Commons Sitting of 26 June 1895

Preamble
The House met at Twelve of the Clock.
PROVISIONAL ORDER BILLS.
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 19) BILL.
  Read 2°, and committed.

  ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS.
  Copy ordered,—
  "Of Memorandum stating the nature of the proposals contained in the Provisional Orders included in the Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 5.) Bill."—(Mr. Burt.)
  Copy presented accordingly; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No.332.]

  ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL ORDERS.
  Copy ordered,
  "Of Memorandum stating the nature of the proposals contained in the Provisional Order included in the Electric Lighting Provisional Order (No. 6) Bill."—(Mr. Burt.)
  Copy presented accordingly; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 333.]

  TRAMWAYS ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 1) BILL.
  Paper [presented 25th June] to be printed. [No. 325.]
  TRAMWAYS ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 2) BILL.
  Paper [presented 25th June] to be printed. [No. 326.]
  WATER ORDERS CONFIRMATION BILL.
  Paper [presented 25th June) to be printed. [No. 327.]
  ELECTRIC LIGHTING ACTS, 1882 to 1890 (PROCEEDINGS).
  Paper [presented 25th June] to be printed. [No. 328.]
  LOCAL TAXATION RETURNS (ENGLAND).
  Copy presented of the Annual Returns for 1893–94, Part I. (Poor Rate Return and Valuation for the Poor Rates) [by Act] ; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 329.]
  LOCAL TAXATION RETURNS (ENGLAND).
  Copy presented,—of the Annual Returns for 1893–4, Part II. (Accounts of County Councils and Pauper Lunatic Asylums) [by Act]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 330.]
  BOARD OF AGRICTLTURE (DISTRIBU TION OF GRANTS).
  Copy presented,—of Report on the Distribution of Grants for Agricultural Education in Great Britain, in the financial year 1894–5, with an Appendix [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  NAVY (EXCEPTIONS TO QUEEN'S REGULATIONS).
  Copy presented,—of List of Exceptions to the Queen's Regulations as to Pay, Non-Effective Pay, and Allowances during the year 1894–5 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.
  NAVAL PRIZE MONEY.
  Account presented,—showing the Receipts and Expenditure of Naval Prize Bounty, Salvage, and other Moneys between 1st April 1894 and 31st March 1895 [by Act]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 331.]

  LOCAL TAXATION (ENGLAND) ACCOUNT, 1894–95.
  Return ordered—
  "showing, in respect of the financial year ended the 31st day of March 1895 (1) the total amount of the Local Taxation Licences and Probate Duty Grant paid into the Local Taxation (England) Account, and the amounts paid out of such Licences and Probate Duty Grant to, or on behalf of, the Council of each administrative county or county borough; (2) the amounts paid out of the proceeds of the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Duties to each police authority in aid of police pension funds; and
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  (3) the amounts paid out of the residue of the proceeds of those duties to the Council of each administrative county and county borough."—(Sir Walter Foster.)
  Return presented accordingly; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 334.]

  PUBLIC BUSINESS.
  SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT (Derby) rose, amid cheers, at Twelve minutes after Twelve, and said: Mr. Speaker, I am now in a position to state to the House that the Marquess of Salisbury, by Her Majesty's Command, is engaged in the formation of an Administration. ["Hear, hear!"] I understand that it will be convenient that certain Writs should be moved today, and also, I am informed by the authorised channel of communication, that it will be convenient that the House should adjourn after that has been done until Monday next. But it will be necessary—
  MR. SPEAKER: I would remind the right hon. Gentleman that a Commission has been fixed for to-morrow.
  SIR W. HARCOURT: I was going to mention that. It will be convenient, for the transaction of business, that the House should adjourn until Monday, but, as a matter of form, a Royal Commission of Assent to the Seal Fisheries Bill, which I mentioned before to the House must receive the Royal Assent this week, will come to the House of Commons to morrow. But, as the House is aware, that will not require the attendance of any number of Members, as the Commission makes a House. It will be a

