Mr. Humewished to know from the hon. Secretary to the Treasury, there being no other member of the Government present;" whether it was the intention of Ministers to amend the clause imposing the necessity of rents being paid half-yearly, in order to vote under the Reform Bill? As the clause stood, it had given rise to great public dissatisfaction, for the greater part of leases provided, that the rent should be paid quarterly, and he had been assured by the noble Lord, that there was no intention to exclude such persons from the franchise. This, however, required some explanation, and it would give great satisfaction to have a public declaration to that effect.
§ Mr. Spring Rice, though not particularly conversant with the arrangements of the Bill, could take it upon him to say, that the clause alluded to by the hon. 480 member for Middlesex would be amended, and the inconveniences which had given rise to complaints out of doors remedied. These inconveniences were consequent upon some technical defects in the wording of the Bill, which would be corrected in due time
§ Sir Charles Forbeswished, that the hon. member for Middlesex had taken the advice given him on another subject, and waited until the noble Lord who introduced the Bill was present, before he brought his question forward, which really was almost a libel upon that noble Lord.
§ There being no question before the House, the conversation dropped.