§ MR. ROBERT WALLACEI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the proceedings of a meeting of the four Liberal Committees of Edinburgh, held on the 8th instant under the auspices of the United Liberal Committee of that city, at which, inter alia, a resolution was unanimously passed stating that during the last six years Scotch business has been greatly neglected, and urging the Government to make arrangements to press forward those measures which affect Scotland; whether he is aware that the feeling thus indicated is deep and universal throughout Scotland; whether in the circumstances stated the Government will reconsider their intention of not devoting more time to Scotch Business; and whether, in the event of their being constrained to adopt Saturday Sittings in aid of any change of purpose, they will arrange that Scotch Business shall have a fair share of time on the ordinary days?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEI am aware, Sir, that there is much dissatisfaction in Scotland with regard to the slow progress with its business by this House, and such dissatisfaction appears to me to be just, but at the same time I think I may also say that it is by no means confined to Scotland. Scotland is included in the principal parts of the legislation now before the House on the part of the Government. With respect to the question whether the Government will reconsider their intention of not devoting more time to Scotch Business, I am not aware of any such decision which we should have to reconsider. What we have desired is to find time for Scotch Business as well as we can in 395 due proportion to its comparative claims, but we have come to no decision which corresponds to the terms of the question. And with regard to what we are to do in the event of our being constrained to adopt Saturday Sittings in aid of any change of purpose, I think, Sir, that when we have arrived at the conclusion that Saturday Sittings must be adopted for such purpose, and when the House has supported us in such conclusion, then will be the time for proceeding to a division of the spoil and arranging how the time can be most fairly apportioned among the several claimants.
§ MR. R. WALLACEWith reference to one part of the right hon. Gentleman's answer, I may say I understood, and I am glad to hear I misunderstood, the Chancellor of the Exchequer to say, during the temporary absence of the Prime Minister, that Scotch Business had not been sufficiently provided for from a Scotch point of view in the deliberations of the right hon. Gentleman's colleagues.
§ SIR W. HARCOURTI never said anything of the sort.
DR. M ACGREGOR (Inverness-shire)Does not the Prime Minister think the best way to devote sufficient time to Scotch Business is to grant Home Rule for Scotland?
§ [No answer was given.]