The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-15 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, May 14
Their Lordships met at Five o'clock.
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS.
Mr. GRIENE and other Members brought up the
Factories and other Bills from the Commons.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE gave notice that,
on Friday, he should present a petition on the subject of
the Poor-laws in Ireland, and he should take that oppor-
tunity of asking the Government what progress had been
made by the Commission appointed to investigate the
state of poor-houses in Ireland.
Several petitions were presented praying the House
to legalise Presbyterian mixed marriages in Ireland.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Edin-
burgh, in favour of the North British Railway.
Earl SOMERS presented petitions from occupiers and.
owners of land in the city of Hereford and its vicinity ;
in the districts of Kingston ; town and vicinity of
Ledbury, county of Hereford ; parish of Nathan, county
of Worcester; parish of Bromsberrow, county of Glouces-
ter ; parish of Shelton, county of Hereford ; parish of
Canon Promo, ditto ; parish of Colwah, ditto ; parish
of Pultey, ditto ; parish of Little March, ditto ;
parish of Eggleton, ditto ; parish of Munsby, ditto ;
district of Packhold, ditto ; parish of Aylton, ditto ;
parish of Ashperton, ditto ; parish of Castle Frome,
ditto ; parish of Pixley, ditto ; parish of Coddington,
ditto ; parish of Bosbury, ditto ; all praying for the
samedegree of agricultural protection as at present exists.
Lord COTTENHAM moved for returns of the num •
her of persons who were confined in prison at the pre-
sent time, distinguishing the duration of their impri-
sonment, the amount of their debts, and the sums ex-
pended in their support.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said he had not the
slightest objection to granting the returns moved for by
his Noble and Learned Friend.
ThreDe,t° a question from Lord CAMPBELL,
`-'-"D CHANCELLOR said that in the rnea-
re respecting imprisonment for debt now before
their LordSoi
a class of hesurn named in it for the support of
year, and not
Primersamounted to exactly 300 shillings
Lord BR, to 365,
as he seemed to suppose. •
bar of ,„....,",11;121RAM moved for a return of the num-
Place truattens, a mensa et thoro, which had taken
tiring the last ten years.
The Marquis
SPY SYSTEM IN IRELAND.
rod "-'grcluis of NORM.ANBY, in moving for the
uction of the papers of which he had given notice,
re
e aid make a few observations on a topic which had
tly created a great sensation in Ireland. No oneCoulddeny that that revolting and odious employment,
which as commonly called the spy system, was one
_:tch met with the reprobation of all good men in every
c entry. in former periods the ramifications of that sys-
„ltem had spread through every- quarter of the lower 0r-
:7,3 °f society in Ireland. Although they had not heard
',_"t during recent years, yet the recollection of it still
'educed most disastrous effects upon the well-being of
ii°eietY in many parts of Ireland. He would not allude
to its probable re-introduction, but it was a notorious fact
that the system existed at present to a greater extent
in Ireland than it had recently done. He would not al-
inde to any particular cases which might at present be
under investigation. The Skibereen case, he believed,
wsiat present under inquiry. It was notorious that the
;Meta was extending. He would allude to a pamphlet
twhich must be regarded as some sort of authority, as it
-VW been quoted by the Prime Minister in the other
Ouse of Parliament—it was entitled "A Cry from Ire-
'and," and there it was stated, that in the gaol
Of Kilkenny, persons had been placed in the
aerie room with persons under criminal charges, for
the
_Purpose of worming themselves into their
ejnfitlence, and obtaining confessions to be
'liven in evidence against them. The system extended
boy to tampering with witnesses, and an affidavit of a
_
had been given, in which the deponent described the
process by which he had been led' to recognise a party
guilty of an offence, whom he had previously sworn
- . ittat he did not know. He took it for granted, as the
Minister had quoted this pamphlet, that he
PI directed inquiries to be made into these cases.
