§ Viscount Duncannon moved the Order of the Day for their Lordships taking into consideration the Commons' amendments to the Lords' amendments of the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Bill.
§ Lord Lyndhurstsaid, that he understood the amendments of the other House were to be merely verbal, but instead of that being the case, they opened up every question which their Lordships had been discussing for the last three months. Whatever other noble Lords might do, he would not discuss these questions over again, but when the amendments were moved would simply state whether he agreed or disagreed with them.
§ The amendments were then read seriatim. Those which Lord Lyndhurst objected to were negatived without a division; the others were adopted.
§ The Marquess of Lansdownesaid, he had not objected to the course which the noble Lord had adopted, in dealing with these amendments, solely because he wished to bring the question to a determination, and without reference to the course which, under other circumstances, he should have felt himself bound to have followed. He was desirous of taking the present opportunity of stating, without wishing to revive discussion, that he thought the House of Commons had given the strongest proof that it was possible for them to give of their desire to come to some agreement with their Lordships, by abstaining from re-introducing into this bill, and by assenting to the amendment of their Lordships, for withdrawing any provision for the better administration and delivery of the prisons in Dublin. He had reason to know, that nothing but a desire to see the question set at rest could have induced the House of Commons to concur in the withdrawal of that provision. It was partly for a like reason that he now offered no opposition to the proceedings of the noble and learned Lord, and partly because the subject was one which was capable of being re-considered, as indeed it ought to be, in conjunction with the state of prisons, and separately from the objects of the present bill. The subject would be considered in another Session, which he hoped would not terminate without giving to Dublin a more frequent 1357 delivery of prisons, for their present state was such as to call for the interference of the Legislature, and the vigorous determination of Government. There was no sacrifice which he was not prepared to make to carry out this important measure, which he hoped would work for the happiness of Ireland, and for the benefit of the United Kingdom.
Lord Broughamperfectly agreed with the noble Marquess who had just spoken, that great sacrifices had been made to carry this bill; but in regard to the other measure adverted to by the noble Marquess, namely, that relating to a general delivery of prisons, he hoped that Government would not stop there, but that they would proceed at an early period next Session, not only with that particular measure, but with that other one to which reference had been made some time ago— he meant the general measure for the purpose of excluding all judicial officers— not from their Lordships' House, for there was no need of that, but from holding a seat in the other House of Parliament.
§ On the motion of Lord Lyndhurst, a committee was named to draw up reasons for not agreeing to the amendments of the Commons, and a conference requested for the following day.