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Tire OPENING. The Peers assembled about two o'clock on Tues- day. The Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Richmond, the Marquis of

amsdowne, Earl Grey, and Lord Auckland, took their seats on the Moolsack ai Lords Commissiohers. The Commons were then sum- moned, and the Commission was read, The LORD CHANCELLOR announced his Majesty's intention of meet- ing Parliament in person on Tuesday next; and in the mean while directed the members of the House of Commons to proceed to the choice of a Speaker, and to present him before their Lordships on Thursday at two o'clock, for his Majesty's approbation.

The members of the House of Commons then withdrew ; and after the oaths had been administered to the Commissioners and a few other Peers, the House adjourned to Thursday.

The House of Commons, upon the return of the members who had attended the reading of the Commission, presented an appearance very unusual for the first day of a new Parliament. The members had be- gun to assemble about half-past one : nearly three hundred were now present ; of whom the great majority took their seats at the Minis- terial side of the House, the Opposition benches being rather empty. The members for the City of London, in their robes, occupied the seats which of right belong to them, being the first four on the bench on the right-hand side nearest to the Chair. Next to the City members Mr. Cobbett took his station,—Lord Althorp and the other Ministers sitting below him. Mr. Manners Sutton was also to be seen at the lower end of the Treasury Bench. Among the.members on the Opposition side of the House, we noticed Sir Robert Peel, Sir Richard Vyvyan, the Marquis of Chandos, Mr. Hume, Mr. E. L. Bulwer, and the Messrs. O'Connell.

The business of the day was opened by Mr. HUME ; who asked whether it was the intention of Ministers to bring in a bill to alter the act for granting an annuity to the late Speaker?

Lord ALTIIORP replied, that it was against all usage to enter upon such business at that time : they were not entitled to enter upon any discussion except that for the election of Speaker.

Mr. HOME then begged to call the attention of the House to the most important duty which the? were about to perform. The task which be had undertaken on this occasion was one which, in some points of view, was very painful to his feelings ; yet he would not shrink from it. After observing that he was aware of the usual practice of settling who was to be the Speaker, previous to the meeting of Parliament, he maintained that no such arrangement was proper on the present occa- sion; that Parliament had met under peculiar circumstances ; and that it was bound to elect a Speaker whose political principles accorded with those of the majority of the House, and of the constituency who watched their conduct in the disposal of the only office which the People had in their gift. He, in common with other members, had experienced so much personal kindness at the hands of Mr. Manners Sutton, that nothing but a sense of public duty could induce him to oppose his reelection.

But having always been an active supporter of Reform in Parliament, and of those changes in many of the institutions of the country without which Reform would be valueless to the country, without which the people would still be de- prived of the benefit of those exertions which they had so strenuously made,— having been an active supporter of such measures, how was it possible that he, and those who concurred with him, could consistently give their votes in favour of one whose opinions were known to be hostile to all those measures? Assum- ing, as he had a fair ground for doing, that the majority of the House was now decidedly favourable to Reform, he would ask, ought they not to have one pre- siding over them whosegeneral political opinions were in unison with their own —one who was favourable to those great measures of Reform to which he had just adverted ? Was it possible for any Reformer not to believe that circum- stances might occur, in which, without being conscious of it himself, a bias might exist in the mind of an individual presiding over that House which might be prejudicial to the success of measures of Reform—a bias arising from his own conscientious objections to Reform?

Under such circumstances, Mr. Hume intimated, Mr. Manners Sutton would not be very hearty in his expression of the sentiments of the majority. He maintained that no instance could be found of a public assembly electing a Chairman whose opinions were opposed to those of the great majority over whom he was called upon to preside. In case of a collision with the Upper House,—an event to be depre- cated, but still by no means impossible,—it would be highly desirable to have a Speaker of decidedly Reforming principles. Mr. Hume had looked round the House in search of a gentleman whose principles were of this stamp, and who also possessed the other requisite qualifications, to fill the Speaker's chair ; and before he sat down, he intended to propose one of the members for the county of Stafford (Mr. Littleton) for that office.

In his opinion, That individual was quite fit for the station; though he did not come, in every respect, quite up to the mark. (Laughter.) The expe- rience of Mr. Littleton, his qualifications, and his high standing, fitted him, both publicly and privately, for the important situation. Besides his high stand- ing, he had had great experience in all the business of that House ; and he knew no man who, session after session, and day after day, had so closely attended to those important duties which were acknowledged necessary to enable him to fill the important situation of Speaker. He did not think that the previous expe- rience of any Speaker could have entitled any of them to such confidence and respect as Mr. Littleton.

Mr. Hume also observed, that the independent station of Mr. Lit- tleton in point of fortune ought not to be overlooked among his quali- fications; for he hoped that no future Speaker would apply for a re- tiring pension. Mr. Hume anticipated an objection that would be made to himself, of all men, advocating an appointment by which the principle of economy (the merging of Mr. Sutton's pension of 4,0001. a year in the Speaker's salary of 6,0000 would be compromised.

