The Sun.
London, England, 1840-06-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, JUNE 26.
A Clerk of the Cron from Ireland delivered in a
return of the election of the Earl of Lucan, as a Represen-
tative Peer for Ireland, in the room of the Earl of En-
niskillen, deceased.

Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
Universal Society of. Rational Religionists, praying for a
Commission to inquire into their doctrines. The Noble
and Learned Lord also presented a petition from Aberdeen
praying for a settlement of tha Church Question in Scot-
Ltd.

CASE OF THE REV. MR. O'REILLY.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH gave notice that on
Thursday, the 2d of July, he should move for a return of
the name of the party or parties to whom 50/. were stated
to have been paid by the Rev. Mr. O'Reilly, a Roman
Catholic priest in the county Cavan, for the compromise of
an offence with which he was charged ; and also of the
purposes to which the money was applied, and a cupy of
the discharge.

Lord MELBOURNE said that the notice supposed the
case that the money had been paid for the compromise
of an offence.

The Marquis of WESTMEATH took that for gran'ed
from the admission of the Noble Marquis at the head of
the Home Department. The Noble Marquis then pre.
served a petition from three gentlemen of the name of
Smith, and a gentleman of the name of-Sharpe, complain-
ing of the great dela)! in the Court of Chancery.

ESTATES'IMPROVENIENT BILL.
The Duke of RICHMOND rose to move the second
leading of the Estates Improvement Bill. Its object was
to allow persons having a life interest in estates to borrow
money upon them for a certain number of years, for
the purpose of applying it to the draining and improvement
of the property. He thought it unnecessary to say more
respecting it, than to express his belief :that it would be
found beneficial to the farmers, to agricultural labourers,
and also the fertility of the soil. If the clauses should be
deemed „capable of improvement, he would be glad that
they should receive it; or if it should be thought expe-
dient to refer the Bill to a Select Committee, he should
not have the least objection to it.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH was glad to find
the. 13.11 ,iould extend to Ireland, where it was much
needed. If it were only intended to charge the estates
fur drainage on the surface he thought it might be advan-
Teously carried much further.

-The -Esrl of PORTM A N thought it would be impos-
sible their Lordships could allow this Bill' to pass in its
present shape, because it gave tenants for life of settled
estates a power which it was not intended they should have
by the person settling the estate, who, if hi had thought a
charge for such purposes desirable, would have himself
charged the estate with it.
The Eal 1 of Haddington. the Earl of Devon, and Laid
Hathcrton. supported the Bill.

Lord ASHBURTON doubted if the Bill were necessary.
The Duke of RICHMOND was about to move that
the Bill be referred to a Select Committee, when
Lord ELLE NBO RO UG H said be did not see why
that should be done. The Bill would then assuredly be lest.
The Duke of RICHMOND therefore withdrew that
proposition.
Bill r,ad a second time.
The Colonial Passengers Bill went through Committee,
as did the Timber Duties Bill.
Their Lordships adjourned before Rx o'Clock.

ROUSE OF COMMONS, JUNE 26.

The SPEAKER took the Chair this afternoon, at Four
o'Clock.

The Report of the Poor-law Commissioners was brought
up and laid on the table.
_

Mr. FRESEIFIELD brought up the Report of the
Committee on Battersby's Divorce Bill. Toe Report was
received, and the Bill read a third time, and passed.
Mov.bray's E,tate Bill was read a second time.
_ CLERKENWELL IMPROVEMENT.

On the motion of Mr7EDUNCOMBE, the Clerken-
well Improvement Bill was read a third time and passed.
WEAVER CHURCHES BILL.

Sir C. LEMON brought up the report of the Weaver
Cntr.ches Bill, and moved certain amendments.
Mr. E. J. STANLEY moved the amendments be read a
sceoial time that day six months.—( Loud cries of
" Why ? why?") The lion. Member, however, remained
silent, and strangers were ordered to withdraw. No divi-
sion, however, took place, and on cur re-admission to the
gallery we found
Mr. J. JERVIS on his legs. H 3 said it was quite cer.
tain that if the public bad been aware of the ob-
ject of the Bill, or if the investigation before the
Committee had been publicly reported and circu-
lated, great opposition would have been made
to the measure. This was not a mere private Bill ; the
principle involved in it was most important. The ques-
tion was whether that which had for years contributed
1 5001. a-year to the county-rates of Chester, and relieved
the rate-payer of that county to that amount, of whatever
religion such rate •pay era might be, should now be devoted
to the erection of churches exclusively for the use of mem-
b,rs of the Establishment. This was the first instance in
which it had been attempted to endow churches out of
the county-rates. Hon. Members on the other side might
be anxious to adopt that principle to a man, and might
perhaps engage others to asst them in this instance who
would not like to have the same principle applied to their
own counties which it was now sought to apply to the
county of Chester. In the Committee this had been
treated entirely as a party question. The majority
of that Committee was composed of Conservative Mem-
bers—to a man they had all advocated the. huildieff of
these churches, and had on all occasions voted together;
so that the purpose of that Committee was not so much a
discussion of the question as the carrying out of the will
of the majority. Owing, however, to the accidental ab-
sence of two of these Members he had succeeded in in-
troducing a clause which it was now sought to strike out,
and Hon. Members opposite relied on the earlier and mote
regular attendance of those Members who were desirous of
building churches out of the county-rates to enable them
to carry this into effect. He trusted that all those who
objected to such a principle would vote in favour of the
amendment.

Mr. WILBRAHAM opposed the bringing up of the
report ; and he did so because he did not think that money
should be raised on a whole county for the purpose of
giving additional church accommodation_ to a particular
district. He looked upon such a principle as a dangerous
one, and as interfering with the rights of preperty.
Mr. THORNE Y was not only opposed to the mea-
sure but had a strong feeling against the whole system of
taxation followed by the trustees ; and he hoped the
county would soon b.! released from it.
Mr. HUM E asked whether those Gentlemen who were
favourable to the measure would support the principle that
county-rates formed a proper fund for the building of
churches ?—( Ilear, hear.) That was the real principle
then at issue.

