§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTON (Middlesex, Ealing)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if there is any precedent known of the first Vote on Army Estimates being discussed on a Saturday?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN,) Stirling, &c.This is the first of 12 questions addressed to me appearing on the Paper for the first time this morning. Many of these questions, including this, are such that some inquiry has to be made in order to make an accurate reply, and to offer any other reply would be disrespectful to the hon. Member putting the question, and to the House. I must ask the noble Lord to postpone his question.
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONMr.Speaker, the right hon. Gentleman being unable to deny my allegation
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe noble Lord is not entitled to say either that I am not able to deny his allegation, or that he has made any allegation at all. He has only asked a question.
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONI wish, Sir, to put this further question to Her Majesty's Government. The right hon. Gentleman being unable to deny my allegations as to the course adopted by Her Majesty's Government so far as the Military and Naval Services are concerned is without precedent. I wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the Government were aware of that fact when they gave notice of the Motion for to-day's Sitting?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI must ask the noble Lord to postpone that question also.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR (Manchester, E.)Are we really to understand that the right hon. Gentleman has lent himself to this arrangement of Business without having gone through the elementary preparation required?
§ [No answer was given.]