The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-16 00:00:00

DISTRIBUTION OF OFFICES 17NDER TEE
GOVERNMENT.

Mr. DISRAELI—Sir, 1 wish to nuke as inquiry of her
Majesty's government respecting the distribution of offices
se at present armors& This question is one of gravity as
it appears to me, and I am told it may be urgent, as it ne-
cessarily affects the arrangement' of this hones. I shall,
however, oaths' myself strictly to as explanation of my
question, and I treat the house will allow me to make one
remark. The boar is now aware that the point to which
I wish to cell attention is the tenure of office of those gen-
tlemen who at present fill the office of ender-secretaryship.
The house be aware that the distribution of offices is gene-
rally arranged by statute--by acts familiar to every
hon. gentiemsa—by the act of Anne, by the 15th
of George the Second, and by the set of George
the Third—the celebrated act of Mr. Burke for
effecting an economical reform—it was definitely arranged
that two Secretaries of State might sit in the Home of
Commons and two Under Secretaries of State. In very
modern times, and in the experience of all here, that is in
the year 1866 or 1856, when a new Secretary of State for
War was appointed, an act was introduced. which, referring
to the previous state of the law on the subject, enacted that
in future it should be legal for three Secretaries of State to
sit in the House of Compose and also three Under Secreta-
ries of State. Still more recently, when the President of
the Board of Control became Secretary of State for India,
in the Indian Act there wee a provision introduced empower-
ing a fourth Secretary of State to sit in this house, and also •
fourth Under Secretary of State. The house, on reflection,
will be aware that at this moment there are five Under
Secretaries of State @HU'. in the Home of Commons.
The house will feel that this is • subject which, unless it be
capable of satisfactory explanation by her Majoity's go-
vernment, is of °mimeof a very grave character. It is grave
in a constitutional sense, and still more grave in the come.
cinemas which it may entail on the individual—if my view
of the case be right—who fills the office of fifth Under Secre-
tary of State. I do not wish at present to enter into any
details, I only want to make my question perfectly cast.
We shall have other opportunities, if necessary, to enter
more fully into • discussion of the subject, but I cacaos
suppose that this point has not occurred to the considera-
tion of her Majesty's ministers. I wish, however, to igvits
some axplanatioc on the part of the government se to why
the distribution of government offices should be apparently
se opposite to the provisions of the statutes which exist on
1 the "abject

Lord PALMERSTON—No dump liss recently taken
place in regard to the distribution of government of6ces,
which is the same now asit has been for many mouths
pest. The question of the right hon. gentleman is one
which requires examination, and I am not prepared to dis-
miss it off bend, no notice haring been given of it. (Hear.)
_ _ . . _

Mr. DISR A —My explaostion of the reason why I did
not give any notice of my totentiou to bring this question
before the home is the same as that which has Menem:Jed
the noble lord in &orbiting to consider it now. ne
fact is, I was not before aware of the state of akin
io respect to this matter. But because I was
not aware of the state of affairs, that doss not make the
matter less important. The noble lord will, I am sure,
agree with me, that It is a question of great importance,
and you, sir (damming the Speaker) will say whether it
may not be ormeidered quettion of privilege, and being
snob, whether it may not be brought before you on the first
opportunity. ( hear, bear.)