MR. GLADSTONEsaid, it being necessary to proceed with the Navy Estimates, he would be obliged by hon. Members who had Notices on the Paper postponing them, in order to allow Mr. Speaker to leave the Chair.
§ MR. ERRINGTON, who had the following Notice upon the Paper:—
To call attention to the small number of trained teachers in charge of Elementary Schools in Ireland, to the recommendations on the subject of the Royal Commission of 1868, and to the various attempts made by successive Governments to deal with it; and to move, 'That, in the opinion of this House, the interests of education require that no further time should be lost in providing increased facilities for the training of teachers for Elementary Schools in Ireland,'said, the appeal just made to him placed him in a somewhat embarrassing position, for the Motion which stood in his name for that evening was not only one of importance, but circumstances had made it one of urgency; and that was the first occasion he had been able to get for it, after balloting the whole of last Session and of this. However, of course he need not say that he was most desirous of consulting the convenience of the House, and facilitating the progress of Business; and, therefore, he could not refuse the appeal made to him to postpone the Motion. But he thought he was justified in saying that he postponed it on the distinct understanding that if he failed to get a day for the discussion later in the Session, the Government should give him facilities for bringing it on at a reasonable hour some day after Easter.
§ SIR JOHN HAYsaid, he hoped on Vote 1, in Committee, to call attention to the matter of which he had given Notice. But he wished to ask whether it would not be possible to revert to the old arrangement, under which the main discussion on the Navy Estimates was taken on Vote 2? It had been ruled by the late Chairman of Committees that 1369 Vote 2 was no longer the Vote on which that discussion could be taken.
§ MR. TREVELYANsaid, that, in his opinion, in which he was corroborated by other and far weightier authority, the matter of which the right hon. and gallant Baronet had given Notice might be taken on Vote 2.