VS a proof that this system was not necessary,
adordshi
Ze would refer to the evidence taken before their
peCommittee
, in 1841, from which it ap-
!eared that such a system 'Ares unnecessary to se-
. 41iftea the proper administration' of justice in Ireland.
evidence showed that between 1835 and 1839 there
was
of _ greater proportion of committals to offences, and
....yonaictions to committals, than, at any previous
v'Llnd ; and in the entire of it he defied their Lordships
143 shall the use of such means as were now had recourse
It° in Ireland. Though this was an evil, it was no reason
lvehbY individual injustice should be inflicted on any party
uged With participating in such offences. The Go-
. ernment refused Mr. Grey any further investigation
• lilt() his case, and they said that all correspendence with
"Ira must be closed. When those documents which he held
in his
hand came into his House. He
thought it right
to subinit his case to the House. He had no acquaint-
. tee with Mr. Grey. When that gentleman arrived in
/don he called on him (the Marquis of Normanby), but
217 4ml not think it right to receive any information from
of which the Government were not in possession: Mr
aaree,
was one of those persons who were removed at the
Zesaien of the present Government. When Mr. Grey
th.'•eniployed in Kilkenny, and when it was rumoured
oat he was removed, he received from the magis-
.43, •in all parts of the country, testimonies
regret at the prospect of his removal,
ands memorial had been presented to the Lord-Lieute-
t a.,111!, by the High Sheriff, signed by persons of all
kl;""`", .PraYing that he might be allowed to remain.
be; .:."o:i.eY laboured under the imputation of having
tne fetich parent and originator of this odious syStem
theta staas
nd ?
rrwtmen were.
were. arrested in Thurles in
w 40w acquiring new 'flame. Now, how did the
November, for hawking a seditious pamphlet or ballad,
)'
• • lir 111/149 of which was called the " Tories'downfal."
(the .Marquis
—arquis of Normanby) never saw that ballad,
taibd, therefore, he was not aware whether it was objce-
able in
execution or in its topic; nor did he know
whether 4: it was one of those cases- which were
,I:vserlbed by the Noble and Learned Lord (Brougham),
ILight, as fond and fantastic prophecies.'
'''4l.lad• however was considered seditious by
Thi; Attorney-Genera‘ ,Smith. It appeared that
sup;Perearis having been arrested, Mr. Jennings
bees of that they should be tried at the quarter-ses-
the- Thurles, then going on; and Mr. Grey consulted
T Attorney-General on the subject, and he said,
eo hme„ballad- is very seditious, and it was quite right to
thet , Parties for trial; the only difficulty is whether
otira ougnt not to be tried at the assizes, as we are not
ntietiee....ert,in that the jurors at the sessions would be
us) their duty." Now he (the Marquis of Nor-
hi") would not pause to comment upon the doubt.
u_e Attonay.
II was here thrown upon the jurors in petty sessions.
General's opinion having been obtained the
• the
committed for trial. Mr. Grey, not wishing
theatrain the law so as to operate unnecessarily hard upon
' • n prisoners
staged that
to the Attorney-
' tit: -era. and stated that Osborn had expressed
the readiness to give information respecting
Printer of the ballad, and he wished to
2011, whether; under these circumstances, the prisoner
Ciald:not be admitted as a witness against the printer
a.tho ballad, and the AttorneY-General replied, "1
fr-th'e xi." doubt that similar billadS may be purchased
pel-idif'nrae, and therefore he can, be prosecuted inde-
I why-'„at of Osborn's evidence. I therefore see no reason
ba,,`'shorn should be discharged unless he can obtain
wont to- It appeared that Falvey, a his
he
.a
s took
house of the printer with manuscripts in
the t, immediately after which Inspector g
1,;() GroY, and the printer was immediately appre.
•NOW, Mr. Grey distinctly denied that he
litve any instruction upon this subject. The. Noble
st:rcltths then read a statement detailing the circum-
ve aces attendant upon the arrest, and recommending Fal-
a44 to the consideration of the Government as an active
to einoiant officer ; also a report from the sub-inspector
the GOvernment to the Same effect. This was
table gather' a most extraordinary case, for con-
s Falveyr,„ fully bore out the assertion of
whi with respect to not having issued
• instruction to Falvey, yet Mr. Grey was dismissed,
Falvey was retained in the constabulary. What
vi Falvey said when he was asked what did he imagine
, 111°Ifiti have been his duty if no ballads had been printed?
• the answer was be supposed he should have to get
• the''''°tne4Printed, but he had received no instructions. Now
ik,.*-cerornment had reasived these reports on the 30th
I4raber, and if the Governthent had.nbt interfered,
, tie sellers of' the ballads would have been prosecuted.
oW, it appeared that Mr. Grey was anxious that these
Parties should not remain in gaol, and he
,Applied,. to the Goiernreent to forward the pro-
. and L°l1-t- He applied to have Osborn discharged,
d be. permitted to avail himself of Osborn's evi-
. against the other parties. No, said Mr. Brewster,
are would be no necessity for that if proper means
sere
Wh, taken Now; what were those proper means?