Mr. TATTON EGERTON said that the money in
question could not be considered as a country-rate. The
Hon. Member for Kilkenny was therefore mistaken on
that point.
Mr. UME—I will venture to ask, Sir, whether this
is not a highway robbery ?—( Much laughter.)
Mr. R. PALLIER said that the funds were not a
county-rate, as was manifest from the purposes to which
they were devoted.
Mr. WARBURTON said that if this Bill were carried
into a law, every dock, railway, and other public Com-
pany might be called upon to contribute to similar pur-
poses out of its surplus income.—( Hear, hear.)
Lord SANDON said that the principle had already
been admitted by the Legislature, in the case of a Mininr,
Company, that where a large population was col-
lected in one district, by means of such a Company, the
latter was bound to provide for the religious instruction of
that population out of its surplus income.—(Tory cheers )
Sir C. GREY (who spoke amidst great interruption
from the Tory benches) supported the amendment. He
hoped the Church of England would not continue to pr&-
ceed upon the engrossing principle supported by the pro.
motors of this Bill. If so, the Church itself would be
most seriously damaged.---( Hear, hear.)
Mr. 14; WA WI objected to this measure, not only upon
principle, but for the same reasons as had been stated by
his Learned Friend who had jest sat down. He objected
to the measure, because it was injurious to the Church it-
self, as it would set against it a large number of the mem-
bers of the community. It also awakened in the minds of
members of the Church itself considerable doubts and dis-
cord, and many of them felt that they could not assent to
the Act because it was a direct tax and injury to the
country generally.
General JOHNSON objectel to the mea3ure.
Mr. HOB HO USE said that the question in the present
case vvas.whether the funds intended for the Weaver
Churches were to be devoted to an entirely different pur-
pose. lie would venture to say, if the present Bill passed
that the worst consequences would result ; he, there-
fore, called upon the House to meet the Bill with
the most determined opposition.—( Cries of " Hear.")
He recollected that a Bill was introduced into the House
for a purpose somewhat -analagous to the present. The
fund was left for the building of a bridge over the river
Dee. That fund produced an enormous surplus ; and it
was net known in what manner the superfluous money
should be applied. Under these clrenmstances the
trustees came to Parliament, and applied for power to
appropriate the funds to the establishment of schools, for
the.ohject of building the bridge aver the river Dee was
to promote civilization of the Highlands. That was a
most- excellent purpose, and strictly analogous to the
hiteation of the original donor. But Parliament
did not allow that Bill to pass. The trusts were
held so sacred, that it was thought they ought not to be
violated, and although every one confessed the purpose
was excellent, yet that Bill was rejected upon the prin-
ciple on which he hoped the House would reject the pre-
sent Cheers.) The rate-payers of Chester had a
right to the whole of the surplus funds if there were any.
They ought to be applied by the Magistrates in Quarter
Sessions to certain specified purposes, and to no other pur-
pose whatever. He objected to the application of the fund
for the purposes of Church building. The fund ought to be
devoted, in the first place, to the purposes of navigation ; and
in the second place, to the relief of the rate-payers of Chester.
It was proved that there were 18 Churches along the line
of the river, a distance of only 23 miles, and that the po-
pulation was fluctuating, arid contained a great many Dis-
senters. For the sake of the great principle, he trusted
they would give their determined opposition to the Bill in
all its stages.
Mr. A. YATES said the indecent interruption s given
during the debate by the Hon. Members opposite would
show the country what motives actuated them in carting
down in such numbers—they would judge whether it was
to support pure religion, cr whether it was not because
money was to be spent, and they wanted the patronage.—
( Oh, oh.) lion. Gentl. ought to remember that the
Bill would tax the salt and coal trade upon the Weaver
upwards of 10 per cent., and that for no useful or neces-
sary purpose.
Strangers wsre then ordered to withdraw,
The House divided, when thera appeared—
For the amendments
Against them 157
Majority in favour of tlaa amendments 70

On the motion of Mr. WILBRAHAM the evidence
taken before the Committee was ordered to be printed.
On the question that the amendment be read a second
time,

Mr. CHOLMONDELE Y rose to object to the clause
providing that the expenses incurred by the opposers of
the Bill should be paid by the promoters of it. If such
a principle were to be established, he would ask whether
the present was the case in which it was to be begun. It
was for the House to consider whether it would entertain
so extraordinary a proposition that in any case the expense
of the opposers of the Bill should be paid by the pro-
moters of it.—( Hear, hear.) If the House agreed
to this clause, which he could not conceive they would do,
they would deliberately affirm a principle that had hitherto
never been recognised, and so establish a precedent that
had been hitherto utterly unthought of. He begged to
move, that the House disagree with the amendment.
Mr. J. JE RVIS said, that as the amendment
of which his Hon. Friend complained had been intro-
duced by himself, probably the House would accord to
him its indulgence while he made a few observations. In
the first place he thought he had some reason to complain
of the course which the Hon. Gent. had adopted. It was not
usual he believed to make such motion on 'bringing up the
Report. In private business, the course was to bring up
clauses or to move amendments on the third reading of
the Bill, and it was the ordinary course in the House and
out of the House, when one Honourable Member in-
tended to move an amendment, to give notice of it.
No notice had been given of the motion that had just been
made. That was a very good reason for his pressing on
the Hon. Member to arljourn the discussion till another
evening. Lie thought, having regard to the public busl.
Less before the House that night, it was impossible a full
discussion of the Bill could take place within reasonable time.
He now came to the statement of the Hon. Member re-
lating to the matter of the amendment, and he would ask
Hon. Members if they could be safely guided by the Hon.
Member, when he stated that the object of the amend-
ment was to make the promoters of the Bill pay the costs
of the opposition to it, and that he had taken advantage
of an accidental majority to introduce this amendment
in Committee. (Hear, hear.) If such were the
object of the amendment, Hon. Members would be per-
fectly right in voting against it. But such was not the
ease. 'the object of the amendment ware this. Certain
trustees of the River Weaver, amounting to about 105 of
the landed gentlemen of Cheshire, who were utterly un-
connected with the navigation of the Weaver and the salt-
works, wished in fact to impose a tax of 20 per cent.
on this navigation. Some of those gentlemen, constituting
the majority, came to the House to get a Bill enabling
them to build and endow churches out of the tolls of the
river Weaver, and introduced a clause that the expenses
of passing the Bill should be paid out of the surplus fund
of the river Weaver trust. Hon. Members opposite
complained that they were wearied by the opposition
to this Bill, and he thought that the opponents of the Bill
had an equal right to complain of vexatious application to
Parliament. Another portion of the trustees (the miner•
rity certainly, among whom was the Chairman of the
Quarter Sessions, and Lord Stanley of Aldcrley),
were of opinion that the trust would be violated
by any such misapplication of its funds, and he presented
two petitions against the Bill, stating that they were bound
on principle as trustees to protest against it, and
that they had no right to consent to, neither had
Parliament any oight to authorize, such a violation of
of a public trust. Ten thousand rate-payers of Cheshi7e,
who were likewise interested in this question, inasmuch is
the rates derived 15,000/. a year from their surplus
revenues, had petitioned against it, considered it unf--ir to
apply this trust fund to the erection of churches.
Under these circumstances, he thought it was
but fair that the expenses of that opposition
should be defrayed cut of the surplus fund as well as
the exp nses of the promoters of the Bill, and in this he
had followed the uniform practice of the Court of Chan-
cery who when an application was made to it by trustees to
carry out the purposes of any trust, and when certain
other trustees of the same trust opposed the application
bone fide, because they supposed the application to be an
improper one, were uniformly remunerated their expen-
diture out of the funds which they sought to protect.
This was, therefore, the proper opportunity of stating that
it was not the intention to ask the promoters of the Bill to
pay the costs of the opponents; nothing, of the sot t was in-
tended. The case was this :—A large fund was entrusted
for certain purposes to certain trustees. Certain of these
applied to Parliament for power, and violated the object of
that trust. Certain of the other trustees were of opinion
that the trust ought not to be violated ; -and therefore they
came as they were bound to do, before the House. if a
majority of them had voted to apply the money to some ex
traneous purpose, ought they not to have came there to
protect the interest of the trust committed to them ? If
the Bill were carried, a most vicious principle might be
adopted ; and on that grcund it was consistent with the
principle of a court of equity, with justice and morality,
that it should be met with a fair bona fide opposition. The
Hon. Member said it was a vexatious opposition. But
when it was only carried by a majority of one—when in
a Select Committee, ten Members to one confirmed the
principle of that opposition, it cculd not be called
vexatious, and the Hon. Member had no right to call it
so, not having entered into the details of the measure.
There were precedents in its favour in the Court of Chan-
cery and in the House of Lords, though there were no
precedents in that House on the subject. lie thorght
that, under these circumstances, the Bill should not have
been brought forward.

