market, they were not in the position | elucidate questions that must soon come which those whose duty it was to ad- under discussion. He also wished to know, minister the financial affairs of the country Whether it was the intention of the Gocould desire. vernment to remove the political department for the affairs of India to the west end of the town?

had arisen from the illness of one of the MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S Commissioners; but the Report would soon be made, and it would speedily be laid on the table of the House.

Question put,

The House divided:-Ayes 155; Noes 85: Majority 70.

Bill ordered to be brought in by Viscount BURY, Mr. SCHNEIDER, and Mr. MONCKTON MILNES.

Bill presented and read 1o.

clusive evidence that the agitation which | be brought forward as a reason for rehad been got up on the subject was ficti- pealing any other law in the Statute-book tious or a mere matter of business. At so which pressed upon men's desires, and of early a period of the Session, when there legalising any system of immorality down was so much real legislation to be done, was to the doctrine of " free love" itself. But it worth while to take up the time of the he (Mr. Beresford Hope) would not argue House in discussing a Bill which, what- the question at that stage of the Bill. ever its fate might be there, would not, A Bill on this subject having already passfor a very long time certainly, become the ed the House, the present one had an oslaw of the land? If the measure passed tensible claim for a first reading. But the that House it must be thrown out else- Motion having been made without an acwhere. It marshalled against itself the companying statement, he could not allow respectability of England; and the Pres- it to pass without protest, and if any hon. byterians of Scotland and the Roman Ca- Member would move for the rejection of tholics of Ireland, distinct from each other the Bill at that stage, he should be most in almost every shade of thought, were at happy to vote with him. He trusted other one upon this matter. It would upset the hon. Members would, at least, protest with social condition in this country, and the him against the introduction of the meachief object of its promoters was to save sure, and promise the noble Lord the same from the penalties of the existing law a few strenuous opposition which they had the persons who had not restrained their pas-pleasure of giving him last year. sions, but who had overleaped the easy restraints of our tolerant marriage law, and then asked for indemnity for their offence. Those who violated the existing law were not the persons to come forward and plead the violation of the law as their excuse for seeking a change in that law. The noble Lord had already acquired for himself not a little distinction in the eyes of his fellow-countrymen. He had shown himself master of the Hudson's Bay question, and in his speeches, which had come back to us from America during the recess, had confirmed his reputation, and he besought him not to damage his reputation by lend. He believed he was justified in saying that ing himself with irritating pertinacity this Motion was strongly approved by the to an aimless agitation, and by arraying late Speaker (Lord Eversley), one of the against himself the regrets and worse of most able and experienced Speakers who earnest and thinking men by pressing ever presided over the House. He was on the House a Bill which others had un- convinced of the necessity of bringing their successfully endeavoured to pass into a law. debates to a close at an early hour, and Other honourable and distinguished Mem- had repeatedly expressed an opinion that the bers had brought the question forward once, debates on Wednesdays, when the sitting some had done so for a second time, but no terminated at six o'clock, were the best one yet had been found to press it for a third and most practical he ever heard within Session. He trusted his noble Friend those walls. He (Mr. Ewart) concurred would not be the first to place himself in with the late Speaker: the Motion was exthis position; anyhow, if he was perti- pedient in every sense of the word. It nacious in his advocacy of the change, he was not a party Motion; Members on both would not weary out the patience of its sides of the House were in favour of it opponents, but he would find them on if they would venture to speak out; and every occasion ready and prepared to resist he should imagine that Her Majesty's Gohim with an equal pertinacity. If, how-vernment were not, in their hearts, disposed ever, the noble Lord pressed the Bill to offer any opposition to it. The plan he to a second reading, he ought to be prepared with some better argument than had yet been advanced in favour of it; because the fact that the existing law was violated, might with as much justice

SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE-MOTION. MR. W.EWART said, he rose to move, "That on every Tuesday and Thursday (being nights on which Government business does not take precedence) the House do not sit later than twelve o'clock at night."

proposed would be to adopt a rule similar to that observed on Wednesdays; that every Tuesday and Thursday nights at the hour of half-past eleven, measures should be taken to close all the opposed business,

and then to proceed with the remaining | prolonged to a very late hour what would business on the paper which was not of a he behold? There lies the Chancellor of debateable nature, so that the House might the Exchequer, "like Palinurus nodding rise at twelve. He had endeavoured to at the helm." There the Admiralty, the anticipate what objections could be made impersonation of the naval power of Brito the plan; but on ordinary nights he could tain, prone, or rather supine, on its beamnot see any objection at all. In fact, it ends. The Home Department, the great would make a very slight change from regulator of the prisons of the empire, is what was the practice already. The busi- itself imprisoned in the bonds of sleep; ness on such nights was now generally and and even the Woods and Forests seemed virtually closed at twelve. It was found to be nodding to their fall. Behind them that to prolong a debate beyond that hour their brave and faithful followers-fortisque was of no advantage whatever. The pro Gyas, fortisque Cloanthus-their brave and posed change would only be following the faithful followers successfully imitated the tendency of Parliamentary Practice. The conduct of their superiors. But why need difference might be that of an hour or he pursue the subject? In these matters two. But that hour or two after midnight the House seemed to have retained the more was now wasted on the mere externals of extravagant habits of the days of Pitt, business. It ought to be objected that the Fox, and Sheridan. The Crown had set change proposed would prematurely close them a better example, and the House a debate about to be adjourned. But, would do well to imitate it. His proposal even if a debate were adjourned over was only an approximation to a further reTuesday night, the adjournment itself form in this respect. He thought they was generally made before midnight. It would transact their business a great deal might be said that the rule might pre- better if they took part of the "solid vent a debate already adjourned from day" for it; in short, if their legislation coming to a close on the Tuesday night; were diurnal instead of nocturnal. It but he thought there was no reason would be more satisfactory both to the in this objection. If Members once knew public and their own consciences. But, that the debate must close at a certain in the meantime the slight alteration he hour, they would adapt their speeches proposed would be a relief to the House, to to the necessity of the case, and by ren- its officers, and, above all, to the Speaker, dering them shorter make them more on whom, when almost all others had resatisfactory to the House and to the tired, the remaining business fell, as the country. The rule might be considered residuary legatee of the labours of Paras somewhat encroaching on the freedom liament. of debate for independent Members; but if an independent Member did not now bring on his Motion before twelve o'clock he had no chance of bringing it on at all, and he would scarcely be worse off than at present. He hoped no hon. Member supposed that the House gained time by its extraordinary late sitting; he believed that, on the contrary, they caused a great loss of time. He could as easily think that prodigality in money matters was the same thing as economy, as that prodigality of time was equivalent to a saving of time. At a certain hour they were all aware that all must yield to that inevitable and inexorable power, the power of sleep. On it no argument, no eloquence could prevail. Dean Swift, in his celebrated sermon on Eutychus falling from the third loft, said that preaching might confirm the penitent, or convert the most hardened sinner, but it could have no effect on the determined sleeper. If a foreigner entered the House during a debate

