HC Deb 06 August 1844 vol 76 cc1846-7
Mr. Christie

wished to know from the right hon. Baronet at the head of Her Majesty's Government, whether the statements contained in the Morning Herald newspaper, which was now considered the organ of the Government, were correct, that it was intended to give the franchise to be taken from Sudbury to part of the county of Middlesex?

Sir R. Peel

said, that among other advantages which the Members of Government derived from their constant attendance in that House was the hearing of interesting reports of which they would otherwise have had no cognizance. As to the report which had appeared in the paper which the hon. Member was good enough to call the organ of Her Majesty's Government, he had never heard of it until mentioned by the hon. Member—he meant the report that Government was about to enrich the county of Middlesex with the spoils of Sudbury. It appeared also to be quite a novelty to other hon. Members. Now, in the first place, supposing that Government had formed any intention on the subject; nothing could be more unwise than to disclose it now, and thus afford food for local agitation during the whole of the recess; and, therefore, if he had come to such a conclusion, he should most cautiously abstain from mentioning it. He did not mean to say whether or not Government had come to a conclusion, and begged that no inference, one way or the other, might be drawn from his observations.

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