Lord STANLEY said that he was not a member of the
Committee which had sent in the Bill, and he had taken
no part in reference to it, except by having before voted in
favour of the second reading, and being then favourable to
the amendment introduced by the Committee. If, how-
ever, any lion. Gentleman supposed that the slightest
attempt bad been made to take him by surprise in any
way,—although be believed that the regular notice had
been given at the Private Bill Office, and though the
Members of the Committee had been duly informed on
the subject—(No, no)—if any Hon. Member could say
that he was taken by surprise by the amendment, he
should advise his lion. Friend near him —strong
as he must be in the justice of his cause— to
accede at once to the suggestion made by the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman opposite, that the further
consideration of the question should be adjourned
till another day. He was not disinterested in the
matter, as be was anxious that the House should immedi-
ately proceed to important public business.—( Hear, bear.)
He would therefore propose to his Hon. Friend that the
question should be postponed till Monday next, when no
one could object to its discussion.

Mr. CIIOLMONDELEY was ready to adopt the
suggestion of his Nob!e Friend. He thought he had
given due notice on the subject, but he did not wish to
take aay parties by surprise, He would, therefore, move
that the debate should be adjourned to Monday next.
Lord J RUSSELL had no objection to the debate
being adjourned till Monday.'
Mr. J JERVIS suggested to the Hon. Member to
adjourn it till Tuesday, which was finally agreed to.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET brought up the
Report of the Committee on the Monmouthshire Iron
and Coal Company.
On the motion of Mr. G. PALMER Austin's Patent
Bill was read a third time and passed.
Mr. BURROUGHES gave notice that on the bring-
ing up of the Report of the Poor-law Commissioners he
should move an instruction to the Commissioners to au-
thorize the Guardians of the Poor to distribute out-door
relief in certain cases.

Mr. WIL BR AHA NI gave notice that on Monday next,
in moving the Order of the Day, he should move an
amendment that the evidence on the Weaver Church Bill
b.l printed.

Mr. LEWIS gave notice that on the further considera-
tion of the Report of the \Veaver Churches Bill he should
move certain clauses for the purpose of remodelling and
re-constructing the trustees.

'REGISTRATION OF VOTERS (IRELAND).
- Lord STANLEY moved the Order of the Day for the
house going into Committee on the Irish Registration Bill.
Sir B. HALL presented a petition against the Bill,
signed by 400 members of the Marylebene Parochial As-
sociation, and by 64 shopkeepers of Oxford street.
On the question that the Speaker do now leave the chair,
Mr. SLANE Y rose, not, he said, to offer any ob-
struction to the Bill of the Noble Lord, but to perform a
public duty upon that which appeared to him a most im-
portant subject. He had read the Bill with the greatest
care, and also the Bill of the Solicitor-General, and he was
convinced that any one who would look at the two Bills
dispassionately would see that the machinery of one Bill
gave every facility to claimants, and the other gave every
facility to objectors.—(Cheers from both sides.) He said
this without 'rit" all imputing motives to any one. But
tho Bill of the Noble Lord appeared to him as much cal-
sulated to give facilities to objectors, as the Bill of the
'Solicitor-General was calculated to give them to claimants.
—( Hear, hear.) He had no doubt that the framer of
etch Bill had no other view than to give to Ireland the
best possible constituency ; but ho believed that the great
difference between the two Bills was owing to the ambi-
guity of the terms in which the existing franchise as
given.—( Hear, hear.) His friends with whom he Fad
conversed were of the same opinion, one considered the
matter one way, and another in another ; and such being
the case, he would put it to the Noble Lord to say
whether it was not impossible to settle matters without
great and due consideration. He would allow that many
had claimed the franchise that had no right to it, but be
would venture to say that many of them were led %stray
by the ambiguity of the words of the franchise.. • The
barrister who had to sit upon these matters cameto dif-
ferent conclusions, as did the tenants, landlords, arid j 'tikes
of the land. If such was the fact what must be the ease
with the poor and illiterate ? He would venture to sire
without fear of contradiction, that it was impossible to
do anything satisfactory either in the Bill of the Noble
Lord or thz.t of the Right Hon. Gentleman, the Solicitor-
General for Ireland, unless the franchise was defined on
which they were going to legislate. The Hon. Gentleman
must know that the oath was made entirely different at
the time of the passing of the Reform Bill. The con-
structions which the Judges had put upon this oath bad
reference to the Emancipation Bill, and not to the Reform
Bill. On referring to the proceedings in tho House of
Lords upon the Reform Bill,
he found that a proposition
was made by the Earl of Roden, to retain the old oath.
That proposition was rejected and what was the argument
made use of by the colleagues of that Hon. Gentleman
and the Noble Lord opposite. He was not saying the
subject was clear, but being ambiguous it was not good
policy to legislate upon it until they made it clear.
He did not mean to say that the construction was intended
to be thus obscure, but what be contended for was,that it was
utterly impossible for the parties who were to take the oath
to arrive at a clear interpretation of it. No man could
deny that, as the cage at present stood, the dt finition of
the fra,ichise was most vague and unsatisfactory ; and if
they were about to frame a measure, it sh
fouldbeoistie which
should clearly and distinctly define the rat : ehe He
i
i thought that the defining of til,iee fßrailnl. chislef
they passed the
would,takea away
' the principal objection to the
Bill without great alteration, could it be doubted that po.
pular excitement and agitation would be renewed in Ire-
land? If the Noble Lord and his party were to succeed to
power, if they were to change places with Hon. Gentle
men near him, would it not bo desirable that the difficulty

