HC Deb 20 March 1850 vol 109 cc1205-6

Mr. M. Gibson, Sir John Pakington, and Mr. Shafto Adair, nominated Members of the Committee.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Sir James Graham be one other Member of the said Committee."

SIR J. GRAHAM

trusted that he would not be asked to serve on the Committee, as it would be impossible for him to attend.

MAJOR BERESFORD

complained that the two counties with which the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Manchester was more immediately connected—namely, Suffolk and Lancashire—had no less than five Members on the Committee, leaving only ten Members for the rest of England. It was his intention to move that the Earl of March and Mr. Deedes be substituted for Mr. Kershaw and Lord Rendlesham.

MR. M. GIBSON

said, that he was only influenced by a desire to make it a fair and impartial Committee.

SIR J. PAKINGTON

denied that the Gentlemen on the list were the most competent that could be selected for the duties to be imposed upon them. They were to be charged with the care of a Bill containing ninety clauses, besides several schedules, and which was to deal with the whole of the internal affairs of the kingdom, and to repeal a great number of Acts of Parliament, and yet there was not a single professional lawyer in the list proposed.

Debate adjourned till To-morrow.

And it being Six o'clock, Mr. Speaker adjourned the House till To-morrow, without putting the Question.