MR. STAFFORDsaid, he was very glad the House had agreed to the Motion of the noble Lord without any discussion. He thought it very desirable that, just previous to, and during the rejoicings for peace, they should not only show no animosity towards their late enemies, but should exhibit as much as possible harmony among themselves; but, unfortunately, the first Motion this evening, the importance of which he did not wish to underrate, the discussion of which he was ready to allow, and which could not be brought forward with more ability than by the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Miall)—was an old battle-field in the House. It appealed to feelings most discordant, most at variance with peace, and most bitter because the worst of all bitterness, religious bitterness, was excited; and he thought no constituency, however strongly interested, would fail to see the motives of their re-preservatives 713 who should on this occasion consent to postpone the consideration of such a question. The discussion would go forth to-morrow awakening angry and rancorous feelings in this country, and the day after reach an island where the subject was intimately connected with old and unhappy divisions, so as to mar the full enjoyment of the holiday which they wished consecrated to the forgetfulness of old disputes. Therefore, though not wishing to avoid the discussion, and not wanting in respect to the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Miall), he thought he was justified in taking the unusual course of moving that this House do now adjourn.
§ MR. MIALLsaid, he was somewhat taken by surprise at the very extraordinary course pursued by the hon. Gentleman, who, intending to take that course, might at least have had the courtesy to give him some intimation of it. If it were so necessary to cultivate feelings of amity and good will upon the eve of the day when they were going to celebrate the return of peace, it would have become the hon. Gentleman to have displayed that kind of feeling, and not to have attempted, without previous intimation, to snatch from him an opportunity, for which he had long been waiting, of discussing this question before the House. The hon. Gentleman seemed to take it for granted that the question which he was about to raise could not be discussed without exciting bad temper. For his own part he could safely say he could discuss the question in the most perfect good humour, and if bad temper were excited, he must think it could only be excited among those who were conscious of practising injustice, and who did not like to have that injustice exposed. He hoped the hon. Gentleman would allow the discussion to proceed. He had not selected this day in preference to all others for bringing forward his Motion. He obtained a first place in the Votes a month ago, but the Government moved the adjournment of the House over that day. Again, by good fortune in the ballot, he had obtained the first place for that day, and if he were not even allowed to bring before the House the Motion of which he had given notice, it would be said the House did not like discussion at all, and would not enter on the consideration of the question if anything whatever, fair or unfair, could be found by which the discussion could be avoided.
§ MR. G. H. MOOREhad only caught 714 the concluding sentence of the hon. Member for Northamptonshire in which he deprecated any discussion upon the point in question lest it might give rise to any religious exasperation in that part of the United Kingdom to which he (Mr. Moore) belonged, but he could inform the House that if anything was likely to excite such a feeling, it was the manner in which the hon. Member had proceeded.
§ MR. HADFIELDsaid, the Motion of his hon. Friend the Member for Rochdale involved a question of the deepest interest to millions of Her Majesty's subjects. The grievance of the Irish Church had excited more ill-blood in the sister kingdom than any other, and that country would never be satisfied until it had been removed. The whole machine of the government of Ireland, both ecclesiastical and political, was wrong, and demanded the attention of the House, and he therefore trusted that they would not allow the Motion of his hon. Friend to be postponed.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONconfessed that he was of the same opinion as the hon. Member for Northamptonshire (Mr. Stafford), with regard to the wish that the subject which the hon. Gentleman had brought forward should not be discussed in the present state of things. It was impossible for hon. Members to conceal from themselves that the subject was one that had stirred up strong feelings of opposite kinds which it would be well for the moment to allow to drop. But as the hon. Gentleman had given notice of his Motion, after having tried before and failed, and as there was no other business to interfere with it, he thought it would not be becoming in the House to deprive the hon. Gentleman of his opportunity. If, therefore, the hon. Gentleman thought it his duty to bring his Motion before the House, he thought it would not be fitting in the House to interpose between the hon. Gentleman and his Motion.
MR. NAPIERsaid, that he would ask the hon. Member for Northampton to withdraw his Motion of adjournment, with a view of hearing the remedy of the hon. Member for Rochdale for the grievances of Ireland: for he did not think that this sentimental interference on the part of the hon. Gentlemen and his friends would do much good. He was quite ready to meet the Motion of the hon. Member for Rochdale.
MR. STAFFORDsaid, after the observations made by the noble Lord, and the appeal 715 of his right hon. and learned Friend, he would withdraw his Motion. He did not, however, regret having made it, but rather that he was obliged to withdraw it.
§ Motion, by leave withdrawn.