Lord J. Russellwished to know from the right hon. Baronet what course he intended to pursue with respect to the Corn-law question. He understood that, on Wednesday next, the right hon. Baronet intended to move a committee of the whole House to consider the duty on the importation of foreign corn. It had been the usual course for several years, when a question of great magnitude like the present was brought forward, for the Member who introduced it to state his plan, perhaps to bring forward some resolutions, to move that they be printed, and then to name a day, when the House having had an opportunity of considering them should deliberate and decide on the subject. Did the right hon. Baronet mean to pursue that course? And if he did, had he fixed a day on which he proposed, after having made his motion on Wednesday, to proceed with the actual discussion of the question?
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, that so far as he was concerned, and so far as the convenience of the Government was concerned, he should be perfectly prepared to proceed with the discussion of the question on Wednesday. He thought it very probable that if he asked for a vote on resolutions proposed for the first time it would be objected to, and very reasonably, because the House must know that such a proceeding would circumscribe its powers hereafter, since it could not alter a scale of duties when it had once been determined on in committee. He should, then, adopt the course that seemed to him to be best suited to the convenience of the House—namely, to bring forward the proposition of the Government on Wednesday next; then to move that the proposition and its details should be printed pro forma, and then to fix an early day, either Friday or Monday at furthest. He was prepared for Friday, but perhaps it would be more convenient that Monday should be named for proceeding with the discussion. Perhaps the House would 73 wish for some delay, in order to consider more deliberately this plan of revision of duties. Therefore, if Friday should seem inconveniently soon, let it be understood, that on Wednesday he would propose his plan of revision, and move the printing of the papers, and that on Monday they should resume the discussion. Perhaps this would be the best course, and he was quite ready to adopt it.
Lord J. Russellsaid the proposition of the right hon. Baronet was perfectly fair and proper. It was, therefore, most desirable, that it should be distinctly understood, that the discussion of the question would be proceeded with on Monday, for it would be too soon, if the plan were introduced on Wednesday, to proceed with the debate on the Friday following. Let, therefore, hon. Members bear in mind, that the plan would be opened on Wednesdy next, and that it would be formally discussed on the Monday following.