BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE—MORNING SITTINGS. (Hansard, 16 June 1854)

§ LORD JOAN RUSSELL
then moved the Order of the Day for the House to go into Committee of Supply.

§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTON
said, he wished to make a few remarks both to the House and the noble Lord opposite (Lord John Russell), with regard to the present system of morning sittings. The noble Lord and the House, he thought, must feel that that system was not satisfactory, and that it ought to be regulated in some way which would prevent hon. Members being subject to that inconvenience, if not surprise, which was expressed by Scotch Members last night. He entertained the opinion that, in order to expedite business, and avoid the discredit as well as annoyance of sitting into August, as they had done, they must have recourse to morning sittings occasionally. But, at the same time, he was strongly of opinion that they ought to be adopted with the concurrence of the House, subject to certain rules which might be generally intelligible, as in the case of the Wednesday sittings. He would suggest to the noble Lord whether, when the period of the Session arrived when the Government deemed it desirable to have morning sittings, they ought not to be regulated by a Resolution of the House in 305 the same manner as the House had resolved this Session, and invariably did, that on Thursday Orders of the Day should have precedence of Notices of Motion. He would further propose that a morning sitting should only be adopted on due notice being given of the day. In consequence of Members getting up at one or two o'clock in the morning and moving that Bills should be taken at twelve o'clock sittings, it was quite impossible Members could know whether or not there would be a morning sitting on any given day. Perhaps the House was hardly aware that, according to the existing rules, it was competent for any Member who had charge of a Bill to rise at any hour, and to propose that it be taken at twelve o'clock in the day, and of this privilege Members frequently availed themselves. He likewise would recommend that not only the day, but the hour of a morning sitting should be fixed, and that they should limit themselves as nearly as possible at such sitting to taking Bills in Committee. He hoped also the noble Lord would agree that no fresh business should be taken after twelve o'clock at night.

§ LORD JOHN RUSSELL
said, he hoped the House would not fetter itself too much by Resolutions. It appeared to him that the days of morning sittings should be fixed rather according to the quantity of business before the House, and the desire of the House to get through it speedily. It seemed to him that at this time of the Session to have morning sittings on Tuesdays and Thursdays only was quite sufficient, though towards the end of the Session it had been usual to have them on Fridays also, and sometimes on Mondays. The arrangement now made as to the hours of sitting was adopted in 1851 or 1852, and was deemed much more convenient than the former one, under which the House rose sometimes at two, three, four, or even five o'clock, and Members did not know when they would reassemble for the evening sitting, whereas at present it was now fixed that they should resume business at five or six o'clock. He did not give a positive opinion as to the necessity of maintaining the present arrangement; and if any improvement on it could be made, he should not be unwilling to consent to the alteration. He thought it was desirable that, when there was a morning sitting, the private business should be taken at twelve o'clock, in order that 306 when the House met in the afternoon, it might at once proceed to public business.

§ MR. HENLEY
said, he fully concurred with the noble Lord that they would go on as well or better without a formal Resolution with respect to the days on which morning sittings should be held. He thought, however, that some arrangement should be made by which Members might know at what time the House would resume in the evening.
In reply to a question from Mr. BASS,

§ LORD JOAN RUSSELL
said, he thought it was very desirable that when there was a morning sitting, no fresh business should be taken after twelve o'clock at night; but he did not think it desirable to pass a formal Resolution on the point.