On Sir J. Grahammoving that the Order of the Day for receiving the Report of the Committee of Supply be read,
§ Mr. Littletonobserved, that there were yet many petitions on the subject of Parliamentary Reform to be presented, notwithstanding the kindness of the Speaker in sitting on Saturday. Now, consistently with the course which had been pursued on similar occasions, he supposed that the House would receive these petitions before the subject of Reform was introduced by the Ministers. The noble Lord (J. Russell) was to bring forward the measure of Reform to-morrow, and he rose now for the purpose of reminding hon. Members of the difficulty of getting the Petitions received in time.
§ Mr. Benetthad a petition to present from the county of Wilts, and, therefore, urged the propriety of receiving such petitions to-night.
Colonel Daviesobserved, that there were no less than twenty-seven Orders of the Day, and thirteen Motions on the paper,—and he put it to hon. Members, whether they would stop the public business by devoting the night to the reception of petitions.
§ Mr. Benettwas surprised at this objection from such a quarter. He had some petitions to present, one of which he held in his hand, and he should move, as an Amendment to the Motion of the right hon. Baronet (Sir J. Graham), "That this Petition be brought up."
§ Mr. John Woodrose to second the Amendment. It was well known, that this morning's post had brought numbers of petitions on this subject, which ought to be presented. He came down to the 1032 House at a quarter to ten o'clock, but finding that there were already thirty names on the Speaker's list, he had declined to put his down.
§ An hon. Member gave notice, that he should take an early opportunity of moving that a Committee be appointed to receive petitions, since, without some such arrangement, it would be quite impossible to get through the public business.
§ Mr. Littletonthought it highly improper, that petitions on such a subject should be received except in a full House.
§ Mr. Calcraftconsidered the subject of Reform the most important that could occupy the House and the country at present. He thought it inexpedient for the House to hear the statement which was proposed to be made to-morrow, of the intentions of his Majesty's Ministers on that important question, before it should have heard the prayers of the people on the same subject. If the petitions should be deferred until to-morrow, their presentation would occupy so much time, that the motion of the noble Lord could not conveniently be brought on. Should even discussions arise upon them that night, so that all could not be presented, the few that might remain would not take up so much time, as to interfere with the noble Lord's important motion. He thought the House ought to deviate on that occasion from its ordinary rules.
Lord John Russellagreed with the hon. member for Wareham, that it was expedient that all the petitions on the subject of Reform should be presented before the measure of Reform, contemplated by his Majesty's Ministers, was submitted to the House. He wished that there should be a proper understanding as to the hour in which his motion would be brought forward, and, therefore, he took that opportunity of mentioning, that he should propose it at six o'clock.
§ General Gascoynemust infer, from what had been said upon the other side of the House, that the noble Lord anticipated the rejection of his Bill to-morrow night. As regarded the petitions, he would recommend that the same mode should be adopted for their reception as had been adopted respecting the petitions on the Catholic Question. Before he sat down, he wished to call the attention of the House to what he had heard respecting a person who had been guilty of extremely disorderly conduct in the Gallery, 1033 which seemed to have been passed by entirely without notice. It did not become the dignity of the House to allow the member for Waterford to be insulted with impunity. He(General Gascoyne)had had the honour of sitting in that House for nearly thirty years, and in all that time he had never witnessed so insulting a breach of its privileges [cries of "Move, move!"]. It was not for him to make any motion on the subject. It was the duty of the noble Lord, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to take the opinion of the House upon the Breach of Privilege as soon as it was communicated to him. As the noble Lord had not done so, he (General Gascoyne) would take the sense of the House upon the subject, as he saw no reason that it should so much depart from the usual course on such occasions, as to allow so gross an insult to pass without notice.
§ The Speakersaid, it is always important that I should set an hon. Member right when I perceive him to be in error. On this occasion it is the more necessary that I should set the hon. and gallant Member right, as, if there has been any error in the omission of which he complains, the fault must be attributed to me more than to any one else. When I made the communication to the House, that the person who had violated its privileges was in custody, the noble Lord (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) came to me, and inquired whether it was the proper course to bring the individual to the bar? I thought it more becoming the dignity of the House, that, whilst its business was going on, the offending person should be kept in custody; and that, after the House had gone through its own business, then the individual in custody should be brought to the Bar, to be dealt with as the House may think proper. The hon. and gallant Member must be aware, that a person being in custody by the order of the House cannot be liberated until he shall have received its judgment.
§ General Gascoyneexplained, that having heard nothing further than that the insult had been committed, and had been communicated to the House, he thought it his duty to call attention to it.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, that when there was before the House so much important business, it was to be regretted that two or three hours should be lost in unnecessary discussions. As he understood the noble 1034 Lord to say, that the public business would not be seriously impeded by the presentation of the petitions on Reform, he (Sir It. Peel) did not think that any inconvenient precedent could be established by their being received. It would be inconvenient to all parties, that those petitions should be presented before the motion of the noble Lord to-morrow night, as their reception would put back the motion till a late hour. It was, at the same time, desirable to all parties, that the motion should not be brought forward, before the petitions on the subject had been heard. He would, therefore, give his voice in favour of their being presented immediately. For his own part, he was quite disinterested in the matter, as he had but two petitions to present, and of these, one was in favour of Reform, and the other against it.
§ Mr. Huntsaid, he had several petitions to present on the subject of Parliamentary Reform; but as he did not expect that they would have been received until after the conclusion of the business, he had left them at home. If the House resolved to receive the petitions, however, he must go after those he had to present. He was sure the public was more anxious with respect to this subject than any other proceeding the House could be employed in, and he was therefore anxious that the petitions should be received that night.
§ Mr. W. Duncombesaid, that as it appeared to be the general wish of the House that the Reform petitions should be received, he hoped those hon. Members who had given notice of motions would consent to withdraw them. He trusted if those petitions were received, however, that Members presenting them would confine themselves to the subject of Reform. In conclusion, he wished to ask the noble Lord, if the Reform petitions were not received, what public business he would propose to go on with?
§ Lord Althorpreplied, that his right hon. friend (Sir James Graham) would move, that the Resolution of the Committee of Supply on the Navy Estimates should be brought up. In accordance with what appeared to be the general wish of the House, however, he thought it was better to continue receiving the Reform petitions.
§ Sir Robert Peelhoped, that it would be understood that the rule was relaxed only as regarded Reform Petitions; and that no others would be brought up.
1035 It was then moved and carried, that the Petition be brought up. Mr. Benett accordingly brought up the Petition, which was from Wiltshire, praying for Reform and Vote by Ballot.