HC Deb 03 March 1876 vol 227 cc1404-5

Motion made, and Question proposed, That the Petition of Mr. Charles Henwood, presented upon the 16th day of February last,* be printed and distributed with the Votes."—(Colonel Beresford.)

[* Henwood, Charles,—Petition of Charles Henwood, for inquiry into his case to he upon the Table.]

MR. HUNT

opposed the Motion. The Committee on Petitions had refused to print it in the usual way, and it was a question whether the usual Order for the Petition to he on the Table should not be discharged. He would move to that effect, inasmuch as it contained a gross libel on an hon. Member of that House, and an official who occupied a high position in the Admiralty. Beyond that, the Petitioner had raised a suit in the Courts, which he had withdrawn from, and now sought to make the House give currency to those libels.

Amendment proposed, To leave out from the word "That" to the end of the Question, in order to add the words "the Order that the Petition of Mr. Charles Henwood do he upon the Table he read, and discharged,"—(Mr Hunt,)

—instead thereof.

Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question."

MR. GOLDSMID

thought that the hon. and gallant Member for Southwark (Colonel Beresford) ought to apologize to the House and to the hon. Member referred to (Mr. E. J. Reed) for having presented a Petition, which the First Lord had thought it his duty to characterize as "libellous."

MR. E. J. REED

said, the allegations against himself and Sir Spencer Robinson were of such an unfounded character that if he had thought them worth notice, he would not have waited for the matter being brought before the House in that shape.

COLONEL BERESFORD

declined to accede to the proposal of the hon. Member for Rochester, He asked for simple justice, and if the House declined to accept his Motion, other means would be taken to secure publicity.

CAPTAIN PIM

hoped the House would agree to the reception of the Petition. He would read the Petition, when—

MR. ANDERSON

rose to Order. He understood that it was the usual course to make a Motion that a Petition should be read. That had not been done, and therefore he hoped the hon. and gallant Member would not be allowed to proceed.

MR. SPEAKER

said, the Petition had been referred in the ordinary way to the Committee on Petitions, and that Committee had not thought fit to order it to be printed. The hon. and gallant Member was not out of Order.

CAPTAIN PIM

was proceeding to read the Petition, when—

Notice taken, that Strangers were present:—

Whereupon, Mr. Speaker read the Resolution on the subject which was adopted by the House last Session, and stated that unless otherwise directed by the House he should abide by that Resolution. He accordingly, without further debate, put the Question, "That Strangers be ordered to withdraw."

The House divided:—Ayes 6; Noes 16. Forty Members not being present— House was adjourned at a quarter before Two o'clock, till Monday next.