Lords Sitting of 8 February 1848

MINUTES.
Took the Oaths.—Several Lords.
PETITIONS PRESENTED. By the Bishop of Oxford, from Clergy and Laity of the City of Chichester, and various other places, against the Admission of Jews into Parliament.—From Inhabitants of Hitchin, complaining of the present Burden of Taxation, and against any Additional Expenses being Incurred by Increasing the Military Defences of the Country.—From Clerks, Masters, Matrons, and others connected with the Administration of the Poor Law, for a Superannuation Fund for all Meritorious Officers.—By Lord Stanley, from Inhabitants of the Parish of Vere, in the Island of Jamaica, complaining of the Sugar Duties Act, and praying for Relief.—By Lord Ashburton, from the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Manchester Unity, of Southampton and Devizes, that the Provisions of the Benefit Societies Act may be Extended to them.—From Inhabitants of Worcester, and Ratepayers and others of the Parish of Ware, for the Enactment of Sanitary Measures.

NATIONAL DEFENCES.
LORD COLCHESTER, pursuant to notice, rose to move for returns relating to the steam vessels belonging to the various parties who have entered into contracts for the conveyance of mails, in order to show
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their capacity for carrying guns and being employed as vessels of war, His object in moving for these returns was to obtain information, showing how far these vessels could be made available for the public service in case of war. The United States could at any moment obtain the services of vessels of this kind in case of war, and he wished to know whether we were in the same position. It was stipulated that these vessels should be built of sufficient strength to carry guns. There were sixty-three of them of 100-horse power and upwards, and he wished to know whether they could be made available? He under stood that there would be no objection to these returns; but he wished to have them laid before the House, as, from information which he had received, he believed that some of these vessels were not in a fit state for war if their services should be required.
The EARL of AUCKLANDsaid, that there could be no possible objection to the production of these returns. He could assure the noble Lord that the Admiralty had not been negligent in this respect; for a report on these vessels had been made to the Board of Admiralty at the end of the year 1846. He believed that these contract vessels would be ready to be placed at the disposal of the Government in the event of a war.
The EARL of ELLENBOROUGHsaid, he wished to know whether the stipulations which had been made with these steam-packet companies had been carried out? It should be remembered that, in consequence of those stipulations, the Government and the East India Company paid 500,000 l. a year to these companies, for the purpose of rendering the carriage of letters and passengers cheaper.
Returns ordered.

RELATIONS WITH ROME.
The EARL of EGLINTOUNsaid, that he must thank the noble Marquess for his courtesy in acceding to the request made last night by his noble Friend near him (Lord Stanley) and by himself; but though the noble Marquess had consented to delay the second reading, yet he (the Earl of Eglintoun) could not allow the Bill to go to the country without stating what he believed was the opinion of those who were anxious for the integrity of the Protestant religion, in reference to this Bill. It was only within the last few minutes that he had been able to see the Bill; and he must

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say that, as regarded its general principles, he saw no objection to it. He agreed with his noble Friend (Lord Stanley) who said a few words last night on the subject, that it was not only right, but advisable and proper that diplomatic relations should be established between the Court of Rome and this country. Not only did he feel this because he thought it was always advisable that the interests of this country should be represented in a foreign country by an authorised agent of the Crown, but because he thought the fact of our having an authorised Ambassador from the Court of Rome in this country would be an acknowledgment of the supremacy of the Queen in Her own dominions—an acknowledgment which never yet had been made by the Court of Rome. He saw no clause in this Bill, he should remark, which prevented the Pope from sending to this country an ecclesiastic as an Ambassador. Whilst he admitted it would be proper and expedient and advisable for us to have diplomatic relations with the Court of Rome; yet he did conceive that it would be a gross dereliction of our Protestant feelings if we allowed an ecclesiastic to come to this country in the capacity of an Ambassador from the Court of Rome. The embassy in London might be made a nucleus for Jesuits. When the proper time arrived, he now gave notice, he should move the insertion of a clause, prohibiting the reception of any ecclesiastic in the capacity of Ambassador from the Court of Rome.
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEsaid, that he would not complain of the statement which had just been made by the noble Earl. He did not mean to enter into any argument, or to offer any explanation of the provisions of this Bill at the present moment; but he could not listen to what the noble Earl had stated without assuring him that he should not ask their Lordships to assent to this Bill unless he was convinced that he should be able to prove to their satisfaction that it was one not only not likely to injure the Protestant religion, but that when it would come into operation it would be attended with benefit to and calculated to strengthen the Protestant religion.
The BISHOP of EXETERsaid, that in a measure so entirely new as this, it would have been better if all their Lordships had reserved to themselves the right of deciding when the discussion was regularly before the House whether they would favour this measure or not. He, therefore, la-
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mented that the noble Earl, for whom he entertained the highest respect, should have committed himself by the expression of an opinion in the way he had to-night. He was glad to hear from the noble Marquess that the Bill would be fraught with no injury to the Protestant religion, but that, on the contrary, it would tend to strengthen it. He heard that declaration with gratitude and pleasure.
House adjourned.