THE EARL OF DONOUGHMOREsaid, that having seen a notification that tickets for admission to places to witness the ceremony of distributing the Cross of Valour could be obtained by application to the Quartermaster General's Department, he had applied, but had not received an answer—no doubt because the number of tickets was exhausted; but he thought it rather hard that as 6,000 or 7,000 persons had been admitted to places, a Member of their Lordships' House was unable to obtain one.
§ LORD PANMUREsaid, no doubt there was a general understanding that tickets of admission could be obtained on application to the Quartermaster General, and many Members of both Houses of Parliament having applied got tickets. He hoped the noble Earl would make some allowance for what had occurred, when he stated that 20,000 applications for tickets had been received, and Sir Richard Airey had been obliged to apologize by advertisement for not answering all the letters he had received.
THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDEsaid, he had had the advantage of possessing a ticket, and had enjoyed every possible convenience, so that on personal 417 grounds he had no reason to complain; but he thought it an error that in cases of this sort Members of that House should have to apply for tickets to a subordinate officer. He did not make any complaint against Sir Richard Airey, but he thought on occasions like these Peers and Members of the House of Commons ought always to have accommodation provided for them in their collective capacity. It had always been the practice to do so; it was so at Lord Nelson's funeral; it was so at the Duke of Wellington's funeral; and he thought it was not a very dignified course for their Lordships and Members of the other House to be applying, as a matter of individual favour, for that which ought to be granted as of course to Members of both Houses of Parliament.
§ LORD VIVIANsaid, that less mindful than many Members of the House of Commons, he had not applied to the Quartermaster General, and at the last hour he was obliged to get a ticket from another quarter; and he could say that it was impossible that any arrangements on the ground could have been better than those which had been made.