MR. GORSTasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has 1768 been called to a speech made by Mr. E. W. Duff, Junior Lord of the Treasury, at Banff, on the 16th instant, in which he is reported to have said:—
I believe the Government are determined to pass the Procedure Rules, if possible, before Parliament rises; and, if not, though of course I am not in Cabinet secrets, I believe by calling an Autumn Session for the purpose;and, whether Mr. E. W. Duff has correctly described the intention of the Government of which he is a Member?
MR. GLADSTONEYes, Sir; my attention has been called to the speech of my hon. Friend; and I observed with pleasure that my hon. Friend, in the exercise of that caution, which is supposed to exist North of the Tweed in a degree at least equal to that in which it exists South of the Tweed, did not undertake to convey in his remarks the intentions of the Government; but said that his own opinion was that it would not be an unreasonable course if they were determined to carry the Procedure Rules; and, standing upon that opinion, he thought that the Government would act upon it. It was very natural, I think, with the perfect confidence my hon. Friend has in the Government, that he should think that whatever has commended itself to him as highly reasonable would be adopted by the Government. I shall, Sir, have something more to say on the subject when I come to speak on the Business of the House.