§ SIR HENRY HOAREsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose answer many hon. Members awaited with intense anxiety—["Order, order!"]—Whether, in the event of the Bill for the Representation of the People passing into Law, it is his intention to bring forward a measure for the Redistribution of Seats and the settlement of Borough Boundaries early in the ensuing Session?
§ MR. HENRY SEYMOURsaid, that before the right hon. Gentleman answered that inquiry he wished also to put a Question to him on the same subject. ["Or- 487 der, order!"] His Question was, Whether, in the event of the Franchise Bill passing this House, it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government immediately to issue a Royal Commission composed fairly of men of all political opinions to report on the Boundaries of Boroughs, and a fair Redistribution of Seats, so that Parliament may be able to legislate upon the subject early in the ensuing Session?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, I am obliged to my hon. Friend the Member for Poole (Mr. Henry Seymour) for putting his Question, because although the two questions are not identical, yet they are so far clearly of the same kind as to be more conveniently answered together. What I have to say is simply this: that we should certainly not hold that we had freed ourselves of the obligation which we undertook with regard to the representation of the people until we had brought under review the question of the present distribution of the seats. At the same time I must state, as I have stated before, that we must reserve our own freedom—to be exercised as our sense of duty may suggest—as to the choice of the opportunity. And, Sir, with respect to the question of boundaries, what I would say is this: that we can do nothing upon that subject or on any other until we can in some degree see our way with regard to the important proposals which we have submitted to the House. But, after a settlement of the question of the franchise has been attained, I certainly think it would perhaps be our first duty to issue a Commission for the purpose of examining whether in any cases the towns which are now in possession of the franchise are still of the same extent as they were when their boundaries were fixed, or whether in any instances they require revision.
§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITH, who had also given notice of his intention to put a Question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject of the redistribution of seats, said, that as the right hon. Gentleman had given no definite answer to the inquiries which had just been put to him, it was quite unnecessary to trouble him with the further Question of which he had given notice.