REPORT. (Hansard, 18 June 1863)

LORD BROUGHAM
said, he was only astonished that such a measure should have been reserved for the year of Grace 1863. He thought the arguments against making this Bill compulsory were conclusive. He had only one doubt, and that was as to the Application of the Act by the magistrates at the Quarter Sessions, It would 1036 probably give rise to theological discussions in a tribunal perhaps of all others the least adapted for them. He had no doubt whatever, notwithstanding the doubts which had been expressed by others, that the Act would come into operation in every case where it was intended by the framers of the measure that it should operate.

THE EARL OF BELMORE
said, that the noble Duke (the Duke of Somerset), in moving the second reading of the Bill, stated that the object of this clause was to prevent improper communications. Now, that was a very vague expression; and be-sides, he (Lord Belmore) thought that the machinery provided by the clause was hardly sufficient to effect that object, which he understood to be, the preventing these ministers from attending or visiting prisoners of a denomination differing from their own. He did not move this Amendment in any hostile spirit, for he thought that the principle of the Bill was fully justified by the speeches of the noble Duke and of the noble Earl (the Earl of Derby); but this question seemed to be misunderstood in some quarters. There seemed to be an idea that there was some latent object in the Bill to subvert the privileges of the Church of England; in fact, he had seen it stated within the last day or two in an article commenting on the noble Earl's (the Earl of Derby's) speech, "that the intention of this measure was to open the door for proselytism to the Roman priesthood." Now, any person who would take the trouble to read the noble Earl's speech candidly and carefully through, must see that he, at any rate, had no such intention in supporting the Bill. He did not believe the noble Duke had any such intention; and certainly, if he (Lord Belmore) had thought that there was any such latent object, he he would not have given his vote for the second reading. At the same time, he thought it was better that there should be no doubt on the subject, and he therefore hoped that the noble Duke would assent to the insertion at the end of the clause of these words, which he would move—"But no such minister shall be permitted to attend or visit any prisoner belonging to any religious denomination differing from that to which such minister belongs."

§ THE DUKE OF SOMERSET
suggested, that the Amendment should be postponed till the third reading, and in the mean time he would consider if it could be inserted.

THE EARL OF BELMORE
assented to this course.