The Sun.
London, England, 1829-02-21 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(LAST NIGHT.)

•Mr. ESTCOURT moved for a, oew Wtit for the Uni•
versity of Oxford, in the room of the Right. Honourabk
Mr. Secretary Pee:, who had aceepted the Stewardship of
the Chißem Hundreds.

General GASCOYNE said that he highly approved of
the course the Right Hon. Gentleman had pursued in this
respect, however he might differ with him in his conduct
upon the question which had led to the present motion.
The Rt. Hon. Gent. by die course be yzaa pursuing, gave
the University the opportunity of confirming the resolution
they had already com ta, anti so far he had acted with
great fairness t,) his constituents and' with credit to him-
self. He trusted that all those who had similarly changed
their sentiments, would afford their constituents a similar
opportunity, fur if the did ;Kai they must certainly ,fall

In political estimation, And al,o in their own. TTe Lope.'
they would act with fairness towards those whom they re-
presented, and give them an opportunity of expressing
their sentiments i;poit sUch.pcilitical apostaey. Having felt
the inspiration of the new light which had induced them
„suddenly to alter their opinions, they were still inclined to
suppose, thatathe day of account was fardiatant, but he be-
lieved that the day of retribution for political apostacy was
not so far distant as they imagined, and that they would
then experience the indignation of their constituents. It
was not usual to sutler the intercourse of private friendship
to interfere with political feelings, but he considered that
any gentleman who behaved with political inconsistency run• t
he lessened in private estimation. He was aware that
many persons hail sacrificed consistency to the desire of
place, but for his part, lie thought that consistency
should no more be placed in competition with place than
glass with marble. He would suggest to such Hon. Gen-
tlemen to consider how their conduct would be judged of
hereafter, and also to consider that the slay of retribution
was not so far off as they might imagine.
Mr. HOBHOUSE said he believed that it was not usual
to speak upon such motions as that before the House, but t)
doubt the gallant General felt himself justified in the course
he had adopted. He, as well :as the gallant General,
approved of the course pursued by Cie Right lion. Gen-
tleman in giving to his constituents an opportunity of re-
considering that s‘reat question. lie for One did not think
that the connection could be drawn too close between the
constituents and the Representative, for he always advo-
cated the great principle of Parliamentary Reform. After
the speech of the gallant General, he had a right to ask
hint for his vote should the question of Parliamentary Re-
form ever come before the House, at least if the gallant
General maintained that consistency of which he professed
himself as the admirer. He had not only a title to ask
fur his vote, but that of a number• of others who concurred
in an opinion that the House of COlllll4OllB did not folly

represent the sentiments of the people—and who even rent
much farther in their expressions of the extent of that in-
efficiency of representation than he or any other of tlitsad-
vocates of reforM had ever dared to go. Not content with
declaring that the House of Commons did not represent
the opinions of the people now, they declared that it never
had represented them ; and they did not scruple to give
the name of degenerate senators to those who Jimmied ,the
Members of that House in the present day, and to declare
that they ought to be placed under the operation•. of some
paial law for daring to enter into any such discussions as
those in which they are now engaged. He did not very
cleanly understand the meaning of the expressions which
dropped from the gallant General upon the subject of poll-
tical apostacy. He was confident, however, that the conduct
of the Right lion. Gentleman, and of those who with him had
changed their opinions, did not deserve such an appellation.
The more men thought upon that subject, the more they
would be satisfied with the conduct of those who thus
stepped forward, at &great sacrifice of rank and character,
with the loss of many private friendships, and with the
abrupt and painful termination of many long•cherisbed
habits of social intercourse—manfully, he would repeat,
stepped forward in this crisis of danger to do their duty
to their King and to their country. The Right Hon.
Gentleman, when he addressed the House on a recent or-
cession, expressed a hope that he should be allowed to
apply to himself the words of an ancient author—
" Non ponebat enim rumores ante salutem."
As that Right Hon. Gentleman was not now present, he
would take leave to apply to-him the succeeding line—
" Ergo postque, magisque yin nuns gloria claret."
General GASCOYNE, in explanation, said that he did
not recollect having used the words political apostacy; but
if he did do so, it was not his intention to apply them per-
sonally to the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Peel), but to
all those who had deserted these Protestant principles,
upon the strength of which they had been entrusted with
the interests of their constituents.—(Hear).
The new Writ was then ordered.
Aldo man Woon obtained leave to bring in a Bill rela-
tive to the removal of Smithfield Market.

