§ Earl Stanhopeadverted to the Bill which had been for some time under their lordships attention, though finally rejected, and observed, that it involved a question of infinite importance to the subjects of these realms. He thought it desirable that it should not be suffered wholly to die away: and he should therefore submit a motion to the House, which was in fact merely a copy of an order which their lordships had made some years ago, but which had never been acted upon. His motion was as follows: "That the Judges do prepare and lay before the House, a Bill for reducing into one Act all the laws now in force, imposing the penalty of the pillory, or authorising the infliction of the same." He did not apprehend that any objection would be made to that motion; but he had another to propose, which he did not expect would be acceded to, nor indeed did he mean to press it, as his only object was to have it recorded on their journals, in the hope that the subject to which it referred might hereafter be taken into their lordships consideration. He was aware that the Judges, in dispensing the criminal and civil justice of the country, had quite enough to occupy their time; but as they must go through the statute-book, in order to comply with the preceding motion, supposing they did comply with it, there would not be any great additional trouble in comprehending the present motion, which was, that "they do prepare and bring in a Bill to digest into one Act, all the laws now in force respecting the Poor."
After a few words from the Lord Chan- 1143 cellor, the first motion of the noble lord was agreed to, and the second negatived.