MR. J. LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury what steps he intends to take in order to enable the Government to carry out the undertaking into which he entered with the House upon Monday last regarding the Adjournment of the House each day immediately upon the conclusion of Government Business?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEWe have every disposition to act literally and strictly upon the promise which I made to the House; but we are bound to consider the convenience of the House, and not to involve it in any difficulty. We found that we might have involved the House in some difficulty had we proceeded at once to act upon the original understanding, and, in accordance with the general wish, what may be called a temporising course was adopted for a night or two, perhaps with no bad results. We have acted in the spirit in which our announcement was made, and we hope that in the course of two or three days we may arrive at a condition of things in which the Motion for Adjournment may be made every night upon the conclusion of Government Business. That was the course adopted in 1882, when the House had Autumn [Sittings for a definite purpose. At the conclusion of the Government Business of the night it was then my practice to move the Adjournment of the House.