§ MR. CHURCHILL (Oldham)asked for leave to introduce even at that late period of the session a Bill to limit the duration of Parliaments to five years. He submitted that the present condition of things was peculiarly suitable for the favourable consideration of any plan for shortening the duration of Parliaments. Under the Septennial Act we enjoyed a longer tenure of Government without appeal to the constituencies than almost every other European country. Some of our greatest and most illustrious statesmen, among them Lord Chatham and Lord Broughham, had strongly urged the curtailment of the period now prescribed. In practice the duration had teen a great deal less than the maximum allowed. The Parliaments of the last century had lasted on an average less than five years—the limit he proposed. His proposal was, therefore, not one to alter the general practice of the country, but to provide and guard against certain special and peculiar circumstances which might arise from time to time.
In former years the two vital functions of the House—its representative character and the controlling influence which it exercised upon the Government—had been preserved by a number of practical and effective checks. There was a check afforded by the possible intervention of the Crown, either by dismissing Ministers from office or by dissolving Parliament, There was also the check provided by a great number of Members who represented family, or pocket, boroughs, and who, however unsatisfactory from one point of view, undoubtedly gave an element of absolute independence to the House. Lastly, there was the check of public opinion, which at some periods of our history had proved very powerful, and had exercised a kind of moral restraint upon the Government of the day. All these checks which the wisdom of our ancestors had devised, and the practice of former times assured, had gradually fallen into weakness or 364 desuetude. The Crown acted only upon advice, and when it was a question of the dismissal of Ministers or the dissolution of Parliament that advice was not always forthcoming. Independent Members were gradually, irresistibly absorbed in the great political organisations, which grew in strength every succeeding year, and public opinion was concealed and often distorted by the ever-spreading ramifications of a vast and combined syndicated newspaper Press. There remained of all these checks only one which was now effective—the check established by the House of Lords, which, if it operated at all, operated only when one political Party was in power. Now that the checks had been removed, it might easily happen that a Government might continue in power long after confidence had been withdrawn from it by the country. The Ministers themselves might earnestly and honestly desire to be relieved from duties which they were no longer discharging to their own satisfaction nor to the satisfaction of the public, and yet, so strong might be the pressure of the instinct of self-preservation upon them, that, by a strange inversion, the very circumstances which ought to procure a dissolution might prevent it.
The House must remember the increasing power of the Executive and the decline of Parliamentary authority. Our Parliamentary procedure had been adapted to the rigid precision of foreign models. Our constitution still preserved the generous vagueness for which it was famous. We had borrowed from foreign nations almost every device which could weaken a representative institution; we had rejected almost every safeguard which could control the Executive Government. Contrary to the practice of early days, every vote which was taken was regarded as a vote of confidence in the Government, except, apparently, a vote upon which the Government was defeated. The prolongation of Parliament in such circumstances might very easily produce very grave dangers to the State. Ministers, how ever able and industrious they might be when they came into office, could not fail to be exhausted by many years of the ever-increasing severity of official business 365 under modern conditions. There was at the fag-end of Parliament a growth, an accumulation, of bitterness and personal feud which, under his proposal, would be swept away by one appeal to the mation, when an entirely new House would be brought together. There was in long Parliaments increased exacerbation of Party spirit both in and out of the House, and most of all there was danger of some tremendous explosion of popular feeling, the result of passions long suppressed and pent up, and which, when it came, not infrequently created evils almost as many as it cured. The ever-increasing facilities of locomotion
§ would render general elections much more easy than in former times. He earnestly hoped that the House would allow him to introduce this measure even at this late period of the session, in order to bring the question of shorter Parliaments a little nearer to the arena of practical political discussion.
§ Motion made, and Question put, "That leave be given to bring in a Bill to limit the duration of Parliaments to five years."—(Mr. Churchill.)
