§ LORD BEAUMONTpresented two petitions, one from William Chadwick, of 532 Richmond Green, Chairman of the North Wales Railway Company, now in custody for contempt of Orders of this House, stating that the petitioner entertains the deepest sense of the profound respect which is due to their Lordships, and that he is fully sensible of the great impropriety of his conduct in not securing a proper return to be made pursuant to Orders of this House of the 3rd and 25th of August last, and praying that their Lordships will be pleased to take a merciful view of the petitioner's conduct, and extend forgiveness to him, and order him to he discharged out of custody; and the other from John Marriner, late Secretary of the North Wales Railway Company, now in custody for contempt of the Orders of this House, stating that it had not been his intention to treat with contempt or disobedience the Orders of this House, and that any acts of contumacy which have incurred the displeasure of their Lordships have arisen through a misconception of the terms of the Orders, and the peculiar position in which the petitioner was placed, who, although the Secretary of the said company, was not in possession of the documents and information necessary to complete the accounts, and was unable to obtain the information required, and also expressing his sincere sorrow and contrition, and praying to he released from custody. His Lordship moved that the petitions should be taken into consideration at once.
The LORD CHANCELLORthought that it would be more consistent with the dignity of their Lordships' House to decline to entertain the petitions at that time. They would be most willing to hear anything which parties in such a situation as the petitioners might have to say in extenuation of their conduct. He thought that if the noble Lord would postpone his Motion till Monday next, that would be allowing but a decent time to intervene between the committal and entertaining the application of the petitioners.
§ Petitions read; to be taken into consideration on Monday next.
§ House adjourned to Monday.