S U N
• e -
' I
FNENING
which Ireland would offer to the. success of their ./e"
stration should be removed? But be would not
Ireland only. • Let them look to the distress nociiiisieiiil4lBorieti
ing in England. The cause of the poverty and destitu-
tion in our great towns, was the constant influx of unfor-
tunate outcasts from Ireland, and it was impossible but
that the number should continue, if agitation continued
there; therefore, speaking for the poor classes in these towns,
he said one of the most effectual things that could be
done for improving their condition would, be to tranquilize
Ireland. It was admitted on both sides the franchise was
ambiguous, and it should therefore be the chief object of
both sides ta define it. He had acted thus solely from a
sense of duty, aed a desire that some attempt should be..
made to settle the matter on some other foundation than ;-
what would be called fightine it out to the last.
Mr. O'CONNELL said the Hon. Member who had
spoken last had declared that he came to the consideration
of this question free from any party bias, which accord-
ingly he (Mr. O'Connell) was bound to believe, but if
to possess a desire to sustain the franchises of the Irish
people was to have a party bias, he (Mr. O'Connell) ad-
nutted himse If to be a party man, and as such to rise with
a party feeling. He wished to imitate the temper in
which the Hon. Gentleman had offered his observations to
the House, and he had not come down to the House dis
posed to quarrel with the arrangements that had been
made between the Noble Lords as to the mode of going
on with businesa but he desired rather to press on the
House the consideration of the obligation to determine what
the franchise was or ought to be. The impression on his
mind_ was very strong that he ought to try at once to pro-
cure from the House a declaration on this subject, and if
he did not press it at the present moment it was chiefly
owi :g to the dispessionate and rational observations that
had been made by the. Hon. Member for Shrewsbury. and
to the perfect good sense that he thought pervaded his
views on the subject of the definition of the franchise, and
he did hope that what had fallen from that Gentleman
would sink into the minds of Hon. Gentlemen on the other
side, and that they would see that it would actually amount
to en absurdity to proceed with the Bill iu its present elate.
[lear, hear.) It seemed to him to be. as inconsistent
with c. meson sense as anything could be to proceed with
the But now; for what where they going to do? To settle
the mode of registration before they had determined what
should he registered. 'They did not know what those forms
of reeieeetien were to result in, or what they were to apply
to. They ought to begin at the beginning; They ought
first to ascertain what the Irish franchises were, and if they
did so there would be no difficulty in forming a ?roper re-
gistry'. Surely there ought not to be any obj,:ction to a
fair mode of ascertaining the franchise.—( Hear, hear.)
-Would the House recollect for one moment that there
was a Bill before it for that purpose ; and would it not be
a proper and reasonable course to take up that Bill first
in which there were but teo or three clauses that could
occupy the time of the House at any length ? But tke
whole question would arise on that Bill, and tke fran-
chise could be settled by it either way, when the registry
would be a matter of comparatively little momeet. Wee
he to be told that he threw out that suggestion to -delay
the Bill ? He was told that he offered a vexatious oppo-
sition. Was there not alto vexatious hurry ? The Noble
Lord opposite himself did not propose that the Bill should
come into operation until 1841. What occasion was there
then- to hurry it be fore the franchise was settled ? The
Noble Lord would have sufficierit time to aptly himself to
it nest Session, if the Bill for ascertaining the franchise
were no: settled in the meantime. The Noble Lord, with
his unr;valled power of debate, had t ken advsntage. of
the former Bills brought in for the registration, in which
he ( Mr. O'Connell) had cot:cursed. But in those Bills
the f,•anelise was d, fined. If the object of this BEI were
only to prevent fraud, cud if it was not intended to take
away the franchise of the Irish people, the course which
he suggested would be adoped, and the franchise itself be
first determined. The t fleet of the present doubtful
state of the franchise was not to afford facilities to
the icgistry a-. large in numbers, but to limit
the
_constituency to a niserable minority. The
constituency of Wales was rqu,l to cue-half of the
consti!u .ncy of all Ireland, and one riding of York-
shire lhal as many voters as all Ireland. The sm:llest
county in England had es many voters es the
Itrizest county iu Ireland, where the population was
700.000. If they narrowed the constituency they woull
almost annilii4ite it ; and when it was known that all the
litigation which had taken place in Ireland arose from net
hating the franchise dtfined,—if LI! V cue things were
kn,wri to the El ,use, surely they would not waste their
time by proceeding with the Bill until that question had
ben settled. Ile would not, however, lose the benefit tf
the conciliatory speech of the [lon. Meaibcr for Shrews-
bury ; thert fore, he wou!cl not press the instruction of
which he had given notice: be would have other oppor-
tue:ties, end lie would not fail to take advantage of them.
The [louse then went into Committee, Mr. FRESIMELD
in the chair.

Mr. O'CONNELL would beg of the Noble Lord to
postpone the interpretation clause. It would come better
in at the end of the Bill.
Lord STANLEY could not consent to postpone the
clause. Any amendments that might be made would be
in sucl► words as wou:d interpret themselves.
NIORPETH thought that the clanse would b'
more in its place at the cr.d cf the B II ; however, as it
was.almost the solitary instance of a clause, to which he
had no uhjcetie n, he would not pros; its pAlponernent.
Mr. O'CONNE :A, moved, as an amendment, that the
clause le postpones'.
Strangers were ordered to withdraw. No division,
however, took place; and the clause was agteed to, and
crdered to s-and port of the Bill.
clause 3 'acing propcsed,
'.Lord MORI'ETII said that clause raised the question,
whether :Ley would introduce the innovation of annual re-
gistration.—( Hear, hear.) He was decidedly opposed to
the p►iuciplc—he much preferred the present system of
quarterly registration.—( Hear, hear.) There were se-
veral amendments he had to propose in the clause. Would
it not be better to take the debate upon an early part of
the clause, as if he (Lord Morpeth) succeeded, it would
save much time ; and if he failed, the Committee would
hare an opportunity of considering the amendments af-
tcr►rards.

Lord STANLEY considered the principle of annual
registration as an essential pa►t of the Bill; and if tho
Noble Lord succeeded in obtaining quarterly registrations,
it would be so inconsistent with the whole frame-work of
the Bill, that he would think it a condemnation of the Bill,
and would give the House no further trouble upon it.—
(Cheers. ) He wished both sides of the House to under-
stand the question ; and if it was raised upon the present
clause, or on another, it mattered not to him—he wlla
satisfied.
M. O'CONNELL—The principle of the Bill, then,
was annual registration ; and if the Noble Lord was de-
feated upon it, it would be a mere waste of time to debate
the amendments that were to be proposed. He would pro-
pose that the debate be taken upon the first word of the
clause, or upon the words "in any year." Let,them come
at once to the principle of the clause.