Now if any one supposed that such a paltry trifling sum—(Loud laughter) —would weigh with him when the forwarding or retarding great and important measures was at stake, he would tell that .person that he had formed a very poor and shallow opinion of his views and principles. He never denied to real service ample remuneration, but he had proclaimed war against unnecessary expense, against profuse pensions to idle, worthless, and improper persons; and he believed it was those who had felt, or still feared that warfare, that made such charges against him. The amount of the sum now in question was un- worthy of noticeon such an occasion.

Mr. Hume concluded by proposing Mr. Edward John Littleton as Speaker of the present House of Commons.

The motion was seconded by Mr. O'CONNELL.

Lord MORPETH rose to propose Mr. Charles Manners Sutton. He considered the request that had been made to him. when he was called on -to come forward on this occasion, as a compliment not It was most desirable that the " hoarded attainments" of Mr. Sutton should be appropriated to the use of the Reformed Parliament. Lord Morpeth alluded to the great increase which had taken. place in the - private business of the House—

He might instance the general adoption of railroads throughout the country. This actually created a new branch in that department of business. The late Speaker had, in considering those projects, a difficult and delicate task to per- form. He had, at the same time, to look to the promotion of public improve- ment and to the protection of private rights. In all these matters, as in those of graver import, which aroused the feelings or affected the destiny of nations, he had always been accessible and clear in communicagr information. With whatever defects former Parliaments might be chargeable, few would be found to say that their forms of proceedings were not calcu- lated to expedite business ; and if Mr. Sutton were replaced in the Chair, be would bring into exercise all the advantages afforded by long experience in former Parliaments.

Sir FRANCIS BURDETT seconded the nomination of Mr. Sutton ; and expressed his entire concurrence in all that had fallen from Lord Morpetb.

The only consideration was, what member of that House would they select as being the most fit to fulfil the important functions attached to the office of Speaker? At a time of difficulty in the eyes of all—a time of embarrassment and danger in the eyes of many—but to him a time of hope and satisfaction—at such a time they were called on to say who should fill the Chair of the first Re- formed Parliament. Surely that situation should be filled by a person whom they could depend on, not by one of whom they might prophesy what he would do, but by him in appointing whom they would be guided by previous expe- rience.

Mr. Sutton had been before them for sixteen years—

During that time, his conduct had been the theme of panegyric by every per- son who had, on any occasion, come in contact with him; and by none had he been more warmly praised than by the honourable member for Middlesex. Mr. Hume's speech, in which he bore such ample testimony to the merits of Mr. Sutton, reminded him of the passage in Scripture where Balak calls on Balaam to curse his enemies. The prophet proceeded to the top of a mountain, but in- stead of dealing in curses, he meted out blessings. Then " Balak said unto Balm, What hest thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hest blessed them altogether."

Sir Francis alluded to the assistance which young members had al- ways received from the late Speaker, in strong terms of commendation. His abilities and conduct in the Chair were universally admired.

He felt himself somewhat in the situation of the man who, at a public meeting at Rome, got up to make a speech in praise of Hercules. He was, however, cut short by one of the audience, who exclaimed, " Quis vitu- prravit a—who has found fault with Hercules?" He, in the same manner, might be stopped with—" Who has found fault with Mr. Sutton?"

Whatever the merits of Mr. Littleton might be, Sir Francis main- tained that they could not be equal to those of the late Speaker. He might be equal in some respects, but he certainly was inferior in ex- perience.

Mr. LITTLETON now rose, and expressed his sense of the handsome manner in which his name had been introduced by the member for Middlesex; but he hoped that neither that gentleman nor any other would take offence, when he stated the pain this division caused him. Had his own representations been attended to, he would never have keen placed in competition with a gentleman whose long experience of sixteen years in office, whose conduct, public and private, in that ardu- ous situation, had endeared him to every person with whom he had any communication. He expressed his conviction that Mr. Sutton would never cease to be the asserter of the rights and privileges of the Com- mons. Indeed, he firmly believed, that he would rather err in defence than surrender of them. Mr. Littleton concluded by entreating his friends, now that they had availed themselves of what probably they considered the most convenient mode of declaring the grounds of their political opposition, to concur with the almost unanimous feeling of the House—unanimous, indeed, from personal considerations alone— and place Mr. Sutton in the Chair without a division.

Mr. O'CONNELL protested, for one, against the withdrawal of Mr. Littleton.

The question was one of very great importance ; and this was only another instance of the paltry truckling of the present Administration. He could not concur with Sir Francis Burdett in thinking. that the two gentlemen were nearly alike. The difference was between Toryism and Liberalism. Were they to elect a Tory Speaker, or a gentleman who was friendly to Reform? If the matter appeared of so little consequence to Sir Francis, 111r. O'Connell knew not to what end he had spent his life in advocating Reform principles. He fully aumitted the great talents possessed by Mr. Sutton, and his capacity as Speaker of an Unreformed House of Commons. Nobody, perhaps, had so much reason to complain of him as Mr. O'Connell himself. He could never fall to remember, that when he first became a member, he was assailed by both parties in the House,—by some openly, by others in a covert manner,—and he did not find that support and protection from the Speaker which he might have expected; for n-hile he was attacked on all sides, he was cut short in his explanation. Mr. Sutton, however, had atoned to Mr. O'Connell for this unfairness, by sub- sequent kindness and courtesy. Again, he would say he saw no objection to Mr. Sutton as Speaker of an Unreformed House of Commons. He was an accomplished and intelligent gentleman, and had an almost miraculous facility in expressing the sense of the House. But the People ought to be satisfied that the Ministers were not endeavouring to place their enemies in political power. The time was come when the should assist themselves, and leave their enemies to shift as they could. Unfortunately, Ministers seemed to have acted on a different principle; they made friends of their enemies, and enemies of their

friends. ..

