§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he wished to state the arrangement of business, so far as depended on him, relating to the financial measures before the House. The Order for the Committee of Ways and Means stood first on the Paper, and would come on immediately after the discussion on the Motion of the hon. Member for Devonport (Mr. Ferrand), on which the House was probably about to enter. He proposed to take the Resolutions in that Committee to-night; at the same time, if it were thought that the Resolution on Railways required fur- 772 ther discussion than it could received in its present form, he would be willing to postpone it; but he wished to bring in the Bill with regard to the other Resolutions, which did not appear to involve any matter that could not be conveniently disposed of in their present form. He did not propose any Resolution with respect to Carriers, as he had already mentioned. Then, with regard to the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill, he should propose the second reading to-night; and in the event of the House reading it a second time, he should propose to go into Committee on Thursday, when he would state fully the nature of the proposals of the Government with regard to Charities, as, probably, that was a point in the Bill at which the Committee would then arrive. Oh Thursday, therefore, at an early hour, he should wish to maker that statement and invite the judgment of the House upon it.
§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHsaid, he wished to ask if the Chancellor of the Exchequer would take the second rending of the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill after eleven o'clock to-night?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he should be prepared, as far as he was concerned, to bring it on whenever he could.
§ MR. WALPOLEsaid, he wished to know whether the right hon. Gentleman intended to make any statement to the House with regard to the two clauses in the Bill applicable to Charities with a view to making any alteration in them, or whether his statement would be in support of those provisions?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, his statement would be in support of those clauses. There were one or two minor questions in regard to which he wished to reserve a discretion. One, for instance, was raised with regard to the Patriotic Fund, which, from its peculiar nature, it was thought should be treated exceptionally; but, with regard to the general substance of the two clauses in the Bill, he should propose to take the final judgment of the House upon them.