§ The House divided:—Ayes, 176; Noes,239. (Division list No. 311)
369| AYES. | ||
| Abraham, William (Cork, N. E. | Dunn, Sir William | Lloyd-George, David |
| Ainsworth, John Stirling | Elibank, Master of | Lyell, Charles Henry |
| Allen, Charles P. | Elliot, Hon. A. Ralph Douglas | MacNeill, John Gordon Swift |
| Ashton, Thomas Gair | Ellis, John Edward (Notts.) | MacVeagh, Jeremiah |
| Atherley-Jones, L. | Esmonde, Sir Thomas | M'Fadden, Edward |
| Baker, Joseph Allen | Farrell, James Patrick | M'Hugh, Patrick A. |
| Barlow, John Emmott | Ferguson, R. C. Munro (Leith) | M'Kenna, Reginald |
| Barran, Rowland Hirst | Ffrench, Peter | M'Killop, W. (Sligo, North) |
| Barry, E. (Cork, S.) | Field, William | M Laren, Sir Charles Benjamin |
| Bayley, Thomas (Derbyshire) | Findlay, Alexander (Lanark, N | Mitchell, Edw. (Fermanagh. N. |
| Beaumont, Wentworth C. B. | Flavin, Michael Joseph | Mooney, John J. |
| Black, Alexander William | Flynn, James Christopher | Morley, Rt. Hon. John(Montrose |
| Boland, John | Fowler, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | Moss, Samuel |
| Brigg, John | Fuller, J. M. F. | Muldoon, John |
| Brown, George M. (Edinburgh) | Furness, Sir Christopher | Murnaghan, George |
| Bryce, Rt. Hon. James | Gilhooly, James | Murphy, John |
| Buchanan, Thomas Ryburn | Gladstone, Rt. Hn. HerbertJohn | Nannetti, Joseph P. |
| Burke, E. Haviland- | Goddard, Daniel Ford | Nolan, Col. John P. (Galway, N. |
| Burt, Thomas | Grant, Corrie | Nolan, Joseph (Louth, South) |
| Buxton, NE. (York, NR, Whitby | Gurdon Sir W. Brampton | Nussey, Thomas Willans |
| Buxton, SydneyCharles(Poplar | Hammond John | O'Brien, Kendal(TipperaryMid |
| Caldwell, James | Harcourt, Lewis | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) |
| Campbell, John (Armagh, S.) | Hardie, J. Keir(Merthyr Tydvil | O'Connor, James (Wicklow, W |
| Campbell-Bannerman, Sir H. | Harmsworth, R. Leicester | O'Connor, John (Kildare, N.) |
| Causton, Richard Knight | Harrington, Timothy | O'Donnell, John (Mayo, S.) |
| Calley, Frederick | Hayden. John Patrick | O'Donnell, T. (Kerry, W.) |
| Chance, Frederick William | Helme, Norval Watson | O'Dowd, John |
| Channing, Francis Allston | Hemphill, Rt. Hon. Charles H. | O'Kelly, Conor (Mayo, N.) |
| Cheetham, John Frederick | Henderson, Arthur (Durham) | O'Malley, William |
| Clancy, John Joseph | Higham, John Sharp | O'Mara, James |
| Cogan, Denis J. | Holland, Sir William Henry | O'Shaughnessy, P. J. |
| Condon, Thomas Joseph | Humphreys-Owen, Arthur C. | O'Shee, James John |
| Crombie, John William | Hutchinson, Dr. Charles Fredk | Partington Oswald |
| Crooks, William | Hutton, Alfred E. (Morley) | Perks, Robert William |
| Cullinan, J. | Jacoby, James Alfred | Philipps, John Wynford |
| Dalziel, James Henry. | Jones, DavidBrynmor(Swansea | Power, Patrick Joseph |
| Davies, M. Vaughan-(Cardigan) | Jones, Leif (Appleby) | Reddy, M. |
