e that neither made any provision for the case of a railway
director who should endeavour to promote steam-traffic by unlawful
means. So far they were in the dark. But it was desirable, nay,
necessary, to consider rather the spirit of the constitution than its
exact letter, and he thought that if the House would refer the matter to
a Select Committee, they might attain their object. The instruction to
that Committee would be to inquire, first, whether steam carriages were
known in the days of KING JOHN, and if not, whether any portion of Magna
Charta appeared to bear on the case. Next, he thought, the Committee
might inquire whether, at the Revolution, steam travelling had been
invented, and how far the Bill of Rights might have contemplated
wrongful Railway Bills. On receiving the report the House would
determine on its next step. (_Hear._) He moved an amendment in
accordance with his suggestion.

MR. DISRAELI was the last person to infuse into a question any element
not patently consanguineous with it; but, with all deference to the
noble Lord, he must respectfully inquire whether the noble Lord's
suggestion did not tend to the implicit stultification of the House.
Why, the noble Lord asked the Committee what he had already told them
himself, and did not ask that which it was momentous to register;
namely, whether in the chancery archives a damnatory record had been
deposited. (_Hear, hear_.)

COLONEL SIBTHORP said that the noble Lord professed a great deal of
virtue, which was all humbug. _Facilis descensus Averni_. He believed
all Ministers to be knaves, especially when they most pretended to
decency. _Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes._ He should leave the House
(_laughter_); but before he went, he would just say that if the noble
Lord, instead of wallowing in turtle and champagne (_laughter_), would
introduce wise measures, he should be supported by wise men, himself
amongst the rest. _Judex damnatur cum nocens absolvitur._

MR. G. H. MOORE said that had MR. HUDSON been an Irish Member he would
have been expelled long ago, but such was the beastly bitterness of
England towards his, MR. MOORE'S, unhappy countrymen that, as MR. HUDSON
usually sat near the Irish Members, he was allowed to remain there in
the hopes that he might contaminate the high and pure morality which
they had learned from their beloved priests, and which shed a holy and
blessed light around their path, to the utter discomfiture of the
bigoted, bl