§ MR. H. H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton. E.)I wish to ask the First Lord of the Treasury a question with reference to the late Sitting on Monday when the House did not rise till a quarter past 1 o'clock this morning. The Votes and Proceedings of Friday's Sitting set forth that "it being after 1 o'clock, Mr. Speaker adjourned the House without Question put." Last night, however, considerably after 1 o'clock, and after the Money Bill exempted from the operation of the Standing Order had been disposed of, the House proceeded to deal with between 60 and 70 Orders of the Day. It was a great inconvenience to hon. Members to be kept after 1 o'clock, while the Orders of the Day were being hurriedly gone through, in order to 266 prevent possible mischief in consequence of some Bill being run through without the knowledge and concurrence of the House; and I ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will propose such a verbal alteration in the Standing Order relating to the Sittings of the House as will prevent any business being taken after 1 o'clock, except such business as either by Standing Order or Resolution of the House can be taken after that hour?
*MR, W. H. SMITHIt is somewhat unusual to put a question relating to the Orders and Rules of the House without notice; but in reply to the question of the right hon. Gentleman I have to say that the course pursued at an early hour this morning was, in the first place, for the convenience of the House; and, in the second place, in accordance with the Standing Orders, which provide that after any business exempted from the operation of this Resolution (that is the 12 o'clock Rule) is disposed of, the remaining business of the Sitting shall be dealt with according to the provisions applicable to business taken after 12 o'clock; and it is within the knowledge of the right hon. Gentleman that business taken after 12 o'clock at an ordinary Sitting is gone through for the convenience of the House, and Orders are postponed or, if no objection is made, they are taken, and when the Orders are gone through the adjournment is moved. That was the course pursued this morning, and I think it was one which was for the convenience of the House. I will, however, consider the question, and if there appears to be any general desire on the part of the House that a change should be made, I will see what course can be adopted.
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERI wish to explain that I thought the matter so important that I wished to call attention to it without loss of time, and had no opportunity of giving notice.