§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House will, To-morrow, resolve itself into a Committee to consider of the Ways and Means for raising the Supply to be granted to Her Majesty."—(Mr. William Henry Smith.)
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)asked, upon what grounds the Motion was moved without any Notice? He could not help thinking that a very bad precedent was being established. He understood it would not be regular to make this Motion until after the Report of the Address had been agreed to; but, in his opinion, it was a very strange thing, an unconstitutional thing, to make the present Motion without Notice. He should like the hon. Gentleman the Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Jackson)—who, he understood, had made the Motion—to tell where there was a precedent for the Motion. If the Government intended, as he saw they did, to take to-morrow, surely there was no necessity for them to make this Motion in this peculiar way. He knew there were cases in which Motions had been made without any explanation whatever by the Government; but if the Standing Orders compelled the Government to put down Supply to-morrow, surely they should give Notice.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. and learned Gentleman seems to think this is an exceptional proceeding. The Standing Orders require that Committee 1349 of Ways and Means should be set up immediately after the Address is voted.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYIf the Standing Orders require this, there is no need of a Motion.
§ MR. SPEAKERThis is a Motion to carry out the Standing Orders.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYMy point is, that if the Standing Orders require it there is no need of a Motion. I think the hon. Gentleman the Secretary to the Treasury should give us some explanation—
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order ! I cannot permit that. This is merely a formal proceeding, and I am acting under the obligations of the Standing Orders.
§ Question put, and agreed to.