§ EARL STANHOPEasked the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack, When he proposed to fix the second 1331 reading of the Bill giving effect to the Report of the Ritual Commission on the Tables of Lessons, which had been before the House three or four weeks? It was desirable that the measure should reach the other House in sufficient time to be considered this Session.
THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid, that since he had introduced the Bill to confirm the Report at which the Ritual Commission had arrived with respect to the Lectionary; it had been mentioned to him that another Report was expected from the same Commission, altering to some extent—but to what extent he did not know—the Rubrics of the Prayer Book, and that there might be some convenience in waiting until both alterations could be embodied in a re-issue of the Prayer Book. On making inquiries, however, he found that any difficulty of the kind referred to might be obviated by printing the new Table of Lessons on a sheet which might be bound up with the present Prayer Book: and there was no reason to wait for another year for the Report in reference to the Rubrics. It, therefore, appeared to him advisable to proceed with the Bill he had introduced, and he would accordingly place the second reading on the Notice Paper for Thursday next.