| Delany, William | Jones, William(Carnarvonshire | Redmond, John E. (Waterford |
| Devlin, CharlesRamsay(G'lway | Jordan, Jeremiah | Reid, Sir R. Threshie(Dumfries |
| Devlin, Joseph (Kilkenny, N.) | Kennedy, VincentP. (Cavan, W. | Richards, Thomas |
| Dewar, John A. (Inverness-sh) | Kilbride, Denis | Rickett, J. Compton |
| Dilke, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles | Lamont, Norman | Roberts, John H. (Denbighs) |
| Dillon, John | Langley, Batty | Robertson, Edmund (Dundee) |
| Donelan, Captain A. | Lawson, Sir Wilfrid (Cornwall) | Roche, Augustine (Cork) |
| Doogan, P. C. | Layland-Barratt, Francis | Roche, John (Galway, East) |
| Douglas, Charles M. (Lanark) | Leese, SirJosephF. (Accrington | Rose, Sir Thomas |
| Duffy, William J. | Leigh, Sir Joseph | Rose, Charles Day |
| Duncan, J. Hastings | Levy, Maurice | Russell, T. W. |
| Samuel, HerbertL. (Cleveland) | Thomas, DavidAlfred(Merthyr) | Whiteley, George (York, W. R-) |
| Seely, Charles Hilton (Lincoln) | Thomas, JA(Glamorgan, Grower | Whitely, J. H. (Halifax) |
| Shaw, Thomas (Hawick B.) | Tomkinson, James | Williams, Osmond (Merioneth) |
| Sheehy, David | Toulmin, George | Wilson, Henry J. (York, W. R. |
| Shipman, Dr. John G. | Wallace, Robert | Wilson, John (Durham, Mid.) |
| Sinclair, John (Forfarshire) | Warner, Thomas Courtenay T. | Wood, James |
| Soares, Ernest J. | Wason, Eugene (Clackmannan | Woodhouse, SirJT. (Huddersfd |
| Spencer, Rt. Hn. CR. (Northants | Wason, JohnCathcart(Orkney) | Young, Samuel |
| Strachey, Sir Edward | Weir, James Galloway | |
| Sullivan, Donal | White, George (Norfolk) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES— |
| Tennant, Harold John | White, Luke (York, E. R.) | Mr. Churchill and Mr. |
| Thomas, Sir A. (Glamorgan, E.) | White, Patrick (Meath, North) | Trevelyan. |
| NOES | ||
| Agg-Gardner, James Tynte | Davies, SirHoratioD. (Chatham | Hornby, Sir William Henry |
| Agnew, Sir Andrew Noel | Denny, Colonel | Hoult, Joseph |
| Allhusen, AugustusHenryEden | Dickinson, Robert Edmond | Howard, John(Kent, Favresham |
| Anson, Sir William Reynell | Dickson, Charles Scott | Howard, J. (Midd., Tottenham |
| Arkwright, John Stanhohe | Dixon-Hartland, SirFred. Dixon | Hozier, Hon. James HenryCecil |
| Arnold-Forster, Rt. Hn. Hugh 0. | Dorington, Rt. Hon. SirJohn E. | Hudson, George Bickersteth |
| Arrol, Sir William | Doughty, Sir George | Hunt, Rowland |
| Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John | Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | Jeffreys, Rt. Hon. Arthur Fred |
| Aubrey-Fletcher, Rt. Hon. SirH. | Doxford, Sir William Theodore | Jessel, Captain Herbert Merton |
| Bagot, Capt. Josceline FitzRoy | Duke, Henry Edward | Kennaway, Rt. Hon. SirJohnH. |
| Bailey, James (Walworth) | Egerton, Hon. A. de Tatton | Kenyon, Hon. Geo. T. (Denbigh) |
| Bain, Colonel James Robert | Faber, Edmund B. (Hants, W. | Kimber, Sir Henry |
