The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-02 00:00:00

Members of that House repaired to their clubs and
coffee-houses on Sundays, and there ate more than was
conducive to their health—(Laughter)—that the poor
man should be compelled to bolt his food, and immediately
leave his tavern, without being allowed time to quench his
thirst. While such a course was pursued by the Legis-
la
toture it must create nothing but contempt and disgust
wards it amongst the people.
After a short conversation the House divided, when
there appeared—
. Against it 23
For the clause
Majority -36
clause :
Mr. B. WOO then rose to propose the following
And whereas it is expedient that so much of
an Act passed in the 24th year of the reign of his late
gajestv King
for • George the Second, intituled, "An Act
granting to his Majesty an additional duty. up_ 1,,!
spirituous liquors, and upon licenses for retailing tih.,
`slue, and for repealing the Act of the 20th year of
.iis
present Majesty's reign, intituled, An Act for granting
duty to his Majesty to be paid by distiller.s. upon
llicenses to be taken out by them for retailing spirituous
iquors, and for the more effectually restraining the retai
gof distilled spirituous liquors, and for allowing a draw-
i,),!cit upon the exportation of British-made spirits, and that
'Lie parish of Saint M y le-Bonne, in the county of
Lie
shall be Mar
the inspection of the head
Office of Excise,' " as relates to the recovery of debts
for the sale of spirituous liquors not amounting to the.
stun of twenty of
shillings, so far as it regards the sale
spirituous liquors not to be drank or consumed on the
remises of the vendor thereof, should be repealed ;
it therefore enacted, that from and after the passing
of
this Act, so much of the said last-mentioned Act
sh
Its.
all declares that no person or persons whatsoever
be entitled unto or maintain any cause, action, or I
suit for, or recover, either in law or equity, any sum
Or
sums of money, debt, or demands whatsoever for or
shc'a account of any spirituous liquors, unless such debt
all have really been and bona fide contracted at one
time to the amount of twenty shillings or upwards, and
inaantaafnoyr particular article or item in any account or de-
or • distilled spirituous liquors, shall not be allowed
ndLuaintained w. here the liquors delivered at one time,
mentioned in such article or item, shall not amount
lt3_ the full value of twenty shillings at the least, shall,
liti*lst as to• spirituous liquors soldbto be drank or con-
2s:4d on the premises of the vendor thereof, be and the
qt is hereby repealed.
After suggestion from Mr. GREENE the clause was
, •
PAKINGTON moved the next clause, on the
• theaubJect of which he had received strong representations
tc.°_tn the licensed victuallers. The clause was exactly
the
as one which passed without any controversyin
relating to Liverpool. It was the
habit to pay
- men their wages on Saturday night in a public-
tie use.. g
considered that it was not right to expose
~7ln to such a temptation, and he hoped the House
13•1 d not sanction such a practice. The Hon. Member
?included by proposing the following clause:—And be
*•l7na. eted—That any licensed victualler or other person
o'shall open his house for the sale of wine, spirits,
or other fermented liquors, or shall permit the same
0.40,3hed* therein on Sundays, Christmas. Day, or
sbci Friday, before the hour of one in the afternoon,d
be liable- to a penalty not exceeding five poun
• e 6 "'recovered within three calendar months after the
....19mission of such offence, before any two Justices
•ZPg in Petty Sessions for the county, city, or juris-
• luitt:ol:i within which such offence shall have been coin-
; any portion of such penalty, not exceeding one-
the il
, s:, to be awarded, at the discretion of such Justices, to
