PUBLIC BUSINESS.—RESOLUTION. (Hansard, 29 April 1858)

§ MR. WALPOLE
said, he rose, in the absence of his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to move that, on and after the 13th of May, Orders of the Day on Thursdays should have precedence of Notices of Motion. Last year was an exceptional one with regard to this point, because, there having been a dissolution in the middle of the Session, Parliament did not reassemble till the beginning of May, and Orders of the Day were not directed to take precedence of notices of Motion until some time in June. In previous years, however, it had been usual to move, during the month of May, that this precedence should be allowed. At the present time much business remained to be done in Committee of Supply, and there were some notices of Motion on going into Committee of Supply, the discussion of which would occupy a considerable time. The Lord Advocate had to bring forward the Scotch University Bill; there was also the Local Government Bill; and his hon. and learned Friend the Attorney General for Ireland would submit a measure for extending the principles of Parliamentary titles to unencumbered estates in Ireland. The discussion on these Bills would occupy a considerable time; in addition to which he fund that the Wednesdays, which were the only occasions on which Orders of the Day of independent Members could be brought forward, were all occupied now till the 23rd of June. It would therefore, pro- 1987 bably, be agreeable to hon. Gentlemen that the Resolution which stood on the paper in the name of his right hon. Friend, and which he now begged to move, should take effect from May the 13th next.

MR. W. WILLIAMS
said, he had supposed that the Government had many important measures to introduce as a justification of the Motion, whereas it appeared they had nothing but the most commonplace affairs in hand. The 13th of May was the earliest time which he had ever known for superseding Motions on Thursdays. No time would be gained, as hon. Members would make Motions on going into Committee of Supply.

MR. RIDLEY
said, he wished to know whether the Government intended to lay on the table various consolidation statutes prepared by the Solicitor General of the late Government?

§ MR. BRIGHT
said, he also wished to inquire whether it was understood that the House would proceed with the Church Rates Bill on the 13th?

§ MR. WALPOLE
said, it had been indicated by his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer that one of the reasons why he wished Orders of the Day to have precedence over notices of Motions was, that the Church Rates Bill as well as the Joint-Stock Companies Liability Bill, alluded to yesterday, might come on at an earlier period than would otherwise be possible. Thursday at first would not be a Government night.

§ SIR GEORGE GREY
said, the practice had hitherto been that, when precedence was given to Orders of the Day on Thursdays, it was not open to independent Members to fix Orders at their discretion. Some limit was usually introduced, otherwise much of the day would be thrown away.

§ MR. WALPOLE
said, he thought the usual practice was for Government Orders of the Day to have precedence on alternate Thursdays. He would have no objection to add at the end of his Motion, "for one month from that time," which would give hon. Members four Thursdays upon which to bring forward their Bills.

§ MR. MILNER GIBSON
said, he did not agree with the right hon. Gentleman (Sir G. Grey) in what he had said respecting the waste of time occasioned by independent Members. He believed that independent Members as seldom threw away the time of the House as Government did.