HOUSE OF COMMONS, quisite measures for the formation of Thursday, October 7, 1841. MINUTES.] New Members. John Young, Esq. Cavan, (co.) New Writ. For Linlithgowshire, in the room of the hon. "Gentlemen of the House of Com-Petitions presented. By Mr. T. Duncombe, from the Cob mons, "We have it in command from her Majesty to thank you for the supplies which you have granted to her Majesty for those branches of the public service for which complete provision bet Club, for Universal Suffrage; and from Proprietors of Norfolk and Norwich Monitor Magazine, complaining of proceedings under the Stamp Acts.-By Mr. Stanton, from Stroud, for the Repeal of the Corn-laws.-By Sir Robert Peel, from Banff for Protection to voters. INTIMIDATION OF ELECTORS.] Mr. T. Duncombe presented a petition from eight electors in Chippenham, complaining of what was not only a breach of had not been made by the late Par-privilege of that House, but also an in liament. fringement in the freedom of election. He had only received the petition that morning, and had not been able to show it to either of My Lords and Gentlemen, the Members for Chippenham; but it ap“The measures which it will be peared from the petition that the petiexpedient to adopt for the purpose of tioners were tenants at will of one of those equalizing the public income and the hon. Members, and that they had declined to support him at the last general annual expenditure, and other im-election, inasmuch as they had voted for portant objects connected with the trade and commerce of the country, will necessarily occupy your attention at an early period after the recess. the Liberal Member. This conduct it ap- a solitary instance, and that Mr. Neeld "Her Majesty has commanded us to repeat the expression of her deep concern at the distress which has pre-election. He was afraid that this was not vailed for a considerable period in some of the principal manufacturing districts, and to assure you that you may rely upon the cordial concurrence of her Majesty in all such measures as shall appear, after mature consideration, best calculated to prevent the recurrence of that distress, and to promote the great object of all her Majesty's wishes-the happiness and contentment of her people." The Speaker said, that the petition was not one which prayed for immediate redress, and, therefore, the hon. Member was irregular. Mr. T. Duncombe said, he would in that case read the prayer of the petition, which The commission for the prorogation of was to the effect, that some measures Parliament was read; after which The Lord Chancellor declared, it was her Majesty's command that the Parliament should be prorogued to Thursday, the 11th of November next. Parliament accordingly prorogued to the 11th day of November next. Their Lordships separated. might be adopted, in order better to secure the freedom of election, or, if such steps were not adopted, to take away from them the right of voting. The petitioners stated they were ready to prove the facts alleged, and besought the House to give such protection to the voter, in the free exercise of his vote, as to the House might seem fit. He moved that the petition be printed with the votes. The Speaker said, it was necessary to give notice of such a motion. Mr. T. Duncombe said, that his reasons for having the petition printed, were, because it complained of the conduct of certain Members in violating the privileges of the House, by interfering in the free election of Members of Parliament. It was his intention to call the attention of the House to this subject next Session, and he, therefore, thought that the petition ought to be printed. In connection with this question, he might take that opportunity of stating, that he was sorry to hear the right hon. Baronet, the Member for Tamworth, declare, while he admitted the extent of the bribery and corruption, that he was not prepared, and that he did not intend to bring forward any bill for the purpose of putting an end to so disgraceful a system. A noble Lord, a Member of that House, last Session had given notice of his intention to bring in a bill on the subject, but such a measure, he thought, ought to come from a Minister of the Crown; and that noble Lord would have some cause to complain if the right hon. Baronet, while occupying the seat which that noble Lord occupied some months ago, threw on him the duty, while the right hon. Baronet pocketed what had been called the fee. Sir R. Inglis rose to order. However amusing this might be, yet while they were waiting for certain knocks, he thought it was contrary. Mr. T. Duncombe was surprised, that so old a Member as the right hon. Baronet should call him to order when he was so disorderly himself. He was not presumed to know anything about the knocks which the right hon. Baronet anticipated. He was merely arguing that the petition which he had presented should be printed, to which course he hoped there would be no objection. Sir R. Peel did not say that he would not bring forward any bill on the subject referred to by the hon. Member for Finsbury, because he had determined not to make any promise which various circumstances might prevent him from fulfilling; all that he had said on the subject was, that he hoped the hon. Gentleman would not press him to enter into any engagement to bring in a bill for the prevention of treating and bribery. With respect to the medical allusions of the hon. Member, he ought to be aware that there were certain delicacies in professional practice, which forbade him to interfere until the patient was formally given up. The noble Lord, the Member for London, had paid great attention to the subject-had not expressed any wish to be relieved of his duties in this respect and was perfectly entitled to introduce any measure which he thought calculated to put an end to the evils complained of. All that he had said, was, that he was unwilling to give a positive pledge on the subject. Mr. T. Duncombe did not see why it ought to be left in the hands of the noble Lord. In his opinion, it ought to be a Government measure. Petition laid on the Table. TAMWORTH MEMORIAL.] Mr. Yorke said, he wished to know, in regard to the Tamworth petition, whether the right hon. Gentleman, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, would have any objection to lay before the House the information on which he acted, and the sources from whence it was obtained. Sir James Graham said, that under the circumstances, he must decline producing the information sought for, inasmuch as the hon. Member for Sheffield had given notice of a motion on this subject for next Session. Notwithstanding this, he should have hesitated complying with the wish of the hon. Member for York, but since such a notice had been given, he would postpone, till that motion came before the House, any further explanation that might be called for. Subject at an end. PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.] The House was summoned to attend the Lords Commissioners appointed to prorogue the Parliament. The Speaker, accompanied by the Members present, went to the House of Lords, from whence he returned in about twenty minutes, and having read the Royal Speech to the Members present, the House immediately separated. A TABLE or All the STATUTES passed in the FIRST Session of the FOURTEENTH Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 5° VICT. i. PUBLIC GENERAL ACTS. N Act to authorise Her Majesty's ComAmissioners of Woods to grant Building Leases of the Royal Kitchen Garden at Kensington, and to form and improve other Royal Gardens; and to enable the said Commissioners to purchase Lands of Copyhold or Customary Tenure. ii. An Act for annexing the Mansion House, Gardens, and Grounds at Frogmore, Part of the Land Revenue of the Crown, to Windsor Castle. iii. An Act to alter an Act of the Eleventh Year of King George the Fourth, for amending the Laws relating to the Pay of the Royal Navy, and an Act of the Fifth Year of King William the Fourth, to alter the Provisions of the said Act. iv. An Act to continue for Three Years, and from thence to the End of the then next Session of Parliament, Two Acts relating to the Care and Treatment of Insane Persons in England. v. An Act to make further Provisions for the Administration of Justice. vi. An Act to amend an Act made in the Twenty-sixth Year of the Reign of His Majesty King George the Third, intituled An Act to empower the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Archbishop of York for the Time being to consecrate to the Office of a Bishop Persons being Subjects or Citizens of Countries out of His Majesty's Dominions. vii. An Act to continue until the Thirty-first Day of July One thousand eight hundred and forty-two, such Laws as may expire within a limited Period. viii. An Act for funding Exchequer Bills, and for making Provision for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and forty. one. ix. An Act to provide for Payment of the Persons employed in taking Account of the Population in England. x. An Act to continue the Poor Law Commission until the Thirty-first Day of July One thousand eight hundred and forty-two. xi. An Act for raising the Sum of Ten millions six hundred and twenty-six thousand three hundred and fifty Pounds by Exchequer Bills, for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and forty-one, and for appropriating the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament. |