§ Mr. JOHN POPE HENNESSY, being in his place pursuant to the Order of the House of the 28th day of February, expressed his regret that having, through inadvertence, neglected to sign the Declaration required by the Standing Orders, and forgetting his summons to attend the Committee on Group 1 of Railway Bills, he had started for Ireland, whence he had immediately returned on being served with the Order of the House; and then he withdrew.
§ COLONEL WILSON PATTEN, as he was the Member who moved the issue of the order for the hon. Member's attendance, wished to say that it was with the deepest regret that the Committee of Selection had felt it to be their duty to report his absence. Nothing but the extreme inconvenience which that absence had caused would have induced them to take the step, particularly as there was reason to believe that the hon. Member acted in forget fulness. But he was sure that the hon. Member was totally unacquainted with the extreme inconvenience be bad caused to the parties appearing 2214 before the Committee. That inconvenience bad been not only one of delay, but one of very great expense to the parties—not only to the railway company, but to private individuals, who had been put to expense in having to retain counsel for another day. But as he (Colonel W. Patten) understood, from the expressions of the hon. Member, that he regretted the inconvenience he had caused, his duty would probably be performed if he now moved that the hon. Member be directed to attend the Committee on Monday next, at twelve o'clock.
§ Ordered, That Mr. JOHN POPE HEN-NESSY do attend the Committee on Monday next, at Twelve of the clock.