§ LORD BATEMANsaid, he ventured, with the kind indulgence of their Lordships, to make a few remarks, though he 1579 was not in regular Order. He had to apologize to their Lordships for taking this course, and to the noble Earl opposite (Earl Granville) fort the very short notice he had given him of the Question which he intended to ask him, but he trusted that the gravity of the subject to which he was about to refer and the conciliatory feeling by which he was actuated, would be his apology. In common, with every Member of the House, he felt great anxiety with reference to the difficulty in which the House was placed in regard to a Bill of great importance winch would come before their Lordships next week. He had considered the matter very carefully, and was of opinion that some mode could be devised of extricating the House from what threatened to be a serious difficulty. Under what circumstances did the Bill come before the House? The Bill was introduced in the other House by the Prime Minister, who carried it by successive majorities perfectly without parallel. There was a large part of the people of this country who did not approve of the Bill. There was another party—he might call them the turbulent party— who were in favour of the Bill, and had used language in reference to their Lordships' House which, he believed, their Lordships would not brook. He thought their Lordships would agree with him that a measure of such importance as the Irish Church Bill could be considered more impartially in that House than in the House of Commons: but threats had been used towards their Lordship, in case they should reject or materially alter the Bill, which wore calculated to irritate and provoke the resistance of those who sat on his side of the House.
THE EARL OF CARNARVONrose to Order. He had not the least conception what his noble Friend proposed to say: but he submitted that it was not right that a very important subject which was to come before the House next week should be brought forward without notice, and in a manner that could lead to no result whatever.
§ LORD CAIRNSsaid, he also was about to rise to Order. Last year their Lordships had agreed that any Peer who desired to make a statement that was likely to lead to any debate, or to put a Question, should place a Notice to that effect upon the Paper. He understood 1580 that the noble Lord had given private notice to the noble Earl the Secretary of the Colonies of his intention to put a Question; and, if the noble Earl was prepared to answer it, there could be no objection to the course which the noble Lord was pursuing; but he (Lord Cairns) objected to it on behalf of the House generally, and he trusted his noble Friend would not proceed with his intended statement.
§ LORD BATEMANsaid, he did not wish to proceed in opposition to the feeling of the House; but he thought the noble Earl opposite, with whom he an interview on the subject this morning, would agree with him that the Question would have led to a very satisfactory result, and might have saved the House from a position which all must deplore. The observations he had intended to make would, he believed, have strengthened the hands of the Government as well as of the House. In. deference, however, to the objection of the noble Earl, he felt bound to refrain from making' any further observations on the subject.
§ EARL GRANVILLEI entirely agree with the noble Earl (the Earl of Carnarvon) as to the irregularity of the course taken by the noble Lord. The noble Lord was good enough to give me notice of a Question which he pro-posed to put, having reference to certain reports to which he has alluded, as to the course which the Government intend to take with respect to the Bill which will come before your Lordships next week. I told the noble Lord that, in my opinion, there were two objections to his putting the Question or to my answering it. One was that it was not desirable to raise a small debate to-night on the subject which will come before the House in due course next week; and the other was that it would be contrary to the rule which we laid down last Session and to which the noble and learned Lord (Lord Cairns) has adverted. At the same time I told him I could quite understand the anxiety which every Member of the House must feel with respect to the precise position in which they stood with regard to the Irish Church Bill, and I could also understand the wish of noble Lords for some information with regard to the threats to which he has referred as having been held out towards this House in case your Lordships should think 1581 proper to adopt a certain policy. I have seen those threats quoted in some detail in speeches made out-of-doors; but I am utterly unaware of any foundation there can possibly be for them. I shall not answer the noble Lord's Question now, but I shall take an opportunity, on Monday, of explaining to the House in a manner which I trust will be satisfactory to any reasonable man, that Her Majesty's Government neither has nor ever had any intention of departing from, that proper and respectful course which it is the duty of Her Majesty's servants to follow, whether they are dealing with the House of Commons or with your Lordships' House.