§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE, in whose name the following Notice stood upon the Paper:—
To ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is proposed to postpone any attempt to relieve the precarious condition of Egyptian finance until the Government shall have received and considered a Report from Lord Northbrook; and, if any steps to afford that relief are contemplated as urgent, in what way will Her Majesty's Government engage the credit of the country without the consent of Parliament?said: Before putting this Question I may be allowed to say that since yesterday I have endeavoured to ascertain what would be the most convenient time for 116 raising the discussion on our position in relation to Egypt and on the policy of the Government; and I have reason to believe that to-day would be very inconvenient for some Members who wish to take part in the debate, while to-morrow would be inconvenient for others. There would also to-day be some uncertainty as to the time at which the Vote on which a discussion could be founded would be reached in Supply. I therefore propose to call attention to the whole subject on Monday on the proper stage of the Appropriation Bill, which, I presume, will be the first Order. I would now ask the First Lord of the Treasury the Question which stands in my name.
MR. GLADSTONEI dare say that we shall be able to put down the Appropriation Bill as the first Order on Monday, in order to meet the view of the right hon. Gentleman; but I cannot say positively. As regards the Question on the Paper, as at present advised, we have no intention of adopting any scheme, either of action or counsel, with regard to Egyptian finance before we have received the Report which Lord Northbrook may make. But we are not in a position at this moment to say whether occasion may not arise during the interval for either counsel or action upon points of an incidental character. In any case, with regard to the latter part of the Question, we shall be most careful to preserve the Privileges of the House of Commons.