§ MR. GRATTAN,in rising to move that there be a call of the House for the 9th instant, said, be did not know if Her Majesty's Ministers would object to the Motion. 457 If there was not sufficient time for this call, the case did not rest with him, but with those who had fixed the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act for that day. There was, besides, a piece of sharp practice in this case; for the Bill was fixed to be read a second time, though it had not yet been printed. An alteration in the rules of business had recently been made relative to the printing of Bills; and as the new rule was not to have the Bill printed until after it had been read a second time, he wished the House to recur to the wholesome practice of having the Bill printed after being read a first time. He wished to have Irish Members present on Friday, when an important question was to be debated. He thought there was the more necessity for this call of the House, because on Tuesday last there were no fewer than fifty-five Irish Members absent.
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLthought there was no necessity for a call of the House, as, in all probability, the Irish Members who had been absent on Tuesday would be in their places to-morrow. He would take that opportunity of mentioning that the debate on the Habeas Corpus Act would stand first for to-morrow.
§ The Motion was then negatived without a division.
§ MR. J. O'CONNELLcomplained that the Bill was not as yet in the hands of Members.
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, it would be in the hands of hon. Members to-morrow; but it would be precisely the same as the Bill of last year.
§ House adjourned at half after Six o'clock.