§ MR. BRIGHTsaid, he had a question to ask the right hon. Gentleman in the Chair respecting the proceedings of the House. He had noticed, he said, that the Government of late evinced a disposition to limit the opportunities afforded Members of asking questions, and raising incidental discussions of public interest. He understood that the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of the Treasury had that evening ten minutes after Four o'clock moved that the House at its rising adjourn to Monday next. That Motion at such an hour, and at the time usually devoted to private business, appeared very like a trick to deprive Members of the occasion the Motion would afford of putting questions. He knew there were Gentlemen who had come down prepared to ask questions of importance upon the Motion of adjournment, and he thought the House lost by the absence of such an opportunity. He wished Mr. Speaker, therefore, to give his opinion, whether it was not more consistent with the practice and the rules of the House to make the usual Motion on Fridays—that the House at its rising adjourn to Monday, when the House was full, than at ten minutes past Four, which was the time set down for private business.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, there was no rule of the House on the subject; the Motion might be made at any time after the meeting of the House. With respect to this Motion being in practice of late made an opportunity for Members asking questions, the hon. Members would see that it was not a very regular practice. The hon. Member would see the inconvenience of the practice. It was quite useless for the House to say that Orders of the Day should 1329 take precedence of notices of Motions on Fridays, if any Motion might be made, or any discussion raised on any question, on the previous and formal Motion that the House at its rising adjourn to Monday.
§ MR. BRIGHTmust remark that at times lately the Government did not make the Motion at all at Five o'clock, the time for public business, whereas this day they had made it a little after Four. He hoped the House would not sanction in future the practice that had been put in operation that evening.