Star.
London, England, 1830-10-27 00:00:00

CROICE OT • 'MEM

Sir EDWARD HYI)P. EAST rose to propose a Speaker for the
choice of the House, The Hon. Member way nearly inaudible at the
commencement of his speech. We understood him to say, that when a
new Parliament was assembled it was essential to their future proceed.
ings that they should obey the invitation they had received, and c!,nose
a Speaker. That was the fist act the Commons had to perform. For a
Speaker they ought to choose a person of the greatest ability, and pox.
seseing a character of the highest integrity--a person who by his worth
and talents was fit and proper to represent the House of Commons in
all its proceedings before the eves of the country, hi its relations
to the other House of Parliament, and its communication with the
throne itself. They ought to choose a person who was capable, both
by his public talents and his private virtues, to confer dignity on the
proceedings of parliament. In calling on the house to make such a
choice, he should not have thought himself entitled to claim their at-
tention, had he not been assured that the gentleman to whom lie should
propose that they should do the honour of offering the chair was
a person already well acquainted with all the great interests and with
all the wishes of the house (Hear, hear, hear); and that he was only
giving expression to a desire which must be felt by every gentleman
of the house. They ought to choose a person of a high description,
who was impressed with a necessity of preserving order in their
proceedings, who had abilities to preserve their order, and who
had, moreover, eloquence, grace, and dignity, to give effect to
the proceedings of the house. He should be a person of great consti-
tutional knowledge, well versed in the orders and forms of proceeding of
the house, able to express the sentiments of the house as well to an In.
dividual appearing at theibu as to the other great branches of the legis-
lature. Besides the knowledge which was requisite to fill this great
office efficiently, it was necessary, as every member knew who had been
engaged in private business, that the Speaker should be a gentleman of
frank, conciliating, intelligent manners, not only able to give effect to the
public acts of tite house, but to give that information to individual mem-
bers which was aecessary to facilitate the performance of their duties.
There was no one qnalihcation necessary and proper to execute the duties
of this high office which had not been exhibited, as the house and the
country well knew, by the right hon.gent.who had filled it for four succes.
sive parliaments, and who had in:an exemplary:manner performed those
duties, both private and public, which it was so important to the house
that he well performed. He might say a great deal more in his praise,
but it was unnecessary, when, ftoin long acquaintance, it must be
known to every member of former parliaments, that there was not one
virtue, nor any species of ability necessary to fill that high station, and
' give effect to the proceedings of the house in the eyes of the country,
which that gentleman did not possess. His merits were known to all
the members, and the country at large. He would not further trespass
on their time, but at once propose that the right hon. C. AL Sutton be
chosen Speaker.
Mr. N. CALVERT said that the house required as speaker. a gen.
tleman able to preserve order in its proceedings, well acquainted 'with
constitutional law, and with all the forms of the house, endowed with
good temper, and of great impartiality. He should be a gentleman
easy of access, and whose gentlemanly manners would ensure hint the
support of all the members, and to whom all might with pleasure refer
all doubtful points, particularly of private business. He bad looked
over the list of Representatives, and be had not been able to find one
gentleman so well qualified to fill the office of Speaker as his Right
Honourable Friend, Mr. Manners Sutton, and he therefore had great
pleasure in seconding the motion.
sir JOSEPH YORKE.—If ever there was a time when, from the
state of public affairs, it was necessary, in order to gain the confidence
of the Members, and give full effect to the proceedings of the House,
that they ought to choose a pt..pr person as Speaker, the present was
the time. He concurred in all that had fallen from the Mover and Se.
conder. Ile was sure that there was not in the House a single person
better qualified—that there was ho one equal, he would not say—for
amidst all the Me:nhers of the House, men of talents, of different pro-
: fessions. of great virtue and integrity, some equally proper Fuson might
be found; but he must say, that from the great suavity of the indivi.
dual named, as well as his great knowledge, he was a fit and proper
person to fill the Chair in as tremendous times as ever any man was
called to fill it in.

Mr. MANNERS SUTTON.—Long as it has been my pride to be
the servant of the house, and frequently as l have had occasion to ad-
dress it, yet it is Impossible for me entirely to divest myself of ember.
rassmett, and not to feel some distrust of myself in returning my thanks
to my honourable friends who have proposed me to the house us a fit
and proper person for the high office of Speaker, as well as for the terms
in which they were pleased to express their sentiments of me ; and also
acknowledging the speech of the gallant Admiral, and his great
kir.dnees and cordiality, I would beg them to believe that I feel
the great kindness and obligation with which the house received,
and one of them made, and the other seconded tl.e motion,
I think it most respecttul to the Douse of e:mnmons at once
to declare that 1 am proud to submit to is will. If the
house places me in this situation, I shall with pride anti
devotedness exert myself to maintain all its rights and privileges ; and
to the extent of my abilities I will discharge all the duties of the sta-
tion. I know, from some experience, that the diffictil: ics of the situ-
ation are not small, but experience has also taught me that honesty of
purpose, and earnest and strict impartiality, will ensure the encourage.
ment, the support, and the protection of the House (cheers.)
The Right Hon. Gentleman was voted into the Chair by acclamation,
and conducted into it by the Mover and Seconder. IViren the Right
lion. Gentleman had taken the Chair, he said, I am most am:ions that
the House should believe that 1 am not indiffrent to these expressions,
and that I am deeply grateful for the honour conferred on me. I beg
to assure the House that I am deeply sensible of this mark of its confi-
dence, and that 1 will do all in my power to deserve it (cheers.)
AD3OUIIIII/4ENT-ftBUSINESS or TILE HOUSE.
Sir ROBERT PEEL, in moving that the house do adjaurn, begged
to take that opportunity of offering to the Speaker his most sincere con-
gratulations at the unanimity with s hich he had obtained an hotiourhe
so well deserved. He begged also to congratulate the house that it
was enabled to place in the chair a gentleman of great experience in
public business, and well entitled by his conduct in the chair, to the
approbation and confidence of the house. In the fourteen years which
had elapsed since he had been first placed in that situation, he believed
that during those fourteen years there had been only one atingle day in
which the Right Honourable Gentleman had asked, or rather con.
vented, to a remission of his public labours. (Hear, hear.) No
considerations of personal convenience—no consideration of his private
affairs—nothing but the claims of private affliction, could make h;m
ever consent to abstract that day from the public service. During
these fourteen years, whatever might have been the conflict of par.
I tics, all his opinions and all his decisions had been given with the
strictest impartiality. and received with satisfaction by the House.
But the Right Honourable Gentleman's merits were so familiarly
known to all the Members, that it was unnecessary for him to say
more The unanimous vote of that evening secured the devotion of
the House to its Speaker, and it was impossible that the public and
11 the country should not find that, in addressing the Members, it
would give authority to his opinions and weight to his decision. (Hear.)
Mr. BROUGHAM seconded the motion, and expressed his satis-
faction and entire concurrence in the well-merited encomiums which tie
house had respectfully tendered. His object, in rising, however, was
to direct the attention of his Majesty's government, and of such
members as attended to the public business, to a subject which
urgently demanded attention, to which he had on former occasions
adverted—he meant the business of the house—that they
might turn the matter in their minds during the week which
would elapse before the house began the effective business of the

country. (Hear, hear, hear.) He had adverted more than once
to the necessity of some arrangement by which the private business
should be separated from the public business, securing to the latter a
sufficient time for its discussion. He only wished, however, to throw
out some hints on this subject for resection during the week. He was
confident, that unless wine arrangement was made by which the private
Lusineas sin.uld he postponed or brought forward on separate and dis-
tinct nigirs, or by which the time of the house should not he occupied
in hearing petitions front individuah on private 'subjects, or ezpreissiag
the it individual opinions on public affairs, he was confident, unless
something was done to call on public business at a reasonable hour, that
they would not he able get through with it. He wished merely to direct
the atiention of member. to this abject, and should be tesdy to sop.
port any proposition which should secure to the country. that a proper
share of the time of its representatives should he devoted to its business.

AFFAIR OF HONOUR.

From tke DsLlin Evening Po*t.
SIR BENNY HAIRDINGE AND KR. O'CONNELL.

Mr. EulToa—Tbc following passages are a speech of
Mr. O'Connell's, putilis:itAl in the Freeman's Journal of this day, the
23d instant

