§
Motion made and Question proposed—
That Committees do not sit to-morrow, being Ascension Day, until Two of the clock." —(Mr. A. J. Balfour.)
§ * MR. J. E. ELLIS(Nottingham, Rushcliffe) said that this motion was a survival, and was intended to afford Members an opportunity of commemorating one of the great Christian landmarks which they all held so sacred. But the right honourable Gentleman the Leader of the House would acknowledge, he was sure, that a proper commemoration of the event was one with which Parliamentary procedure had very little to do. It lay within the spiritual sphere with which the House of Commons had little or no concern, and the overt act of commemoration had often afforded a very imperfect indication of the real spirit of the true commemoration. The right honourable Gentleman had used the expression in reply to a question on the previous day, as to this motion "immemorial practice." Now the right honourable Gentleman was a master of language, and if he pursued his investigations a little further he would find that the word immemorial as applied to the practice was not quite accurate. The right honourable Gentleman was, he believed, Scotch, and he must be aware that his own countrymen—whom they all acknowledged to be the most religious of nations—did not take the same view as prevailed in this country of Good Friday, for instance, and he could not admit for a moment that the Scotch did not understand that great Christian event then commemorated. The right honourable Gentleman was in a singularly unique position to make a new departure. His adherence to the Christian faith was known, and not for a moment could anyone take exception to his action on that account. If before next year 229 the right honourable Gentleman would make inquiry, he would realise the extreme inconvenience which this motion caused to persons engaged in important work in Committees upstairs, as well as to Members of the House itself, and the difficulties it creates, and then he might take a different view of the matter. He hoped that it would be
| AYES. | ||
| Acland-Hood, Capt. Sir Alex. F. | Fry, Lewis | Milward, Colonel Victor |
| Aird, John | Galloway, William Johnson | Monckton, Edward Philip |
| Allhusen, Augustus H. Eden | Garfit, William | Moon, Edward Robert Pacy |
| Archdale, Edward Mervyn | Gedge, Sydney | Moore, William (Antrim, N.) |
| Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John | Giles, Charles Tyrrell | Mount, William George |
| Austin, Sir John (Yorkshire) | Goldsworthy, Major-General | Muntz, Philip A. |
| Bailey, James (Walworth) | Gordon, Hon. John Edward | Murray, Col. Wyndham (Bath |
| Baird, John George Alexander | Gorst, Rt. Hon. Sir John Eldon | Myers, William Henry |
| Balcarres, Lord | Goschen, George J. (Sussex) | Newdigate, Francis Alexander |
| Baldwin, Alfred | Goulding, Edward Alfred | O'Neill, Hon. Robert Torrens |
| Balfour, Rt. Hon. A J. (Manch'r | Gray, Ernest (West Ham) | Parkes, Ebenezer |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn. G. W. (Leeds | Green, Walfond D. (Wedn'sbury | Pease, Herbert P. (Darlington |
| Barnes, Frederic Gorell | Greene, Henry D.(Shrewsbury) | Penders Sir James |
| Bartley, George C. T | Gretton, John | Penn, John |
| Barton, Dunbar Plunket | Gull, Sir Cameron | Percy, Earl |
| Beach, Rt. Hn. Sir M. H. (Bristol | Gunter, Colonel | Phillpotts, Captain Arthur |
| Bemrose, Sir Henry Howe | Hanson, Sir Reginald | Pilkington, Richard |
| Bethell, Commander | Hardy, Laurence | Powell, Sir Francis Sharp |
| Blakiston-Houston, John | Haslett, Sir James Horner | Power, Patrick Joseph |
| Boscawen, Arthur Griffith- | Helder, Augustus | Purvis, Robert |
| Brassey, Albert | Hill, Sir Edward Stock (Bristol | Rankin, Sir James |
| Brodrick, Rt. Hon. St. John | Holland, Hon. Lionel R. (Bow) | Richards, Henry Charles |
| Carlile, William Walter | Hornby, Sir William Henry | Robertson, Herbert (Hackney) |
| Cavendish, R. F. (N. Lancs.) | Houldsworth, Sir Wm. Henry | Russell, Gen. F. S. (Cheltenham |
| Cayzer, Sir Charles William | Houston, R. P. | Samuel, Harry S. (Limehouse) |
| Cecil, Evelyn (Hertford, East) | Hutchinson, Capt. G. W. Grice- | Sandys, Lieut-Col. Thos. Myles |
| Cecil, Lord Hugh (Greenwich) | Jackson, Rt. Hon. Wm. Lawies | Savory, Sir Joseph |
| Chaloner, Captain R. G. W. | Jebb, Richard Claverhouse | Seely, Charles Hilton |
| Clarke, Sir Edward (Plymouth) | Jeffreys, Arthur Frederick | Sharpe, William Edward T. |
| Coghill, Douglas Harry | Johnston, William (Belfast) | Sidebotham, J. W. (Cheshire) |
| Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse | Kemp, George | Sidebottom, William (Derbys. |
| Colston, Chas, Edw. H. Athole | Kennaway, Rt. Hn. Sir John H. | Spencer, Ernest |
| Cornwallis, Fiennes Stanley W. | Kenyon, James | Stanley, Hn. Arthur (Ormskirk |
| Cox, Irwin Edward B. (Harrow) | Kenyon-Slaney, Col. William | Stanley, Lord (Lancs.) |
| Cranborne, Viscount | Kimber, Henry | Stewart, Sir Mark J. M'Taggart |
| Cripps, Charles Alfred | Knowles, Lees | Stock, James Henry |
| Cross, Herb. Shepherd (Bolton) | