THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONI wish to put a Question to my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle relating to the Business on the Paper to-day, and the answer to which, I think, may possibly expedite the Business before the House. Perhaps the House will allow me to say one or two words in explanation. I have had some communication with my hon. Friend relating to the Motion of which he has given Notice on going into Committee of Ways and Means, and I informed my hon. Friend that I do not concur with him in the expediency of bringing forward the Resolution of which he has given Notice at the present time. I also informed him that, to the best of my judgment, it was not one, if moved under present circumstances, that was likely to meet with a large amount of support on this side of the House. I believe, however, that my hon. Friend does not concur with me in the view that I take of the matter, and is of opinion that the issue which he desires to raise is one which is distinct from any hitherto decided by the House, and that it will be his duty, at a fitting opportunity, to bring forward this Motion and to bring it to the test of a Division. I am sure my hon. Friend, in the course he proposes to take, does not desire to cause any inconvenience, or any further delay to the Business of the House than can possibly be avoided; and as I understand, that a discussion of some importance upon purely financial questions is likely to take place whenever we go into Committee of Ways and Means, and as it would be inconvenient that the time for our going into Committee should be uncertain, I wish to ask my hon. Friend whether, in the event of his still thinking it would be necessary to bring for- 1719 ward the Resolution, he would think it expedient to postpone the Motion from the Question that you, Sir, do now leave the Chair, until some further stage in the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill? If my hon. Friend is willing to take that course, I think it would tend to the convenience of the House and to the progress of Public Business.
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONI can assure the House and the noble Lord that I am most anxious to meet what appears to be the convenience of the House. I have heard what the noble Lord has said, and I am greatly indebted to him. I may, perhaps, be permitted to state that I should not have ventured to bring this Motion if I had not considered—as I think I shall be able to prove when I proceed with it—that it was a totally different Motion from that which we debated last week. But, be that as it may, I am aware that the Chancellor of the Exchequer kindly stated at the conclusion of the last debate that we should have four or five opportunities of raising a discussion on the Budget, and, that being the case, I think I should, perhaps, meet the convenience of the House by agreeing to what the noble Lord has suggested, and postponing my Motion until some future stage of the Budget Bill. Of course, in doing so, I act entirely on my own responsibility, and I do not hold the noble Lord pledged to give me anymore support on a future occasion than he would have done now. I act entirely on my own responsibility, and I hope that when the time comes I shall be able to make out a good case.