§ On the Order for Considering the Report of the Reasons to be offered to the Commons for the Lords insisting on their 263 Amendments to this Bill (which stands appointed for this day) being read,
§ THE EARL OF MALMESBURYsaid, that upon further consideration of the matter, and considering the absence of his noble Friend at the head of the Government, who he thought it would be very desirable should have another opportunity of addressing their Lordships upon the subject, the more advisable course to be pursued on the present occasion would be to postpone the Motion he had intended to make this evening for considering the Report of the Reasons to be offered to the Commons for the Lords insisting upon their Amendments until this day week, the day on which the other two Bills would come to be discussed before their Lordships.
LORD CAMPBELLsaid, he would not object to the course proposed to be taken by the noble Earl, but he could not help again expressing his regret that the purpose seemed still to be entertained of sending the Bill back to the House of Commons with their Lordships' Reasons for insisting upon their Amendments. He had most willingly withdrawn all opposition upon the statement made on a former evening by his noble and learned Friend (Lord Lyndhurst) that there was an understanding with regard to a compromise, although foreboding confessed he had a foreboding that there might be disappointment; and he now most earnestly implored those who wished to see an accommodation of this long-vexed question to consider whether it would not be better to retain the Bill which was now before them instead of sending it back to the House of Commons—a course from which he saw nothing to hope, but rather anticipated difficulty.
THE EARL OF DESARTregretted much the necessity for postponement, but contended that their Lordships ought to send their Reasons back to the House of Commons, lest it should appear that their Lordships were prepared rather for a concession than a compromise. If a compromise should ever be agreed upon, it would more correctly come from the House of Commons than from their Lordships. When the Reasons for insisting upon their Amendments reached the other House, it would then be for that House to propose such arrangements as it thought proper with regard to omitting the words "on the true faith of a Christian" in certain cases; but he looked forward with hope, he might say with confidence, to their Lordships continuing to maintain and enforce the prin- 264 ciple they had always upheld, that it was not expedient that the enemies of Christianity should be admitted to assist in the legislation of a country whose laws, ordinances, and institutions were essentially based upon Christianity.
Consideration of Report of Reasons to be offered to the Commons for the Lords insisting on their Amendments put off to Thursday next.