informer, and the remainder to be paid to the trea-
' kierej'of the county, city, or jurisdiction within which
a Offence shall have been committed, to be by him
shpplied towards defraying the expenses of such county,
all or jurisdiction ; and if such penalty, so adjudged,
not be forthwith paid, it shall be law ful for suc
dustices to commit the offender to any gaol or house of Zrection within their jurisdiction, for any term not
~Znn one calendar month, such imprisonment to
..se if such penalty shall be sooner paid ; provided
',;,-.7sYs,'that nothing herein contained shall extend to
-r,event refreshment to travellers.
`M. ROEBUCK was not one of those who wished to
emir drunkenness, although he opposed this clause.
th- em thought the enactment would create a greater evil
ember
the one against which it was aimed. The Hon.
himself admitted that the clause was ambigu-
2blislY worded. It went to create wholesale crime, and
-1t it went to encourage informers. Persons more unfit
" administer the law than worshipful Justices in
Zquay ter sessions he never saw. The law in their hands
iltsnlik e battledore and shuttlecock. There was no cer-
r
. Yin their decisions ; and yet, without publicity,
Without the presence of a watchful bar, it gave to two of
these Justices an opportunity, in a private parlour, on
the information of an informer, to decide upon a doubtful
.Point of law. Three months
might elapse before the in-
-formation was laid, and then if the publican could not
'Prove that he had sold merely tea and
coffee, he was to
be sent to prison. He did
not want this sort of legis-
lation, and he protested against this attempt to extend
Police regulations throughout the country.
Captain RODS opposed the clause. The sailor had
to home in port but the public-house, and if they
drove him out of the public-house, they would drive him
ti a worse house.—(Hear, hear.) It was impossible to
carry such a clause into execution. The last Govern-
',lent were not so absurd as to lend themselves to the
ktioduction of enactments of this nature in the Liver-
rkil Watch Bill, and he trusted that the present Go-
Zrninent would, in this instance, take a leaf out of their
.1.74. None but a policeman could now lay an informa-
dll2of this nature ; and this clause proposed to call into
Zence a race of informers. He would rather almost
‘tliia T) the Bill altogether than consent to the introduction
clause.
qa,t: M. PHILIPPS thought it unfair to the working
t•st;e* to shut up every place where they could obtain
les:llltent until one o'clock on Sunday. He should
~.114Ntinst the clause.
:Nal:k„. INGLIS supported the clause. He thought
ikkatelght to be paid on a Friday night. He had little
1/4'glo to have heard such an attack from the
I.lhele Member for Bath on the unlearned
`c
1,71 yof the counties, when the Honourable
Zit t7at'ned Gentleman was willing to confide
.70131,. Illthittee, composed of members of that body, the
Lo 1,7 of all the delicate legal questions which must
,01v'",, considering the election compromises. The plan
.%Nitsl°Pcised had been found to work well in the metro-
- districts, and there was no reason why it should
ik
it "343(tended to the rest of the kingdom.
r,.,fift'i,iEßlTCK explained.
it •
sitARES GRAHAM was of opinion that the
y
k,,44,,,:agistracy discharged their important duties in
-4°ltle„ gt'eatly for the advantage of the public. He
,4011h,_°t now, however, discuss that question, but con-
mtitAt7self to- the question before the House. He was
~kbliersed to extend the metropolitan law regulating
;11 tee, °uses to the rural districts. He agreed in the
0-I"tkuls of the Hon. and Learned Member for Bath to
ikttl„li4erY by which it was proposed to carry the
atrystoop b Operation, and he considered that the penalties
.
ent Y the clause were of an unnecessarily harsh and
driunature. He thought the- heavy penalty of 51.
