§ MR. CRILLYI beg to ask the Under Secretary for the Home Department what is the reason for the delay in distributing the Twelfth Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, along with the Five Appendices, which were presented to the House on the 24th of August, 1889; whether he can say when these volumes will be in the hands of Members; and whether he approves of the system of presenting Papers and Returns to the House in dummy, when, as occurs in many instances, months elapse before the actual copies of these Papers and Returns are put in circulation?
§ *THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. STUART WORTLEY,) Sheffield, HallamThe Secretary of State is informed by the Commissioners that the delay in distributing the Twelfth Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, with the Five Appendices, which were presented to the House on the 12th of August last, is due to difficulty in obtaining certain proofs from the printers, to the great labour involved in making the indexes, and to the limited nature of the staff and resources at the disposal of the Commissioners for such work. The Commissioners fully expected last year that the Report would be issued during the recess, and they have now informed the Secretary of State that its issue may be confidently expected during the present month. The Commissioners have expressed their regret at the delay and inconvenience caused, and their intention to act in future as closely as possible in accordance with the order of this House.
§ MR. CRILLYIs the hon. Gentleman aware that two of the volumes issued last year had no index?
§ *MR. STUART WORTLEYThat is probably their reason for delaying the issue of the present volume until com pletion of the indexes.