Y. evidently it was meant to send a policeman in
thtiNiae, they could hardly send him in uniform, to procure
se ballads. Now, the Government knew as much
Zia this case on the 30th
.Nov. as they did at the
prase
moment. They had received both the Tel
_ ad had an opportunity of comparing them.
These
ta_ ap.ers were not returned by Mr. Brewster until DeCember
WO. were
they were returned -by him to Mr. Grey
;am did not rest on his testimony alone. Reports were
tinselitted from day to day by the Inspector-General
toseithe Chief Secretary, and the most important were
etted bY the Chief 'Secretary; and brought under
o_, notice of the Lord-Lieutenant. Directions were given
I,pl.tlose reports, which were sent to the constabulary.
I.,_l3larlie rested any where, it must be with the Under-
__re tar-,
for he was aware that the. Inspector-General
7.„fas most punctual in sending, reports to "the Castle.—
was`
hear.) The fact of the printing of the ballad
Zas. known to the Government. on the 12th of
'c'rember g •
doubt
• e did net think there could be the least
0f that.—(Heir, hear.) It did not rest
itir "te-eilanoe.of the parties, for on the 12th of December
Brewster returned them-to-Mr. Grey, saying that
0
further directions seemed necessary in the case. What
lernretation was Mr. Grey to put on this but that the
previous directions had'
been adopted. From the
lto ima that those unfortunate men had been
gaol, till they had been discharged, from the Go-
vernment refusing to prosecute them, which was four
months, ase. Grey had no reason to suppose that he had
not fulfilled the instructions he had received. It was
• not till the matter became notorious to the public any
steps were taken, and ke -thought that Mr. Grey and
the Irish people had reason to complain that the inten-
tions of
the Government were not clearly expressed
!flora the matter had become so public and notorious.
ade apprehended ded that it was but just to Mr. Grey that a
atyl explanation of the circumstances under which his
cl.,amissal took place should be laid before the public ;
with this view he had brought the subject under the
notice of their Lordships,
Lord. WITARNCTIFFE thought he would be enabled
to show that rib blirne'W-as-to be attributed to the Go-
ta.l.ranient with respect to this matter. The circumstances
Q 1 this ease undoubtedly had been detailed with great

accuracy by the Noble Marquis, and it was very true
that Mr. Brewster gave directions that
_means
_ _

should be taken to purchase copies of this
ballad from Moran, who was the printer,

according to the information which had been given by
Osborn. The Noble Marquis must remember that
when Osborn gave his information he was placed
very much in the position of a common in-
former, and, therefore, his evidence was not
entitled to much weight, and ought not to be relied upon if
they could get better evidence by proper means. A man
dressed as an itinerant ballad-singer was therefore sent
to Moran's house, to purchase one of these ballads, and lest
Moran should have none printed in his p9ssession
the man took with him a Manuscript copy of the ballad
in his pocket, with directions that in such case he should
order Moran to print some more copies from that manu-
script. It was ascertained that there were no printed
copies in existence, but he produced the MS., and pro-
cured others to be printed in his presence, and pur-
chased eighteen dozen of them. He said, further,
that when Moran received the MS. he asked if
it had been procured fr im Ulver, and was answered in
the affirmative. Now he had produced the MS. to Mo •
ran, had got it printed in his presence, and had pur-
chased the copies. That was a different case from sending
a person to a printer's house to purchase publications
which had been printed previously. He believed
that that was a course which was every day adopted
in this country without objection, but if no printed
papers were found, and a MS. was taken to the printer,
and he was induced to print it, such a course of
conduct was perfectly unjustifiable. Now, Mr,
Grey at all events, knew of this transaction, for
Falvey said in his evidence that he had told Mr. Grey of
all that had occurred. Mr. Grey had reported on this tran-
saction to the authorities of the Castle,andyet he had never
mentioned one word of this circumstance. The gist of the
whole transaction consisted in his having sent to Moran
to get these ballads printed. The accusation against
the Government was that they had employed a
policeman as a spy—they had furnished him with a
manuscript to get printed, and had prosecuted
the printer. Now he could not acquit Mr. Grey.