Ltd STAN LEI had no choice in the matter. Ho
was there to propose his clauses—to afford explanation of
them—to consider and give way to reasonable amendments,
and to defend his Biil against obketionable ones. He would
enter into no arrangi.ment with the Ma. and. Learned
Merzbcr. lie would take what course he pleased. Ho
(Lord S:anley) was ready to proceed in any way the
House pleased.
Lord J. RUSSELL thought the debate and division
ought to. be taken upan an early pait of the clause ; be-
cause, if it were carried, then it left it open to the Com-
mittee to make amendments after. He thought the pro-
per place for it was when it was proposed to fill up the
blank with the " 20th July."
The CHAIRMAN read over the clause. Where it was
proposed to require twelve months residenca previous to
registration,

`Mr. O'CONNELL objected. Why should .there be
any change from six months, as at present. The greater
part of the leases in Ireland commenced in March, so that
larder the Bill a man must be in occupation fifteen montl s.
Nay, sometimes, if there were even a slight mistake in the
notice, for nearly three years. That was not the way the
voter was treated in England.
Lord STANLEY would in a few words show that no
injustice would be done to the Irish voter by the present
Ltill; and that in reality under it be would be placed in a.
better situation than the voter in England. He confessed
that he could not follow the Honourable and Learned
Member, nor make out how it was possible to
keep a vctcr cff the registry under the Bill for
fifteen months or three years.—(hear.) In the first
place, he must dens, that all Irish tenures were from March.
To his own knobs ledge many came into possession in Sep..
tember. The time of serving no:ices, objections, and the
registration, were all the same in his Bill as in the Eng..
kit Reform Bi:l ; only the English Bill required tweivo
months' occupation, while he had a proviso that any lands
or property coming into the possession of any one within
the twt lye months might register upon an occupation 0
six months. That was an advantage which the English
voter bad not. Ile did not desire injuriously to affect the
franchise, and he gave an advantage to the Irish voter, for
be gave him the benefit of the time which he was over
six montirs and under twelve months on the registry, while
the existing law reouircd that he should be on the registry
more than the twelve months. The Solicitor-Generat
for Ireland, proposed a different course, and one which
would he itsjurik.us to the claimant, for by his Bill the
claimant should be more than twelve months on the re-
gistry, and he might in many cases be sixteen or seventeen
mouths on it before' he was entitled to vote. As compared
with the English voter, the Irish voter had an advantage
by the new Bill ; and be was also placed in a better pear..
tics than that which, he held by the existing law in Ireland.
The amendment would, on the contary, place the voter in
auoirse position than the clause which it was proposed to
alter.
Mr. O'CONNELL—terTheaNbuebttleerLpoorsditihoandtshanind
bthyattht
hie
Bill wou
of the Solicitor-General for I,cland ; but in that the Noble
Lord
was mistaken, for the Bill of the Solicitor-Geteral,
made the registries quarterly, would give the
claimant the advantage of being able to urge his title
which
sooner than he could do by the Bill of the Noble Lord,
whie: made the registries annual. The Bill of the Solici-
tor-General tojk : way nothing, and that could not be said
ref the measure viWch they were then considering. By the
Bill of the Noble Lord, a party making a mistake, no
matter how unimportant, when he first urged his claim,
would be unable to vote for two years and five, six, or
seven months, as the case might happen. The Noble Lotd
said that the objectionable provision in his Bill existed in
the English Act; but what comfort was that to-Ireland?
—( Hear, hear.) There was not a single mischief in the
English system which the Noble Lord did not give them.
while he kept b-ck its benefits. He oished the Noble
Lord would give them What was good in the English Act,
but would keep back what was bad in it to himself.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that the Noble
Lard required en occupation of twelve months in all county
qualifications, whether arising from leasehold er:freehold
property, and the Noble Lord said that the state of the
the law in that respect was the same in England. In that,
however, the Noble Lord was mistaken; the law Eng_
. land, with respect to freehold property, requiring a quali-
fication of only six months. The Noble Lord was, there-
fore, about to inflict a provision on Ireland which did apt
exist in this country.

