PKIVILEGE IS PARLIAMENT.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1215, 31 August 1869, Page 4

PKIVILEGE IS PARLIAMENT.

The case of Major Brown and Mr. J?0? has not been allowed to resfc, although thjß committee had reported that they had found no precedent to show that Mr. Fox's letter "to Major IJrown, requesting him to resign either his seat or his commission as milifo? ofijcer, becausjß of having yoted against tW (joyeramenjb was a breach pf tbp ppivjlegp w Parliament. Mr. jCurtis, last week moM (1.) That .every member of this Hous^ without exception, js entitled to speak and vote according to his conscience. (2.) Thaf the course taken by the Government in re* quiring Major Brown to resign the command of the iprcps at Tarjjinaki, or to resign bij seat in this Ijouse, on the express ground that ke had givea a yote againflt the Goyem.*

inßttt, is ah interference with such iibe^y of" speech and action, is inconsistent with the free representation of the people, and i3,a breach of the privileges of this House. The motion was divided by the House as we have marked it, and the first portion was agreed to. On the second, there was what seemed a regular party engagement, which resulted in the motion being rejected by a majority of two. The fight was a waste of time. As we said before, through a mistaken consideration for Major Brown, Mr. Fox gave him the option of resigning eithsr .office, when he should at once have relieved him from his command, as having no confidence in the man in whom must be reposed large discretionary _ powers. The pretended constitutionalism is only a farce, for the removal of a subordinate in parallel circumstances in trade, is simply what every business man would do.