§ House in committee on the Arms (Ireland) Bill.
§ On clause 56, "yeomanry to register their arms,"
Viscount Clementsobjected to this provision; he thought that these arms ought not to be registered. There were no means of knowing whether a man was a yeoman or not, and no such class should be recognised. If any of the former yeomanry had arms in their possession, they did not belong to those persons, but to the Government, and should be returned, therefore, to the Ordnance stores. All these men considered themselves totally irresponsible to the Government.
§ Lord Eliotsaid, that all the official authorities acknowledged the existence of these corps, although they had not been called out for a long time. The clause was only similar in its provisions to one to be found in all previous Arms Bills. He could not conceive that they would be justified in calling upon the yeomanry to give up their arms.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ On clause 66, "Act to continue in force for." It was originally proposed to fill the blank with the words "five years." To this Mr. W. Smith O'Brien objected, and the Government gave way so far as to offer to fill the blank with the words "two years, and from then until the end of the next Session of Parliament." Mr. W. Smith O'Brien, however, persisted in his amendment to fill up the blank with the words "one year."
1309§ Mr. Laboucheresupported the amendment, considering the proposition to give a onger duration to the present Arms Bill than had been given to former Arms Bills most unconstitutional, most unjust, and altogether unnecessary.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid the Government had evinced every desire throughout to meet, as much as possible, the wishes of hon. Gentlemen opposite, and he considered the reduction of the period now proposed by his noble Friend, of from five years to three, a convincing proof that this desire continued to actuate her Majesty's Ministers. There was, after all, but a difference of one year between the modified proposal of his noble Friend and that of the hon. Gentleman opposite.
§ The committee divided on the question that the blank be filled up with "two years ":—Ayes 125; Noes 48:—Majority 77.
§ On the question that the clause stand part of the bill, the committee again divided:— Ayes 131; Noes 31: — Majority 100.
| List of the AYES. | |
| Ackers, J; | Damer, hon. Col. |
| Acland, Sir T. D. | Darby, G. |
| A'Court, Capt. | Denison, E. B. |
| Acton, Col. | Dodd, G. |
| Adare, Visct. | Douglas, Sir H. |
| Antrobus, E. | Douglas, Sir C. E. |
| Arbuthnott, hon. H. | Douglas, J. D. S. |
| Arkwright, G. | Duncan, G. |
| Ashley, Lord | Duncombe, hon. A. |
| Baillie, H. J. | Duncombe, hon. O. |
| Beresford, Major | Eliot, Lord |
| Bernal, R. | Escott, B. |
| Bernard, Visct. | Farnham, E. B. |
| Blackburne, J. I. | Ferguson, Sir R. A. |
| Boldero, H. G. | Fitzmaurice, hon. W. |
| Borthwick, P. | Flower, Sir J. |
| Botfield, B. | Forman, T. S. |
| Bramston, T. W. | Fuller, A. E. |
| Broadley, H. | Gaskell, J. Milnes |
| Broadwood, H. | Gill, T. |
| Brooke, Sir A. B. | Gladstone, rt.hn.W.E. |
| Bruce, Lord E. | Gladstone, Capt. |
| Buck, L. W. | Gordon, hon. Capt. |
| Buckley, E. | Goulburn, rt. hon. D. |
| Bunbury, T. | Graham, rt. hn. Sir J. |
| Burrell, Sir C. M. | Grogan, E. |
| Chelsea, Visct. | Grosvenor, Lord R. |
| Chetwode, Sir J. | Harcourt, G. G. |
| Cholmondeley hn. H. | Hardinge, rt. hn. Sir H. |
| Chute, W. L. W. | Hardy, J. |
| Clerk, Sir G. | Hayes, Sir E. |
| Clive, Visct. | Henley, J. W. |
| Cochrane, A. | Hervey, Lord A. |
| Corry, rt. hon. H. | Hindley, C. |
| Courtenay, Lord | Hodgson, R. |
| Cripps, | Hope, hon. C. |
| Houldsworth, T. | Pollington, Visct, |
| Hughes, W. | Pollock, Sir F. |
| Hussey, T. | Rashleigh, W. |
| Johnstone, H. | Richards, R. |
| Jones, Capt. | Rose, rt. hn. Sir G. |
| Kemble, H. | Round, J. |
| Lascelles, hon. W. S. | Russell, J. D. W. |
| Lefroy, A. | Sandon, Visct. |
| Lincoln, Earl of | Scott, hon. F. |
| Lockhart, W. | Smith, rt. n. C. B. T. |
| Lowther, hon. Col. | Smythe, hon. G. |
| Lygon, hon. Gen. | Somerset, Lord G. |
| Mackenzie, T. | Stewart, J. |
| Mackenzie, W. F. | Stuart, W. V. |
| Manners, Lord J. | Sturt, H. C. |
| Martin, C. W | Sutton, hon. H. M. |
| Masterman, J. | Tennent, J. E. |
| Maxwell, hon. J. P. | Thornhill, G. |
| Meynell, Capt. | Tollemache, hn. F. J. |
| Mildmay, H. St. J. | Tomline, G. |
| Miles, P.W. S. | Trotter, J. |
| Milnes, R. M. | Tuite, H. M. |
| Morgan, O. | Vesey, hn. T. |
| Mundy, E. M. | Wall, C. B. |
| Neeld, J. | Wellesley, Lord C. |
| Neville, R. | Wilbraham, hn. R. B. |
| Northland, Visct. | Wortley hon. J. S. |
| O'Brien, A. S. | Young, J. |
| Peel, rt. hon. Sir R. | TELLERS. |
| Peel, J. | Fremantle, Sir T. |
| Plumptre, J. P. | Pringle, A. |
| List of the NOES. | |
| Archbold, R. | Napier, Sir C. |
| Barnard. E. G. | Norreys, Sir D. J. |
| Blake, M. J. | O'Brien, W. S. |
| Brotherton, J. | O'Connell, M. J. |
| Colebrooke, Sir T. E. | O'Conor, Don |
| Collett, J. | Plumridge, Capt. |
| Cowper, hon. W. F. | Power, J. |
| Dundas, Adm. | Ross, D. R. |
| Esmonde, Sir T. | Scholefield, J. |
| Fielden, J. | Trelawny, J. S. |
| Fox, C. R. | Wawn, J. T. |
| Hatton, Capt. V. | Wood, B. |
| Hill, Lord M. | Wyse, T. |
| Hume, J. | Yorke, H. R. |
| Langston, J. H. | TELLERS. |
| Martin, J. | Clements, Visct. |
| Mitcalfe, H. | French, F. |
§ The other clauses and schedules of the bill were agreed to.
§ House resumed.
§ The report received, and ordered to be further considered.