§ MR. BRUNNER (Cheshire, Northwich)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether Her Majesty's Government are prepared to recommend to the House amendments of the Standing Orders which shall provide, in accordance with the recommendation of the Select Committee on Parliamentary Procedure of the year 1886, of which the Marquess of Hartington was Chairman, that the practice of Mr. Speaker asking, after leave to bring in a Bill, "Who will prepare and bring in the said Bill?" be dispensed with, and that the presentation of Bills and of Reports from the Bar by Members walking up the floor to the Table be discontinued, and further that Government Bills may, at the option of the Government, be read a first time without Debate.
§ MR. JOHN ELLIS (Nottingham, Rushcliffe)I beg, at the same time, to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government is prepared to recommend such a modification of Standing Order No. I. (Sittings of the House) as will place it beyond the power of a single Member to prevent the transaction of any particular business when it is the evident and general sense of the House that it should be proceeded with?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE,) Edinburgh, MidlothianThere are several points in the Standing Orders which stand for consideration when the opportunity arises. I should be very glad if, without any change in the Rules of the House, the Government could have the same facilities for the first stage of a Bill as are enjoyed by private Members; but we do not propose at present to take any positive step for initiating the subject by a series of changes in the Standing Orders.