THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. CHILDERS) (Edinburgh, S.)said, he wished to address an appeal to the hon. Member for Newington (Mr. Isaacs), who had the next Motion on the Paper, which had reference to the relaxation of the Local Government Board's rule with regard to the granting of outdoor relief to the poor until the present depression of trade had disappeared. The right hon. Gentleman the President of the Local Government Board, he said, had not yet been returned to the House on his re-election on taking Office, and, at the present moment, there was no Secretary to the Board. The Motion of the hon. Member was one relating to the administration of the Poor Law; and, under the circumstances, he hoped that it would be postponed.
§ MR. ISAACS (Newington, Walworth)said, he held that it would be very wrong on the part of a new Member to cause the Government any inconvenience or embarrassment; and he would accede to the request which the right hon. Gentleman had made that he should postpone his Motion. He desired to point out, however, that the Motion had been on the Order Book since January 13 last, and that it had been put on one side on more than one occasion in order to facilitate Government Business. It was owing to no fault of his or of the Opposition side of the House that there was no President of the Local Government Board in the House, nor a Parliamentary Secretary of the Department. Under the circumstances, he hoped the Government would afford him facilities for bringing the Motion forward on a future occasion.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE) (Edinburgh, Mid Lothian)said, he was sorry that circumstances had occurred to impede the hon. Member in submitting his Motion to the House. Owing to the nature of the Business which they had before them, it was not in his power at present to make any engagement with 645 the hon. Member to afford him an opportunity, by giving him some portion of the time at the disposal of the Government, for bringing his Motion forward.
§ Motion, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Committee deferred till Monday next.