Mr. Grey said he could not recollect the circumstance,
that it had escaped his memory ; but the other said that
he had positively given directions that those orders
should be given to Falvey, and Foote said that he
was not sure if Jennings or Mr. Grey mentioned it,
but that the two had been consulting together,
and that Mr. Grey was in the room, when
the orders were given ; therefore, Mr. Grey knew all
the circumstances, and yet had not reported the facts to
the Castle. Jennings afterwards said that Falvey
went to Moran disguished as a ballad-singer,
and desired Moran to print the ballads. Besides
that of ,the other witnesses, they had the evi-
dence of a person named Cooke, who swore that he came
into the room where Falvey and Moran were, and saw the
manuscript produced ; that he understood Falvey was
acting under orders, and further, that on his return from
Cashel he informed Mr. Grey of all that had passed.
Under all the circumstances of the case, he thought Mr.
Grey's friends were acting unwisely in moving for the pro-
duction of those papers. Of all other situations there
was none which should be more clear from any suspicion
than that of the stipendiary magistrate. He considered
that the evidence which had been adduced in the inquiry
instituted before Mr. Martley, Q.C., fully justified the
course adopted by the Government. Mr. Grey saw the
report which had been made after the investigation, the
accuracy of which he did not deny. Under those cir-
cumstances he did not think that the Government would
be justified in retaining Mr. Grey in the commission of
the peace. With regard to the papers be would say at
once that it was not necessary the Government should
in all cases lay before the House all the confidential
papers that might pass on any subject ; but if the Noble
Marquis persevered in his motion, he would not object to
all the papers being given.
The Marquis cf CLANRICARDE said that he had
heard the speech of the Noble Lord with great regret.
If this were a mere question between the Government
and Mt. Grey, he had shown that Mr. Grey was to a
considerable degree culpable. The fault, or crime, for
it was nothing less than crime, of Mr. Grey he had no
doubt was from want of judgment, or excessive zeal, and
as such it was fit that he should be removed, but he did
not think that the Noble Earl had shown that the Go-
vernment were not at fault. He did not think that the
Government had taken the proper steps to know what
was going on. He had not explained how it happened
that from the Ist of December till April no notice
had been taken of the conduct of Mr. Grey, or of
Jennings. If practices such as were disclosed in
this case were allowed, and there were unfor-
tunately many similar cases, the confidence of the people
in the law and in its administration would be very much
shaken. The Government ought to be particularly
careful in watching over the police force of Ireland.
That force was totally different from any force in this
country. It was a most excellent and useful force in
Ireland, provided it were well governed ; but if the force
should get into abuse, and should not be properly go-
verned, it would reduce Ireland to a state of slavery.
Earl FORTESCUE thought it would be well if their
Lordships were to suspend their judgment upon this
matter until the papers were before the House. He had
seen Mr. Grey for the first time that morning, and he
distinctly stated that he gave.no direction whatever that
copies of the ballad which had been referred to should
be printed. In what he had done, he had acted upon the
instructions of the Law Officers of the Crown. It was
in consequence of the suggestion of the Attorney-Gene-
ral that he became a party to the course which had been
pursued. The course he suggested was to obtain the
evidence of Osborn against Moran, and, upon that evi-
dence to send a search warrant to Moran's house, as he
had no doubt that copies of the ballad would there be
found. _ _

The Earl of WICKLOW said it was quite clear that
if Mr. Grey had directed a person to get copies of the
ballad printed, in the manner stated, that he was guilty
of an offence for which he deserved to be dismissed. If
a Conservative magistrate had committed such an of-
fence,' and the Government had not dismissed him, he
could imagine the clamour that Noble Lords opposite
would have raised. Yet now, after a culpable act had
been committed—(Cheers from the Opposition benches)
—an outcry was raised because the person committing it
was discharged from his office.
After a few words from Lord WHARNCLIFFE and
the Marquis of CLANRICARDE in explanation,
The Marquis of NORMANBY rose to reply. The
police had been employed as spies. The Government
had refused to prosecute, and they had dismissed Mr.
