Mr. Hobhousepresented a Petition signed by 2,000 most respectable inhabitants of the parishes of St. Giles and St. George Bloomsbury, against the Bill' now in the House for establishing a Select Vestry in those parishes. The meeting at which this petition had been agreed to was one of the most numerous and respectable he had ever seen, and the opinions there expressed showed that the Bill did not express the sentiments of the majority of the parish. He was surprised that any hon. Member could press a bill which was so much against the feelings of the great mass of the parishioners.
§ The Speakerinformed the hon. Member, that the petition being against the principle of the Bill, it could not be referred, as he moved that it should, to the Committee; for this principle of the Bill had been already agreed to on the second reading. If the petitioners prayed against parts of the Bill, the petition might be sent to the committee.
Mr. Hobhousesaid, that the petitioners prayed against certain clauses of the Bill as well as against the principle, and on that ground, he thought, with all deference to the authority of Mr. Speaker, that the petition might be so referred.
§ The Speakersaid, if the hon. Member stated that those clauses did not embrace the principle of the Bill, the petition might be referred to the committee.
§ Petition referred accordingly.