Mr. S. O'BRIEN said that the Bill would operate un-_
favourably fee Ireland.
Mr. H. GRATTAN also contended that the Bill would
injuriously affect the voter in Ireland.
Lord STANLEY admitted that his Bill would not
allow the party to register so soon as that of the Solicitor -
general,
general, which made the registries quarterly. 'feat,
however, was an inconvenience inseparable from the prin-
ciple of the measure. But the Bill gave other advantages
as eompared with the present law.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the Bill would be at-
tended, according to the admission of the Noble Lord,
with one inconvenience which he bad at first seemed
disposed to deny. The voter would not be enabled to
register so often as by the present law. The Noble Lord,
therefore, subjected the claimant to an inconvenience to
which he was not now liable, and on no other grounds
whrek he (Lord J. Russell) had heard, except that the
English system was the same. Ho did not deny that, and
if the Noble Lord had said that he thought the whole of
the English system should be adopted in Ireland—
( Hear, bear)—he (Lord J. Russell) should not object
to the provision. But while it was proposed to submit
the Irish voter to all the hardships of the English system,
without extending to him its benefits, he could not admit
the justice of the comparison made in a single instance by
the Noble Lord. If the English law was to be given to
Ireland let it be given entire, and let her enjoy its advan-
tapes tie well as its more inconvenient provisions. —( Hear. )
Sir E. SUGDEN said that as regarded the right to re-
gister, the Bill would assimilate the law in England and
Ireland. In his judgment, the clause did not inflict any
injury on the Irish claimant as compared with his proem
position, which was not necessary, and which was not
counterbalanced by some good. By the present measure
twelve months' possession would entitle the party to vote,
and six months would entitle him to register, while twelve
months' possession were now necessary to give the same
right.
C. WOOD.said that it appeared from what bad
tallest from the Attorney-General, that the Bill of the
Noble Lord would injuriously aff:ct the Irish freeholder.
A Wog conventation ensued, which ended with the w.;rds
" trx months" being inserted instead of twelve tnths"
perrijeus to the 20th July.
Lo-d MORPETH then said it might be convenient for
ehe Wattle, instead of going on consuming time in minute
ameadeceents, to take the main question first es to the an-
neal or the quarterly registration. With that view he
twilbt n-w awl, that the words "previous to the rt.,' tstra-
tiara" be it:or-fed instead of " previous to 20th July."
Tape Nr)b!e. Lard having for some moments eonsuited his
sells:taw:lea as to the terms of his amendment,
Lord BTA NLEY angrily rose and sad that the Neble
Lerd evidently had ao real idea of what they had to pro
peee—( Conservative cheers)—he and his colleagues were
only desirous as they went on, of hatching such tricks as
na'ght occur to them for mangling the measure.--( Hear,
bear, and cries of " Oh, ob.')
Lord . MORPETH indignantly replied, the Noble
Lord has gireo us a happy specimen of the temper--
(Teen.= lous cheers)—with which he is disposed to
every this 1111—(R. peated cheers)—though a discussion
;leis so auspiciously commenced—( Reiterated cheers)_.
I sill not candeseered to reply to hint—(Continued
aheers)—to the House, tor to the Noble Lord—
( Clacers)--I beg to recal the fact, that. I had previoludy
seared my determination to oppose this Tvestioa of annual
revision ; sod I propese that it be". taken no,r, is order to
meet the ea: steel, n•.ee cf the llou.e—( Hear, hear, hear)—
act
howev;r. to that cours the Noble Lord will not ae-
code, Ith 11, when the clause has been gone through,
e that it be s ruele out.—( Tremendous cheers.)
After some debate,
Mr. WA RBUR ros sail, he thought it b,st to have
the discussion en this important subject new ; and as the
wares " previous to 20.1,1.4." the anntni revi-
atm, to wthe eas oppesed, begged t 'move the in-
a Ilion of " previous to the regieteritig" instead, which
would contaia the pros nt rir.rt,rly registration.
Mr. SL ANE Y spoke for the quarerly revisions as at
preesent. Upon the whole, therefore, he Mt bound to vats
ogs.inst the annual registration, unless the right of voting
was more pl,fi.:ed.
Mr. INGHAM said, that if th• re was anything in the
lilt of the Noble Lord that t ut a restraint on the honest
%o" r,, he was sure that all parties, even the Noble L .rd
himsear. w ,ar•d jain in makine such alterations as seal:!
(et bleeh that e coca could see no re ascii, how. ver,
why tee voter should be •uhject to the harsh nrreision cf
a :n2. Li vote viii,j •cned f ier times a y ar to revision.
.dr CBI ON delight that the more be quent
the re, istretien tie less etetnee th re would be of vertersj
being k pt cot of their upon a mere matt• r of form
Lateed of its bavinat a tendeecy to increase party spirit
at the period of r.gistratien, by dividing disputes ov‘r four
periods cf th year, lest eed of concentrating them into ore
putieol. it app a. d to him the excitement would can-
s Per, p
Laid lio t IU. , as thie tricatien had gone so far,
met la, permlital t auto ihattly the view he took upon
tuffs SU' ker. It me.pe oel to him desh elate • th.t raters
ssoidet het he eve toed f: out cbta-nint their franch:se,
ba that every facility should be g:ren to them for that
pu rose, 04 the other hand, however, he thought that
the amendment which the, carded the other right made
it imperative upon the House to see that the single ieeee-
tigatiora wheel. was to take place before the vote teats put
an the r. g.ster, was a searching one. He thoeagl:t if they
sarat.lishe i a quartmle st stilt of registration, they would
asep-se scut h titans upsv rte-y county and p oich in
L'Osof. I . the ebe-noe of any further arguments than
t tout iad bPrn ofercia on this subject, he saw no
steu-sna tier elle“fitag to the sorm of registration proposed
by Lon! opposite ( Lord Stanley),
teIGOT alit that the ohjaction he entertained to
Our B A t.,1 Use NoWe Lord was, that it was introduced fur
/la • pos-ust. of removing :.buses, avid it went beyond it.
for Ike purpeee cf revision, and it i ro..
videsi a new systorn ref registration. The object of the