Grey without giving him an opportunity of explaining
his conduct. Now nothing of all this would have oc-
curred if it had not been for the loose opinion given by
the Attorney-General for Ireland as to the conduct of
sessions juries in Tipperary. He was by no means sa-
tisfied with the defence which had been made for the
Irish Government ; and if ever the realisation of that
fond and foolish prophecy, as the Noble Lord had called
it, of. the Tories downfal was to take place, the con-
-1 duct of such officials as Mr. Brewster and Mr. Lucas
was more likely to occasion it than a thousand ballads.
The Earl of WICKLOW explained.
The Earl of WINCHILSEA said it was certain that
Mr. Grey had concealed from the Government the fact
that the police had been employed to get the ballads
printed, and whether he had ordered him to do so or
not he deserved his dismissal for concealing the fact.
The Government had acted as soon as they became ac-
quainted with the facts of the case, which was not until
Mr. Scott had read the depositions. Mr. Grey had kept
circumstances from the knowledge of the Government with
which he was acquainted, and that was sufficient to
justify the Government in dismissing him. He should,
however, reserve his judgment until the papers were
before their Lordships.—(lronical cheers from the Oppo-
sition.) Noble Lords opposite had brought forward
a*
this motion in order to do everythin in their power to
make her Majesty's Government 'ow as they could
in Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) They w no true friends to
Ireland who acted in this way. Those who had to ad-
minister the law in Ireland had a very difficult task to
perform, and ought to be properly supported.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said it was at
all events not necessary for his Noble Friend to appeal
to the people of Ireland to ask whom they con-
sidered their best friend. He would not deny
that what he had said was meant as an attack upon the
Government. Nothing had been said to satisfy him why
this magistrate had not been dismissed four months be-
fore. They would, however, when they had the papers,
see the date of the appointment, of his successor, and
they would. then, in all probability, find that nothing had
been done in this affair until after public attention had
been drawn to the subject.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE was understood to say that
the date of the new appointment was the 18th of April.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE—Not until after
public attention had been called to that subject by the
speech at the assizes.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH rose to order. It was
impossible that the order and regularity of their proceed-
ings could be observed if Noble Lords made more than
one speech on the same subject.
The Marquis of NORMANBY would not be prevented
by the lecture of the Noble Duke from replying to the
attack of the Noble ,Earl, who ought to have spoken in
the course of the debate, instead of waiting until after
his reply. He should undoubtedly exercise tke right of
bringing the conduct of the Irish Government under
their Lordships' notice whenever he thought it neces-
sary ; and he would do so even were the Noble Earl
himself a member of that Government, and were he in
that capacity to renew his visit to Ireland, where a vivid
recollection of him was retainediby sounds not so articu-
lated, but possessing quite as much meaning as anything
the Noble Earl uttered
,in their Lordships' House—he
meant the Kentish fire.—(Hear, and laughter.)
The Earl of WINCHILSEA explained.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE said the assizes were held on
the 20th of March, and the new appointment was made
on the Bth of April.
The motion was then agreed to.
HER MAJESTY'S SHIP QUEEN.
The Earl of MINTO, in moving for a return of the
services of her Majesty's ship Queen, stated that the
Queen, a three•decker, built on a new principle, had
been sent out to Malta, where she was the flag-ship. His
complaint was that she had not had a fair and proper
trial. A voyage to Malta under easy sail, and a few
holiday trips from that island, were not sufficient to test
her powers. He had no wish to cast any imputation on
the conduct of the Gallant Admiral commanding at
Malta, as he considered that the Mediterranean station
was so near home, that whatever was done there had
been done by orders from the Admiralty.
, The Earl of HADDINGTON agreed that it was de-
sfrable that every opportunity should be taken of testing
the powers of trial ships, and although the powers of
the ships in question had not been tested to the extent
that he wished, yet they had been tested to a much
greater extent than the Noble Earl seemed to imagine.
On the voyage out she had, been tried against the For-
midable ; since she had been at Malta, she had been
tried against the Vernon,-but •they-had been separated
during a tempest. The Admiral reported very favour-
I ably of her. It was not always in the Admiral's power

to go to sea when he wished. The affairs of Greece,
Syria, and of Spain had obliged him to keep his ships
together, so as to be enabled at once to send them in any
direction, which the exigencies Gf the service might re-
quire. The Government had latterly thought it inex-
pedient to keep up such a large force in the Mediter-
ranean, and there had only been two or three line-of-
battle ships there during the last year. This rendered
the presence of the Admiral at Malta almost constantly
necessary. He objected to granting the return, because
it cast an imputation on the Government, for which the
Noble Earl had laid no parliamentary ground.
