§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR (Manchester, E.)I think it will be for the convenience of the House if the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House can now give us some idea as to the duration of the Whitsuntide holidays. I think he will admit that he got all the business he hoped for on Thursday and Friday last, and possibly he would be able to regard our hopes with a more favourable eye and give us a fairly lengthened period of leisure. While the right hon. Gentleman is answering the question, perhaps he will also tell us what the Government propose to do with the Naval Works Bill?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERWe have not quite exhausted everything that I hope to get done before we adjourn; but I rather gather that to-night it is not desired to debate the Finance Bill further on the Third Reading. If that is so, the Bill can be taken at the end of the evening, and I understand that arrangements have been made for it to be taken to-night in the House of Lords. With reference to the question about the Naval Loan Bill, I gather also that the discussion on the points in that Bill will not now require a very long time, and I should propose to adjourn the Debate on the Welsh Bill at about half-past Ten to-morrow with a view to finishing the Committee Stage of the Naval Loan Bill. If that is considered convenient, then, as I have said before, we could take the Vote on Account and the Report upon it on Thursday and Friday, and, if that were accomplished, I should hope the House might adjourn on the Friday until the following Monday week.
§ MR. T. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)said, that an hour-and-a-half was a very short time to allow for the consideration of the Naval Bill. He did not know whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that the opposition to the Bill came from his own side. Hon. Members on the Opposition side would not take very long in what they had to say on the Bill, but he hoped the right hon. Gentleman would adjourn the Welsh Debate at Ten o'clock.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI will try to do that. I shall not quarrel with either side of the House for half-an-hour.