§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI wish to give the House some information as to the course of business before Easter. We intend to proceed with the Estimates, as is necessary, in order to comply with the provisions of the law: the Army Estimates, Vote 1 of the Navy Estimates—which I am given to understand will, after the substantial discussion of the other night, pass with a little more expenditure of time -— the remaining Supplementary Estimates, and, finally, the Vote on Account. The Government propose to fix the Vote for the Evicted Tenants Commission for Monday, and it will, therefore, be necessary to postpone the Irish Government Bill, which now stands for Monday, until Thursday, and I intend to move the Bill that day, and to assign to it Thursday and the following days, so far as depends upon us. In the present state of Public Business, it may be necessary to make appeals to the patriotism of the House to accede to arrangements entailing some sacrifice of its convenience—whether it be by Saturday Sittings or by abridging the period usually appropriated to the Easter Recess. I 'gather that this is not an agreeable announcement, but I apprehend that the first duty of the House is that the Public Business shall be done, and I assure the House that the Government will make no demand of that kind upon it except what might appear to us to be absolutely called for by the interests of the country and the exigencies and necessities of the Public Service.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI rise to ask one or two questions in order that we may clearly understand exactly what the views of the Government are. Am I right in supposing that the right hon. Gentleman in fixing a date for the discussion of the Evicted Tenants Commission means to bring on the Estimate, and that the discussion shall take place first on Monday, whatever may happen to the other Estimates?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEYes.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURMay I ask him, in the second place—of course I do not ask 1456 for any declaration in regard to the Easter holidays—what views he has with regard to Saturday Sittings? My own view is that a Saturday Sitting, while imposing unquestionable inconvenience on the House, and imposing unquestionable hardships on the officers of the House, is not likely in matters of Supply greatly to further the progress of Public Business. However that may be, I think the Government should give us full notice of their intention to put down a Resolution for a Saturday Sitting, in order that we may take steps to see that the matter is thoroughly threshed out, and I should be glad to know whether the right hon. Gentleman means to put down for to-morrow before the commencement of Public Business a Resolution requiring us to sit on Saturday. The only other question that I have to ask is with regard to the Notice of Motion which the right hon. Gentleman has placed on the Paper to-day. I should like to ask him whether the Government have placed that notice on the Paper with the same view and intention as they placed a similar notice on the Paper last Monday? At that time the Chancellor of the Exchequer informed us that all the Government desired to attain by the temporary abrogation of the Twelve o'Clock Rule' was, not to prolong our Sitting, but to prevent the striking of the clock intervening between the House and a decision which the House was prepared to arrive at. If the Government can assure the House that they do not intend to prolong the Sitting to-night, but merely to prevent any inconvenience that may arise from some hon. Gentleman talking out the question before the House, as sometimes happens, I shall certainly not do anything to embarrass the Government. I think we ought to know exactly what are the intentions of the Government.
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI wish to say, in reply to the first question of the right hon. Gentleman, that the Vote for the Evicted Tenants Commission will be taken first on Monday, irrespective of the position in which we may stand in respect of any other business. As to the second question, I must make an apology to the House for not stating that it is my intention to move tomorrow for a Sitting on the day after to-morrow. We shall not repeat that Motion unless rigid necessity should 1457 appear to compel us to do so. As regards the third question, the right hon. Gentleman being satisfied with the terms in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer described his intention of moving the suspension of the Twelve o'Clock Rule last Monday, I may say that it is just with the same intention that we propose it now. It was done repeatedly in the time of the late Government, and it was a perfectly reasonable proceeding. There is no intention on the part of the Government to make it a heavy post-midnight Sitting, but merely to prevent the interference of the Twelve o'Clock Rule with the main business of the evening, which we shall close within a reasonable time afterwards.
MR. JAMES LOWTHERI understand that in the event of an Amendment to the Motion that the Speaker leave the Chair being under consideration, the Government would afford an opportunity for the discussion upon that Amendment being brought to a conclusion, but that no attempt would be made to proceed with other Amendments or any other questions.
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI am not going to enter into details, and I think I must take my stand on what I have already stated.