lii! t..ey last intreduced, and the plan of quarterly re-
vision, was to iemetly the evils that existed in the present
ay4cuieci regietrstien in Ir. land—t caist:ng for tepa anis
a a ezneury, sad which the Reform Bill did not rectify.
Wr at bad be,n 6-e ccur,e adopted in Ireland with respect
to tlse eranehise ? Early Ira the last century a course of
• egistry teas adopted ext:errely deihctive. That course
Pres, that a person having a fteeliold presented himself
pesos the M.giatratea at el:Snider Sessions, swore ha had
6 freehold. aced the registry was made a part of the minis-
terial bushteas cf the . la 1829, the Rieht Hon.
Baronet oppos'te introduced his Bit:. Ile Lund cats leg
local Court*, and he took a.lvantage of those Courts. le
the Noble Lord who inticduced the Reform Act
found these Courts in eperation, and he also selects d that
turi diction ; and upon what ground he begged to ask, was
i,ttat at the end of . ight years they we-re to deprive tic
pe o' Ireland of the benefit of that jurisdiction, to re-
., ova the facilities th,t had been secured to them, and to
an annual s ateea of registration ? There were faci-
lities, and important facilities, aceornpnying the exere'se
tio' that juriseietinn. Some strong irresistible grounds,
amounting to absolute necessity, ought to be shown, before
they took from the Joists people that yreen of registration
wlich was aecommedat-od to hab;ts, when it pre-
miered try them the facilities of frequent administration of
east branch of the lase, and wl ice provided them with
persona to defend their rights. \Vas it alleged that there
• wee* abuses in, cr objeciene to, the Inc de cf quarterly
registration ? None had teen pointed out. By his (Mr.
I,egot'a) B 11, he abided by the law as it stood, re-
taining what +Arts not mishievous, removing what was.
What ho proposed was net, as the Noble Lord did,
, to rieep away the en6ra jurisdiction, in order to sub-
sthnee a perfectly new one, but simply to seperadd one
jurttd.ution, leering the other as it stood. Let the House
consider that the existing tribunals were aeccrnmodated to
the neceaities and conveniences of the people. But by the
Noble Lord's Bill those tribunate would be destroyed, and
a teibureal appointed to sit it the worst period eel the year,
namely, October, s time at which the peaeaetry were most
eceunhol in their own pursuits, an-I by the absence of a
wi ness cue imeg from his occupation, a frivolous objection
to akte might be successful.—([leer, hear.) He called
spas the Iluitze not to interfere with the bahitusl course
of proceding in Ireland, and not to destroy their institu-
tiers, where acconsmodat..d to thelr habits, in order to erect
a new sot cf tribunals that. would coly create ernbarws-
menu, texatien„ aid expense.
Mr. Sorgeaum; JACKSON agreed that alterations
ought sot to be made without absolute necessity, and he
wisi:ed that th. doctrine Lad been acted on in later
thews mere generally that; had been done by the Go-
veretnent.—( Hear.) The Hon. and Learned ,
Irma had stated that by Isis 8.11 he proposed to
leave the law as it eta'', that was that there should be four
quarterly registrations is each year, and that other provi. ions
. relating to registration should remain the law of the land.
Lb contended that the law as it at present stood in Ire-
land did not afford protection against the fraudulent re-
gistry of persons. At present the lew only allowed ten
days for hreestigatirig the case of parties evho had fraud_
lastly got upon the register, aed ho denied that that was
Buire'kitt time. Again, the law was so inconveident in
regard telho- arrangen.ent of the lids that it impos-
t
illate for the panty to iavestigete accurately twhe 1 std.
LI oar boar.) 'the present l-s intu,t. be altered, and Le a; aria ed lye fight alteration
"il
NAL, Lord, flamulii annual revsnthatTpeposcd by the
terlv itxtpracticable it was toi: cavey.,s: o show how ut-
'ina.f.tetna:ccur..atytely the lists
in Aat days, .he would take s,
Iu 1838 there were no fewer than le,,Ge:4
.
claims earved
.00 tha Cretk, and he found 1839c;Zere
were 2-1,4:29, making a total of 38,653 notices. How
m=ay did the Illtise suppose were registered out of that
number? Why, 4,721..--(Hoar, hear, Lea.) It ,na,
most desirable that the clause under discussion should be
~tptteld, and time attempt cf his Hen. and Learned Friend
to cheetah his Bill with the existing system of registration
was utterly impracticable.
Mr. O'CONNELL did not intend to follow the 'Hon.
and Learned Gentleman through 'Os legal argument, al_
though it might be disposed of in very few words. The
fact WU, the oludge,s had held a private mcetlng, from
counsel were excluded, and bad come to the decision
alluded to by the Hon. Geatleinan oppossite. Now were
the subjects' rights to be taken away from them when thei:
counsel were CICEIdCd, reed the Jueges refused to li-ten to
argument on the seabject ? To whet a wretched cenditicn
weld the people of Eogluteed aid Ireland be re dueed if
au-th were the case.. Berddes, before the question eceld
be said to be decided, it ot;ht to Lave born brought Lefore
tire Judges la retch a meaner that. it could he ultimeteiy carried by appeal b--fcre the Home of Lords for their de--
cinoh. Several of the Assist.:.nt-Barristt.rs had ri,eided
in fheour et -the beneficial interest. Two cif •the Judiea b.!ri reeetied is 'the aeme rusnrer, th, refore it eeuhl net be said
that the law tees stotled oa that nniot. He aerni!ttil ;hat
it eaglet to be settled but tle Learned S sr u-
rh2nt teas wr.-;ng .bet
Wet it was scaled. $; n Koch
for tfte light pert of the cpaes;ien.
..:ow with regard :o
the rinneliieee the Learned Sergrant Complained that the
aTr.l he appealed to
r,,,tice Peirar was not suiliciera
Ikea. Members as if lie were erguing
la. Or;C under the
Eieisl ; lo.r. the cage in Ireland was perfectly &T r.
ark t>s wkal it 7.1.3 in England. In Ireland a man claiming
to be on the registry, even if ids eta rn were not eieneeen, he. _l
to
prove hi-, ht to reghder ; see hhd to coet:e upen the telele
sad be etvotn ten prucioci: leis witnes:nrs, to pro.!nze lis
title-deeds if these shoeld he test, to aces mat fee
them 50 !ha!, even if Ix were not epposed yrieen nepe
up to register, he must d'rutigh the whole of this -
•

