§ MR. THEOBALD (Essex, Romford)I wish to ask the Prime Minister a question of which I have given him private 1483 notice, which is whether he is aware that in another place the Lord Chancellor moved and carried the omission of the Preamble to the Places of Worship (Sites) Bill on the ground that "Preambles did no good; they sometimes did harm, and they took up space in the Statutes"; and whether he is of the same opinion as the Lord Chancellor as regards Preambles, and especially as regards the Preamble to the Government of Ireland Bill, which is supposed to provide for the supremacy of the Imperial Parliament over the proposed Irish Legislative Body?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI only received notice of this question five minutes ago on the Treasury Bench. With respect to the question itself, I do not imagine the Lord Chancellor intended to lay down any strict and inflexible rule with respect to Preambles, and I do not see any reason for anticipating the decision of the House upon a question at which it will arrive in due time.