§ Message from Her Majesty brought up, and read by Mr. Speaker (all the Members being uncovered), as followeth:—
§ VICTORIA R.,
§ Her Majesty relies upon the cordial interest which Her faithful Commons have expressed in the approaching Marriage of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, to Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont.
§ The proofs which the Queen has never failed to receive of their loyalty to Her Throne, and of their attachment to Her person and Family, lead Her to believe that they will, upon this happy occasion, make such a provision for Prince Leopold as may be suitable to the dignity of the Crown.
§ V.R.
MR. GLADSTONEI wish to give Notice that, on Thursday, I shall move that Her Majesty's gracious Message be taken into consideration.
§ MR. LEWISI beg to ask you, Sir, as a matter of Order, whether it is not customary, when Her Majesty's Message is being read, out of respect to Her Majesty, that Members take their hats off?
§ MR. SPEAKERWhen a Message from the Crown is read, it is usual for the House to receive it uncovered.
§ MR. LEWISI have to take notice, Sir, that a Cabinet Minister sat with his hat on when Her Majesty's gracious Message was being read to the House.
§ COLONEL NOLANI have to state that in the last Parliament I have repeatedly seen Ministers—Members of the late Government—sitting with their hats on 1443 when Her Majesty's Message was being read.
§ MR. H. B. SAMUELSONAS recently as Friday, the 10th of March, during the reading of the Message from the Queen, I took particular notice that the right hon. Gentleman the late Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir R. Assheton Cross) and the right hon. Baronet the late Secretary for the Colonies (Sir Michael Hicks-Beach) both sat with their hats on. I wrote it down at the time, because I knew there had been some controversy on the question.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREI beg to give Notice that when the right hon. Gentleman moves the Resolution in regard to Her Majesty's gracious Message I shall oppose that Motion.
§ SIR R. ASSHETON CROSSWith regard to the question raised just now by the hon. Member for Frome, it may be well, in order to prevent confusion, that I should ask you, Mr. Speaker, this question—namely, Whether the rule for uncovering on a Message being read from the Crown does not apply only to Messages under the Sign Manual, read by the Speaker from the Chair—[Mr. GLADSTONE: Hear, hear!]—and not to the ordinary answer brought up on an Address from this House, which is read at the Bar?
§ MR. SPEAKERThe distinction made by the right hon. Gentleman is correct. Any Message direct from the Crown, and read to the House from the Chair, is always received by Members of this House uncovered, and an entry to that effect is made in the Votes. That observation does not apply to an answer from the Sovereign to an Address from this House.