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THE PRIME MINISTER (The MARQUESS of SALISBURY) moved:—
That if during the existence of a Parliament Papers are commanded to be presented to this House by Her Majesty at any time, the delivery of such Papers to the Clerk of the Parliaments shall be deemed to be for all purposes the presentation of them to this House.
The noble Marquess explained that under the existing system, when Blue-books were presented while Parliament was sitting, they were circulated at once. As soon, however, as Parliament ceased to sit it became impossible to circulate a Blue-book except through the very clumsy agency of the London Gazette. Of course, when Blue-books were only intended to supply information to the Members of the two Houses there was
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no objection to that arrangement, but, whereas now they filled a perhaps still more important function in conveying information to the public, it was very desirable that there should be a power of publishing whenever it might be convenient to exercise such power. He had tried hard to make use of the judicial sittings of the House for the purpose which he had in view, but he had been opposed by high legal authority and had found that course impracticable. He trusted that his present proposal would remove all difficulties.
THE EARL OF ROSEBERYexpressed surprise that what the noble Marquess proposed had not been done before. He could not imagine, what the object of the present practice was, unless it was to cause as much annoyance to everybody as it was possible to conceive. Of course, so daring a constitutional innovation as this could only proceed from a Government headed by the noble Marquess. [Laughter.] He wished to know whether the same practice was to be followed in the other House, and also whether it would be in the competency of a Government to circulate literature through the Clerk of Parliaments at the time of a General Election in order to influence that Election. That would give a Government an advantage over an Opposition which was not in the contemplation of the Constitution. He had rather gloomy recollections of things done by a Government in the last convulsive moments of its existence, in the hope of influencing the electors. Their Lordships would remember, for example, the passing of the Law of Hypothec Abolition Bill when the rattle was almost in the throat of the expiring Parliament. If this objection were met, the proposal of the noble Marquess would meet with complete approval from the Opposition. It was true that it was possible at the present moment to evade the rule with regard to Parliamentary papers through the medium of the London Gazette, but it was no disparagement to that periodical publication to say that it did not boast the circulation of Lloyd's Weekly, and of other papers of similar importance. [Laughter.] It was only with difficulty that he managed to procure the Dispatches of the noble Marquess and of Mr. Olney printed in a legible type.
§ THE PRIME MINISTERexplained that of course his proposal had been drawn up in concert with the Leader of the House of Commons. Whether that right hon. Gentleman would make the same proposal at once in the other House depended on whether it was likely to meet with acceptance. He could not assign to it any large portion of Government time, and, as the circumstances rendering the change desirable would only arise at a much later date than this, the Leader of the other House might on that ground think it necessary to delay. The other criticism of the noble Earl might be met by the insertion of the words "during the existence of Parliament" after the word "if" in the Resolution. He moved to amend the Resolution in that way.
§ The words were inserted, and the amended Resolution was agreed to.
§ House adjourned at twenty minutes before Five o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter past Ten o'clock.