Lords Sitting of 7 March 1850

MINUTES.
Took the Oaths.—Sir Albert Denison Denison, Knight (commonly called Lord Albert Denison Denison), having been created Baron Londesborough—Was (in the usual Manner) introduced; Samuel Jones Loyd, esq., having been created Baron Overstone—Was (in the usual Manner) introduced.
PUBLIC BILLS. 1a The Trustee Act, 1850. 2a Sunday Trading Prevention.
Reported.—Removal of Obstructions in Corn Trade (Scotland) No. 2.

PRESBYTERIAN CLERGY IN THE NORTH OF IRELAND.
The MARQUESS of LONDONDERRY: I feel myself bound to state to the House, with regard to the letter I presented and commented upon on a former day [vol. cviii. p. 1276], purporting to be signed by the Rev. Mr. Rutherford, that letter turns out to be a forgery. I have received two notes with respect to the transactions in question, which I wish to lay on the table of the House. One of these is from the Rev. Mr. Dobbin, who wrote the first letter which I received, and which that gentleman does not now deny. But he states that he had no connexion with the letter purporting to come from Mr. Rutherford directly or indirectly; and that he has just seen Mr. Rutherford, who authorises him to say that the letter is an entire forgery. I have likewise a letter from Mr. Rutherford himself, denying the authenticity of the document purporting to bear his signature, and stating that he has not the slightest knowledge of the person by whom the letter was written. Now, my Lords, without reading these notes at length, I may leave them upon the table of the House for your Lordships to refer to; and I have only to add, that if I have been egregiously imposed upon, I submit whether it was not very natural that I should consider Mr. Rutherford's letter as genuine, when I read to your Lordships the words of that rev. gentleman, as reported in almost all the papers in the north of Ireland. [His Lordship then read some extracts from Mr. Rutherford's speech.] I have only further to state, that having received a letter from the Marquess of Downshire's agent, informing me that he did not get up the meeting to address his Lordship at Hillsborough, and that the matter was first mentioned to him by a respectable tenant—thence its origin—I can only say that I quoted from the press of the day, and I can now assure your Lordships that I very much regret stating anything disrespectful to the large body of independent tenants of the noble Marquess. I may take the opportunity of stating, before I sit down, that I have been induced by the matters in question, to address a letter to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, and that I have received an official answer from his Lordship, with every word of which I entirely concur. I only regret that his Lordship's secretary has thought fit to publish the answer without annexing to it the letter which called it forth.

THE ABOLITION OF THE VICEROYALTY OF IRELAND.
The EARL of MOUNTCASHELLcalled the attention of the noble Marquess opposite to the rumours that the office of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was about to be abolished. These rumours had gained ground, and the impression was universal that some such important change was about to take place. It was even stated that Her Majesty's Government was in communication with the Lord Lieutenant on the subject, and that a series of queries had been sent to be answered by the noble Marquess. He had now to ask whether or no the rumours to which he had alluded rested upon any true foundation? In case of the noble Marquess replying in the affirmative, he wished to make some observations upon the subject.
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNE: The noble Earl has stated, that it was his intention to ask a certain question of Her Majesty's Government. Upon the part of that Government I am prepared to answer that question; but when the noble Earl says, that in the event of my returning a particular answer, he will make some observations on the subject, I apprehend he is decidedly out of order. If the noble Earl be not satisfied with my answer, it is open to him to give notice of a Motion upon the subject.
The EARL of MOUNTCASHELL: Then I merely put the question.
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNE: The noble Earl has asked whether it be true, that the office of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland is about to be abolished? It is not in my power to give the noble Earl any information as to the future intentions of Her Majesty's Government upon that subject. When any such important change is contemplated, duo notice will be given of it to Parliament, and sufficient time will be allowed for its full discussion. The noble Earl may be assured that such will be the case: the more certainly, inasmuch as the abolition of such an office as the Lord Lieutenancy can only be effected by the decision of the Legislature embodied in an Act of Parliament.

PARTY PROCESSIONS (IRELAND) BILL.
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEmoved the Order of the Day for receiving the report on this Bill; and in doing so suggested, as the noble Duke near him (the Duke of Wellington) and another of his noble Friends, had given notice of Amendments
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which might lead to discussion, that the most convenient course to pursue would be to lay these Amendments in a regular shape upon the table, and take them into consideration on the third reading.
The DUKE of WELLINGTONsaid, that he would willingly adopt the course suggested by the noble Marquess with regard to the clause which he was about to propose.
The clause was then read by the clerk at the table; and on the Motion of the Duke of WELLINGTON, it was ordered to be taken into consideration on the third reading of the Bill.
The same course was agreed to in respect of the Amendment proposed by Lord MONTEAGLE.
The EARL of ELLENBOROUGHgave notice that he would move, upon the third reading of the Bill to-morrow, that such an alteration should be made in the second clause as should place the justices exactly in the same position as to the exercise of their discretion with regard to going to a meeting, and proclaiming it, as that in which they were placed with regard to the dispersing of it. He said that he would move an addition to the clause to render its meaning clear.
Amendments reported.
Bill to be read 3a To-morrow.
House adjourned till To-morrow.