The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-08 00:00:00

COMMITTAL OF A WITNESS.

Sir J. Y. BULLER appeared at the bar, and
informed the House that he had been instructed by
the Committee appointed to try the merits of the petition
against the return for the borough of Great Marlow
(of which he is Chairman), te, report to the House the
following resolutions to which the Committee had
come. The resolutions, were :—" That in the
opinion of this Committee Richard Gibbons has
been guilty of wilfully giving false evidence in his
examination before them : that the minutes of the said
Richard Gibbons be reported to the House without delay:
and that the Chairman do, by warrant under his hand,
commit the said Richard Gibbons to the custody of the
Sergeant-at-Arms, to await the pleasure of the House."
The Report having been ordered to be brought up and
laid on the table,

Sir J. Y. BTJLLER moved that Mr. Speaker do
forthwith issue his warrant for the committal of Richard
Gibbons to her Majesty's gaol of Newgate, which was
agreed to, and the Speaker's writ was ordered to be
issued forthwith.
DUTY ON FOREIGN SHOES.

Mr. BLEWITT presented a petition from shoe-
makers at Northampton, against the proposed reduc-
tion of the dudes upon foreign manufactured shoes.
Mr. E. MILLER presented a similar petition, but
whence could not be heard in the gallery.
'LONGFORD ELECTION PETITION.

The following Members were sworn as a Committee
to try the merits of a petition, complaining of an undue
return for the county of Longford :—Mr. G. W. Wood,
Mr. J. W. llenley, Air. R. Ferguson, Mr. H. Halford,
Mr. W. Forbes, and Lord Ashley, who was appointed
Chairman.
SUDBURY ELECTION PETITION.

The following Members -were sworn as a Committee
to try the merits of a petition, complaining of an undue
return for the borough of Sudbury:—Mr. G. H. Vernon,
the Right lion. R. L. Shiel, Mr. T. D. Ackland, Mr. A.
Bannerman, Mr. J. P. Plumptre, Mr. T. Gill, and Mr.
T. N. Redington.
An nox. MEMBER presented a petition from the tan-
ners and shoemakers of Congleton, against the proposed
alteration in the duty on foreign boots and shoes.
Mr. GIBSON CRAIG presented a petition from Mel-
rose against the Corn Bill ; and a resolution signed by
more than 3,000 of the inhabitants of Edinburgh against
the income tax.

RESIGNATION OF LORD COREHOUSE.
Mr. WALLACE rose and said, that in moving, pur-
suant to notice, for a copy of the correspondence relative
to the resignation of the late Lord Corehouse, he was

aware that it might be alleged that these papers were of
a private natur6. But in answer to that objection, he
might be allowed to say that he held a copy of the corres-
pondence in his hand; and if there was any difficulty about
the matter, there they were.—(Laughter.) There
could, therefore, be no reluctance to accede to the motion
upon that head. He had copies of the letters with the
names of the writers attached to them. He found that no
less than six of them were Scotch Judges ; among whom
were the late Lord President and the newly elected
Lord Justice Clerk. There were also six Peers of Par-
liament, and several Members of that House ; and among
the names, he found those of Sir R. Peel, Sir G. Clerk,
Sir William Rae, the late Lord Advocate, and others.
The papers were first distributed by the individuals who
commenced the correspondence; those were the late Lord
Corehouse, and the late Lord-Advocate Hope. Under
these circumstances he (Mr. Wallace) hoped that it
would not be alleged against him that he had
endeavoured to bring out papers which ought to be con-
sidered as private correspondence. But, if such :at
allegation should be made, he, standing there,
a man who was unaccused of having ever done
anything ungentlemanly, or unworthy of a Member of
that House, would pledge himself to exclude anything
from these documents which should be considered, upon
a scrutiny, to relate to private characters or private
affairs. Having premised this statement, he would now
assure the House that the motion he was about to make
was of a most important character, deeply involving
the interests of his own country, and of the
members of the legal profession in and out of that House;
for every Hon. Member so connected must know that no
more solemn question could be brought before the
House than one for the reform of the Courts of Law in
this country. That was his object, and he would en-
deavour to fulfil it, and as much in those documents
would sustain his opinion, he was anxious that I
they should be laid before the How. He main-
tained that the Judges of Scotland had very little to do,
and that they did not do that little perfectly; in truth, as
these papers would show, they might rather be called
gentlemen at large. They interfered in questions that
should not concern them, but they were much concerned
in pointing out how patronage should be distributed, and
in other matters which prevented them from doing pro-
perly the little public business they were charged with
by the country. If the motion were resisted, he should read
a few sentences from the pamphlet ; but he conceived that
as a matter of right, what he required would be agreed
to. Under these circumstances he would move, " That the
correspondence respecting the resignation of the late
Lord Corehouse, formerly a Judge in the Supreme Court
of Scotland, and now retired on a pension for life—us
the same was circulated by the said Lord Corehouse and
the late Lord Advocate for Scotland, and was by them
sent to many Members of both Houses of Parliament—
be laid on the table of this House."
Dr. BOWRING seconded the motion.
The motion having been put,
Sir J. GRAHAM said that the Hon. Member had
stated that if the motion he made were opposed, he
would not occupy the time of the House, and
he had proved his intentions 13, the brevity of
the observations with which he had prefaced
his motion. The Hon. Gentleman had admitted
that the correspondence was of the nature of a private
correspondence, and he was right in so describing it.
He recollected that on a late occasion when a
motion was made respecting the allowance for the
late Lord President of Scotland, the very cor-
respondence in question was wanted, and it
could not be found, though he had himself made diligent
search for it. He was anxious to get a copy of it, but
he could not find a single paper in London on the sub-
ject. He should, therefore, oppose the motion of the
lion. Member.

Mr. WALLACE was not inclined to forget what he
had before said as to his anxiety to save the time of the
House. Although the Right Hon. Gentleman had said
that he (Mr. Wallace) might use the papers in his pos-
session at a fitting opportunity, he gave the Right lion.
Gentleman no thanks for his permission, for he
should have done that of his own accord. He
would select such parts of the correspondence as he
thought fit, and put them in the hands of those who
ought to possess them. He did not wonder at the Right
Hon. Gentleman objecting to his motion nor should
he wonder at certain Right Honourable Gentlemen
on his (Mr. Wallace's) side of the House doing the same;
for these papers showed that there had been a great deal
of jobbing on both sides ; and he knew as an indepen-
dent Member that when such motions were brought for-
ward they were generally obnoxious to both sides of the !
House. He should therefore, on the 19th of April, make
any use he pleased of this paper; and of all others of a ,
like description. At present he should withdraw his
motion.