Mr. HOBHOUSE presented a petition, signed by 1,150
of the inhabitants of the parish of St. James, Westminster,
in favour of the Bill for Regulating the Appointment ( f the
Vestries of that parish.—Rsferred to a Committee.
Mr. HOBHOUSE presented a petition, signed by 300
out of the 450 of the resident Householders of the parish
of St. Paul, Covent-garden, in favour of the Bill for Alter-
ing the Powers placed in the Vestry of that parish..—Re-
ferred to a Committee.

Mr. CHARLES PALMIER presented a petition from
the West India Dock Company, to amend some part of
their Act; also a petition respecting the intended new
Royal Clarence Bridge, from Lambeth to the Horseferry-
road.

Mr. BYNG presented a petition from the Independent
Gas Company.

Sir THOS. BARING brought in a Bill to amend the
Stratford and Bow Select Vestry Acts. Read a first time.
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR presented a petition from the
Protestant Dissenters of South Shields, in favour of Ca-
tholic Emancipation.

Sir J. COFTERELL presented a petition fron► the
Archdeacon and Clergy of the county of Hereford, against
the Catholic claims ; also a similar petition front the Dean.
and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Hereford.
Mr. VILLIERS STUART presented fifteen petitions
front parishes in the county of Waterford, in favour of
Catholic Emancipation.

Mr. CHARLES PALLMER in presenting a petition
from the inhabitants of Abury, in the county of Sur-
rey, against any further concessions to the Roman Catho-
lics, said he could speak from his own personal knowledge
of the great respectability of many of the signatures. The
petition was worded in most energetic language, it dwelt
with much force on the necessity of keeping Roman Catho-
lics from the Legislature, and that the Protestant Estab-
lished Church ought to be supported ; he had abstained front
expressing his own opinion on the momentous question ;
he thought in the early stages 'of any great measure it was
wise and decorous so to do ; but now that it had bem re-
commended in the Speech from the Throne, he could in,
longer remain silent, and was happy the people came
forward to express their opinion by petitioning that Helm ;
for what had passed, had tilled the count!), (in
which feeling he (Mr. Pallmer) fully coincided),
with distrust ; he had not distrust in his Sovereign, for he
would never believe that the King of England, who was
bound by his oath to uphold the Protestant Constitution,
would be influenced by any set of Ministers, to sign a Rill
which would go to sap the foundation of that Constitution
and the Protestant religion. (Hear, hear). He never would
do away with the fence that now surrounded it; he, Mr.
Pallmer, when the measure was brought forward, woted
consider it his duty to oppose it in all its stages.—T4®
petition was then brought up and read.
Sir MACKINTOSH presented a petition from a
parish in Chester in favour of the Catholics.

Sir J. BRYDGES presented a petition from Bedfort,
county of Middlesex, against the Catholic Claims.
Mr. ALDERMAN ATKINS presented a petition from
the Governors of St. Thomas's Hospital, relative to the
regulations thereof.

Mr. ASHURST presented a petition from the Mayor
and Corporation of Oxford, against the CatWks,.
Mr. DUNCOMBE presented similar petitions from two
parishes in the county of York.
Lord E. SOMERSET presentee% similar petitions from
two parishes in the county of Qloocester.
Mr. F. WEST presented a similar petition from Den-
bigh.

Mr. DICKENSON presented a bimilar petition front
Castle Carelre

Xr.'a./3ANKES presented a similar petition from
Burton-upon-Trent, It came from a part of the country
with which he had no local acquaintance; but he could ,
says upon good foundation, that the petitioners were all
respectable householders of that town, and that among
that class the majority were sixty to one against the Ca,
tholics.

Mr. LAMB presented a petition from Dungan:on in
Favour of the Catholics.

Mr. CAREW presented similar petition?, from St.
Mary's, and other parishes, in the county of New Ross.
Mr. SPRING RICE moved for lead to bring in a
Bill relative to the rights of executors.
Mr. CALCRAFT presented a petition from Wzreharn,
hi favour of the Catholics.

Mr. G. MOORE pl 4---: ted several petitions from dif-
ferent parishes in Ireland against the Catholics. He stated
that they were signed by persons of the first respectability,
including many of the Nobility.
Colonel CUST presented a similar petition from a parish
in Chester.

Lord PALMERSTON presented three petitions in fa-
your of the Catholics.

Mr. W. PEEL brought up a report relative to the
Courts of Laws.

ADJOURNMENT OP THE PIOUSE.
The CHANCELLOR a the EXCHEQUER moved
that the !louse at its rising do adjourn till Monday...-.
Agreed to.