HC Deb 02 May 1842 vol 62 cc1405-8
Mr. Labouchere

said, his noble Friend (Lord John Russell), who had been compelled to quit the House in consequence of domestic affliction, had requested him to propose a motion of which the noble Lord had given notice. He begged, therefore, to move for a statement of the differences in the resolutions of Customs duties intended to be proposed by Sir R. Peel, laid on the Table of the House on the 11th day of March last, and the resolutions on the same subject laid on the Table on the 11th day of April last. It was, he believed, the intention of his noble Friend to have defended himself from imputations which had been attempted to be cast on. the noble Lord and hon. Gentlemen on that side of the House, of having by their conduct impeded in some degree the progress of the measures of Government with respect to the tariff. He thought it would be convenient if, during the discussions on the tariff, the House could have before them at one view the two proposals made by Government. He hoped the House would agree to the motion, which he was perfectly ready to put in any other form to meet the wishes of the right hon. Baronet.

The Speaker

said, there was an informality in the notice of the noble Lord. Certain papers moved for by a right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Baring) were referred to in the motion as having been "laid on the Table of the House." Those documents had not yet come before that House; they had merely been brought before a committee of the House.

Mr. Labouchere

said, in consequence of this informality he would withdraw the motion. He hoped, however, that the right hon. Baronet would furnish the information he asked for to the House without any motion being made on the subject.

Sir E. Peel

said, the alterations which had been made in the proposed tariff had been entirely made in consequence of a sense of justice, where it appeared that there were good grounds for making them, and he did not at all oppose the proposed alterations being laid before the House, The last edition of the tariff had been prepared in two columns, the tariff of last year showing the amount of duty imposed, and what that duty had produced in one, and the proposed tariff in another. If he understood the motion of the noble Lord, it was to have the tariff as at first proposed, and the tariff with the alterations that had been since made, laid on the Table together. The best paper he could produce for the satisfaction of the noble Lord would be to produce the first copy of the tariff and the last copy of it, printed in two columns, and these papers, with the existing tariff, he thought would supply every information. But whatever information was desired he was quite ready to afford.

Mr. Labouchere

could have very little doubt but that this would meet his noble Friend's wishes. He thought it advisable to know what the alterations in the intentions of the Government were.

Motion withdrawn.