PUBLIC BUSINESS—STANDING ORDERS. (Hansard, 5 May 1854)

§ Loan JOHN RUSSELL
, in moving that the Standing Order relative to the days on which Committees of Supply and Ways and Means shall be fixed, be repealed, said, that the House would perhaps recollect that when it was agreed that Committees of Supply and of Ways and Means should be taken upon other days than Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, to which they were formerly confined, the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the 1310 University of Cambridge (Mr. Goulburn) proposed that, if Committees of Supply or Ways and Means were taken on any but the three days he had named, notice should be given on the previous Friday. It did not at the time appear to him that there was any necessity for this; but the Government, nevertheless agreed to it, in order to get from the House the concession they desired. The restriction had, however, been attended with considerable inconvenience. The right hon. Member for Droitwich (Sir J. Pakington) had lately presided over a Committee appointed to consider the best mode of facilitating the transaction of public business in that House; and after considerable discussion, that Committee had agreed to a recommendation that the Standing Order rendering it necessary to give the previous notice on Friday should be repealed. If the matter admitted of delay, he would have left it along with the other subjects discussed by the Committee for consideration when their Report was laid before the House. But, as it was really very essential that the Government should have the power to fix Committees of Ways and Means on other days than Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, without notice, he would move that the Standing Order rendering this necessary should be repealed.

§ MR. DISRAELI
said, that he was entirely in favour of the proposition of the noble Lord. At the present time, and in the present state of affairs, there were two things which the House would agree with him in thinking to be of the greatest importance: the first was, that the financial business of the Government should be facilitated; and the second, that ample opportunity of discussing their measures should be given to the House. Now, both these objects would be attained by adopting the Motion of the noble Lord. The House would have increased opportunities for discussing any financial measures which might be brought forward by the Government, and the Government would also have increased opportunities of submitting their measures to their consideration.

MR. HUME
said, he was perfectly willing to give the Government the advantage they desired, but he hoped that it would not be extended beyond the present Session until the Report of the Committee had been considered.

§ MR. GOULBURN
said, he would suggest the propriety of giving the Government Orders precedence on Thursdays, 1311 as well as Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, during the remainder of the Session.

§ LORD JOHN RUSSELL
said; that he was quite ready to limit the operation of the amended Order to the present Session; and as it appeared to be the general opinion of the House that Government Orders should have precedence on Thursdays during the remainder of the Session, he would, on Monday, make a Motion to that effect.