§ MR. D. THOMASI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can state to the House the nature and extent of the facilities which the Government have promised or intend to afford for the later stages of the Mines (Eight Hours) Bill; and whether a Government five-line Whip will be issued, with freedom to the supporters of the Government to vote as they please?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTPerhaps I may point out that the number of this question is 107, and if the supplementary 800 questions be added the total for the day will be 50 per cent. more. This question deals with mysteries I do not pretend to fathom. My Parliamentary experience does not enable me to estimate the operation of a five-line Whip with freedom to the supporters of the Government to vote as they please. That belongs, I believe, to the doctrine of the correlation of forces. I always supposed that all Members of the House, including the hon. Member, always had perfect freedom to vote or not vote as they pleased.
§ MR. D. THOMASMay I point out the position in which the Government placed us. A five-line Whip was issued to Members, and yet we were afterwards told we were perfectly free to go into the Lobby against the Bill. Can the right hon. Gentleman answer the first part of my question?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTI am not able to state what facilities the Government can offer.