§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEsaid, that in the exercise of the privilege which had always belonged to Members of that House, he proposed that evening to lay upon the table a Bill, and to move that it be read a first time. He hoped that they would permit him to dispense with any notice on the subject, and not require him on that occasion to enter into any lengthened statement. The object of the Bill which he intended to bring in was to enable Her Majesty's Government to open and carry on Diplomatic Relations with the Court of Rome. The Bill, which was very short, would be printed, and in the hands of every noble Lord to-morrow, and he hoped their Lordships would not object to give it a second reading on Friday. The noble Marquess concluded by presenting the Bill, and moving that it be read 1a.
LORD STANLEYconceived that the measure proposed by the noble Marquess ought to contain such guards and restrictions as would satisfy the reasonable scruples entertained by the great body of the people of this country: assuming the policy on which this Bill was founded to be in the highest degree expedient and desirable, he still should say that such a measure ought not to be allowed to proceed with precipitancy. It was directly contrary to what were understood to be established principles, that the Sovereign of a free Protestant country should hold any sort of intercourse with the temporal Head of the Church of Rome. The question was one of great difficulty, and one respecting which there was great danger of misrepresentation; and he confessed it appeared to him a very rapid course of proceeding that such a Bill, introduced on a Monday, should be read a second time on the following Friday. He wished to know whether there was any reason for this haste and precipitancy—any urgent necessity for such a departure from the ordinary course of proceeding? He trusted that the noble Marquess would reconsider his proposition, and permit the ordinary interval of a week to elapse between the one stage and the other of his intended measure.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEreplied, that he felt no desire for an undue precipitancy in such a case as the present; at the same time he should be permitted to observe, that the question did not come before the House as a perfect novelty; on the contrary, he and other Members of 170 that House had gone into its discussion on several previous occasions, and had expressed decided opinions on the matter. He considered that fixing the second reading for Friday next was not demanding any very great facility; there were no great difficulties in legislating on the subject; the Bill was a very short Bill, and would not require any extraordinary time for its discussion. To-morrow, when the Bill came before them, they would be better able to judge how soon they ought to proceed to its discussion.
§ The DUKE of RICHMONDhoped Her Majesty's Ministers would not fix such an early day for the second reading. The question was one of immense importance, and the Bill ought, therefore, to be well considered. He believed that not any part of the people of Scotland were aware that it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to bring in such a Bill. For himself he could say, until that moment he had no idea that it was the intention of Her Majesty's Ministers to bring in such a Bill. It was a Bill which the greater part of the people of England would think offered violation to their religious feelings.
§ EARL FITZWILLIAMdid not think that the Bill could be characterised as offering any violation to the religious feelings of the people of England. If he understood his noble Friend's Motion correctly, it was to obtain leave to introduce a Bill for the purpose of allowing Her Majesty to establish a direct diplomatic correspondence with the Potentate who held sway over the Italian States. He could not think so ill of the mass of the people of England as a nation, notwithstanding what might be said to the contrary, to suppose that they would conceive their religious prejudices were interfered with in this matter. Every one who knew the state of Europe, and especially of Italy, at this time, was of opinion that it was desirable that diplomatic relations with one of the most important rulers of the Italian States should no longer be interrupted. He hoped, therefore, his noble Friend would fix an early period for the second reading of the Bill.
The EARL of EGLINTOUNsaid, nine tenths of the people would be taken by surprise, as he had been, by this Bill. He must beg leave to say, as far as that part of the United Kingdom was concerned with which he was intimately connected, it was morally impossible that the people of Scotland could have time to look over the 171 Bill before the second reading had taken place. He trusted that Her Majesty's Ministers would pay some regard to the situation of that distant part of the United Kingdom, and consent to postpone the second reading to a later period.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEwould name as distant a day as possible. The Bill was to establish direct relations with the temporal Sovereign of the Court of Rome, the absence of which power had hitherto been felt to be a great inconvenience.
§ Bill read 1a.