The Earl of MINTO thought the reasons of the Go-
vernment for refusing the returns insufficient. He had
heard from a naval officer that the Queen had remained
in Malta harbour until she had almost grounded on her
"beef bones." The trials to which she had been sub..
jetted had been nothing to the purpose for testing her
qualities as a ship.
After a few words from the Earl of HADDINGTON
the motion was negatived without a division.
RAILROADS.

Earl FITZWILLIAM moved that a message be sent
to the Lower House of Parliament, requesting them to
furnish their Lordships with their reports on the Com-
mittee on Railroads. The Noble Earl then alluded to
the contest now carrying on between two railroad com-
panies in the north of England for the formation of a
third, or junction line, each company claiming a right
of property in the making of this third line, as an illus-
tration of the necessity for some interference on the part
of the Executive to prevent the wasting of such great
sums of money as would be spent in carrying on con-
tests of this nature before Committees of the two Houses
of Parliament. '
The Earl of DALHOUSIE assured the Noble Earl
that the Government were alive to the importance of
the subject. At the commencement of the session, the
head of the department, which had a limited control over
railroads, had moved for a Committee to consider the
subject ; that Committe3 had furnished several reports,
and would soon complete their labours. Perhaps it
would be better to wait until then, and have all the re-
ports together.
Earl FITZWILLIAM wished at once to have the re-
port• which had already been presented.
The motion was then agreed to ; and the Bills on the
table having been forwarded a stage, their Lordships
adjourned till Friday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 14.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'Clock.
NEW WRIT.

Lord MARCUS HILL moved that a new writ be
ordered to be issued for the election of a burgess to serve
for the borough of Kilmarnock, in the room of Mr. A.
Johnstone, deceased.—Ordered.
Mr. THORNELY presented a petition from Toxteth,
near Liverpool, against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill.
Mr. WYSE presented a petition from the Art-Union
of London, praying that Art-Unions might be legalised.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented petitions from Pres-
byterian congregations of Bangor and Ballygilbert, near
Kilmore, in the county of Down, in favour of the Dis-
senters' Chapels Bill.
Sir GEORGE STRICKLAND presented a petition
against any alteration in the law of mortmaia.
SHEFFIELD. ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, AND
MANCHESTER RAILWAYS BILL.
Mr. PARKER moved the further consideration of the
report of the Committee upon the Sheffield, Ashton-
under-Lyne, and Manchester Railways.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET said that, as the
relative merits of the two lines could not be understood
by Hon. Members who had not had the reports of the
two Committees in their hands, he would move that the
consideration of this report be adjourned till Thursday
next.
Mr. LABOUCHERE would not object to the adjourn-
ment ; but he would say that the Committee upon this
Bill had sat for nine days, and had unanimously agreed
on the report.
Mr. GLADSTONE hoped there would be a general
acquiescence in the proposal of his Noble Friend, to
adjourn the debate.
After a short discussion, the debate was adjourned till
Thursday next.
NOTICES OF MOTION. _ _ _

Mr. CHRISTIE postponed till this day fortnight his
motion on the subject of education.
DISSENTERS CHAPELS BILL.
Sir R. INGLIS beved to ask his Right Hon. Friend,
the First Lord of the Treasury, a question with respect
to a measure to which both sides of the House, attached
great importance—the Dissenters' Chapels Bill. At pre-
sent that Bill stood first on the paper for Friday ; he
wished to know whether it was his Right Hon. Friend's
intention to press it forward on that day, the Bill not
having been in the hands of Members more than one week?
Sir R. PEEL said that he thought a week was a very
ample allowance of time, considering how much public
attention had been excited to the Bill However, he
would not bring on the measure that night if it
had not a fair chance of being discussed.—(Hear.)
It would be absolutely necessary for his Right Hon.
Friend to bring forward—first, his resolutions respecting
the customs ; after which his Hon. Friend the Lord-
Advocate of Scotland would bring forward the Scotch
Parishes Bill ' • and if he were not able to bring on the
Dissenters Chapels Bill before ten o'clock, he would not
then proceed with it.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir H. INGLIS said he ought to have stated that,
though the Bill had been before the House for a week,
it had not been during that time in the hands of Members.