§ SIR GEORGE GREY,seeing the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the University of Dublin (Mr. Napier) in his place, would say a few words respecting an order that had been made on the preceding night, on the motion of the right hon. Gentleman, whereby it was directed that the copy of a Bill now pending in the Colonial Legislature of Canada touching the future appropriation of the funds arising from the clergy reserves should be laid before the House. He had to offer an apology to the right hon. Gentleman for not having attended to his notice, but he had been in the House within a few minutes before the motion was made; and he would now state the grounds on which, if he were present, he would have opposed 498 the motion. The principal ground was that which he had already stated to the right hon. Gentleman, namely, that no copy of such Bill affecting the clergy reserves, and said to be passing through the Legislature of Canada, was in the possession of Her Majesty's Government. Consequently the return to the order for the production of it must be nil. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would consent to have the order discharged, because it would be a bad precedent for the House to make an order for the production of a document not in the possession of the Government. And if the Government should write to the Colony for a copy of it, it would look like interference on their part with a measure pending before the Colonial Legislature; and he hoped on that ground, also, the right hon. Gentleman would consent to have the order discharged.
§ MR. NAPIERwished, by having the order now made, to secure the certainty of having the Bill laid upon the table of the House by the time of the meeting of Parliament after the recess. He really thought the Colonial Office ought to have a copy of it before this time; but all he wanted was to have a copy of it on the table on the re-assembling of Parliament.
§ SIR GEORGE GREYpromised to take the earliest opportunity to lay the Bill on the table of the House.
§ MR. NAPIERwould, under these circumstances, consent to have the order discharged.
§ Order accordingly discharged.