§ MR. W. H. JAMESasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If there would be any objection to lay upon the Table of the House a Return of the exact duration of the several Parliaments from the year 1603 to the present time?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER,in reply, said, there would, of 1317 course, be no objection to lay this Return on the Table; but he wished to call the hon. Gentleman's attention to the fact that a very minute table of the duration of the several Parliaments from the reign of Henry VIII. to the present time was already in his hands. Any one of the calendars to which everybody had access gave the date of each Parliament, its duration, and the number of years, months, and days for which it sat. In these circumstances, such a Return as the hon. Member asked for would hardly be necessary.