COURT OF PREROGATIVS (IRELAND) BILL. (Hansard, 3 June 1850)

§ MAJOR BERESFORD
opposed the constitution of the Committee, inasmuch as nine out of the fifteen Members who composed it were constant supporters of Her Majesty's Ministers, and the remaining six were Members of the Opposition. He opposed the Bill, therefore, on his own behalf, as well as on the part of the hon. and learned Member for the University of Dublin.

§ MR. KEOGH
said, that though he agreed to have the Bill referred to a Select Committee, he certainly had no idea that that Committee should be left to the choosing of the hon. and gallant Gentleman the Member for North Essex. The hon. and learned Member for the University of Dublin objected to some Gentlemen on the Committee, and he was not then present to sustain his objection. But perhaps the hon. and gallant Gentleman objected to the Committee because a Roman Catholic Gentleman had been appointed on it, and because that Roman Catholic interests were to be disposed of to a great extent by the Bill. Now to show the composition of the Committee he (Mr. Keogh) begged to say he nominated nine Protestant and five Roman Catholic Gentlemen on it; and therefore he did not think it deserved condemnation.

§ MR. MACKENZIE
thought those opposed to the measure should have something to say to the formation of the Committee as well as the hon. and learned Gentleman. All he required was a fair Committee to discuss the question in a candid spirit; and if the hon. and learned Gentleman would consent to the substitution of the name proposed by the hon. and learned Member for the University of Dublin, he (Mr. Mackenzie) would have no objection.

§ SIR G. GREY
recommended an arrangement in private as to the formation of the Committee.

§ MR. BRIGHT
said, the hon. and learned 711 Gentleman the Member for the University of Dublin was amusing himself in listening to the debate in the other House, and therefore it would be unreasonable to have the Committee postponed.

§ MR.NAPIER
said, he wished to have the name of Mr. Goulburn substituted for

§ MR. HUME
considered it would be unfair to strike off Mr. Sadleir's name, he being a Roman Catholic, seeing that already the Catholics were in a minority on the Committee.

§ MR. KEOGH
said, the Bill was intended to improve the Prerogative Court of Ireland, through which property to the amount of five millions a year passed, and half of which at least was that of Roman Catholics.

§ MAJOR BERESFORD
said, the Committee was composed of thirteen Irish Gentlemen, one English and one Scotch Member, and it was not therefore asking too much to have a second English Gentleman placed on it. He denied the statement that property to any such amount as represented by the hon. and learned Gentleman as passing through the court belonged to Roman Catholics. He considered it most unfair that religion should be dragged into the question, and he repudiated the insinuation. He could not avoid remarking that hon. Members who generally supported Government, sat occasionally on that (the Opposition side of the House) and consequently could not avoid listening to the conversation that might be going on. The old and honourable rules of the House were violated, and when they chose Committees from that (the Opposition) side of the House, they chose Gentlemen who were supporters of the Government through thick and thin.

§ SIR. G. GREY
was sorry that the question of religion had been introduced. He should be sorry to vote against the name of Mr. Goulburn. If any arrangement could be made, he should be glad; but, after what had been stated, he could not vote against Mr. Sadleir.

§ MR. KEOGH
said, he should be quite ready to substitute the name of Mr. Goulburn for Mr. Gladstone. [Major BERESFORD: No!] Well, he did not expect that any suggestion that was reasonable would be acceded to by the hon. and gallant Member.

The ATTORNEY GENERAL
said, if this were only a question as to whether Mr. Goulburn should be a Member of this 712 Committee, he should not be under any difficulty. But the question was whether Mr. Sadleir should be struck off the Committee, and he could not vote for Mr. Sadleir's exclusion.

§ MR. KEOGH
said, it was perfectly true that he had taken his seat on the Opposition side of the House without taking out a patent from the hon. and gallant Member for North Essex; but that was nothing new, for he had been accustomed to sit on that side of the House, having been returned as a Catholic and a Conservative.

MAJORBERESFORD
would put it to the hon. and learned Gentleman's conscience whether he acted as an honest and independent Member, or whether he appeared there under uncertain colours; and if he was returned as a Conservative, whether he had acted on Conservative principles, or whether he had not made set speeches in favour of Ministerial measures which he was told would come with considerable force from that side of the House? With regard to this Committee, the vested interests of Ireland were not represented at all, but the solicitors were represented in the person of Mr. Sadleir. The Lord Primate of Ireland, who had a vested interest, was not represented. He (Major Beresford) was induced, under false pretences, to consent to the second reading of the Bill the other night. The hon. and learned Member for Athlone said, he had 713 got the consent of the hon. and learned Member for the University of Dublin to the Committee. He must say that he was exceedingly soft in taking the word of an hon. Member who sat on one side of the House, and voted on the other.

§ COLONEL RAWDON
did not rise to add to the warmth of the debate—but to say that the interests of the Primate were surely represented in the Committee, seeing that it included two Members of Universities.

§ MR. NAPIER
said, the hon. and learned Member for Athlone stated that he (Mr. Napier) consented to the Committee. He did consent to put on the Solicitor General for Ireland, provided the hon. and learned Gentleman would show him the other six names; but he declined, and then the arrangement broke off.

§ MR. GROGAN
then moved Mr. Goulbuni's name in the place of Mr. Monsell's.

§ MR. G. A. HAMILTON
then moved that Mr. Goulburn be substituted for Sir J. Young.

§ MR. M'CULLAGH
said, the majority ought to use their power with some forbearance. He must say this was not the decision of the Committee respected in the House.