HC Deb 26 February 1849 vol 102 cc1209-10
MR. HUME

said, that he had given notice of his intention to move, on the Motion that Mr. Speaker leave the chair, to go into Committee of Supply, that, in the present state of the finances of the country, Her Majesty's Ministers, before calling on this House to vote the Estimates for the public service, should submit a general financial statement of the whole or expected revenues, and the total intended expenditure for the ensuing financial year. He had come down perfectly prepared to carry out the resolution; but he was sorry to find from the Speaker, that, by the resolution passed a few nights ago, they were shut out from moving more than one amendment upon the question of going into Committee of Supply. When he (Mr. Hume) moved the resolution, he, and those about him, certainly thought they were in the same position as before with regard to the Committee of Supply; but they now found they were mistaken, and that the decision then come to told against them. He was sorry to find they could have no more than one amendment, because it shut him out from a discussion upon a most important point. However, he suffered by his own act. Last year when a plan was proposed in order to forward public business, he certainly did consider that an end might be put to the interminable discussions which took place, not only on general occasions, but also on going into Committees of Ways and Means and Supply; but he thought that the Ways and Means and Supply would form exceptions. He was completely taken in by his own act. He thought it necessary to say this much, because the opportunity was past for making his Motion, and he was most anxious that the Motion of his hon. Friend (Mr. Cobden) should be proceeded with before any votes were agreed to. He was, therefore, compelled to postpone his resolution; and in another Session he would take care and try if the system could not be altered which prevented their having more than one Motion upon going into Committee of Supply. He was the first victim to his own folly, and he was compelled, in consequence, to postpone his Motion until Friday next, when he begged to give notice he should move it on going into a Committee of Ways and Weans. He should, for the present, withdraw it, and make way for his hon. Friend the Member for the West Riding, hoping that he would be as successful as he deserved to be.