Star.
London, England, 1831-06-15 00:00:00

ICLETCION OF SPEAKER.

On the return of the members from the other house,
11.. C. W. WYNN said, that in compliance with the
commands of his Majesty, and also in the exercise of their
undoubted tights and privileges, the members present were
now called upon to perform the most important duty
of selecting art individual to preside over their debates
during the present Parliament. This privilege was a
most ancient, and in many respects, a moat
important one. When members considered that the
person who filled the chair in that house was not only
culled upon to preside over the debates there, but also
became the organ of the representatives of the Commons
to express to the King, and to other parties, the sense of the
house, and that it depended upon him in what manner that
sense should be expressed—when they reflected on these
considerations, he thought that few persons would difFer from
him in opinion that the duty of electing a speaker Was one
amongst the most important privileges which they could be
called upon to exercise. If it were important at all times, he
thought It was peculiarly important at the present moment,
when they were called upon to consider charges and alter-
ations greater than the history of Parliament afforded any
example of. (Cheers front the opposition.) lle spoke not
that as gislag any opinion on the question, tor whether those
changes and eLentions were or were not desirable, it was
equally necessary that they should be well considered and
debated, and examined with patience, discref ion, and temper.
(Hear, hear.) At the present moment a degree of t xcitc-
rnent and irritation prevailed almost without a parallel ; and
at such a time every man must feel it to be of the lirst im.
portance to select a fit person to enforce the enders of the
house, and to maintain the privileges which members
held, not for their own benefit, but for that of their
constituents. In nothing were those constituents mote
interested than in the preservation of the orders of the
house, which had for their object to prevent measures
being forced improperly through the house, and to
ensure their receiving the full consideration which was re-
quisite. For this reason it was, beyond all things, important
that the person selected to fill the chair should be possessed of
a high and independent character,—that lie should be one
from whom impartiality might be expected on all occasions,—
who should have the ability to lay down the rules of the house,
and the firmness to enforce them against any individual who
might attempt to contravene them, and, at the same time, the
courtesy to impart useful information to inexperienced mem-
bers,and to acquaint them with the rules which they might un-
intentionally transgress. There was also another qualification
which he held h to he of the greatest consequence that their
Speaker should possess, because without it all the others
would be vain. He thought that the person to be called !
upon to preside over their debates should possess the con-
fidence of the House, from the knowledge of his having',
deserved it. (Cheers.) High and important as the office
of Speaker was, he possessed no authority whatever but that'
which he derived from the confidence and support of the ,
house. To no person could that confidence and support be
given with equal satisfaction and with so little hesitation
as to the person who had so usefully and advantageously
filled the situation of Speaker for now fourteen years. (Hear.)
That gentleman had been five times selected by the house '
as their Speaker, and on each occasion he had received not
only an increase of reputation, but of confidence and up.
probation. On these grounds he did not think it neces-
sary
to detain the house longer than simply to move that
the Right Hon. Charles Manners Sutton do take the chair
as Speaker, and he was sure that he expressed the general
sense of the house when he uttered a wish that the right hon.
gentleman might continue to occupy that situation as long
as his health would allow hint. (Hear, hear.) There was
one circumstance peculiar to the right hon. gentleman
which he thought it would be unjust to pass over. He al.
luded to the matinee in which during the last few years the
right hon. gentleman had expressed his readiness and
willingness to devote to the public s rvicc, hours and days
which the indulgence of the house had set apart for
the Speaker to IClt from the fatigues consequent upon the
execution of the duties of his office : (hear.) Mr. Sutton
was the first person to call upou the house to give him an op. 1
portunity of devoting more of his time to the service of the ,
country. It was impossible to overlook the large quantity'
of business which remained undone at the end of the last ses-
sion in consequence of the time of the house being engrossed
with the great and momentous question which came before
it. It was necessary that this business should now be de- I
%patched, and under these circumstances it was important
taat the house should have fur its Speaker a person, who,
instead of shrinking from labour, would rather out-
strip the wishes of the house in the discharge of business.
Such a persou the house would have in the right honourable
gentlest= whom he had the honour to propose to their notice.
It was with satisfaction he reflected, that it was now fourteen
years since he had the opportunity of supporting the firs.. no.
urination of the right honourable gentleman, and of predict-
ing to the house, that if they elected him, they would expe-
rience from him that union of firmness and courtesy which
they ;limit agree with him in thinking that he had shown
himself possessed of. (Cheers).
Sir NI. W. RIDI.EY said, that he felt relieved from all
embarrassment and hesitation on the present occasion by the
consciousness which he possessed that he merely gave utter-
ance to the unanimous feeling of the house in seconding the
nomination of his right h. n. friend. (Hear, hear.) If he
still felt any hesitation, he might content himself with refer-
ring to the arguments which his right honourable friend
employed in favour of Mr. Su. totes nomination, and
to the proofs which he had adduced of that gentleman's
peculiar qualifications fur the office of Speaker. It was
somewhat singular, that when his right honourable friend
w is first called to the chair, he was one who offered opposition
to him, and himself seconded the nomination of the gentle-
man
who had now proposed his right hon. friend. He trusted
that the house would see, front that circumstance, that in
r•ow supporting the nomination of his right hon. friend, he
was actuated only by a desire to do justice to the high cha.
ratter which his right hon. friend had obtained for himself,
bath with the house and the country, during the 14 years I
which he had presided in that house. The public interests
wete materially affected by the manner in which the
chair was occupied. In order to Insure the efficient
discharge both of the public and private business, it
was necessary that the Speaker should be perfectly inde-
pendent of any party feeling, that he should be a person of
firm character, able to check any interruption which might
arise in the progress of discussion, and to instruct the house
by his knowledge of its orders. Übe were addressing only

