§ Lord Althorpsaid, that he should move that the House should go into Committee, pro formâ, on this Bill; and the discussion of the principle of the Bill might be resumed 357 upon the bringing up of the Report. The noble Lord then said, that he should take this opportunity of correcting some misrepresentations which had gone forth to the public with reference to this Bill, and with regard to the noble and learned Lord who had introduced the measure into the other House of Parliament. It had been supposed in that House, that the Bill was to contain a clause providing a retiring pension for his noble and learned friend, the Lord Chancellor, and upon that supposition some strong observations had been made upon that topic in this House. His noble and learned friend, the Lord Chancellor, was at the time absent from town, but, learning the matter through the daily papers, his Lordship immediately wrote to him (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) to deny positively that it ever had been his intention that any such clause should be introduced into the Bill; and, indeed, no such clause was to be found in the Bill. He should say, in justice to his noble and learned friend, that there existed no man who cared less about money matters. His noble and learned friend certainly was ambitious; but it was an ambition to exert his splendid and powerful talents and abilities for the good of his country. His noble and learned friend had considered that such a clause in this Bill would be inconsistent with its nature, and he had felt hurt that such a statement should have been made. Although this Bill would curtail the emoluments of the Lord Chancellor to the extent of 7,000l. or 8,000l. a-year, yet his noble and learned friend was anxious that it should be carried.
§ Sir Edward Sugdensaid, that the observations first made by the noble Lord were quite satisfactory to the Gentlemen at his side of the House. Any observations which had been made at his side of the House were dictated by duty, and that fearlessness which he hoped would always be displayed by Gentlemen at both sides of the House when stating their opinions. If the noble and learned Lord felt annoyed, the blame did not rest with his side of the House—the blame rested with his injudicious friends at the other side of the House by their suggestions. He (Sir E. Sugden) had no means of knowing the noble and learned Lord's pecuniary motives; but this he would do him the justice to say, that, from his great public services, and his great anxiety to give the public the 358 benefit of his splendid talents, he believed him to be altogether incapable of entertaining a base or sordid motive. Such a clause in such a Bill would have been a most improper thing. When the subject of the emolument to be given to the Lord Chancellor came under the consideration of the House, he would be found to be one of the foremost in support of the just dignity of so high an office. With respect to the Bill itself he would repeat, that he had many and decided objections to it. He admitted that the Bankrupt-laws must be revised, and their administration put upon a different footing, but this Bill would create an expensive and unnecessary office. He had no doubt, that the whole administration of the Bankrupt-laws might be carried on at an expense of less than 10,000l. a-year.
§ The Bill went through a Committee pro formâ.