§ Lord John RussellI hold in my hand a petition affecting the privileges of the House upon which I do not feel it necessary to make any comment. Having brought it up, I shall merely move that it be read.
§ [Petition read. It purported to be a petition from Messrs. Hansard, the printers to the House, showing that a further suit had been commenced against the petitioners in the Court of Queen's Bench, by John Joseph Stockdale, and that a writ of summons had been served upon them on the 25th of January, by Thomas Burton Howard, the attorney for the said John Joseph Stockdale. Under these circumstances the petitioners humbly prayed, that they might receive the instructions of the House as to the course they should adopt.]
§ Lord John RussellThe petition having been read, I shall simply move, "that Thomas Burton Howard be ordered to attend the House forthwith."
§ Sir R. Ingliscontended, that if the House were to act upon such a petition, it would act as a general prohibition on the part of the House against Mr. Stockdale's bringing any action whatever against the Messrs. Hansard. There was not one word in the petition, from the beginning to the end, that in any way connected the matter with the privileges of the House. He for one, therefore, solemnly protested against any interference on the pan of the House.
§ Viscount Howickconceived, that the objection of the hon. Baronet would have been perfectly well-founded, if his noble Friend had proposed, that the House should at once proceed to commit Mr. Howard to custody. But as he understood the motion, that was not the object of it. The motion was, that Mr. Howard be ordered to attend that House forthwith, and, as he conceived, the plain and simple object of the motion was to ascertain from Mr. Howard himself, whether, as they had every reason to believe, the present action was similar to those which he had pre- 582 viously brought against (he printer. The hon. Baronet was a Member of the committee which sat upon this subject, and, having been so, could hardly have forgotten that in those former actions the writ was in precisely the same terms as that now served upon Mr. Howard.
§ Sir R. Inglismoved, by way of amendment, that the petition of Messrs. Hansard contained no allegation, that the action was brought against them as printers to the House, and that in the absence of any such allegation it is not fitting for the House to take any further steps in this matter.
§ Amendment withdrawn, the House divided on the original question—Ayes 181; Noes 67:—Majority 114.
| List of the AYES. | |
| Adam, Admiral | Dunbar, G. |
| Ainsworth, P. | Dundas, F. |
| Alston, R. | Dundas, hon. J. C. |
| Baines, E. | Dundas, Sir R. |
| Barron, H. W. | Easthope, J. |
| Beamish, F. B. | Elliott, hon. J. E. |
| Bernal, R. | Ellice, right hon. E. |
| Blackett, C. | Ellis, J. |
| Blake, W. J. | Ellis, W. |
| Blakemore, R. | Euston, Earl of |
| Blennerhasset, A. | Evans, G. |
| Blewitt, R. J. | Ewart, W. |
| Bodkin, J. J. | Fitzalan, Lord |
| Bowes, J. | Fitzpatrick, J. W. |
| Bramston, T. W. | Fitzroy, Lord C. |
| Briscoe, J. I. | Fox, S. L. |
| Brodie, W. B. | Fremantle, Sir T. |
| Brotherton, J. | French, F. |
| Busfield, W. | Gaskell, J. M. |
| Butler, hon. Colonel | Gisborne, T. |
| Byng, rt. hn. G. S. | Gore, O. J. R. |
| Calcraft, J. H. | Goulburn, rt. hn. H. |
| Campbell, Sir J. | Graham, rt. hn. Sir J. |
| Campbell, W. F. | Grattan, H. |
| Cantalupe, Viscount | Greig, D. |
| Cartwright, W. R. | Grey, rt. hn. Sir G. |
| Chapman, Sir M. L. C. | Hardinge, right hon. Sir H. |
| Chester, H. | |
| Chetwynd, Major | Harland, W. C. |
