153
progress of the Bill may be removed in the ensuing Session of Parliament."
Lord Wharncliffe. Before I put the Resolution. I beg to state that I have never seen a Committee in the House of Lords, that attended more strictly to the examination of the points before them. When we had concluded the case of the promoters, one of the Peers who opposed the Bill said, that notwithstanding all that had been alleged in its favour, he could not make up his mind to force this measure upon so many dissentient landed proprietors, and he thought it right, for the saving both of time and expense, to make a motion to that effect immediately. You are acquainted with the result of that motion; and I must say, as far as I could judge from my own observations and the best information I could obtain, a similar result would have taken place had the Committee divided on any preceding day of its sitting.
I make these observations in consequence of a rumour that it was intended to impugn the decision of the Committee in the House of Lords. I add, that had I observed the least unfairness. I would myself have been the first to bring it before the House. It has been the object of my whole life to prevent all such proceedings in every Committee I attended. His Lordship then put the third Resolution, which was carried unanimously.
J. H. Foley, Esq. M.P. I beg to make a few observations on the latter part of this Resolution. It is my earnest hope that the effect of this meeting will be to produce a favourable result to the measure on a future occasion. I live in the neighbourhood with which this measure is particularly connected, and I know most of the gentlemen who are concerned in promoting it, and I am sure there are not more honourable men living. I attended the whole of the case in the House of Commons, and firmly believe there never was a measure more fairly brought forward. There is a most intense interest about it in my own neighbourhood; a great depression has existed in the manufacture of that district, and all were looking with anxiety for the success of this measure, which it was hoped and believed would have tended to afford them relief. I think its success would have caused an excitement at this moment most peculiarly desirable. I trust this Resolution will tend to remove any prejudices which may exist against it, and at the earliest possible period to ensure its success.
Thomas Paget, Esq. M.P. said he had been on the Committee of the House of Commons to which this measure had been referred, and had been impressed with a deep conviction of the benefits which would have resulted from it. At the same time he quite agreed in the observation of the Noble Chairman, and had no doubt the promoters of the measure would pursue
