MR. GORST, who had a Motion on the Paper—
That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new Writ for the election of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Northampton, in the room of Charles Bradlaugh, esquire, who, since his election for the said Borough, has voted as a Member in the House 922 of Commons in the said House, and has sat during a debate after the Speaker had been chosen without having made and subscribed the oath by Law appointed,said, that the Motion in question was one which ought not to undergo any unnecessary delay. Delay would apparently make no difference to the hon. Gentleman whose seat was involved in the question; but it would make a difference to the House of Commons and to the constituency of Northampton. Therefore, he had great reluctance to postpone the Motion of which he had given Notice. At the same time, he could not but be sensible of the difficult position of Supply; and it appeared to him it was the duty of every Member of the House not only to put no obstacle in the way of the Government, but to give the utmost encouragement in their power to enable them to lay Supply before the House of Commons in an ordinary and Constitutional manner. Therefore, for that reason, and that reason only, he did not intend to move his Resolution; but he gave Notice that, on the earliest possible day when the exigencies of the Public Service would allow him to bring forward the question without interrupting Supply, he should renew his Notice, and take the opinion of the House as to whether the seat was vacant or not.