HC Deb 12 April 1831 vol 3 cc1252-3

On the Motion of Mr. C. W. Wynn, the Order of the Day was read for the further consideration of the Report of the Committee on the Privileges of the House with respect to Pecuniary Penalties. The report was brought up and read as follows. "Resolved,:—That it is the opinion of this Committee, that in any Bill which, having passed the House of Lords, shall be sent down to this House for their concurrence, or in any Bill which having passed this House, shall be return ed by the Lords with amendments, it shall appear that any pecuniary penalty or forfeiture is thereby imposed, varied, or taken away, the Speaker shall, before the second reading of such Bill, or amendments, report to the House his opinion, whether the object thereof be to impose, vary, or to take away any pecuniary charge or burthen on the subject, or whether the same relates only to the punishment or the prevention of offences; and the House shall thereupon determine whether it may be expedient, in such particular case to insist upon the exercise of their privilege to originate all such provisions respecting pecuniary penalties or forfeiture."

Mr. C. W. Wynn

moved, that the House do agree with the Resolution. The abject of it was to relax the privileges of the House in cases where the public interests required it, and with the approbation of the Speaker. Under the system proposed, bills for the amendment of the criminal law, containing clauses which inflicted pecuniary penalties, might he brought forward in the House of Lords, from which great public convenience would result.

Mr. Hume

expressed his disinclination to trench in the slightest; degree upon any of the privileges of the House, and his inability to perceive that the present practice was attended with any inconvenience.

Sir R. Peel

could state, from his personal experience, that, when he introduced his bills for the amendment of the Criminal Law, very great inconvenience was felt in the passing of those Bills through the House of Lords, in consequence of the exercise of the privileges of the House with respect to the pecuniary penalties necessarily inserted in them.

Lord Althorp

entirely concurred in the sentiments of the right hon. Baronet, and hoped the House would agree to the resolutions of his right hon. friend.

Resolution read a second time and agreed to.