§ Lord Western moved the Order of the Day for the second reading of the Foreign Enlistment Act Repeal Bill.
The Earl of Rosslynexpressed a hope that, considering the advanced period of the Session at which the Bill had come before the House, the pressure of other business, and the discussion which the measure would necessarily excite, the Bill would be postponed till next Session.
§ Earl Greywas friendly to the principle of the Bill, and was prepared to give it his assent; but, adverting to the circumstance that it had been introduced into the other House after a very short notice, and was sent up to their Lordships at the close of the Session, he certainly was inclined to concur in the request that it should be postponed. He hoped, however, that the Bill would be introduced again next Session, and, perhaps, it ought to be taken up by the Government; but whether that were the case or not, it should receive his cordial support.
The Lord Chancellorsaid, that the noble Baron (Western), who was acquainted with the history of the Foreign Enlistment Act, knew, that if there was one person more than another upon whom he could securely rely in supporting the proposition for its repeal, it was himself. When the Bill was introduced, he opposed it in all its stages, and nothing had since occurred to alter his opinion respecting it in the slightest degree. Nevertheless, he could not help feeling, that the objection with respect to the time at which the measure had come before Parliament was so strong, that it ought to prevail. If the Bill should be introduced in the next Session of Parliament, it should receive his support.
§ Lord Westernsaid, that under the circumstances, he must, though reluctantly, consent to postpone the measure till next Session.