THE DUKE OF ST. ALBANS, in pursuance of Notice, rose to ask Her Majesty's Government, Whether they will undertake to introduce a Bill for redistribution of seats on the first opportunity, and use their best endeavours so that it may come into effect before the election of another Parliament?—when—
§ THE EARL OF REDESDALE (CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES)said, the Question was out of Order, as there was other Business before it on the Paper, including the Order for the Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill.
THE EARL OF LIMERICK, who had the following Notice on the Paper:—
To ask as a further Question, Whether, if Her Majesty's Government did undertake to introduce a Bill for the redistribution of seats on the first opportunity, it would not be open to them to abandon such Bill if important Amendments were inserted in either House of Parliament, or for any other reason, and force an election (supposing the Representation of the People Bill were passed this Session) under the extended franchise, without any redistribution of seats,said, he thought that if the noble Duke (the Duke of St. Albans) were permitted to put his Question, the answer given to it might elucidate the course which the Government proposed to take, and might have a material effect on the course of the coming debate. He would, therefore, appeal to the noble Lords on that (the Opposition side) to allow the Question to be put, especially as the 97 noble Duke had no knowledge of the place it would receive on the Paper.
§ THE EARL OF REDESDALE (CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES)said, that would be a pure waste of time. The noble Earl who was to move the second reading of the Representation of the People Bill (the Earl of Kimberley) would, no doubt, be able to state what course the Government intended to take in respect to the redistribution of seats. It was most important that the Notices should be taken in the order in which they appeared on the Paper.