THE LORD CHANCELLORlaid on the table the Amendments which he proposed to move in Committee on the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Bill. He hoped that other Peers who had Amendments to propose would follow his example, and by so doing enable their Lordships to consider them before going into Committee. He said this without prejudice to the Motion which the noble Earl (the Earl of Derby) had given notice of, that the measure should be referred to a Select Committee; but he believed that if those Amendments were all on the table beforehand, they would assist their Lordships in coming to a determination on that Motion. If the Amendments to be proposed were to be confined to mere matters of detail he saw no objection to referring them to a Select Committee; but if, on the other hand, those Amendments touched the principal clauses, or what he might term the principles of the Bill, he thought it would hardly be respectful to the House of Commons that those enactments, which had been sent up by the House of Commons after careful consideration by them, should be discussed and settled in a Select Committee, where the public would be shut out from all knowledge of their proceedings.
§ LORD CHELMSFORDsaid, he had some Amendments to propose which he would lay on the table as soon as possible, probably on Monday or Tuesday next. He was afraid his Amendments would not be confined to matters of detail; but, at the same time, he thought they need not now anticipate the question whether or not the Bill should be sent to a Select Committee.