Star.
London, England, 1816-07-03 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Tis being the day for the Prorogation of Parlia.
ment, the SPEAKER, attired in his state robes, came
down to the House, and took the chair at one o'clock.

GAS LIGHT lIILL.

Mr. SWAN moved that the Lords' Amendments
to the Gas Light Bill should be taken into conside-
ration.

Mr. CAWTHORN opposed the Bill altogether.
It went to incorporate those who had no right to
claim such a privilege, and who, as private indivi-
duals, were free to supply the Metropolis with Gas.
He proceeded at some length to argue against the
principle, and to set forth the injurious consequences
of the Bill.

Mr. CROKE& spoke to order, and appealed to
the Speaker if thq Honourable Gentleman, instead of
confining himself to the single point now under the
consideration of the House, was not (what his object
might be he could not state) now entering on the
discussion of the whole question.
The SPEAKER said, the only question now be.
tore the House was, whether they should agree to
the Lords' Amendments to the Gas Light Bill, and
it was certainly quite foreign to the subject for any
Honourable Member on this occasion to go into its
general meritb
Mr. CAWTHORN bowed with great deference
to the Chair, and would confine his observations
within the limits prescribed. He was proceeding to
explain the course he thought it his duty to take, when
Mr. Serjeant ONSLOW spoke to order. After
what had fallen from the Speaker, he contended, the
Hon. Member ought not to be permitted to debar
the question.

Mr. CAWTHORN thought, when an Hoe. Mao.

. '

called to order, the point of order might be
~hated. (Cries !IQ:motion I)
The SPEAKER said, when an Hon.. Member had
*ten called to order, he had a right to vindicate his
*induct as well an he could.
Mr. CAWTHORN proceeded to comment on the
Bill, as amended by the Lords, till
The SPEAKER interrupted, by Owning, the
Hon. Gentleman was then tratsgresting the known
rules of the House, and it was for them to coesidei
whether he should be permitted to proceed or not.—
( Loud trier of Question 1)
Mr. CAWTHORN said he stood 'corrected, re-
' stewed ilis opposition to the Bill. and asserted his
right to express his sentiments on it in its present form.
Lord COCHRANE hoped he should not be out
af order it he presumed to offer on this occasion a few
remarks on the measure, so he confined himself within
the rules of the House. He then went on to com-
ment on the probable consequences of the Bill.
Mr. COURTNEY called the Noble Lord to or.
der. He maintained it was against the rules of the
House. after so many opportunities had been given in
the different stages of the Bill for opposing its general
provisions, to debate them now.
The SPEAKER said, the Noble Lord must be
aware he would not conform to the rules of the House
if he took such a co'ir'e.

Lord COCHRANE . apprehended he bad been
called to order on the supposition that he was going
into the details of the Bill. It was not his intention
to d. this, but to comment on its general tendency.
Mr. SWANN spoke to order. He wished to ob-
:wee, that that on which the House had now to de-
cide was the Amendments made by the Lords.
The SPEA KEIt observed, the Noble Lord had
wandered entirely from the subject. The plain ques-
tion now before the House was this, whether they
should now agree—" Aye" or " No," to the Lords'
Amendments ?

Lord COCHRANE thcn•moved that they should
be taken into consideration on that day six weeks.
This motion was not seconded.
The orginal question was then put and carried, the
Amendments agreed to, and the Bill ordered back
to the Lords.

A new writ was ordered for the borough of Plymp-
ton, to elect a Burgess in the room of Mr. Douglas,
who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
A Petition was presented from the Common
Brewers of Barnstaple against the Additional License
Duty.—Ordered to lie on the table.