§
*MR. HANBURY, moved—
''To nominate the Select Committee on Public Accounts:
That the Committee do consist of Fifteen Members:
That Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Gibson Bowles, Mr. Cameron Corbett. Sir John Colomb, Mr. Gilliat, Mr. Hanbury, Mr. Grant Lawson, Mr. Herbert Lewis, Mr. Luttrell, Sir Stafford Northcote, Mr. Arthur O'Connor, Sir Albert Rollit, Mr. Thornton, Mr. Webb, and Mr. Woodall be Members of the Committee.
''That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers and records:
That Five be the quorum:
That the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee on Public Accounts, together with Reports, in the last Session be referred to the Committee on Public Accounts.
§ DR. CLARKwished to know why the right hon. Gentleman desired to press this motion. Was it absolutely necessary that the Committee should be appointed? They were setting a precedent, and after this all Committees would be composed of nine Members representing the Government and six representing the Opposition. Those on his side of the House could not agree to that new departure. This Committee was a very important Committee, and some Members were not satisfied with its composition. They thought it was not so strong as it ought to be, and that more Members with a better knowledge of the matter should be put on it. In the circumstances he moved the Adjournment of the Debate.
§ * MR. HANBURYsaid, he had undoubtedly been advised that it was not absolutely necessary that the Committee should be set up, but there were in the Public Accounts Committee one or two Members who carried great weight, especially the Member for Donegal, and on the representations of that hon Member he had come to the conclusion that it was better to set up the Committee. 656 It was not, however, absolutely necessary that it should be set up. There was no absolute necessity that the Committee should be set up, if it would be any satisfaction to the hon. Member for Donegal and one or two others that it should be dropped. Personally he did not really care whether it was set up or not.
§ DR. CLARKsaid, he would withdraw his opposition if what was done now was not to be taken as a precedent.
MR. T. M. HEALYsaid, he understood from the right hon. Gentleman that it was purely a pro formâ matter. The hon. Member for Caithness had raised an important point; but it might be waived for the present if it were to be understood that they were not foreclosing the question as to the proportion between Members of the Government and Members of the Opposition on the Committee
§ Question proposed, "That the Debate be now adjourned."
§ Motion, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Original Question put, and agreed to.
§ Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Gibson Bowles, Mr. Cameron Corbett, Sir John Colomb, Mr. Gilliat, Mr. Hanbury, Mr. Grant Lawson, Mr. Herbert Lewis, Mr. Luttrell, Sir Stafford Northcote, Mr. Arthur O'Connor, Sir Albert Rollit, Mr. Thornton, Mr. Webb, and Mr. Woodall nominated Members of the Committee.
§ Ordered, That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers, and records.
§ Ordered, That Five be the quorum.
§ Ordered, That the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee on Public Accounts, together with Reports, in the last Session, be referred to the Committee of Public Accounts.—(Mr. Hanbury.)
§ Whereupon, Mr. Speaker, in pursuance of the Order of the House of the 19th August, adjourned the House without Question put.
§ House adjourned at half after One o'clock.