§ MR. JESSE COLLINGSasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether 1709 he will give immediate facilities for the consideration of the Parliamentery Elections (Medical Belief) Bill; and what is the attitude of the Government respecting it?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH)The attitude of the Government respecting that Bill is this—that, in our opinion, the subject is one that should be dealt with, and I will include the matter in the statement which it is my intention to make to-morrow. I desire to give Notice that to-morrow I propose to make a statement as to our intentions respecting the Business of the Session, and to move the following Resolution:—
That the Committee of Supply have precedence this day of all other Business; and that for the remainder of the Session, including this day, Orders of the Day have precedence of Notices of Motions on Tuesdays, Government Orders having priority; that Government Orders have priority on "Wednesdays; and that the Standing Order of the 27th November 1S82, relating to Notices on going into Committee of Supply on Monday and Thursday, be extended to Tuesday and Wednesday.I shall make a full statement as to the use the Government would intend to make of these facilities, if the House should grant them. I shall merely say now that, if the Motion be adopted, our proposal will be that the first Business taken to-morrow should be the Grant to Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice in Committee of Supply, and also the Civil Service Estimates. I think it would be for the convenience of the House, as it would be for the convenience of the Department, that the Navy Estimates should be taken on Wednesday. I hope also to make arrangements for making my Financial Statement on Thursday.
§ MR. JESSE COLLINGSasked whether the Parliamentary Elections (Medical Relief) Bill could be made a second Order of the Day for to-morrow, Progress being reported at a sufficiently early hour to admit of its being proceeded with?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he could not give the undertaking asked for by the hon. Member; but he would deal with the matter to-morrow.
MR. GLADSTONEAfter what has fallen from the right hon. Gentleman 1710 (Sir Michael Hicks-Beach), it may be for his convenience and the convenience of the House that I should indicate to him certain subjects on which I think great anxiety is felt, and in regard to which it may be necessary that we should have full information as to the intentions of the Government, in order to judge of the course we ought to take in regard to the Motion of which he has just given Notice, asking for precedence for Government Orders. I do not now say anything in regard to the Budget, as to which he has already given us an engagement for Thursday.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERThat depends on the adoption of the Motion for precedence.
MR. GLADSTONEWell, then, a contingent engagement. I think there will be a general disposition to concur in the desire of the Government to bring the Session to a close as early as possible by the despatch of the necessary Business; but I understand, by the intimation given to-day, that legislation is not to be entirely dispensed with. Now, one Bill, in regard to which I shall look with great anxiety for the declaration of the Government, is the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Bill, which is a measure of extreme urgency. Another measure, which I intended to mention, is one to which my hon. Friend (Mr. Jesse Collings) has alluded—the Parliamentary Elections (Medical Relief) Bill, because I think it is quite plain that the judgment of the House ought to be taken on that matter. A third measure is of an urgency much greater than would at first sight appear—the Welsh Intermediate Education Bill. The Welsh have been proverbial for their patience in all matters, and the consequence has been that very little attention has at any time—I do not speak of one Government or another—been given to Welsh demands through the Legislature. These are Bills of very great importance. There is another Bill in which very considerable interest is felt by those who ought to be best informed with regard to it, and on which my right hon. Friend the late Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir William Harcourt) will desire to have an opportunity of pressing his views upon the House—I mean the Criminal Law Amendment Bill. Of 1711 course, there are other matters relating to Irish policy and foreign policy; but to these I do not think it necessary to make any allusion now, and I simply give the present Notice hoping that it may be rather useful than otherwise.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI am not at present prepared to discuss the question under consideration. But I desire generally to say, in order to avoid any misapprehension, that the Notice I have given is with the full idea that the Government will not undertake anything that can be really called contentious legislation, and that some of the subjects to which the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Gladstone) has referred do appear to me to partake of that character.
§ MR. J. G. HUBBARDsaid, he wished to point out that the Motion of the right hon. Baronet would interfere with his (Mr. Hubbard's) Motion in regard to the incidence of the Income Tax; and if the right hon. Baronet absorbed the time of private Members, there would be no chance of obtaining the judgment of the House upon his Motion. His Motion was of great importance to the community at large, and—
§ MR. SPEAKERThe right hon. Gentleman is not in Order in discussing his Motion.
§ MR. J. G. HUBBARDbowed to the ruling of the Chair. He did not wish to place any objection in the way of the Resolution.
MR. GLADSTONEI should have stated that I think the right hon. Baronet is quite right in proposing to proceed at once with the Grant to the Princess Beatrice which, through accidental circumstances, has been delayed.
§ MR. MACFARLANEDoes the right hon. Baronet consider the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Bill a contentious one?
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONSir, when the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer moves, to-morrow, the Motion of which he has given Notice, taking the time of the House for Government Business, I shall move the following Amendment:—
That this House, not having confidence in the present responsible Advisers of Her Majesty, declines to entrust the Government with the disposal of the time of the House.