securing the
efficient and impartial administration of justice, and the peace and
good government of cities and towns in Ireland." The lord-chancellor and
Lords Holland and Melbourne spoke against this motion; and Lords Abinger
and Lyndhurst supported it.. The motion was carried by a majority of
two hundred and three against one hundred and nineteen. The committee
proceeded on the 9th of May, and the first clause, repealing "all acts,
charters, and customs inconsistent with this act," was agreed to; and
the existing corporations were thus abolished. Lord Lyndhurst moved
certain amendments on the second clause, which reserved the rights of
freemen; and after some debate these were carried by a majority of one
hundred and seven against fifty-three. Another debate and division took
place on the 22nd clause, which enacted that the boroughs should have
a mayor, and a certain number of councillors and aldermen, as they were
arranged in the schedules. This was struck out. And on the third reading
of the bill, the Duke of Richmond proposed limiting the bill to seven
of the largest towns. This motion, it was said, was not made by any
arrangement or communication with the ministry. Government had never
intended to preclude itself from inquiring to what towns corporate
powers should be extended. What they were most anxious to preserve
was, the corporation principle in Ireland. If that were maintained, the
Marquis of Lansdowne said, he should not argue that corporations ought
to be continued in the small towns: if any difference was to be made,
it ought to be in favour of the large towns, because it was there that
corporations must be useful if they were good for anything. The motion,
however, was negatived; and the bill, having thus been brought into the
form which the minority in the lower house had endeavoured to give it,
was sent down on the 19th of May to the commons.

In moving that the lords' amendments should be printed, Lord John
Russell stated that, however willing he might be to come to some
arrangement in regard to the constitution of the franchise, he would
never consent to deprive Ireland of municipal government altogether,
thereby stigmatising and degrading its people. The Radicals were very
violent, boldly maintaining that there required an "organic change" in
the house of lords. The amendments were moved, by Lord John Russell, to
be taken into consideration on the 9th of June. The bill, he said, as
amended, contai