MR. STUART WORTLEYsaid, he would beg to ask the indulgence of the House while he referred to a report in one 244 of the leading morning journals of the debate which took place in that House on the morning of Tuesday last, and to which, probably, many Members who were present on that occasion had had their attention directed. He was one of those who cheerfully acknowledged the extraordinary ability, and, he must say, the general accuracy of the Reports of the proceedings of that House by the public press, and by none more than by The Times; but by some extraordinary typographical error, or by some mistake, that journal published an account of that debate which was very remarkable. That journal not only omitted the greater part of the observations that he had the honour of addressing to the House (of which, of course, he should not have complained), but it attributed to him a great deal to which he had no claim. He was represented as having made a quotation from a speech supposed to have been made by Mr. Miall, and as having addressed a question to the hon. Baronet the Member for Tavistock, which he had not done. [Loud cries of "Order, order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERUnless the right hon. Gentleman is going to conclude with some Motion, the course he is now pursuing is not regular.
MR. STUART WORTLEYthought that, as this was a matter personally affecting himself, it was not necessary that he should conclude with a Motion.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, he must repeat that the hon. Gentleman was pursuing an irregular course, unless he intended to conclude with a Motion.
MR. STUART WORTLEYthen said, he would conclude with the Motion that the House do adjourn. He was about to add, when called to order, that the remainder of the speech attributed to him was delivered by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Sotheron Estcourt) who had already corrected the error so far as he himself was concerned. He moved that the House do now adjourn.
§ MR. SPEAKERUnless the hon. Gentleman proposes to conclude with some Motion referring to the matter which he has introduced to the House, he does not amend the irregularity of his course of proceeding by moving the adjournment of the House. Unless the hon. Gentleman desires to propose a substantive Motion referring to the matter which he has mentioned, the course he is now pursuing is irregular.
MR. STUART WORTLEYsaid, he must apologize to the House for having acted irregularly. However, his object had been obtained, and he now bogged to withdraw his Motion.
§ Motion, by leave, withdrawn.