HC Deb 13 May 1842 vol 63 cc510-2

On the Order of the Day for going into committee on the Customs Acts,

Sir H. Douglas

said, that seeing the right hon Member for Dungarvon in his place, he would take the opportunity of saying a few words with respect to a petition which he had presented on Tuesday evening. The right hon. Gentleman appeared on that occasion to doubt the authenticity of the signatures, because several of them appeared in the same handwriting. He had since made inquiries, and had received a letter from Mr. Crisp, stating that the signatures were duly authorized by the parties whose names were attached to the petition.

Mr. Sheil

would make no other remark than that it was strange the first page of signatures to a petition which made such extraordinary charges against the whole Catholic hierarchy of Ireland should be written in the same hand.

Sir R. Peel

wished to know whether it was consistent with the rules of the House that public business should be thus stopped. This delay with respect to the tariff was very inconvenient, and he was resolved to take advantage of every rule which would enable him to proceed with it.

The Speaker

said, that any observations made on proposing to read an Order of the Day should, properly speaking, have reference to the Order, though of late a practice had arisen of deviating from this rule.

Mr. Sheil

said, it should be remembered that the question relating to the petition was one of privilege.