The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-09-24 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY

In reply to a question from Sir T. WILDE, respecting the
continuance in the House of Commons of Sir E. Sugden, as
member for Ripon, after his appointment to the Chancellor-
ship of Ireland, without being re-elected,
Sir R. PEEL thought there was in this case such a virtual
acceptance of office, that, although the forms were not gone
through, yet if the hon. and learned gentleman would move
for a new writ for Ripon, he would not oppose the motion.

After some conversation as to the necessity of defining
what should constitute an acceptance of office, the writ was
ordered to be issued.

Mr. VILLIERS asked the right hon. baronet (Sir R. Peel)
what might he the probable prorogation of parliament. It
was supposed by the public that it might not meet until next
February, and in order to remove all doubts on the subject,
he hoped the right hon. baronet would give the wished-for
information.

....„
Sir R. PEEL said it was impossible for him to give any
assurance upon the subject. The next meeting of parlia-
ment might depend upon circumstances which it was quite
impossible to foresee at the present time.
Mr. RENNIE brought forward a motion with a view to
render bathing and skating on the Serpentine in Hyde Park,
and St. James's, more safe, by filling up the holes, and re-
ducing the depth of the water to four feet.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER opposed the mo-
tion. He could remember when the Serpentine was so offen-
sive to the houses in the neighbourhood, and to the frequent-
ers of the parks, that it became necessary to go to a very
considerable expense in deepening the water in order to
remedy the evil.
The motion was then withdrawn.
Sir R. PEEL moved for leave to bring in a bill to continue
t e commissionha untilve a
separate
r3alt set
billday
tor the renewal
of July, 1842.
theHe thoughtpoor l a wi t
of the pour law commission apart from the other bills he pro-
posed to continue.
The motion was agreed to ; and leave was also given to the
better
right hon. baronet to bring in a bill for the continuance of
the other acts which would expire during the present year.
Colonel ACTON explained, that, in his vote for the grant
to Mavnooth, on Monday night, he had committed a mis-
take. He intended to vote against the grant, A
and was ex-
ceedingly mortified to find himself in the wrong lobby, and
still more annoyed at finding that he could not get back to
the right one.
The report of the committee of supply was brought up;
after which
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave notice, that
he would this day move that the house should resolve itself
into a committee of ways and means.
On the motion of Lord ASHLEY, the Metropolitan Luna-
tics Bill was committed. The noble lord, in reply to some
observations of Mr. Wakley, said, he was fully aware of all
the defects of the bill ; but said, that at the earliest possible
moment he would endeavour, with the assistance of some
friends of the cause of humanity, to frame some general

ATTEMPT TO SHOOT LORD HOWICK, M.P. FOR
SUNDERLAND.

On Friday afternoon, about an hour after the official an-
nouncement of the poll for Sunderland, by Richard White,
Esq., Mayor of the borough, (at which the members were
declared to be 705 and 463) all classes were suddenly thrown
into a state of excitement by a general report, that an at-
tempt had been made on the life of Lord Howick, while be-
ing chaired through Monkwearmouth. Enquiry at the police
office corroborated the rumour, and also procured the satis-
factory information, that the person accused of the outrage
had been taken into custody. His name is Edward Liddle,
and he is, or rather was, the proprietor of a public-house
called the Reform Tavern, in Whitburn-street, Monkwear-
mouth.

(From the Gateshead Observer, a Radical paper.)

Whilst we were congratulating ourselves thiit-we had at
length completed our report of the late eventful proceedings
in the borough of Sunderland, we were startled by the in-
telligence that an attempt had been made to assassinate Lord
Howick ! A handbill was brought to us, which had been
printed in Sunderland, and stated that a gun had been level-
led at his lordship during the " chairing " in Monkwear-
mouth, by Mr. Liddle, from the window of his house in
Dundas-street, with an apparent intent to shoot his lord-
ship, but that it missed fire ; after which stones were thrown
at the noble lord's carriage. This led to the destruction of
Liddle's windows.

Since we received the following statement, we have ob-
tained intelligence which incline us to believe, that although
a gross outrage was perpetrated upon, Lord Howick, and
Lady Williamson, &c., no fatal result was contemplated.
The Herald states, in the second edition of its yesterday's
paper, that when the procession accompanying Lord Howick's
chairing arrived in Whitburn-street, Monkwearmouth, they
found two blue and white flags (Mr. Attwood's colours) sus-
pending from the window of a private dwelling-house, and of
a public house kept by a person named E. Liddle (the sign of
"The Reform Tavern.") In passing these, as is usual on
such occasions, the crowd hooted and hissed. No sooner
had they done so, than a volley of stones was thrown
frcim the upper story of the house into the procession. The
stones were such as are used for paving, many of them as large
as half-bricks ; and they of course scattered the procession,
and seriously injured several individuals. One of these hit
Lord Howick over the right hand, and the other hit Mrs.
Bell (who was in another carriage) on the arm. A third
stone was thrown in the direction of Mr. William Allison,
solicitor, of Monkwearmouth, whom it missed, and (instead)
hit Mr. J. W. Robinson, solicitor.

A portion of the crowd, exasperated by this proceeding,
instantly threw back several of the stones. No sooner did
the course of retaliation begin, than the landlord of the house,
Edward Liddle, presented a fowling-piece from the window
of the upper room (the lower sash of which was completely
up), and moving it in various directions, without apparently
taking aim at any particular person, snapped the gun, but
fortunately it only flashed in the pan.
Instantly on this daring act being observed, several of the
procession attacked the house ; and brickbats, thrown from
both sides, wounded different persons ; two or three of
whom received several cuts on their heads. The house was
rushed upon—the windows and a great part of the furni-
ture broken—the small casks in the front room (which was
fitted up as a bar) dashed on the ground and the spirits
wasted, and many of the smaller articles in ordinary use
either injured or destroyed.
After the gun had been presented Sir Hedworth William-
son accompanied the ladies to Thomas-street, and then
returned to the spot, and took Possession of the
gun. A person was sent to the station-house for a
policeman ; but one not being then there, Sir Hedworth
himself took the man into custody. Immediately afterwards
an officer arrived, and Liddle was conveyed to the station-
house. The fowling-piece was then examined by the hon.
baronet, Mr. Anthony John Moore, and a policeman. There
was found in it a full charge of powder, and the wadding
consisted of paper, twice or three times the quantity of that
ordinarily used, tightly pressed down. It did not, however,
contain any shot.
On this serious disturbance taking place Lord Howick was
driven to Whitburn, the seat of Sir Hedworth Williamson,
and endeavours were made to prevent mischief, but it was
some time before hostilities ceased.