§ MR. BAXTERsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, in consideration of the Committee on the Reform Bill for England and Wales having been deferred till June, and with the view to expedite the passing of that Measure, he would agree to postpone the Scotch and Irish Reform Bills to the next Session of Parliament?
§ MR. VINCENT SCULLYsaid, that before the noble Lord replied he would beg to ask another question of which notice had been given—namely, whether he will agree to postpone going into Committee on the Representation of the People Bill until after the Second Reading of the Representation of the People (Ireland) Bill; or whether, with a view to uniformity of legislation, he will introduce provisions applicable to Ireland into the Representation of the People Bill, so that Parliamentary Reform for both Countries may proceed pari passu?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, with respect to the question of the hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Baxter) he thought it would be a very inconvenient course to proceed with the Second Reading of the Irish and Scotch Bills until they had gone into Committee on the English Bill, because they would have to debate the question of the franchise, which had already been discussed, and which must be discussed again in Committee on that Bill. It appeared to him that the more convenient course to be taken would be to go into Committee on the English Bill, and then the result of that discussion might be taken into consideration on the Second Reading of the Irish Bill. With regard to the question of the hon. Member for Cork 1011 county (Mr. V. Scully) as to deferring the Irish Bill till next Session, he was unable to answer it before they went into Committee on the English Bill; but before they went into Committee on the English Bill his noble Friend (Viscount Palmerston) or himself would state what were the intentions of Government on the subject.