§ MR. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury what steps he proposes to take to give effect to the Resolution, adopted by the House on Friday, 9th June, for the amendment of the law relating to agricultural holdings?
§ MR. CROMBIE (Kincardineshire)At the same time, may I ask whether any legislation introduced by the Government will extend to Scotland?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE,) Edinburgh, MidlothianI think it is very proper that the case of Scotland, as well as that of England, should be considered in reference to any legislation dealing with agriculture. With respect to the question on the Paper, I assure my hon. Friend that I do not see any opportunity for legislation at the present moment. I hope no long time may elapse before such an opportunity is found; but, in the meantime, the Government are certainly desirous' of availing themselves of such assistance as they may derive—and I think they may derive valuable assistance—from the inquiries of the Committee on the subject if it is the pleasure of the House to appoint it.
§ MR. CHANNINGI should like to ask whether, when the Government accept a Resolution pledging the House to legislate on specific lines, the usual course is for the Government to undertake that legislation; and whether, in re- 1075 ference to this question, the action of the Government does not place the decision of the House hi some uncertainty and leads to delay in dealing with the subject of agriculture?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEThe Government, as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said the other night look to obtain assistance from the labours of the Committee; and they do not seek to cast the responsibility for legislation on others.
§ MR. CHAPLINIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, when an opportunity presented itself a few nights ago for the appointment of a Select Committee to make a specific inquiry into the question, it was absolutely refused by the Chancellor of the Exchequer'?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTYes; because we did not think it fit to appoint two Committees, and the right hon. Gentleman himself is the obstacle to the appointment of the principal Committee.
§ * MR. CHAPLINIs not the principal Committee a Committee of Inquiry into all the causes of agricultural depression; and did not the right hon. Gentleman's own colleague, the First Commissioner of Works, quite recently say that no alteration of the Agricultural Holdings Act could prove to be a possible remedy for agricultural depression?
§ LORD R. CHURCHILL (Paddington, S.)I have a vivid recollection of that speech. I will ask whether the Resolution passed by the House was not drawn up by one of the most faithful and ardent supporters of the Government?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTThe Government cannot answer for all the Resolutions drawn up by their faithful and ardent supporters. The Government desire to appoint a Committee to inquire into the causes of agricultural depression, and the remedies for it. They believe the matter referred to in the question to be among the causes to be inquired into by the Committee, but they do not think it desirable to limit the inquiry to that question.
§ MR. CHANNINGAs the Committee will deal with a large range of subjects, cannot the right hon. Gentleman see his way to exclude from its purview the subject decided by the House last Friday, in order that legislation might be prepared on the subject?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTThe Government have not decided that legislation shall take place without inquiry. On the contrary, I had stated positively that inquiry was necessary before legislation, and, therefore, to exclude the subject from the inquiry of the Committee would be absolutely contrary to the declarations made last Friday night.
§ MR. CHANNINGI beg to give notice that I will take the earliest opportunity to ask for leave to bring in a Bill to carry out the Resolution of the House.
§ * MR. CHAPLINSeeing that both sides of the House are agreed that it is desirable there should be an inquiry into the Agricultural Holdings Act, I will ask whether the Government will not themselves move for a Committee ad hoc, in order that there may be an inquiry into that subject apart from the general question of agricultural depression?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEThe Chancellor of the Exchequer has declined to confine the inquiry to the working of the Agricultural Holdings Act. If the right hon. Gentleman wishes any re-consideration of that decision—which I am not prepared to promise—it would be well that he should give notice of a question on the subject.