Star.
London, England, 1821-04-07 00:00:00

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111r.i.TTTLET'ON toot druknppartnnity of calling
the attention of the Housetienerally to the manner
in which privy :business was conducted. He thought
it deserVed serious attention, and. gave notice of
intention to bring the subject before the House during'
the present Session.
Mr. Serjeant ONSLOW said, that. the ground of
difference was this—a motion..was Made that the Re-
port of the Select Committee be read.
Mr. LAMBTON said he was the person that made
the motion, and it was, that the Report be laid before
the Committee, and not that it should be then read.
Mr. WYNN said, it was an unnecessary motion
altogether, for every Member of the Committee had
an opportunity of referring to the Journals, where
the Report was to be found.
Mr. F. ,PALMER complained, that it appeared to
be the intention of one part of the Committee to re-
fuse information to the ether.
Mr. H. SUMNER said, he would persist in his in-
tention to wait for a full House. He begged to say,
•that the motion of the Hon. Member (Mr. Lambton)
was, that the Report of the Committee be then read.
• Mr. LAMBTON.—I say not.
Mr. S. WORTLEY suggested the propriety of the
House allowing the private business to be disposed of.
After a few words from Mr. PETER Moose, Mr.
COURTENAY, and Sir ROBERT HERON, the question
was put and carried.
Mr. HUME then rose to bring forward his motion
and was called to order by
Mr. COIJRTENAY, who submitted it was dis-
orderly to press this business before the private busi-
ness was disposed of.
Mr. HUME appealed to the House to say, whe-•
ther he was disorderly ?
The SPEAK ER said, the House would see that.
it was not•tor the Chair to 'decide when a motion of
this description was to be discussed.
, Mr. HUME then proceeded to state, that it was
his intention to conclude what he had to say with
proposing a vote of censure on the Member for Sur-
rey, for his conduct as Chairman of the Committee.
The Hon. Member then proceeded to state the facts
which had transpired. It was proposed by the Mem-
ber for Durhtm that the Select Committee's Report
should be referred to the Committee. This was op-
posed by the Chairman, and, on a division, the Chair-
man carried the question. Being thus without in-
formation, a gallant Generals a Member of the Cote
mittee, proposed adjournment ; when, as the Com.'
mittee were about to divide, Mr. Sykes, Mr. Bennett,
and another Member entered the room, and were
about to proceed to join in the division, when the.
Chairman insisted they should not be allowed to vote.
On the other side, it was contended, they had a right'
to vote, but the Chairman, without any question to
the Ccimmittee, directed the Cleric to take down the
names of certain Gentlemen as not entitled to vote,
and ordered the, Member for Shrewsbury to leave
the room : a scene of confusion then ensued, such as
he had never seen in any Meeting, high of low. A
division upon the question did ultimately take place,
when Mr. Bennett and Lord Lowther were named
Tent s. After the division, the Tellers handed up'
their report to the Chair ; but the Chairman, without
any observation, declared, " 111 not read it," and.
threw it away ; a scene of general 'confusion fol-
' lowed on both sides, .and continued from that time;
-trit the time the Committee came down to the Housei
He'should now move a Resolution, that the Member
for Surrey, by his conduct in the Chair of that Com-
mittee, and by his interference, had been the occa-
don of that confusion.
Mr. WYNN submitted thatthe course now adopted
was extremely inconvenient. as the House was called
on to take this matter on the •statement of an Hon.
Member only;' and on that statement to censure
another Hon. Member.
Mr. WROTTESLEY thought time for inquiry
necessary Land therefore would propose that the
present debate should be adjourned.
The SPEAKER thought time should be allowed
for inquiry, and that the'Minutes of the proceedings
before the Committee, up to the latest period, should
also be produced.
Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH thought this matter
ought to go no further, as he was convinced the in-
quiry could not redound to the credit of any indivi-
dual, but must serve to discredit the proceedings
altogether. The motion of his Honourable Friend
was a defensive Motion, only made in consequence
of the notice of the Chairman, that he intended to
bring forward a charge. If the Honourable Chair-
man would withdraw his notice, give up the cha-
ricter of Accuser, and resume that of Chairman,
he had no doubt but his Honourable Friend would
withdraw his motion.
Mr. H. SUMNER could not accede to this pro-
position ; he was prepared either to go on with his
accusation, or to make his defence.
Mr. WYNN thought this discussion should at
least be delayed till Monday, to give time for irrita-
tion to subside.
Mr. DENNISON hoped this course would be
adopted; and that the subject would be suffered to
rest till Monday, when the parties would be cooler;
and he hoped the Committee would then meet, shake
hands, and proceed amicably with the Bill.
Mr. H. SUMNER could not agree to this proposi-
tion for letting the matter drop entirely; after what
had passed, he did not believe the Committee could
meet and proceed amicably. He was conscious of
not having erred, and would not flinch from the
charge ; though he had no objection to postponing
the discussion for forty-eight hours.
Mr. BENNETT could not agree to postpone it for
hour. . He was convinced, whenever the subject
Sias discussed, there would be direct difference of
testimony—that there would-be twenty-five Gentle-
men on one side, and twenty-five on the other
This had been proved ; for it was already insisted
by an Honourable Friend of his, that he put one
duestion, whilst the Chairman declared he put one'
irectly different--(Hear, hear).—This was thei
'Starting point—(4 laugh).--Now one thing wail'certain,
iertain, namely, that all which now passed would
go out to the Public, and would be read by every
one who understood the English language--(Hear,
Afar), Now he asked whether it would redound'
to their credit or not for it to be published to the
world, that fifty Gentlemen could, not meet in a
Committee, where difference of opinion- existed,
without getting into a passion? He, for one, was
now ready to forget all angry feeling, to meet again
in the Committee, and to proceed with the Bill;