§ MR. A. JOHNSTONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he is in a position to state the arrangements contemplated as to the duration of the Easter Holidays?
MR. GLADSTONESir, the Government have, of course, no other wish than to ascertain, necessarily in an informal manner, the general feeling of the House. In 1869, when, as this year, Easter was very early, the House encouraged the 44 Government to propose, and adopted when proposed, an arrangement taking the form of a shorter holiday at Easter and a longer one at Whitsuntide, as a more equal and convenient division of the labours of the Session. Of one thing I am aware the House is very anxious—the reports of public opinion being quite unequivocal—that it would be eminently unsatisfactory if, after having been induced to take a short holiday at Easter, any doubt should be raised as to a more liberal holiday at Whitsuntide. Judging from what appears to be the prevailing opinion, we think it would be more agreeable, at least to the greater part of the House, to take the longer holiday at Whitsuntide. I have looked back to the length of holidays, and I see that last year, owing to great pressure of Business, the two holidays together were reduced to the very moderate period of 17 clear days, not reckoning the day of adjournment, and of meeting again. We think it will be practicable to go back to the more liberal, or, at least, less illiberal, arrangement which prevailed in former years, of 21 days in all. In case of the shorter holiday being taken at Easter, we should propose an adjournment from the Tuesday in Passion Week till the Thursday in the following week, leaving it open to take 13 days at Whitsuntide.