§ MR. HULSE (Salisbury)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the decision of the Government not to proceed with the Second Reading of the Home Rule Bill before Easter, an opportunity can be given to the House to discuss the Liquor Traffic (Local Control) Bill before that date; and whether he can name an approximate date when the Second Reading of that measure will be submitted to the House and proceeded with?
§ MR. BOLITHO (Cornwall, St. Ives)May I ask whether, in view of the impossibility of dealing with the many Bills on this subject during the present Session, the right hon. Gentleman will consider the advisability of referring them to a Committee in order that the question may be dealt with on a comprehensive basis and a settlement promptly arrived at?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTIn answer to the question of the hon. Member for Salisbury, I have thankfully to acknowledge his anxiety for the rapid progress of the measures of the Government. How soon I may be able to gratify his eager-ness in so good a cause I am unable to say, but I hope the incidents of yesterday may have given him some satisfaction and slake his thirst for rapid legislation. But his proposal is hardly consistent with that of the hon. Gentleman behind me, because he proposes a Committee, which perhaps would rather delay than facilitate the progress of the measure. I am only 225 able to say that as soon as we can proceed with that measure we shall be very glad to do so, and we have great hopes of success. I do not think it is a sort of measure that could be satisfactorily dealt with by a Committee.
§ MR. HULSEMay I assume that this Bill is not going to be pushed forward, and that it is the intention of the Government to drop it forthwith?
§ [No answer was given.]