MR. LAURIE said, that he had much pleasure in seconding the Motion, which he thought one that the House would do well to consider. He felt a great objection to long speeches at late hours of the night. They must have all observed the wearisome appearance of those who sat up to daybreak in the course of the last Session. He had heard it said it would be impossible to pass the Government measures if the House were prevented doing any business beyond "the witching hour of night." Now he thought that that was by no means a creditable state of things. He was asked the other day to take the chair at a meeting of the Early Closing Association; but he felt he could not consistently do so, as he belonged to a House that frequently sat up to a late hour of the morning. He was of opinion that if they limited their time of business and shortened their speeches, and thus allow themselves and others to get to bed soon after twelve o'clock, they would

enjoy a much longer life, and render their | which might operate most inconvenilegislation more effective.

MR. LOCKE KING said, he was sorry to differ in opinion from the hon. Member for Dumfries (Mr. Ewart) in his proposition to curtail the very few hours that were given to independent Members. The Government, in all probability, would not refuse their assent to the proposition, as it was one which did not materially affect them. He thought if the hon. Gentleman would but extend the principle of his proposition to the other days of the week he thought it would be one of more equal justice; he would find that the Government would not consent so readily. Sleep was as necessary to hon. Members on Monday and Friday nights as on Tuesday and Thursday nights. He trusted that his hon. Friend would not press his Motion to a division.

ently.

MR. W. WILLIAMS said, his objection was that the Motion did not go far enough. In his opinion it was more important to apply its principle to Government nights as well as to those on which independent Members had the precedence. Hundreds of Bills were now passed between one and two o'clock in the morning, when it was impossible that their defects could be properly corrected before they became law; the consequence was that they all had to be amended the next Session.

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON said, he was quite willing to do justice to the motives of the hon. Member for Dumfries (Mr. Ewart), and he concurred in the general object of his Motion-namely, that they should endeavour to compress their debates within as narrow limits as were compatible with the MR. WALPOLE said, he conceived that proper consideration and full discussion of the hon. Member opposite merely wished the subjects brought under their notice. He to call the attention of the House to what was sorry, however, that he could not he thought a very good regulation for agree to the terms of his proposition. In them to observe-namely, that they should the first place, it was very unadvisable all curtail their speeches as much as that the House should bind itself by selfpossible, to enable them to get to bed at a denying ordinances which were not absoreasonable time. The hon. Gentleman lutely necessary for the conduct of business. could scarcely be serious in imagining that Subjects of the utmost and most pressing it would be of any advantage to public importance frequently came under their business for them to lay down a fixed rule consideration, and the public service would binding them to close their proceedings on suffer if they were prevented, by a rule certain nights at a particular hour. It requiring them to close their proceedings was perfectly true that Tuesdays and at a fixed hour, from bringing those Thursdays were the only evenings on matters to an issue on the night on which which independent Members could bring their discussion commenced. Suppose an forward their Motions. It would not be important Motion to be brought on upon a quite reasonable for the Government, at Monday. It might often be impossible to least, to seek to abridge the opportunities conclude the debate to which it gave rise which those hon. Gentlemen had of stating in one night, in which case it must be their views on any particular question. adjourned till Tuesday. It might happen Besides, the hon. Member might derive a to be of serious consequence to the public lesson on this point from what happened interests that it should be terminated on on Wednesdays, when the House at present Tuesday; but under the rule proposed by attempted to limit the hours of debate. It his hon. Friend, it would be quite easy for was found that any hon. Member then anybody resorting to the practice hinted at wishing to throw any Motion over had it by the right hon. Gentleman the Home in his power to effect that object by pro- Secretary to spin out the debate till twelve longing his speech till six o'clock, when a o'clock, when it must inevitably stand postponement must necessarily take place. adjourned to Thursday. The same course That circumstance weighed so strongly on might be pursued on Thursday, and the his own mind that he thought it would be debate would again have to be adjourned much wiser to rely upon the good under- till Friday. Great inconvenience might standing which prevailed in the House, as result from these frequent postponements, well as upon the good sense and good and he was, therefore, disposed to leave feeling of individual Members, for bring the House unfettered in dealing with ing the public business to an early close questions of public importance, according on these and all other evenings, than to their urgency. There was a general to adopt a stringent and unbending rule feeling among hon. Gentlemen in favour of VOL. CLII. [THIRD SERIES.]

H

The House divided:-Ayes 28: Noes effect would be most injurious, as it ap237: Majority 209.