The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-13 00:00:00

Sir 11. PEEL sa'el that he certainly had been prepared,
I from the notice a the Hon. Member for Ipswich, for a discus-
sion npon the merits of Election Committees. He had felt
surprised at some of the statements of Hon. Members. The
Hon. Gentleman who had preceded him had seemed to ques-
tion the impartiality of the decisions which had been come to
in certain instances ; but there did Lot appear to be anything
'in the facts to justify that suspicion. Ile hoped the
House would not be governed by what the losing party said
of the procceclin3s of those Committees. Whatever tribunals
they appointed, he woul I venture to say the losers would com-
plain. They would always be apt to impute some improper
motive to those who hart decided against them. With respect
to the appointment of a Chairman, he begged leave to say that
that was no part originally of his measure. It was a proposal
of the Noble Lord the Member for London, to which he (Sir
R. Peel) had acceded, merely from a wish that there should
be as much unanimity as possible upon such a subject. He
confessed, however, that he had not himself been satisfied that
the arrangement would he a good one. He hoped, however, the
House would nut lightly decide that Hon. Members woo tried
those petitions were not actuated by perfectly honourable mo-
tives. Ile was perfectly confident, from what had been stated
by the lion. Gentleman who had just sat down, that the Com-
mittee of which be had been a member had decided impartially
and to the best of their judgment. He attached the more im-
portance to the admlssions of the Hon. Gentleman from his
respect for his private cheracter.
Mr. CHILDERS del not mean to impeach the impartiality
of Members serving on Committees. He had only said that
they were not qualified to decide the questions that came before
them, and to sift the conflicting statements of Counsel.
Sir R. PEEL said, that he was surprised to hear that Coun-
sel were allowed to take any unwarrantable liberty, and that
Cdairmen had not the firmness to interfere in such cases.
Mr. EWA RT said, he did not understand the Hon Mem-
ber to attribute any partiality to the Committee, but to their
inability to understand legal ques ions. For his own part, he
did not think that with regard to private Bills and those
Committees, they were as perfect as they should be, and that
with respect to the latter, they should have three Judges who
would control the Judges.—The motion was then withdrawn.
DRAINAGE AND FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILLS.
On the saotion of Lord Ei,lOT, the following Members
were appointed to form Select Committees on these Bills :
On the Drrinage Bill—Lord Eliot, Mr. Pigot, the Solicitor-
General for Ireland, Mr. Young, Mr. Morgan John O'Cene
nell, Lord Claud Hamilton, Mr. More O'Ferrall, Colonel
Darner, Mr. William O'Brien, Mr. Christmas, Mr. French,
Sir Arthur Brooke, Mr. Caleb Powell, Viscount Newry, and
Viscount Clements. On the FisherieS Bill—Lord Eliot. Mr.
Shiel, the Solicitor General fur Ireland, Mr. O'Connell, Sir
Edmund Hayes, Sir William Somerville, Mr. Young, Sir
Robert Ferguson, Captain Jones, Mr. Villiers Stuart, Viscount
Courtenay, Mr. Alexander Murray, Viscount Adare, Mr.
Pigot. _