§ MR. ANDERSONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, If he can inform the House what precedents there are for the Sovereign leaving the Country during the sitting of Parliament; whether there are at present reasons of "high state policy" for so unusual a proceeding; and, what arrangements have been made to avoid any inconvenience to the business of the Nation through the absence of the Sovereign and of the Chief Secretary of State in attendance?
§ MR. DISRAELIMr. Speaker, the last precedent for the Sovereign leaving the country during the sitting of Parliament was in the year 1872. The present reasons for Her Majesty's leaving England are strictly domestic, and arise from the bereavement of Her Majesty's nearest and dearest relative. Every arrangement has been made to avoid any inconvenience to the business of the nation through the absence of the Sovereign and Secretary of State in attendance—not the Chief Secretary (Mr. Cross), who, I am happy to say, has a seat in this House, and is now on my left.
§ MR. ANDERSONPerhaps the right hon. Gentleman will state whether, in the one precedent to which he refers, the absence of the Sovereign was for more than two days, and whether Her Majesty's absence was not practically during the Easter Recess, although Her Majesty left England two days before the House broke up for the Easter Recess?
§ MR. DISRAELIAccording to the Rules of the House, the hon. Member will, of course, give Notice of this Question.
§ MR. ANDERSONI beg to give that Notice now.
MR. SULLIVANI thought the right hon. Gentleman would, perhaps, have answered at the same time the Question of which I have given Notice—namely, If he can state how far the Government, when advising the Sovereign to depart the Realm while Parliament is sitting, considered the ancient privilege of this House, the recognition of which is applied for and promised on the opening of each Session—namely, free access whenever they deem necessary during their deliberations to audience by the Sovereign?
§ MR. DISRAELIIt was from no want of courtesy that I failed to answer the Question of the hon. Gentleman; but I omitted to observe that it followed immediately the Question put by the hon. Member for Glasgow. I beg to assure the hon. Gentleman that the ancient privileges of this House to which he has alluded will not be at all affected by the absence of Her Majesty, and that there will be free access to Her Majesty to any Member of the House of Commons who seeks an audience of Her Majesty at Baden, because Her Majesty has full confidence that these audiences will never be requested from idle curiosity.