§ MR. COGHILL (Stoke-on-Trent)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that the House met on 16th January and is still sitting, he will consider the advisability of proposing a return next session to the former Rules of Procedure.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.It is unfortunately true that the House met early this year and has been sitting late; but a confess that the somewhat protracted experience that we have thus against our will obtained has only convinced me more than ever of the necessity for the new Rules.
§ MR. COGHILLDoes the right hon. Gentleman intend at this advanced period of the session, when nearly three-fourths of the Members are going away, to propose that, these new Rules shall be made permanent?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am sure my hon. friend does not seriously make the proposal that the long discussions which we had at the beginning of the session should be absolutely thrown away, and that the whole labour should have to be repeated in a subsequent session.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUROh, emphatically.