§ Sir F. Burdettwished to know whether the noble Lord (J. Russell) would proceed on Monday with the Irish tithe resolutions?
§ Lord J. Russellwould merely state the course he meant to pursue without making any comment, reserving to himself the power of making afterwards any explanation that might be necessary. The course he meant to adopt was this—not to bring forward the committee on Irish tithes on Monday, but to proceed to the consideration of the Municipal Corporations of Ireland Bill. In stating, that he did not mean to take the Irish tithes on Monday, he had no intention to abandon the proposition of going into committee on this question, but only to postpone it until the Monday following, and if the Committee on the municipal corporations had not finished by that day, he proposed to go into the committee on the Irish tithes, and to propose only one resolution, for changing the tithe composition now paid, into a rent-charge, payable by the first owners of the inheritance. If that resolution were agreed to, he should move, that it be reprinted, and that that alone would form the basis of a measure which he proposed to bring forward, except as to the arrears of the 1,000,000l., which had not yet been paid.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, that any announcement on this subject was of importance; but he was afraid he imperfectly understood the nature of the noble Lord's proposition. He did not ask the noble Lord to give him any more detailed explanation but the noble Lord must feel, that it was impossible for any person standing in his (Sir R. Peel's) situation, after what had 1365 taken place, to take any satisfactory course on any one of these matters without a previous consultation with those Members who entertained the same opinions as himself. The noble Lord now, for the first time, said he intended to reverse the order of their proceedings, and should take the Municipal Corporations first. The noble Lord was perfectly master of the course he should pursue; but he trusted, that the noble Lord would permit a sufficient interval to elapse to allow an opportunity of deliberation for those with whom he (Sir R. Peel) acted. He hoped, therefore, that the noble Lord would postpone entering into committee on the Municipal Corporations bill at least until Friday next, so that he and those acting with him, might have time for deliberation.
§ Lord J. Russellsaid, that of course a request of this kind, as to a delay of three or four days for consideration, was one which he should be most unwilling to refuse. He would not, therefore, propose to go into committee on Monday, but postpone it until Friday, reversing, therefore, the order by not going into the Irish Tithes on Monday, and by bringing forward the Municipal Corporations first. The right hon. Gentleman said he did not clearly understand what he (Lord J. Russell) had stated. What he had stated was this—that after the House had gone through committee on Irish Municipal Corporations, that then he purposed not to defer or postpone any consideration as to Tithes, but to propose a measure solely consisting in this—that the tithe composition at present existing should be changed into a rent charge. He did not yet know whether the particular amount would be stated in the resolution.
§ Sir R. PeelThen I understand, that the measure will be limited to the conversion of tithe composition into a rent charge, and be disen cumbered of the redemption clause? [Lord J. Russell: Yes]. He would meet, that concession in the same spirit with which it was made, and should reserve to himself an unfettered course on Friday. He had proposed a delay only for deliberation, but if he took a course on Friday which required a full attendance of the House, he should feel himself bound to give due notice to the noble Lord of his intention, so as to prevent any unfair advantage.