The Earl of Lauderdalerose pursuant to notice, to move that the opinion of the Judges be taken upon certain clauses of this bill, which regulated the amount of the notes which the Bank was empowered to issue, and the distribution of any surplus that might arise to the subscribers. According to the accounts on the table, it appeared that the bank had issued notes to a larger amount than that to which by the bill it was limited; and that the subscribers had subscribed only the same sums as before. He was at a loss to see where was the necessity of providing for the distribution of the overplus. This latter clause surely contained as gross a bull as ever was imported from Ireland.
The Earl of Limerickrose to order. He could not sit silent and hear reflections thrown out upon the country to which he belonged, nor would he tolerate them from any noble lord.
The Earl of Lauderdalemeant no disrespect to Ireland; he had often been rallied himself on the accent he had brought from his country, without being hurt at it. The best authorities considered bulls as the offspring of a quick imagination. But surely an act of parliament was not the most suitable place for exhibiting flights of fancy.
The Lord Chancellorsaw no necessity for consulting the Judges on the clauses referred to by the noble baron. As a lawyer, he might take upon him to say that the Judges would give no opinion as to the illegality or obscurity of the clauses; but he was not now delivering the opinion of a lawyer.—After a few words from lord Lauderdale, the motion was negatived without a division.—The bill was then read a third time and passed.