§ On the Motion for going into Committee on the Slave Trade (Brazils) Bill,
§ Mr. M. Gibson, looking at the Bill as a penal act against the Brazilians, thought it of importance that all the correspondence relating to it should be laid on the Table of the House, and with this view moved its committal on a future day, in order to give the Government an opportunity of producing the correspondence.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, that any delay in passing the Bill through its stages would be most prejudicial to the public service. The main part of the correspondence alluded to was in the Slave Trade Papers. He would postpone the third reading of the Bill, if the House would consent to the Committee being taken, so as to give time to look into the correspondence.
§ Mr. Milner Gibsonsaid, he should not be performing his duty if he allowed the Bill to proceed, and moved that the Committee be postponed till Friday.
§ Sir R. Peelthen proposed that the Bill now be committed pro formâ, so that the Amendments be printed, the right hon. Baronet undertaking to move that it should be recommitted on Thursday. He had doubts as to the propriety of producing the notice given by the Brazilian Government of the termination of the Convention, and all the correspondence upon the subject; but he would make inquiry, and if, upon consideration, he found that the Papers could not be produced, the debate could be taken on some day subsequent to Thursday.
§ Bill went through Committee pro formâ.