§ Mr. Hindley moved, that the journals of the House relating to the cases after mentioned, in which counsel was ordered to be heard, and evidence was taken at the Bar, or in Committees of the whole House, in support of Petitions complaining of existing Laws, be read by the Clerk, and be entered in the Votes, viz., the Journals relating to that part of the Act for uniting the Kingdoms of England and Scotland, which regulated the election of Members for Scotland, the 25th day of November, and the 1st and 3rd days of December, 1708. The journals relating to the duties on the importation of copper and brass, the 8th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and 20th days of Jan. and the 2d day of February, 1721. The journals relating to the duties on cotton stuffs, bleached or dyed, the 16th, 18th, and 21st days of March, and 5th, 6th, 8th, 12th, 13th, 20th, and 21st days of April 1785. The journals relating to the shop tax, the 6th, 15th, 22d and 23d days of February, and the 2d, 6th, and 7th days of March, 1786. The journals relating to the slave trade, the 9th day of May, 1783; the 23d day of March, the 21st, 26th, and 27th days of May, and the 9th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 22d, and 23d days of June, 1789; the 25th, and 27th days of January, the 13th, and 23d days of April, and the 9th day of June 1790. The journals relating to the duties on licences to deal in spirituous liquors, the 5th, and 31st days of March, the 22d day of April, and the 7th day of May, 1790. The journals relating to certain orders in council, the 10th, 11th, 14th, 18th, 22d, 23d, and 24th days of March; the 1st, 4th, and 13th days 506 of April; the 4th, and 26th days of May; and the 9th day of June 1808. When proceedings had been read, they had generally been read on the day that the motion was brought forward; but he thought it would tend more to the calm discussion of this question, if they were able to do it when they saw they were warranted by precedents. He had no other view, than to let the Members see whether the precedents of the House would allow them to grant the prayer of the petitioners.
§ The Speakersaid, it was always advisable not to differ from the usages of Parliament. The objection which occurred to him to the moving of the hon. Gentleman's motion was this—the hon. Member proposed to send forth, under the sanction of the House, those precedents as he had explained the matter. He had not the least doubt, that every one of these precedents was to he found on the journals according to the statements of the hon. Member, but it did not follow, that there were no others. The usual course had been to appoint a Committee to take the proper means of proceeding, and then they came forward with more sanction of authority than they otherwise could do. When the thing was set forth under the sanction of the House, the greatest care should be taken, that it was as accurate as possible, and the usual course had been to appoint a Committee.
§ The hon. Member then gave notice, that on Monday he should move for such a Committee.