§ Report on the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Bill was brought up and read.
§ Amendments agreed to.
Lord Clementssaid, that by the 147th clause of the Irish Municipal Bill it was 587 enacted that all the advowsons should be sold, and the proceeds applied to the purposes of the corporations. Till the sale be completed, it was enacted that the patronage of these places should remain in the hands of the Bishop. But there were certain exceptions to the rule. The Irish Society was one of these. The corporations of Ireland were not allowed to present, because it was supposed that they might be Roman Catholics. But the Irish Society was a fluctuating body, and might be composed of Roman Catholics or of men who were of no religion at all. He thought, therefore, that such exceptions ought not to exist. The noble Lord moved a clause to carry this view into effect.
§ Clause read a first time.
§ On the question, that the clause be read a second time,
§ Lord Eliotsaid, he believed that the object of the clause was to put a stop to the litigation which had so long been carried on between the Irish Society and the Bishop of Derry. Now, this had nothing whatever to do with the bill before the House, which was intended for the better regulation of the Municipal Corporations in Ireland. He must strongly object to the question of the right of the Irish Society being opened one way or the other in this bill.
§ Clause withdrawn.
§ Bill to be read a third time.
§ House adjourned at two o'clock.