§ Lord Fitzgeraldpresented a petition from the mayor, aldermen, sheriffs, and corporation of the city of Dublin, staling that the petitioners viewed with sorrow 224 and alarm the bill for the reform of the Irish Municipal Corporations, as by that bill their rights and privileges would be transferred to the enemies of England and of Protestantism, and praying for protection. He had thought it right to inform the petitioners that it was his intention to give a similar vote to that which he had given on former occasions for the second reading of that bill; but in justice to the petitioners he was bound to say that, both with reference to their character and the prayer of the petition, it was one which deserved the serious attention of the House.
The Marquess of Londonderrycould not at all understand the course which his noble Friend took with regard to this measure. He could not see what there would be of dogged consistency, to use the words employed by the noble Lord the other night, or dogged obstinacy in opposing this bill on the second reading. For his own part he thought the noble Lord should have stood by the Irish corporations, and that he should have been the last person to desert them. He regretted that the noble Lord should have declared his intention of voting for the second reading, and raising the question before this bill was on the table, and at a time when noble Lords opposed to it had no opportunity of making any remarks.
§ Lord Fitzgeraldsaid, that he had studiously abstained from using anything like argument. He had raised no question, but he thought it right to state to the petitioners and to the House his intention of voting for the second reading. He thought that the sense in which he had used the words "dogged consistency" was perfectly clear. He meant that successive majorities in the House of Commons having declared in opposition to his views, he should be acting with dogged consistency if he did not defer to those majorities. Besides, that House had now sent down three bills admitting this same principle, every one of those being in accordance with the course which he was now disposed to hold.
The Marquess of Londonderrysaid, that the noble Lord must admit, that the state of Ireland now was very different from what it was when this Bill last came before that House. He must say that he did not think that his country would be satisfied with the noble Lord for abandoning his own opinion on a matter of such 225 importance in deference to those of other parties.
§ Petition laid on the table.