§ Amendments reported (according to Order).
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEsaid, that without wishing to enter into any argument or controversy on this subject, he thought it his duty to state what he understood the object of the Bill originally was, and in what shape it would go down to the House of Commons. The Bill originally intended that the appointment of a Commission should be the original act of the House of Commons, that they should be enabled to carry into effect the provisions of the Bill by an Address to the Crown; but under the Bill, as amended, the House of Commons would be deprived of that power, unless the exercise of it met with the concurrence of their Lordships. The result would be, that, as before, the two Houses of Parliament must institute the Commission, and that there would be no difference between the law as it then was, and had always been, and the law as amended, except in effecting a saving 905 of time. The main question connected with this subject, which involved never-failing sources of grievance, were entirely left untouched by the Bill. It was far from his intention to say what course the other House would take with the Bill in its altered form; but he thought it his duty to give their Lordships an opportunity of considering whether they should adopt the Amendments, or rather wait for a more efficacious and satisfactory remedy of the great grievances which it was the object of the Bill to deal with.
§ The EARL of DERBYsaid, the noble Marquess had, in substance, correctly stated the effect of the alterations, though he was not altogether right in saying the law was left by the Bill preciely on its present footing. An Amendment had certainly been introduced, depriving the other House of the power of obtaining the appointment of a Committee without the concurrence of their Lordships. He could only now express his sincere hope, that with a desire to put a stop to those corrupt practices, the other House might adopt, and he believed they would adopt, the Bill, with its amended clauses, which he believed would be effectual in preventing the grossest and most flagrant acts of corruption.
§ Further Amendments made; and Bill to be printed as amended; and to be read 3a on Monday next.