§ The Earl of Aberdeen, after stating that a noble friend of his (the Duke of Wellington) was anxious to be present at some of the stages of the London Coal Delivery Bill, before it finally passed, observed, that he understood that the noble Earl at the head of the Administration had last night contradicted a statement which had been made, by him and his noble friend (the Duke of Wellington) relative to certain proceedings, chiefly relative to commercial demands made by the French Admiral in the Tagus. He had been unable, from indisposition, to attend the House for some days, and the contradiction had been given in his absence. He now, therefore, wished to state, that he and his noble friend were perfectly prepared to show that they had not made the statements on erroneous information, but were ready to prove the truth of them. For himself and the noble Duke he repeated the statements, and asserted, that they were prepared to substantiate them. He would say no more on the subject, at present as the noble Earl was not in his place, and, as he understood, would not be able to attend till Monday.
The Lord Chancellorrequested, that, the noble Earl would please to observe, that his noble friend at the head of the Ministry had not volunteered the contradiction. His noble friend laid some papers on the Table, and a noble Marquis took occasion to make a speech, and then his noble friend had made the observation alluded to; certainly not from any disposition to make it in the absence of the noble Earl rather than in his presence. The noble Earl would perceive, that the making that observation, when led to it by the speech of the noble Marquis, was a very different thing from volunteering it in the absence of the noble Duke and the noble Earl. As to the matter itself, he knew nothing about it.
§ The Earl of Aberdeendid not mean to impute it as a matter of blame to the 48 noble Earl at the head of the Administration, that he had made the statement in his absence, under the circumstances mentioned; but merely mentioned the fact, that it had been made in his absence; and that he had, therefore, not had an immediate opportunity of supporting his assertion, and replying to the statement of the noble Earl. When his noble friend and the noble Earl should be in their places, he would then be ready to prove, that the statements of his noble friend and himself, as to the proceedings of the French Admiral while in the Tagus, were correct.
The Marquis of Londonderrysaid, that it had been imputed to him by the noble Earl (Grey), that he had made the statement to which his noble friend alluded. He had not made any such statement.
§ Viscount Melbourneobserved, that this was another illustration of the great inconvenience of making speeches, and entering upon discussions when putting questions. This practice had grown up to a most inconvenient extent, and on these occasions, as those who were to answer the questions could not always be prepared at the moment, inaccuracies would naturally some times occur, both in the answers and the discussions. The inference from all which was, that the practice ought to be discontinued.
The Marquis of Londonderryhad given notice of a motion for papers, but before he could make it, the noble Earl granted the papers, for which he thanked the noble Earl and so the debate arose, in the course of which he had been violently attacked, both by the noble Earl and the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack