§ MR. SWEETMAN (Wicklow, E.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, for the purpose of increasing the time at the disposal of the House for the consideration of the important Bills now before it, the Government would approve that, when the House meets at 3 o'clock, questions be begun at a quarter past 3 in case Private Business is then over; that the time for questions shall end at 4 o'clock; that those not then asked shall have precedence on the following day; and if they do not approve of the above plan, whether they would propose some plan to effectually prevent an excessive number of questions being asked?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE,) Edinburgh, MidlothianI fully recognize the importance of the question, with which I sympathize, but I do not see my way at the present moment to approach it, and I fear the suggestions made by the hon. Member as to the alteration of time for questions would not give general satisfaction.
§ MR. BARTLEYIs it not a fact that questions in the last Parliament were more numerous than in this?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI have not summed them up.
§ MR. H. HOBHOUSE (Somerset, E.)May I ask whether, in view of the suggestions that are being made for facilitating business, and mostly from private Members, the right hon. Gentleman will reconsider his decision as to granting a Select Committee to inquire into the matter?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEWe should not be disposed to do that, for we do not consider the present time a convenient one for going into the question, and I am afraid that if a Motion for a Select Committee were put down it would probably be blocked by some other Member.