The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-18 00:00:00

referred to the South Eastern list. As the railway went
from Edinburgh to Glasgow, the Bill might with equal
propriety be referred to either the South Eastern or the
South Western list, and as the South Western list had
several Bills under their consideration, and the South
Eastern list none, it had been thought best to refer the
Bill to the list which was least burdened with business.
As some inconvenience was likely to result if the Hon.
Gentleman's proposition were not acceded to, he (Mr.
Estcourt) was willing to acquiesee in it.
Mr. OSWALD said a few words, which were quite
inaudible in the gallery.
• Mr. FOX MAULE was understood to approve of the
course adopted by the Hon. Member for Oxford.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said he was much surprised at
the opinion expressed by the Hon. Gentleman opposite,
at the same time he had so much confidence in him, that
he did no;; wish to set his opinion in opposition to that of
the Hon. Member ; but he must say that the House
ought to be very cautious how they departed from gene-
ral regulations. This might be itpreceGnt which would
lead to many applications, not only from Scotland,
but from other places, and in many instances very good
cases might be made out for placing certain Members on
Committee.

Mr. LOCH thought the House ought to consider be-
fore, it assented to the motion, as he conceived the lion.
Member's proposition would be a very dangerous prece-
dent.

Strangers ware then ordered to withdraw, and the
House divided, when there appeared,
For the motion
Against it
Majority fur the motion —2l
Mr. MACKINNON presented a petition from a so-
licitor- in Marylebone, stating that he had borrowed
91,000/. for the Parish of Marylebune from several
bankers in London, who wished to change their securities.

Mr. REDDINdTON presented a petition, signed by
the High Sheriff, and several merchants of the town
of Galway, complaining of the difference between the
duties on foreign grain and flour.
ELECTION COMMITTEE—BOROUGH OF

LEWES.
The Committee for trying the merits of the petition
against the return for the borough of Lewes, consisting
sf the following Members, was sworn in : Mr. Aglionby,
Mr. Ellis, Mr. J. Neeld, Colonel Rawdon, Mr. Daly,
Mr. Dick, and Mr. Charles Wood.
WIGAN ELECTION.
On the names of the following members being called
over to serve as a Select Committee, to try the merits of
the petition against the return from Wigan—Mr.
T. A. M'Geachy, Lord Lincoln, Mr. Henry Kemble,
Mr. Scott, Mr. Henry Tufnell, Hon. James Kenneth
Howard, and Sir B. Hall, as Chairman—the Hon. J. K.
Howard was absent. _ _ _

Lord G. SOMERSET moved. that the clause in
the Act respecting Election Committees be read.
The clause was then read by the Clerk. It was to the
effect, that any Member not attending in his place, within
an hour of the meeting of the House, upon the day ap-
potnted for the nomination of the Committee on which
he is to serve, or having attended, shall have
gone off before the Committee, as sworn un-
less the petition be discharged, shall be ordered to
be taken into the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms
or otherwise punished or censured as the House may di-
rect, unless it be verified on oath that such member was
by some sudden emergency prevented from attending.
Lord G. SOMERSET wished to know if any Hon.
Member could account for the Hon. Gentleman's ab-
sence.

Mr. TUFNELL trusted the Noble Lord would not
press his motion. He had no doubt that the Hon.
Gentleman was in the neighbourhood of the House, and
would be in attendance immediately.
Lord G. SOMERSET begged to propose that the Hon.
J. Howard, having been appointed to serve as one of the
Select Committee to try the returns of the borough of
Wigan, not having appeared in his place in the House
an hour after the sitting, be taken into custody of the
Sergeant-at-Arms.
The motion was carried.

Inconsequence of the absence of Sir JAMES HOWARD,
the Committee appointed to try the merits of the peti-
tion in this case was not sworn until four o'clock to-

morrow.

CORN LAWS,

Mr. DENISTOUN presented petitions from various
places in Scotland, praying for the repeal of the Corn-
laws.

REPEAL OF THE UNION.

The HoN. MEMBER then presented a petition from
Glasgow, praying for a repeal of the Union between
England and Ireland.
FLOUR IMPORTATION ACT.

Mr. MeNTZpresented a petition against the Flour
Importation Act.
METROPOLITAN BRIDGES.

Dr. ELPHINSTON presented pedtiona from the in-
habitants of London, praying for the opening of the Me-
tropolitan Bridges.
CORN-LAWS.

Dr. DOWRING presented several petitions, praying
for the total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws.

POOR-LAW.

Mr. FERRAND presented twelve petitions from dif-
ferent parishes in the county of Stafford, in favour of the
Gilbert Union Act. _ _

Mr. COLVILLE presented forty petitions; signed by
upwards of 3,000 people, from places in Derbyshire, in
favour of the same Act, and another with the same
prayer from Warwickshire, signed by all the guardians
of the poor.
COALS.

