HC Deb 03 May 1841 vol 57 cc1403-4
Mr. Hundley

rose, he said, for the purpose of calling the attention of the House to the case of a breach of privilege. He could not have supposed it possible, that any occasion could have arisen on which he could have felt justified in attempting to occupy their attention on a matter that was merely personal to himself; but when he was made the object of misrepresentation, as gross and unjustifiable as it was calculated to prejudice him out of doors, he had no other means of defence left to him but to throw himself on the kindness and indulgence of the House. It would be in the recollection of many hon. Members, that on Friday last, the hon. Member for North Lincolnshire had thought fit to make some re- marks savouring, as he thought, to use the hon. Member's own expression, of an election clap-trap, which affected both his noble Colleague and himself; and, on that occasion, he himself had stated that whenever the Corn-law should be under discussion, he should be prepared to meet it, and that the interests of Lincolnshire would not be neglected by his noble Friend or himself; and he further said, that from whatever quarter the subject was presented, he should, when called upon, be found to do his duty, to his constituents, and to the public. These were, he believed, the precise words, and the only words that he had used. The House would, therefore, judge of his surprise upon reading the Morning Chronicle of the next morning; and, although he did not wish to say anything Unpleasant, it was a paper that seemed disposed to misrepresent, more or less, all Gentlemen on his side of the House, except the hon. Member for Leicester; but, he said, to his surprise, he found himself reported to have made these observations:— Mr. Handley approved of the manner in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer had mentioned the Corn-laws, and said, that when the proper time came, he should be quite ready to second the right hon. Gentleman in dealing with the various details of this important subject.

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