members of the the late Parliament, he would rather refer I
to their own experience and judgment than attempt to say
any thing in commendation of his right hon. friend, in the
full confidence, that they would do justice to his worth.—
(Hear. hear.) He, however, had the honour to address many
members who never before sat in parliament, and he could
assure them that by acceding to the motion which had been
submitted to the consideration of the house, they would do
no more than an act of justice to him. (Hear, hear.) Very
short expetience in that house would convince them that a
Frfect knowledge of the orders of the house, and of the
constitution and laws of the country, joined to great urbanity
of manners, and a readiness to give up his time to the guid-
ance and assistance of members, were amongst the most im-
portant qualifications of a Speaker. He could with all sin.
verity assure those lion. members vr'.to now for the first time
sa: iu the house, that in the latter particular his right hon.
friend was eminently distinguished; and that with respect
to the moda of conducting public or private business they
would find a ready and sinureadvieci and c,unsellor in him.
He felt it would be idle to detain the house further on the
present occasion, for lie saw that his hearers perfectly con-
curred in ell that could be said in favour of his right hon.
friend. He did not hesitate to say that the house would be
guilty of a dereliction of the duty which they owed to the
country, if they should omit this opportunity of doing jos-
tle: to his right hon. friend Ly declining to accede to the
motion which he had the honour to second. (Cheers.)

Me. CHARLES MANNERS SUTTON said, that he
barely knew bow to address himself to the house on this
occasion. Af er the terms in which he had been spoken of
his right lion. friend, and his lion. friend the member for
Niaveastie, ai.d aria the manner in which the house had
r.:ceiveil their sentiments, any expression of obligation or
giatitude wide, he could make must fall miserably short of
his feelin.m's. ( Hear.) If, in expressing the deep obligation
which he felt to his right lion. friend, whose p.aliamentary
knowledge so justly entitled him to form a COTial judge cat
whit respect to the qualifications of a Speaker, and chose
constant attendance in his place, and unwearied attention to
the privileges, orders, and; prtmeedii gs of the house, made
him so fit a judge of the p lei:rimy of his ( Mr. Sutton's)de.
cisions, and the efficiency with which he bail performed the
duties of Speaker, and to his lion. friend, the member fur
Newcastle, whose high standing and character in the
house so justly gave weight to any thing which lie addressed
to them,—if, ItiMer these circumstances, and in the pur-
suit of a fair :lad honourable ambition, he should for a
moment at least appear to forget hew much he owed to
the kindness of his friends, and how little to his own
merits, ha trusted that the house wookl not attribute it to
arrogance, and an unwarrantaitle reliance on his own abl.
Mica. (Hear. hear.) He bail had fourteen years' expe-
rience in the °nice of Speaker. lie well knew the diffi-
cultiea of the office, which hail been well descabed by his
right honourable friend, and r.hich were frequently exag-
gerated by the suddenness with atria they canie ou. (Hear).
He, however, had learnt from the same experience, that
whether those difficulties arose from circumstances which
requind deep consideration, or whether they were attributable
to haste and iha unforeseen emergency of the moment, who.
ever had the honour to till the chair might place a safe and
confident reliance on the support, protection, encouragement,
and assistance of the house. (Hear, hear). lie knew that
nothing could be required at his hands, or those of anyother
person who might preside in the chair, but an honest attempt,
strictly, as.thluously, and impartially, to perform his duty ;
and if he so comiucted himself, be was sure of his reward.
It' it should be the pleasure of the house again to place him
in the chair. they might rely upon it that every exertion and
energy of mind and body which he could command should be
devoted to their service. (Cheers).
Time motion was then agreed to by acclamation, and the
right hon. gentleman was conducted to the chair by Mr.
ynn and Sir M. W. Ridley, all the members of the house
startling at the same time.
The SPEAKER begged again, from the place which he
now ocenvicd, to return his most grateful acknowledgments
to the house for the honour which they had conferred upon
hint. Ile would again advert to his right hon. friend's de.
scriptiou of the duties of a Speaker, and declare that lie not
only concurred with that description, but he begged the house
to measure his worth by that standard. He had not had the
honour electing with many new members who were now pre-
sent, but until they had personal experience of him, he
begged them to take his character from the statement made
by his lion. friend, the member for Newcastle. As far as
in him lay, he would give members every possible assistance
in the discharge of any business which they might have in
hand : (hear, hear.)

