BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 9 May 1898)

§ LORD H. CECIL
I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury a question of which I have sent him private notice—namely, whether, in view of the desire of several Members to raise the question of the propriety of restoring their commissions to the officers who were concerned with Dr. Jameson in the Raid, he will put down the Vote for the salary of the Secretary of State for War on an early day?

§ SIR C. DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)
The general discussion on the Foreign Office Vote having been postponed in consequence of the illness of the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs—whom I congratulate on his return—I beg to ask the First Lord 698 when, consistently with his promise to the Irish Members, he can take the Foreign Office Vote?

§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY
The right honourable Gentleman may, of course, if he likes, put a Question down, but I think it is a convenient practice not to settle unnecessarily long beforehand on what day particular Votes should be taken. Now it seems quite clear, in face of the pledges given to honourable Members from Ireland, that neither the Vote for the salary of the Secretary for War nor the Foreign Office Vote, upon which the right honourable Baronet desires to raise certain general questions of interest, can possibly be taken before Whitsuntide. Under these circumstances I think there would be no good object gained in forecasting these matters until the holidays come near.

§ SIR C. DILKE
Is the right honourable Gentleman aware from the ordinary sources of information that a desire to discuss the Foreign Office Vote is felt on his own side of the House by a large number of Members? Would he like to receive an intimation to that effect from Members who wish to discuss it, and will he, in his reply, have regard to the statements made by the Government in postponing the discussion?

§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)
Before he replies, may I ask, does not the right honourable Gentleman think it would be a considerable relief to the House to be freed from Irish questions which come on every night of the week, and put down either the Foreign Office Vote or the Colonial Office Vote before Whitsuntide?

§ MR. J. DILLON (Mayo, E.)
Will the honourable Member vote for a Home Rule Bill?

§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY
There is clearly one serious obstacle to the course suggested by my honourable Friend, and that is that I have made a promise to the Irish Members with regard to Supply. With regard to the question of the right honourable Baronet, I am, of course, ready, indeed 699 anxious, to receive, either in a written or in any other form, the indications from bodies of Members in this House of their wishes as to the order in which Supply should be taken. I confess I have not received, either from the ordinary sources of information or in any, other way, information that there is a widespread anxiety on the part of Gentlemen on this side of the House to further discuss foreign affairs.

§ MR. S. SMITH (Flintshire)
Will the right honourable Gentleman say when the report stage of the Benefices Bill is likely to come on?

§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY
Not until after Whitsuntide.

§ DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)
It is intended to take the Vaccination Bill to-night? If not, is there any prospect of it being taken before Whitsuntide?

§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY
We are pledged to go on with the Irish Bill, and till that is finished I do not think much is to be gained by making a forecast of the business to be taken when that desirable end is attained.