§ Mr. SPEAKER acquainted the House that he had received a letter from Sir Reginald Francis Douce Palgrave, K.C.B., 71 the Clerk of the House, which Mr. Speaker read, as followeth:—
§ Library, House of Commons,
§ 30th January, 1900.
§ Sir,
§ I have the honour to acquaint you that as I have been more than forty-six years in the service of the House of Commons, of which the last thirty-one years were devoted to the work at the Table of the House, I desire to resign the Patent whereby Her Majesty assigned to me the office with which I have been so highly honoured, of Clerk of the House of Commons.
§ Severance from the performance of such distinguished duties, and, on my part, so long continued, must occasion regret, and pain, but I shall be able to retain in cordial remembrance a grateful sense of the generous consideration shown me by yourself and your predecessors in the Chair, and by the honourable Members who have sat in the eleven Parliaments during which I have been permitted to offer my services to the House of Commons.
§ I have the honour to be,
§ Sir,
§ Your obedient humble servant,
§ REGINALD F. D. PALGRAVE.
§ The Right Honble.
§ The Speaker of the House of Commons,
§ &c. &c. &c.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I beg to give notice that on Thursday next I shall move a vote of thanks to Sir Reginald Palgrave, late Clerk of the House.