§ MR. MACLEAN (Cardiff)I beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman the First Lord of the Treasury a question of which I have given private notice—whether, in view of the disclosures in the Blue-book as to the real source and origin of the Indian Sugar duties, he will agree to fix a day for the discussion of this subject.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIf I am to interpret the question of my hon. friend by the letter he has sent to me indicating his desire, I may say he has fallen into an error in the interpretation he puts upon the Blue-book; but without dwelling on that point, I must say at this time of the year especially public time is extremely valuable, and unless there is a demand which the Government could not ignore from the authorised leaders of the Opposition, I do not think it would be possible to find the time my hon. friend, and I may say the Government themselves, desire to give to the discussion of this interesting subject.
§ SIR H. H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)To clear the atmosphere, I may say that it is my intention to give notice to move an Address praying her Majesty to be pleased to disallow the Indian Tariff Amendment Act, 1899.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)And in order to complete the right hon. Gentleman's satisfaction, I beg to ask him if he will give a day for the discussion of my right hon. friend's motion?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUROf course, I shall be very glad to give a day. The actual day perhaps had better be a matter for mutual arrangement.
§ SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)As this is the subject of a motion down for Tuesday next, will the right hon. Gentleman undertake not to take that day away?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have promised a day for something practically equivalent to a vote of censure on the Government to the right hon. Gentleman opposite, and under the circumstances I do not think we should have a preliminary canter on a subject nearly the same.