HC Deb 06 March 1856 vol 140 cc1952-3
MR. MACKINNON

asked the Vice President of the Board of Trade upon what day he proposed to take the Committee upon the Local Dues on Shipping?

MR. LOWE

said, that the Committee was fixed for next Friday week.

SIR FREDERIC THESIGER

That, I believe, is the day upon which the House is to adjourn for the Easter recess.

MR. LOWE

Yes, the same day.

Afterwards—

MR. DISRAELI

said, that, in the absence of the noble Lord who had just entered the House (Viscount Palmerston), the Vice President of the Board of Trade had, in reply to a question of an hon. Member, stated that it was the intention of the Government to move the Committee upon the question of Local Dues on Shipping on Friday week. Now, his hon. and learned Friend beside him (Sir F. Thesiger) had given notice of his intention to move an Amendment to the Motion of the Government, and having reason to believe that the subject would lead to considerable discussion—probably to a protracted discussion—the noble Lord would recollect that the day named by the Vice President for proceeding with such an important subject was the eve of the Easter holidays. He wished, therefore, to submit to the consideration of the noble Lord whether it would not be more convenient, both to the Government and to the House, that the Motion should be made rather after the reassembling of Parliament than on the day immediately preceding the adjournment.

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON

said, that the Motion stood originally for to-morrow. It was, however, quite clear that the Army Estimates would occupy the whole of the night, and therefore his right hon. Friend had postponed the question of the Local Dues on Shipping until Friday week. He did not conceive that the appointment of a Committee upon the subject would entail a longer discussion than one night. They had discussed many important questions at one sitting, and as they would have the holidays before them in which to refresh themselves for any extraordinary fatigue which they might have to endure on that night, he did not see much inconvenience in proceeding with the matter on Friday week, even although they were obliged, in defiance of his hon. Friend the Member for Salford (Mr. Brotherton), to sit into Saturday morning for the purpose of effecting a settlement of that part of their business. He certainly would be unwilling to assent to a postponement of the question.