§ On the order of the day being read, for resuming the adjourned debate upon the motion, made upon Wednesday last, "That in this present session of parliament all Orders of the Day set down in the Order Book for 245 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, shall be disposed of before the House will proceed upon any Motions of which Notices shall be entered in the Order Book,"
§ Mr. Whitbreadbelieved the right hon. gent, who brought forward the motion did it from the best of motives; but the alteration, if carried, would, he had reason to believe, be of great detriment to the liberties of the House. He did not see the necessity of it. The press of business in the three last sessions of parliament could alone give a colour to its necessity; but in each of these sessions important public inquiries were carried on. The present session was not likely to be attended with a similar press of business. The great evil was the shortening the period of the sitting of parliament, which had taken place since the union. It was, it seemed, inconvenient for the Irish members to come over till after Christmas, and it was inconvenient for the English members to sit after Midsummer; so that something was cut off from the beginning and something from the end, and the session reduced from 26 to 20 weeks. If the motion was carried, it should be followed up with other measures to make it complete. All Orders of the Day should be called on in succession; and no new Bill should pass the House, the debate of which began after 10 o'clock. He complained of the want of perception in many respectable members of the House, of the evils that would follow the motion; and he was afraid, though the order was only to remain for a session, it would in all likelihood become an annual vote. He then adverted to the days—the House had never sat any time on Saturday since 1793, and that day went for nothing; while the minister had Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He hoped he would limit his days to Wednesday and Friday.
The Chancellor of the Exchequerthanked the hon. gent, for his candour. He conceived, however, that the imagined dangers to the liberties of the House were merely a phantom of his own creation. With respect to the business of the House being less in this than in former sessions, it was too early yet to determine so. With respect to the curtailment of the period of the session, nothing of importance was really ever done before Christmas. He did not see the necessity of the hon. gent.'s additional regulations. With respect to the days, he had no objection to taking Monday and Friday for the Orders 246 of the Day, and leaving Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, for Notices.
Mr. C. W. Wynnenlarged upon the increase of business, and the diminution of the periods of the session of late, and stated that if members did not chuse to attend in summer, Calls of the House ought to be resorted to.
Mr. Bastarddeprecated the idea of members consulting their own convenience in preference to the public interest.
Mr. Canningsaid, that there were inconveniences in the present practice of the House, and he was afraid of inconveniences from the present order, but, upon the whole, he was inclined to give it a trial for a session.
§ Mr. Whitbreadwished to have Monday for the Notices, as from the two. days' rest, members came fresh to the House on Monday.
§ The House then divided on the original question: Ayes 82—Noes 30.
§ The Resolution, therefore, stands as follows: Resolved, "That, in this present session of Parliament, all Orders of the Day set down in the Order Book for Mondays and Fridays, shall be disposed of before the House will proceed upon any Motions of which Notices shall be entered in the Order Book."