Lords Sitting of 18 April 1837

MINUTES.
Bills. Read a third time:—Marine Mutiny; Mutiny; Leicester Small Debts.—Read a second time:— Penitentiary (Millbank).
Petitions presented. By the Duke of WELLINGTON, and other Noble LORDS, from various places, against; and by Lords HOLLAND, BROUGHAM, and other Noble LORDS, from Halifax and other places, for the Abolition of Church-rates.—By the Earl of RODEN, from St. Mary, St. Peter's, St. Thomas, Dublin, against Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Bill.

CONSPIRACY IN IRELAND.
The Earl of Rodenhad a petition to present to their Lordships, It came from an individual who had petitioned their Lordships on several former occasions. Those petitions had been turned into great ridicule by some of their Lordships, who expressed their belief, that any person who used such expressions as those adopted by the petitioner, could not be in his right mind—that he must labour under a perversion of intellect. Now, he would say for himself, that although he did not agree in everything stated by the rev. person whose petition he was about to present, yet if he laboured under a perversion of mind, there was certainly a great deal of method in his madness. He was of opinion with the petitioner, that many of the unfortunate circumstances which now afflicted Ireland, had occurred in consequence of those laws which the Legislature had thought it fit to pass. The petition came from the rev. Sir Harcourt Lees; and the petitioner expressed his conviction that a joint Radical and Romish conspiracy was going on silently in Great Britain and Ireland, connected also with foreign conspirators, to overturn the Es-

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tablished Church, to undermine the Monarchy of these realms, and to separate England and Ireland. The petitioner declared, that he had in his possession the names of the chief directors of those secret societies, who had been actively employed since the passing of the Roman Catholic Bill in 1829, in instigating the deluded peasantry of Ireland to murder the Protestant clergy. He could produce the names of those perfidious hypocrites and conspirators against the Stale, whose machinations must lead to rebellion and massacre. The petitioner, therefore, implored their Lordships to allow him to make his statement before their Lordships at the bar of the House, or to appoint a Select Committee to inquire into this deeply-organised plot for the subversion of the empire. He conceived that their Lordships were loudly called on to give to the petitioner the opportunity which he demanded for explanation.
Petition laid on the table.

THE NEW HOUSES or PARLIAMENT.
Viscount Duncannonthought it necessary, in laying on the table a report on the subject of rebuilding the two Houses of Parliament, to call their Lordships' attention to the last report which had been made, after the plan of Mr. Barry had been examined. The Committee then reported that they felt themselves justified in recommending to the House the adoption of the plan No. 64—that of Mr. Barry, which they considered to be the best; the expense of the building not to exceed 724,984 l., including fourteen per cent. to cover contingent charges, to which would be to be added about 60,000 l. for the purchase of ground in Abingdon Street, and 30,000 l. for fittings and fixtures, an estimate to be made in the then ensuing Session of Parliament. He had now to state to their Lordships, that Mr. Barry had notified to him that he had made the required estimates, and he was prepared to say, that they came within the sum named in the report and resolution of the Committee. That estimate, with all the drawings and documents which Mr. Barry had prepared, was submitted to such persons as were competent to give an opinion on the subject. Those estimates and plans had been carefully examined by persons employed for the purpose—every branch of the subject had been considered
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by them—every part of the work had been submitted to their consideration — and those parties were now ready to undertake the building on the estimates formed by Mr. Barry. He should now move that this report be laid on the table, and that it be printed.
Lord Broughaminquired whether it was now too late for their Lordships to retrace their steps with respect to this particular plan, as a very considerable change had been effected in public opinion since they originally resolved to adopt it. He believed that the public mind was much altered with respect to the propriety of confining the styles for the plans to those of the Gothic and Elizabethan character; and, strictly speaking, he believed that not a single individual had adhered to the rule laid down.
Viscount Duncannonsaw no reason for regretting or retracing the steps taken by Parliament. The first architects had given their opinions on the plans, and their opinions had been confirmed by both Houses of Parliament. If they retraced their steps now, after a lapse of nearly two years since their decision, it would be extremely inconvenient, and it would be impossible to say when the delay would terminate.
Lord Broughamsaid, that when 800,000 l. was to be voted, they ought to expect a building to be so constructed that it would last for ages; but he much doubted, if the present plan were adopted, whether buildings raised in accordance with it would be durable.
The Marquess of Lansdowne, as chairman of the Committee, would say a few words on this subject. A formal decision had been come to with respect to the plan by both Houses of Parliament, and although he had read the work of Mr. Hamilton on the subject with great pleasure, yet if a Grecian style were to be adopted, the uniformity with Westminster Hall would be lost, and an alteration would be attended with great inconvenience and expense. It was, he conceived, proper that the new buildings should assimilate with those great monuments so intimately connected with the history of this country, in the neighbourhood of which they were to be placed.
Report to be printed.