§ Mr. Corrymoved the order of the day for going into a committee on the Irish Duties Bill. The order having been read, the rt. hon. gent, said, that before he made any further motion upon this subject he wished to say a few words. In the course of the debate of yesterday, some doubt was thrown out, that the bill before the House was one that affected the interest of the crown, and that, therefore, the royal assent ought to have been signified. He was ready at that time, and he was ready now, if it were proper, to shew that the bill was conformable, to the precedents of the Parliament of Ireland. He also understood, though on this point he could not speak so positively, that it was not without precedent in the Parliament of Gt. Britain before the Union, and in the Imperial Parliament, since the Union, there were precedents, viz. the three different acts which had passed relative to these duties; it was true they were only annual bills, and therefore he did not rely entirely upon them. But though there 831 were precedents of that nature, if it could enter into the imagination of any man that this measure trenched upon any constitutional principle, he certainly would be the last man to take advantage of them. But as there had not been sufficient time since the doubts had been thrown out, to ascertain how the principle stood affected by this proceeding, he should, in order that full time may be given for consideration, move to postpone the committee till Monday.
Mr. Fostersaid, that the great doubts and difficulties which had arisen in his mind upon the subject were founded upon the circumstance of this bill being perpetual, therefore he did not conceive that annual bills could be considered as' any precedent. The. motion was then agreed to.