The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-01 00:00:00

Imptritti Varitaintitt.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY.
The House of Commons re-assembled (the House of
Lords stood adjourned till Thursday).
Sir C. LEMON (after many petitions had been presented
on various subjects) brought up the report of the Cambridge
(borough) Election Committee, declaring that the Hon. Mr.
Manners Sutton had not been duly elected ; that the election
was a void election ; that the hon. Mr. Manners Sutton had
by his agent been guilty of treating and bribery ; and that
the committee desired especially to direct attention to the
fact, that extensive treating and bribery had prevailed at the
last election for the borough of Cambridge. The report was
directed to be entered upon the journals, and the evidence
ordered to be printed. A. new writ was not ordered :—it
will be observed that there was some conversation on the
subject.
Mr. GLADSTONE instituted inquiry of the Under-Secre-
tary for the Home Department, as to the accuracy of a
statement in the morning papers, that certain English seamen
had, in July last, been tried and sentenced by Captain
Elliot, at Canton, to a certain term of imprisonment in
England, on account of having been engaged in a riot which
terminated in the death of a native Chinese. It is further
stated that the opinion of the law officers of the crown was
taken by order of the Home Office, as to whether these
persons could be lawfully detained in custody or not, that
that opinion was in the negative, and that an order was sent
from the Home Office for their discharge. He wished to
know whether that statement was correct in all its 'parts.
Mr. F. MAur,i; answered that the statement was not cor-
rect in all its parts. It was true that five men were tried in
China by a court constituted by Captain Elliot, and senten-
ced to a certain period of imprisonment in England. On
that being reported to the Secretary of State, the opinion of
the law officers of the crown was taken ; and they gave it as
their opinion that, as the matter was not quite clear as to
whether Captain Elliot could sentence these Persons to im-
prisonment in England, on the whole they recommended
that, on the arrival of these individuals in England, they
should be liberated. The seamen arrived in the Leander
two days ago, and they were accordingly liberated.
Lord MAIJON having reminded the house that before the
recess he had instituted inquiry regarding our relations with
Naples, observed that it was stated in the morning papers
that intelligence bad been received of hostilities having com-
menced. He asked the noble lord, in the absence of his
colleague, whether that intelligence was confirmed by any
accvount received by the government ? _ _

Lord J. RuSSII:LL observed that he certainly was not aware
that any such account had been received. He had met the
Secretary for Foreign Affairs two hours before : he had not
then received any such intelligence, though it was possible
he might since have done so.
Mr. H mE said, as great anxiety existed on the subject of
the Maine boundary, he wished to know what was the pre-
sent state of the negotiation, and how far the country might
expect a favourable result?

Lord J. RUSSELL said that the lion. member asked a
question of great importance, and perhaps would allow him
to take until to-morrow (Thursday) to give an it. .
Question deferred accordingly.
_ _ .

The report of the committee on the Juvenile Offenders'
bill was, on the motion of Sir E. WILMOT, further consi-
dered by the re-commitment of the bill ; but after much de-
sultory conversation, Mr. Wakley noticed the thin atten-
dance of members, whereupon the house was counted, and,
there being only 29 members present, of course " counted
out."