MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. (Hansard, 7 June 1883)

§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE
asked the Prime Minister the course of Business for to-morrow and next week?

MR. GLADSTONE
said, that tomorrow at 2 o'clock they proposed to proceed with Lords Alcester and Wolseley Annuities Bills. As he did not anticipate a wide debate on the subject, he hoped they would be able to proceed with the Committee on the Corrupt Practioes Bill afterwards. On Monday the Committee on the Corrupt Practices Bill would be continued.

§ MR. BERESFORD HOPE
asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he could state the day and hour on which the further proceedings on the Ballot Act Continuance Bill would be taken? He was obliged to frame his Question in these terms, as he could not reconcile what took place in the last quarter of an hour on Tuesday's Morning Sitting with the repeated assurances that had been given by the right hon. Gentleman that he would only take the debate at an hour when there could be a substantial debate.

§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKE
said, that when the House gave a Morning Sitting to the Government it was in order that it might proceed with Government measures. He did not know whether the right hon. Gentleman desired to make his speech on the subject a second time. They were anxious to proceed with the measure; but he could not gratify the curiosity of the right hon. Gentleman by stating the exact time when it would come on.

§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH
asked whether the Committee on the Agricultural Holdings Bill was not to be taken until after the Corrupt Practices Bill?

MR. GLADSTONE
said, he should better be able to answer the Question when he had had a little experience of the Corrupt Practices Bill Committee. 1926 They desired to take that course which would soonest close the debates on both Bills.

§ SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOT
subsequently inquired whether the Prime Minister would not consent to proceed with the Committee stage of the Agricultural Holdings Bill until it was completed, before taking the Committee stage of the Corrupt Practices Bill? It was highly inconvenient to have the Committees of two Bills proceeding at the same time.