MR. GLADSTONESir, the House will probably expect to hear from me a few words in reference to what occurred on Friday afternoon. That occurrence was, so far as I know, an occurrence without precedent in the annals of this House. It was one on which I personally entertain views on which it is not now necessary to dwell, and which are possibly out of date. However that may be, I have thought it my duty to examine what has happened, in reference to its practical bearings, and likewise in reference to the peculiar responsibility of the Government at the present moment. The House has placed in the hands of Her Majesty's Government a power restrictive of liberty and domestic security, which the Government itself feels to be unnecessary. But the powers of the Bill generally are discretionary powers, and it will be the duty of the Government to exercise all such, and only such, of them as they may find requisite. With regard to this particular power to which I allude, I cherish the hope that no such necessity may arise. If, however, any such necessity should arise, it is obvious that the Government would lie under the very same obligation and responsibility with, respect to this particular power as they he under with regard to all the other powers in the Bill. That is all I need say to the House on this subject; but 1968 there is another matter to which, perhaps, the House will listen with greater interest. This is July the 10th, and some time ago Questions were put from the opposite Bench with respect to the intentions of the Government as to the future Business of the Session; and I then intimated that at an early period, when we had made considerable progress with the two Irish Bills before the House, I would endeavour to give information on that subject. I will now do my best to redeem that pledge. Of course, what I have to say pre-supposes that these two Irish Bills shall have become law. If anything should intervene to prevent them, or either of them, from becoming law, in that case the outline I shall now draw must be considered as not having been officially stated, and the Government will resume its full liberty of action. I have already stated, in substance, that we abandon all hope of passing any of the Bills which were announced at the beginning of the Session, except the Corrupt Practices Bill; and, of course, in speaking of the abandonment of Bills, I reserve secondary measures, and any Bills with respect to which there may not be any material difference of opinion, and from which no great expenditure of time may be expected. One important subject was left in doubt at the time when I last spoke, and that was the amendment of the Irish Land Act. Various heads, none of them touching the essence of the Act—the provisions relating to tenure—but still touching very important matters, have been raised, and have attracted, in different degrees, public interest, both here and in Ireland. As far as I recollect, among many others, there are, first of all, the provisions relating to purchase; then those relating to the date of the judicial rent; thirdly, the Emigration Clause; fourthly, the subject of leases, upon which I never spoke as of any large change, but with respect to which there is a recommendation of the Commissioners before the Government not altogether immaterial; and, fifthly, there is the question with respect to labourers, upon which also a recommendation of limited scope has been made by the Commissioners. There may be others; but I believe those are the principal questions. It is, in the judgment of the Government, quite impossible, with the prospects of Business 1969 before them, advantageously to attempt to lay any proposition before the House on any of these subjects during the present Session. That being the conclusion at which we have arrived, I took the opportunity of making it known to the House. There remains the transaction of the Public Business of the State, and the secondary Business to which I have already referred—the House will understand what I mean by that. Our course, therefore, will be upon the basis I have described, and after the two Irish Bills now before Parliament shall have become law, to wind up the ordinary Business of the Session, and ask the House to adjourn for a considerable time. Of course, the question we have had to weigh is, whether, considering the views we entertain as to the necessity of settling, if possible, the question of Procedure in the House of Commons—the question we have had to weigh is, whether we could properly, at the end of July or at the beginning of August, ask the House to address itself de novo to that complicated and important question? That would hardly, I think, be compatible with the expectation which has justly been entertained that that question should only be treated at a time when Members could attend in large numbers for the purpose of dealing with it. We have, therefore, arrived at the conclusion that, inconvenient as it may be to meet after a long adjournment, it would be less inconvenient and less unsuitable than to ask the House, after the exhausting Business of the year, to take up this question anew immediately at the conclusion of the ordinary Business. We shall probably propose an adjournment to some day in the second half of October. Our plan would then be to ask the House to apply itself to the subject of Procedure, and we shall certainly propose to the House to give precedence daily to the consideration of that question, in the same manner as has been done in the case of several Bills last year and this year. We believe that this will be for the convenience of the House; and it is not our intention, as far as at present formed, unless some important public necessity should arise, to trouble the House during that period with any other subject. At the close of the proceedings of the House in regard to its Rules and methods of action, we should propose that the Ses- 1970 sion should be wound up by a Prorogation in the usual manner. I have no particulars to state. I do not think the Government are in a position, nor do I think it would be right, so long before the time, to enter into any particulars with respect to the Rules of Procedure. Before we come to the close of the ordinary Business, I may be able to say something on that point; but I have nothing to state on the subject at the present moment.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked when the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill and the Indian Budget would be taken?
