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LORD PANMURE moved to resolve—
That as regards the Ordnance Board Bill, inasmuch as divers Lands, Hereditaments and Estates, are now vested in the Principal Officers of Her Majesty's Ordnance under various Acts of Parliament, and as on the Appointment of a Fourth Secretary of State Her Majesty thought proper to revoke the Letters Patent of some of those Officers and transfer to such Secretary of State the Administration of the Department, the Duties of which were executed by the said Officers, it is desirable for the better Administration of the same that the said Lands, Hereditaments and Estates, and the Powers and Authorities in relation to the same, should be similarly transferred; and as such Transfer cannot be made without the Authority of Parliament, the Circumstances which render Legislation on the Subject Matter of the said Bill expedient are of such Urgency as to render the immediate Consideration of the same necessary.
§ EARL GREYremarked, that the Government had not fulfilled a promise made some months since—that they would lay upon the table a statement of the future division of business between the different departments.
§ LORD PANMUREsaid, the Government had so far redeemed its promise as to lay before the House, on the 23rd of June past, the Orders in Council whereby the present establishments were constituted. This Bill had really nothing to do with the constitution of those offices, but he assured his noble Friend that the arrangements which had been made worked well for the public service. The administration of everything connected with the Ordnance Department had been simplified, even during the short time the new arrangements had existed, but it would take weeks and months to bring those arrangements into a fair state of working. After a few months the changes would be perfected, and he believed his noble Friend himself would then admit a most useful reform had been effected.
§ EARL GREYsaid, he had been misinformed as to the delivery of the papers, and therefore his complaint fell to the ground.
§ Resolution agreed to.
§ Bill read 2a (according to Order); Committee negatived; and Bill to be read 3a on Thursday next.