§ MR. RYLANDSasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If he will state to the House the reasons which have induced the Government to depart from the intention which he announced in the House before Easter of taking the Budget on the first Thursday after the holidays; and, whether he is now able to give a definite assurance as to the day upon which the Second Reading of the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill will be taken?
§ MR. CHILDERSbegged to ask the right hon. Gentleman why the Bill had not been printed?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER,in reply, said, when he stated that it was intended to take the second reading of the Customs and Inland Re- 1763 venue Bill this day, he had hoped that the Merchant Shipping Bill would have passed through Committee on Monday. He was disappointed in that hope, and all he could now say was the reason why they did not propose to take the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill to night was that they felt it necessary to proceed first with the Merchant Shipping Bill, and as soon as they had passed that through Committee they would take the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill as the First Order on the next Government day. He was not quite sure what had been the cause of the delay in the printing of the Bill; he saw it a little time ago, and he believed it was ready for distribution.