Sitting of 6 May 1840

MINUTES.
Bills. Read a second time:—Jury Cess (Ireland); Imprisonment for Debt.
Petitions presented. By Messrs. Villiers, Evans, Easthope, Brotherton, Hodges, C. Lushington, T. Duncombe, Hutt, Baines, Sir G. Grey, Sir T. Troubridge, and Lord Worsley, from an immense number of places, against, and by Lord G. Somerset, Sir R. H. Inglis, Lord Ashley, Sir W. Heathcote, Lord Stanley, Captain Elliot, Mr. Darby, Mr. R. Palmer. Mr. Bramston, and Mr. Kemble, from a great number of places, for, Church Extension.—By Mr. Kemble, Mr. Buck, Lord G. Somerset, Sir James Graham, and Lord Arthur Lennox, from a number of places, against the Grant to Maynooth College.—By Colonel Macnamara, Sir W. Somerville, Mr. Smith O'Brien, Lord Clements, Mr. Hume, Mr. A. Yates, Mr. Archdall, and Mr. O. Cave, from a very great number of places, against
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the Irish Registration Bill—By Messrs. Villiers, Hume, and Warburton, from a number of places, for the Total and Immediate Repeal of the Corn-laws.—By the Earl of Lincoln, from one place, for an Alteration in the Poor-law Act.—By Mr. Warburton, from Edinburgh, against the Copyright Bill.—By Mr. Colquhoun, from someplace, against the Post-horse Duties.—By Mr. Litton, from New Ross, and other places, against the Importation of Flour into Ireland,— By the Attorney-general, from Edinburgh, in favour of the Importation of Foreign Flour.—By Sir W. Heathcote, from Ryde, against the Rural Police Bill.—By Sir James Graham, from Glasgow, in favour of Non-Intrusion.—By Messrs. T. Duncombe, Hume, B. Wood, Thorneley, Captain Pechell, and Colonel Salwey, from a number of places, against Church Rates, and for the Release of John Thorogood.—By Captain Winnington, from two places, against the County Constabulary Bill.—By Mr. Buck, from Crediton, against the Rating of Workhouses Bill By Mr. Wakley, from Edinburgh, for Medical Reform.

REGISTRATION OF VOTERS (IRELAND).
Viscount Morpethrose to request the noble Lord the Member for North Lancashire, to postpone the notice which stood upon the paper for going into committee on the Registration Ireland Bill. The House was probably aware of the violent and awful death (the murder of Lord W. Russell) of a near relative of his noble Friend the Secretary for the Colonies. It was due to the interest of the question involved in the discussion of the Irish Registration bill, as well as to the position which the noble Lord the Secretary for the Colonies held in the House, that he should, if possible, be present at the discussion, and he therefore ventured to express a hope that the noble Lord would consent to the postponement of the order for going into committee.
Lord Stanleysaid, that though he felt the great importance which was attached to the question of which the numerous attendance in expectation of its discussion was the best proof, yet, after the appeal which had been made to him, and seeing how desirable it was that the noble Lord the Secretary for the Colonies should be present at the consideration of so important a measure, he felt that he could not do otherwise than consent. He must at the same time say, that as the question was one of such vital importance, he might fairly expect, on the part of Her Majesty's Ministers, that some other day, and at no distant period, should be appointed for the discussion. The only object which he had in view was to secure for the question a full, fair, and impartial discussion. He only desired that the Bill should stand or fall by its own merits. He asked for it no other favour than a full and fair discussion, and he hoped the House would, when it

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came under consideration, afford it the attention which its importance deserved. He therefore hoped that Her Majesty's Ministers would fix a day, and that no distant one, when the committee on this bill should have precedence of all other business. It was not his wish to interfere in the slightest degree with any arrangement which Government might have made for carrying on the public business. He did not seek to interpose the question between the committee of supply on Friday and the financial statement on Monday next, but he hoped it would be fixed for the earliest possible day after that. He would have asked to have it fixed for the Friday se'night, were it not for the inconvenience which might arise from the notice which the hon. Member for Wolverhampton had upon the paper for the Thursday preceding, which would in all probability prove to be an adjourned debate. He was therefore desirous in fixing the day that there should be no possibility of a misunderstanding. He would be happy to name Friday se'night, if the hon. Member for Wolverhampton would consent to postpone his motion from the Thursday to the Tuesday following, but he wished to have it distinctly understood that neither an adjourned debate nor any other motion should interfere with the order for going into committee on the bill.
Viscount Morpethfelt much obliged for the readiness with which the noble Lord acceded to his request. He thought the noble Lord was fully entitled to ask for a particular and early day for the discussion, and he would name Monday week for going into committee on the bill. He would have named Friday week, but for the reasons already assigned by the noble Lord.
The order of the day for going into committee postponed. All other business postponed