§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee, read.
§ Moved, "That the House do now resolve itself into Committee upon the said Bill."—(The Lord O'Hagan.)
LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEsaid, that the Act proposed to be repealed was passed by the Irish Parliament in 1797, and he would like to know why it was to be abolished, seeing that recently there had been meetings in Ireland of a Communistic character? He thought that Ireland was in a less satisfactory state now than it had been for some years past; and, therefore, he could not understand why the Act should be repealed.
§ LORD O'HAGANsaid, the Bill was only intended to repeal legislation which had become entirely obsolete, and came before their Lordships, not only with the sanction of the Government, but the unanimous approval of the House of Commons.
§ Motion agreed to; House in Committee.
§ Bill reported without Amendment; an Amendment made; and Bill to be read 3a To-morrow.