§ Mr. Hobhousefelt himself under the necessity of calling the attention of the house to a circumstance which might involve some blame to himself; but in which he trusted to the indulgence of the house. A bill (sir J. Gordon's Divorce Bill) had been taken from the table of the house, and carried up to the lords, which had not passed this house; the lords were unwilling to part with the bill, without a message from the house to recall it; a message, therefore, he was under the necessity of moving for. There were precedents of similar mistakes, and similar messages; but he could not call upon the house, without taking some blame to himself for an inadvertency which, he supposed, must have happened to him acting as chairman of the committee of ways and means, He moved, that a message be sent to the lords, desiring that their lordships would send back the said bill.
Mr. Bakerwas not surprised that such mistakes should occur,when the duty of the chairman of the committee of ways and means was performed by so many persons. He wished to know, who was the real chairman?
§ Mr. Hobhousesaid, it was well known that the chairman (Mr. Alexander) was much absent, in making preparations for 1095 his departure for a foreign settlement. From friendship to that gentleman, he had generally performed his duty; and whenever he was not present, it was done by some other gentleman, for the convenience of the house. He was content to take the blame of the inadvertency upon himself, as having acted most frequently.—It was then ordered, that a message be sent to the lords, to desire them to return the bill.