§ MR. THOMASSONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he can undertake at the commencement of the Session of 1882 to submit the Standing Orders for the consideration of the House, with a view by their revision to economise the public time?
MR. GLADSTONESir, we have not yet made sufficient progress in the present Session to enable me to make a categorical declaration as to what we may or may not do at the outset of next Session. But I must say that, with that reservation, I am of opinion that the condition of the House with regard to its arrangements for conducting Business now constitutes a public question of the first magnitude, requiring the earliest attention as soon as the state of Business will permit.