§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That the Standing Order relative to Supply or Ways and Means standing the first Order of the Day on Friday be read and suspended:—That the Committee of Supply be deferred until after the Order of the Day for resuming the Adjourned Debate on Afghanistan."—(Mr. Gladstone.)
§ EARL PERCYbegged to congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on the success which had attended his efforts to absorb all the time usually devoted to private Members. It appeared to be the interest of the Government to prevent any discussion of a measure which involved a serious charge against a part of the policy of the Government. That was the 31st or the 32nd day that the Government had taken from private Members; and he should have thought the Government would have felt it their duty to secure for the adjourned debate a day other than that which, in the usual course, would have been devoted to a subject of great importance—the operation of the Highway Act of 1878. He was afraid the hon. Member for Oxfordshire (Mr. Harcourt) could not expect much from the indefinite promise to give up a day after Easter. The result of the course pursued would be to get rid of or to limit materially discussion on the second reading of the Mutiny Bill; but he trusted, 1938 in spite of what had been said by the Prime Minister, the House would not be prevented discussing a Bill involving principles upon which the Conservative Party was much impeached at the last Election.
§ Question put, and agreed to.