vestigation. In fact, the Assistant-Barrister- could not
register him without it. What further could be necessary ?
The notice in such a case was surely adequate. A claim-
ant must give due notice of his intention to regis-
ter. He must post such notice on all the places esta-
blished by the police for the posting of notices, and also
advertise in all the newspapers of the county, and the in-
vestigation which followed was complete, as the voter had
to encounter every legal difficulty of form. For instance,
if he happened to have three names, and to write one of
them with an initial, he had to serve two or three sets of
notices—one with all the names written at length, another
with the names as he usually signed them, and another
perhaps with the initials; and then he had to undergo the
most rigid cross-examination as to all these particulars.
The Hon. Gentleman said that the registration of the City
of Dublin continued through half the year, but if the Bill
of the Noble Lord passed, it would continue through
three-fourths of the year, so that three-fourths of the year
would be taken up with registering, and one-fourth only
would be left for voting. Did not that demonstrate the
utter impracticability of the Noble Lord's Bill. The
enjoyed
of registering at every Quarter. Session, bad been
in Ireland before the Union, by virtue of an Act of
the Irish Parliament.—( Hear, hear.) The claimant
gave in his claim to the Magistrate at Quarter-Sessien.
the Magistrate whose office was merely ministerial, banded
the affidavit to the Clerk of the Peace, and the voter
was registered. In this state, natters remained up to
the year 1829. The Emancipation Bill raised the fran-
chise to 101., but continued the right of registration. By
the Reform Bill also,
the right of registration was con-
tinued. And if he were present he would ask
the Noble Lord, the Member for Northumberland,
who pretended to stand upon the Reform Bill, if it was
hisintention to deprive the people of Ireland of those
rights which had been guaranteed to them by the Reform
Bill. It was a great benefit to be permitted to register
every Session, as the voters who registered could shift
from Session to Session, as necessity required. If he
were obliged to make an atrdavit at the Quarter Sessions
he would find his regular legal adviser, and it was no small
advantage to the farmer in Ireland to be able to register
at the Quarter Sessions.—( Hear, hear. ) All legal
business in which he had an interest was transacted
there—actions for debt, actions or trespass—cases
of assault all were tried at the Quarter Sessions. Every
man was sure to find his, confidential legal advisci attend.
ing them, and did they mean to take from the Irish voter
the advantage of employing his own confidential attorney,
to force him to produce his lease, in which, perchance. his
landlord might discover some blot, without giving him that
opportunity of consulting his legal adviser as to the pro-
priety of urging his claim under such circumstances ? If
they trade the registration annual they would deprive
him cf the benefit of it. The Noble Lord-said he wanted
a full investigation. Now woul i he not secure a much
fuller investigation by this st stem cf quarterly registration,
when perhaps only 40 or 50 claims would have to to be
iavestigated at one time, than be an annual registration,
when perhaps three or four thousand might have to be
investigated?—(Hear, bear, hear.) Uundcr this system of
registration, all who were on the list would have
to come into the town on the fir t day and remain the en.
tire time. The greatest nurubtr that had ever been regis-
tered.in Ireland at one time was 40, and if there were 4 000
to be registered some of the persons would have to remain
Kt town fur 40 days, or run the Fisk, if their backs were
turned for a moment, of having their names called aod
struck out of the registry. Quarterly registration was a great
convenience to the people, because a farmer might choose
the Session, after he had paid his rent, and when he was
not in his landlord's power; when hie landlord could not
say to him, " If you go and register, I will have every
beast offyour farm, and in the pound to- morrow morning."
—( Cheers.) There was no such thing as a regular rent-
day in Ireland. Men acre sent out at different times-to
collect the rents, and no doubt landlords would be
indulgent to their tenantry, as the registration sessions
came on, in order to be ready to pounce upon them if they
dared to reels. er. The fuliest investigation took place
before thes'Assistant-Barrii-ter. Every Session there was
a regular staff of Conservative lawyere to oppose the re_
eistration cf voters, and if this Bill passed is would make
it impossible for the voter properly to register, as
it would be giving the wealthy the power of keee-
ing tee voter eff the register, by putting him to
as cncrmous expense. In fact, it would be impossible for
the indeperoleet freettolderne reerieter at ail—he must at-
tach himself to some party.__( Doe rs.) They talked of
agitation bsing coot tmed throughout the yeer, but did
they not think tit it it bias iefiaitely more danger-nue to
coadense that agitation at cue period ?.—(Cheers.) It
might thsu explode, in a menner disagreet.ble to ever; body.
That annual Session would, in fact, be totenitcd with all
the brat sad agitation of a contested election. Ile con
thssed that at the intreduetien of the Raft:ten Bill, he had
beer, in favour of an annual registration, but the Neble Lord
had opposed him, and the experii nec in England had
shown :ha; at that time the Noble Lord was right, and he
was w otig. fle, therefore, with the experience of 'he
annual system in Ergiand, nitod oppose its introduction
into Ireland —( Cho era.) •
Mr. Sergeent JACK SON said the case had been ar-
gue i before the Judges by the Attorne.-General for Ire-
land wet Mr. S.rgeant Green on the same side, cod Mr.
Thom- s Smith and Mr. Serele en the other ; there fore it
could not be slid that the Judges had decided without
hearing arguments, and he thought the Hon. and Learned
Member was the last man in that House who should ha. e
.aid there was no such thing as a tent day in Irelaud._
( Leud laughter and cheers.)
Mr. O'CONNELL was most happy to see the
Learned Sergeant facetious; it was the ti-st time i.e bait
ever known tim to be so.—(Ciirers and laughter ) He
bdigsrd that one point of a case bad been argued before
the Judges, but, in many instances, they bad decided
eithout listening to argument, and in one case they had
sent for written arguments.
Mr. SHIE L slid, that so far from the opinion of the
Judges being cons lusiv,- and settling the law, two of then:
bad difthrt d in opinion from the othrrs, and had refused to
be guided by the decision of the majority. This Bill did
not profese to settle the law, but left it to the Judges, so
that the tight of registration would &Tend upon the mere
casualty of the Judge's tour, end Baron Ri Lards could
register a man in Cork upon the very qualification Chien
Baron Pent father had decided to be insuffirient in Wa-
terford. Nay, more, by this Bill a person who was re-
jected at a Session ,night claim to be' registered at the
next en-the same qualification, so that the man re jecm4 by
Ileron Penelather in 1841 might, in the same county, on the
same Tialificetion, be register: d by Baron Richards le 1842.
Such a system would be most monstrous. He called upon
them to cure that evil. The Noble Lord wculd creleavour
by a side wind to do that itelirectly which he shrunk from
cal:ieg upon the Legislature to do. Accenting to the
Noble Lord's system, a men who was rejected eclat I not
have his appeal tried for six months; and In the tneautime
a dissolution end general election might take place, and he
would he deptived of his right of voting. He comp'ained
also of the advantage which the Bill gave to 50/. f,ers.
holders and enrgymen elm could register their Notes four
times a year as at present, while the 101. freeholder had
only one oppt rtuoity of doing so. He thought the system
of annual registration was most iniquitous, and he should
therefore give the ciau e his decided opposition.
Lord STANLEY said it seemed to him that the deci-
sion of the poet of aenuel en quarterly registration bias
new about to take place; arid he would tepee: that opt n
that decision depended A bether he would to-tweed thither
with the measure It was unnecessary fur him to go at
any length into the arguments which had been used
against his prep :sed arrangement ; but he would observe
that the whole frame-wo:k and machinery of the Bill was
so wound up with the plan of enuual registration that
if it was negatived he would not take up the time of the
Committee by proeceling further with the Bill.—( Hear.)
Ile would remind the Noble Lord that in the Bills of
1835, 1835, and 1838, witch had been brought in under
the auspices of Mr. Perrin, Mr. O'Loughlin, and Mr.
Woulfe, the system of annual registrations had been recog-
nised, and he would be glad to know when the Noble Lord
had changed les r pinion on this point.—(llear, hear.)
With respect to what the Hon. and Learned Member for
Dublin had said of the minority of the Irish judges riot
being bound by the decision of the majority—if any coun-
try existed in which such a system obtained three could
be no certainty of any law being carried into effect.—
(Hear, hear.) Le: them frame their laws in any way
they pleased there would 'ee sure to be some difference of
opinion, and conflicting decisions would be the inevitable
result. There was another point on which be wished to
say a word—namely, with rsspret to 501. freeholders and
clergymen, who under the law as it at present stood could
tender their affidavits at any •f the quarterly registering
sessions. It was alleged that this Bill would place them
in a better position, but be deemed that such would not
be the case, and if Hon. Gentlemen looked at the 41st
clause of the Bill they would find that these parties were
placed on exactly the same footin_g with the 101. free-
holders he all the subsequent proceedings after the ten-
dering of the effidavits. Ile bad heard Hon. Members on
the other side say " give us some rest in Ireland—do not
keep us in a system of continual agitation," and yet when
be proposed to carry out the principle of introducing the
system of annual registration objections were started to it
on every side. It was surely of material importance when
so many difficulties were thrown in the way of revision,
that care should be taken to make the original registration
as correct as possible. He did not wish to throw difficulties
in the way of eloimauts. But when the claimant having
been once admitted would with difficulty ever be remover',
the obstructions to bone fide objections ought not to be
multiplied.—( Hear, hear.) The labour aad trouble which
the Bill of the Solicitor-General would give rise to, in
the way of objectore, was such as render objection ie
the majority of cases impracticable. Tile course would
be that persons would go on as they did now, making
elaims without foundation ; but abstaining from pressing
the claim, if the objector was present at the Quarter Ses-
sien, tail renewing it from Session to Session until the
objectorr was wearied rut, in which case the vote would be
ent
eredupon the reeistry without any chance of removing
ine life o(the voter, hnwever invalid the qualifi-
"'i?n. He could make allow-aces for the defects of the
Selteitor-peneral's Act, when he considered the baste
with whim) it was pr,pale2_....(Ckcers)—to suit a particu-
lar purpose.—( Renewed cheers from the fory benches )
purl °se would be defeated. Ac-
But he beeped that
melding to the Bill of the Ilcn. and Learned Gentleman,
the registry, a..er having bec•r: revised at the QuartetSea-
toe ver.
ascertain
vote,tt6horat
tl
te w
lastoour i dwsbhi
x(e)
nbs itac:
educe.ni,wat
lo.ayulrdtiogllbrgti c rb(
aiscih:a
rtvi
0)% To
o
the great
—(11.-ar.) But he appr,he,ded
timt.
ehieet of a rettistrY :th"l'l be &eel, and thet it
should Leer epee t;;:i c-rtain:y of its own corr“ t-
ness. lie e.41:.:1 di.," II ,use to surpirt Lim in this
clautc, for if it oern Ti jected should oct stn
it
werth while to proceed vc!t.'; the B:11. Tae NAL, Lord
y
set deen amidst very great cheering from the Tor
Benches.

I.:;rd NIORPETH Fail that the I'l,:ble Lord o;-p,s,t,
had pritici:L.ily direetc,d his ol.)•.:crvatons to ;he MI! of Itia
Sf.)l;civ,r.Gerxr4-.1 Irazi.nd• Now,
u:tron af. cottp,irhon C.:c t o MIN, ho
(Lard M,l-p..ti,) 4h0Lt..1 1),.. at. nc: I:ss f‘...r good :Ind aka,-
staniLl rvtisocs for prjettitg The 1311' of Lis 1!,!n. anzi
F• lead. Still hew content to c'eal with tLrf
c.f the nn.! t ) reiervz.• 11:s
h 4 Friead't 1.3A1 until it canit f4irty fvr iliteuz-