Commons Sitting of 19 June 1866

MINUTES.
SELECT COMMITTEE—On Tramways (Ireland) Acts Amendment, Mr. Leader and The O'Conor Don added.
PUBLIC BILLS—Ordered—Paupers (Scotland)*
First Reading—Paupers (Scotland)* [197].
Report—Rochdale Vicarage* [38].

SUPPLY.
Order for Committee read.

PUBLIC BUSINESS.
MR. CHILDERS,in pursuance of the announcement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that no Government business would be taken in consequence of the vote
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of last night, proposed that the order for Supply be postponed until to-morrow (this day).
MR. BAILLE COCHRANEremarked that a number of Notices of Motion had been placed on the paper on the understanding that Supply was to have been taken on that day. Those Notices would have stood as separate Notices of Motion, perfectly independent of any Committee of Supply, as Tuesday was a Notice day devoted to private Members, had hon. Members been sooner aware that the House was only to meet pro formâ, and he now desired to know whether they could be brought on when the House resumed at six o'clock.
MR. CHILDERSsaid, that the hon. Gentleman was entirely mistaken. The Notices of Motion to which he alluded were not ordinary Notices standing for Tuesday; they were all Notices given as Amendments to the Motion that the Speaker leave the Chair in order that the House might go into Committee of Supply. Not one of them was given as a Notice of Motion for Tuesday. The Chancellor of the Exchequer on the night before intimated that no Government business would be taken that morning at twelve o'clock, and he (Mr. Childers) was simply discharging his duty in proposing that Supply be deferred until to-morrow (Wednesday).
MR. BAILLIE COCHRANE: Can the ordinary Notices come on at six o'clock?
MR. SPEAKER: Certainly, there has been no derangement of the business of the day.
Committee deferred till To-morrow.

COURT OF CHANCERY.

  QUESTION.
  MR. H. B. SHERIDANsaid, he wished to ask Mr. Attorney General, Whether there is any plan in contemplation by which the business, already very heavy, which has to be attended to by the Chief Clerks and other officials of the various Chancery Courts, and which is likely to be augmented to a very great extent by the pending applications under the Winding-up Acts can be aided and assisted; and whether, if any aid is to be afforded by the appointment of extra officers, it is in contemplation to seek the assistance of the leading Accountants who are appointed by such Courts in winding-up cases?
  THE ATTORNEY GENERALsaid, in reply, that he believed the Court of Chancery had power to regulate the number of

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  its ordinary clerks in accordance with the pressure of business. He had not the least reason to suppose that any extraordinary measures were contemplated such as those suggested by the hon. Member for Dudley.

THE RINDERPEST IN HOLLAND.

  QUESTION.
  MR. NORWOODsaid, he would beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whether he is aware that the provinces of Groningen and Friesland, in Holland, have been and still are free from the Rinderpest, and that stringent precautions are taken by the authorities there to prevent its introduction; and, whether the attention of the Committee is directed to the advisability of an immediate relaxation of the prohibition of the import of cattle from Groningen and Friesland?
  MR. BRUCE,in reply, said, he believed it was true that cattle in these two provinces had been and still were free from the rinderpest, and that precautions had been taken to prevent its introduction into them. Applications had been made to Her Majesty's Government for permission, and they had in consequence directed inquiries to be made to see whether importations could be allowed from those provinces without any danger, and upon the result of those inquiries the decision of the Government would depend.

FRENCH IRON-CLAD FLEET.

  QUESTION.
  MR. HENRY BAILLIEsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether the Government have received any information relative to the preparations of the French Iron-clad Fleet for immediate service; whether they know the number of ships of which that Fleet consists; and whether any preparations are being made to maintain our Fleet upon an equality with that of France?
  MR. BARING: Sir, the Admiralty have received no information of the preparation of the French iron-clad fleet for immediate service. I am therefore relieved from the necessity of answering the other two Questions put by the hon. Member.

OFFICERS OF THE INDIAN ARMY.

  QUESTION.
  SIR JAMES FERGUSSONsaid, he rose to ask the Under Secretary of State
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  for India, Whether he is prepared to name the day on which he will state to the House the intentions of the Government with reference to the grievances complained of by Officers of the Indian Army?
  MR. STANSFELDsaid, in reply, that he had been prepared to make the statement on Friday last, but had been prevented from doing so. The noble Lord the Member for Taunton (Lord William Hay) having placed a notice upon the paper on the same subject, he thought it would be best to wait till that Motion came on for discussion.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

  MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
  THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: Sir, in consequence of the vote of the House at an early hour this morning. the Cabinet assembled to-day. They took into their consideration the nature of that vote, and the condition in which it leaves the 5th clause of the Reform Bill. They likewise took into their consideration the nature of the debate by which that vote was preceded, and I may add the character of the divisions and discussions which had marked the previous history of the Bill. The result was that they found it their duty to make a communication to Her Majesty; but, under present circumstances, the House will be aware that such communications cannot be conducted without the lapse of some little time. I do not think we could be in a condition to state the result of that communication to the House in less than three or four days, at the very least; and consequently, I shall propose a Motion which I hope will meet the approval of hon. Members—"That this House, at its rising, do adjourn to Monday next." The usual Motion will be made that Committees have leave to sit notwithstanding the adjournment of the House; and I shall also propose that the Orders of the Day be read, with a view to their postponement. With regard to the Notices of Motion appearing on the paper, for to-day, I can only trust that in the state of abeyance in which the functions of the executive Government are placed until the time I have named, Gentlemen will be good enough not to persevere with those Motions. I think that is all that it is necessary for me to state to the House. And though on former occasions it has been practicable to proceed with greater rapidity, I trust the House will

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  perceive that the Motion which I make is justified by the circumstances.
  Motion agreed to.
  House at rising to adjourn till Monday next.

  Leave given to all Committees to sit not with standing the Adjournment of the House.

  PAUPERS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
  On Motion of Mr. CUMMING BRUCE, Bill to diminish the expense and delay in decisions as to the Settlement of Paupers in Scotland, ordered to be brought in by Mr. CUMMING BRUCE and Mr. PATTON.
  Bill presented, and read the first time. [Bill 197.]
  House adjourned at half past Six o'clock, till Monday next.