The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-21 00:00:00

The motion for the' adjournment elicits I loud cries of
" Divide, divide."
On the question of adjournment being put,
Sir R. PEEL said he deeply regretted that it should be
considered necessary again to adjourn the debate on this
subject.— (Hear, hear.) He thought that, unless there
were some absolute necessity for adjournment, justice to-
wards her Majesty's Government ought to induce the House
to continue the discussion that night, for the purpose of
having an opinion pronounced on the subject.—( Cheers.) This
was quite clear—that it was absolutely necessary that this
matter should be :disposed of before any other business was
proceeded with ; and that business which must necessarily be
postponed, if the adjournment took place, was business of the
utmost importance to the cammercial and general interests of
the country. The Hon. Gentleman who had now moved the
sdj nirnment, is, I believe, the same Hon. Member who moved
itjon the first night of the debate.
Mr. Mr. COLLETT—No. _

Sir R. PEEL—Of this he was sure, that if the Hon. Gen-
tleman wished to speak he would be listened to with great at-
tention. It was now only twelve o'clock. If the debate were
postponed, it must necessarily take the precedence of other
business to-morrow. This would lead to the postponement of
the motion of the Hon. Member f r Manchester on the sugar
duties until Monday, and the Noble Lord's motion must also
again be postponed. Looking to the great public interests
concerned, he thought it was the duty of the house to make
some sacrifice of its convenience.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. COLLETT reg,retted that he could not fall into the
views of the Right Hon. Baronet. The House met at four
o'clock, and he had for several hours been endeavouring to
ca'ch the eye of the Speaker.—(Laughter.) It was impossible
to gain attention at so late an hour ; and he must therefore
persist in his motion of adjournment.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he rose merely to say that he had
expected, after the speech of the Hon. and Learned Member
for Bath, some Member connected with the Government—pro-
bably the Solicitor- Seneral—would have risen to reply to the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman, and that the debate would have
gone on to a division. He thought it was impossible to deny
that an adjournment would cause great public inconvenience.
He should certainly give his vote against the adjournment.
Mr. BLEWITT expressed his gratitude to the Hon. Mem-
ber for Finsbury for having brought this subject forward. He
declared that the practice of opening letters was totally contrary
to law, inconsistent with the British Constitution, and a viola-

tion of the rights of property.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said he had risen to address
the House when the lion. and Learned Member for Bath re-
sumed his seat, but he did not succeed in catching the Speaker's
eye. He had remained in the House during the whole debate,
and he was necessarily very fatigued. He, however, felt it his
duty to address the House on this subject, notwithstanding the
lateness of the hour. He trusted the debate would be proceeded
with.
11r. BROTHERTON—I would advise my Hon. Friend not
to divide if you are determined to finish.—( Laughter.)
Mr. AGLION BY suggested that the debate should be ad-
journed to Wednesday next.—( Cries of " No, no, no.")
Sir R. PEEL did not think it was just to her Majesty's Mi-
nisters to postpone the decision on this question for several days.
" I say at once," said the Right Hon. Baronet, " in the present
position cf the debate, that I cer'ainly will bring on no public '
business until the division of the House has been taken on this
question."—(Loud cheers. )
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House
divided, when there appeared—
For the adjournment
Against it
Majority against the adjournment
On our admission to the gallery, we found
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL on his legs addressing the
House. He trusted that the decision that had been come to, had
convinced the House that they ought to proceed with the de-
bate.—( Cries of " No, no," and "Go on.") He thought
this course scarcely fair, if it was the intention to adjlurn the
debate.—( Cries of " Adjourn," and " Go on," amidst which
the Solicitor-General sat down.)
After a few observations from Mr. BOUVERIE respecting
the appointment of the Committee in the House of Lords,
Mr. S. HERBERT explained that the Committee in the
House of Lords was moved for by Lord Radnor himself.
Mr. BOUVERIE said that Lord Radnor moved for the
Committee, but it was the Government who appointed the
Committee, and excluded Lord Radnor's name from it.
Mr. BRIGHT was sorry that the House did not divide that
night, but, under the circumstances, he would put it to the
House whether it would not be inconsistent to continue the de-
bate. He should, therefore, again move the adjournment of
the House.
Sir ROBERT PEEL thought the House had sufficiently
marked its opinion that it was an unreasonable adjournment,
but as of course the Government would wish to take a division.
when it did occur, in a full House, and as it was evident that at
least a hundred Members had left, he would consent to adjourn
the debate till this day. (An immediate rush of Members from the
House took place on the announcement of the Right Hon.