COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 10 July 1857)

§ SIR GEORGE GREY
said, he thought that this was a very fair Motion to make at that time of the morning, as it was hardly fair to press the House at ten minutes to one o'clock to go into Committee on a Bill which must occupy two or three hours.

§ MR. ADDERLEY
said, tins was not a very fair way of getting rid of a measure which had already been sanctioned by a large majority. He would, however, Consent to the Motion if the Government would give him a day. If not he must press the House to proceed with the Bill. If the Government would not give him a day, and the House would not then go into Committee, it would be almost hopeless at this period of the Session to proceed with the measure, and next Session the evils which the Bill was intended to remedy would not be so fresh in the minds of hon. Members, to say nothing of the press of new business which the next Session would bring with it. It was impossible for him, a private Member, to bring on the measure at any other than a late hour, and if it was not to be discussed then, it could not be discussed at all; while it was absolutely necessary that the sanction of the House should be rendered necessary both to the presentation or withdrawal of petitions, in order to prevent those collusive proceedings of which they had had a specimen just previously in the pairing off of petitions.

§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTON
said, his right hon. Friend's object in wishing to postpone the Bill was not to get rid of it; all he had said was, that it was a Bill which required considerable discussion, and, consequently, could not be conveniently taken at that hour of the morning. He would not go now into the merits and demerits of the Bill, although he must say that he thought it contained provisions which were 1323 highly objectionable, but if there was any good in it, that would be just as valuable next Session as this. It was intended chiefly to come into operation after a general election, and he hoped the present Parliament was not so near its death as to make it necessary to provide for its testamentary jurisdiction. It did not follow that if the Bill were postponed it would be lost. The hon. Gentleman might bring it forward on a Wednesday.

§ MR. E. EGERTON
said, he hoped that the House would go into Committee pro formâ. Every Wednesday was fully occupied with other business.