COMMITTEE. [FIRST NIGHT.] (Hansard, 4 August 1881)

LORD DENMAN
rose to move, as an Amendment, that the House do resolve itself into Committee on that day six months. He (Lord Denman) had read and written out all the Amendments upon the Bill, so that he did not hastily condemn the measure; but he was sure that litigation might be increased by it, and an appeal to the House of Lords had been proposed as an Amendment.

THE EARL OF AIRLIE
rose to Order, observing that it would be irregular to enter into a discussion of the Amendments at that stage of the Bill.

LORD DENMAN
remarked, that he was often interrupted in that House, and referred to his Protest of 12th July, 1869, in which he showed how Lord Dunboyne, an Irish Peer, had been prevented from speaking on the Irish Land Bill. He went on to allude to 1844, when three noble and learned Lords, all pupils of a most eminent Special Pleader (Mr. Tidd), had overruled Lords Lyndhurst and Brougham on the O'Connell case, and reminded their Lordships that, although from an irregularity as to the jury, the defendant (O'Connell) escaped eight out of 12 months of imprisonment, and a fine of £5,000, yet the law was vindicated. He also alluded to 1846, when his noble and learned Relative had proposed clauses for the Protection of Life Bill, empowering the Lord Lieutenant and Magistrates to bind accused parties over 766 to keep the peace; and as it was in that year deemed safe to throw out the Protection of Life Bill, so he thought the present Ministry, having a Coercion Bill and an Arms Bill, might well dispense with this Bill. He feared that he might be alone, like the Father' of Lentulus, when he voted against buying off the Gauls with gold; but he could not willingly go on with this Bill, full of such sweeping changes as were devised by it, and concluded by moving his Amendment.