PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS (HOUSE OF COMMONS).—RESOLUTION. (Hansard, 20 March 1871)

§ MR. EASTWICK

, in rising to move— That when Papers are presented by Command, or in pursuance of an Order of this House, or in answer to an Address, the same shall be laid upon the Table in such a form as to ensure a speedy delivery thereof to Members, said: Sir, I will not take up the time of the House for more than a few minutes. The matter which I wish to bring before it is a very simple one, and at first sight may appear very unimportant; but on consideration I think it will be found to deserve immediate attention. Sir, hon. Members, who sit on the Front Benches, and occupy official positions, are not much dependent on Parliamentary Papers for information as to subjects which interest them. They can obtain from their own Departments, or from the Departments of their Colleagues, all, or almost all, the information they require; but unofficial Members, like myself, are altogether dependent on those Returns, and cannot stir a step without them; and therefore it is of the last importance to us that the Papers moved for should be distributed with the utmost possible expedition and regularity. But, Sir, a practice has grown up which retards the distribution of Papers, and make it inconveniently irregular. This practice is, if I may call it by a single name, that of "dummies." What I mean is the practice 326 of laying Papers on the Table of the House in blank, which is done that they may come out during the Recess; and unless they are so laid on the Table and are ordered to be printed, they cannot be circulated. Well, Sir, this practice, which began in an indulgence, has degenerated into an abuse. Those who lay the dummies on the Table, as happens in more serious matters, think they have cleared their consciences by the form, and seem not to care when the Returns themselves are delivered. I support this remark by a statement which I have in my hands, which shows that 15 Papers, moved for last Session, at dates between the 29th of April and the 10th of August, were not delivered till quite recently—that is, between the 10th of February and the 15th of March this Session. But, Sir, I can go a step beyond this, for the statement shows that seven Papers moved for last Session, between the 9th of June and the 10th of August, have not been delivered even yet. But even this is not all. I find there are two Papers which were moved for in the Session of 1868–9, which are still undelivered. It is obvious how much this must embarrass the arrangements even in the Library of the House, for the volumes cannot be bound up till these Papers are delivered. To private Members the inconvenience is very great, as they must either keep their Papers unbound, or leave them in the binders' hands till they are completed. With all deference to the better judgment of the Committee, of which you, Sir, are Chairman, I would suggest that, as a remedy for this abuse, it should be ordered that when Papers are laid on the Table in blank they should be accompanied with a statement of the exact period within which the real Papers will be distributed. I would further suggest that the period should be limited to four months from the end of the Session, so that all the Papers connected with that Session may be bound up at least a month before Parliament meets for the next Session. The hon. Member concluded by moving his Resolution.