Lord Broughamsaid, that he had had an opportunity, somewhat irregularly, but such as all their Lordships enjoyed, of knowing that there had been certain statements made in another place which were very complimentary to him, but which, as they were wholly untrue, he was most anxious to contradict. It was said that he now enjoyed a pension of 15,000l.; he wished he did: it was a pension of 5,000l.; and it was said that he enjoyed this pension merely for having had a large salary as Chancellor for the term of four years. He should have that pension if he had only been five minutes Chancellor. It was said that he gave up nothing for it; he gave up a larger, a much larger income. He was 711 ready to take these parties strictly at their word, and if these excellent persons would send up a Bill enabling him to have again what he had given up—his practice at the Bar, he should—he meant it not offensively to their Lordships, whose good will and favour he was always anxious to conciliate, however unfortunate he might have been in his attempt—be the first person to second such a Bill, and further it in its progress through that House. These persons, these very persons, who, when he made an offer to take upon himself a most laborious office, in order to save the pension, these very persons were those who, by the clamour they raised, drove him, against his better judgment, to retract the offer he had made. He said at the time, "Now mark what will follow; these very persons who raise this clamour will be the first to complain of me for having a pension." They were the first persons to do so. He was not altogether idle. What he did was certainly voluntary; there was no necessity for him to perform any labour, but he had thought it his duty to assist as far as he could in the administration of the judicial business of this House. In that labour he had employed six or seven hours each day for a period of ten weeks, since the judicial business had commenced sitting five or six days during the week. He did not sit in that way in consideration of the provision he received, for he had a right to that provision; but he did sit to assist in the administration of the judicial business of that House, and no one could say that that business was inattentively, though it might be ill performed; for he believed that in no period had there been so many written judgments delivered as by himself in the course of this Session.
§ Subject dropped.