He insisted upon the qualifications of Mr. Littleton for the office of Speaker.—

If it was contended oti the one side that the fitness of Mr. Sutton had been admitted, even by his friend the member for Middlesex, on the other hand no

to himself, but to the large body of whom he was the representa- tive. He eulogized Mr. Sutton's conduct in the chair, and alluded to the " powerful and brilliant testimony borne to his merits by those who were best qualified to judge of them—by the universal acclaim of his contemporaries."

In the last harassing contention of Reform, his services were conspicuous. His unfailing punctuality and diligence, affability, and suavity of manners, were acknowledged by all. He had displayed dignity without pedantry—courtesy without servility; and these invaluable qualities marked every hour of his offi- cial conduct. one had ventured to utter one word impugning the extreme fitness oF the mem- her for Staffordshire. He would defy any one to state a single ground of oh- jection to that gentleman's qualifications. He was possessed of great Parlia- mentary experience, and was well acquainted with all the routine of private business. Twain the orders and proceedings of that House, he was full of knowledge ; which he was capable of communicating with readiness, clearness, and ability, on all occasions. He considered Mr. Littleton to be not only Mr. Sutton's equal in every respect, but his superior in range of intellect.

He had always thought that the main use of the Reform Bill was to put down Toryism in England, and to preserve the public property, which Toryism squandered upon its own faction, and of which Mr. Sutton's family had received so much.

There was no family in the kingdom different members of which had received so much of the public money for no service whatever. He knew one member of that family who had occupied the high office of Lord Chancellor in Ireland for twenty-six years, against the inclinations of every man in it, and had received for his services :250,000/. That individual was not distinguished at the bar here ; and, with all the influence of his family, he was only made a Puisne Baron of the Exchequer—the court which, at that time, had the least of all to do, and required the least talent. That individual, too bad for an English So-

licitor-General, was thought good enough to be Chancellor of Ireland ; and such he was fur twenty-six years. That was the system which the Reform Bill was intended to put down.

He asked if they were still to continue in the ancient state of drudgery—were the Ministry to nominate the Speaker, arrange who should second, and then shout down all who presumed to oppose them ?

If there were no other objection than that this was a Ministerial arrangement, that circumstance would have great weight in his mind. (Laughter. ) He was glad to hear the Treasury laugh. It sounded in the san.e tone as the laugh which used to proceed from the Treasury Benches of an Unreformed Parlia- ment, when any man dared to assail the then lords of the ascendant, and ven- ture an opposition to their high behests. Their object, however, was to de- throne these Lords, and make them simple members of the House, counting man for man with the rest of its members.

The People had struggled, almost to rebellion, to put down Tory- ism ; and now the Ministers were going to take it up, and went out of their way to promote a political enemy. He adverted to the subject of Mr. Sutton's retiring pension. Al- though that pension was to be reduced one half upon Mr. Sutton's ac- ceptance of any office tinder the Crown, still the Speakership was no such office ; and he might continue to draw the pension as well as his salary.

Probably Ministers might believe—indeed he himself believed—that Mr. Sutton would be inclined to make sacrifices. Still as the laws stood at present, his re-election would not save the country one farthing of his pension ; and, therefore, his supporters had no right to twit the member for Middlesex, or those who took part with him, with any want of economy.

He represented as large a body of his fellow subjects, perhaps, as the noble member for Yorkshire ; and he protested in their name against this Ministerial relapse into Toryism, as a following up of one of the worst practices of an Unreformed Parliament—that of the Ministerial party making their own arrangements, and then voting down the People by the help of a Conservative majority.

He would venture to prophecy that this was not the last time they would see that combination. " Coming events cast their shadows before." Reports had j

long been going about, that a junction was to be formed to put a stop to the progress of Reform, and to the amelioration of our institutions. Amelioration— he begged pardon. The member for Lancashire had declared the Reform measure to be final ; and the member for Northamptonshire had also pronounced a similar decree. Such at least had been the sentiments attributed by the nev'se- papers to the noble lord and the right honourable gentleman on the subject ; and he only knew of their sentiments on the point from such authorities.

Lord EBRINGTON regretted extremely that Mr. O'Connell should have thought proper to indulge in reflections upon the family of Mr. Sutton. Their conduct, whatever it might be, was no disqualification to that gentleman. Lord Ebrington had been a member of that House during the whole period that the late Speaker occupied the Chair; and be could bear testimony not only to the ability which that right honourable gentleman at all times exhibited, but also to his can- dour, politeness, and courtesy, which had secured to him on this occa- sion the respect even of those who were his political enemies, and dis- armed all those who felt inclined to oppose him.

Mr. TENNYSON could nut support Mr. Hume's motion. He agreed that it was desirable to have a Speaker whose sentiments concurred with those of a majority of the House.