| Baird, John George Alexander | Faber, George Denison (York) | Lambton, Hon. Frederick Wm. |
| Balcarres, Lord | Fellowes, RtHnAilwyn Edward | Law, Anderw Bonar (Glasgow) |
| Baldwin, Alfred | Fergusson, Rt. Hn. SirJ. (Manc'r | Lawson, Hn. H. L. W. (MileEnd) |
| Balfour, Rt. Hon. A. J. (Manch'r | Finch, Rt. Hon. George H. | Lee, ArthurH. (Hants, Fareham |
| Balfour, RtHnGeraldW. (Leeds | Finlay, RtHn SirRB. (Inv'rn'ss | Lees, Sir Elliot (Birkenhead) |
| Balfour, Kenneth R. (Christch. | Firbank, Sir Joseph Thomas | Legge, Col. Hon. Heneage |
| Banbury, Sir Frederick George | Fisher, William Hayes | Leveson-Gower, Frederick N. S- |
| Banner, John S. Harmood- | Fitzgerald, Sir Robert Penrose- | Lindell, Henry |
| Bentinck, Lord Henry C. | Fitzroy, Hon. EdwardAlgernon | Llewellyn, Evan Henry |
| Bignold, Sir Arthur | Flannery, Sir Fortescue | Long, Col. Charles W. (Evesham |
| Bigwood, James | Flower, Sir Ernset | Long, Rt. Hn. Walter(Bristol, S |
| Bingham, Lord | Forster, Henry William | Lonsdale, John Brownlee |
| Blundell, Colonel Henry | Foster, Philip S. (Warwick, S. W | Loyd, Archie Kirkman |
| Bond, Edward | Galloway, William Johnson | Lucas, Col. Francis(Lowestoft) |
| Boscawen, Arthur Griffith- | Gardner, Ernest | Lucas, Reginald J. (Portsmouth. |
| Brassey, Albert | Garfit, William | Lyttelton, Rt. Hon. Alfred |
| Brodrick, Rt. Hon. St. John | Godson, SirAugustus Frederick | Macdonna, John Cumming |
| Brotherton, Edward Allen | Gordon, J. (Londonderry, S.) | Maclver, David (Liverpool) |
| Brymer, William Ernest | Gordon, MajEvans-(Tr'Hmlets | Maconochie, A. W. |
| Bull, William James | Goschen, Hon. George Joachim | M'lver, SirLewis(EdinburghW |
| Burdett-Coutts, W. | Goulding, Edward Alfred | M'Killop, James (Stirlingshiie |
| Campbell; Rt, Hn. J. A. (Glasgow | Graham,Henry Robert | Malcolm, Ian |
| Campbell, J. H. M. (DublinUniv. | Gray, Ernest (West Ham) | Manners, Lord Cecil |
| Carson, Rt. Hon. Sir Edw. H. | Greene, Henry D. (Shrewsbury) | Marks, Harry Hananel |
| Cautley, Henry Strother | Grenfell, William Henry | Martin, Richaid Biddulph |
| Cavendish, V. C. W. (Derbyshire | Gretton, John | Massey-Mainwaring, Hn. W. F |
| Cecil, Lord Hugh (Greenwich) | Greville, Hon. Ronald | Maxwell, RtHn Sir HE. (Wigt'n |
| Chamberlain, RtHn. JA. (Wore. | Guthrie, Walter Murray | Melville, Beresford Valentine |
| Chamberlayne, T. (S'thampton | Halsey, Rt. Hon. Thomas F. | Middlemore, JohnThrogmorton |
| Chapman, Edward | Hamilton, RtHn. Lord G. (Mid | Mildmay, Francis Bingham |
| Clive, Captain Percy A. | Hamilton, Marq. of (L'nd'derry | Milvain, Thomas |
| Cochrane, Hon. Thomas H. A. E | Hardy, Laurence(Kent, Ashford | Mitchell, William (Burnley) |
| Coddington, Sir William | Hare, Thomas Leigh | Molesworth, Sir Lewis |
| Coghill, Douglas Harry | Harris, L. Leverton(Tynem'th | Montagu, Hon. J. Scott (Hants. |
| Cohen, Benjamin Louis | Haslam, Sir Alfred | Morgan, DavidJ. (Walthamstow |
| Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse | Hay, Hon. Claude George | Morpeth, Viscount |
| Colston, Chas. Edw. H. Athole | Heath, Arthu rHoward(Hanley | Morrell, George Herbert |
| Corbett, A. Cameron (Glasgow) | Heath, SirJames(Staffords. NW | Morrison, James Archibald |
| Corbett, T. L. (Down, North) | Heaton, John Henniker | Morton, Arthur H. Ayimer |
| Cox, Irwin Edward Bainbridge | Helder, Sir Augustus | Mowbray, Sir Robert Gray C |
| Craig, CharlesCurtis(Antrim, S. | Henderson, Sir A. (Stafford, W. | Muriay, Charles J. (Coventry) |
| Crossley, Rt. Hon. Sir Savile | Hermon-Hcdge, Sir Robert T. | Murray, Col. Wyndham (Bath) |
| Dalkeith, Earl of | Hill, Henry Staveley | Myers, William Henry |
| Dalrymple, Sir Charles | Hoare, Sir Samuel | Nicholson, William Graham |
| Davenport, William Bromley; | Hope, J. F. (Shemeld, Brightside | O'Neill, Hon. Robert Torrens |
| Palmer, Sir Walter (Salisbury) | Round, Rt. Hon. James | Tuke, Sir John Batty |
| Parkes, Ebenezer | Royds, Clement Molyneux | Turnour, Viscount |
| Pease, HerbertPike(Darlington | Rutherford, W. W. (Liverpool) | Walker, Col. William Hall |
| Peel, Hn. Wm. Robert Wellesley | Sadler, Col. Sir Samuel Alex. | Walrond, Rt, Hn. SirWilliam H. |
| Percy, Earl | Samuel, Sir HarryS. (Limehouse | Welby, Lt.-Col.A.C.E.(Taunton |
| Pierpoint, Robert | Saunderson, Rt. HmCol. Edw. J. | Welby, Sir Charles G. E. (Notts.) |
| Pilkington, Colonel Richard | Sharpe, William Edward T. | Whitmore, Charles Algernon |
| Platt-Higgins, Frederick | Shaw-Stewart, Sir H. (Eenfrew | Williams, Colonel E. (Dorset) |
| Plummer, Sir Walter E. | Sinclair, Louis (Romtord) | Willoughby de Eresby (Lord |
| Powell, Sir Francis Sharp | Sloan, Thomas Henry | Wills, SirFrederiek(Bristol, N.) |
| Pretyman, Ernest George | Smith, H.C. (North'mbTyneside | Wilson, A. Stanley (York, E. R. |
| Pryce-Jones, Lt.-Col. Edward | Smith, Hon. W. F. D. (Strand) | Wilson, John (Glasgow) |
| Purvis, Robert | Stanley, Hon. Arthur)Ormskirk | Wilson-Todd, Sir W. H. (Yorks.) |
| Eankin, Sir Sames | Stanley, Rt. Hon. Lord (Lancs.) | Wolff, Gustav Wilhelni |
| Rasch, Sir Frederic Carne | Stewart, Sir Mark J. M'Taggart | Worsley-Taylor, Henry Wilson |
| Ratcliff, E. F. | Stone, Sir Benjamin | Wrightson, Sir Thomas |
| Reid, James (Greenock | Stroyan, John | Wylie, Alexander |
| Remnant, James Farquharson | Talbot, Lord E. (Chichester) | Wyndham, Rt, Hon. George |
| Renshaw, Sir Charles Bine | Talbot, Rt. Hn. J.G. (OxfdUniv | Wyndham-Quin, Col. W. H. |
| Renwick, George | Thorburn, Sir Walter | Yerburgh, Robert Armstrong |
| Ritchie, Rt. Hon. Chas. Thomson | Thornton, Percy W. | |
| Rolleston, Sir John F. L. | Tollemache, Henry James | TELLERS FOR THE NOES— |
| Rollit, Sir Albert Kaye | Tomlinson, SirWm. Edw. M. | Sir Alexander Acland-Hood |
| Ropner, Colonel Sir Robert | Tuff, Charles. | and Viscount Valentia |
Question put, and agreed to.