The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-24 00:00:00

BOROUGH OF LIViiRPOOL.

Lord SANDON presented petitions signed by the
Mayor of Liverpool on behalf of the inhabitants of
that town in favour of certain local improvements
there, and also from the millers of Liverpool, who
stated that they had 20,000,0001. of capital embarked
in their trade, and praying for a protective duty upon
the importation of foreign wheat._

CORN-LAWS.
Mr. BLEWETT presented a petition from New-
port Pagnell, against the Corn-laws.

.QUEENBOROUGH PETITION.
Mr. G. W. WOOD moved, in pursuance of his
motion of last evening, that the petition of the free
burgesses of the borough of Queensborough be printed
with the votes for the use of Members only.
Sir E. KNATCHBULL opposed' the printing of
the petition, as the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell),
when presenting the petition, had not given notice of
his intention to follow it. up. The practice of the
House was, that when Ilon. Members presented peti-
tions, they should give notice of their intention to
move that they be printed ; and also of the day upon
which they intended to bring them under the consi-
deration of the House. In this instance the practice
of the House should be particularly enforced, as the
petition seemed to involve charges against individuals
who could have no notice whatever of them.
Lord J. RUSSELL (who spoke in a low tone,
and amidst much noise), was understood to say that
when the Municipal Reform Bill was passed in 1835,
it was his intention to bring in a Bill to regulate those
smaller Corporations which were left untouched by
that Bill ; and it was still his intention to ask for leave
to bring in a Bill for that purpose.
After a few words from Sir E. Knatchbull, Mr.
G. W. Wood, and Mr. Estcourt,
Mr. WALLACE begged to say that this was an
exemplification of what he had stated to the House
the other night, viz. that the petitions of the people
were not paid any attention to, or comprehended in
that House. To-morrow, when the newspapers would
appear, it would be found that but a little conversation
across the table on the subject would be printed. That
state of things would continue, and the petition of the
people would be disregarded, as they had hitherto
been.

Mr. WYNN held it to be of great importance
that they should not leave it in the power of
any individual to give currency to any slander.
He, in no degree, alluded to the present petition, for
he had no idea of what the petition was about, whom
it was from, or to what circumstances it referred. But
speaking generally, it was a melancholy thing that a per-
son should have the power of giving currency through-
out the kingdom .to a slander, when no opportunity
was afforded to individuals of repelling that slander.
The Hon. Member then alluded to the case of a peti-
tion presented to that House some twelve months
ago, complaining of the conduct of a Judge who,
though possessed of a character the most un-
impeachable was charged in that petition
with misdirecting the jury, which it was
said, .gave a verdict, in consequence, against the
evidence. That petition was printed and pub-
lished ; and how, he asked, could they go and examine
the Judge's charge, and see whether the statement in
the petition was true or not ? When such was the
case, that House ought not to afford facilities for
circulating what might be a slander, and which the
parties slandered could have no opportunity of re-
pelling.
Mr. O'CONNELL said that he would be the
keeper of no man's libel. Tnconfine the papers to
Members only would not prevent them from obtain-
ing publicity ; and if they allowed them to escape
from their own hands, they might be subject to an
action for libel.

Mr. DUNCOMBE, after a few observations, the
purport of which we could not collect, proposed the
omission of the words " for the use of Members only."
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that he had not
been present in the early part of the discussion ; but as
far as he could learn this was a petition incul-
pating certain parties who held official situations
in the corporation of Queensborough. Every one
who was a Member of the Committee upon Printed
Papers, and most of the Members of that House, would
recollect it was very strongly urged against the sale
of papers, that although it might be proper
to sell such as contained harmless general in-
formation, yet it was a great abuse of their power
to print charges against particular individuals, and
by circulating them throughout the country at a
small price, to injure the character of those indivi-
duals.— (IIeal;, hear, hear.) Although the matter
might be one for legislation and inquiry by
that House' yet it was thought ' that
there could 'be no use in such publication.
Ile thought that aIL Members concurred in that view,
and it was urged, specially by Lord Howick, that
there ought to be considerable caution used by the
House as regarded certain papers which, although
they ought to be printed, they should be re:-
strained from ordering their publication and sale.
The Committee to whom this petition had been