§ Viscount Morpeth, in moving the consideration of the Lords' amendments to this bill, stated, that the Lords had struck out a clause which, on the motion of an hon. and learned Member, was added, by way of rider, to the bill on the third reading, enabling grocers to sell spirits. He had given his cordial acquiescence to the insertion of that clause, and would have been happy if it had been allowed to remain as part of the bill. But feeling satisfied that no measures the House could take would secure the re-insertion of the clause, and as he could not pretend that the clause was an integral part of the bill, he did not think he was called on to ask the House to disagree to the amendments the Lords had made.
Mr. O'Connellwas exceedingly sorry to hear the noble Lord assent to that which was called an "amendment," but which certainly was no improvement to the bill. It would inflict a most grievous injury on a very large class of the community. He had seen by the daily papers, that the most sagacious and satisfactory reason given elsewhere for rejecting the clause, was, that it had been introduced by him; and it was added, he had had some political motive in introducing it. Now the clause was supported by the hon. and gallant Member for Armagh (Colonel Verner), and the hon. Member for Belfast (Mr. Tennent), as well as himself; and it was rather hard to say what political motive they could have had in common for joining in the struggle to procure the insertion of the clause. He hoped the noble Lord would hold out some expectation of bringing the subject before Parliament early next Session, with the authority of Government; for it was a great grievance that the grocers of Ireland should be deprived of that which the grocers of England could enjoy, and which the grocers of Scotland did enjoy.
§ Lords' amendments agreed to.