PARLIAMENT—BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 28 February 1871)

MR. GLADSTONE
moved that the Select Committee on Business of the House consist of 21 Members.

§ MR. J. LOWTHER
moved the adjournment of the debate on the ground of the lateness of the hour.

MR. GLADSTONE
hoped the House would proceed at once with the business of appointing the Committee.

§ MR. G. BENTINCK
observed that yesterday evening, while there was no Amendment on the Paper, the right hon. Gentleman stated he would not proceed with his Motion after 12 o'clock; but now, after Notice had been given of an Amendment to be proposed, he wished to go on with his proposal after that hour.

§ MR. HORSMAN
asked what was the principle on which the selection of the Committee proceeded? He had always understood that a Committee should be of a judicial character, and should be a fair representation of the various parties in the House. Of the 21 Members of the Committee, 13 either were now or had been in Office. As regarded the Conservative side, half the Members were chosen from below the Gangway; while on the Liberal side all the 11 Members sat behind the Treasury Bench, and not one below the Gangway. He protested that this was not a proper mode of dealing with the question.

§ SIR PATRICK O'BRIEN
said, that Ireland was not properly represented. There was not a single Irish Member on the Committee.

§ MR. J. LOWTHER
said, he was taken by surprise by the right hon. Gentleman insisting on proceeding at that hour. Many hon. Members had left the House on the ground of the promise made by the right hon. Gentleman, in distinct language, as to what would be considered a reasonable hour. The Government had found occasion more than once to re-consider their determination, and he must insist that this was a matter which ought not now to be proceeded with.

MR. WHITE
pointed out that there was not the name of any metropolitan Member on the Committee.

§ MR. MELLY
protested against the attempt to draw a distinction between Members who sat above and those who sat below the Gangway. It was assumed 1112 that the former were supporters of the Government. That was not strictly correct. The reason why he did not sit below the Gangway was that there was no room there.

MR. GLADSTONE
hoped that the hon. Member (Mr. J. Lowther) would not persevere in his opposition. What he had said as to bringing on this business was that he would not bring it on at an inconvenient hour. In this instance the business was simply the selection of hon. Gentlemen to form a Select Committee—a very simple business. His right hon. Friend (Mr. Horsman) had been less than fair as respected the composition of the Committee, for the Government had endeavoured to do the best they could with the very limited choice at their disposal. The ancient practice of the House with respect to the representation of the majority and minority of the House was to select 11 Members from the majority and 10 from the minority; but it could not be expected that the proportion should be the same when there was so great a disproportion of Members on either side. Putting aside the official Members, practically the Government had the selection of nine names only, while the Opposition had their ten. If it was an objection to the selection of the Committee that there was no Member from Ireland upon it, the same objection applied to the omission of any Member from Scotland, or of the metropolis.

§ MR. HORSMAN
explained that when he spoke of the official element on the Committee he referred to Members who had been in office from 10 to 20 years, his contention being that the tendency of that element was to curtail the opportunities for debate.

§ MR. J. LOWTHER
said, he would withdraw his Motion.