§ Order for Committee read.
§ MR. CHILDERS (Edinburgh, S.)asked the First Lord of the Treasury to be good enough to say when he proposed to take effective Civil Service Supply? Those Votes were greatly in arrear, and a day ought to be named for proceeding with them.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)admitted these Votes were very much in arrear. He had hope of proceeding with them that evening; but he had been disappointed in the amount of time occupied on the Motion for the introduction of the Irish Drainage Bills. Under any circumstances, Civil Service Supply would be taken on Monday next.
§ SIR JOHN SWINBURNE (Staffordshire, Lichfield)asked, could not the 154 Government say if they would take Supply on Thursday? Surely Her Majesty's Government knew their own minds well enough to be able to say what they were going to do 48 hours in advance.
§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, the difficulty was to know the minds of hon. Gentlemen opposite. He had given the only answer he could to the right hon. Gentleman, and that answer he must abide by.
§ MR. CHILDERSsaid, he assumed that the right hon. Gentleman would state definitely on the morrow. Wednesday was an inconvenient day for such announcements.
§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)said it might facilitate progress with Supply if the right hon. Gentleman were more sparing in the application of the closure. ["Order, order!"]
§ Committee deferred till Wednesday.