As yet, he hardly knew what those sentiments were. He had lately, how- ever, enjoyed many opportunities of communicating with the people of England, and he believed himself to be acquainted with their wants and wishes, and should be most desirous of seeing in that chair some gentleman whose sentiments would harmonize with theirs. He wished to know why that opportunity had not been afforded them?

He adverted to the Ministerial negotiations with Mr. Sutton. He could not believe that the Ministers had so improperly interfered as it had been represented that they had done. He could not believe it possible ; but he must require from them a full dis- avowal, or he should feel himself called upon to withdraw from them that general support which it was his intention to have given them. He knew no offence better deserving impeachment than an interference on the part of the servants of the King to nominate the individual who should preside over the deliberations of that House.

Though be admitted the qualifications of the late Speaker, he would rather see the Chair occupied by one who more adequately represented the feelings of the People.

His friend the member for Staffordshire would forgive him for saying, that he believed even he did not fully represent the opinions of the People. He believed that Mr. Littleton was as much opposed as any could be to those measures which himself and the member for 'Middlesex, and others, held to be necessary for the perfecting of the measure of Reform ; for he was one of those, he believed, who field that the Reform Bill was to be a final measure ; and, entertaining that opinion, it was not to be expected that his vote would be in favour of any of the measures required for completing that measure. Under such circumstances, he would have no difficulty in choosing between the two individuals now pr for selection as the Speaker of that House. It would be difficult to fin any individual so eminently qualified as Mr. Sutton was to fill that office ; and, if personal merits should alone decide the question, there wes no one who had higher claims upon them than he had. He should vote for Mr. Sutton ; at the

same time, he could not avoid expressing his regret that his Majesty's Ministers had not adopted a course which would have enabled the House to come to another conclusion.

Lord ALAHORP, after expressing his astonishment that there should be any difference of opinion as to the propriety and advantage of secur- ing the valuable services of the late Speaker to the new Parliament,— declaring that it was impossible to put into competition with him a gentleman of whose qualification they had had no experience,—pro- ceeded to state the course pursued by Ministers with regard to the election of the Speaker.

" Certainly, I avow to my honourable friend, that I did write to the right honourable gentleman, to know, if he were elected Speaker, whether he would undertake the office ; telling him that, if he would undertake it, he should have my support. I certainly did do so. The honourable and learned member for Dublin seems to think this dictating to the House. If we are now to be taunted about Ministers dictating to the House of Commons, I can only say that we have wasted two years in useless discussion." ( General cheers.) He expressed his intention to bring forward such measures of im- provement as he trusted would be satisfactory to the People and the House. With regard to his having said that the Bill was a final mea- sure, Lord Althorp remarked- " There is one sentiment in the speech of my honourable friend the member for Middlesex, in which I concur must completely—namely, that the Reform Bill was the means and nut the end. I have been taunted with having spoken of the. Reform Bill as a final measure. Do I mean to say, because I used those words, that the Reform of Parliatneut itself is final—that no other Reform was to be introduced, and that no advantages whatever were to accrue from it ? Cer- tainly not. I considered it final, and I supported it as final, as fur as regarded the constitution of the House itself, and as a means by which to effect other improvements and other reforms. The honourable member seems to think,.be- cause I made use of the word final, that I am opposed to those very reforms of which I consider the Reform Bill only the foundation. In this respect, there- fore, I can only say, my language has been misinterpreted." ( Cheers.) His Lordship also said, that the pension voted to the Speaker was not to commence till the resignation of that gentleman. At least that was his understanding of the law.

