HL Deb 28 June 1805 vol 5 c635

Their lordships resolved into a committee on the bill for continuing the proceedings in the case of Mr. Justice Fox, in the next session of parliament. Some amendments were proposed by the earl of Radnor, the principal one of which was in the preamble of the bill, and adverted to the acts, with reference to which the house had proceeded in the case. To this no objection seemed to be urged; but the noble earl having, in the first instance, in his amendment, called their lordships "the house of peers," the phrase was objected to, as not the most proper, particularly by

Earl Stanhope, who said they were not a house of peers, but a house of lords; because, for instance, the bishops were not peers, but lords of parliament.

Lord Hawkesbury had no particular objection to the phrase, but thought the appellation most frequently used should be adopted. This he conceived to be "the house of lords," and such wording he had used in the first instance.

The Lord Chancellor thought, upon the whole, the term house of lords to be preferable: In a legislative sense, the house collectively, was always termed, "the lords spiritual and temporal."—The alteration in the earl of Radnor's first amendment was accordingly made, and the bill, after receiving some further amendments, was agreed to by the committee, and ordered to be reported to-morrow.