POSTSCRIPT.
SATURDAY NIGHT.
There was a full attendance in the House of Commons yesterday after noon, in consequence of a mysterious notice given by Mr. Spooner that he had some complaint to make against Mr. Hume.
Other business, however, came first. Inter alio, Lord Joint RUSSELL stated that the feelings of the Duke of Wellington respecting the removal of" the Statue" would be officially ascertained; and if it were found that the Duke was adverse to the removal, the Queen, Lord John was per- suaded, would most readily consent to the statue's remaining where it is now placed. Before going into Committee of Supply, Mr. Srocezza brought forward his complaint. The incident arose out of his vote against Mr. Hume's motion for inquiry into the case of the Rajah of Satter& During the morning meeting of the following day, he was sitting next the ho- nourable .Member for Rochester, when the honourable Member for Blontrose crossed the House, and in a very excited manner said, "You voted against me last night !" (Latughter.) He replied that he certainly had done so. (Laughter.) The honourable Member for Montrose immediately added, " Pll bring the conduct of your son before the House, and I'll do the same with regard to Mr. Hutt (a near relative of the Member for Gateshead). Mr. Hutt voted against me too, and I'll bring the whole matter under the notice of the House. I am prepared to prove there were not more than thirteen independent Members who voted in that ma- jority." (Laughter.) He immediately told the honourable Member, if he had any charge to make against his son he should at least give him time to form some opinion about it. The honourable Member for Montrose said, "Look at the blue book: see what a certificate he gave; he was one of the magistrates in India concerned in the matter." Mr. Spooner confessed that at the moment he did not know what was the proper line of conduct to pursue. He took the advice of others, and was advised to bring the matter before the House as a breach of privilege approaching to intimidation. Mr. HUME explained, that at five o'clock on the previous afternoon he had received a note from Mr. Spooner, asking him to be present at four o'clock— He could not imagine what he had done: he thought he might have committed some violation of the honourable gentleman's Seduction Bill, and that it was to be brought before the House. (Great laughter.) Mr. Hume gave his version of what had passed—
He was pluming along to give his motion to the Clerk at the table: on coming back, he said to the Member for Birmingham, "I see you voted against me last night." Mr. Spooner said, "Yes, I did." Mr. Hume asked, had he seen the result of the numbers? He replied he had not. Mr. Hume then said, there were out of the 44 who voted against him, 28 belonging either to the late or the present Government, or the East India Company; that two; being the Member for Birmingham and the Member for Gateshead, had near relatives connected with
the early part of the transactions in the case of the Rajahtof; Sattara, arid he sas- pmted they-must have voted under some influence; there Acrebu 41OdepenJcnt Members who voted against him; he placed them in oppWs don to the 2,3 mde- pendent Members who voted for his motion, and therefore eaWeins4 he had car- ried it. (Great laughter.) The honourable gentleman /kid, "4?fr. Adam& la' my son"; to which Mr. Hume replied, " Very well, on Thursdny have an opportunity of noticing the subject again; and I shall then explain -the• state of this vote, and the manner in which those two gentlemen are connected with the subject." The honourable Member said, " Tell me now." He said he would do so before the motion came on. That was all that pass.
Mr. flume now added, that on Tuesday next he would show that Mr. Spooner and Mr. Hutt were acting as magistrates in India when the facts occurred.
