§ MR. VINCENT SCULLYsaid, he would beg to ask the noble Lord at the head of the Government what were the precise intentions of Her Majesty's Ministers as regarded the Tenants' Compensation (Ireland) Bill; and whether it was intended to introduce it as a Government measure, and pass it through its several stages early in the present Session?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONSir, it will be in the recollection of the House that last year a Bill upon this subject was brought in by an independent Member, which at his request was afterwards adopted by Her Majesty's Government, and that we undertook to do all we could to carry it through the House. We redeemed our pledge; we made every effort which we could to induce the House to pass the measure, but we met with difficulties from quarters where we least expected them. And, indeed in truth, I am obliged to say, that some of those difficulties have proceeded from the very quarter from which the request had been made 90 that we should undertake the conduct of the measure. A good deal of time was spent in discussions upon the subject which resulted in no successful issue, and certainly the encouragement which we received last year was not such as to induce us to undertake the same task in the present Session. Under these circumstances I have to state, that it is not the intention of the Government either to propose any measure upon that subject, or to take charge of any such measure if it should be brought forward by an independent Member.