Lord Binningwas desirous of postponing his motion for taking into consideration the Report of the committee on the distillation of spirits, until to-morrow, if an hon. gent. whose notice stood for to-morrow, would consent to put it off.
§ Mr. W. Taylorreplied, that he had been that morning applied to, to postpone his motion to-morrow, relative to the Dardanelles, for the purpose of allowing the Local Militia bill to be proceeded with. 405 Considering the investigation of the subject of his motion as of the utmost importance to the character of the country, and having already frequently postponed it, he could not consent to postpone it any longer.
§ Mr. Windhamreprobated this sort of hocus pocus by which the house was kept ignorant of what business would come before it. If the arrangement that seemed to have been made was carried into effect, then it would happen that the gentlemen who came down that night to listen to a discussion on the distilleries, would find themselves engaged in a debate on the local militia; and that to-morrow, those who would come to debate the Local Militia bill, would be surprised at finding themselves in a distillery.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerdenied that there was any thing more in this circumstance than what frequently occurred, namely, that when the first notice on the order book was not proceeded with, the next was taken in its stead.
§ Lord H. Pettyobserved, that some disappointment must certainly exist in consequence of the postponement of the noble lord's motion; the more so, as in giving the notice on Monday, the noble lord had declared that the motion would certainly come on this day. With respect to the motion which stood for to-morrow, it related to a subject, the investigation of which it was most desirable no longer to defer.
§ Mr. Barham, after an eulogium on the industry and talents displayed by the noble lord in the chair of the committee, observed that he had been given to understand that a disposition had been manifested in a certain quarter to bring the parties who now differed so widely, nearer to each other in opinion. He thought, therefore, that the house would consult its own convenience, by allowing an opportunity for any arrangement to be made upon this subject.
§ Mr. Brodrick, who observed, that the subject before the house was merely the time at which the report should be discussed.
Lord Binningsaid, if a right hon. gent, would postpone the Dublin police bill from Friday, he would willingly bring his motion on that day.
§ Mr. H. Lascelles, if any thing like an 406 accommodation was in view, of which he declared himself perfectly ignorant, thought that Friday would be a better day than to-morrow.
Mr. C. Wynnelamented that the noble lord had not determined upon this postponement last night. Hail he done so, the discussion of the Local Militia bill would not have been brought on so unexpectedly, and in the absence of several gentlemen who were anxious to deliver their sentiments upon it.
§ Mr. Curwenwas of opinion, that the state of the country might be such, with relation to other powers, as to render it a precedent to adopt the recommendation of the committee.
Mr. Thorntonrequested that the discussion might be postponed till Monday, as his colleague and he would have an opportunity before that day of learning the sentiments of their constituents. A public meeting in the county of Surrey would be held on Saturday, and he should be sorry that the debate should come on before that time.—After some further conversation, in which sir J. Seabright, sir S. Romilly, lord Binning, Mr. Whitbread, Mr. Barham, Mr. W. Taylor, sir A. Wellesley, and Mr. Windham, participated, it was agreed that lord Binning's notice should stand for to-morrow, and Mr. W. Taylor's for Friday.