The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-07 00:00:00

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LONDON
SATURDAY MORNING, MAY 7, 1842.

Zr. ROEBUCK'S notice collected a very crowded House
last night. The very foremost performer—the great
Star of that assembly, in his most favourite character of
Public mystifier, could not have collected a larger or a
more attentive audience. It must be a great gratifica-
tion to the Hon. Member fur Bath, and a general encou-

Nement to well doing, to learn from experience that
airaesty and boldness, under the guidance of skill, may
Come as attractive, even in the House of Commons, as
1171sompous fudge mimicking sincerity. Mr. ROEBUCK
"t"lc as he said, an extraordinary course ; it was
traightforward and manly, and had, therefore, all the
warms of novelty for that assembly. While his mode
)roceeding was the most remote possible from vul-
gar or offensive, while it was ever courteous, it broke in
upon all the conventionalities of form, and roused and
knocked down a multitude of the idols there perpetually
'worshipped,
fc,',.‘Preceeding on no better foundation than common
1,„:".%. Or general rumour, which is held to be no ground
began with
parliamentary proceeding, the Hon. Member
6an with Lord CUELSEA, and politely, but firmly,
asked
• • him, Was he a party to any compromise, violating
the 11/4„;)
-mges of the House—and, what we regard as of
more importance violating the right of the constituen-
eies—for resigning his seat, though declared duty elected
by a Committee of the House ? Lord CHELSSA in a
:neat, and evidently a prepared speech, declined the
authority of the Hon. Member, and peremptorily and
Unequivocally refused to answer. Set him down, there-
fi•e, the public will, as guilty.
Mr. RUSSELL, the other Member for Reading, having
had the same question put to him, returned a similar
answer, and the public will draw a similar conclusion,
:Ciaptiiil-Pit.TINUtIDGF., with the sincerity and openness
‘which generally distinguish gentlemen of his profession,
*tdmitted that such an arrangement had been made with
'espect to his seat for Penryn, but he declared that he
-:was not cognizant of it till after it had been made.' He
-bad put himself into the hands of a lawyer, and he
abided by that lawyer's act, though he thought it prema-
ture. -Thus it is not even the Members, but attorneys

and barristers, who dispose of seats in Parliament, in.
Iste.td of the constituencies.

1 Sir Jost HonaousE stubbornly and dryly refused to
unswer.—Verdict of guilty against Sir JOHN, amply
confirmed by the resignation of his colleague. Mr.
ELPIIIN STONE admitted that he had been a party to a

compromise,but
did not contemplate resigning his seat.
'..l.lajor BERESFORD treated the matter as a private con-
' cern, and stiffly denied the lion. Member's right to ask
the question. Guilty will be the verdict against the
limber for Harwich. Mr. J. ATTWOOD was absent
from the House, and Sir G. 11. DE LIRPENT has re-
signed his seat, allowing judgment to go by default.
Mr. ROEBUCK having thus obtained all the- informs-
_ `iion he could, proceeded to move for his Committee,
claiming to be heard, as it was a question of privilege,
• and making good his claim in spite of much opposition.
ile grounded his motion on statements which he had
heard, and said he could show that there were grave
reasons for
suspicion against the Hon. Members for
Nottingham, Harwich, Penryn, and Lewes. The accu-
sation
Was, that they had obtained their seats through
intimidation and bribery. He charged them with
bribery—he charged them with entering into a compro-
mise, in order to avoid the consequences of their bribery;
and he appealed to the House, whether this were not a
gross breach of privilege. We must quote what the
Ron. Member said of the Nottingham case, perhaps the
Worst :

Suppose a general election about to take place, and that the
two seats for Nottingham were about to be contested; a sort
of a, Parliamentary Napoleon determines to conquer that town;
he jumps upon it, as Napoleon would say, with both his feet—
;ea
frrrhetseilown into the town, he bribes every man he meets,
his opponent out of the town, and he is returned.
The party who has lost, petitions; the Committee is to be
Struck, say on Monday—fear seizes the Members, and they en-
ter into a compromise with the party opposed to them. They
Pay down money for the purpose of exculpating themselves,
and of escaping from the scrutiny of a Committee. They Jur-
ther pledge themselves to allow the other candidates to walk
over the course.

, Mr. ROEBUCK then emphatically asked the House,
would it allow such gross bribery to escape ? -Will it
allow, also, those Honourable Members to sit who
have, by these compromises, confessed their guilt ?
By • bringing those questions before the House,
,k.ttral before the public, Mr. ROEBUCK has rendered
41 most essential service. The Hon. Member concluded
:' by calling on Sir J. HonuousE to second his motion,
_and by moving for a Committee to inquire into the
charge he had made.

Capt. FiTznoY in a manly speech, Sir J. HOBBOUSE not '
,having complied with the call, seconded the motion; but
,The debate was, on the suggestion of Mr. W. WYNN,
adjourned till Monday. That Right Ron. Gentleman
admitted that it was a most important question, deeply
Concerning the honour of the Members, and therefore
Is,,;`equired time for consideration.
To that Mr. ROEBUCK made no objection, and on Mon-
,' 'lay the debate will be resumed, when it will be proved,
apprehend, to the public conviction that seats in the
Ileformed House of Commons have been made the sub-
jeqt of sordid and disgraceful bargaining. We cannot
conclude without so.) ing that Mr. ROEBUCK won the ap-
probation of the whole House, and merits the approba-
tion of the public.

-Lord ASHLEY has entered a notice on the books of
the House of Commons, " for a Bill to make regulations
respecting the age and sex of persons admitted to work
Mines and collieries." The subject, too, was brought
before the Lords last night, by the Bishop of NoRWICH
13,l'eSeRtillg five petitions against the employment of
Zkildren, and especially of females, in mines. The Rev.
lad'
pointed to the profligacy which results, and
17' on the authority of the Commissioners, that other
1,-a4murers would not marry the females who had been
;tetight up in mines. A short and interesting debate
t;srolled, in which Earl FrrzwituA.3l, with his customary
Sense, dispelled the illusion that the crelties and
f,7uips to which children are exposed are chiefly con-
-117 to manufacturing districts. We agree with the
:31/41° Lord, and say with him that the inquiry will not
‘ll,,'lllplete unless it be extended to the " healthy era-
_ /Afttlents" of agricultural districts.
441 flitting that the employment of women and chil-
llity,4l mines and collieries, is a disgrace to the commu-
iritttf?! entertain grave doubts as to the propriety of
Ill'eae,g with it by legislation. Lord ASHLEY has
with interfered very largely with factory children,
det&ttaud doing much good ; while the present increased
alarni (311 his exertions is calculated to excite some
is he t:tt/tf,tia the extent of his self-imposed task. Where
d 1,,s 1? Re must consider, as Lord FITZWILLIAM
I)l4l,"iii in "ether there be not equal degradation and depra-
‘"
"'`,4.44 other employments for females.
mine'ter prebcribinm rules for working boys and girls in
s, will not the solitary little herds who lie out on
s hills in all. weathers, with no companions but theire
4,,,iituea and their dogs, be deserving of legislative car 1.
,I,4:_rstlY not the young females also demand it, who are
• :ecluently kept at work making ball dresses or court-
.e
ng for the gentry and nobility till they fall from
tOitts, and whose hard toils make them fall an
: °lll-ptex to any seducer who promises them food,
14
Kt4ee
„eling, 4nd-relaxation ?
V,O Tutn tt terrible hardsrliopmfoarnyyoausnegnsiltaiNd'es
'• ii" .41§ 4t; persontoclimb it
24,, and, lay out on yards when the vessel is. rolling,
111 t*oti
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