§ MR. JOHN REDMONDI wish, Mr. Speaker, to ask your ruling, Sir, on a point of order. It has been notified to my hon. Friend the Member for North Roscommon, that the Motion which stands on the Paper in his name and which he proposed to move on going into Committee of Supply on the Navy Estimates, is out of order. The Motion opposes the increase in the Navy Estimates on three grounds—first, on the ground of the foreign policy which necessitates the expenditure; secondly, on the ground that Ireland derives no benefit from the expenditure; and, thirdly, on the ground that Ireland is already overtaxed. I desire to ask you, Sir, whether these matters are not perfectly germane to a discussion on the Navy Estimates?
§ MR. SPEAKERI must tell the hon. Member that I think the Amendment is not in order. As it stands on the Paper, it would raise a Debate on a Vote of Censure on the foreign policy of the Government, and would be too remote from matters relating to the Estimates. As regards the Question of the financial relations between England and Ireland and the taxing of Ireland, I think these are matters which do not relate to the Navy Estimates, and, therefore, I think, taking the whole Motion altogether, it is out of order. ["Hear, hear!"]
§ MR. J. REDMONDThen, Sir, in the circumstances, I would ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, considering the gravity of the matters raised in this Notice of Motion, and considering the decision you have just given, that it amounted to a Vote of Censure on the Government, he would give us another opportunity of raising this matter.
ADMIRAL FIELD (Sussex, Eastbourne)I have been informed, Sir, through the usual channel, that my Motion is supposed to be not quite in order. [Laughter] It would relieve me from considerable anxiety, Sir, if you would give me your ruling upon it. [Laughter.]
§ MR. SPEAKERI have no difficulty in relieving the anxiety of the hon. and gallant Gentleman. There is no doubt the Amendment is out of order. [Laughter.]
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYIf I rightly understand the Question put to me by the hon. Gentleman the Member for Waterford, he wants to know whether I would give an opportunity to the House for discussing the foreign policy of Her Majesty's Government?
§ MR. J. REDMONDAnd the other matters.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI do not know that I can give an opportunity for discussing the financial relations between England and Ireland, at any rate pending the Report of the Commission. Until that is published, I think such a discussion would be premature. But with regard to the first and largest Question of the hon. Gentleman, I should be glad, if it met with the general wishes of the House, so as to arrange the order of the Votes on the Vote on Account that has to be taken before Easter, as to 242 put the Foreign Office Vote first, and on that I suppose it would be competent to raise a general Debate on the foreign policy of the Government. But I should like to make inquiries first in order to ascertain the general wishes of the House.
§ MR. J. REDMONDI understand the right hon. Gentleman to state that, pending the publication of the report of the Commission, he could not arrange for a discussion on the financial relations between England and Ireland. I would, however, ask him whether, when he is proposing an enormous increase in the taxation of Ireland, he will not allow us to raise the question now?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYThe hon. Member must not hastily assume that there will be an enormous increase of taxation. The matter is to be explained when my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer proposes his Budget.
§ MR. J. REDMONDI was speaking exclusively of the Naval Vote. However, I will accept the answer of the right hon. Gentleman for the present. But, under the circumstances, I shall oppose and divide against every single item in the Navy Estimates that shows any increase.