§ COLONEL JOHN WILSON PATTEN, addressing himself to the Clerk (who, standing up pointed to him, and then sat down) said, Sir Denis Le Merchant, I hope it will not be considered an act of presumption on my part if I propose to the House for election one of its Members to fill the distinguished office of its Speaker. Sir, if any of the political parties of which the House of Commons is composed had an intention of naming any one a candidate for that office, I should abandon the duty I now undertake to perform to some hon. Gentleman more practised in the political discussions of the House, who would have discharged the duty with more propriety than myself. But understanding that no such intention exists on the part of any section of the House—believing, on the contrary, that an agreeable unanimity will be found to prevail on both sides in regard to the object of my Motion—I do not hesitate to comply with what I believe is the general feeling of the Members of this House. I therefore rise, Sir, to propose that my right hon. Friend the Member for North Nottinghamshire, Mr. Evelyn Denison, do take the chair and again preside over us. My right hon. Friend has already performed the duties of Speaker of this House, and his general conduct in the Chair will be his best recommendation for re-election. But I may, 5 perhaps, be allowed to remind the House that when my right hon. Friend was first elected to that distinguished post he had no common difficulties to contend with. He had to succeed a Speaker who, it was universally acknowledged, had filled the Chair of this House with more than usual ability, and was one of the most eminent Speakers who had ever sat in it. It was no light task for any Member of this House coming to discharge the duties of the office for the first time to be successor of Viscount Eversley. But the manner in which my right hon. Friend overcame this difficulty is well known to the House; and I am bold to say that to the constant attention he has paid to his duties, the impartiality of his decisions, and his general bearing towards all the Members of the House, may be attributed the unanimous feeling which now exists that he should resume the Chair. Sir, there are duties the Speaker of this House has to perform that may not be known to many Members of it; and though I make no pretensions to taking a principal part in the public proceedings of the House, yet, perhaps, few Members have had better opportunities than myself of knowing how my right hon. Friend has conducted one of the most important duties he has to perform. I believe all those Members of the House who have had to take part in the private business of the House, in reference to which the Speaker has duties of no common importance, will acknowledge that my right hon. Friend has been distinguished by his general courtesy to every one. On all occasions hon. Members, without distinction of party or reference to private feelings, have had free access to him, and he is at all times anxious to place at their disposal the advantage of the experience which he had had in regard to the business of this branch of legislation. I do not wish to intrude any private feeling on an occasion like this, but perhaps I may be permitted, from a knowledge of nearly fifty years, to express my conviction that, as in public, so in private, my right hon. Friend is in every way worthy of the honour for which I propose him. I believe it would be difficult to find any Gentleman combining so many of the characteristics required to represent the Commons of England in so great a degree as my right hon. Friend. He has been distinguished throughout his life for an unimpeachable character as a private gentleman; and I feel that one of the chief recommendations of the person who aspires 6 to the honour of representing the Commons of England as their Speaker must be the character he bears as a private gentleman. I move "That the right hon. John Evelyn Denison do take the Chair of this House as Speaker."
SIR FRANCIS THORNHILLBARINGsaid, I rise to second the proposition of my hon. Friend the Member for North Lancashire. My hon. Friend has put the subject in so proper a light, and expressed himself so appropriately on the merits of my right hon. Friend the Member for North Nottinghamshire, that, as far as I am personally concerned, I should have been glad to have left the matter entirely in his hands, and have stopped here. But it would hardly be respectful to the House, nor would it be paying a proper regard to the Gentleman my hon. Friend has proposed, not to add a few sentences to what he has addressed to you. Sir, the selection of a Speaker is one of no common importance, not only on the present but on every occasion. To choose out of the assembled Commons of England the man who is to preside in our debates and exercise authority over us is at any time a choice of no ordinary moment; but we are likely to have to discuss questions of no common importance—questions likely to create considerable excitement—and though we are in the habit, as much to the advantage of the country as to the credit of the House, of carrying on our party conflicts in a tone and temper not partaking of personal acrimony, yet it is an advantage to have in that Chair a gentleman of high honour, experience, and firmness, who may vindicate the authority he exercises over the House by the personal respect we bear him as well as by the deference we owe to the office he holds. Now, I believe the right hon. Member for North Nottinghamshire will fulfil these requirements. We have to appeal to the manner in which he has already performed the duty—for no long period, indeed, but sufficiently long to prove his ability. My hon. Friend the Member for North Lancashire has spoken of the manner in which the right hon. Gentleman has performed his duties in connection with that branch of his business which does not attract so much attention as it deserves—the private business of the House; but with regard to it no Member of the House is better able to state what has been the conduct of Mr. Denison than the hon. Member by whom he is proposed; for it is a part of the busi- 7 ness of the House to which he has paid great attention. To add anything to his testimony would be almost impertinent on my part, but I have personal knowledge of his courtesy and attention to myself as a private Member of Parliament. But with regard to the public business every Gentleman who was a Member of the last House of Commons is as good a judge as myself. I am not hero to flatter the right hon. Gentleman; I am perfectly' willing to admit that when he was first placed in the chair, the novelty of the position, and that diffidence in his own powers which so often accompanies real merit, hampered the facility and readiness to which we had then been so long accustomed. This, however, soon wore off, and I venture to give my opinion—and I do so because it is shared by Members of great authority and weight—that during the last Session of Parliament the chair was filled in a manner that did credit to the right hon. Gentleman and to the House itself. I will only add that it will be a great public advantage if the right hon. Gentleman is placed in the chair by the general opinion of the House, so that in those questions we may hereafter have to discuss we may feel that we have not begun by anything likely to excite personal feelings, but that the right hon. Gentleman is elected by both sides as the impartial arbiter of our debates.