Mr. CORBETT then rose, and spoke to the following effect"-

" It appears to me, that since I have been sitting here I have heard a great deal. of unprofitable discussion. It seems to be thought that this is a mere question as to the greater or less fitness of the one member or the other to fill the office of Speaker of this House ; but, in my opinion, there is another point which in a still greater degree re- quires our most serious consideration: I mean how the People will think on the subject —what regard they will consider has been paid to them in our choice—and what - opinion they will form of us from our first act, the appointment of a Speaker. It has . been much the fashion to talk of the fitness of the member proposed in other respects— of his experience, of his diligence, and the like ; but in this case we ought to look among ourselves for one who may deserve to be considered by the People as an epitome of us. When we put a Speaker once in that Chair, we tell the People, in effect, to look on that man as the chief of us ; he ought to be the best of us all ; he will be considered the man whom we have chosen as the ablest and wisest among us—the most public- spirited ; and, in short, as I said before, the epitome of the House. In making our choice, we say to the People of England—Look upon this man as our representative, as we are representatives of you. With respect to the Act of Parliament (but I suppose I must not say a single word about law)—with regard to the Act of Parliament which granted a pension to the Right Honourable Charles Manners Sutton, I most say I think the noble lord is completely mistaken ; inidthat the right honourable gentleman is undoubtedly entitled by law, if reelected Speaker, to continue to draw his pension as well as his salary. Now I will ask', is there any lawyer here, any merchant, or any literary man, that hears me, who does not know that if a quarter of his time were spent in the business which devolves upon the Chairman of this House, that business would not only be done effectually, but it would be done much better than it ever was yet ? Now the Speaker has not only an ample salary, but he has a house besides, as well as allowances for clerks, and numerous other perquisites. Can any one say, under these circumstances, that his services are not amply paid by the salary which he receives while he holds the office ? Is there any roan who thinks that a salary equal to that which the United States consider such= dent for their President, is not sufficient for the President of the House of Commons ? Thu right honourable gentleman has been for sixteen years in the office of Speaker ; he has received every year a salary of 6,000/. ; he has thus taken from burdened people of England, Scotland, and Ireland, sixteen times 6,0001.; lie has had besides very con- siderable emoluments over and above all this. Has a House, calling itself the repre- sentative of the People of England, Scotland, and Ireland, any right to saddle this country with a salary superior to that of the President of this United States—a salary greater than the income of the Chief Magistrate of a nation containing ten millions of people ? Yet it is a fact, that the President of the United States has no greater salary than that of the late Speaker of the House of Commons. It is my opinion, that if these things were well sifted (and I hope we shall take care that they be well sifted shortly) —it is my opinion that this House alone, with its attendants, °Meets. door-keepers, and so forth, costs this country more than the whole of the civil and political government of the United States of North America, even including its ten able Ambassadors to the different Courts of Europe. Let me call the attention of the House to the newness of the position in which they are at this moment placed, and to the effect which will pro- bably be produced on the public mind, should their first act go to throw an additional burden on the country. We may well believe that the opinion of the country. will not be very favourable to us, if such should be the case, when we take into considera- tion what the People have said on the subject of pensions in every one of their petitions on the subject of Reform • and it will not be very gracious to set out, in the face of the People's reiterated prayers, by saddling the country with one pension more. The ,People's baronet who has seconded the nomination of Mr. Manners Sutton for Speaker, knows very well the nature of the petitions on the sub- ject of Reform, for he hadto do with a great many of them. I can safely declare, that in all my life, ever since I began to pay attention, in any considerable degree, to poli- tical matters of the kind and that is a good while ago). I can safely say that I do not remember one single petition, from first to last, on the subject of Parliamentary Reform, to which a petition for the abolition of pensions was not appended. I defy any Mem- ber to produce one petition in which this was not the case; one petition, I say, on the subject of Parliamentary Reform, in which the petitioners omitted a reform of expense as the chief object of the prayed-for Reform. 1 defy the noble lord (Morpeth) to point out one such petition presented during the last five-and-twenty years. When it was prayed that the abuses which had crept into the Constitution should be removed, that prayer was invariably coupled with one for the removal of those burdens which had been unjustly imposed on the people of this country ; I mean, every single pension which is not fully merited by well-known services to the country. This is, in fact, what the People -had uppermost in their minds when they, spoke on the subject of Reform. It would be ill answering their expectations. if a Reformed House were to commence its labours by imposing an additional burden. What! will a Reformed House of Commons continue to make the poor man pay forty times as much for articles of consumption as the rich man, in proportion to his means? According to Cocker (who has lately been set up as an object to appeal to), the poor man pays forty times as much in some cases as the rich man does. But not only does the right honour- able gentleman seek to take this pension of 4,0001. himself, but to continue to his sun too a pension of 3,0001. for his life also—all for services performed during sixteen years —for svhielt services the father had already been fully and amply remunerated. During those years, the Honourable Charles Manners Sutton received about 100,0001: for the performance of his duties as Chairman of the House of Commons; and now the country has to pay pensions for two lives, which (reckoning these lives to last a reason-- able tirne)'may enable them (firm father and son) to receive 200,0001. more. With their pockets already crammed-with the People's money, they must pocket twice as much more. [Here Mr. Cobbett excited the merriment of the Mouse,by addressing a remark to Mr. Lee, whose official duties before the choice of A. Speaker render him for • We follow the version of the Morning Chronicle, as corrected by Mr. Cosiarr him-, self for the True Sun. None of the reports, however, arc altogether accurate, and nowt of them do justice to the speech as it was delivereth the time a very important personage in the House of Comilvolii.3 Is this the way which the House is to show the People that they can depend upon them? The.thing now wanted is a patient waiting ou the part of the suffering and oppressed People. To have this patient waiting, we must have their confidence in us ; then they will be patient as children are with their parents, because they are sure that they mean them well. But to have their confidence, are we about to till the over-taxed . People, the People who are in a state of suffering (as will soon be shown by toy ho- nourable colleague) such as cannot be described—a state that no one could believe unless he saw it=while the People are paying 5s. per pound for that which they ought to have for 15d. ; were they about to tell that People that no relief was to be ex. pected from them, as they would in effect do, if the first act of that House were to be the placing of that man in the Chair ? The noble lord (Althorp) has talked as if it were in the power of the King's servants to cause the payment of this pension to cease. Ile spoke as if he could drive a bargain with the right honourable gentleman, and make a contract with him that, should he he be re.elected, his retiring pension should cease. The late Parliament bestowed 4,0001. a year on their Speaker at his retirement from office, and 3,0001. a year for his son, or any male heir (1 suppose). It was an act -; of Parliament that bestowed these pensions. and nothing can rescind it but another act of Parliament : and, in my opinion, the noble lord is quite mistaken as to the mean. ing of that Act. 1 will ask the honourable member for Ireland (I don't recollect the particular place just now that he is member for, and I call him therefore the member for Ireland)—I ask the honourable member for Ireland, who is a lawyer, whether there must not he another act of Parliament before the pension can be rescinded ? It is not a bargain or contract, and nothing can take the pension away but another act of Par- liament. How much honesty, moderation, and merciful consideration of the People there was in a transactivby which he seas rewarded for filling his late situation for sixteen years, by losing 6,000/. a year ou his retirement, and receiving 4,0001. it. stead, fur doing nothing, I will not. now stop to consider. Ile has got his hand in the People's pockets, and he will no soon draw it out. The noble lord thinks the pension will cease on his being reelected; but, depend upon it, it will not cease. What is the situation, then, in which the House is now placed with respect to this ap. pointment ? If Mr. Manners Sutton should be reelected, as apparently he will be (and I know nothing oldie right honourable gentleman's qualifications, for I never saw hint in his chair in my life, and know nothing at all about him but as a heavy pensioner)– if he be reelected, the House tells the People that their hopes will be disappointed, because the People will judge of their future conduct from their appointment of a nice who has driven such bargains with regard to the money of the People. Such an op. pointment shall not receive my assent ; and there are; I have no doubt, a good many others who will not agree to it. Suppose the right honourable gentleman to be ap- pointed Speaker of this House. If the House chose to do it, it could not then undo it. The honourable gentleman might go immediately and sell his pension, %%kelt he may do if he chooses—lie may go this afternoon and sell it as an annuity for his life, if he chooses to do so. Will the House consent to injustice so flagrant ? Are we going to say to the nation, Look up to this man, with his pockets crammed with the people's money, as the Speaker of the Reformed House of Commons—as the first Commoner of Euglaud ? Is this the way (looking round at Sir Francis Burdett) in which you are to tear the leaves out of the accursed Red Book ? Or are you at work putting new

