§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONAs I stand in rather a peculiar position with regard to the duty which I proposed to discharge tomorrow, I hope that the House will allow me to explain the course which I intend to take. The noble Lord the Member for Tiverton (Viscount Palmerston), has given notice that he will to-morrow bring the subject of foreign policy under the consideration of the House. What the intentions of the noble Lord may be, of course, I cannot say; but it is obviously probable that when a question of foreign policy is raised in this House it may lead to a debate. The hon. Member for Berwick and the hon. Member for Montrose have also notices on the paper upon going into Committee of Supply. I fear, therefore, that I must remain in the same state of uncertainty that I have hitherto been as to whether I can or cannot to-morrow perform the difficult task of making my statement on the Navy Estimates. Under these 773 circumstances it is fair to the House that I should explain that if I can begin my statement before eight o'clock I shall proceed to do so; but that I shall not begin after eight o'clock. In that case my statement on the Navy Estimates will be deferred till Monday, and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be obliged to postpone the introduction of the Bill for amending the representation until the following Friday.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONOf course I cannot speak for other people; but so far as I can judge I do not apprehend that the notice which I have given need interfere with the right hon. Gentleman's intention of bringing on the Navy Estimates. But if he states that he cannot begin his estimates after eight o'clock, I can only say that he is laying down a position which is an entire departure from the practice pursued by all other Ministers who have questions of this kind to bring on. It frequently happened to me when I was Secretary at War to have to bring on the Army Estimates at a much later hour than that. I can only understand, therefore, that the course pursued by the right hon. Gentleman is a convenient method of postponing until some future day the introduction of the Bill of which notice was given for Monday next.
§ MR. HADFIELDhoped, that his hon. Friends the Members for Berwick and Montrose would consent to postpone their Motions, in order to make way for the important Government measures of which notice had been given.