§ MR. COGHILLI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, before a dissolution takes place, the Government will bring in and pass a Redistribution of Seats Bill.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI remember answering a Question of my hon. friend couched in very much the same terms some time ago,† and I really have not very much to add to it now. I am aware that the subject excites, and in my judgment very properly excites, great interest, inasmuch as the anomalies which at present exist in our electoral system are augmented, and seem likely to be augmented, and have already reached a point which, I think, it is impossible to justify. But I could not give, nor do I think it wise to give, any specific pledge at the present time as to whether it would be practicable in the immediate future to deal with this very difficult question. I may point out to my hon. friend that though most of us who have studied the question are quite prepared to admit the gravity of the evil, I have not yet seen a satisfactory plan for dealing with it suggested by those who have given it most attention.