HC Deb 02 February 1847 vol 89 cc698-9
MR. ROEBUCK

felt great difficulty in giving up the Motion of which he had given notice, with the view of extending the Act 5 and 6 Vict. c. 35, to Ireland, because it seemed to him to be a necessary preliminary to accepting the propositions of the noble Lord (Lord J. Russell). That being the case, if he conceded his right to precedence on this occasion, he felt that he had some claim upon the noble Lord to be allowed the earliest possible opportunity that the noble Lord could afford him for the purpose of bringing the question before the House.

LORD J. RUSSELL

would make a statement to the hon. and learned Gentleman, which he trusted would be so far satisfactory to him that it would give him the prospect of bringing forward his proposition on an early day. As soon as the House should have consented to the second reading of the Bill debated last night, his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer would give notice of the day, and it would be an early day, on which he would propose to bring forward the whole question as connected with the finances of the country. And then the hon. and learned Gentleman would, of course, be able to propose any Motion which he might think fit and proper with a view to that part of the subject.

MR. ROEBUCK

would accede to the proposal of the noble Lord, and postpone his Motion, it being understood that he should have the power of moving it on the occasion referred to by the noble Lord without any technical objection being made to his doing so.

MR. H. GRATTAN

, who had given notice of his intention to move for returns relative to absentees from Ireland, and the property of such absentees, said, that he was placed in a similar situation to that of the hon. Member for Bath. That hon. Member stated that his Motion was a preliminary to others; and his (Mr. Grattan's) Motion, he could assure the House, was a corollary to the hon. and learaed Gentleman's. He had already obtained a return from his own county of the number of absentees; and he could not suppose that the noble Lord, or the Chief Secretary for Ireland, would refuse the returns he wanted. For his part he saw no difficulty in making them, and he thought they would be a great assistance to the hon. and learned Member for Bath.

MR. LABOUCHERE

could not accede to the Motion of which his hon. Friend had given notice. If he would bring it on upon a future occasion, he (Mr. Labouchere) would then state the difficulty which presented itself to his mind, and which induced him to be of opinion that the returns required could not be made.