§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That no Bills, other than Government Bills be introduced in anticipation of the ballot, and that all Members who desire to ballot, whether for Bills, or Motions for the first four Tuesdays of the Session, do hand in their names at the Table during the sitting of the House on the first or second day of the Session, and that a copy of such Notices be handed in at the latest during the sitting of the House on the third day of the Session. That the ballot for the precedence of the said Bills and Motions be taken to the third day 180 on which the House sits at a convenient time and place, to be appointed by Mr. Speaker, and that the introduction and First Reading of Bills on the fourth sitting day be taken before Questions and as soon after three o'clock as Mr. Speaker may deem convenient."—(Mr. A. J. Balfour.)
§ * MR. DAVID THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil)said he desired to draw the attention of the right hon. Gentleman to the careless chronology and unfortunate literary style of the Resolution. The House by it was asked on the second day to do something that should have been done on the first day of the Session—was asked, in fact, to-day to do something yesterday. The Resolution spoke of "such notices" without any prior reference to notices, and in the last line there was a reference to "sitting days. "Now, he had heard of sitting hens and of Sitting Bull, but not of sitting days, and he would suggest that the phrase should be altered so as to read, "On the day on which the House sits. "He would not press any alteration if the right hon. Gentleman objected, because he knew there were endless precedents for bad grammar in the resolutions in the House, but if the right hon. Gentleman were disposed to accept the suggestion he would move the necessary alterations of the Motion, and to put himself in order he would propose the insertion in line 4 after "session" of the words, "And who have not already done so."
§
Amendment proposed—
In line 4, after the word 'session,' to insert the words 'and have not already done so.' "—(Mr. David Thomas.)
§ Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted."
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid he bad simply adopted the form of Resolution which had been in use for many years. The words were thoroughly understood by the House, the practice under them was well established, and he thought it was hardly worth while to begin altering them now, especially as in the course of a few days he might induce the House to accept a proposition which would involve a change of the rule.
§ MR. DAVID THOMASVery well, I will not press my Amendment.
§ Amendment by leave withdrawn.
* MR. JAMES LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)said he hoped the right hon. Gentleman would give his attention to the serious inconvenience occasioned by the giving of notice personally at the Table when there was no occasion for doing so. Mr. Speaker himself had to intervene yesterday to check the practice, and such proceedings should be conducted in some of the purlieus of the House rather than in the House itself.
* MR. GIBSON BOWLESsaid he would like to make another suggestion. The Resolution spoke of the ballot. The ballot was a method of secret voting. There was here really no ballot but a lottery, and would it not therefore be well to substitute the word lottery for the word ballot. Again, if there were to be any change would it not be desirable instead of leaving the matter to chance, to adopt either a true ballot or some other method of selection which would give to Bills widely supported a better chance of being dealt with?
§ Main Question put, and agreed to.
§ Ordered, That no Bills, other than Government Bills, be introduced in anticipation of the ballot, and that all Members who desire to ballot, whether for Bills, or Motions for the first four Tuesdays of the session, do hand in their names at the Table during the sitting of the House on the first or second day of the session, and that a copy of such Notice be handed in at the latest during the sitting of the House on the third day of the session.
§ That the ballot for the precedence of the said Bills and Motions be taken on the third day on which the House sits at a convenient time and place, to be appointed by Mr. Speaker, and that the introduction and First Reading of Bills on the fourth sitting day be taken before Questions and as soon after three o'clock as Mr. Speaker may deem convenient.