Commons Sitting of 28 February 1868

MINUTES.
NEW WRIT ISSUED—For Northampton County (Northern Division), v. George Ward Hunt, esquire, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE MINISTRY—MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.
LORD STANLEY: Sir, in consequence of a communication which I have received from my right, hon. Friend, now First Lord of the Treasury, who is still, I believe, in attendance upon Her Majesty at Osborne, I regret to say it is necessary that I should ask the House to agree to a further adjournment until Thursday next. I believe that, comparing the present with former cases, where a Ministry has had to be constructed or re-constructed, the time which my right hon. Friend asks for will not be found to be exceptionally long; and I know from him that he considers it impossible that the arrangements can be completed at an earlier period. I shall, therefore, move that this House, at its rising, adjourn until Thursday next. I may, perhaps, take this opportunity of answering the Question which was put to me on Tuesday by the hon Member for Cork (Mr. Maguire). In reply to the Question which the hon. Member then put, I would say, on behalf of my right hon, Friend, that we shall be prepared to give a day for the Irish debate, which was to have come on on Tuesday last. I am not authorized or enabled to fix the precise day; but it will be announced on Thursday next, and it will be as early a day as possible.
MR. GLADSTONE: I do not rise for the purpose of offering any opposition to the Motion which has been made by the noble Lord; but I confess I am not entirely of his opinion—so far as my recollection goes—that upon an occasion when the Prime Minister has unfortunately been compelled to retire, and when some few changes have taken place in the Government, it has been usual to ask the House of Commons to suspend the progress of public business for so long a period as ten days. I am certainly mistaken in my remembrance if that has been the case; and therefore, while I am very far indeed from thinking that we ought to object to the proposal, I do not think it ought to be acquiesced in without putting it upon record that that must be done upon special

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grounds. I freely admit that there are special grounds in this case. It is quite true that upon Tuesday last Her Majesty's Government was prepared to make a declaration of Irish policy; but, at the same time, we must all feel, I think, that, owing to the prolonged and unhappy absence of the noble Earl then at the head of the Government from London, it could not but be that the Cabinet must have approached the consideration of that question in a partially crippled or restrained condition. And I own it is very much with reference to the extreme gravity of the questions we shall have to consider during the present Session with respect to the sister country, that I should feel a special reluctance, even if I were inclined upon other grounds, to show any disinclination to accede to the proposal of the noble Lord. I think that Her Majesty's Government, having undergone a modification, of the precise nature and extent of which, of course, we who are outside cannot at present estimate the amount and significance—Her Majesty's Government being charged with these grave responsibilities, and asking this time at the hands of the House—I do not look at it merely as a question whether the formal arrangements of election and reelection would warrant the request; but I think, upon a grave consideration of the policy they will have to dispose of, that they are entitled to expect, both on their own account and on account of the country, that they should not be unduly pressed for time; consequently, I freely and cheerfully, upon these special grounds, accede to the proposal of the noble Lord, that another week should be granted before we proceed to business, although we must all be aware that we shall then have to commence the business of the Session, which promises to be severe rather than otherwise, at a very much later period—later, I think, practically, by a whole month—than is usual.
Motion agreed to.
House, at rising, to adjourn till Thursday next.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS BILL.—QUESTION.
In reply to Mr. NEWDEGATE,
MR. WALPOLEsaid, that on Thursday next he proposed to go into Committee, pro formâ, on this Bill for the purpose of inserting certain Amendments, and that he should be prepared, upon that day, to state when he would proceed with the measure.

POSTAL—STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ENGLAND AND MALTA.

  QUESTION.
  SIR GEORGE BOWYERsaid, he wished to inquire how the matter now stands regarding steam communication between this Country and Malta; and whether the Government will endeavour to prevent the cessation of such communication by means of the steamers of the Peninsular and Oriental Company?
  MR. ADDERLEYsaid, in reply, that there were several propositions at present before the Government for a new Mail service between Marseilles and Malta. The Government had not yet decided which of those propositions was the best. He hoped, however, to be able to inform the House shortly of a satisfactory substitution for the service between Marseilles and Malta having been made.

  IRELAND—DIETARY OF COUNTY PRISONS.—QUESTION.
  MR. BLAKEsaid, he wished to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, When the Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Dietary of County Prisons in Ireland will be presented; and if he proposes to introduce a Bill to amend the Laws relative to County Prisons in Ireland during the present Session?
  THE EARL OF MAYO, in reply, said, the Report would be laid on the table of the House that evening. Inquiries had been made into the whole subject, and the Commissioners were generally of opinion that there had been a deficiency of dietary; but at the same time they were much struck by the healthy appearance of the inmates of the gaols. They recommended that there should be a classification of prisoners in Irish gaols as in England, and as that could only be effected by legislation, he proposed to bring in a Bill very shortly with that object. The Commissioners also recommended that an additional meal should be added to the dietary of the prisoners in all the gaols in Ireland, and that there should be a change as regarded variety in their food. Next week he proposed to bring in the Bill referred to by the hon. Gentleman.

IRELAND—MEDICAL OFFICER OF MOUNTJOY CONVICT PRISON.

  QUESTION.
  MR. BLAKEsaid, he would also beg to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whe-

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  ther it is the intention of the Government to retain Dr. Young as Medical Officer of the Mountjoy Convict Prison, after the following verdict of a coroner's jury regarding the death of a prisoner under Dr. Young's care:—
  "We find that the said Matthew Lynch died at the Mountjoy Prison on the 12th of February of pulmonary consumption, and we are of opinion that the deceased should have been sent earlier to hospital, and that the doctor should have been more attentive to extern patients?"
  THE EARL OF MAYOsaid, in reply, that he had directed a careful inquiry to be made into all the circumstances of the case, and with that view Mr. Lentaigne, one of the Inspectors of County Prisons, and Mr. Hamilton, a Poor Law Inspector, had been appointed to make the inquiry. The investigation began that day, and he had every reason to believe it would shortly be concluded.

  REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE (SCOTLAND) BILL.—QUESTION.
  MR. KINNAIRDsaid, he wished to ask, Whether the Representation of the People (Scotland) Bill, which stands first on the Notice Paper for Monday, will be taken first on Thursday next?
  LORD STANLEY: I am not able to answer that Question.

SPAIN—CASE OF THE "TORNADO."

  QUESTION.
  MR. WYLDsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he will lay the further Correspondence relating to the Tornado on the table of the House?
  LORD STANLEY: Whatever further correspondence there is shall be laid on the table without delay.
  House adjourned at a quarter before Five o'clock, till Thursday next.