PUBLIC BUSINESS. (Hansard, 20 April 1852)

§ MR. W. WILLIAMS
said, there were notices on the paper for Thursday, the 29th, and those, he thought ought to be allowed to come on. He had a Notice of Motion himself which he was desirous of bringing forward.

§ MR. HEYWOOD
said, he also had a notice for that day on a very important subject—the preservation of the Crystal Palace. He understood, when the right hon. Gentleman gave notice yesterday relative to Orders of the Day taking precedence, that the Motion was not to take effect till the Thursday after the 29th of April.

§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
had only one wish, and that was, to consult the convenience of the House. 891 He was quite ready to do whatever the House approved of.

§ LORD JOHN RUSSELL
said, he certainly understood that the Motion of the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer was to take effect on the Thurdays subsequent to the 29th of April; and if that understanding generally existed, it would be better for the right hon. Gentleman to accede to it. There was one thing further he wished to say. He certainly understood, from what passed on a former occasion, that on the meeting of the House after the Easter holidays, the right hon. Gentleman would inform them as to the day when he intended to make his financial statement. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would now say when that financial statement was to be made. He believed the Miscellaneous Estimates were not yet delivered, though it was understood that they would be in a few days.

§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
Sir, with regard to the question of the Orders of the Day and Notices of Motion, I really only followed the precedent of the noble Lord last year. Of course, I do not wish to stand in the way of hon. Gentlemen who have Notices of Motion fixed for Thursday week, and therefore I am willing that the arrangement which I propose should not take effect until Thursday, the 6th of May. What I said in regard to the financial statement was this—I said that when the House met on Monday, I hoped that I should be able to fix a day for the financial statement. I did not say that I would fix a day. I hope in a very short time to be able to do so. [Lord J. RUSSELL: This week?] In a few days I hope to do so. There are particular reasons connected with the public service which at present render it not proper to fix a day.

§ SIR ROBERT H. INGLIS
said, he must remind the House that his noble Friend (Lord J. Russell), before the Easter recess, suggested to the right hon. Chancellor of the Exchequer the expediency of taking Thursdays for the public business, and that it was received with approbation by both sides of the House. But if hon. Gentlemen took advantage of the right hon. Gentleman not having then fixed a particular day in accordance with that suggestion, and now insisted on bringing forward the Motions of which they had given notice, they could be actuated, he thought, by very little anxiety to go to the country. If they really wished to go to 892 the country, they would second the wishes of the right hon. Chancellor of the Exchequer. His hon. Friend the Member for North Lancashire (Mr. Heywood) had the fullest opportunity of entering into the discussion of his Motion on that day for which it originally stood; but he had postponed it to a day on which it would be impossible to proceed with it if the Motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as first proposed, was agreed to. He thought the right hon. Gentleman would do well to act upon his original intention, and move, that on and after Thursday, the 29th, Orders of the Day should take precedence of Notices of Motion.

MR. VERNON SMITH
thought the House should bear in mind that there were Notices now standing on the Paper for the 29th. It was certainly understood that the Motion of the right hon. Gentleman was to apply to the Thursdays after the 29th; and he might observe that it had always been considered a fair thing, in such cases as the present, not to interrupt Notices of Motion already given.

§ LORD JOHN RUSSELL
said, that his reason for making the suggestion to the right hon. Chancellor of the Exchequer before Easter in reference to the proposed arrangement, was in order to prevent hon. Members from acquiring a vested interest in Motions for Thursdays.