§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEBefore the Prime Minister makes the Motion in regard to the postponement of the Orders of the Day, I would like to ask him whether he will make arrangements for the continuation of the debate on the Motion of my right hon. Friend tomorrow evening? The debate will be resumed at the Morning Sitting to- 30 morrow, and I am informed that if it is to go on in the evening it will be necessary to give Notice to-day of a Motion for to-morrow giving it precedence. I understand that the hon. and gallant Member for East Aberdeenshire (Sir Alexander Gordon) and the hon. Member for Kilmarnock (Mr. Dick Peddie), who have Notices on the Paper, will be willing to facilitate this arrangement.
MR. GLADSTONEI do not know whether I am to understand that the right hon. Gentleman has come to an understanding with the hon. Gentlemen to whom he refers. But I hope no impediment will be placed in the way of what he suggests.
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEI cannot say I have come to any understanding, but I venture to make an appeal to the hon. Gentlemen opposite.
§ SIR ALEXANDER GORDONsaid he had to thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving him Notice of this matter; but he had received no request from anyone sitting on this side of the House to postpone his Motion, which stood first on the paper for to-morrow. He had, on the other hand, received assurances from both sides of the House of the interest taken in the subject of that Motion. By continuing the debate tomorrow evening, on this the third attempted Vote of Censure on the Government this Session, the only result would be the delivery of some half-dozen speeches, without the slightest chance of altering a single vote, and without any certainty—["Order, order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, the hon. and gallant Member was not in Order in entering into debatable matter.
MR. GLADSTONEsaid, his noble Friend the Member for Flintshire (Lord Richard Grosvenor) had addressed to the hon. and gallant Gentleman a communication that was intended to be a request. Therefore he hoped that the alleged absence of a request would not prevent him from withdrawing. It would certainly he convenient for him to do so.
§ SIR ALEXANDER GORDONsaid, this was the first he had heard of the request; but he had told the noble Lord that he should be sorry to stand in the way of the Government if they wished him to postpone his Motion, but he had heard nothing of the matter from that day to this.
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEsaid he hoped that, under the circumstances, he should not be too sanguine in assuming that the hon. and gallant Member would give way?
MR. GLADSTONEsaid, he assumed that the hon. Member for Kilmarnock, who had the second Motion on the Paper, would be of an equally yielding frame of mind?
§ MR. DICK PEDDIEsaid, his Motion for to-morrow was one of very great importance, and one which excited intense interest in Scotland—an interest greater than that aroused by the Motion of the right hon. Baronet. This was the third Session during which he had ballotted for a place, and on the only occasion before this on which he had been successful in securing a place, it had been taken from him by the exigencies of Irish legislation. He thought it was hard to give up the position he had now secured for the sake of this third attempt to, within 12 weeks, pass a Vote of Censure on the Government. If he thought it would serve his end to block the way he would not give way; but as the hon. and gallant Member for East Aberdeenshire stood between him and the intended debate, and as the hon. Member was, he assumed, going to give way, he would not like to play the part of the dog in the manger. Therefore, though with great reluctance, he would surrender his right in the matter.