ADMISSION OF STRANGERS. (Hansard, 1 February 1837)

§ Mr. Ewart
rose to bring forward the motion of which he had given notice, relative to the Admission of Strangers. The only reason that he knew of, why a Member's Order was requisite, for the admission of persons into the strangers' gallery, was, that it was supposed to be some guarantee for the respectability of the individuals admitted. Now he (Mr. Ewart) believed that a Member granted an order at the request of any individual, especially if that individual was one of his constituents. It was, therefore, in fact no guarantee at all; because the character or avocation of the individual seeking the order for admission was never inquired into. Another reason in justification of this impediment was said to be, that on all important occasions the gallery would be inconveniently crowded. Now, he did not think that a good argument, seeing that the same objection would apply to the present system; for there were six hundred and fifty-eight Members of that House, and it was very well known that the gallery would not contain more than two hundred individuals. Besides, if it became crowded, the officers would have directions to prevent the inconvenience, and Members at present were as much besieged on their way to the House as the doors of the gallery would then be. At present the 59 modest and retiring man was sure to be excluded, while the forward and presuming was certain to succeed. The best proof of a person's anxiety to hear the debates was found in the fact of his coming early, and, on the system he proposed such a person would gain admission. It was well known that Members never refused a request made to them for an order, particularly if the applicant happened to be one of their constituents. He thought the present system a great injury to the unrepresented classes. He would suppose the case of a man who had no Member to represent him; why, such a man had no means of obtaining admission to the gallery of that House. For all the reasons he had mentioned—on account of the impediments to the public, and the inconvenience to Members—he should propose that the public should be admitted to the strangers' gallery of that House without a Member's Order; but that it should continue to be cleared, as at present, on the motion of a Member, and during divisions.

§ Lord John Russell
said, that notwithstanding the arguments of the hon. Gentleman, he still doubted the prudence of dispensing with a Member's Order, which, in his opinion, afforded some guarantee for the respectability of the person admitted. There were, in his opinion, great objections to the proposition of the hon. Member for Liverpool, as on all great occasions the gallery would be crowded to excess, and among the respectable individuals there might be many pickpockets. He had all along considered that admission by means of fees was objectionable, and for that reason he had enrolled himself among those who were in favour of its abolition. But, until some better ground than that stated by the hon. Member for Liverpool was brought forward, he thought things ought to remain as they now were.

§ Mr. Ewart
wished to know how the noble Lord, by the present system, would prevent pickpockets from entering the gallery of the House. It was notorious that Members gave their orders to any person that asked them, even to some of the porters in the streets.

§ Mr. Potter
suggested, that the gallery should be open until seven o'clock for the admission of persons having Members' orders, and that after that hour it should be open to the public in the way the hon. Member wished.

List of the AYES.
Bowring, Dr.	Roebuck, J. A.
Brotherton, J.	Wason, R.
Gillon, W. D.	Wilks, John
Hindley, C.	Williams, W.
Lushington, Charles	TELLERS.
Pechell, Capt. R.	Ewart, W.
Potter, R.	Wakley, T.

List of the NOES.
Alsager, Captain	Gisborne, T.
Angerstein, John	Goodricke, Sir F,
Arbuthnot, hon. H.	Gordon, hon. W.
Archdall, M.	Goring, Harry Dent
Ashley, Lord	Goulburn, Sergeant
Baillie, H. D.	Graham, Sir J.
Baring, F.	Green, Thomas
Baring, W. B.	Grey, Sir G. Bart.
Barnard, E. G.	Halford, H.
Barry, G. S.	Halse, James
Belfast, Lord	Hanmer, Sir J., Bart.
Bell, Matthew	Hardy, J.
Beresford, Sir J.	Hawes, B.
Bish, T. P.	Hay, Sir A. L.
Blackstone, W. S.	Hector, C. J.
Bodkin, J.	Henniker, Lord
Bonham, R. Francis	Herbert, hon. Sidney
Borthwick, Peter	Hodgson, J.
Brabazon, Sir W.	Holland, Edward
Brady, Denis C.	Hoy, J. B.
Browne, R. D.	Ingham, R.
Bruen, F.	Inglis, Sir R. H., Bart.
Buller, Sir J. B. Yarde	Irton, Samuel
Butler, hon. Pierce	James, W.
Campbell, Sir H.	Jackson, Sergeant
Campbell, Sir. J.	Jephson, C. D. O.
Canning, hon. C.	Jervis, John
Chaplin, Colonel	Jones, Wilson
Chichester, J. P. B.	King, Edward B.
Clerk, Sir G.	Lefevre, Charles S.
Clive, Edward Bolton	Lennox, Lord G.
Clive, hon. R. H.	Lennox, Lord A.
Colborne, N. W. R.	Loch, James
Compton, H. C.	Long, Walter
Conolly, E. M.	Lushington, Dr.
Conyngham, Lord A.	Mackinnon, W. A.
Dalbiac, Sir C.	Maclean, D.
Dick, Quintin	Macleod, R.
Donkin, Sir R.	Macnamara, Major
Dugdale, W. S.	Mactaggart, J.
Duncombe, T.	Maher, John
Eastnor, Viscount	Mahon, Lord
Eaton, Richard J.	Mangles, J.
Egerton, Wm. Tatton	Marshall, William
Ellice, E.	Marsland, Thomas
Fancourt, Major	Maule, hon. F.
Fector, John Minet	Milton, Viscount
Fergusson, R. C.	Molesworth, Sir W.
Finn, Wm. Francis	Mordaunt, Sir J., Bart.
Fitzsimon, Chris.	Morpeth, Lord
Follett, Sir W. Webb	Murray, J. A.
Forbes, Wm.	Nicholl, Dr.
Forester, hon. G. C. W.	Norreys, Lord
Fremantle, Sir T. W.	North, Frederick
French, F.	O'Brien, W. S.

O'Connell, D.	Strutt, E.
O'Connell, J.	Stuart, V.
O'Connell, M. J.	Talfourd, Segeant
O'Conor Don	Tancred, H. W.
Ferrall, M.	Thompson, Paul B.
Oliphant, Lawrence	Tooke, W.
Palmer, Robert	Tracey, C. H.
Parker, John	Troubridge, Sir T.
Parrot, Jasper	Tulk, C. A.
Pease, J.	Twiss, H.
Peel, Sir R., Bart.	Tynte, C. J. Kemeys
Peel, Col. J.	Tyrrell, Sir J.
Peel, rt. hon. W. Y.	Vesey, hon. T.
Pigot, Robert	Villiers, C. P.
Pinney, W.	Vyvyan, Sir R. R.
Plumptre, J. P.	Walker, C. A.
Pollock, Sir Fred.	Walter, John
Poulter, J. S.	Warburton, H.
Powell, Colonel	Ward, H. G.
Power, J.	Weyland, Major
Price, S. G.	Whitmore, Thomas C.
Pringle, A.	Wilbraham, G.
Pryme, George	Wilmot, Sir J. E.
Rice, rt. hon. T. S.	Wodehouse, E.
Rolfe, Sir R. M.	Wrightson, W.
Ross, Charles	Wrottesley, Sir J., Bart.
Russell, Lord John	Wyndham, Wadham
Sanford, E. A.	Wynn, rt. hon. C. W.
Scott, Sir E. D.	Young, G. F.
Scott, J. W.
Sibthorp, Colonel	TELLERS.
Stanley, Edward	Philips, G. R.
Stanley, Lord	Steuart, R,