SIR FREDERICK TRENCH AND MR. WASON. (Hansard, 10 June 1836)

§ The Speaker
In consequence of the Report which was read at an early period of the evening by the hon. Member, the Chairman of the South Durham Railway Committee, of a circumstance of a personal nature which had taken place in the morning, whilst he was attending on that Committee, between the hon. and gallant Member for Scarborough and the hon. Member for Ipswich, I deemed it my imperative duty to call on the hon. and gallant Member shortly after he had taken his place, to give his assurance that, as far as he was concerned, no further steps in the matter should be taken until both hon. Members were before the House. The hon. and gallant Member stated, that he had put himself in a position which did not require, he apprehended, any further step on his part relative to the dispute which had occurred between himself and the hon. Member for Ipswich. Anticipating the arrival in his place of the hon. Member for Ipswich at some subsequent period of the evening, I thought proper, until then, to let the affair rest, with the view of requiring from both the hon. Members the full assurance which the House had a right to expect, and which, for the sake of its honour and integrity, and the perfect freedom of its discussions, it has ever been its custom to demand on such occasions. As, however, the hon. Member 411 for Ipswich has not since made his appearance, and as the hon. and gallant Member for Scarborough, in obedience to the order of the House, is in attendance in his place, I must, in expression of the feeling of the House, now call upon that hon. and gallant Member to give it the most unqualified assurance that he shall not, with reference to the dispute which occurred between himself and the hon. Member for Ipswich, deem himself at liberty to entertain or enter upon anything of a hostile nature, whether emanating from himself or from the other hon. Member. I trust that the hon. and gallant Member will at once see the propriety and the necessity of giving the required assurance.

§ Sir Frederick Trench
said, that he felt himself placed in a most painful situation. In obedience to the Speaker's order he now attended in his place, and he had already stated that he would take no further notice of the matter. He had manifested no hesitation in giving that assurance, because he believed that he had already stated, that he stood in that position which did not render it necessary for him to take any further steps. Having done thus much, he appealed to the Chair, and to every hon. Member present, whether he ought to be called upon to give any further assurance. What the intentions of the hon. Member for Ipswich (who was not in his place) were, he knew not, but he hoped to be allowed to state shortly to the House the circumstances out of which the matter had arisen. [No, no.] He should yield to the opinion expressed by the House, and not enter into any detail. He, however, thought it extremely hard upon him to be placed, in the absence of the hon. Member for Ipswich, in the situation which the right hon. Gentleman in the Chair required.

§ Lord John Russell
said, that the House could not, according to previous practice, rest satisfied with less than the assurance now required from the hon. and gallant Member. The absence from his place of the hon. Member for Ipswich could not alter the case, and unless the hon. and gallant Member opposite (Sir F. Trench) gave the assurance required of him by the Speaker, the only course left was to move the committal of the hon. and gallant Member into the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms. He trusted, however, that the hon. and gallant Member would obey the instructions so properly given him from the Chair.

§ Mr. Williams Wynn
said, there could 412 be no doubt that the House had a right to expect from the hon. and gallant Member for Scarborough an entirely unlimited, unrestricted, and unconditional assurance that all proceedings in the matter were at an end and that nothing further should take place.

§ The Speaker
I must once again call on the hon. and gallant Member for Scarborough to give the assurance which the House expects from him.

§ Sir Frederick Trench
expressed his regret that he could not do so. He was surrounded by many Members of the Committee, who concurred with him in thinking that he was right in the position he had taken with respect to the question which had been submitted to their consideration. He knew not, he repeated, what the intentions of the hon. Member for Ipswich were, but he could state, that the hon. Member for Northallerton had told him that he had reasoned with the hon. Member for Ipswich upon the matter, and that the hon. Member for Ipswich had said he would take no steps until to-morrow morning, when an explanation might take place. In this the hon. Member for Northallerton could, if he were present, corroborate him. He (Sir F. Trench) was ready to pay on this, as on all occasions, every respect to the Chair, but he would rather incur the displeasure of the House than risk his own self-condemnation.

§ Lord John Russell
observed, that after what had fallen from the hon. and gallant Member, there remained no other step than to place the hon. and gallant Member under restraint. He should therefore move that Sir F. Trench be now taken into the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms.

§ Mr. Ingham
said, that it had been understood by him and other Members of the Committee, that the misunderstanding which had taken place between the hon. and gallant Member for Scarborough and the hon. Member for Ipswich had originated in error, and he therefore thought that the matter ought now to be terminated, especially as the hon. and gallant Member for Scarborough had since heard nothing further from the hon. Member for Ipswich. He thought the affair might be terminated with honour to both parties, by the hon. and gallant Member conceding, and in expressing that opinion, he believed he was only giving utterance to the sentiments of the whole of the Committee.