§ COLONEL WILSON PATTENreported from the Committee of Selection; That they had not received from Mr. Franklyn, one of the Members of the Committee on Group No. 15 A of Railway Bills, or from Mr. Pease, one of the Members of the Committee on the Hyde Park Gate Estate Bill, either the Declaration required by the 113th Standing Order, or any excuse in lieu thereof. At this period of the Session it was very difficult for the Committee of Selection to dispose of the remaining business of the House, and while every endeavour had been made on the part of the Committee to procure the attendance of Members, he saw by the Votes of the House last (Wednesday) evening that the Chairman of a Committee in the exercise of his discretion moved that the hon. Member for Poole (Mr. Franklyn) should be discharged from his attendance on the Committee, and the result had been that all parties attending the Committee had been subjected to great inconvenience and expense, the Committee being unable to sit in consequence of the absence of the hon. Member. He hoped that the hon. Members of the House would hesitate in future before they acceded to a similar Motion, and had he been in the House he should have moved that the hon. Member for Poole should attend the Committee forthwith. However, as the Motion had been agreed to, he should not go further into the matter, but he hoped for the future hon. Members would give all the assistance in their power to get through the private business of the House, and not lightly endeavour to excuse themselves from attendance.
§ Report to lie upon the table.