Lords Sitting of 19 August 1836

MINUTES.
Bills. Received the Royal Assent:—Pensions Duties; Militia Pay; Westminster Small Debts; Tithes
1318
(Ireland) Composition; Creek Loan; Parochial Assessments.—Read a third time:—Consolidated Fund; Exchequer Bills; Copyright; Municipal Funds; Municipal Boundaries; Municipal Jurisprudence; Grand-Jury Presentments (Ireland); Kingstown Harbour; Public Works (Ireland); Conviction; List of Voters; Corporate Property (Ireland) Bills.
Petitions presented. By Lord GLENELG, from Sincapore, for the continuance of the Free Trade at Sineapore.—By the Earl of MINTO, from the Prisoners for Debt at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for Imprisonment for Debt Bill.—By Lord HOLAND, from the Corporation and from Birmingham, in favour of the Repeal of the Civil Disabilities under which the Jews labour.

JEWS' DISABILITIES.—VOTING BY PROXY.
The Marquess of Westminstersaid, there was a Bill now lying on their Lordships' table, and waiting for a second reading, the object of which was, the removal of those civil disabilities under which the Jews, notwithstanding the various efforts that had been made to relieve them, still continued to labour. From the decided part which he had always taken on this subject whenever it had been brought forward, his sentiments with reference to it must be perfectly well known. The prejudices which had so long prevailed against the Jews had been gradually disappearing, not only in this country, but throughout the world: and he was sorry to say, that the place in which he was then standing was almost the only one where those prejudices continued to be cherished. In the other House, indeed, a very small number of persons entertained exceedingly strong prejudices against the Jews. Some of them had gone so far as to declare their opinion, that if this Bill were passed, it would tend to unchristianize not merely the House of Commons, but the country. If such an impression had for a moment entered his mind, he certainly would not support a Bill that was calculated to produce such effects. He, however, considered the fear thus expressed to be perfectly chimerical. However anxious he might be for the success of this measure, yet, considering the lateness of the session, and the hopelessness of inducing their lordships to sanction it, after so many Bills had been demolished, it was not his intention to press the second reading. With respect to another proposition relative to the propriety of doing away with the custom of voting by proxy in their Lordships' House, although he greatly wished that the principles advocated by him should be carried into effect, still he felt that it was not desirable to bring forward the subject at present
These two subjects therefore were wholly dropped for the present