HC Deb 03 May 1877 vol 234 cc304-7
VISCOUNT SANDON

said, he was about to propose that the hon. Member for Queen's County (Mr. Dease), and the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Clare Read) be Members of the Committee. The hon. and learned Member for Limerick (Mr. Butt) had already placed the name of Mr. Dease on the Paper, and he (Viscount Sandon) was informed that it would be acceptable to hon. Gentlemen on the opposite side. On further communication with the hon. Member for South Norfolk, he found that the hon. Member was still very much disinclined to serve on the Committee. All must regret if the hon. Member for South Norfolk persisted in his refusal. If the hon. Member for South Norfolk should be still unable to give the benefit of his services, he would then propose the hon. Member for Linlithgowshire (Mr. M'Lagan), who, he believed, would be acceptable to the House. He begged, in the first place, to propose that the hon. Member for Queen's County (Mr. Dease) be a Member of the Committee.

MR. BUTT

seconded the Motion.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Mr. Pease be one other Member of the Select Committee."—(Viscount Sandon.)

MR. J. W. BARCLAY

would like to hear something more about the representation of Scotland on the Committee. It was right that the various parts of the United Kingdom should be all fairly represented. He should be unwilling to put up anybody in opposition to the hon. Member for South Norfolk, but he approved the nomination of the hon. Member for Linlithgowshire (Mr. M'Lagan).

MR. CALLAN

said, that he had proposed the hon. Member for Meath (Mr. Parnell), but since then the hon. and learned Gentleman whom he considered his Leader had proposed Mr. Dease; he would not therefore persevere. At the same time, he must state that the hon. Member for Meath had intimated, on seeing the name of Mr. Pease proposed, that he should decline to serve on the Committee.

MR. E. NOEL

said, that he thought that the Scotch Members should be represented. He would not, however, press his Amendment.

MR. MARK STEWART

said, that Scotland would be fairly represented.

MR. CLARE READ

said, if he wanted an additional excuse for not serving on the Committee, this short debate had furnished him with one. He was extremely indebted to the noble Lord for his courtesy in placing his name on the Paper, and he felt also the compliment which had been paid to him by Members on both sides of the House who had desired that he should be one of the Committee. He had, however, objected to serve from the first. He had told everybody so, and he still adhered to his determination. In the first place, he believed that this Committee was not wanted. In his judgment, a good debate in that House would be much more serviceable than a Committee. What was wanted was not inquiry, but action—short, sharp, and decisive. He also objected to the scope of the Committee. If it were simply to inquire into any circumstances which might have occurred since the last Cattle Plague Committee, such as the imports of American meat, he should have been willing to serve upon it; but, having had the honour of serving on the Cattle Plague Commission, and on most of the Committees appointed to consider the subject since 1865, he had no wish to go over the whole of that evidence again, as he was quite sure would be the fate of these 27 hon. Gentlemen who would have that great pleasure during the next three months in the very warm rooms upstairs. If his opinion were of any use to the Committee, they had nothing to do but to summon him to give evidence. He was happy that his declining to serve would enable the name of his hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgowshire to be added to the Committee, on which he trusted England, Ireland, and Scotland would now be fairly represented.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

declined to enter into any discussion with his hon. Friend as to the scope of the Committee; but he thought he expressed the general feeling of both sides of the House when he said that they all deeply regretted his hon. Friend's refusal to serve on the Committee. In so refusing they were sure he was guided by no other than the motives which always actuated him—public spirit and a desire to do what he believed to be right.

MR. PARNELL

regretted that the same spirit which animated the Government to-night had not been displayed the other night, when the nomination of the Committee occupied six hours of the time of the House. He begged to say that he had no intention of serving on the Committee. He had no wish to serve on any Committee of that House, much less on a Committee the appointment of which was marked by such a scene as that witnessed the other night. If he had been appointed he might have had his opportunities of doing good in that House late at night diminished.

Question put, and agreed to.

VISCOUNT SANDON

next proposed the name of the hon. Member for Linlithgowshire (Mr. M'Lagan), and though he regretted the refusal of the hon. Member for South Norfolk to serve, he congratulated the House on having reached the last name upon the Committee.

MR. MORGAN LLOYD

complained that in studying national interests nothing had been said of those of the Principality of Wales, which produced a large number of cattle. Flintshire and Denbighshire had suffered from the cattle plague, and it was quite necessary that Wales should be represented on the Committee.

Motion agreed to.

Power to send for persons, papers' and records; Five to be the quorum.