§ MR. STEWART MACLIVERasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, If his attention has been directed to the frequent delays which occur in printing and issuing the Papers laid upon the Table of the House; whether the Printing Committee could be invited to meet and deal with the subject; and, whether the present system of supplying important Papers to certain public journals before they are given to Members will be stopped?
§ MR. COURTNEY,in reply, said, complaints about the delay were not unfrequent, though not always reasonable; but that was a matter with which he had nothing whatever to do, and he had no doubt that complaint to Mr. Speaker and the Committee would receive attention. In regard to the latter part of the Question, it referred to Papers printed by command, and not by order of the House; and for information on that subject he must refer his hon. Friend to the Secretaries of State for the various Departments through whose hands these Papers came.
§ MR. STEWART MACLIVERasked how it was that on Thursday last the important Papers about Egypt were supplied to the London newspapers 12 hours before they were in the hands of Members of the House?
§ MR. COURTNEYsaid, he could only refer his hon. Friend to the Secretaries of State. He did not know that what he had just stated was a fact, and if he did he should not be able to explain it.