§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, that before the Orders of the Day were read, he would venture to make an appeal to hon. Members in charge of Bills on the Paper that day to facilitate Public Business by allowing them to stand over for another day, so that some further progress might be made with the Education Bill. He only made that application as a request, because he had no right to press it on the House.
§ MR. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSENsaid, he rose on a point of Order. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had made a rather unprecedented request without any previous Notice. The Prime Minister had a Notice on the Paper a day or two since asking for Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the Government, but the right hon. Gentleman forbore to make the Motion. Every hon. Member had a right to believe that the ordinary course would be adopted that day; and if the Elementary Education Bill was proceeded with, the House would be placed at a great disadvantage by this sudden change at the last moment, when many Gentlemen, including his right hon. Friend the Member for Bradford (Mr. W. E. Forster), were absent in the full conviction that the Education Bill was not coming on.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, there was nothing out of Order in the course proposed by the right hon. Gentleman. He had only put a Question to hon. Gentlemen in charge of Bills as to the course they intended to pursue.
§ MR. J. G. TALBOT,who had charge of the Burial Grounds Bill, which stood as the First Order of the Day, said, he was willing to assist the Government. He had some days ago suggested to the Prime Minister that he should ask for precedence on Wednesdays, and he was sorry that the right hon. Gentleman had not taken that course. The request now made placed him in a difficult position, because he had assured the hon. and learned Member opposite (Mr. Osborne Morgan) and others that his Bill would come on that day, and it was hardly fair that he should deprive them of the opportunity of discussing it. At the same time, he was willing to do all he could to expedite Public Business, and if other hon. Members would adopt the course suggested by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he would waive his right to proceed with the Bill which stood in his name.
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEY,who had charge of the Criminal Law Evidence Amendment Bill, which stood as the Second Order of the Day, said, he also was placed in a peculiar position; but after what had taken place he must decline to accede to the request which had been made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Hon. Members had asked him whether his Bill would come on that day, and he had told them that he thought it would, and consequently those who were interested in other Bills were absent. Moreover, he objected to the Education Bill being taken in the absence of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bradford, and others who took great interest in the subject of education. He might also state that he had been waiting the whole Session hoping to bring on his Bill, and that day he expected having the opportunity of doing so.