THE MARQUESS OF WESTMEATHsaid, he hoped their Lordships would extend to him for a few moments the indulgence which they usually granted to one of their Members who had to make an explanation in reference to a matter in which his personal honour and character were involved. His attention had been directed to an article in The Globe newspaper of the preceding evening in reference to a Bill now on their Lordships' table, and which contained statements in reference to himself utterly false, and, as he believed, undoubtedly libellous. But as regarded their libellous character, he would not trouble their Lordships—that would be a matter which it would be for another tribunal to consider. 480 But as regarded that part which concerned his honour, he wished to take the earliest opportunity of contradicting, in the most positive manner, a composition which had been sent about on the part of the lady who did him the honour of bearing his name, but who had left his house of her own account thirty-eight years ago, and who did not appear to be as yet content to leave her husband in peace. The statements in The Globe were founded on a pamphlet which had been going the round of certain newspapers, and which had been placed on the tables of the clubs, with the view of vilifying his character. Their Lordships might say that they had nothing to do with a private matter of that kind; but he would remind them that the statements in question had been put forward at that particular time, in connection with a Bill which was to be brought under their consideration that evening. It was on that account that he did not wish to lose one moment in stating that, when that Bill got into Committee, he would take the opportunity of meeting the whole of the statements to which he referred by a positive and irrefragable contradiction, which would show that every one of them was unfounded, and that they had been characterized by an amount of perjury and conspiracy which could never have taken place in any court in this country in which testimony was taken viva voce. In the Ecclesiastical Courts, and in those courts alone, with which their Lordships were now about to deal, and which for the sake of justice and for the sake of morality he hoped they were about to annihilate, could such proceedings as those of which he complained have been conducted. He had only to repeat that it was his intention at the earliest opportunity to meet those atrocious libels with the complete and indignant denial which they deserved.