" The Hon. and Learned Gentleman next alluded to the decay of des-
potism in Europe, aad, adverting to the law abominable Proclamation,
spoke as follow.:—In the beginning of this week, you saw an English
soldier. a hireling scribe at the Castle writing down the freedom of our
country. I had not Wow given my opinion upon that infamous Act—l
remained silent until I had counselled the people and obtained their pledge
to obey the law--to keep the iieace. Having succeeded in obtaining
that promise, I knew the people would rather die than violate it. 'Pall
now, then, speak my mini! up t. the act of this English soldier.—
(Ht ar, hear.) I arraign that paltry, contemptible little English
soldier, that hail tits audacity to put his pitiful and contemptible name
to an atrocions I'olignae Proclamation (loud cheers) and that
too in Ireland, in my country —ln this green lard the land
of Browitlow—the country of Grattan, now in his grave (hear,
hem, hear).-rthe land of Charictnont and of the 70.000 volunteers....
the heroes the intinortal period of eighty., wit. I'l that (amt.:try it
that a wretched English scribe (a chance child of f. stone and of war)
urged on by his paltry. pitiful lawyerlings, • pet his vile name to his
paltry proclamation putting down freemen (cheers). I would rather be
a dog, and bay the moon, than the Irishman who would tamely submit
to so infamous a proclamation. I have rot opposed it hitherto, because
that would implicate the pc plc, and give our enemies, the English
Major-Genemi and his lawyerling stafr, v. triumph (hear, hear). But
I will oppose it ; and that tam, not in the way that the paltry Castle
scribe would nish—by force. No; Ireland is not in a state for repel.
ling force by fence. Too short a period has elapsed since the cause of
contention betwixt' Protestants and Catholics was removed: too little
time has been given for healing the wounds of factious contention, to
allow Ireland to use physical teree in the attainment of her rights or
the punishment of wrong. • • • •
I never will submit to such audacity; and I here promise that
I will never cease to pursue the—miscreants shall I call them ?
No, that would be too hard a phrase; but I will call them the
despicable, base, miserable, paltry creatures, with bad heads
and worse hearts, who h'sued that n.farious Proclamation—
(Loud cheering); in that place, where, at that period. when reason
shall be listened to. Idu not mean to say that I shall be attended to
in the rotten, borough-mongering Parliament. But I trust the day is
not tar distant when reason shall be heard, and when flue and imprison.
ment shall mark the foul conduct of Secretary Major-General Sir 11.
Ilterilinge. (Cheers.) He usurped the prerogative of the Le-d Lieu-
tenant alone ; greater, I admit, than any that the King is invested
with; and I have no hesitation in stating that for this lie is indictable
in law. • • • •
It makes the will of one man the law. Now, simple despotism is precisely
the same ; so that we have in Ireland, in the person of an English Lord,
a despot the most complete in Europe. The law which constitute,' this des.
pot is a barbarous act of military despotism—an outrageous exhibition of
martial tyranny—the force of the cannon, and the bayonet, and the sane
—dragoons and military—..horse, foot—and all against reason, right, and
justice. It is tyranny in its blackest, foulest shape. The insolent
Englishman who used it—and in its use infringed the law—may talk of
his prowess—may! boast of his duelling propensities. Oh ! would to
OOD the sacred cause of freedom were between us—in some as sacred
conflict, where the lover of his country and of Christian charity and
peace might appear with lionour—(Cheers.) My blood boils when I
twee a wretched English scribe dare, in the face of Heaven, to trample
down the people of Ireland with his iron heel. And is this to continue?
IC I live it cannot be—it cannot be.—(Cheers.) It is an auda-
cious insult to this country to have framed such an Act of Parlia-
ment." •

In consequence of these passages I received the following note from
Sir Henry Harclinge:— _

Na 1.

" Secretary's LoJgc, Oct. 23, 1830.
" My dear D'Aguiler,-1 enclose you the Freeman's journal, in
which you will perceive that Mr. O'Connell has used expressions to-
wards me, which, proceeding from a person who may be supposed to
have the claims of a Gentleman, if I were to insult him, entitles me,
therefore, to call upon him, first, to ascertain whether he avows those
expressions, and nest, whether he is disposed to maintain them, afford-
ing me, in such case, the remedy which one Gentleman has a right to
expect from another. If Mr. O'Connell refuses to give me this sada-
faction, it will be for the world to judge how far that individual who
chooses to screen hitnself from the usual consequences of insulting ano-
ther, can be justified in making use of intemperate language, which
would be grossly offensive, processling from the lips of any Gentleman.
" I am, my dear D'Aguiler, your's very truly,
" H. HARDINGE.
" P. a—Mr. O'Connell will probably not be at home at half.past
twelve o'clock, and I therefore beg of you to call upon him as early as
you can.
" I shall be at the castle at one o'clock."

Having, in pursuance of the request contained in this note, waited
upon Mr. O'Connell at his own house in Mcrrion-square, I read the
contents of Sir Henry Hardinge's note amine:ly to Mr. O'Connell,
and pointed out the obnoxious passages in the repo:: of the speech,
which Mr. O'Connell then petused. Mr. O'Connell disavowed the ex.
pression " a chance child of fortune and of war," and then entered into
a general conversation on the subject. I requested Mr. O'Connell to
put whatever he might have to say in connection with this matter in
writing, in order that I might run no chance of misrepresenting him in
any way, more especially as I had no alternative but to require a disa-
vowal of those expressions which were offensis a to Sir 11. Harslinge, :sad
which arc recited in the passages above, or to demand that satisfaction
which was due from one gentleman to another.
Mr. O'Connell then wrote the following r.otc, to which I replied in
writing likewise, as will be seen at the foo: of it.