§ MR. ROBERT WALLACE (Edinburgh, E.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can now state if the Government intend by legislation, Budget arrangement, or otherwise, to give practical effect to the principle of the payment of Members of Parliament?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY(Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE,) Edinburgh, MidlothianWith regard to the question and the alternative to which it refers, I have no hesitation in saying that, in my opinion, legislation is the only method by which a question of that magnitude could be disposed of; I do not think it could be disposed of by the Budget or other proceedings of the Executive Government. With regard to the question itself, I have already 394 communicated with two deputations of Members of Parliament, a number of whom, I am aware, feel strongly on the question. I have made known to them that the opinions of my colleagues, as far as I am acquainted with them, are favourable to the measure indicated for the payment of Members, and will use their efforts to promote it, but they have not felt themselves able to propose to make so considerable an addition to their present arrangements for this Session, without any reasonable probability of being able to redeem such engagement.