art
assembly so composed in a single sentence, by
merely recalling to their neollectioo what could
never be effaced from their memory—the name.
roes and distinguished qualities that were concen-
trated in their late excellent Speaker, and which
shone with such lustre front the chair.—(Hear!)--a
To lament the resignation of that distinguished hi•
dividual was not now his business; to pass a sufficient
panegyric on his merits was not within his power;
and to attempt the task in an assembly where they
were so tiniversAiy known, and. so warmly ac-
knowledged, would he a useless waste of time and
labour. if his successor had' s-difficult duty to
discharge in aspiring to emulate his merits, and'
to acquire his distinction, he would IF., .wise have
the benefit of being directed by the light of ilia
example. The business of Parliament had, for a
long time past, assumed a character that rendered

expedient to select a person of professional
education to till the Chair j and if, in mentioning
the name of the Right Hon. Mr. Manners Sutton,
he was not departing from that course, he felt
that he was stating what would be a recomMen.
dation. The Right Hon. Gentleman was brought
tip to the bar, and practised at it for some time
with distinction. It was thought by some, though,
he did not concur entirely in the observation, that
the habits of a laWyer, if strongly fixed, were not
such as. could he a recommendation to him in ful-
filling the duties of Parhumor, or in 'executing
the ofEces of the State. If such a prejudice exist-
ed; it could not operate to the disadvantage of his
Right Hon. Friend, as lie had not continued so
long in the profession as to allow the character.of
his mind to be ekelusively formed upon its habits,'
He had since filled an ofttee more nearly allied to
that which he now proposed for him, and tending
in a high degree to prepare him for the Chairs--
aonlfice that required great and laborious Mires.
ligation, profound research, extensive knowledge
of business, and promptitude of decision. .A 4
Judge-Advocate-General the Right lionoora);:le
t.lientletuan was not unknown to the House to hate
been distinguished for firmness and strength of
mind, for tire candour that graced his conduct,:
and the impartiality that marked his decleions. He
had for some, tune sat in the 'House, anti though,
he had not taken -a prominent part in the ques-
tions oforder, or offered his opinion frequently
about modes of proceedin, yet :the laws and
the privileges of Parliament bad not been moat-
tentively observed by him, nor had he failed to
make then, an object of his stody—(Hear, hear
He did not think it proper to detain the-flouts
with describing the other ,qualification, of his
Right Honourable Friend, though he might,ena
large upon them without being misled by the par.
tialities of friendship, or transgressing the bounds
of truth. He would only say, that if dignity of
birth, if elevation of rank, if urbanity of manners,
if integrity olconduct, if quickness of apprehena
lien, if promptitude of jodgment, if firtnneSS of
character, and. impartiality of decision, joined
with mildness of temper and conciliatory disposi.