§ Viscount Melbournemoved, that the receiving of the report on this Bill be adjourned till Wednesday.
The Marquis of Londonderrygave notice, that he would take the opportunity of bringing up the report to reply to the personal attack which had been made on him at the close of the debate on the second reading of the Bill.
§ Viscount Melbournesaid, that the course pursued by the noble Marquis was most irregular, and quite contrary to all the usage of debate, and he trusted he would not violate the rules of the House.
The Marquis of Londonderrysaid, if he had not been prevented on the evening he was attacked with so much asperity by three noble Lords from then replying, by the most uncourteous conduct, he should not be compelled to make the declaration that he now did, or to avail himself of the bringing up the report to vindicate his proceedings. He certainly should enter at large into an explanation when the report was brought up.
§ Earl Greysaid, when the report came up it would be competent for the noble Marquis to say anything consistent with the orders of the House, he pleased; but he (Earl Grey) must confirm his noble friend's opinion that, to take the opportunity of bringing up a report of a Bill to reply to what had passed on a former debate was, of all the irregularities which ever occurred in the House, the most irregular. He only wished to declare for himself that in anything that had fallen from him on the occasion alluded to, it was not his desire to depart from that courtesy which was due from one Peer to another; but he had interfered because a practice, which had lately sprung up, was then indulged in, and 1007 which he thought at that time required especially to be checked. It might be said, that he should have risen earlier, and that he had allowed one or two noble Lords a degree of latitude of which he sought to deprive another. He had been induced to abstain from interfering, by the hope that the evil would correct itself; but when it amounted to such a height as to threaten the customary order and the due course of the proceedings of the House, he found it imperative on him to rise to order. He must again disclaim, in having' done so, any wish or intention to commit a breach of that courtesy and respect which were due to the noble Lord, as well as to their Lordships generally. He hoped what he said would be sufficient to justify himself, and he waited for what the noble Lord might think proper to do, certain that he need not anticipate anything inconsistent with the usual course of their Lordships' proceedings.
The Marquis of Londonderrycomplained that, though three speeches had been made against him on the night referred to, he was not permitted to reply to them, He only desired to rebut those accusations, and he was sure the noble Earl could not disapprove of his so doing, as the noble Karl would be the last man in the House to listen to a personal attack without attempting to disprove it, and he was anxious to shew that the observations of a noble and learned Lord did not apply to him.
Lord Plunkettfeared, in consequence of the noble Marquis having had the conrtesy to make a communication to him in the course of the day, that he was the person to whom the noble Lord especially alluded. He should be the last person in the House to say anything which he did not wish to have replied to, and he saw no reason why the noble Marquis should not now relieve his feelings, and set himself right with the House. He, for one, would be glad to hear any statement the noble Lord had to make, and if any irregularity had been committed by him, he should wish that it might be set right. If he had been wrong, he should be most ready to acknowledge the error. He, therefore, thought the sooner the matter was set at rest the better it would be.
The Marquis of Londonderrysaid he believed the error arose altogether from a misconception of the noble and learned Lord's.
§ The report to be received the next day.