Sir James Emerson Ten- Rt. hon. Henry Thomas

WATERFORD.

Nicholas Mahon Power,

Sir Robert Alexander Fer-John Esmonde.

Chichester Samuel For- William Henry Magan,

HANSARD'S

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES,

IN THE

FIRST SESSION OF THE SIXTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IREland, APPOINTED TO MEET 20 AUGUST, 1852, AND FROM THENCE CONTINUED TILL 4 NOVEMBER, 1852, IN THE SIXTEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF

HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA.

FIRST VOLUME OF THE SESSION.

HOUSE OF COMMONS,

Thursday, November 4, 1852.

CHOICE OF A SPEAKER.

This being the day appointed for the new Parliament to meet for despatch of business, a large number of the Members returned to serve for the Counties, Cities, and Boroughs of the United Kingdom, assembled in the house of the Commons, and the Clerk of the House, Sir Denis Le Marchant, took his seat in front of the table.

Presently the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod brought a message from the Lords Commissioners appointed to open the Parliament, desiring the immediate attendance of the House to hear Her Majesty's Commission read.

The House went ;-and a Commission having been read for opening and holding the Parliament, the Lords Commissioners directed the House to proceed to the Election of a Speaker, and to present him To-morrow at two o'clock in the House of Peers, for the Royal Approbation.

And the House being returned, the Clerk of the House, standing up, pointed

to

a considerable degree of personal responsibility attaches to any individual who rises to propose any hon. Member for so high and important an office, on whose ability and efficiency to discharge these duties, so much of the regularity of our proceedings must necessarily depend; for such a task, I am well aware that there are many other hon. Members in the House on whose judgment the House would have much more reason to rely, and it would have been presumptuous in me to put myself into such a position. But on the present occasion, fortunately, I am relieved from any difficulty in this respect; because I rejoice to see among us again, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Hampshire, who has filled the chair of this House during the last thirteen years with so much advantage to the country and so much honour to himself, that the House is left in no doubt, and is relieved from all difficulty, in selecting the hon. Member best qualified among us all to fill that high and distinguished station. Sir, under these circumstances I do not think it is necessary that I should trespass upon the attention of the House by dilating upon the onerous duties that attach to the office of Speaker of this House. They are sufficiently well MR. ROBERT PALMER, who rose, known to most of the hon. Members who and, addressing the Clerk of the House, sit in this House. Suffice it, therefore, to said: Sir, it now devolves upon this say, that in the choice of Speaker we must House, in obedience to Her Majesty's look to some individual whose intimate accommands, to perform its first and one quaintance with the law and practice of of its most important duties, namely, to Parliament will render him at all times select from among our own body some their ready exponent, and will enable him hon. Member who shall fill, during the to define and lay down the rules and orders present Parliament, the office of Speaker by which our proceedings are regulated, of the House-an office at all times oner- so as to enable us on all occasions immeous, and attended with much responsi-diately and confidently to rely upon his bility, and not the less so on the pre-decisions. We must also look for a person sent occasion, when so many hon. Members are returned for the first time to Parliament, who must necessarily, for that reason, be but partially acquainted with the rules and proceedings of the House. If upon the present occasion it had been my duty to propose to the consideration of the House any untried Member-any hon. Gentleman who, for the first time, might be called upon to discharge the important duties of the chair of this House-although I am well aware that there are many hon. Members present who would fully justify any choice which the House might think proper to make still for myself, individually, I should have hesitated before undertaking the task of proposing any hon. Gentleman so circumstanced; because I am sure that

who will be ready to uphold and defend the ancient rights and privileges of the House of Commons, if at any time they should become objects of attack from any quarter-privileges, it is well known, which were not granted to this House for individual benefit or for selfish objects, but for the benefit of the community which we are sent here to represent. We must also look for a Gentleman, who, in the heat of the party contests that sometimes occur in our debates, is able to lay aside all party feeling, and who will, while presiding over us, maintain a strict and undeviating impartiality. For all these qualifications which I have enumerated, I am sure that every one who has witnessed the conduct of my right hon. Friend in the chair will agree

I

with me in saying that he has proved him-ings of the House if I move, without furself to be most eminently distinguished. ther preface, "That the Right Hon. Charles Therefore I think I may add, that in up- Shaw Lefevre, do take the chair of this holding the dignity of the office, in pre- House as Speaker." serving an equal and unruffled equanimity of temper under all circumstances, in courteous demeanour to every Member of the House, my right hon. Friend has not been exceeded by any of his predecessors. I think I have said sufficient to induce all those hon. Members who have before had seats in this House to agree with me in the Motion I am about to make. But if I may be permitted to add one word to the large number of Gentlemen, who, for the first time, have been sent here to take part in our deliberations, I am sure that they will not find themselves deceived when I assure them that in the transaction of that portion of the private business of the House that may devolve upon them, they will always find my right hon. Friend ready to assist them with his advice and experience in any difficulties that may arise in the transaction of the various duties with which they may be entrusted. I am rejoiced to think that on the present occasion it has not been considered necessary to make the question of the choice of a Speaker the test of party feeling or political strength. Such circumstances have before occurred; but I myself feel extremely gratified that I am not restrained by any party considerations, or called upon to surrender those feelings of private friendship and personal regard which I entertain for my right hon. Friend. I am sure that all those who have witnessed his conduct in the chair will agree with me when I say, that the uniform urbanity of my right hon. Friend in his high station has more than proved the wisdom of the choice which this House made in 1839, confirmed as it has been on two subsequent occasions by the unanimous approval of the House. I trust the House on the present occasion is about to exhibit an equal degree of unanimity, and to place my right hon. Friend in the chair without a dissentient voice. In so doing we shall be offering to my right hon. Friend the only reward we have it in our power to bestow for the eminent services he has already rendered to the House-services which I am sure he will continue to render with equal zeal and equal ability in the event of his being again chosen by the House, and, if possible, with increased efficiency from his longer and more matured experience. After the long and eminent services of my right hon. Friend, I shall best consult the feel

