§ Mr. Law, seeing the hon. Member for Lambeth in his place, hoped the House would grant him the usual indulgence, when he re- 450 quested the hon. Member to state what had occurred that morning in reference to an intimation which the hon. Member had sent to him, that the hon. Member intended to notice some observations he was reported to have made in the course of a trial at the Central Criminal Court. He was aware that he must throw himself upon the indulgence of the House, in begging that the question might be answered; and he did so as well from being a Member of that House, as also because the matter was connected with the discharge of his judicial functions. He hoped, therefore, the hon. Member would state the substance of any complaint he had to make in consequence of anything he was reported to have said.
§ Mr. Hawesreally did not know whether he were called upon to reply to the hon. and learned Gentleman's question. Had the hon. and learned Member been in his place in the morning, as he ought to have been, he would have heard the statement he had made; and he thought it too much to be called upon to state over again the observations which, in the discharge of his public duty, he had thought it right to make. He could not, perhaps, recollect the exact phraseology he had used, and he must say, that it appeared to him a most unnatural course, having intimated to the hon. and learned Member in the course of Friday, that he should take an opportunity when the Police Courts Bill came before the House, to notice (not to complain, for he had no complaint to make) an address reported to have been made to a jury in the Central Criminal Court. He had yesterday requested the noble Lord, who had charge of it, to postpone the bill till today, in order that the hon. Member from whom he had received no answer till three o'clock that day, might have full notice. He was now in the hands of the House, and was willing, if it thought proper to enter upon the debate. ["No, no."] If the House wished it he was ready to defend what he then stated, but it was rather too much to ask him to repeat his observations.
§ Mr. Lawassured the hon. Member and the House, that although the hon. Member's letter to him was dated on Friday last, he being out of town, did not receive it until one o'clock yesterday. He immediately returned to town at great personal inconvenience to himself, and arrived at the door of the House at a-quarter before 451 four o'clock, not being aware that the House would sit at an earlier hour. This being the case, he confessed he was somewhat surprised at the hon. Gentleman's disinclination to re-state what he had said in the morning. However, as the hon. Member now stated that he did not complain, and as the mere personal opinion of the hon. Member as to any part of his conduct was a matter of complete indifference, he would not trouble the House with any further remarks upon the subject. He, thought, however, he might be allowed to observe, that when the hon. Member sent a notice to him of his intention to direct the attention of the House to some part of his conduct when acting in a public capacity, when the hon. Gentleman received an answer to that communication as soon as circumstances could possibly admit, and when he came to town to meet any observations the hon. Member might feel it his duty to make; he thought it was not too great an indulgence from one gentleman to another, not to say from one Member of the House to another, to restate the substance of any observations—[The hon. Member was interrupted by cries of "Order !" and Chair !"]
§ The Speakerthought it would not be wise to press the matter further. The hon. and learned Member had called on the hon. Member for Lambeth to state the substance of any observations he had made; and it was certainly competent for the hon. Member to do so, but the hon. Member having declined, it was irregular to create any further debate. He had understood the hon. Member, when he rose, to make some explanation of what had occurred, which he (the Speaker) conceived was perfectly in order, but beyond that he thought any dicussion would be irregular.
§ Mr. Haweshoped he might be permit-to state, with reference to the communications on which the hon. and learned Gentleman laid great stress, that he had addressed a note to the hon. and learned Gentleman on Friday; that he had taken great pains that the note should be delivered, and on the door of the hon. and learned Gentleman's chambers there was a notice that the person in charge would attend again directly. He had heard nothing further upon the subject until he saw the hon. and learned Gentleman today, when the hon. and learned Gentleman stated that the only reason why the hon. 452 and learned Gentleman had not answered his letter was, that he had not received it in time. He had thought that all he could do was to intimate to the hon. and learned Member that he intended to notice the address he had made.
§ Subject dropped.