§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT (Monmouthshire, W.)I wish to ask the First Lord of the Treasury a question about the business of to-day. The first order of the day is Supply, Army Estimates, in the name of the Under Secretary for War. I observe also on the Paper a notice relating to what are called the proposals of the Government. We have no knowledge of any proposals of the Government. There has been no notice of any such proposals. I have heard it rumoured that a statement has been made about the military plans of the Government in another place. But we are bound not to know anything about that. [Opposition laughter, and cheers.] The Army Estimates have apparently been opened by the Government in another place, and it would be out of order to know anything on the subject. But there are a few people I believe who read newspapers—[laughter]—and those persons may know something about the intentions of the Government upon military affairs. But here we know nothing of the proposals of the Government, and what I have to ask the right hon. Gentleman is that before we go to a discussion upon the Speaker leaving the Chair we should know the scheme of the Government by a statement from the Under Secretary. Otherwise it is quite 1564 impossible to deal either generally or in detail with the matter. The usual practice has been to state the Army Estimates after the Speaker has left the Chair. Within my own recollection there have been several instances where it was thought more convenient that the statement should be made when the Speaker was in the Chair. If it be true that a statement has been made in another place of the military intentions of the Government that is a conclusive reason why, before we discuss them here, a statement should be made here. ["Hear!"]
§ SIR JOHN COLOMB (Great Yarmouth)asked whether the proposals of the Government were not contained in Parliamentary papers signed by the Minister for War, and circulated among the Members of the House?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI do not know whence the right hon. Gentleman got his views on constitutional procedure or how long he has entertained them, but I have often, heard him quote at unnecessary length, speeches which had been made in the other House.
§ SIR W. HARCOURTNot on financial statements.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYIs there any difference? ("Hear, hear!"] I thought the right hon. Gentleman laid it down that he never know about what went on in the other House, and that if by accident he heard from some obscure sources what passed there he never dared to make use of his knowledge in the House of Commons. [Laughter.] I have closely followed the right hon. Gentleman's method of procedure, and should have thought his practice hardly squared with his theory. But, however that may be, the question of my hon. and gallant Friend supplies an answer to the right hon. Gentleman. There has been circulated, and there is in the hands of Members no doubt, a concise but clear and adequate summary of the proposals of the Government with regard to the Army Estimates, and this appears to me to be a sufficient basis for such discussion as may take place before the Speaker leaves the Chair. Under these circumstances I do not think there is any reason to depart from what is the usual, but not invariable, practice of waiting until the Speaker is out of the Chair before the Under Secretary for 1565 War makes his general statement on the Army Estimates.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)Are we to understand that before we are asked to consider the Army Estimates we shall have no more information than is contained in the memorandum which has been referred to? If that is sufficient for any one question it is sufficient for the whole, and I should have expected that the Leader of the House would have seen at what disadvantages the House is placed.
§ MR. SPEAKERI must remind the right hon. Gentleman that there is no question before the House.