§ MR. C. FORSTERbrought up a Special Report from the Committee on Public Petitions, stating that the Committee having examined the signatures to a Petition of the inhabitants of Manchester, Salford, and district, praying for alterations in the sale of Intoxicating Liquor (Licensing) Bill, which was presented upon the 11th day of this instant July, and which purports to be signed by 69,148 persons, report that a number of these signatures are fictitious and some of an obscene character; and that your Committee have felt it their duty to bring under the notice of the House, this scandalous abuse of the right of petitioning as involving a breach of the Privilege of this House, and an offence against the dignity of Parliament.
§ MR. SERJEANT SIMONsaid, that as he had presented the Petition in question, he wished to explain that the document was handed to him by a deputation, with a request that he should present it to the House. He inquired whether so many thousand signatures were all genuine, and he was assured they were; and, having regard to the respectability of the deputation that waited upon him, he had no reason to feel any doubt upon 1512 the matter. When, therefore, his hon. Friend the Chairman of the Committee on Petitions drew his attention to the subject, he felt it his duty to communicate with the deputation. He had also gone to the Petition Office and examined several of the sheets, and when he stated that the fictitious names were the names of such persons as King Louis Philippe, the King of Italy, and Prince Bismarck, the House would readily understand that the persons who had appended those signatures were not persons who were favourable to the prayer of the Petition. From a letter he had received, it appeared that the sheets were left at different places for the purpose of obtaining signatures, and were taken away, and other sheets substituted, it was said, by the opponents of the Petition. The Petition prayed that the hours for opening and closing public-houses in the country might be the same as those in the metropolis. If the House thought fit to institute any investigation into the matter, he should be happy to lend his aid in exposing this gross abuse of the right of petitioning, of which, however, he believed the bonâ fide petitioners were wholly and entirely ignorant.
§ MR. JACOB BRIGHTsaid, he wished to know whether he would be in Order in saying a word or two on the subject?
§ MR. SPEAKERThe Report will be ordered to lie on the Table, and the House may hereafter take such proceedings as it may think proper upon it.
§ Report to lie upon the Table.