The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-14 00:00:00

NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME.

An HON. MEMBER moved that the Speaker do issue a
writ for the election of a Burgess to serve in Parliament
for the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that it was better that the
ttit should be suspended until the evidence adduced be-
fore the Committee was laid upon the table.
The HoN. liklinEri then withdrew his motion, and
moved that the evidence be accordingly laid before the
House.—Agreed to.
Mr. F. FRENCH wished to ask the Right Hon.
Gait:men the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether
any arrangements were made with regard to the pay-
ment of small sums of money due for four mouths in cer-
tain parishes in Ireland.

Die CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was un-
derstood to say that the matter did not rest with the
Government but with the Castle of Dublin.
DISTRI4.:SS IN THE COUNTRY.
Mr. R. YORKE begged leave to ask a question of
frfhieli he had given notice, of the Right Hon. Baronet
the head of her Majesty's Government. The question
he desired to ask was, whether the Government insti-
tuted or intended to institute—sanction, or intended to

sanction—any public subscription for the relief of the
destitute districts of the country ?
Sir ROBERT PEEL said that her Majesty's Go-
vernment having become acquainted with the
distresses which prevailed in the country, did
intend to institute a public subscription.—(Hear, hear.)
Speaking generally, the patience of the people was so
e.lentplary, that her Majesty's Government did intend to
raise stifteriptions by the Queen's letter, and he trusted
that the.aypeal Would be generally attended to.—(l:lev.)
.XVQ.I4-1411rs.
Atr:RA ti:LES-WiAed to lino* whether the Right
lion, Baronet, the Home Secretary, had any objection
to lay on the table of the House, what proportions of the
persons he had alluded to the other night, as receiving
relief in and out of the different workhouses, belonged
to the agricultural and what to She manufacturing
eh:steal

Sir JA.MES GRAHAM had no returns showing the
proportions requfrsd by the Hon. Member.
The dropped Orders of yesterday were then re-ep-

pointed.

TINES AND RECOVERIES.

The Fin Laid Recoveries Bill was read a third time.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

Sir R. PEEL moved tiutt the house, on its rising, do
adjourn till Friday, the 20th of 3lay,—(Loud cries of
" Monday, Monday," and " Divide.")
The SPEAKER, having put the question, declared
that the Ayes had it. The house therefore stands ad-
journed till Friday.
_ ELECTION COMPROMISE COMMITTEE.

oved the appointment of the Com-
mittee for inquiring iwto election compromises. It walhis
wished to take every pains with the subject, but he
had felt that it would hot difficult to nominate
such a Committee as would command at once the
attention of the House, and the confidence of
the country. The names of the Committee had been
altered as they stood on his paper, and he thought he
need only read them without further preface, to show
that all parties had been considered. The Hon. Member
then read the following names as the Members of the
Committee :—Mr. Bramston, Mr. Miles, Sir W. Heath-
coat, Hon. W. Lascelles, Mr. Hawes, Mr, Rrutt, Sir W.
Somerville, Lord Worseley, Mr. Roebuck.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE excused himself, orr the
ground that he was one of an important Irish Com-
mittee, and also a Member of the General Committee
of Elections.

Mr. ROEBUCK thought that he might count on the
Hon. Baronet's consenting to act on the Committee.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said that if it was Abso-
lutely necessary, he would waive his objection to attend
on the Committee.

Mr. MONCKTON MILNES thought that after the
notice of motion given by the Hon. Member for Radnor,
and after the expressions of the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman opposite,Tho private steps, such as ap-
peared now to be the case, should be taken
on the present occasion. lie believed that the result of the
reflection of the last few days, induced lion. Members to
come to the conviction that the House had done wrong in
granting the Committee at all. It was his opinion
that in granting the Committee the House exhibited a
want of moral courage. He did not accuse the Right
Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Govern-
ment of a want of moral courage, for he knew that the
Right Honourable Baronet bad expressed himself with
what he considered exaggerated sentiments on the subject ;
but he accused:many Hon. Members of a want of that
moral courage which should induce them to repel the
feelings that made them assent to the motion. However,
justly and rightly the Hon. and Learned Gentleman had
acted in bringing the subject before the House ; yet, in
granting the Committee, they had entered upon a ,
course of which it was difficult to foresee the end.
Why should they appoint a Committee to investigate a
matter which on all sides was allowed and permitted ?
Why should they make victims of certain unfortunate
Members for doing that which every Member of the House
might have done himself under certain circumstances?
If they legislated in that manner, they would be legis-
lating in anything but a sincere spirit. If they
spoke of bribery in that House in a different tone
from what they spoke of it in their private con-
versations—if they pretended to repudiate bribery in that
House, while they laughed at it among themselves,
and while in general the loudness of the laughter was in
proportion to the grossness of the case—(Hear)—how
could they expect to get credit for sincerity 2. He did
not admit the great necessity which some Hdnourable
Gentlemen pretended existed for legislation on this
subject. He would not admit that bribery existed
to such an extent as Hon. Gentlemen pretended, because
if he did so, he could not resist the conclusion, that the
people of , this country were not fit for representa-
tion ; that every extension of the suffrage was a detri-
ment, and not a good ; and that the proposal of the
Hon. Member for Rochdale for extending the suffrage
was a delusion and an absurdity; that the people, instead
of using, had abused every power which had been given
to them, and that they were grossly corrupted, simply
because they were easily corruptible. He attributed the
increase of bribery to the increase of public vigilance,
to the increased value which every man set upon po-
litical privileges, and to their increased vigilance in look-
ing after these things. He believed, therefore, that the
Committee was uncalled for, that they were setting out
on a wrong principle, that they were not proceeding on
a sincere principle, but that they were trying to make
the people believe what they did not believe themselves.
For those reasons he should raise every impediment in
his power to the forniation of this Committee.
Mr. HUME said that the Hon. Member who had
begun by stating that they all very well knew that such
practices had existed, would do well to speak only for
himself.

Mr. M. AILLNES said that what he had stated was
that the House knew that arrangements took place.
Mr. HUME was surprised to find that the Hon.
Member objected to the inquiry. He believed, however,
for his part, that the most effectual means of putting an
end to those corrupt
.practices which. disgraced the
country would be to extend the franchise, and to give a
votelo every person who paid taxes. Still he thought it