§ SIR C. W. DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been called to Resolutions suggested for adoption by both Houses of Parliament by a Select Committee of the House of Lords on Public Business which sat in 1861, to the effect that it is expedient, in certain cases, to adopt an abridged form of proceeding with reference to Bills which shall be again brought before this House, after having been passed by it in the immediately preceding Session of the same Parliament; and that, on a Resolution being moved that it is expedient again to pass, and to send to the other House for its concurrence any such Bill, the Question shall be put whether the House will agree to the same, and on such a Resolution being agreed to the Bill to which it relates shall be forthwith sent to the other House for its concurrence without any further question being put or any debate allowed; whether Lord Salisbury took action to the same effect in 1869: and whether, in the present state of Public Business, he will consider the advisability of proposing some similar form of abridged procedure?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI believe that the facts are accurately recited in the question of my right hon. Friend. The House of Commons has shown what I think on general grounds is a judicious indisposition to interfere with its excellent Rules as to Bills, which have 1220 been found very well adapted to ordinary times. But we undoubtedly appear to have passed the happy era in which those excellent Rules were altogether sufficient, and it may be necessary under the new circumstances which have been pointed out by the question of the right hon. Gentleman that the Rules should be carefully considered by the Government. However, the moment has not yet arrived for that reconsideration. For the moment my answer seems to me to be sufficient.