§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEI wish to ask a Question with reference to the course of Business next week. 1853 The Government have placed Monday at the disposal of my right hon. Friend (Sir Michael Hicks-Beach), who is to bring forward a Motion with regard to General Gordon. I am anxious, and all my Friends are anxious, that hon. Members should compress their speeches as much as possible; but it will be absolutely impossible to conclude the debate in one night, and I wish to know whether the Government can in any way assist us? I have also to ask hon. Members who have Notices down for Tuesday to allow us to continue the debate on that day. The Government are going to give precedence to the Motion of my right hon. Friend at the Tuesday Morning Sitting. I presume it will be impossible, or very inconvenient, to rescind the Order that has been made with regard to Tuesday Morning Sittings. Undoubtedly, however, it would be well if we could meet at 4 on Tuesday; but if that cannot be, we shall debate the Motion from 2 till 7, and then we shall resume at 9 o'clock. Now, there are 12 Notices of Motion and eight Orders of the Day on the Paper for Tuesday evening. The Notices of Motion are not as formidable as they appear to be at first sight, for many of them hang together. If it would be possible for those hon. Members in whose names the Notices stand to signify their willingness to allow their Motions to be set aside, we could make some arrangement with reference to the Bills set down as Orders of the Day, and the debate could be finished at the Evening Sitting. It would, of course, be more convenient to take a 4 o'clock Sitting.
MR. GLADSTONEI can only answer the appeal of the right hon. Gentleman so far as I am myself concerned. It would be of no advantage to entertain the proposal to rescind for Tuesday the resolution to which we have come— for this reason, among others, that if we were to rescind it, the effect would be that the Government would lose all power of giving any facility to the right hon. Gentleman and his Friends for their Motion on Tuesday. If we were to agree to meet at 4 on that day, the same application to hon. Gentlemen who have Notices on the Paper would still have to be made which has now to be made with regard to the Evening Sitting. We have, therefore, I think, done all that lies in our power. But 1854 considering the inconvenience of a fixed term for the closing of the debate, I shall be glad to support any application which the right hon. Gentleman may make to Members to waive their privileges at 9 o'clock on Tuesday evening; and likewise, with respect to the Orders of the Day, I think that it will be desirable to postpone all the Motions and Orders until after the debate with respect to General Gordon.