MR. GLADSTONEreplied, that the Arrears of Rent Bill would have to be finished first, and it was doubtful whether it would not be necessary to take Supply immediately afterwards. Due Notice would be given of the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill, and it might be convenient to read it a second time and commit it pro formâ that it might be reprinted. All hon. Members but one had withdrawn the Motions that stood in their name on the Order for the second reading of that Bill.
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEI will not attempt at this moment to enter upon some of the detailed questions which might arise out of the statement we have just heard. We shall be glad, of course, to know what order of Business will be taken after the Arrears of Rent Bill has been disposed of; whether the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill will be the first, and also when Supply will be taken. The possibility of a challenge of the Foreign Policy of the Government would be one which, I understand, we should be entitled to exercise at any moment; and if a challenge were made of that policy, of course the Government would provide a proper means for the discussion of any question that might be raised. At the present moment, however, I do not enter into any question of that kind. With regard to the serious statement which the right hon. Gentleman has made as to an Autumn Session, I think that it would be greatly to the convenience of the House, and would be fair to the House, that we should be told two things. In the first place, we ought to understand whether, by the postponement of these other Irish matters to which reference has been made, it is intended that we shall 1971 have another Irish Session after this, and whether we are again to go into all these questions, which will raise points of policy as to important portions of the Land Act. [Mr. GLADSTONE dissented.] I understood the right hon. Gentleman to say that, though there remained these matters to be discussed, he would not attempt them in the present Session. I do not quite understand whether the right hon. Gentleman means by the "present Session" the whole Session of 1882—that is, including the contemplated Autumn Session—or whether he intends that these matters should stand over for discussion till 1883; because it certainly raises a very serious question as to the expediency of proceeding in this manner, in a matter of such importance and of such a burning character, so as to keep it before us by bringing forward measure after measure. There are great considerations to be urged for going on with any Business that relates to Irish affairs before we take up other Business. The other question which I wish to put to the right hon. Gentleman is, whether it would not be more fair to the House that we should have a more complete statement of the intentions of the Government with regard to the Rules of Procedure? It is now a long time since these Rules were under the consideration of the House. Much has happened since the debate upon them was adjourned, and important measures, with reference to which, no doubt, those Rules were considered in advance, have been proceeded with without any alterations of the Rules. There was, moreover, a period at which the Prime Minister himself contemplated a most material alteration in one of the most important of those Rules. That alteration has, however, never been made the subject of discussion in this House; but it is well known to hon. Members that such a suggestion was made some time ago. It would, therefore, be only fair that, before we were asked to make so great a sacrifice of public convenience as is involved in an Autumn Session, we should have some full and clear explanation of the views of the Government on the subject of the Rules of Procedure and the Irish measures which the Government intend to introduce.
MR. GLADSTONEI believe I have indicated the intentions of the Government on both the points mentioned by 1972 the right hon. Gentleman; but I will endeavour to set the matters before the House more clearly. I meant to convey to the House the opinion that it would be quite reasonable, before the ordinary Business of the Session is wound up, that the Government should be open to any question relating to the Rules of Procedure, or should, if necessary, make a statement on that subject, so that there shall be no doubt, at any rate, as to their principal proposal. With regard to the other Question, I intended simply to say that I did not think it was in our power to legislate upon these important matters, either in amendment of, or in addition to, the Irish Land Act during the present Session of Parliament. The present Session of Parliament includes, of course—in Parliamentary language—both the ordinary Sitting and the supplementary Sitting, which, as far as we are concerned, and as we may be free to act, it is our intention to devote exclusively to Procedure, and not to any of the other important proposals referred to.
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTI wish to ask the Prime Minister whether there is any precedent for a Ministry which has suffered a defeat such as that of Friday last, and whose Prime Minister has committed himself to such grave statements as were then made by the right hon. Gentleman, continuing to conduct public affairs without first having a Vote of Confidence in themselves moved and carried in Parliament?
§ [No answer was given.]