§ MR. WHALLEYmoved that the Order for the Returns relative to Maynooth College should be discharged. He intended, he said, to renew it in another form.
§ LORD FERMOYsaid, that before the Question was put, he wished to know what were the intentions of the Government with respect to the Ecclesiastical Titles Act. The Chief Secretary had intimated on a former occasion that there was an intention on the part of the Irish Government to carry out that Act. The people of Ireland, and of England also, would like to have some information upon that point.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, that the Question before the House was simply one 1825 for the discharge of an unopposed Motion. It was, therefore, hardly matter for debate.
§ MR. HENNESSYexplained, that, although the Motion was unopposed by the Government, he had intimated to the hon. Member for Peterborough that he intended to oppose it. He submitted that before the Order was discharged it should be read to the House.
§ MR. SPEAKERunderstood that the hon. Member for Peterborough wished to withdraw his Motion for the Returns with a view of proposing it in an amended form. When the Government had no objection to a Motion for Returns it was usual to regard it as unopposed.
§ MR. WHALLEYsaid, that, in order to avoid discussion at the present moment, he was desirous to withdraw his Motion, with the view of postponing it till next Session.
§ MR. CARDWELLremarked, that it was necessary to discharge the Order for the Returns on account of an irregularity. The Order implied that an offence had been committed which that House did not know, and which the parties by whom the Returns were to be made were bound not to admit as a fact until it was proved to be so. It was necessary, therefore, that the Motion should be discharged, in order that the information might be given in a manner conformable to the rules and regulations of the House.
§ LORD FERMOYgave notice that he should at a future sitting ask what were the intentions of the Government relative to the Ecclesiastical Titles Act.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONwas prepared to answer that question at once. It was not the intention of the Government to propose any alteration in the law, and if cases occurred they would be dealt with as circumstances might seem to warrant.
§ MR. WHALLEYremarked, that the hon. Member for the King's County might, perhaps, remove the difficulty about the Returns by admitting on the part of the Roman Catholic prelates that they had appended their territorial titles to their names.
§ Order discharged.