| Ghilders, J. W. | Hastie, A. |
| Clay, W. | Hawes, B. |
| Clerk, Sir G. | Herries, rt. hn. J. C. |
| Clive, E. B. | Hill, Lord A. M. C. |
| Colquhoun, J. C. | Hindley, C. |
| Compton, H. C. | Hobhouse, T. B. |
| Courtenay, P. | Hope, hon. C. |
| Cowper, hon. W. F. | Horsman, E. |
| Craig, W. G. | Houldsworth, T. |
| Crawford, W. | Howick, Viscount |
| Curry, Mr. Serjeant | Hughes, W. B. |
| Dennistoun, J. | Hume, J. |
| Divett, E. | Humphery, J. |
| Donkin, Sir R. S. | Hutton, R. |
| Duke, Sir J. | Irving, J. |
| James, W. | Shelborne, Earl of |
| Jenkins, Sir R. | Sheppard, T. |
| Jones, Captain | Slaney, R. A. |
| Langdale, hon. C. | Smith, J. A. |
| Lascelles, hn. W. S. | Smith, R. V. |
| Leveson, Lord | Somerset, Lord G. |
| Loch, J. | Speirs, A. |
| Lushington, rt. hn. S. | Stanley, Lord |
| Macauley, right hon. T. B. | Stanley, hon. W. O. |
| Stansfield, W. R. C. | |
| Mackenzie, W. F. | Staunton, Sir G. T. |
| Mackinnon, W. A. | Stewart, J. |
| M'Taggart, J. | Stuart, Lord J. |
| Martin, J. | Stuart, W. V. |
| Milnes, R. M. | Stock, Dr. |
| Morpeth, Viscount | Strutt, E. |
| Murray, A. | Tancred, H. W. |
| Norreys, Sir D. J. | Teignmouth, Lord |
| O'Brien, W. S. | Thornely, T. |
| O'Connell, D. | Turner, E. |
| O'Connell, J. | Turner, W. |
| O'Connell, M. J. | Villiers, hon. C. B. |
| O'Connell, M. | Villiers, Viscount |
| O'Conor, Don | Vivian, Major C. |
| Ord, W. | Waddington, H. S. |
| Oswald, J. | Wakley, T. |
| Parker, M. | Walker, R. |
| Parker, R. T. | Wall, G. B. |
| Pattison, J. | Wallace, R. |
| Pechell, Captain | Warburton, H. |
| Peel, rt. hn. Sir R. | Ward, H. G. |
| Pendarves, E. W. W. | White, A. |
| Ponsonby, G. F. A. C. | Wilde, Mr. Serjeant |
| Ponsonby, hon. T. | Williams, W. |
| Price, Sir R. | Wilmot, Sir J. E. |
| Pryme, G. | Wilshere, W. |
| Redington, T. N. | Winnington, Sir T. E |
| Reid, Sir J. R. | Winnington, H. J. |
| Rice, E. R. | Wood, G. W. |
| Roche, W. | Wood, B. |
| Rundle, J. | Worsley, Lord |
| Rushbrooke, Colonel | Wrightson, W. B. |
| Russell, Lord J. | Wyse, T. |
| Rutherfurd, rt. hn. A. | Yates, J. A. |
| Salwey, Colonel | Young, J. |
| Sanderson, R. | |
| Sandon, Viscount | TELLERS. |
| Sanford, E. A. | Maule, F. |
| Seymour, Lord | Steuart, R. |
| List of the NOES. | |
| Acland, T. D. | Duffield, T. |
| A'Court, Captain | Dugdale, W. S. |
| Alsager, Captain | Duncombe, hon. W. |
| Ashley, Lord | Duncombe, hon. A. |
| Baring, rt. hn. F. T. | Eastnor, Viscount |
| Bell, M. | Eaton, R. J. |
| Baring, H. B. | Eliot, Lord |
| Blackstone, W. S. | Feilden, W. |
| Broadley, H. | Fector, J. M. |
| Bruce, Lord E. | Fellowes, E. |
| Burroughes, H. N. | Fitzroy, hon. H. |
| Chapman, A. | Forester, hon. G. |
| Copeland, Alderman | Freshfield, J. W. |
| Dairymple, Sir A. | Godson, R. |
| Darby, G. | Gordon, hon. Captain |
| D'lsraeli, B. | Goring, H. D. |
| Halford, H. | Maxwell, hon. S. R. |
| Hamilton, C. J. B. | Palmer, R, |
| Hamilton, Lord C. | Palmer, G. |
| Hogg, J. W. | Perceval, Colonel |
| Hope, G. W. | Plumptre, J. P. |
| Hotham, Lord | Polhill, F. |
| Irton, S. | Pollen, Sir J. Y. |
| Jackson, Mr. Serjeant | Richards, R. |
| James, Sir W. C. | Round, C. G. |
| Kelly, F. | Shirley, E. J. |
| Kemble, H. | Sibthorp, Colonel |
| Knatchbull, right hon. Sir E. | Smyth, Sir G. H. |
| Style, Sir C. | |
| Litton, E. | Tennent, J. E. |
| Lowther, J. H. | Wood, Colonel |
| Lygon, hon. General | Wood, Colonel, T. |
| Mackenzie, T. | |
| Maclean, D. | TELLERS. |
| Mahon, Viscount | Inglis, Sir R. H. |
| Marton, G. | Law, hon. C. E. |
§ Mr. Burton Howard ordered to attend the House forthwith.