The Sun.
London, England, 1821-05-12 00:00:00

PARLIAMENT,

HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY
On the motion of the Earl of ST. G-ERMAIN'S,
the Glerawley Divorce Bill was read a third
time, passed, and sent to the Commons.—Mr.
Brogden, Mr. M. A. Taylor, and others brought
up from the Coinmons the following Bills :—The
Dublin Gas-light Incorporation Bill, the Steam
Engine Smoke-consumption Bill, the Chichester
Police Bill, the Westminster Improvement Bill,
the Conway Bridge Bill, and the Mile-End
Gas-light Bill. Read a first time.—Sir Henry
Parnell brought up a Message, announcing that
the Commons had agreed to the amendments
made by their Lordships in the Holyhead Road
Bill.

PRIVILEGES.
The Earl of STIAFTESBtRY presented a Report
from the Committe4„4-Privileges, stating that
John .rarl of Portailington had made good his
claim to vote for the Election of Irish Represen-
tative Peers.

The South London Gas-light and Coke Bil
was read a second time.—Adjourned till Monday

ROUSE OF COMMONS.
The Speaker took the Chair at a quarter after
four o'clock.

Mr. BLACKBURNE presented a petition from the Clew
and Inhabitants of the Town of Preston, against Bull-baiting.
—Ordered to lie on the table.
Lord BARNARD presented a petition from persons en-
gaged in the Woollen Drapery Trade in the Town of Bandon
(as was understood), relative to the Laws affecting the same.—
Ordered to lie on the table. •
On the motion of Mr. LUSHINGTON, the Militia Pay
Bill and the Irish Militia Pay Bill were severally committed,'
and the Report ordered to be received on Monday next.
Mr. CHICHESTER moved that the second reading of the
Dundalk Court House Bill be postponed to Monday, the 27th
instant, on the ground that a meeting of the Gentlemen of the
county was to be convened, with a view to take into considera-
tion the provisions of the said Bill.
Sir J. NEWPORT said a few words in support of the post-
ponement, and the second reading was accordingly postponed to
the above day.

COUNTY COURTS' BILL.
Lord ALTHORP moved that the further consideration of
the Report of tile County Courts' Bill be postponed to that
day six months, on account of his not being able to carry it
thyough all its stages during the present Session ; but gave no-
tice that he would bring it forward at-an early period in the
next.

• On the motion of Mr. T. COURTENAY, the East India
Prize Money Bill was recommitted, and the Report ordered to
be received on Monday next. . •
On the motion of Mr. J. SMITH, the Bankruptcy Acts
Amendment Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed on Monday next.
On the motion of Dr. LUSHINGTON, the Witnesses'in
Foreign Parts Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed on Wednesday next.
On the Motion of Mr. C. GRANT the House went into a-
Committee on the Irish Insolvency Court Bill, and the Report
was received, and ordered to be taken into further consideration
on that day se'nnight.
On the motion of Mr. C. GRANT, the Irish Prison Bill
was read a second time.

A Message from the Lords informed the House, that their
Lordships had agreed to several Private Bills, which were laid
on the table.
__ _

ELECTION COMMITTEE.
The Marquess of TITCHFIELD brought up the, Report of
the ComMittee appointed to try the merits of thern
Petition
co-
plaining of an undue return for the County ofWarwick. The
Report declared the sitting Member duly elected ; also, that
the right of voting at elections for the County of Warwick was
in the freeholders of the County, and not in those of Coventry ;
also, that the Petition was not frivolous and vexatious.
Mr. C. DUNDAS brought in a ,Bill to amend the 22d of
Geo. 111. for the better relief and employment of the poor.—
Read a first time and ordered to be read a second time on Mon-
day, and to be printed.
ADJOURNED DEBATE UPON THE BREACH OF
PRIVILEGE—" JOHN BULL."
Mr. G. BENNET moved the reading of the
Order oldie Day for continuing the adjourned
debate 'upon his motion of yesterday.
Mr. SCARLETT felt it quite impossible to con-
cur with the course of proceeding recommended
in the motion of his Hon. Friend. He ,objected
to it, because he thought they ought not to make
use of the power they possessed for vindicating
the privileges of the House, to extract evidence
from individuals which was afterwards to be
brought against them upon a criminal prosecu-
tion. Another reason why he disapproved of the
motion was, that he had doubts as to the power
of the House to direct a prosecution of this na-
ture. Because, it was not of the libel, as it af-
fected the lion. Member personally, but as it
affected the Privileges of the House through him,
that they complained; and for the protection of
those Privileges he thought they ought to
exercise the power which they did possess.
The true and legitimate ground, then," upon
which be thought they ought to proceed, was
this ;—that .the Privileges of the House had
been. violated by a report, of a speech de-
livered in that House, in which the sentiments
uttered by one of its Members had been wilfully
misrepresented, so as to cast the basest imputa-
tions upon his character. It was well known
that the proceedings of that House were reported
in contradiction to its privileges, and that it pos-
sessed the power of preventing those reports
from being made whenever it should think pro-
per. But there was no one who did not now
agree in the utility of a faithful report of their
debates, not only as it regarded this country, but
as to the effect they must have all over Europe.
Therefore he should at all times be averse from
withholding the liberty of reporting their pro-
ceedings, as long as that liberty was exercised as
it had been for some years past. But still he
thought the House ought to hold the privilege
of preventing Reports being made use of for
imprcper purposes.. if they found a Wepor-
ter misrepresenting what was said by a Mem-
ber, for the sake of casting odium upon him,
or of maliciously destroying his character, then
it was competent for the House to inflict a
punishment, not for the libel upon the Mem-
ber, or upon itself, 'but for the ivanton violation
of its privileges. That was, in his opinion, the
most legitimate plan of proceeding in the present
case: What was the nature of that case ?
This person stated that the lion. Member had
made an apology, of a nature which must have