leaves in ?" . .

Mr. Cobbett concluded with some observations on the remarks of the member for Ireland, as he again termed Mr. O'Connell, and of the member for Cambridgeshire, or for Cambridge University—not seeming to know the place for which Mr. Manners Sutton sits ; and adding, that he protested against the appointment of that gentleman as Speaker of the House of Commons, because such appointment would, in his opinion, be an open declaration of war against the purses of the People of England.

Mr. Cobbett was listened to throughout his speech with attention and with silence, interrupted only occasionally by a laugh.

Mr. WARBURTON was of opinion, that, where two men of equal merits were presented to the choice of the House for elevation to the Chair, that man should be elected whose political opinions coincided with the opinions of the majority of the members. He protested against establishing the novel precedent of granting a retiring pension when the grantee was still in office.

In case 'of Mr. 'Sutton's. reelection, the least that could. be expected from Government was, that either they themselves or some of their supporters is make'si that House should make motion, in order that the vote of the last Parliament on this subject may be rescinded at the earliest possible period of the ensuing Session • so that the House may again hive in its own hands that security at his good behaviour, which, however unnecessary in the present case, it was al- ways desirable that the House should hold.

He alluded to the physical .inability of Mr. Sutton to go through his arduous duties ; and thought that the vigorous frame of Mr. Little- ton afforded more promise of continued efficiency than the ill health under whidi he was sorry to observe that Mr. Sutton had laboured during the last session. Mr. Warburton concluded by saying, that if no other member proposed a motion for rescinding the pension granted by the former Parliament, he would propose a repeal of the Act which conferred that pension before the final retirement of the Speaker.

Mr. MANNERS SurroN then rose, but was inaudible in the Gallery for a great portion of the commencement of his speech. He expressed his extreme satisfaction at the kind opinion as to his impartiality, what- ever might be thought of his fitness, which had been uttered from ii sides of the House. No man could more deeply'or more painfully fee: than he the difficulty of duly performing the arduous duties which he was again willing to take upon himself ifit should please the House reappoint him to. the Chair. He was well aware that the House coul easily find among their members a better occupant for that distill• guished seat. "If it shall be the pleasure of the_House of Commons to elect the member fa: Staffordshire,'whatever assistance in the discharge of his duty sixteen years' ex- perience may enable me to render him, shall most cheerfully be given to him, ct to any other member of the House who may be appointed." In conclusion b would say, that, notwithstanding his sense of his own imperfections, and of tlt difficulties of the task which he would have to undertake, if it should be tle pleasure of the House to reappoint him, he would exert himself to the utmost. as he had done before, to discharge his duty to the House, to the country, aria he would say, to himself also, as an honest man.

Mr. METHUEN was anxious to learn whether Mr. Sutton, if elected, would not retain his pension of , 4,0001. per annum in addition to k salary as Speaker; and called upon. Ministers to state expressly wk.'. H

course they meant to adopt in regard to this point, before theHour divided.

