§ MR. BRIGHTpresented a Petition from a numerous meeting held at Congleton. The petitioners declared that they had always understood that it was the undoubted privilege of that House to settle the taxation of the country, that any departure from the practice would be very prejudicial to the operations of trade, and they prayed the House to resist the recent aggression on the established usage of the constitution.
§ MR. STEUARTrose to order, and said that since the discussion which had taken place some days before in reference to a Petition of a similar character, he had consulted the work of Mr. May on The Law and Practice of Parliament, and found it distinctly laid down, that any language reflecting on the other estates of the Realm was a ground for refusing the Petition in which it was contained. As the words just read by the hon. Member were, he conceived, disrespectful to the House of Lords, he begged to ask Mr. Speaker whether the Petition ought to be received?
§ MR. SPEAKERWill the hon. Member be good enough to specify the words?
§ MR. BRIGHTI will read the words to the House.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe Member for Birmingham may state the substance of the Petition, but if it is to be read at length it must be read by the Clerk.
§ MR. STEUARTinquired, Whether the words "aggression on the established usage of the Constitution" and "Invasion of the privileges of the House of Commons," as applied to the other branch of the Legislature, were not objectionable.
§ MR. SPEAKERThere can be no objection to receive the Petition. There is nothing in it which would render it informal.