LORD BROUGHAM, referring to what he had stated yesterday, said, he had done injustice to his noble and learned Friend (Lord Langdale) in not citing his authority for a Department of Justice. He had strongly recommended it more than once, and the last time he spoke in that House, a short time before his lamented decease, was to urge the adoption of this measure, which he pressed as the more requisite since the establishment of county courts. He (Lord Brougham) wished to move for a Return, placing side by side the Resolution and Address of the Commons of the 12th February, 1857, and the Answer of 215 Her Majesty to that Address, promising to give directions that the desire of the Commons should be taken into immediate consideration as its importance demanded. Formerly the mode of obtaining knowledge of what passed in the Commons was by the cumbrous process of a Committee to search the Commons' Journals. But of late the courtesy of that House had placed the Minutes of their Proceedings on our table; so that his Motion for the paper would at once be effectual, and it would appear how long there had been an entire neglect of this subject, whose importance the Royal Answer fully admitted.
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, that as some doubt existed how far the leave of the Commons extended to any matter beyond their own proceedings, such as the Royal Answer to the Address, his noble and learned Friend would, perhaps, leave the Motion in his hands, as he was about to leave town, and he (Earl Granville) would take care, that the necessary forms being complied with, the object of the Motion should be obtained.
LORD BROUGHAMexpressed his entire concurrence in this course, which ensured the production of the paper.