§ LORD JOHN RUSSELL moved, in accordance with notice, that the House, at its rising, adjourn till Six o'clock on Thursday. He believed that that would be a much more convenient course than meeting at the usual hour, owing to the opening of the Great Exhibition; and he did not conceive that there could he any practical objection to that proposal.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House Will at the rising of the House this day adjourn till Six of the clock To-morrow."
§ SIR R. H. INGLISthought that any argument which would apply to the adjournment of the House until Six o'clock on Thursday would apply equally to an adjournment for a longer period. He understood the proposal to be made in order to enable the noble Lord, and the other Lords of Her Majesty's Most Hon. Privy Council, and all the great Lords of State, and all who had tickets of admission, to attend a very interesting ceremonial; but, if that were a good reason for postponing the business of the House for two hours, he saw no reason why it should not extend to a whole holiday. He begged to move, as an Amendment, that the House, at its rising, adjourn to Friday.
§ Amendment proposed to leave Out the word "Six of the clock to-morrow," in order to add the words "Friday next," instead thereof.
§ MR. O'CONNORseconded the Amendment.
§ MR. FOX MAULEsaid, the General Committee on Elections had named Thursday for swearing in the Members on the Harwich election. They might be sworn in between Six and Seven o'clock, in en-tire conformity with the Act of Parliament; but if the House did not meet, he was afraid the Election Committee would lapse altogether. ["No, no!"] At all events, penalties would fall upon the Members.
§ MR. BANKESthought the next meeting of the House would satisfy the provisions of the Act for the swearing in of the Committee. Although the Ministers of the Crown might have free ingress and 343 egress to the Great Exhibition, other persons might not have equal facilities, and therefore he thought that it would be better that the House should have a whole holiday on Thursday.
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, that he himself could very well attend at Four or Five o'clock, or at any time which the House met, but it was rather for the convenience of other Members of the House, who might not be able to leave the Exhibition so soon, that he had proposed that the House should meet two hours later than usual. There could be no reason, that he was aware of, for the House not meeting at all on Thursday, because he believed the Exhibition would not remain open after Seven o'clock, and therefore Members would really not be able to be there at the hour at which the House would assemble. His objection, however, to not sitting to-morrow was that it was one of the days which the House had agreed should become an "Order" day, and it would be taking away one of the Order days which the House had assigned for the business of the Session. If the business of the Session were delayed to that amount, it might be necessary for him to ask later in the Session for another Order day instead of the one taken away. It might be that the hon. Baronet (Sir R. H. Inglis) objected to some of the Orders that stood for that day, but that could not be a reason with him (Lord John Russell) for consenting to the adjournment over Thursday.
§ MR. TRELAWNYhoped to propose the names of the Church Rate Committee on Thursday, and should vote against the Amendment.
§ Question put, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question."
§ The House divided:—Ayes 52; Noes 12: Majority 40.
§ Main Question put and agreed to.
§ House at rising to adjourn till Six of the clock To-morrow.