§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONI wish, Sir, to call the attention of the House to the state of the business of the Session, and to make a proposal founded on the observations I shall address to the House. Reasons, which it is not necessary to dwell upon, render it desirable that this Session should close by the 14th or 15th of the next month. There are, however, a great many Votes of Supply still to be taken; and it is, therefore, difficult to say how long their discussion may last. Many hon. Gentlemen have given notices of Motion on going into Supply, and one day this week is to be employed on a Motion which has been forced upon us. Friday will, therefore, not be available for us unless the Gentlemen who have got possession of it will generously put off their Motions until next week. I propose to the House, therefore, that it shall pursue on this occasion the same course as it took last Session, and resolve that Orders of the Day should have the precedence of Motions on Tuesdays. There are one or two notices of Motions of considerable interest on the paper; but these Motions are for the purpose of affirming Resolutions, and as the Committees which they propose could not sit for practical purposes this Session, they are consequently, an appeal to the House to affirm an abstract opinion. I submit, therefore, that the opinion of the House might be taken after Supply. This will not affect the Session; but Supply determines the 1526 day when Parliament shall close, and every day it is postponed there is less and less prospect of the Session finishing by the day proposed. I appeal, therefore, to the House, that to-morrow, Orders of the Day should take precedence, for the purpose of going on with Supply, and that by this means we may have compensation for the Friday. I put it to hon. Gentlemen who have notices on the paper for to-night to withdraw them, on condition that they shall have an opportunity of taking the sense of the House on their Motions subsequently. I, therefore, move, that tomorrow Orders of the Day shall have precedence of Notices of Motion.
§ Motion agreed to.