§ MR. SERJEANT SIMONsaid, he wished to put to the Speaker a Question which related to the convenience of hon. Members of the House. Since he had entered the House, some years ago, he found that the arrangement existed by which those hon. Members who were present at prayers became entitled to the seat which they occupied at the time for the whole of the evening. But even with that arrangement hon. Members found in the last Parliament that they had to come down two or three hours before the meeting of the House. He had known cases of hon. Members coming down at 10 o'clock in the morning, placing their hats on the seats which they desired to occupy, and then walking about with caps on their heads. Now it was impossible for a great many hon. Members of the House to sacrifice the whole day in order to secure a seat at prayer time. That very day, when the House met at 4 o'clock, he himself came down at about half-past 12 and found a number of seats with hats placed in the most convenient positions for Members wishing to address the House. He was, of course, aware of the insufficiency of the accommodation in the House for all its Members; and his object in rising was to ask the Speaker whether he could do anything of his own authority to enable a Member to secure a seat for the evening without sacrificing the whole day for the purpose?
§ MR. SPEAKERIn answer to the hon. and learned Gentleman, I have only to express my regret that any hon. 332 Member of this House suffers any inconvenience from the want of space. An hon. Member has this very day given Notice to call the attention of the House to this matter, and the House will then have an opportunity of expressing its opinion upon it. I have no authority, without orders or instructions from the House, to deal with the question.
§ MR. SERJEANT SIMONbegged to give Notice that he would move a Resolution on the subjeet.