a glass of ale on a Sunday morning, was
-"ProPortionate and much too heay.y. He went
thiti er-se th„
win .to disapprove of the machinery of this
,NllO t thought indeed that, in the rural districts, it
f'„4ny 1.,e_11 great hardship upon the poorer classes, where
Ptibri°l3le were in the habit of taking their breakfasts
;401,,,,'houses. A glass of ale and a crust of bread
te—se, would do no man any harm, and any endea-
t af.Pritvent that would be an attempt at the curtail-
4iAltht jitut innocent recreations of the people.—(The
4es ef._n• Gentleman sat down amid cheers from both
'at Rouse.)
thkr. 41,„ARDY opposed the clause.
Zea f NTZ expressed his gratification at what had
atiar°nl the Right Hon. Baronet. He knew, in the
t turing districts, that the poor people were in the
q g •
h,
walk°l ng out very early on the Sabbath morning to
dis, and it would
ide.) be very hard to deprive them
pass of ale.—(Div
Itlhtlted nUNCOMBE was of opinion that the pro-' ttlse would not prevent drunkenness ; for when
OP, theyl Le got their money on a Saturday night, and
ti'24li4. could get nothing to :drink on the Sunday
0,," sae otore one, they would lay in a large supply of
',4tilt :liter stuff, on the Saturday night, and would get
15,:qtrd-""Pne. He should oppose the clause.
itgqi '''„,`l-NDON said that he had been at first dis-
kifsl4,;_llPPort the clause. introduced by the Honour-
the he I,'" for Droitwich, but he confessed that after
sthrp. Lad heard he doubted the wisdom of adopting
k°4•ltlnaaYYe'sal- He would suggest that public houses
allowed to be left open until ten o'clock on
,1414"At.ro,..ings, and that they should then be closed.
44'lltell•-‘I'..INGTON had heard nothing which could
thkt..
.Ina to withdraw his proposal.
040 JERVIS was favourable to the principle of
t.ot4s_ ~44`)tala.ble. Member's proposal, but he thought it
.1)1, urtua `larective in its details. He would therefore
opo.„ncl to the Honourable Member to withdraw his
Arti-7...;.?9r the present.
040t,sktit.:;'
rERAND opposed the clause.
ibtaittees .were then ordered to withdraw, and the
divided, when there appeared—
, • For the clause.
Against it
Majority against the clause
—lO3
134
Ouhe r
Was, therefore, lost.
rire-admiission to the gallery we found
toektiaetiZrantn HUMPHERY on his legs, moving the
l'itt‘`)Polit-11. of a clause, that public louses within the
ervi_an police district might be opened during di-
skit• J 6730 n Sundays, after the hour of one o'clock.
t‘sts.d 'RM thought the law, as it at present
!)a, the°l9 not be disturbed, and he should therefore
tiu,,.?,,use of the Hon. Alderman.
•„;'-•,;,%'0u1d support the clause.
t th",u COMBE said that the object was to re-
ttt,Nh"r 401, which had been introduced by the Hon.
‘,411e1( (1112'r Westminster. the clause that had been
the Bill by desire of Ministers. Those
tvor i '"1.,;1 to benefit the licensed victuallers would vote
'lLuse to destroy the anomaly that at present
kin., -In the parishes of Chelsea and Kensinolon, for
t,tho.s.-7-, where the hours of divine service varied, pub-
44t,ty• 4;:es right open on one side of the road because
I",siktitis.? they
n one parish, and on the other side close,
were in the opposite parish. he
..
‘tis "'.t there should All wanted
be some uniform system. It it
44411-. :5.",,,,"0n of morality, let them all be closed.
Itcirtchli
An ,ti.ovvii(cT_TLEY saw no reason whatever for the
ly'vapt agnrdeasthoaucldhaonpgpeosaes ttilileatettruospeo.sed by the
nltt ROITS said the law as it at present stood
NAtk.
la.;,g-s\t perfect piece o.f humbug he ever heard of.
Ott e
tau 2 He thought it would be much better to
1. uniform system which they could act upon and
0 f, A APIER said, that if the Right Hon. Baronet
S
up the public-houses altogether on
14' Ile Would vote with him, on condition that all
-118 should be shut up at the same time ; and he

