Sir Henry Hervey Bruce, bt. Rt. hon. Valentine Augustus (Browne) Viscount Castle

William Richard Ormsby- Charles Moore,

Hon. (Claud John Hamilton) John Aloysius Blake,

HANSARD'S

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES,

IN THE

FIRST SESSION OF THE NINETEENTH PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND APPOINTED TO MEET 1 FEBRUARY, 1866, IN THE TWENTYNINTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF

QUEEN VICTORIA.

FIRST VOLUME OF THE SESSION.

to cause Letters Patent to be issued under Her Great Seal, constituting us and several other Lords therein named Her Commissioners, to do all things, in Her Majesty's name, on Her part necessary to be performed in this Parliament: This will more fully appear by the Letters Patent themselves, which must now be read."

HOUSE OF COMMONS,
Thursday, February 1, 1866.

On which day, being the day appointed by the Royal Writ for the meeting of the new Parliament, Sir Denis Le Marchant, Clerk of the House of Commons, and Thomas Erskine May, and Henry Ley,

Then the said Letters Patent were read Esquires, Clerks Assistants, attending in by the Clerk. And then

THE LORD CHANCELLOR said

"My Lords, and Gentlemen, "We have it in command from Her Majesty to let you know that as soon as the Members of both Houses shall have been sworn, the cause of the calling of this Parliament will be declared to you; and, it being necessary that a Speaker of the House of Commons should be first chosen, it is Her Majesty's pleasure that you, Gentlemen of the House of Commons, should repair to the place where you are to sit, and there proceed to the appointment of some proper person to be your Speaker, and that you should present such person as you may choose here To-morrow, at two of the clock, for Her Majesty's Royal approbation."

Then the Commons withdrew.

the House, and the other Clerks attending according to their duty, Charles Romilly, Esquire, Clerk of the Crown in Chancery in Great Britain, delivered to the said Sir Denis Le Marchant a Book, containing a list of the Names of the Members returned to serve in this Parliament.

Several of the Members repaired to their seats.

A Message was delivered by Captain Spencer Clifford, Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod:

"Gentlemen,

"The Lords, authorized by virtue of Her Majesty's Commission, desire the immediate attendance of this Honourable House in the House of Peers, to hear the Commission read."

Accordingly, the House went up to the House of Peers;-and a Commission having

The House was adjourned during plea- been read for opening and holding the

sure, to unrobe.

The House was resumed.
PRAYERS.

The LORD CHANCELLOR singly, in the first place, took the Oath at the Table.

ROLL OF THE LORDS-Garter King of Arms attending, delivered at the Table (in the usual Manner) a List of the Lords Temporal in the First Session of the Nineteenth Parliament of the United Kingdom: The same was Ordered to lie

on the Table.

Parliament, The Lords Commissioners directed the House to proceed to the Election of a Speaker, and present him To-morrow at Two of the clock in the House of Peers, for the Royal approbation.

And the House being returned;

CHOICE OF A SPEAKER.
The RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM

MONSELL, addressing himself to the Clerk (who, standing up, pointed to him, and then sat down), said :-Gentlemen, it is now our duty to proceed, in obedience to the commands of Her Majesty, to the exercise of our undoubted right and privilege of electing a Speaker. This duty is no trivial or merely formal one, for the dignity of the office is commensurate with the influence and the widely-extended power of the Assembly over which he is to preside; and our ancestors, through many generations, have shown their sense of the importance of the office by the emiIlouse adjourned at half past Five nent men they have successively placed in that Chair. Yet high and important as

WRITS AND RETURNS electing The Viscount Powerscourt a Representative Peer for Ireland in the Room of the late Viscount Gort, deceased, with the Certificate of the Clerk of the Crown in Ireland annexed thereto-Delivered (on Oath), and Certificate read.

Several Lords took the Oath.

o'clock, till To-morrow,
Two o'clock.