Mr. HUTT defended his brother, Mr. John Hutt, with perfect success; and treated Mr. flume's propensities with mixed severity and playfulness. Mr. HANEES having made a few remarks by way of animadversion on Mr. Hume, and Sir DE LACY EVANS having turned the conversation on the subject of certain pensioners, Mr. OSBORNE reverted to the affair; which he declared was far too serious to be lightly dismissed: he hoped that the Speaker would call on the honourable gentlemen to give their assurance, on their honour, that they would not carry matters any further. (Boars of laughter.) Sir ROBERT iNGLIS deprecated a jocose view of the subject ; and very gravely lectured Mr. Hume on the indiscretion of his language. Lord JOHN RUSSELL repeated this lecture, in the sarcastic tone of a claim for indulgence towards Mr. Hume— He had long been acquainted with the language customarily used by the ho- nourable Member • and, whether it arose from some original confusion of mind, or from a ivantof familiarity with the exact force of the English language—(Laugh- ter)—the honourable Member unquestionably did throw out imputations and ap- ply terms in describing the conduct of others, which from any other honourable gentleman would give offence, but which he had heard repeated by the honourable Member without causing surprise or occasioning anger--( Great laughter)—the honounible Member being a sort of chartered libertine in this respect in the House. (Increased laughter.) This speech gave a new turn to the matter. Mr. Hume, it is said, looked much hurt at Lord John's sarcasm; and Mr. AGLIONBY stepped forward to the rescue— "If Mr. Hume uses hasty expressions," said Mr. Aglionby, "he is privileged to use them by his own constant good-humour, by his anxiety to aid everybody with any advice which his experience qualifies him to give; and I believe that no expres- sion of his could give offence to any one who is acquainted with him. Above all, I would say that the past services of my honourable friend entitle him to some indulgence." (Cheers.) Mr. Huare gave vent to his feelings in words— The other evening Sir John Hobhouse had called him a thief, or a receiver of stolen goods; an expression which he passed over as used in the heat of debate. Now, Lord John Russell, in a calm and premeditated manner, told him that he had not learned his own language ! He did not know on what grounds the noble Lord considered himself justified in making use of such expressions. Under the circumstances, he thought it altogether unworthy and unbecoming. (Much cheering.)
Here the conversation dropped. After a while, Mr. Hume was observed to cross the House and take his seat by Mr. Spooner. On separating they smiled; at seeing which, the laughter of the House again broke forth; and both Members joined in it very heartily.
Among other matters interposed before the Committee of Supply, Sir DENHAM NORREYS made another attempt to get the detailed reports re- ferred to by the Irish Relief Commissioners. His motion was negatived by 80 to 19.
The House passed the remainder of the evening in Committee of Supply. On the first vote, Sir CHARLES WOOD stated that the salary of the Chief Poor-law Commissioner would be 2,0001.; two Secretaries, 1,500/. each; making the whole expense 5,000/. a year, whereas the present expense of the establishment is 7,0001.
On the proposal of 10,000/. for the support of captured Negroes, Mr. BORTHWICK made a spirited attack on the nugatory attempts to suppress the slave-trade by forcible intervention; showing how they increase the mortality and suffering of the slaves. Viscount PALMERSTON replied, in a quibbling speech; satirizing Mr. Borthwick for baying marked his con- version to free trade by an attempt to introduce it in the slay, -trade: and he repeated some of the usual stock arguments for the present system, making much of an arithmetical mistake into which Mr. Borthwick had fallen. Mr. IltimE and Mr. Hurt further exposed the futility of the sys- tem. But the vote passed of course, amid a great number of others.
The House adjourned at twenty minutes past one o'clock this morning.
In the Upper House, the Earl of RODEN moved for papers connected with the charges made against the Irish landlords in the third report of the Relief Commissioners. The motion was opposed by the Marquis of LANS- DOWNE, on the same grounds as those taken by Ministers in the House of Commons; and was ultimately withdrawn. In the course of the brief dis • cussion, Earl FITZWILLIAM insisted that yet more must be done for Ireland. One third of the people is now supported by gratuitous rations, at the rate of 7,000,000/. a year; only one fifth of the usual breadth of land is planted with potatoes; and after the next harvest probably one third of the popu- lation will still be without food. That state of things cannot last: Ireland must be pulled up, or England will be pulled down. He advised a large ont- lay for public works—works of a really useful kind; and he recurred to the necessity of emigration. Lord Fitzwilliam passed severe strictures on Mi- nisters for their wholesale withdrawals—to be withdrawn is the fate of all Government measures.
The Royal assent was given, by Commission, to the Corn-Importation Bill, Custody of Offenders Bill, Cemeteries Clauses Bill, and an immense number of railway and other private bills.
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