would go further, and say other houses too.—(Cries of
Name, name.")
The Committee then divided. The numbers were--
For the clause 27
Against it • • 69
Majority against the clause
Mr. HUME said that he thought the House would be
acting very unjustly if clubs and other places were not
shut as well as public-houses. He would therefore
bring forward a motion to that effect on bringing up, the
Repo r t.—(Hear.)
The CHAIRMAN reported. progress, thh.• House re-
sumed, and the Report was ordered to be.hrought up on
Wednesday.
SUDBURY DISFRANCHISEMENT BILL.
Mr. REDINGTON moved the second reading of
this Bill.
Mr. BAGGE objected to the second reading of the
Bill, on the ground that it was not faii. to disfranchise a
borough because some of the voters 'were corrupt, and
he was bound to say the'• most corrupt portion of the
constituency were the 101. householders, and not the
freemen.

Mr. Alderman HUMPHERY denied the general cor-
ruption of the household constituency, and was surprised
to hear the Hon. Gentleman say that Sudbury was
Conservative. Did he mean to say that all the Conserva-
tives had been bribed?—(A laugh)
Mr. DARBY objected to going, on with a measure of
such importance at such a late hour.
Sir GEORGE CLERK said it had hitherto been the
practice in all similar cases to serve a copy of the Bill
upon the returning officer of the borough, before pro-
ceeding to read the Bill a second time. That had not
been done in the present instance, and he would suggest
the postponenient of the second reading until a copy
should have been served upon the returning officer.
Mr. REDINGTON thought that defect had been
cured by the motion of the Hon. Member for Mont-
gomeryshire.
Mr. WYNN had merely given notice of his intention
to bring forward a motion on the subject on going into
Committee on the Bill.
Mr. REDINGTON had no intention of pressing for-
ward the Bill without serving a copy on the returning
officer; but he apprehended there was no necessity for
serving it on him before the second reading.
Colonel RUSHBROOKE had presented a petition
from the inhabitants of Sudbury, in which they stated
that they considered it a great hardship that Sudbury
should be treated in this way, when there were other
boroughs equally bad.
Mr. BLACKSTONE did not know the locality of
Sudbury, and therefore could not say whether throwing
open the borough to the neighbouring hundreds might
not cure the corruption. In the borough which
he represented that had been the case. Before the Re-
form Bill, it was one of the most oorrupt boroughs in
the kingdom—that measure had added eight or ten ad-
joining agricultural parishes to the constituency, and
had by that means completely put a stop to bribery. He
did not think it right to discuss a measure of such im-
portance at so late an hour. He also thought it advis-
able that the House should hear the opißion of the
Right Hon. Gentleman at the head of the Government
on the subject, and for these reasons he should move
that the debate be adjourned.
Mr. PAKING'TON, although he had originally con-
curred in this measure, had serious doubts whether it
ought now to be proceeded with. Bribery of an exten-
sive nature had been discovered to exist in so many
other boroughs, that he doubted the propriety of making
Sudbury a solitary victim.—(Hear, hear.) He thought
the wisest course would be to draw a veil over the past.
Mr. STUART WORTLEY considered this notice a
mere local question. The House was called on to affirm
a principle. They were called on to determine the exact
amount of corruption which should be punished by dis-
franchisement. The case was surrounded by difficulties,
which required the most mature consideration. Ile
should, therefore, support the motion for adjournment.
Sir R. INGLIS supported the motion for adjourning
the debate.
Lord SANDON thought they would never create a
moral feeling against bribery, by hunting down boroughs
in this way. He would suggest to the House, before they
decided on disfranchising a borough with 2.000 inhabit-
ants, to consider what they would do with a borough
with 40,000. The most effectual remedy, he thought,
would be to send down a Committee to Inquire, and let
that Committee publicly disfranchise every individual
guilty of corrupt practices.
Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE bad presented a peti-
tion from one hundred and fifty electors of Sudbury
in which they stated that they entirely concurred with
the Committee in the opinion they expressed of the ex-
istence of corruption at the last election. They also ex-
pressed a desire that every corrective means should be
tried, before recourse was had to disfranchisement, and
they suggested that extending the present constituency
within the limits of the borough, and giving that consti-
tuency the protection of the ballot, would effectually put
an end to all corrupt practices. He thought it right,
having presented the motion, to remind the House of it.
He heartily concurred in the motion for the adjourn-
ment.
Mr. P. STEWART saw no other course before him.
than to move that the second reading of the Bill be post-
poned for a week. He should withdraw the motion.
He begged to move that a copy of the Bill be served upon
the Returning Officer of the borough of Sudbury.
BRIDPORT ELECTION.

Mr. C. BULLER felt that it was his duty to resume
the adjourned debate on this question. The House
having resolved that an inquiry should take place into
certain corrupt practices alleged to have taken place at
Bridport ; he wished to find out the manner in which

. . -
that inquiry should be conducted. He wished not to
mix up with this inquiry any personalities which had
existed in the former debate; he thought that this bo-
rough should have been the first into which the Corn-
mitte of the Hon. Member for Bath should have in-
quired. He should move that the Order of the Day be
read.

Mr. GEO. BANKES could not agree with the Hon.
Member opposite ; he did not think that the petition of
Mr. Warburton should be treated in any manner dif-
ferently from the petitions of any one else, He thought
the House would have acted more consistently if it had
not been so hasty in adopting the proposition of the
Hon. Member for Bath. He should indeed tremble to
carry that principle out to any extent. A certain num-
ber of decisions were contravened, and had not been
carried out because compromises had been made. That
principle he could understand ; but the principle which
was now proposed he could not understand ; but he did
see a great deal of harm in it. With respect to the ma-
jority the other night, it certainly was a very large
one ; but Honourable Members did not appear
to be at all decided in their ulterior views.—(Hear.
hear.) Was this a subject for a Bill of Indemnity ?
No ground had been shown for such a Bill, and he, for
one, would never concur in the passing of a Bill of In-
demnity on such grounds as had been stated in the pe-
tition of Mr. Warburton ; and without such a Bill, to
conduct the inquiry proposed would be utterly useless.
For these reasons, therefore, he should oppose the
proposition of his Learned Friend, the Member for
Liskeard.