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  merely formal proceeding. As regards any other proceedings, I understand that it will be convenient to the Gentlemen engaged in the formation of an Administration, that the House should adjourn till Monday next. I shall, therefore, after the Writs are moved, move—I think that will be the proper form—"That the House at its rising to-morrow do adjourn until Monday next," and then that the House to-day do adjourn until to-morrow. ["Hear, hear!"]
  MR. SPEAKERhaving put the question for the adjournment to-morrow until Monday,
  MR. E. J. C. MORTON: May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether this Motion would interfere with the sitting of the Grand Committee on Trade to-morrow?
  SIR W. HARCOURT: No, Sir; I would follow my Motion up by the Motion usually made on these occasions, that for the remainder of the Session all the Committees have leave to sit, notwithstanding the Adjournment of the House.
  MR. H. LABOUCHERE: Will the right hon. Gentleman the Member for one of the Divisions of Kent, in whose hands the conduct of public business practically is, tell us what will be the course of procedure on Monday next? What we want to know is when the General Election will come on? [Loud cheers and laughter.] We are burning with the desire to go to our constituents. [Cheers and laughter.] And we should like, as practical men, to know something about dates. [Cheers and laughter.] As I understand, it will be necessary before Parliament does dissolve that there should be a Vote on
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  Account, and possibly one or two small Votes taken. I do not believe that there is any disposition on the part of hon. Members in this part of the House in any sort of way to oppose this being done; but then, if that is understood, we ought, on the other hand, to learn from the incoming Government what is their course of procedure, and whether we are to understand that next week the Vote on Account will be moved, and that the Appropriation Bill will be passed, and that then there will be a Dissolution. [Cheers.]
  MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS, who, on rising, was received with loud cheers, said: I am afraid that I cannot answer the whole of the question of the hon. Member for Northampton. I will only say, in general terms, that we are most anxious that the Dissolution shall take place at the earliest possible date. [Cheers.] I am delighted to find that the hon. Gentleman and some of his hon. Friends behind him, by their cheers appear to be anxious to co-operate with us in that respect. If there is any further statement I can make on Monday I will do so. [Cheers.]
  Motion agreed to.
  Resolved, "That this House, at its rising To-morrow, do adjourn until Monday next."

  NEW WRITS.
  MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS: I beg to move that Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new Writ for the election of

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  a Member to serve in the present Parliament for the borough of Manchester (East Division), in the room of the right hon. Arthur James Balfour, who since his election has accepted the office of First Commissioner for executing the offices of the Treasury of the Exchequer of Great Britain and Lord High Treasurer of Ireland. [Cheers.]
  Motion agreed to.
  MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS: I beg to move that Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown for the election of a Member to serve in the present Parliament for the borough of Birmingham (West Division), in the room of the right hon. Joseph Chamberlain, who since his election has accepted the office of one of Her Majesty's principal Secretaries of State. [Cheers.]
  Motion agreed to.
  MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS: I beg to move that Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown for the election of a Member to serve in the present Parliament for the borough of Bristol (West Division), in the room of the right hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach, who since his election has accepted the office of Chancellor and Under Treasurer of the Exchequer. [Cheers.]
  Motion agreed to.
  MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS: I beg to move that Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown for the election of a Member to serve in the present Parliament for the borough of St. George's, Hanover Square, in the room of the right hon. George Joachim
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  Goschen, who since his election has accepted the office of First Commonersis for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom. [Cheers.]
  Motion agreed to.

  COMMITTEES.
  SIR W. HARCOURT: I will now move, "That for the remainder of the Session all Committees have leave to sit not withstanding any Adjournment of the House."
  Motion agreed to.

  ADJOURNMENT.
  SIR W. HARCOURT: I beg to move, "That this House do now adjourn."
  Motion agreed to.
  House accordingly adjourned at Twenty-five Minutes after Twelve o'clock