§ SIR W. HARCOURTIt may be convenient to the House that I should state that my hon. and learned Friend the Member for the Middleton Division of Lancashire has convinced me that the Pistols Bill is controversial; consequently, the Bill will not be proceeded with. I must congratulate my hon. and learned Friend on having triumphantly vindicated the right of free pistol shooting at all ages. The Government have been more fortunate in their diagnosis of what is likely to prove controversial in the other Bills on the Paper, and that they have received the assent of the House is due to exertions on both sides. I wish to mention one matter which I think 1296 deserves the consideration of the House. When the Votes in Supply are finished there will, I hope, be a whole day available for the Report stage, and I may remind the House that on former occasions when we have desired to accelerate the close of the Session it has been the practice to discuss Votes, which could not be discussed at great length in Committee, on that stage, when a whole day is available. If we are fortunate enough to finish Supply on Saturday there will be the whole of Monday available for the Report stage. As to the Indian Budget, I do not wish at all to diminish the time available for its discussion, but rather to extend it, and it would be a great pity, if there were any time available after the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill on Tuesday, that it should not be given to the Indian Budget. The Bills on the Paper, with the exception of the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill, will, I hope, be disposed of by Saturday, and if Committee of Supply is concluded on that day the Report of the Votes can be considered on Monday.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWith regard to the remarks of the right hon. Gentleman relative to the Indian Budget, I think that probably the arrangement he suggests is a convenient one. If the discussion on the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill were to last a considerable time, the Debate ought to be adjourned at a reasonably early hour and resumed on the following day. The right hon. Gentleman appears to think that it would be possible to finish Supply i to-morrow; but as there are 50 Votes to be passed, some of which are likely to give rise to a good deal of discussion, I doubt whether the whole subject can be disposed of this week unless hon. Members are subjected to an undue strain. The Government, I feel sure, will admit that the Opposition have not unduly prolonged the discussion of the Estimates.
§ SIR W. HARCOURTI think that the necessities of the case would be met if the more important Votes were reported first on Monday. By that means opportunity will be given for discussing them sufficiently. I do not propose to set any limit to the hours during which the House will be asked to sit to-morrow.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI think the right hon. Gentleman must have forgotten what passed on that day week when he 1297 said that he proposed to follow the example of the late Government respecting Saturday Sittings, and to close the Debate at 7 o'clock. I trust that the right hon. Gentleman will adhere to that arrangement.
§ SIR W. HARCOURTI intend to adhere to the example of the late Government, under whom at the end of a Session Sittings were prolonged to a much later hour than 7 o'clock.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI certainly understood the right hon. Gentleman to say that he would not prolong Saturday Sittings beyond 7 o'clock.
§ SIR W. HARCOURTI did not make that arrangement with respect to all Saturday Sittings, but only with respect to last Saturday. As to-morrow will be the last Saturday devoted this year to the discussion, of Supply, it will, in my opinion, be wrong to limit that discussion.
COLONEL NOLANreminded the House that on some occasions they had sat into Sunday. He remembered an hon. Member observing, with reference to one of those occasions, that many good things had been achieved on a Sunday, including the victory of Waterloo.