Mr. SUTTON again rose, and said— He believed it to be inipossible that an individual occupying the Chair cox:- .4 be entitled to a single shilling voted as a retiring pension. That he believed'. aJ have been the intention of the Legislature when it passed the Act of last sessice: but whatever that intention might have been, and whatever might be the 141.. construction of the Act, it was his firm determination not to receive a farthiri: of the pension whilst he had the honour to fill the Chair. Major BEAUCLERK, after apologizingas a new member, was proceed' ing to address the House, and to propose a resolution for reducing salary of the Speaker from 6,-0001. to 4,0001. a year; but sat down g being informed that it was tun 0104 the tinmfor :discussing such a solution. _ The House then divided on Mr. Hume's motion : for it, 31 ; against it, 241; majority for Mr. Manners Sutton, 210.

When the Gallery was reopened, Mi. CORBETT was found address- ing the House, and commenting -upon the reelection of Mr. Sutton.

The whole country would condemn it. Mr. Sutton had said that he had been Speaker for sixteen years. Ay, and he was something before that ; almost from his very infancy he had been receiving the money, in some shape or other, out of the public purse. This was the man whom the House were determined to elect as their Speaker. Farmers were accustomed to judge of the sack by the sample, and what a sack must that be of which Mr. Manners Sutton was the sample ! Such as the Speaker was, the whole of the representatives of their own breeches-pockets would be found—all putting their hands in the People's pockets, as they did in the old Unreformed Parliament, and .taking from them as much money as they could get. The decision of the House with respect to the question before them would decide their character with the People. lie felt it to be his duty to offer as much oppositionas possible to the raising of such a roan to the Chair.

Mr. FAITHFUL had intended to support Mr. Sutton ; but in conse- quence of what he had heard during the discussion, he confessed that he could not conscientiously give the least countenance to his election. He called upon Ministers to pledge themselves to bring in a bill for the repeal of his Pension Act. It should not be left to the Speaker him- self to determine whether he should or should not receive his pension.

Sir FRANCIS BURDETT thought Mr. Faithful's proposition a very extraordinary one. He wanted no further security than the Speaker's own declaration. If the late Speaker's Pension Act were binding, it could only be undone with the consent of the Speaker himself.

Mr. Sutton had performed sixteen years of arduous service in the Chair; and Sir Francis would maintain before any body of people in the world, that he was not overpaid for that service. He should like to see some of those gentlemen who held the duty of Speaker so cheaply, and thought that he was so much overpaid, try the experiment of tilling the Chair. (A laugh.) He wondered whether, if they were placed in the same situation as Mr. Sutton—with a half or a quarter of his salary, or with no salary at all—the public would be equally satisfied.(Laughter.) Was it likely that, under such circumstances, the public business would be facilitated, and carried on so advantageously, as it was under the direction of a gentleman so accomplished for that purpose as Mr. Sutton ? Again, be begged to assure the member for Brighton that the only possible means of effecting a saving of the public money was by reappointing the late Speaker : so that, on every principle—even on that of the twopenny- halfpenny thing called economy—they were bound to choose him.

Mr. WARBURTON considered the question as to the Speaker's draw- ' ing his pension as well as his salary decided by his declaration that be

would only draw the latter; but he objected strongly to the dangerous precedent thus established, of allowing a retiring pension to be voted

while the pensioner was still in office.

He took the same view of the question as the member for Brighton did ; and lie hoped that members would make up their minds to vote for the repeal of the late Speaker's Pension Act during the present session.

Sir J. CAMPBELL (the Solicitor-General) had no difficulty in stating

that the Speaker could not draw his pension as long as he drew his salary.

He had looked to the Act, and found that the payment of the-pension was to commence when Mr. Sutton should cease to be Speaker. He ceased to be Speaker for many purposes when Parliament was dissolved, but for other pur- poses he continued to be Speaker until his successor should be elected. There was an Act of Parliament which stated that he should be considered as conti- nuing to be Speaker till another Speaker was elected. For the purpose of re- ceiving his salary, therefore, he was still Speaker.

Mr. O'CONNELL was at a loss to conceive how there could be a Speaker when there was no House of Commons.

Lord ALTHORP said, that in case of the demise of the Crown, the Speaker continued to receive his salary and execute his functions till the appointment of his successor in a new Parliament.

Mr. O'CONNELL--" Yes ; but in that case Parliament itself, by express statute, also preserves its existence under certain conditions of time and circumstances."

Mr. HUME agreed in the propriety of the question proposed by Mr. Faithful to Ministers, respecting their intentions as to the Act of Par- liament granting this pension on the Speaker's retiring.

• He would ask them whether it was fitting that they should, in these days of reform, proceed to elect, as Speaker of a Reformed House, a pensioner ef the Clown? It was clear that, on a dissolution, Mr. Sutton could always be sure of retiring on this pension. In a court of law he would have a good title to this 4,0001. a year, though he might refuse to accept it if he chose; in law, it would be available to him and his heir.

He never would have voted for the bill of last session, had he anti- , cipated that its effect would be to make the Speaker of a future Par- liament quite irresponsible to and independent of the People.

Sir W. HORNE (the Attorney-General) reiterated the arguments of the Solicitor-General ; and maintained that the Speaker could not

legally draw both his pension and his salary. He bad as yet drawn no part of his pension, but had been in the receipt of his salary.

Sir J. CAMPBELL afterwards read the section of the act of 2d and 3d. William the Fourth, for regulating the payment of the Speakers' sala-

ries, by which it was enacted, that the salary of the Speaker should Continue to be paid to him, notwithstanding a dissolution of Parlia- ment, until the re-election of another Speaker of the House of Commons.

