§ Mr. Liddellpresented a petition from the Clergy, Bankers, Merchants, and Inhabitants of North Shields, against the proposed alteration in the law relative to Forgery. The petitioners were of opinion that the bill, if passed into a law in its present form, would defeat the object which it was meant to effect, and, instead of decreasing, would increase the crime of Forgery.
Sir J. Macintoshsaid, he believed, and indeed he knew, that this Petition would be followed by many others of a similar nature. He gave notice, that whenever the proposition to commit the Forgery-bill should be 329 brought forward, he, or some of his hon. friends who possessed greater ability, meant to move, on the question that the Speaker do leave the chair, that it should be an instruction to the committee to introduce such mitigatory amendments as would bring the measure to the standard of effective justice, which he believed was the object that the right hon. Gentleman who introduced it had in view. Being on his legs, he begged leave to observe, that he had received no information which would authorise him to postpone the second reading of the bill relative to the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Madras beyond Wednesday, for which day it stood. If, between this time and that, a hope should be held out to him that an early day would be granted to him for moving the second reading, and he thought the discussion would not exceed three hours, he should feel most happy to consult the convenience of gentlemen, and to postpone it. If, however, no hope of that sort were held out, he should be under the necessity of bringing the question forward on Wednesday next, however unpopular that day might be. He believed he was now the only suitor, except one, who requested that a short time should, at an early day, be allowed him for the discussion of this measure, and he made the application more for the convenience of others than for his own. Unless, however, he received some assurance that this indulgence would be extended to him, he must move the second reading of the bill on Wednesday.
The Chancellor of the Exchequersaid, he was in such a situation, that however anxious he was to comply with the wishes of the right hon. and learned Gentleman, he could not make any promise on the subject. There was so much public business to be proceeded with, that it was not in his power to give any pledge to the right hon. and learned Gentleman.
§ Petition laid on the Table.