The Lord Chancellorleft the woolsack, to observe, that a noble lord (De Dunstanville), having inadvertently assisted at part of the debate on the Slave Trade bill, without having previously qualified himself by taking the usual oaths and his seat, the noble lord had thereby incurred certain pains and penalties prescribed by an act of Charles II. Their lordships would naturally observe that the members of that house, being hereditary members of the legislature, might readily be supposed to overlook or forget the ceremonies of taking the oaths every new parliament. Such was the inadvertency the noble lord had lapsed into, the same as had been incurred by a noble marquis (Lawnsdowne) some years ago. In that case his majesty's will and pleasure was consulted, and instructions given to bring in a bill to indemnify that noble lord, as quickly as the bill could be gone through. What he had to perform on the present occasion would be squared upon that precedent; and he now held a bill in his hand similar to that proposed in the case of the noble marquis, which he trusted the house would allow to pass through its different stages as rapidly as possible. He should now propose that it be read a first time.
Lord Walsinghamhinted that the standing orders of the house did not allow the bill to go through more than one stage in a day—After a few words from the lord chancellor, the bill was read a first time.