Mr. Ley, the official Chairman on the occasion, then put the ques- tion "that the Right Honourable Charles Manners Sutton do take the Chair."

The voices appeared to be unanimous in favour of the proposition.

When the proposition was put negatively, a few (we only heard three or four voices) exclaimed "No!"

• The Chairman pronounced, amidst loud cheers, " In my opinion the ayes have it."

Mr. SUTTON was conducted to the Chair by Lord Morpeth and Sir Francis Burdett; and immediately addressed the House to the follow- ing effect-

"! am deeply grateful to he House for the high honour which they have just con- ferred- upon me. I have now only to express my hope, that, by a constant attention to the rights and privileges of the House, by a strict adherence to those rules and orders by whit,h alone our delibetations - can be advastageonsly cOnducted, by the utmost courtesy to every individual member of the House, by readily afibrding every iuforma- tion which it may be in my power to communicate, and by doing all I can to facilitate the transaction of public and private business, I may be so fortunate as to experience from the present Parliament the same confidence which I was so fortunate as to expe- rience from the six Parliaments which have preceded it."

Lord ALTHORP then congratulated the Speaker and the House on what had just taken place.

Ile could not but advert with the greatest satisfaction to the fact, that during the previous discussion there was not one member who had spoken, and who, like himself, had had experience of the Speaker's great qualities, who had not borne his warm testimony to them. With respect to what had fallen from one member' of the political tendencies of Mr. Sutton, Lord Althorp's experience justified him in assuring that gentleman, and all those gentlemen who were new to the House, that that tendency never exhibited itself in his conduct in the Chair. For much the greater portion of the time during which Lord Althorp

i

had had the honour of a seat in that House, he had differed from the opinion of the majority ; but at that period he had been treated with just as munch courtesy by the Speaker, and had received just as much Parliamentary assistance from Lint, as since he had sat on the Ministerial side of the House.

Lord Althorp concluded by moving, that at its rising the House should adjourn to Thursday.

Mr. CORBETT rose and said a few words, but the movement of mem- bers from their places rendered him inaudible.

On Thursday, the Speaker, attended by about one hundred and fifty members of the House of Commons, appeared at the Bar of the House of Peers, and addressed the Lords Commissioners, who had taken their seats on the Woolsack.

The SPEAKER—" My Lords, in obedience to the commands of his Majesty, and iu the exercise of their undoubted rights and privileges. his Majesty's faithful Commons have proceeded to the election of a Speaker ; and I have now to acquaint your Lord- ships that their choice has again fallen upon me. My Lords, I am deeply sensible of the importance of the distinguished situation which I am thus called upon to fill; and am aware that the experience which I have attained, in the number of years during which I have filled it, may have influenced the members or the House of Commons in bestowing this high honour upon me. At the same time, I am too well aware of the difficulties of that high station, not to distrust my own capacity ; but should his Ma- jesty be graciously pleased to disapprove of the choice which-his faithfid Commons have made, I am sure they will have no difficulty in selecting some other individual, better qualified than I am for discharging the duties of so distinguished a situation." The LORD CHANCELLOR—"Mr.Manners Sutton, we have it in command from his Ma- jesty to assure you, that his Majesty is so fully satisfied of your zeal for the public ser- vice, and of those many eminent qualities which have so often recommended you to the choice of his faithful Commons, and which have been now matured by long experience, and which have been displayed under most arduous and trying circumstances, that his Majesty loth fully approve of the choice of his faithful Commons, and loth confirm you to be their Speaker." The SPEAKER—" My Lords,-with all gratitude and humility I submit my elf to his Majesty's commands. It now becomes my duty, in the name and on the behalf of the Commons of the United Kingdom, to lay claim to the free exercise of all their ancient and undoubted rights and privileges; more especially those of freedom of debate ; free- dom from arrest for themselves and their servants; and a free access to his Majesty's Royal Person, when occasion requires; and that the most favourable construction be pro on all their words and actions ; and, for myself, I humbly beg leave to request, that if any error should be committed by me, it may not be imputed to his Majesty's faith- ful Commons."

The LORD Criaaa-rztoz—".Mr. Speaker, we have it also in command from his Ma- jes:y to assure his faithful Commons, that he Both fully cot:firm all the'r ancient rights and privileges, es granted or confirmed to them by his Majesty's ti al predecessors. With respect to yourself; Mr. Speaker—though Ills Mojesty is fully that you Maud in no need of such assurance—his Majesty Nw•ifl always pat tine most favourable construction on your words and actions."

The Speaker bowed to the Commissioners, and retired with the other members of the House of Commons.

On his return to the House, the SPEAKER acquainted the members with what had just taken place ; and proffered his best assistance to the new members whenever they might require it. Mr. Ley, the Clerk, then administered the oaths to the Speaker ; who next proceeded to swear the members, taking the counties in al- phabetical order. . The old law, by which the oaths were administered by the Lord Steward, has been repealed ; consequently the members took their seats on Tuesday without having been sworn. The swearing of members continued in both Houses till four o'clock on Friday.