§ (Progress 26th March.)
§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ MR. BAGWELLsaid, he should move that the Chairman do report Progress.
§ MR. M'MAHONsaid, he hoped that the Committee would not oppose the further progress of the measure. He would divide the Committee if the opposition were persisted in.
COLONEL DUNNEsaid, he hoped that if the Bill was to be postponed, the Government would give them a day for its discussion.
§ SIR ROBERT PEELsaid, that although the Amendments were in his name, he had not put them on the paper without the fullest consultation with authorities in Ireland.
§ MR. M'MAHONsaid, that the right hon. Baronet's Amendments might be discussed at a future day.
§ MR. BUTTsaid, that the Bill was drawn, utterly ignoring every Act of Parliament which had been passed on the subject.
§ Motion made, and Question put, "That the Chairman do report Progress, and ask leave to sit again."
§ The Committee divided:—Ayes 38; Noes 53: Majority 15.
§ COLONEL VANDELEURsaid, he objected to the principle of the Bill, and he should move that the Chairman do leave the chair.
§ SIR PATRICK O'BRIENdeprecated what he characterized as an improper opposition to the consideration of the Bill tonight. He should deal with the matter as a salmon question, irrespective of both bag-nets and latch-weirs.
§ MR. LONGFIELDsaid, that the abolition of all fixed engines and the opening of latch-weirs were the two objects of the Bill; and if the clauses did not succeed in accomplishing those objects, the supporters of the Bill would consent to all necessary Amendments. They were not met by fair arguments, but by Motions fur delay.
§ MR. H. A. HERBERTsaid, he had already expressed his conviction, that unless there was some compromise of extreme 853 opinions, the prospect of carrying the Bill during the Session would be very small. The hon. and learned Member for Wexford emphatically refused to accede to any compromise, but he advised him to reconsider that determination.
§ SIR ROBERT PEELsaid, he would recommend the hon. and learned Member to postpone the Bill till Wednesday, May the 27th.
§ MR. M'MAHONsaid, that the day named by the right hon. Baronet was the Wednesday in Whitsun week. He did not oppose all compromise, but only wished to get to a stage at which the questions could be discussed.
§ MR. HASSARDsaid, that it was the duty of the Government to propose some compromise between the conflicting interests.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONSuppose we fix Wednesday the 3rd of June for the further progress of the Bill, with the understanding that if it should not be proceeded with, there should be a day sitting on the following Tuesday.
§ MR. M'MAHONthanked the noble Lord for his offer, but he thought that the 3rd of June was too distant a day to give him a chance of carrying his Bill that Session, He preferred to take the chance of going on night after night.
COLONEL WHITEsaid, as long as the hon. and learned Member for Wexford continued to hold such language, the opponents of the Bill would resist his proposals to the; utmost of their power.
§ MR. M'MAHONsubmitted to the Committee whether the language of the hon. and gallant Gentleman was becoming, considering that it came from a Lord of the Treasury, and of course a Member of the Government. He (Mr. M'Mahon) was prepared to meet the hon. and gallant Officer, and to fight him on this question. He would certainly make the hon. and gallant, Officer swallow the leek
§ MAJOR GAVINsaid, he too was prepared to fight when it became necessary to do so; but he had come there that night to vote. The stake-nets were not injurious to the salmon, but they affected the navigation of the Shannon. The Board of Trade, the Admiralty, and the Board of Works had all in turn been applied to, and all had excused themselves on the ground that it formed no part of their duty to abate the nuisance. The only hope of amendment, therefore, lay in legislation by the House.
§ House resumed,
§ Committee report Progress; to sit again To-morrow.