were the responsibilities and duties of the | some one oration of Bolingbroke, and no men who were elected to the office-in such oration was to be found; and that the last century, such men, for instance, in the case of Lord Chatham it is to the as Mr. Onslow and Lord Grenville-the accidental circumstance of a gentleman of duties and responsibilities of the Speaker most powerful memory being present on in the present day are far greater even the delivery of one of his greatest orations then were those which attached to those that we owe its preservation. But now, illustrious men. In one particular, of the debates of the House, by means of a course, the duties of both are precisely the cheap and accurate press, are circulated same. It was the first and most sacred throughout every part of these kingdoms, duty in both times to preserve inviolate and indeed very much beyond their bounds. the privileges of this House, on which the These debates are the chief means of formliberties of the people of this country de- ing the public opinion, and I may say the pend; and I think that anybody who has political education, of this country. Well, surveyed the history of past years must I need hardly remark that it is on the feel that that duty is one which requires manner in which the Speaker discharges as much watchfulness, as much care, and his duty, it is on his firmness and imparas much firmness in the Speaker of the tiality, that the completeness of these depresent day as it did in the days to which bates depends; it is on the enforcement of I have alluded. But if we come, for in- those rules which can alone prevent majostance, to the question of private business, rities from tyrannizing over minorities, and and if we look back merely to the com- which can alone make every different mencement of the present century, we shade of political opinions heard in the shall find Mr. Wilberforce insisting more debates, that the completeness of the pothan once on the necessity of electing a litical education of the people depends. Speaker of the highest possible qualifica- There is, of course, another most importtions, on account, he said, of the enormous ant duty of the Speaker-that of preservimportance of the private business of the ing the high standard of order and of House, and the large amount of money regularity in the conduct of our debates, that was involved in the proper discharge which distinguishes this Assembly from, I of it. But the private business of this believe, every other political assembly in House, I need not remark, was in those the world. And when I refer to the condays very different from what it is now. I duct of our debates I think I only anticibelieve that the principal private business pate the feeling of every Gentleman in this then was connected with Canal Bills, House, when I speak of the loss which we which, in fifty years, amounted to only have lately sustained. Our difficulties, and £11,000,000 of money; but during the the difficulties of the Speaker, are of course last Session the private Bills presented increased by the loss of one whose large to this House involved £128,000,000 of and generous nature, loyal in friendship, money. For the proper discharge of that tolerant to opposition, was mellowed by age, most important business of the House the and by a Parliamentary experience greater assistance of eminent Committees was perhaps than that which ever belonged to called into requisition during the last Par- any former statesman. We all of us, to liament; but it must be perfectly obvious, whatever political party we belong, who I think, to every Gentleman, that it is had the honour of sitting in this House upon the directing mind of the Speaker with Lord Palmerston, all of us recognized upon his determination to arrange, in every in him that unerring instinct which enway he can, that the business should be abled him to stay the rising wave of angry carried on in a cheap and satisfactory way, controversy. We felt the mild and softenwithout sacrificing in the slightest degree ing influence in debate of his genial, kindthe influence and power of this House-it ly, and sympathetic nature, and of a good is upon him, I say, that the proper ar- humour that, under the most difficult cirrangement and discharge of that duty cumstances, never failed to exercise upon mainly depends. Or, take another in- us the happiest effects. Under these cirstance. At the time to which I have cumstances, I think myself fortunate in alluded the debates of this House did not being able to submit to you as Speaker no penetrate through any portion of the coun- new or untried man, but one who has altry-indeed, the debates were hardly re-ready discharged the duties with honour to ported at all. I believe it is well known that Mr. Pitt expressed his desire to see

himself, and who has earned the respect of every one in the House. As to those who

sat in the last Parliament I need only ap- the right hon. Gentleman, who has already peal to their memories. They all know filled the office of Speaker during two how careful he was in watching over our Parliaments with great credit, and to the privileges; they know how attentive he entire satisfaction of the House, it is not was to the private business of the House, necessary that I should add anything to and how, under his direction, its conduct what has been already so well said. I has been improved. Those who had any may, however, be allowed to say that I matters of difficulty to consult him about am confident, if the right hon. Gentleman can bear witness to his kindliness and the be re-elected, he will not fail in that great manner in which he always received them, ability with which he has hitherto disthinking nothing of trouble in giving them charged the duties of his office, that there the benefit of his most sagacious advice. will be no diminution in his watchful And as to those who did not sit in the last vigilance over the public interests, and Parliament and are now Members of this that he will evince the same strict House, if they require anything to verify impartiality that uniformly characterized the truth of the assertion which I make his presidency over our debates, while with, I am sure, the concurrence of every holding the office in former Parliaments. Member of the late Parliament-they have The office of Speaker is one which requires only to look to that most valuable addition peculiar qualifications, and demands a that has lately been made to Hansard, considerable amount of personal sacrifice, where they will see collected all the de- while at the same time it has great dignity cisions that the Speaker made during each and no small influence attached to it. I year of the late Parliament. They will am sure the right hon. Gentleman posthere find, I think, a clearness, a decision, sesses all the qualifications referred to by and a wisdom which entitled the Gentle- the right hon. Gentleman the Member for man who made those decisions to the con- Limerick; and in seconding the Motion fidence of the House over which he pre- which has been made, I am sure the sided. If I may be permitted to refer to House will agree with me in wishing what I consider an accurate description of | he may have health and strength, whether the Right Hon. John Evelyn Denison, I this Parliament may be a long or short would quote the language applied some- one, adequately to discharge his peculiar what more than a hundred years ago to duties, not only with satisfaction to himhis illustrious predecessor Mr. Speaker self, but to every Member of the present Onslow as marking his peculiar qualifica- House of Commons. I beg to second the tions for the officeMotion of the right hon. Member for Limerick county.

"A thorough knowledge of the orders and methods of Parliament, a clearness and readiness in delivering opinions in matters of the greatest intricacy, an impartiality in judging on all

occasions."

These were the qualifications of Mr. Speaker Onslow, and these have been proved to be the qualifications during two Parliaments of the right hon. Gentleman whom I have the honour to propose to you. It would be improper in me, and I am sure it would be painful to him, if in his presence I were to say anything more of those merits and qualifications which we all recognize, and I, therefore, conclude by proposing that the Right honourable John Evelyn Denison do take the Chair of this House as Speaker.

EARL GROSVENOR: I rise to second the proposal of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the county of Limerick. Under other circumstances, I should have felt that the task had fallen into somewhat unworthy hands; but as I understand there is no opposition to the election of The Right Hon. William Monsell

If

MR. BRIGHT: I am well assured the House will not suppose that I rise to make any opposition to the proposition of the right hon. Gentleman behind me. need were, I could say a good deal in its favour. I was not here at the time when the right hon. Gentleman below me was elected Speaker on the first occasion-I was not in England at the time; but I read of his election with great pleasure, and thought it about the very best choice the House could have made. After eight or nine years' experience, I believe, with the right hon. Member for Limerick, that the course of the right hon. Gentleman has been marked by impartiality, by dignity, and by success. In fact, without impartiality in such a position there could be no dignity, and without dignity there could be no success. I therefore give my hearty support to the proposition which has been made. But I rise for the purpose of making a suggestion with reference to a matter which I believe