PARLIAMENT—ORDER OF BUSINESS—QUESTIONS—PRECEDENCE OF MINISTERS.

THE EARL OF LIMERICK

, in rising to move— That all Questions of which Notice has been given by any Peer who holds or has held any of the offices of Lord Chancellor of England, Lord President of the Council, Lord Privy Seal, First Lord of the Treasury, Secretary of State, or First Lord of the Admiralty, do take precedence of all other Orders of the Day and Notices, said, his complaint was directed to Questions, and not to Notices of Motions. In "another place" the Questions asked must not be accompanied by remarks which might give rise to debate, but the rule in their Lordships' House was different. Any noble Lord putting a Question might make observations upon it, and debates might and did arise. He would further remind their Lordships that, according to the Rules of their House, Questions put without Notice, or after private Notice, might be asked before the time when the Notices on the Order Paper were taken. There had been protests against such a course on the part of those who came down to the 764 House later, not expecting that Questions would be put. He ventured to suggest that it was very important that, whenever possible, Questions should appear in print upon the Notice Paper of the House, and then any noble Lord would see them and be able to take part in the debates arising upon them. The result arising from the present practice was that noble Lords in Office or who had held Office were often deterred from giving public Notice of very important Questions, fearing that if they were to do so their Questions might not be reached until a late hour, when the number of noble Lords present would possibly be small. Inconvenience, too, was often caused by this practice of asking Questions without Notice, because, when they gave rise to debate, noble Lords, who would have taken part in the discussion if they had known that the subject would be brought forward, were either absent from the House or unprepared to speak. In answer to the possible argument that the change proposed might give an undue advantage to occupants of the Front Bench, he thought that would be counterbalanced by the convenience the arrangement would be found to give to all Members. He did not think the House would adopt the rule which obtained in "another place" of putting Questions without prefatory remarks; but it would be well to adopt his Motion, and, if possible, to have the Questions printed. In that case, noble Lords would be induced to give Notice of important Questions more often than at present, and the inconvenience of which he complained would less frequently arise. He would conclude by moving his Resolution.

§ EARL GRANVILLE

said, he must acknowledge that they ought to be grateful to any Member of their Lordships' House who might make suggestions with a view of facilitating the progress of Business, especially with respect to giving Notices of Questions. At the same time, he must say that, though he had been many years in that House, 765 the inconvenience against which the noble Earl (the Earl of Limerick) wished to guard had never impressed him. But, even if it really existed, he should be very sorry indeed to agree with his noble Friend as to the remedy which he proposed. In that House, though there were different grades of Peers, they were all equal, they had all the same right and the same privileges, and he should object greatly to the creation of privileges for a special class. He ventured to think his noble Friend would do wisely in withdrawing his Motion.

PARLIAMENT—ORDER OF BUSINESS—QUESTIONS—PRECEDENCE OF MINISTERS.—RESOLUTION.