§ COLONEL HUGHESI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will consider the advantage of saving the time of the House by printing the answers to questions of which ample notice has been given?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE,) Edinburgh, MidlothianI am very conscious that inconvenience does happen, and has already happened, to some extent, in our short experience of the present Parliament, by reason of the great number of questions asked. Those, however, who are most sensible of the inconvenience are also those who put questions which, no doubt, under a strong sense of public duty they find it necessary for them to lengthen. I think our experience of the Session is too short to justify us in moving at present. I fully agree that the matter deserves attention, and that it is right that Her Majesty's Government should, if necessary, take the initiative on the subject; but obviously anything that is done, or is proposed to be done, should represent the general sense of the House, and not merely that of the Party in Office, and be likewise in accordance with the authorities.