Mr. HUTT presented- a petition from the General
Shipping Company, stating that the petitioners viewed
with alarm the proposed duty on coals.

CORN-LAWS,

Mr. VILLIERS presented petitions from Barnard
Castle and other places in the North of England, praying
for the total repeal of the Corn-laws.
BREWERS.

Mr. GREENALL presented a petition from Wigan,
signed by 80 brewers, publicans, &c., praying for a bill
to prevent brewers' casks from being distrained for their
customers' rent. _ _ _

Mr. GHIMSDITCH presented a similar petition from
Macclesfield, signed by 2,000 brewers, publicans, and
others.

INCREASE IN THE ARMY.

Lord J. RUSSELL said, he understood the Right
Hon. Baronet, at the head of her Majesty's Government,
to state, the other evening, that it was probable ,an
increase of the army might be required, buL he could not
then say any thing definite until further information
should be received. He (Lord John Russell) wished to
know whether the determination to increase the army
had been formally taken, and if so whether an estimate
would be laid on the table of the House.
Sir ROBERT PEEL said he had considered it
requisite to re-inforce the army in India, and it
would of course be necessary to place a supplementary
estimate before the House. He was not able to say
more on the subject at present.—(Hear.)
TRADE WITH CHINA.
Mr. LINDSAY rose to bring forward the motion of
which he had given notice, relative to the trade with
China. His chief object in bringing this subject
before the House, was to endeavour to show that
the honour and character of the country were in-
volved in the full redemption of any pledges given by
Captain Elliot, on the faith of which pledges the
British merchants delivered up their property.—(Cries
of " Hear, hear.) He sincerely hoped that these pledges
would be redeemed, as such a proceeding was of the ut-
most importance to the country. The Hon. Member then
read very lengthy extracts from certain despatches
received by the Home Government from India, but
owing to there being so much noise in the House, and
which was continued throughout the Hon. Member's
speech, it was impossible to hear a word in the Re-
porters' gallery. They had from Captain Elliot him-
self some reasons for which that ransom-money from
Canton had been obtained ; he said that the six mil-
lions of dollars which he had obtained from the
Chinese, were intended to be a compensation for
the losses sustained by the British merchants,
.in that country, or at all events that it was intended to
be paid in diminution of the claims of the British mer-
chants ; the Hon. Member then proceeded to read ex-
tracts from the evidence taken before a Select
Committee of the House of Commons appointed, in
1839, to inquire into the opium trade ; lie
implore:] the House to consider whether this was a
time when the British Goverment should sanction
any act which would have the most remote effect
of reflecting upon its character or good faith. There
were hundreds and thousands of people in India who
would be brought to utter ruin if the pledges given
by Captain Elliot, were not honourably and faithfully
fulfilled. After expressing his approvat of the appoint-
ment of Sir HenryiPottinger, and other officers appointed
by the late Government. The HOD. Member thanked
Hon. Gentlemen for the patience with which they had
listened to him, and concluded With the following motion :
" That this House will, upon Thursday, the 7th day of
April next, resolve itself into a Committee to consider
of the following Address to her Majesty, that is to say,
that an humble Address be presented to her Majesty,
praying that her Majesty
.will be graciously pleased to
take into consideration the circumstances under which the
British merchants and others, subjects of the British
Crown, did on the the 27th of March, 1839, upon the requi-
sition of Captain Elliot, Superintendent of British Trade
in Canton, surrender to the said Captain Elliot, for the
service of her Majesty's Government, 20,283 chests of
opium, on the assurance of the said Captain Elliot,
that he, on behalf of her Majesty's Government, held
himself responsible in the fullest and most unreserved
manner for the same, and further, that compensation
for the injury sustained by her Majesty's sub-
jects was the first of the demands made by her
blajesty upon the Government of China (to enforce
which an expedition was sent out), and that a sum of
money having now been received from the Government
of China, her Majesty will be graciously pleased to ad-
vance to such British merchants and others, on account
of their respective losses, to the extent of the sum re-
ceived from the Chinese Government, after deducting
the amount awarded by her Majesty to the captors, and
to assure ber Majesty that this House will make good
the same."

Sir GEORGE STAUNTON said, he thought he
should not be doing his duty if he did not say a few
words upon the subject now before the House. If he had
any bias on the subject when he was in China, he was
Tattier opposed to Capt. Elliot's measure—he never gave
it any support whatever. Still he thought that the
warmest opponents of the opium trade might take
an example from the course adopted by the
British Parliament at the time of the abolition
of slavery. The British Parliament considered that
they were indebted to the holders of the slaves, and did
not hesitate to give them 20,000,0002 sterling. Upon
the same principle, he (Sir G. Staunton) hoped the House
would allow a compensation to those British merchants
who had surrendered up so many chests of opium to
Captain Elliot. The superintenders of trade that were
appointed to China acted up to instructions given to
them. The first two superintendents (Lord Napier and