Before the House went into Committee on the Church-rate ques.
tion, there was an exhibition of ill-temper by Sir ROBERT PEEL The motion under debate was to refer back the petition for the 'farnworth and Rugby Railway to the Standing Orders Committee. It seems that Sir ROBERT PEEL had been opposed to the Railway ; and Mr. POTTER said, innocently enough, that it was not worth while to send the petition back to the Committee, when it was certain that by Sir Robert Peel's influence in the House the bill was sure to be throw* out. Whereupon PEEL swelled with indignant virtue- " Sir R. Peel," says the report in the Times, "repelled the insinuation with disdain. (Loud cheers from both sides of tine House.) Ile had cantle (Iowa prepared to vote against the bill, as his noble friend near him (Lord G. Somer. set) was well aware, but had withdrawn his opposition in consequence of what had fallen from the noble Chairman of the Committee."
Mr. POTTER explained, that be intended nothing personally offen. sive. And as PEEL was never suspected of jobbing in Private Bills, there was surely no need of this vehement defence of his purity. The debate was adjourned to Monday.
Subsequently, Sir ROBERT PEEL observed, that " the system of canvassing Members for votes On Private Bills was shameful and abo- minable." We agree with Sir ROBERT; but as long as Members are known to be accessible to private and undue influence in the discharge of their duty, the practice must continue.
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