HL Deb 16 February 1855 vol 136 cc1416-8
THE LORD CHANCELLOR

acquainted the House that he had received the following letter from Rear Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons, Bart., G.C.B., in return to the Thanks of this House communicated to him in obedience to an Order of this House of the 15th of December last— "Agamemnon, off Sevastopol. 30th January, 1855. MY LORD, Having succeeded Vice Admiral Dundas in the Command of this Station, the Honour has devolved upon me of communicating to Rear Admiral the Honourable Montagu Stopford, and to the several Captains, Officers, and Seamen of Her Majesty's Fleet in the Black Sea, the unanimous Expression of the Thanks of the House of Lords for their Services during the present War, and the high Sense which it entertains of the Value of their Services: These Expressions of the Thanks and Approbation of the House of Lords are deeply felt throughout the Fleet, and encourage us all to make increased Exertions for the Honour and Glory of our Queen and Country: By the Terms in which your Lordship has been pleased to communicate these Resolutions we all feel highly honoured and gratified: I have the Honour to be, My Lord, With much Respect and Regard, Your Lordships most obedient, humble Servant, EDMUND LYONS, Rear Admiral and Commander in Chief. The said Letter being read was Ordered to lie on the Table; and to be entered on the Journals.

LORD CAMPBELL

said, that their Lordships must have observed that the Thanks voted by their Lordships to Members of their Lordships' House, who had distinguished themselves, had not been communicated in person by the noble and learned Lord on the woolsack to the illustrious individuals to whom the Thanks were voted. He knew that the noble and learned Lord had followed precedents, and that, if precedents had allowed it, he would have done so. As, however, some blame had been attached to the noble Lord for not having done so, and as he knew it was undeserved, he was glad to give the noble and learned Lord an opportunity of explaining why the course followed in the other House had not been adopted here.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

said, he was obliged to his noble and learned Friend for giving him an opportunity of explaining what had been done. When the noble and gallant Earl (the Earl of Cardigan), whom he was glad to see again in his place, returned to this country, it occurred to him that the same course which had been taken by the other House of Parliament ought to be taken by their Lordships, and he had immediately inquired into what had been done on other occasions. He had referred to what had taken place from the commencement of the last century, and he found that a Vote of Thanks agreed to by their Lordships had never been personally delivered to a Member of their Lordships' House, unless he had been Commander in Chief, and then only upon a special vote of their Lordships, directing it to be done. When the House of Commons voted Thanks to officers, the resolution usually went on to say that it should be communicated by letter to all to whom the Thanks were given, except such as were Members of that House, and that to them the Speaker should communicate them in person. Such had not been the custom in their Lordships' House; and, independently of any other objections, he (the Lord Chancellor) had no authority from their Lordships to communicate their Thanks without special directions. It was not for him to say whether their Lordships ought to diverge from the ordinary custom, but he had had the matter looked into, and was happy to be able, in the presence of the noble Earl, to show that no blame was attributable to him (the Lord Chancellor) that the course adopted in the other House had not been pursued in their Lordships' House.

LORD BROUGHAM

wished to add that there could be not the slightest objection to depart from the ordinary practice beyond the obvious and powerful reason that it would tend to throw discredit on all former Members of that House who had received the Thanks of the House otherwise than personally.

LORD CAMPBELL

could not see the force of the observation of his noble and learned Friend who spoke last. He thought it would be much better to change the course which they had hitherto pursued and adopt that taken by the other House. He could not see how it would reflect in the slightest degree on those Members who had received the Thanks of the House when a different system prevailed.

House adjourned to Monday next.