§ MR. VERNON HARCOURTasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he was correctly understood to have stated that no Vote will be asked or Resolution proposed before the holidays which would affect the taxation of the coming financial year; and, whether he can state what will be the earliest day after the holidays upon which the proposals in the Budget will be taken into consideration.
MR. GLADSTONEin reply, said, that it was his intention to state the other evening that, although his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer intended to make his annual financial statement on Monday next, the Government would not ask the House before 400 the Easter recess to come to any decision which would in any manner bind the judgment of the House. As they were aware, it was a common thing to pass a Resolution of a formal character and, for a practical purpose, and he did not mean to say that some such Resolution might not be passed, but none would be proposed binding the House with reference to the future taxation of the year. He thought the most convenient day for practically considering the proposals of the Budget would be the 24th instant, the third day after the re-assembling of the House.