MR. GLADSTONEI beg to give Notice that I will, to-morrow, move for Leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Law relating to the Representation of the People of the United Kingdom; and that I will, on Monday, move that the several stages of any Bill relating to the Representation of the People have precedence of all Orders of the Day, and Notices of Motion, on every day for which they may be set down by the Government.
§ MR. TOMLINSONgave Notice that, to-morrow, he would ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he was correctly reported to have said in a speech at Preston Railway Station, on the 26th September—
That the Franchise Bill was a very simple measure, but everything was done by the Tories to make it complicated. With that object they tried to bring in the woman's franchise;whether he referred to the Amendment on the Franchise Bill of last Session proposed by the hon. Member for Stoke, and seconded by the hon. Member for Manchester, or what Amendment he referred to; whether he intended to refer to those two hon. Members as having a desire to overweight the Franchise Bill; and, whether he was aware that several Leaders of the Conservative Party had for several years been in favour of the female suffrage?
MR. GLADSTONEI will answer the Question now. I think that the report, as far as I have heard it read, is perfectly correct. I did not refer to the proceeding of my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke, who evinced the sincerity of his conduct on that occasion by doing what he was perfectly entitled to do, and what was very inconvenient to the Government and to his Party. I do not think any further answer is necessary.
§ MR. TOMLINSONI beg to call the right hon. Gentleman's attention to the fact that he has not answered the last paragraph. [Cries of "Order!"] I will put the Question down on the Paper.
§ SIR JOHN LUBBOCKOn Tuesday, the 4th of November, to move that no Redistribution Bill will be satisfactory which does not recognize the principle of proportional representation.
§ MR. LABOUCHERETo ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he will consent to the appointment of a Select Committee, with power to summon and examine witnesses, to inquire into the mode in which one of the schemes of Redistribution, which were printed for the private consideration of certain Members of Her Majesty's Government, was obtained and published in The Standard?
§ SIR JOHN HAYTo-morrow, to ask leave to bring in a Bill for the redistribution of seats.
§ MR. MACIVERI beg to give Notice that I shall move an Amendment to the Address in the following terms:—To add the words—
But we humbly direct Her Majesty's attention to the depressed condition of commerce and agriculture, and regret that Her Majesty's gracious Speech contains no reference to a subject of such paramount importance.