HC Deb 14 December 1893 vol 19 cc1389-90
MR. MACFARLANE

May I ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the earliest time he proposes to take this Bill?

SIR W. HARCOURT

It is of very great importance to the Indian Government that the Bill should be passed at the earliest possible period, and as the Government have given up a day to the discussion of the measure I hope it will not be opposed at any further stage, but that it may be allowed to pass through Committee this evening. It must be passed before the close of the year, and it is desirable it should go to the House of Lords as soon as possible.

MR. MACFARLANE

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that of the five hours available on Wednesday three were taken up by three speakers of whom the Chancellor of the Exchequer was one, although several other hon. and right hon. Gentlemen desired to speak.

SIR W. HARCOURT

As I had a little responsibility for the Government, I have taken the trouble to see how much time was taken up in the discussion by the various speakers. The speech of the Under Secretary was short. I regret if my own was too long, but I had a very difficult subject to deal with; I do not think the time occupied by the Government was more than l¼ hours.

MR. COURTNEY (Cornwall, Bodmin)

I should like to point out that the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the University of London has a most important Amendment which he desires to submit to the Committee. It will therefore not be possible to take that stage after midnight.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I would suggest to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to contemplate the desirability of making some arrangement by which, either upon the Amendment of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for the University of London—if it be in Order —or else upon the Third Reading, Members who have a right or desire to speak on the Bill should have an opportunity of doing so. I may point out that a Wednesday Sitting is not equal to an ordinary Sitting; it does not extend over more than five hours.

SIR W. HARCOURT

I am extremely sorry that any hon. Member, and more especially the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bodmin, should have been unable to speak. I did not at the time I moved the Closure know that the right hon. right Gentleman was attempting to speak. I am sorry he did not rise earlier, because we all desire to hear him on this subject. If the Bill passes through Committee to-night I will endeavour to arrange with the right hon. Gentleman opposite that an opportunity for further discussion will be given on the Third Reading.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Of course, I have no control over the Amendment of my right hon. Friend the Member for the University of London.

SIR W. HARCOURT

I should hope the right hon. Gentleman does not desire the bankruptcy of the Indian Government. I am sure he does not; but his proposal is one which would prevent the Indian Government from meeting its liabilities, and therefore, of course, the Government have only one answer to the proposal, and that is to oppose it. I hope that, under these circumstances, it will not be passed.

MR. DARLING (Deptford)

As the Government have announced that, in their opinion, this Bill is all that stands between us and the bankruptcy of our Indian Empire, I wish to ask whether, in the interests of the solvency of the Empire, they will give this Loan Bill precedence over the Local Government Bill until it has passed through all its stages?

[No answer was given.]