Star.
London, England, 1831-06-30 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

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HOUSE OF LORDS—JowI 99.
The Committee of Privileges assembled soon after twelve
o'clock, when the claims of Viscount Southwell and of Vis-
count Gonnanston to vote at elections of Peers for Ireland,
were considered.

The Lovat claim of peerage was also considers&
Trower's divorce bill was read a second time.
Adjourned.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The house met at four o'Clock. Several private bills
were read a first and second time.
Mr. Ald. WOOD brought in a bill to prevent the spread-
ing of canine madness. Read a first time, to be read a se-
cond time as ?Way nest, mid ieb.pdisted.
STE'WART pentsated several petitions from
Renfrewshire, In favour of the reform bilL
Mr. SEVERN presented a petition from Fowey, in Corn-
wall, against the tax on marine insurance.
Mr. WILBRAHAM presented a petition from inhabit-
ants of Macclesfield, respecting the working of children in
manufactories. The honouroble member alluded to the bill
which had been brought forward on this subject in the last
Parliament by the hon. member foe Westminster, and (as
we understood) expressed a hope that that bill would be re-
vived In the present Parliament.
Mr. HARVEY moved for various returns of informa-
tions filed, and other proceedings taken, against trustees of
public charities, and the result of the same.--Ordered.
Mr. PROTHEROE moved fora return of the sums of
money in the hands of the corporation of Bristol for chards-
ale purposes, stating how much of those sums had not been
distributed, together with the reasons for such non-distribu.
don.

Mr. HUMS suggested that the return ought to be general,
and not confined to the commotion of Bristol,
Mr. PROTHBROIC had no objection to make it general,
but he did not think it necessary.
After a few words from Mr. S. RICE, Mr. Hums, Mr.
HARYZY, and Other; Mr. PROT/1110Z withdrew his mo-
tion.

Mr. HUME moved that there be laid before the boom an
estimate of the expense to be incurred under the Waterloo
new street bill, distinguishing that which would be incurred
by the public and by private parties.—Ordered.
Mr. O'CONNELL said, that as the present Government
did not think fit to do that which it had bees the intention
of the late Government to do—namely, to place the jury
system in Ireland on the same footing that it was in this
country,—he begged to give notice that upon the 10th of
July he would move for leave to bring in a bill to consoli-
date the laws relating to juries and jurors in Ireland. He
also begged to give notice, that on the 26th of July Its would
move for leave to bring in a bill to enable defendants prose-
cuted for libel to put in evidence of the truth of it.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented petitions from the govern-
ors of the St. Patrick's Free Schools, Kingstown, and from
the Roman Catholics of the parish of St. Katherine, in the
city of Dublin, complaining of the misappropriation of the
education funds intrusted to the Kildare-place society.
Mr. HUMS, referring to an estimate amounting to
39,0001. odd, which had been laid on the table, for Scotch
law expenses for the ensuing year, moved that there be laid
before the house copies of the secants rendered by the sheriffs
and stewards of Scotland to the Court of Exchequer, of their
receipts and disbursements, distinguishing them under their
several heads, in the year 18110; copies of the expenses of the
criminal prosecutions carried on in the name of the Lord
Advocate during the same period, &c.
Albs a Sao wants 6101111 Abe lioes Ahriecams, M. IL
Rica, and Mr. Getman ax, the return was ordered.
Mr. HUDIE presented a petition from the coal-whippers,
praying for a remuneration of the losses they would sustain
under the new arrangements for coal meting.
After a few words from Mr. SADLER and Mr. F. Ulm,
the petition was ordered to lie on the table.

I,IIOIIECUTIONI FOR LIBELS.
Mr. HUME said, that he rose to present a petition
against the continuance of the Six Acts ; and in reference
to what had been said on the preceding evening respecting
blasphemous and seditious writings being issued from the
enemy's camp, he should now inform the house that articles
in the '• Republican" were from the pen of a Mr. Lorimer.
who was no radical, but one of the enemy. (Hear, hear.)
During the seven years that a right hon. baronet (Sir R.
Peel) was Secretary of State, not less than eighteen indi-
viduals were confined in various gaols, from a period of six
months to three years, under sentences of libel ; and now the
house had heard the right hon. baronet confess that prosecu-
tions of this nature were prejudicial, and ought to be avoided,
and that things should be allowed to find their own level.
He was of opinion that the Six Acts ought to be erased from
the statute book.

Sir H. HARDINGE wished the honourable member for
Middlesex to say whether he meant to declare that Mr.
Lorimer, in the Republican, supported opinions diametri-
cally opposite to those which he really entertained. If this
were the case, he should say that no punishment which the
law could inflict for libel could be too heavy for such con-
duct. (Hear.)
Mr. HUME would satisfy the gallant member at once.
He would give him Mr. Lorimer's address, and he might call
and ask him himself. (Continued laughter.) He hoped
that the government would prosecute authors, and not poor
printers.
Sir H. HARDINGE thought the hon. member was
backing out of his case. He had said that this Mr. Lorimer
was the writer of the Republican, and one of the enemy's
camp, and by which expression, if he meant any thing, he
meant that Mr. Lorimer was connected with that party in
the house which was adverse to what the hon. member for
Middlesex was pleased to call liberal opinions.
Mr. HU ME had only said that he had a strong suspicion.
(Cries of No, no.")
Mr. HUM r..-IVell, then, what he had said was, that
Mr. Lorimer did come from the enemy's camp (cheers);:
and if the gallant member considered himself to be one of
the enemy's camp, this Mr. Lorimer came from thence.
Mr. ROSS thought the hon. member ought to be able to
prove wbat he bad said.
Captain GORDON thought that the Republican and si-
milar publications were not the writings of one man, so much
as the organs of a general united body. lie would read let-
ters from the hon. member for Middlesex to the Political
Union Society of Glasgow, in which he said that " reading.
rooms should be established by the Union,—that newspa-
pers should be generally read (cheers), and that those who
had suffiages would know how to exercise them, whilst those
who were to acquire the franchise by the new bill, would
learn what representatives to vote for." Now he would tell
the house that this Union Society assumed as the basis of
their principles the rights of man—rights which he would
maintain were subversive of the British constitution. (Hear.)
Mr. HUME said, that the hon. member had read only
that part of his letter which suited Isis purpose. The right
of suffrage had been refused to the people, on the ground
that they were too ignorant to use it, and he had advised the
people to have reading.rooms, and to select every newspaper
and book that could give them proper notions of the duties
of electors and representatives. He challenged the hon.'
merhher to show that he had used any such words as the
" rights of man." The hon. member had made use of the.
term only to avail himself of old associations.
Captain G Olt DON explained.
Sir CHARLES ‘VE'PHEItELL hAil in his hand a
number of the "Republican," which commenced in the
following manner :—" The sovcrelinsty of the people :
Saturday, June 18, 1831 ;" and again, "the sovereignty
of the people, year of the people one." (Laughter.)l
Nbi if he bad had such a publication imputed to him,
he should feel very sensitive under the imputation. But
the publication went on to say—" as a temporary relief
of the podr aid Stile, 1 propose the cohtilteatlon of whin
is called church property, and till a proportion of it can
be given for the maintenance of the poor, you must submit
to a tax of the nature of the English poor rates." Now
what had the hon. member for Middlesex said in that hoase,
but that church property was at any time resumeable by lar-