Sir J. G RAIIAM, in thing to move the adjournment
of the house. in the unavoidable absence of his noble friend
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, hoped lie might be per-
mitted to congratulate the right hon. gentleman on the dia.
tinguislied mark of unanimous confidence which he had just
received. He certainly thought It was the highest tribute of
respect which a British commoner and gentleman could
rcceite, to be called upon to preside over the debates in
that house. In the case of the right hon. gentleman, the
honour had nor been bestowed for the first time; but he
had to congratulate him and the house that this mark
of confidence was bestowed on him now for the sixth time.
Those who had served with the right hon. gentleman in 'I
former parliaments, well knew how faithfully, zealously,'
and ably lie had discharged the duties of his office ;
and those only who had thus served with him could be
aware of the labour and exertion which the discharge of
those duties required. (Hear.) It was Impossible to contem.
plate without celmitation the indefatigable industry, patience,
and assiduity of the right hon. geenticnian. sacrificing, to
meet tile increase of public business, private considerations
and even his health, voluntarily abridging the short period
for recreation and repose which his predecessors considered
indispensable to enable them to undergo the fatigues of their
office. He feared he could not hold out any hope that there'
would be any abridgment of the labour or diminution of the
fatigue to which the right hon. gentleman had hitherto been
subjected; but the house could co-operate to make the dim.
charge of his duty more grateful and satisfactory to his
feelings, by upholding the just prerogatives and dignity
of the chair. He sincerely congratulated the house and the
country on the choice which they had just made, and would
conclude with inuring that the house do now adjourn.
Sir R. PEEL, in rising to second the motion for adjourn-
ment, trusted he might, without presumption, take that op.
portunity of joining in the general expression of satisfaction
at the right hon. gentleman's most honourable, because una.
nimous, re-election, for the sixth time, to the important office
of Speaker. It was undoubtedly a proud distinction to be the
first commoner in the realm, but the choice which the house
had made was dearer in the cycs of the right hon. gent.
because it continued him in that career of public useful.
cm which he had run with so much honour to himself._
He congratulated the house, not only on the re.election of
their Speaker, but on the circumstances connected with it.
He recollected that when the right hon. gentleman who had
that night proposed the Speaker entered into honourable
competition whit him fourteen years ago, he declared that if
the choice of the house should fall on his competitor, his ex-
perience of his conduct would justify that choice. He was
satisfied that from the spirit which induced his right lion.
friend to make that prediction, he was amongst the foremost
to rejoice in its complete fulfilment. The Speaker had justly
said that the cordial cooperation of the house facilitated the
discharge of his arduous duty. But the statement of his
receiving that cooperation implied, unintentionally no
doubt, a compliment to himself, because that co-opera-
tin resulted from the complete conviction which the
house entertained of his integrity and impartiality—from
admiration of the justice and promptitude of his decisions,
and the firmness with which, lie enforced them, tempered with
a courtesy which disarmed that firmness of all harshness, and
every thing which could be disagreeable even to those who
were its objects. (Hear, hear.) The circumstances uuder
which the light hon. gentleman had been chosen, and above
all the speeches of the hon. members who proposed him, ren-
dered it totally unnecessary to carry the debate further. He
trusted that he should not incur the charge of presumption
for having added his to the general congratulations, not only
to the right hon. gentleman himself, but to the ;parliament,
assembled under circumstances of peculiar difficulty and im-
portance, for having been able to procure such a president.
The house then adjourned at three o'clock.

