The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-27 00:00:00

MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN.

lr-
Lord PROBYN, the Controller of the Royal Household,
brought up the Royal Message of her most gracious
Majesty, in reply to the address, to the effect
that with respect to the public affairs of the country,
the house might rely on her Majesty's efforts
to improve the laws, to extend the commerce, and to amend
the condition of the country.

ENDOWED SCHOOLS.
Mr. DILLWYN obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend
the law respecting endowed schools.
FRIDAY ADJOURNMENTS OF THE HOUSE.
Mr. E. P. BO UVERIE moved, pursuant to notice, that
whenever the house meets on Friday for business it shall,
at its rising, adjourn to the following Monday, unless the
house shall otherwise order. He explained that under the pre-
sent practice motions were brought forward onFriday. nights
on the formal question of adjournment, which might be
most properly postponed. By the present practice Minis-
ters were sometimes precluded from making explanations,
and the result was, that Friday night was devoted to a va-
riety of matters to the postponement of public measures.
He read, amid much laughter, a list of the motions for to-
morrow evening on miscellaneous subjects to support his
position, and with respect to the practice being a safety
valve for private members, as it was contended; but the
effect was to render the valve as large as the boiler. He
concluded by strongly urging on the house the propriety of
adopting his motion.
Mr. M. MILNES opposed the motion, and accused the
hon. mover of indulging in official pedantry. He defended
the present practice, and complained of the length to which
Ministers extended their speeches, which prevented private
members having an opportunity of bringing forward im-
portant questions. There were a greet many questions on
which it was not desired to raise a debate, but merely
to make an explanation, and it would he hard to deprive
members of the constitutional privilege they at present
enjoyed.
E Mr. . JAMES said the hon. mover had alluded to a
motion of his with reference to Dr. Smethurst,
_taya
which stood
on
on the paper for to-morrow evening. I
which the public mind was interested, and it would a .
be de-
sirable that there should be supplied the information which
it was his object to elicit. He thought the motion was an
interference with the just privileges of hon. m_embers, and
he trusted it would be rejected the house. observations(H. ear, hear.):
Mr. DEEDES made a few in support t
the motion.
Lord C. HAMILTON opposed the motion, and consi-
dered that the suppression of the present practice would
lead to evils more serious than that which it was intended
to remedy.
Mr. WALTERS followed on the same side.
Mr. DISRAELI said that his experience of the house
assured him that 'in the conduct of business they might
trust more to the good sense of the house than to any rules
or regulations ; though no one could deny that the effect of
these rules had been in some instances to interfere with the
maintenance of uniformity and order. On more than one
occasion he had opposed motions of this nature, although
much had occurred, he confessed, of which he could not en-
tirely approve, and sometimes which he had very much de-
plored. He remembered an occasion when the clock
had reached the hour of ten before the public business of
the evening commenced. But although he thought there
had been abuses of the privilege he was disposed still to
trust to good sense and good temper, and particularly that
form of temper which was called tact, rather than have re-
course to the mode proposed to be adopted by the right hon.
gentleman. Still he (Mr. Disraeli) thought there ought to
be a general and honourable understanding that questions
were not to be introdnced on this motion, unless they were
ot.
a pressing and, general interest. (Hear.) He did net
certainly think that that understanding, was observed on
either side of the house during last session ; but if that un-
derstanding were to prevail, they would be enabled to pre-
serve the very great advantages of the present system, which
would not then be exposed to review in the way it had' been
that night. He thought there should be an honourable
tinderstanling on both sides of the house, that if any mo-
tion upon the adjournment is made by individual members
..)f the house on Fridays, the question is to be one of imrne-
ifidte and general interest. (Hear, hear.) If the house could
arrive at' that understanding he did not think that anythily,
like what had been called. " abuse" could prevail. Ile should
hesitate long before ho ileprived independent members of an
(pportu r1;41, of achlresL;ag the house, hut if he found that
the understanding that he had
the house could not come to
indicated, he should hold himself free from being compelled
e
to adhere to the course wineh his present vote might seem
to advocate. qe concurred that this was a
Sir G. C. LEWIS said he qu. -fence of the way in which
question to be regulated by expel .nd to be decided accord-
it worked from session to session, a •
ing to the general sense and views of members of the house.
at there was any
He thought it a mistake to suppose trt of the members
conflict of interest, -or any wish on the p,
citerfere with the
of the Government for the time being to '
,edging from his
rights of private members of the house. J .
filings of hon.
,own feelings. and he :might appeal to the fi
could be less
entlemen opposite when ',in office, nothing