HC Deb 22 April 1890 vol 343 cc1082-4
MR. BONSOR (Surrey, Wimbledon)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the provisions of the Licensing Bill will be made known before the Second Reading of the Inland Revenue (Budget) Bill?

*THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH,) Strand, Westminster

It is not in my power to give a definite assurance that the Licensing Bill will be produced before the Second Reading of the Customs and Inland Revenue (Budget) Bill; but I will take care that the general provisions of the Licensing Bill be made known before the Second Reading of the Budget Bill.

MR. BAUMANN (Camberwell, Peckham)

Will the Bill apply to Ireland?

*MR. W. H. SMITH

The provisions which are intended to authorise the raising of money can easily be extended to Ireland.

SIR W. LAWSON (Cumberland, Cockermouth)

Are there to be two Bills—a suspensory Bill, and another Bill?

*MR. W. H. SMITH

There will be two Bills. There will be a Customs and Inland Revenue Bill, and a Bill dealing with the question of licences under the conditions explained by my right hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

MR. BAUMANN

Arising out of the answer of the right hon. Gentleman, may I ask if it is still his intention to give to the hon. Member for South Derry (Mr. Lea) any special and exceptional opportunity for reversing the decision of the House on the 26th of March?

MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER

Order, order! That is a question of which notice must be given.

MR. BAUMANN

Then I will ask the right hon. Gentleman the question of which I have given private notice.

*MR. W. H. SMITH

There is a Motion on the Paper which is intended to give the House an opportunity of re-considering the Intoxicating Liquors (Ireland) Bill to-morrow; and I stated, in answer to a question put to me by the hon. Gentleman opposite, that I thought the House ought to have that opportunity, seeing that the effect of the Resolution moved with respect to the previous Bill was certainly not foreseen by the House at large, and the House, in fact, was taken by surprise. I am myself, therefore, of opinion that that Resolution does not bind the House; but it is not for me to interpret the Rules and Orders of the House: that is to be done by higher authority. If it is felt that that Resolution ties the hands of the House it would be desirable that by a Resolution of the hon. Member for South Derry or myself the House should be at liberty to consider the question, especially as the Bill would be nothing more than a continuance Bill with amendments.

MR. CAVENDISH BENTINCK (Whitehaven)

May I ask whether, when the Resolution was put from the Chair, a division was not distinctly challenged by the right hon. Member for the Isle of Thanet (Mr. J. Lowther)? I certainly cannot see how the House can be said to have been taken by surprise.

MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)

I wish to know whether the Resolution will affect the Budget so far as it applies to Ireland?

*MR. W. H. SMITH

I would rather not enter into a discussion of the question. The point can only be properly dealt with in debate. My opinion is not in the slightest changed by the remark of my right hon. Friend the Member for Whitehaven (Mr. Cavendish Bentinck). I am convinced that if the House had realised the importance of the subject there would have been a Division.

MR. BAUMANN

Will the right hon. Gentleman tell me plainly whether, if the Motion of the hon. Member for South Derry is not reached this evening, the Government intend to put down a notice on the Paper to-morrow morning?

*MR. W. H. SMITH

As at present advised, certainly the Government will do so.