§ MR. JOHN LOCKEsaid, he rose to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department; Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to bring in a Bill during the present Session for the reform of the Corporation of London; and, if so, whether such Bill will be in accordance with the Report of the Royal Commissioners?
SIR GEORGE LEWISI beg to state, in answer to the question of the hon. and learned Gentleman, that it is my intention immediately—I shall give notice this evening—to bring in a Bill for the reform of the Corporation of the City of London. With regard to the latter part of the question, whether the Bill will be in conformity with the report of the Royal Commission, having myself been one of those Commissioners, I have no doubt that a Bill founded upon the Report of the Commission would have been entitled to the consideration of the House. But since that Commission made its Report the matter has been under the consideration of a Select Committee of this House, which reported a Bill a year ago. I think the Government are bound to pay deference to the opinion of that Committee, and the Bill will, therefore, be in conformity with the measure reported by the Select Committee of this House.