§ SIR JOHN R. MOWBRAYmoved to nominate the Select Committee on Standing Orders:—Sir JOHN R.MOWBRAY, Sir EDWARD COLEBROOKE, Mr. CUBITT, Mr. FLOYER, Mr. MONK, Mr. MULHOLLAND, Mr. DENIS O'CONOR, Mr. RODWELL, Lord AETHUR RUSSELL, Sir DAVID"WEDDER-BURN, and Mr. WHITBREAD. All Petitions referred to the Select Committee on Standing Orders in the last Session of Parliament referred to the Select Committee.
185 Names of Sir JOHN E. MOWBRAY, Sir EDWARD COLEBROOKE, Mr. CUBITT, Mr. FLOYER, Mr. MONK, and Mr. MULHOL-LAND agreed to.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That Mr. Denis O'Conor be a Member of the Committee."—(Sir John R. Mowbray.)
§ MAJOR NOLANcomplained that the hon. Member for Sligo (Mr. Denis O'Conor) had been placed upon the Committee without any communication with the Irish Party, in succession to his brother the O'Conor Don, the late Member for Roscommon. He (Major Nolan) did not understand that the appointments upon this Committee were to be considered hereditary; and as the Committee had very important functions to perform he thought the Irish Representatives should have been consulted in regard to its composition. He would move, as an Amendment, to substitute the name of the hon. Member for Gal-way (Mr. Mitchell Henry) for that of the hon. Member for Sligo (Mr. Denis O'Conor), which appeared both upon this Committee and the Committee of Selection.
§ SIR JOHN E. MOWBRAYhoped the hon. and gallant Member for Galway would not persist in the Amendment. The usual precedents had been followed in selecting the names of Members to serve on the Committee; and if the Committee were nominated now he would undertake to confer with the Irish Members, and to move the discharge of the hon. Member for Sligo (Mr. Denis O'Conor) from one of the Committees if it were found desirable.
§ MR. W. HOLMSsaid, the Scotch Members had no reason to complain of the constitution of the Standing Orders Committee; but they did object to having no representation on the Committee of Selection, and at the proper time he would suggest that the senior Member for Edinburgh (Mr. D. M'Laren) should be added to the Committee.
MR. MACARTNEYremarked, that at the present moment the Irish Party were scattered all over the House. The Home Rulers had met to get united, and had split into two Parties, one of which was sitting on the Liberal side of the House, and the other on the Opposition, each section having a Whip to keep it together, who on great occasions act in 186 concert. There was, however, a third Party, altogether independent of the Home Rulers, to which he himself belonged; and he wanted to know what was to be done in order to give them adequate representation upon the public Committees. He would suggest that if it was found inconvenient to place a Representative of each of the three Irish Parties upon all Committees, that at least one Representative should be nominated, each Party having the privilege, in turn, of furnishing a Member.
§ MAJOR NOLANsaid, he would not press the Amendment after the statement which had been made by the right hon. Gentleman opposite (Sir John E. Mowbray). In regard to the remarks of the hon. Member for Tyrone (Mr. Macartney), he might say that the Home Rulers were quite ready to follow the hon. Member for Cork (Mr. Parnell) into the Lobby on all important divisions, and that he apprehended was of more consequence than their exact position in the House.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Remaining names agreed to.