Mr. BROTHERTON said, that if Hon. Members
would not postpone questions that were opposed, he had
no other alternative than to move the adjournment of the
House.—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and " Go on.")
Dr. BOWRING seconded the motion.

Mr. C. BULLER said that his object in bringing this
question forward was, that his Hon. Friend's Bill should
not be disposed of before the present question was decided.
Mr. ROEBUCK had no desire whatever to have this
matter referred to the Committee he had obtained, but
he wished to set the House right as to the mode in which
the matter stood. The Hon. Gentleman who had spoken
last was mistaken in supposing that the House had in-
trusted any powers to him ; all that it had done
was to appoint a Committee, and to entrust the
powers referred to to that Committe. For his
own part, he was averse to any more cases being
referred to the Committee, as he thought it had a suf-
ficiently heavy burden to deal with at present. With
respect to the observation made the other night by the
Hon. Member for Bridpoit (Mr. Mitchell). relative to
his (Mr. Roebuck's) absence, he must observe that in
making the motion for the Committee which had been

granted, he had not, in his opinion, subjected himself to
listen to all the tediousness which was to be uttered re-
specting bribery. If the House thought that this elec-
tion should be referred to the Committee, he (sir. Roe-

buck) must bow to its decision.
Mr. B. COCHRANE said, that if Hon, Members re-
ferred to the petition, they would find that he was not
charged by the petitioner with bribery, but with having
spent sums unknown ; which merely meant that the peti-
tioner did not know what amount of money he (Mr. Coch-

rane) had expended. He had no objection to having the
petition referred to the Committee.
Mr. DARBY thought the Hon. and Learned Member
for Bath pursued a course in the present case which was
scarcely justifiable.
Mr. ROEBUCK rose to order. He did not think the

Hon. Member was in order in using that expression.
Mr. DARBY said he used the words "scarcely jus-
tifiable," and he never knew that such language was un-
parliamentary. The motion of the Hon. and Learned
Member was for an inquiry into corrupt compromises,
and not into cases of bribery. When the Hon. and
Learned Member made his motion this very objection
was urged. He could not, therefore, consent to the
motion of the Hon. Member for Liskeard.

Lord SANDON said the real question before the
House was whether the case of Bridport was parallel to
the other cases which had been referred to the Com-

mitteee of the Hon. and Learned Member for Bath, the

question that the case of Bridport be inquired into was
already decided. Now in the case of Bridport it was ae-
lcraowledged that compromises had taken place, and the
gentleman who presented the petition stated that he
en tered into those compromises in order to screen certain
elt ctors.—(Hear.) He therefore thought that Bridport
stc od in the same category with the other boroughs, and
for that reason he would vote for its being referred to
thee Committee, which was obtained by the Hon. and

Learned Member for Bath.—(Cheers.) r The House had
nothing whatever to do with the motives which induced
panties to bring this case forward.—(Hear.) It was

enough to kno‘;; that compromises had taken place.
N Tr. ROEBUCK trusted the House would permit him
to d efend himself against the charge which had been
brat fight against him. He had been accused of having
adt opted an unjustifiable proceeding. He had made a
rue bon. It was complained that the motion was not suf-
fici intly definite ; he had altered it, still it was not
con sidered sufficiently definite. He had made a third
att€ vnpt, in which he had succeeded, and had introduced
cert t iu alterations at the suggestion of the Right Hon.
Bare .nsit at the head of the Government. At that time
the I

to use was full. Every Member's attention had been

draw nto the subject. One Hon. Member,whohaisinee
givet L notice of a motion on the subject, had actually
antic' ad to this very case of Bridport. How, therefore,
could . he be accused of anything unjustifiable ? It was
absv 0:d to imagine that he could palm off a motion in
that,.way on such acute men as the Right Hon. Baronet,