§ COLONEL NOLAN (Galway, N.)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it was his intention to report Progress in Supply at an early hour that evening in order to proceed with the Allotments Bill?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)said, that looking at the condition of Supply, he was not in a position to ask the House to report Progress at an early hour; and therefore, unless they got through the Irish Estimates before half-past 1 o'clock, the Allotments Bill would not be proceeded with that evening.
§ MR. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)asked, what day the Bill would be taken if they did not reach it that night? At this time of the Session it would be most inconvenient if they did not know when the Bill would be taken.
§ MR. W. H. SMITHgreatly regretted the inconvenience to which hon. Members were put in consequence of the postponement of the Bill; but the hon. Gentleman would see that it was very difficult to fix a day. He would, however, give the earliest possible Notice as to when the Bill would be proceeded with. They must get Supply, and the Report stage of the Coal Mines, &c. Regulation Bill must betaken this week — he hoped on Saturday.
§ MR. JESSE COLLINGS (Birmingham, Bordesley)In case the Allotments Bill is not taken to-night, will it be taken to-morrow?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHIf the Irish Estimates are disposed of to-morrow night we will take it then.
§ MR. CHANNINGasked, whether the Allotments Bill could not be taken at any time of the night? Members on the Opposition side of the House were perfectly ready to deal with it at any hour.
§ Subsequently,
§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, with regard to the answer he had given a few minutes ago, he desired to state that while he did not wish the House to remain sitting till a very late hour owing to the strain put upon Members, it had been represented to him that the Bill would not take a very long time, and in that case he would not object to its being taken at half-past 1 in the morning. But it must be obvious that it would be impossible to enter on a prolonged debate after that hour; and therefore he should leave it to the good feeling of hon. Members to say whether the Bill should be taken at the close of the Sitting or not.
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVRE (Bradford, Central)said, he had some important Amendments on the Paper, and he would not wish that they should come on at 3 o'clock in the morning. He would prefer that the right hon. Gentleman should say something definite.
§ COLONEL NOLANannounced that as the Bill had been altered by leaving out Ireland, he should move that it be postponed until Ireland was included in the measure.
§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, under those circumstances, the Bill would not be taken that night.
§ In reply to Mr. WALLACE (Edinburgh, E.),
§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, that the Technical Schools (Scotland) Bill would not be taken to-night.