COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 16 March 1877)

LORD DENMAN

said, he had placed a Notice on the Paper to move the rejection of the measure, but did not now intend to press it. He had been alluded to as the only opponent of the Bill of last year; but as in 1719 a Bill limiting the English Peerage had been rejected in "another place," he hoped this Bill, which everyone had a right to criticize on its re-appearance, might be altered "elsewhere." The Prerogative of the Crown had been curtailed by the Act of Union. In the Address of this House to the Crown, the power had been referred to as "conferred" upon the Crown; whereas in the Answer to the Address, it had been properly styled "reserved." He (Lord Denman) could easily conceive a case in which an Irish Peer, a Member of the House of Commons, might wish to retire into private life in Ireland, and yet might wish his son, some day, to be elected a Representative Peer, and the greater number of Peers electing the greater the honour of the elected. As an election would shortly take place, he hoped it would occur before this measure became law. The noble Lord opposite (Lord Carlingford) had a brother an Irish Peer (Lord Clermont), created 1852, and any Irish Peer might be summoned to sit for the United Kingdom by Her Majesty. He (Lord Denman) wished that a noble and gallant General, an Irish Peer (Lord Rokeby), descended from an Archbishop, with the same remainder as to the Irish Peerage, might be created a Peer of the United Kingdom. If Her Majesty were to choose to hold a Parliament in Dublin, probably a proportionate number of Peers of the United Kingdom would be elected by this House to attend Her Majesty. It would not be convenient for him (Lord Denman) to attend. This country had been greatly benefited by the attendance of Viscounts Palmerston and Galway, and by that of Lord Kensington in the other House of Parliament. The late Earl of Elgin was, as it were, neither on earth or air on succeeding to his father's peerage, being excluded from the House of Commons, and un- 10 able, though a Peer, to sit in the House of Lords. He (Lord Denman) thought the Prerogative of the Crown ought to remain as it was. As every elected Peer of Ireland was for the measure, he would not press his Motion.