We seldom give Reports of local papers on the
State of Trade, &c. They are always illusory.—
A local editor dare not publish that the local trade
is bad. Hence it is constantly rising, improving,
and increasing. If all the puffs which appear in
sonic papers, in a series of years, were true, the
accumulated fabrics would cover the whole earth.
We count forty improvements per annum in cer-
tain papers, but never any retrogradation. For the
same reason crops are always promising, and mar-
kets looking up; for a local printer would be in
danger of being rolled in the kennel who made
other statements.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

BELGIUM AND FRANKFORT PAPERS.
RECEIVED THIS DAY.
BRUSSELS.
NATIONAL CONGRESS—St:Two or Jun 10.

The Sitting was to be opened at one o'clock.—
After waiting till a quarter past two, M. Ludda
called over the names of the Members, only 95
answered. Not being a sufficient number to
transact business, they agreed that there should be
no public sitting till Monday noon.
As the members were going to separate, several
deputies e::pressed a desire to see the Minister of
War. M. Menu went into an adjoining apart-
ment, and returned accompanied by M. Dufarlly,
the Minister of War. A circle was formed round
the Ministers. M. C. Rodenbach, who had not
left his place, said, that if they went into the hall
of the central section they might converse and
explain.
This was agreed to, and the Minister of War
is said to have given in this kind of committee
some information respecting the measures he had
adopted.
BRUSSELS, JUNE 11.—Some journals of this
city have announced that LorJPonsonby dispatched
a courier in the night of the 9th, to carry to London
an answer from M. Lebeau on a point said
to be very important. What is certain is, that since
the 7th no Cabinet messenger had left this city for
Landon; unless, indeed, he went by the diligence,
of which there has not hitherto been any instance.
It was only this morning, at three o'clock, than an
English cabinetmessenger was sent with despatches
to London.

Mr. Abercromby set out for London this morn-
ing at eleven o'clock. The Duke of Brunswick left
Brussels at noon yesterday : he took the road to
C dais.

We have successively announced the departure
of Lord Ponsonby for Sunday next, for yesterday
(Friday), and now announce it for to-day. It is not
our fault if we have thus to contradict every day
what we said the day before respecting his Lord-
ship's departure. General Bel Hard will depart at
the same time as Lord Ponsonby.— Courrier.
It is affirmed that Lord Ponsonby, who was to
set out for London this evening, at 9 o'clock, will
not leave Brussels.—lndependent.
The trial of Colonel Gregoire has been con-
tinued for these two days.
At half-past ten this morning, the Court retired
to deliberate, At the time of our going to press,
the decision of the Court was not yet announced.—
Brussels Papers, June 12.

. -
CA RLSRUII a, Jty x 3.—ln the twenty-third
Sitting of the Second Chamber, M.Rettig, of Con-
stance, brought up a report from the Committee of
petitions upon the petition of the Jews, for equal
civil rights with their Christian fellow-country-
men. The Chamber decided on the main question
that the admission of the Israelites to the enjoy-
ment of equal political rights with their children
inhabitants of the Grand Duchy, would not yet take
place, but that a proposal should be made to the
government to convoke between the present and the
next diet an assembly of deputies of the Israelites,
and through this assembly. to make an attempt to
see whether the obstacles that now oppose such an
equality of rights can be removed.

_
MUNICH, JUNE 2.
In the second chamber to-day, M. de Shormer,
minister of the interior, presented the new project of
law relative to the press. According to this pro-
ject, the Censorship will be entirely abolished for
internal affairs ; it will be retained only for matters
of foreign policy, and the editors of periodical
papers will have to give security to the amount
of 4,000 florins.
PATRAS, APRIL 15.—The Provisional Com-
mission at Hydra, appointed by the Hydriots,
after the expulsion of the Governor, and of which
Meaulis Tombasi and Condunollis are members,
has required from the President, in the name of the
Nation, the annulling of all the proceedings of the
Congress chosen by the President and not by the
nation—s Constitution— the freedom of the press—
and the examination of the accounts. The President
on his return to Napoli submitted to the Senate
the question :—" Whether Greece is in a situation
to make use of the freedom of the press ?"
The Senate decided this question in the negative.
—Franckfort Papers, June 8.