Lords Sitting of 21 July 1843

Preamble
MINUTES.] BILLS. Public. 1a Woollen, etc., Manufactures; Landlord and Tenant; Schoolmasters Widows' Fund (Scotland) Validity.
2a Marriages (Ireland).
Committed.—Sessions of the Peace.
Reported.—Scientific Societies.
3a Episcopal Functions; Slave Trade Suppression (No. 2).
Private.—Reported.—Dundee Harbour; Great North of England, Clarence, and Hartlepool Junction Railway; Gobal's Police.
3a and passed:—Hambro's Naturalization; Paisley Municipal Affairs.
PETITIONS PRESENTED. From the Presbyterians of Ireland, for a return of the number of Cases of Bigamy tried in the last ten years in Ireland.—From Sheffield, for Free Trade.—From Hunmanby, in favour the Local Courts Bill.—From Berwick-in-F.11nel Union, for Exemption from the Operation of the Poor-law.— From the Birmingham Philosophical Institution, its favour of the Scientific Societies.

PRESBYTERIAN MARRIAGES.
On the motion of the Lord Chancellor, the standing orders were suspended, and the Presbyterian Marriages Bill was read a second time and committed.
On the question that the bill be read a third time,
Lord Campbellexpressed a doubt whether the measure ought not to be rendered more extensive, so as to include Quakers and Jews. Many marriages in the colonies were made under the same circumstances as those which had taken place in Ireland, and those might be included. He was far from saying that those marriages were invalid, and he thought that it would be long before their Lordships so decided; but if they were invalid in Ireland they were invalid also in the East and West Indies.
Bill' read a third time and passed.

SLAVE TRADE SUPPRESSION.
Lord> Broughammoved the third reading of the Slave Trade Suppression Bill and observed
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that when it had become law, the Legislature would probably have done all in its power for the extinction of slavery and the suppression of the slave-trade. He felt called upon to take this opportunity of paying a tribute to his noble Friend, the present Governor-general of India, for the manner in which he had put an end to slavery on taking possession of Scinde. He looked forward with sanguine hope to the abolition of slavery in the East Indies, a consummation not to be accomplished so much by legislation, or by doing violence to property, as by giving encouragement to the same method which Sir A. Johnstone had so beneficially pursued in Ceylon, and which had induced the native slave-owners themselves to declare all children free after a certain date.
The Earl of Aucklandsaid, the expression of such a hope was wholly unnecessary. No measure for the abolition of slavery in the East Indies was, he was happy to say, now required. While he was Governor-general an inquiry was instituted into the state and condition of slaves throughout our widely-extended dominions in India. The result of the inquiry was, that an act was prepared, the effect of which would have been to abolish the condition of slavery throughout those dominions, and to remove all the inconveniences and hardships to which slaves were subjected there. There was not time for that act to pass while he remained at the head of the Government; but the noble Lord who now held that post and the Government of Bengal had since passed an act by which slavery was abolished in the British dominions in India. [Lord Brougham: When was that act passed.] About eight or ten months ago. He did not, however, mean to say that some condition of servitude more or less painful, might not still exist, but at the same time, he had no doubt that measures would be carried into full operation that would put an end to all the practical as well as nominal evils of slavery.
Lord Broughamobserved, that no one had the least idea, until the noble Earl made this statement, that any act of a final nature had passed for the abolition of slavery in India. He could not help thinking that the act the noble Lord had spoken of must have passed more recently than eight or ten months ago.
Bill read a third time and passed.

DEFAMATION AND LIBEL.
Lord Campbellmoved that the report on the Defamation and Libel Bill be received. With respect to the 7th clause, which he had proposed, he did not mean to divide the House; but in order that it might appear on the journal of their Lordships' House, he should move on the report being brought up that that clause be added to the bill. The great objection to that clause was, in fact, the standing order of their Lordships' House, which professed not to allow the publication of any of their proceedings. The clause would, in fact, legalize such publication. He might add, shat one of the most distinguished statesmen during the last century had spoken of the absurdity of a similar standing order in the House of Commons. For the period of that which was termed the unreported Parliament, from 1768 to 1774, until lately, there was no account whatever, although the proceedings of that Parliament were most interesting; but recently they had been furnished with a transcript of the admirable reports of Sir H. Cavendish, edited by a gentleman of the greatest ability and research—Mr. Wright; and thereby was supplied a most important hiatus in Parliamentary history. The standing-order of their Lordships' House was dated the 27th of February, 1698, and was to this effect:—
"Resolved, that it be a breach of the privileges of this House for any person to print or publish in print any of the proceedings of this House without leave of this House, and that this be a standing-order of this House."
The order of the House of Commons was in corresponding terms. He (Lord Campbell) trusted that, before long, that standing-order would be repealed, and then one objection to the clause he proposed would be removed. [The Lord Chancellor: When that is repealed, then you can introduce your clause.] Mr. Burke said, he was prepared to show the absurdity of such a resolution; and if they were to make it their business to suppress printing in that way, it would put a stop to all order in their House. He hoped, therefore, when their Lordships knew that their standing-order was condemned by so distinguished a man as Mr. Burke, that their Lordships would not much longer retain upon their books the order to which he had alluded.
Lord Broughamrose to bear willing testimony to the importance of Cavendish's
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" Reports," which were just what report: ought to be; the words where the worth were wanted, and the substance where only the substance was necessary. They filled up a most remarkable chasm in parliamentary history, and Mr. Wright had performed his duty as editor with singular ability and knowledge. Nothing could be better done, and he earnestly wished that all parliamentary history had been pre. pared and compiled with equal skill and talent.
Report received.
Adjourned.