§ MR. WEBB (Waterford)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been drawn to the practice of ignoring the existence of one portion of the United Kingdom on the titles of many of the Sessional printed papers and on the pink requirement papers daily issued to Members by order of this House by the use of the incorrect short title, "Great Britain," instead of the correct one, "United Kingdom," for the full title of the, "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland"; and whether be will issue such instructions as will render impossible a continuance of this practice?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEThe matter to which the hon. Member refers is by no means now. It is a very old grievance in Scotland to be called by the name of one of the greatest Powers of the world—to be described as England, which is at the head of the Empire—and I am not at all surprised that Ireland should come in to claim her share of the grievance. But the saving of time effected by the short title, "Great Britain" will always, I am afraid, operate as an obstacle in the way of the use of the fuller and correct title. But I will take care that on occasions when I am concerned to remember the hon. Member's wish. I have no power whatever respecting the phraseology that may 880 be used in documents brought before this House by hon. Members; neither do I desire to intrude on the province of the officers of the House with regard to documents with which they have to deal.
§ DR. MACGREGOR (Inverness-shire)May I ask why in this House Great Britain should be so often styled England? And whether this is not another reason for granting Home Rule all round?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI am afraid I should pass beyond the limits of Order were I to attempt to answer this large question in full. I am aware of no reason for this substitution of terms except brevity, and it is not easy, except on that ground, to defend the use of the incorrect term England, or the substitution of the other incorrect term, Great Britain, for the correct term of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
§ [No answer was given.]