Sitting of 5 May 1880

Preamble
The House met at Three of the clock.
Several other Members took and subscribed the Oath; and a Member made and subscribed the Affirmation required by Law,

QUESTIONS.

  PARLIAMENTARY OATH (ME. BRADLAUGH).
  SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked the noble Lord the Secretary to the Treasury, When he intends to propose the nomination of the Committee with reference to the claim of the hon. Member for Northampton to make an Affirmation in lieu of taking the usual Oath at the Table? He also begged to give Notice that whenever the matter was brought on he should oppose the nomination of the Committee.
  LORD RICHARD GROSVENOR: Sir, I intend to give Notice to-day of the nomination of the Committee. I have a list in my hand of the names of those Gentlemen who have consented to serve on the Committee, and whom I will propose when the Committee is nominated; and as it is most desirable that they should have the assistance of certain legal Gentlemen who are not at present Members of the House, but who I hope will be so by Monday next, I now give Notice that I will move the addition of their names to the Committee.
  MR. GORSTasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is his intention to place on the Notice Paper for Monday the names of Gentlemen to serve on the proposed Committee who are not now Members of the House, or whether he proposed on Monday to nominate for the Committee Gentlemen of whose names no Notice has been given.
  LORD RICHARD GROSYENOR: It is obviously impossible for me at this moment to place on the Notice Paper the names of Gentlemen who are not at present Members of this House; but I hope they will be re-elected in the course of the present week, and on Monday I trust I shall be in a position to give the names of those Gentlemen.
  MR. GORSTasked, Whether the noble Lord would give Notice of the names on Monday, or would he propose their election on Monday?
  LORD RICHARD GROSVENOR: Sir, my simple course now will be to read the names of those Gentlemen who have consented to serve on the Committee, and, with the permission of the House, to give Notice that I will move their nomination
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  on Monday. They are, Mr. Whitbread, Sir John Holker, Mr. Goschen, Sir Har-dinge Giffard, Mr. Massey, Mr. Staveley Hill, Sir Henry Jackson, Mr.Pemberton, Mr. Watkin Williams, Mr. Walpole, Mr. Hopwood, Mr. Beresford Hope, Major Nolan, Mr. Chaplin, and Lord Frederick Cavendish. I will also on Monday proceed to move the addition of names of certain Gentlemen who will, then, I hope, be Members of this House.
  MR. CALLANasked, Whether it would be competent for the Secretary to the Treasury on Monday to move, without Notice, the addition of names of which no Notice had been given? He thought it was the invariable custom of the House for Notice to be given at a previous Sitting of the names of the Gentlemen who were to be nominated to serve on a Committee.
  LORD RICHARD GROSVENORsaid, he thought it would be in Order if he put a Notice on the Paper that it was his intention on Monday next to move the addition of certain Members of this House to the Committee. He believed that he would bo in Order in giving that Notice.
  MR. RITCHIEbegged to give Notice that on the nomination of those Gentlemen whose names had not been previously submitted to that House he should oppose every one of them.
  MR. W. M. TORRENSwished to know whether a new rule was to be adopted in this case? It was in the mind of the noble Lord the Secretary to the Treasury to nominate somebody—they did not know whom—and they were asked to accept Notice of certain Gentlemen to whom nobody objected, but whose presence might be seriously affected by the names that might be submitted on Monday next. He was of opinion that it was not consistent with the practice or with the dignity of the House to nominate anybody, much less certain unknown persons, to serve on a Committee which was really one of Privilege, and of Privilege, too, of the gravest character, unless due Notice had been given of their names and number.
  SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked Mr. Speaker, as a point of Order, Whether it was competent for the noble Lord to propose the names on Monday without previous Notice.
  LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH: As there appears—[Order, Order!]
  MR. GORST: I rise to Order, and to ask if there is any Question before the House.
  MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Gentleman the Member for Portsmouth (Sir H. Drummond Wolff) has put to me a Question with regard to which my answer is clear. No hon. Member can be put upon a Committee of this House without Notice of his name being given previously. I understand that the noble Lord has given Notice to-day of certain names to be appointed on this Committee on Monday. If it is proposed to add any other names to this Committee Notice must be given in accordance with the practice of the House. With the general concurrence of the House it is always in the power of the House to dispense with this Rule.
  LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH: I wish to say a word or two by way of explanation. It is, I think, at all times most undesirable to take any course which is objected to by hon. Members. I therefore think the best mode of procedure which my noble Friend can adopt is to give Notice of the additions on Monday which he proposes to make to the names already mentioned; and then, if not too inconvenient to hon. Members, for the House to meet again on Tuesday, when my noble Friend might propose the names of which he had given such Notice.
  MR. R. N. FOWLERasked, Whether they were to understand that the noble Lord proposed that the House should meet on Monday and again on Tuesday, when the names should be moved?
  LORD FREDPRICK CAVENDISH: The House will meet on Monday to consider the names already proposed; and if we should propose to add other names to the Committee Notice will then be given, and the House will meet on Tuesday for the purpose of considering the nomination of those Members.

NEW WRITS.
For—
Haverfordwest, v. Right honble Lord Kensington, Controller of the Household.
Wigton District of Burghs, v. John M'Laren, esquire, Lord Advocate of Scotland.
Clackmannan and Kinross Counties, v. Right honble William Patrick Adam, First Commissioner of Her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings.
Several other Members took and subscribed the Oath.
House at rising to adjourn till Monday next.
House adjourned at a quarter before Four o'clock, till Monday next.