HL Deb 03 March 1854 vol 131 cc260-2
LORD LYNDHURST

said, their Lordships would remember that a few days ago he put a question to his noble and learned Friend on the woolsack, with respect to the Commission issued some time back, for the purpose of considering the subject of the consolidation of the statute law of this country. On his arrival in town last night he was informed, for the first time, that in the course of the observations which he made on that occasion he was supposed to have intended to cast some reflections on the principal member of that Commission (Mr. Bellenden Ker). Now, he entertained the greatest possible respect for that learned Gentleman, from the knowledge he had of his talents, his varied information, his ability as a lawyer, and, above all, of his fair and honourable dealing on all occasions; and nothing could have been further from his intention than to make any insinuation or reflection regarding him. The charge to which he alluded was contained in an article in a morning newspaper (the Morning Chronicle) of the 16th of February. That article contained much abuse directed against that learned Gentleman, and concluded in these terms:— We have further sought to show that Lord Lyndhurst's pregnant caution in the discussion of last week had a meaning which it behoved the Lord Chancellor, in his answer, not to overlook or evade—above all, that he ought to have avoided every appearance of a personal participation in contrivances utterly unworthy of his character and station. Now, the facts of the case were shortly these. He stated to his noble and learned Friend (the Lord Chancellor), and to their Lordships, that the Report of the Commissioners was directed to three purposes, and described three methods in which the consolidation of the statute law might be carried into effect; and his object in calling the attention of his noble and learned Friend to the subject was, in order that he might be informed, and that their Lordships and the public might also be informed, which of these three courses it was intended by his noble and learned Friend to pursue. In the course of his observations in putting that question, he referred to the history of former attempts to carry into effect a measure of this description. He said that measures of this kind had been introduced into Parliament by the Government, and had uniformly failed; and therefore he pressed most strongly that his noble and learned Friend would exercise the greatest vigilance and activity, for the purpose of preventing an additional failure on this occasion. That was the only observation directed to that point to which this article seemed to refer. The observation was entirely of a general character, and was addressed to his noble and learned Friend with the view to his exercising, on a subject of this importance, that vigilance which he was known to possess. He begged leave, therefore, to say that the imputation which he was supposed to have directed against the learned Gentleman in question was utterly without foundation.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

could only say that he had never heard of this matter until his noble and learned Friend alluded to it just now, and at this moment he did not understand what it meant. The learned Gentleman, Mr. Bellenden Ker, who, as the chief member of that Commission, suggested different modes by which that object—namely, the consolidation of the statute law—might be obtained, had been in constant communication with him, and they had had a great deal of discussion as to what was the best mode of effecting that object. The last Report pointed out what he (the Lord Chancellor) sanctioned as the best mode; and if there was any suggestion as to anything sinister, or any- thing behind the curtain, or not brought forward, or attempted to be concealed, he did not understand what it meant. Everything that was necessary had been made public, or was intended to be made public; and that gentleman on this, as on all other occasions, had shown the most perfect candour and gentlemanlike openness in all his dealings; and what the insinuation could be, or what could be meant, he was unable to conjecture.