§ MR. FAWCETTasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will afford any facilities for the discussion of the Motion of which Notice has already been given, for an Address to the Crown in reference to the Royal Titles Bill before the Proclamation is issued which will give effect to that Bill?
§ MR. DISRAELISir, there are five working Parliamentary days in the week, three of which belong to the House generally, and two to Her Majesty's Government. On these two days we have mainly to depend for carrying on the whole Business of the Session. The hon. Gentleman asks me to give up one of those two days in order to enable him to bring on a Motion with reference to the Royal Titles Bill. I must remind the hon. Gentleman that according to the spirit of our Rules and Orders that Motion could not be brought on, because it is really a repetition of a question which the House has already decided. I am 1575 aware that by some technical management the question might perhaps be again discussed; but the hon. Gentleman will remember that before the second reading of the Titles Bill was moved I informed the House of the title which Her Majesty's Government intended to advise Her Majesty to assume; and as all the discussions and divisions in this House were taken with a full knowledge of these details, I certainly should hesitate a great deal, under any circumstances, before I should feel myself bound or justified with due regard to the conduct of the Public Business to give any day to the hon. Gentleman. The hon. Gentleman may, perhaps, justify the course he is taking, for the moment, by referring to what occurred before we adjourned for the holidays. It is very true, under the circumstances which then existed, I had wished to facilitate the discussion of his Motion. The Motion of the hon. Gentleman was a Motion of Censure. It was adopted by the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition, and I therefore felt, whatever objections might be urged against the general expediency of further discussion, it was my duty to meet the Motion immediately; and I made arrangements, to the great inconvenience of the Government, to do so. That arrangement was perfectly satisfactory to the hon. Gentleman the Member for Hackney, for he himself expressed his entire satisfaction. I remember he thanked me, and thanks from that quarter are so rare that I cannot but remember how the hon. Member acknowledged the promptitude with which I had met his wishes. There was a day allotted for the discussion; that day, however, for causes I am unacquainted with, was not eventually taken advantage of by the hon. Gentleman. I must say, therefore, looking to the present state of affairs, looking to the time which has elapsed, remembering that the question has been already decided, I should not feel justified in interfering with the progress of Public Business in allotting another day to the hon. Gentleman.
§ MR. FAWCETTIn consequence of the answer which I have received from the Prime Minister—an answer not saying anything as to the time fixed for the issuing of the Proclamation—I beg to say that, any day at my disposal not being in time before the Proclamation is 1576 issued, I shall alter the terms of my Motion so as to make it more distinctly a question affecting the conduct of the Government. I will move a Resolution to the following effect:—
That this House disapproves the advice which, as announced by the Prime Minister, will he given to Her Majesty by Her Majesty's Ministers to assume the title of Empress of India;and I will ask the Prime Minister to-morrow, Whether he will give a day for the discussion of my Motion before the Proclamation is issued which will give effect to the Bill?