§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)asked, Whether the First Lord of the Treasury was aware that the Treasury Minute on Perpetual Pensions, laid on the Table on July 20, had not been distributed to hon. Members until August 11; whether such Minute was to be acted upon after it had lain on the Table for 30 days from the sitting of the House; and, whether the right hon. Gentleman would state upon what early day the Government would afford facilities for the discussion of such Minute? The hon. Gentleman gave Notice of the following Resolution:—
That this House dissents from so much of the proposals of the First Lord and Chancellor of the Exchequer, contained in the Treasury Minute of 20th July, 1888, relating to Perpetual Pensions, as propose 'that holders of pensions, allowances, or payments, which the Law Officers of the Crown consider to be permanent in character, but to which no obligation of an onerous kind attaches, should be invited to commute such pensions, allowances, or payments on the same terms as have been accepted in the numerous cases already commuted;' and this House approves the Report of the Select Committee on Perpetual Pensions, 'that the rate of commutation usually adopted, of about 27 years' purchase, is too high.'
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster), in reply, said, it had never been the intention of the Government to act upon the Minute in question without giving the House full opportunity of expressing its opinion upon it. He would take steps to afford the hon. Member an opportunity of moving the Resolution of which he had given Notice.
§ DR. CLARK (Caithness)asked if it were not the case that within six or seven days the Minute would have all the effect of an Act of Parliament, empowering the Government to spend the money?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHI have already given an undertaking that the Government will not act upon the Minute until the House has had an opportunity of discussing it.