§ The House then calling on Mr. EVELYN DENISON to the Chair,—
Mr. EVELYN DENISONstood up in his place and said;—I offer my grateful thanks to the two Gentlemen who have presented my name to the House, in terms suggested certainly by the partiality of friendship rather than by any deserts of mine. I must be the first to declare how little worthy I am of much that has been said in my commendation. I thought it a great honour when two years ago, the House was pleased to call me to that chair, untried, little prepared for its duties, and as little expecting to be called upon to perform them. I think it a much greater honour now, after a trial, to have been approved, and to be so proposed and so seconded, and, may I add?—so accepted as has been my lot this day. My short experience of the duties of the office has made me painfully aware of many deficiencies and shortcomings on my part; but on one point, the desire to perform my duties with impartiality; and the part which both sides of the House have taken in my nomination this day, I trust, afford 8 me an assurance that in this respect my efforts have not been entirely unsuccessful. But here I must say that the mode of my election in the first instance, and the uniform courtesy I have experienced from both sides of the House alike, while they would have made a failure in this respect a just subject of reproach, do in the same proportion detract from the merit of any success which may have been achieved. If it should be the pleasure of the House to place me again in the Chair, no efforts of mine shall be wanting; but my main reliance must ever be on the generous support and the indulgent consideration of the House. The honour and the privileges of the House are to me objects of the dearest concern, and, in as far as they shall be committed to my charge, I trust they will ever be found to be in safe keeping. I will not further intrude upon the House, but with all duty submit myself to its pleasure.
The House then again unanimously calling Mr. Evelyn Denison to the Chair, he was taken out of his place by the said Colonel John Wilson Patten and Sir Francis Thornhill Baring and conducted to the Chair.
§ Then MR. SPEAKER ELECT, standing on the upper step, said: I offer from this Chair my grateful and respectful acknowledgements to the House for this proof of their continued confidence. I wish to be permitted to take this public opportunity of expressing the great obligations I am under to the officers of the House—to those who assist at this table, as well as to those in other branches, for their zealous and unremitting discharge of the duties of their respective departments. For myself, if during the two years of my apprenticeship I have been able in any degree to satisfy the House, I may now without presumption propose to serve the House with improved efficiency and with somewhat increased confidence.
And thereupon he sat down in the Chair; and then the Mace (which before lay under the Table) was laid upon the Table.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, it is now my very grateful duty to congratulate you on having obtained, subject to the sanction of Her Majesty, an honour which I think ought to satisfy the noblest ambition—the privilege of presiding over the proceedings of the most ancient, most powerful, and most celebrated of representative assemblies. You, Sir, have had some experience in that Chair; and that justifies our expec- 9 tation that you will be at all times prompt and prepared to guard and to vindicate our privileges, to preside over our debates with dignity, and in moments of perplexity to guide and enlighten us with adequate learning. Under these circumstances I am sure that I am not taking a presumptuous part when I assure you that in the fulfilment of your duties, on the part of every Member of this House, you may count upon not only a respectful, but a cordial assistance. And, Sir, I do not doubt that the day will not arrive when any one who has attended at your election this day will have occasion to regret the part that he has taken in it, because I believe that in that chair you will ever manifest the purity of an English judge and the spirit of an English gentleman. The right hon. Gentleman then moved "That the House do now adjourn."
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONSir, I trust the House will permit me to join with the right hon. Gentleman opposite in congratulating you, Sir, upon having been placed this day in one of the most honourable and distinguished positions in which it is possible for a member of the community of this great nation to find himself. It must be most gratifying to you that you have been the unanimous choice of one of the noblest assemblies that ever existed in the world, and I think I may say of one that is not likely ever to be surpassed, to preside over their deliberations, to moderate their proceedings, to be their organ in times of difficulty, and the champion of their rights if they should be attacked. I am persuaded, with the right hon. Gentleman opposite, that, judging from the able manner in which you in the last Parliament performed the duties which were then devolved upon you, no man who has joined in this arrangement will ever have reason to repent his vote; but that, on the contrary, the impartiality which you have on all occasions evinced will be continued in your future duties, and that every succeeding Session will prove the propriety of the choice which the House has this day made in your person. I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman was not answering for the House more than he was authorized to do when he assured you that every Member of this House will give you his most hearty and cordial support in maintaining the order of our proceedings while performing those important duties which devolve upon the person who fills that Chair.
§ On Question "That the House do now 10 adjourn," there were several cries of "Till when?" "To-morrow," and "Thursday."
§ COLONEL FRENCHremarked that it was always the custom of the House to adjourn over the Derby day.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERThe public service will be consulted if the House will meet to-morrow, but if the gallant Officer has any engagements in another place, I believe there will be no difficulty to prevent the fulfilment of them.
§ MR. HADFIELDAt what hour is the House to meet to-morrow?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERAt two o'clock.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONI apprehend that it will remove all uneasiness if I state that the purpose for which the House will meet to-morrow is simply that you, Sir, may go to the House of Lords to receive the sanction of the Crown. No addresses will be delivered, and nothing beyond the swearing of those Members who may happen to be present will take place.
§ House accordingly adjourned till Tomorrow at a quarter before Three o'clock.