§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONpresented to the House, by command, a copy of the Protocol of a Conference relating to the affairs of Portugal.
§ MR. HUMEasked whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer would move a Committee of Supply to-morrow (Friday) night, to enable him to bring on the Motion of which he had given notice?
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he could only repeat the statement which had been made by his noble Friend the First Lord of the Treasury, that Her Majesty's Government felt it desirable, not only on their own account, 23 but on account of all the parties who were likely to take a share in the discussion, that the House should he in possession of all the papers before the discussion took place. He hoped that the papers would be presented to the House by Monday. To-morrow night he intended to move the third reading of the Loan Discount Bill before the other Orders. As soon as the papers in the case of Portugal were before the House, he should move a Committee of Supply for the purpose of giving his hon. Friend (Mr. Hume) the opportunity of bringing forward his Motion.
MR. BAILLIEsaid, that the absence of the papers might be a disadvantage to the hon. Member for Montrose; but it could be none to Her Majesty's Government, who were in possession of all the information on the subject, and could as readily take the discussion to-morrow as any other day.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONcould only say that every exertion was making and should be made to have all the papers laid on the Table as soon as possible.
§ MR. BORTHWICKremarked, that when he saw the noble Lord (Lord Palmerston) lay a respectable-looking packet of papers on the Table, he was in hopes it was the papers on this question. It appeared, however, he was mistaken. If the noble Lord was to present a large blue book for their perusal on Monday morning, he (Mr. Borthwick) feared there would not be time for them to read it before the discussion.
§ SIR R. PEELsaid, it would be inconvenient that it should be left in a state of uncertainty whether this subject was to come on on Monday night or not. If the papers were voluminous, he did not think, considering how many members were on Committees, that it would be possible to read the papers with that attention which a matter of such great importance deserved, if they were not delivered until Monday, and the discussion should take place on Monday night. He thought the best plan would be to wait until to-morrow, and then they would know whether it would be possible the papers could be delivered on Saturday night, which would make a material difference. To-morrow the noble Lord would probably be able to state when the papers would be delivered, and then they could 24 settle whether the discussion should come on on Monday or Friday next.
§ Papers to lie on the Table.