§ MR. PEASEasked the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition, What course he intends to adopt in reference to the Motion which stands in his name for this evening?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON, in reply, said, that in reference to the Question of his hon. Friend the Member for Durham he had to make another appeal to his hon. Friend the Member for Derby (Mr. Plimsoll.) Since yesterday he had ascertained that a very general wish prevailed that the Motion which stood in his name should be discussed as soon as possible, and he regretted to say he did not see any probability of being able to bring it on on an early day unless he had an opportunity of doing so that evening. He thought the time at the disposal of the Government was not likely to be sufficient to enable them to give him an opportunity of bringing forward his Motion at another time. The right hon. and gallant Member for Stamford (Sir- 23 John Hay) had very kindly stated that it was not his intention to bring on his Motion that evening; he understood from the hon. Member for "Wexford (Mr. O'Clery) that he would probably occupy but little time with his Motion; and he therefore wished once more to appeal to his hon. Friend the Member for Derby, and to ask him whether, considering the general interest felt in his (the Marquess of Hartington's) Motion, the hon. Member would be willing to withdraw his Motion that evening to enable his (the Marquess of Hartington's) Motion to come on. Under any circumstances, he would bring on his Motion that evening if he could do so before half-past 10 o'clock.
§ MR. PLIMSOLLsaid, he was very sorry to withdraw his Motion respecting the draft of water of seagoing vessels, because it touched human life, and was not a question of abstract politics; but as he had been told it would be rather prejudicial than beneficial to those whose cause he was advocating to bring on his Motion under the circumstances, he accordingly, and very regretfully, withdrew his Motion from the Paper of that evening.