§ Viscount Melbourne moved the Order of the Day for the second reading of the Fisheries (England and France) Bill,
§ The Duke of Wellingtonhad read the bill, and did not object to it; but he must 590 say, that it was not fair to the public to have bills of any description hurried through Parliament in the manner now proposed.
§ Viscount Melbournesaid, that that would certainly be true if the bills required any consideration, but this one did not: it was merely to carry into effect a treaty settling the distances from the respective shores of the two countries where the fishermen might resort, and fixing the regulations of the fisheries.
§ The Duke of Wellingtonsaid, the bill might as well have been before the House at an earlier period.
Lord Broughamperfectly agreed with the noble Duke, that this was not the way to do business; and he had been telling his noble Friend, the noble Viscount so sometime past. It was no reason to say, that the noble Duke had read the Act and the Treaty, seeing that the noble Duke's attendance was most unparalleled for punctuality and perseverance. The noble Duke never missed being in the House at the sitting of it, he never went until it was up, and looked to all the business, and attended to every bill. Certainly no other noble Lord had read the documents.
§ The Duke of WellingtonThere is but one copy in the House.
§ Viscount MelbourneThere must bean exception made in those cases which occur suddenly—the events which happen in human affairs, war or peace—treaties and conventions—will not wait for the close of our Sessions, or the convenience of our recesses.
§ Bill read a second time.