The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-05-31 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS-MONDAY.

The house met to-day shortly after three o'clock. The
attendance of members on both sides was exceedingly nu-
MMUS.
Mr. J. Lee, the Senior Clerk, presided.
ELECTION OF SPEAKER.

At a quarter before four o'clock,
Lord J. RUSSELL said, Mr. Abercromby having notified
to her Majesty that he had declined the high office of Speaker
of that house, her Majesty, in order to prevent the interrup-
tion of public business, wished that the house should imme-
diately proceed with the election of another gentleman to fill
the chair.

Mr. HANDLEY then rose to address the house. Having
paid a high eulogium oil the zeal and ability of the late
:Speaker, he said the house were called upon to exercise a
most important privilege, for he. protested against that chair
being considered ministerial patronage. (Loud cheers from
both sides.) It was most important that a gentleman well
competent to fill the duties of the high office should be ap-
pointed, and therefore he proposed the hon. member for
North Hampshire, Mr.' Shaw Lefevre, for that dignified
situation. (Cheers from the ministerial side.)
Dr. LUSHINGTON seconded the nomination of Mr. S.
Lefevre. His right honourable friend had most justly me-
rited the approbation which had been conferredupoie him bey
the right hon. baronet the member for Tamworth and otheri'.
On the present occasion he-thought it would he unnecessary
to detain the house long on the qualifications of the gentle-
man he had the pleasure to second the nomination of.—
(Hear.)
Mr. C. W. WYNN denied that the election of Speaker was
neeessa.rily a political question ; it was no such thing, al-
though frequently made such. (Hear, hear.) He agreed
with hon. members who had addressed the house that the
question they were called upon to decide was a most im-
portant one. He was also of opinion that the hon. gentle-
man who had been named for the chair was well deserving of
the eulozv which had been passed upon him. It was an
office which, however, also required very great firmness, as
of late great irregularities, sometimes mixed with ribaldry,
had been introduced into their debates. (Hear, and cheers
from the opposition benches.) The Speaker ought to possess
firmness and decision, ready to decide without being called
upon by the house. (Hear, hear.) He should also have
self-possession, vigour, and complacency of manner. He
believed that his right hon. friend the member for the Uni-
versity of Cambridge, Mr. Goulburn, possessed all the qua-
lifications necessary for the chair. He, therefore, felt great
pleasure in nominating the right- hon. Henry Goulburn to
that high office. He had had a long acquaintance with his
right hon. friend ; and if he was elected to the chair, he had
no doubt he would give general satisfaction to the house.
(Cheers.)
Mr. W. F.-errele seconded the nomination of Mr.
Goulburn. The hon. member spoke in so low a tone of voice
that his observations were almost inaudible in the gallery.
He considered his right hon. friend eminently qualified in all
respects to till the chair ; he had great experience in the pub-
lic business of the house. (Hear.) Without saying one
word against the qualifications of the hon. member for North
Hampshire, he felt bound to state that, in his opinion, the
right hon. member for Cambridge possessed some qualifica-
tions which that hon. member did not. (Hear, hear.) Mr.
Goulburn was well known to the country, he enjoyed a cha-
racter for decision and firmness, and he had also filled high
and important offices under the crown. (Hear, hear.) He
also represented a constituency which could not he surpassed
in any country for respectAility, talents, and learning.
(Hear, hear, from the ministerial benches, and cheers from
the opposition.) He repeated that his right hon. friend was
well qualified to fill the chair of that house, and he, therefore
felt great pleasure in seconding the nomination. (Loud cheers
from the opposition benches.)
Mr. W. DUNCOMBE said he most cordially supported the
nomination of the right hon. member for Cambridge. He
regretted that the election of speaker should be made such a
political question (hear, hear), and was at a loss to know
why the government had passed over the honourable member
for Rochester (Mr. Bernal). That gentleman was well qua-
lified to fill the chair, end he might have been supported
with consistency by all the members of the house ; he should
wish to know why he had been passed over. He (Mr. Dun-
combe) should give his cordial support to Mr. Goulburn, and
the right hon. gentleman opposite should do the same if
they would dispossess themselves of party feeling.
Mr. S. LEFEVHE then addressed the house. He should
never forget the eulogies which had been paid him, or the
kindly feelings with which his name had been received.
(Hear.) Whatever qualifications he aught possess. he must
fall short of those possessed by their late speaker. On whom-
soever the office might fall, it would be one of great difficulty
and responsibility. He (Mr. S. Lefevre) was aware that he
had not had the experience of the right hon. gent., who had
also been proposed for the Chair. He was a country gentle-
man, but, as the house knew, had taken a somewhat active
part in the private business. (Loud cries of Hear, hear.)
He knew there were many gentlemen in the house better
qualified to fill the chair than himself, but if elected, in the
faithful discharge of its duties he would yield to no one.
(Hear.) He would firmly support the rights and privileges
of parliament, and therefore under all the circumstances he
cheerfully submitted himself to the pleasure of the house.
(Cheers.)
Mr. GOULBURN briefly addressed the house. He had sat
in parliament during the time Mr. Abbot, Mr. Manners
Sutton, and their late respected Speaker, filled the chair,
and he was fully aware of its great' importance, and' the
arduous duties of the office. (Hear, hear, hear.) He knew
that the important office of Speaker ought to be filled by
an individual well acquainted with the private and public
business of the house, and he was also well aware of his own
deficiency to perform those duties satisfactorily. He did not
advance any peculiar pretensions to the office which were not,
perhaps, enjoyed by almost every member of the house. He
felt grateful to the honourable gentlemen who proposed and
seconded his nomination, and the manner in which that
nomination was received by the house would always be a
source of great satisfaction to him, whatever the result might
be. (Cheers) After a long public life, it would he a proud
recollection to him to reflect on the kindness in which his
name had been received. (Herr.) After a few other obser-
vations the right hon. gent. said he freely submitted himself
to the pleasure of the house, and if lie was placed in the chair
his long experience should be brought into action to uphold
the dignity and rights of the house. If, however, the house
should exercise a sounder discretion, and elect the hon. mem-
ber for North Hampshire for the high office, he should, with
the greatest satisfaction to himself, co-operate in every man-
ner possible to suppoi t the authority of the chair in obtaining
dignity- and regularity in the proceedings of the house. If
he was elected to the office, lie would endeavour to'uphold
its dignity and the dignity of the house, which he considered
essential for the regularity of conducting business, and to en-
sure the respect of the public. (Loud cheers.)
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the house
divided, when there appeared—
• For Mr. Shaw Lefevre,
For Mr. Goulburn

Majority for Mr. Lefevre .. 18
The announcement of the numbers was received with
cheers from the ministerial benches.
Mr. S. LEFEVRE, having been conducted to the chair by
the hon. mover and seconder, shortly ttianked the house for
the honour they had conferred upon him, and assured them
that he would, to the best of his ability, impartially And fairly
administer the duties of the high office to which he had been
elected. (Cheers.)
Lord J. RUSSELL briefly congratulated the bon. gentli-
-mart on his election.

REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.
In answer to a question by Sir R. PEEL
Sir H. FLEETWOOD said he should pos,tpone his motion
relating to the registration of electors from to-Morrow until
to-morrow week.

CANADA.
In answer to a question by Sir R. PEEL,
Lord J. RUSSELL said, his right hon. friend the Under
Secretary of the Colonies would to-morrow fully state the
views, and what course the government intended to propose
towards Canada.