HC Deb 25 May 1832 vol 13 cc117-8
Mr. Stanley

said, that before he moved the Order of the Day on the Irish Reform Bill, he had a serious complaint to offer of a gross violation of the Privileges of the House. On Friday last there was circulated among the Members of the Irish Tithe Committee, in a printed form for greater convenience, a draft of a Report, and on Monday evening a verbatim copy of that draft appeared in The Dublin Evening Mail. On a former occasion the Committee had had reason to remonstrate against the publication of garbled extracts of the evidence, but the present Breach of Privilege was of a tenfold worse character, as it purported to give that as sanctioned and decided upon, which was only circulated for the advantage of future discussion. It had been copied into the other papers of Ireland, and it was now going the round of that kingdom, exciting continents and angry feelings, when, in fact, the Committee had expressed no opinion upon any single point. It was not his intention at present to follow up his Motion, but merely to take this early notice of the subject, that it might not be thought that the Committee was unmindful of its privileges, or that it had agreed upon that document as its Report, which was wholly unauthorized. The Committee was taking steps to ascertain by what means the surreptitious publication had been made. He would conclude by moving the Order of the Day for the second reading of the Reform of Parliament (Ireland) Bill.

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