LORD ROBERT GROSVENOR: must claim the kind indulgence of the House for a few minutes while I second the Motion of my hon. Friend the Member for Berkshire. I have done so in accordance with the wishes of the right hon. Gentleman opposite, who considers that my right hon. Friend the Member for North Hampshire having formerly belonged to the party sitting on this side of the House, it would be more agreeable to him, and more expressive of that unanimity of opinion that should prevail in the election of the highest officer in this House, that his nomination should be seconded by a Member of Her Majesty's Opposition. I entirely concur in the propriety of that sentiment. All I regret is, that the right hon. Gentleman did not make application to some hon. Member more calculated than I am to give weight and authority to the recommendation, and who might more fairly stand up on this side of the House as the unofficial organ of that party to whom I have the honour to belong. I say the unofficial organ, because, as is perhaps well known, it is not usual for any Member holding high office, or who has held high office, to propose a candidate for the chair of this House. Be this, however, as it may, it gives me the sincerest satisfaction to have this public opportunity of bearing my testimony to the manner in which my right hon. Friend Mr. Shaw Lefevre has performed the duties of his arduous position. I am quite sure that I give utterance not only to my own sentiments, but also to those of every hon. Gentleman from amongst whom I rose to second this Motion, when I say that not only are we proud of the right hon. Gentleman as having sprung from the ranks of our party, but also, entirely laying aside all party feeling whatever, we are more proud of him as a Member of that Legislature to which we all in common belong. The merits of Mr. Shaw Lefevre as Speaker of the House are so well known not only to those who have had the advantage under his auspices of taking part in the business of the House, but also to the public at large, that it would be a work of supererogation almost either in this House or elsewhere to dilate at any length upon them; and certainly upon this occasion it would be extremely

SIR ROBERT H. INGLIS: The ordinary term used in addressing the individual honoured by the choice of the House is to congratulate him. My feeling, Sir, in rising is not merely to congratulate him, but far more the House by whom he is chosen. In your presence, Sir, and in the

so, after the good taste, good feeling, to fill the chair of this House is the right and ability with which the hon. Mem- hon. Gentleman the Member for North ber who preceded me has referred to Hampshire-a man who, while for so them. But before I sit down, I should many years upholding the independence, like to make one remark which I hope the the honour, and the dignity of this branch House will not consider as foreign to the of the Legislature, has been enabled so subject now under discussion. It is said to conduct himself as to conciliate the to be one of the infirmities of human na- good will, the respect, and the esteem of ture to give an undue prominence, an every Member of every class and every undeserved importance, to the events party amongst us. passing around us; but if I have any due appreciation of the circumstances of the time in which we are now living, there has rarely been in the history of the world a more remarkable crisis than that at which the Imperial Legislature has been now summoned for the transaction of business. When the liberties of Europe-presence of so many hon. Members of large when the right of full, free, and open dis- experience in this House, it is needless to cussion I might almost say the right of add a single word as to the personal fitness public opinion-hang_by a thread-at a of the right hon. Gentleman; but it is not moment of this sort I am sure it will be unfit and not unnecessary perhaps to recall acknowledged that the character of this to the recollection of some, and to take the House is deeply involved in the manner in liberty of stating to others, the very difwhich its proceedings shall be carried on. ferent amount of time and labour which is I think at this moment it becomes us to now required of the Speaker of this House. act with unusual prudence, calmness, and That time and labour have been bestowed circumspection. I think we should take most cheerfully and actively, and most the utmost pains that the liberty of free beneficially for the public service, by the thought and free discussion, which we have right hon. Gentleman to whom again those happily enjoyed for so long a period, should duties are about to be committed. Why, not be abused for any personal party or Sir, a hundred years ago the Speaker had factious purposes, but that we should not, perhaps, the tenth part of the labours guard it as a sacred trust committed to which now devolve upon the occupant of our care-I think I may say without any that chair. A hundred years ago but exaggeration for the benefit of mankind three debates appear in the Parliamentat large. If, then, this be the position in ary history of one Session, and but fifteen which we now stand-and that it is such divisions are recorded in the journals. not in my opinion only, I believe I may In the last year we had 242 divisions; gather, from the assent with which my and the Speaker, whom I trust again to remarks have been received by the House, have the honour of addressing in that ca-surely it is a matter of great rejoicing pacity, has sat not less than 13,000 hours that we can avail ourselves of the services in the discharge of his duties as Speaker, of a man whose nice tact, discriminating since first he was elected, in 1839, to that judgment, conciliatory demeanour, large high post of dignity and duty. When and varied experience, and indefatigable I contrast the labour of former Speakattention, so eminently qualify him to be ers-when I hear of only one Speaker the moderator of our discussions and the filling the chair during the whole reign president of our debates; at a moment, too, of George I., and one other during the when apart from those disturbing causes whole reign of George II., I must say to which I have adverted, the nicely- that the right hon. Gentleman has combalanced state of parties would render pressed into the period of his services more the office of Speaker one of great deli- labour, more attention, and more successcacy and unusual difficulty. I will not now ful energy than any one of his predecestrespass further on the attention of the sors had ever done. Therefore, knowing House, and shall, therefore, conclude by what he has been, rejoicing that he is still seconding the Resolution of my hon. Friend entrusted with such health and energy as the Member for Berkshire, which I under-will enable him to continue to us his valustand to be, that in the opinion of this able services with the same success, I assembly, the most fit and proper person should not have taken the liberty of adding