The Sun.
London, England, 1820-10-21 00:00:00

Lord P,llSlONEstibniittea, that the ads. Of gas-
telli had clearly placed him in the character of an
agent.
The Matquess of LANSDOWN said, that the
nous%was as much justified itt,alling for tligiv
lette•Os if the communication. betniee'n
PONsien and Nonel Bro4tpifa.4..sllkn
Having no 513:Rct banastillie''Cititli should t e got
at, he begged: leave so far to alter his motion as
to move—That Mr, Powell should-be called on
to produce the papers, and that those papers
should be submitted to a Secret Committee.

The Earl of LIVELPOOL suggested that a Com-
mittee be appointed to call for such parts of Mr.
Powell's correspondence as they might deem ne-
cessary.

Lord HOLLAND said the subject now resolved
itself into a question of privilege.
The Loan CHANCELLOR did not wish to limit
the privileges of the House, but he should be
sorry that any measure was adopted that left pri-
vate correspondence unprotected.
The Marquess of BUCKINGHAM said, if the ob-
ject of their Lordships was to elicit the truth, he
did not think that object would'be attained by
merely submitting extracts of the letters to a Se-
cret Committee. If their Lordships deemed it
necessary to break through- the ordinary rules,
he thought they should give the Secret Committee
more extensive powers.
The Marquess of LANSDOWN repeated his

The Earl of LAUDERDALE wished to know the
precise words of it.
The LORD CHANCELLOR then put the motion,
which Was as follows That a Secret Com-
mittee be appointed to inquire into and examine
the Correspondence between John Allan Powell
and Colonel Brown, so far as relates to the Mis-
sion of Rastelli to Milan, and the cause of his not
returning."
The Earl of LAUDERDALE objected to the mo-
tion, and submitted to their Lordships, that there
never was a more extravagant proposition than
that now before them. It was contrary to all
precedent, and calculated to destroy all con-
nexion and confidence between the. agent and his
principal.--(Hear, hear !)—He conjured their
Lordships to weigh well the consequences of
establishing such a precedent, striking at the very
root of confidential agency. He did not object
to the correspondence between Mr. Powell and
Colonel Brown, relating to the mission of Ras-
telli, being produced, and referred to a Secret
Committee ; but he must beg to be particularly
.understood as confining his admission to the cor-
respondence relating to this mission of Rastelli,
and to that only. For this purpose, he should
prefer, that. Mr. Powell be ordered by that
House to lay before a Secret Committee, extracts
of the correspondence between him and Colonel
Brown, relating to the object of his seridina Ras-
telli out of the country. He could not foresee
any objection to this mode of proceeding. If
their Lordships thought lit to inquire into this
matter in this particular cause, ,they ought to do
it in such manner that the whole.country should
not be the sufferers.

Lord LAl:zsoowN thought that what his Noble
Friend had stated, was an argument in favour of
his first motion. His Noble Friend, however,
was in error, when he stated that there was no
precedent for the motion then before the House.
Within the last years, even within the last year,
a precedent was afforded in another branch of the
Legislative. The other House of Parliament, in
the case of a breach of privilege, ordered that the
correspondence between Mr. Grady and Mr.
Carew Smith should be produced. He saw no
objection that his Learned Friend could have to
the course proposed ; for the general way when
confidential correspondence was produced before
a Secret Committee, was that one of the parties
in the case appeared before that Committee and
doubled clown such parts of the precis& matter of
the investigation. In this manner might Mr.
Powell act with reference to the Secret Commit-
tee, so that they might be satisfied that the ori-
ginal documents relative to the subject were pro-
duced. He entreated their Lordships not to dis-
miss this subject lightly, it was one of the highest
importance. A mystery there was with respect
to this matter ; that mystery might be dispelled
by the production of the correspondence, and he
hoped their Lordships would decide in favour of
the motion before them for that purpose.
The Earl of LivERPooL stated, that the under-
standing which he had on the subject of the pro-
duction of the correspondence was, that it was the
unanimous wish of the House that the correspon-
dence relating to the mission of Itastelli, between
Mr. Powell and Colonel Brown, should be laid
before a Secret Committee of that House. But
he distinctly understood that it'was those parts of
any correspondence between those two G entle-
men relating to that precise matter, that the

House desired to have laid before them. He did
not wish to be a Member of the Committee, but
he thought there could be no objection to the at-
tendance of Mr. Powell at it, for the purpose of
supplying the required documents.
Lord LIUDERDALE said, the words of the mo-
tion implied that all the correspondence should
be produced, and not mere extracts.—(Cries
of " No.")

Lard MORTON said a few words, but they were
quite inaudible below the Bar.
Lord LIMERICK deprecated the idea of expos-
ing the confidential communications between per-
sons confidentially employed. There could not
be a practice more dangerous ; and convinced of
the danger that must inevitably attend such a
disclosure, he should, with all, his power, oppose
both of the motions.

Lord LAUDERDALE called their Lordships' at-
tention to the motion before them, which was
worded in such a manner as to signify the pro-
duction of the whole correspondence between
Mr. Powell and Col. Brown. He again repeated
his protest against making a precedent of so dan-
gerous a nature to the interests of society in
general.

The Marquess trf BucKINGIIAM was of opinion,
that not only extracts, but the correspondence it-