§ SIR M. HICKS-BEACHIn view of the announcement of the right hon. Gentleman with regard to Thursday next, I wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether any alterations that may be proposed in the schedules or clauses of the Home Rule Bill relating to finance will be laid on the Table before the Second Reading? I gathered from the Chief Secretary, at the close of the Debate on the introduction of the Bill, that the clauses were not presented in their final shape, and there are two blank schedules. I do not know whether the right hon. Gentleman has any information to communicate to the House on these matters.
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEThere is no information to communicate as regards the clauses of the Bill which would in any way affect the votes of hon. Members. There is one clause of the Bill, with respect to Excise, the particular terms of which I do not think can be regarded as absolutely fixed. The two schedules are not yet filled; but with regard to one, at any rate, I think it is 1458 the intention of my right hon. Friend to give information before the Second Reading, and if the right hon. Gentleman puts a question to-morrow he may obtain a distinct answer from my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary for Ireland.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThere is one point on which I find my hon. Friends near me take a different view of the statement of the right hon. Gentleman from that I gathered from his words. I understood him to say that the Government proposes to take the Home Rule Bill on Thursday next, but a stronger interpretation has been put upon the words by some hon. Gentlemen, who appeared to understand what I cannot quite credit—namely, that, whatever the condition of Public Business may be, and however necessary that Supply must be obtained, Supply must be put on on one side in order that the Home Rule Bill may be taken.
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEMy statement was that we would take the Home Rule Bill on Thursday next and following days, for the Second Reading of that Bill. I do not think I can add anything to that. With respect to Supply, there may be contingencies, but I am not able to make any calculation which would lead to the anticipations of the right hon. Gentleman.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI want no calculations from the right hon. Gentleman, and it is quite possible he may get all the Supply he wants by Wednesday. But what we want to know is whether we are to regard the Home Rule Bill as being absolutely fixed for Thursday, as the Evicted Tenants Commission is fixed for Monday?
MR. JAMES LOWTHERI wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the statement made by the Patronage Secretary to the Treasury on Wednesday is correct, that the Government intend to get the Speaker out of the Chair to-night on the Army Estimates, and to force the Amendments to a conclusion in order to carry the Vote to-night?
§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)I wish to know from the right hon. Gentleman whether if the Navy Estimates are not reached before 12 o'clock they will be taken after that hour?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEWe shall be desirous to get forward as far as we 1459 can, but we shall be guided by the feeling of the House. I should not be disposed to run counter to that feeling, unless for some object of a vital character. I do not think I can go further than that.
MR. JAMES LOWTHERI think I am justified in asking the right hon. Gentleman whether he endorses the statement made yesterday by the Patronage Secretary, that the Government intend to get the Speaker out of the Chair to-night? If the right hon. Gentleman does so I shall divide against the Motion for the suspension of the Twelve o'clock Rule.
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEWe shall make all the progress we can with the Votes.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI now understand the right hon. Gentleman to say that he proposes to get the Speaker out of the Chair to-night under any circumstances.
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI never said so.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThen I am mistaken. I understand that the right hon. Gentleman adheres to the answer he gave me just now, that he has no wish whatever, no intention, of having any prolonged Sitting after Twelve o'clock.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThen we are to regard the termination of business to-night as wholly irrespective and independent of whether the Speaker is or is not out of the Chair?
§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNEIs it the intention of the right hon. Gentleman to give notice of a similar Resolution to the one we have now submitted to us whenever Supply is put down as the principal business before the House? I would ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it would not be more in harmony with the ordinary practice of Parliament to submit a general Resolution, which we could discuss, if it be his intention, whenever Supply is put down as the principal business of the House, to suspend the Twelve o'clock Rule.
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEIf we had formed a Resolution of that kind, it would have been our duty to communicate it to the House, and I would not 1460 have waited before communicating it, to be reminded of it by the noble Lord.
§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)I wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is aware that the Twelve o'clock Rule has already been suspended five times, though this is only the sixth week of the Session, and whether he will not adopt the view of the noble Lord, and do away with the Rule altogether.
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!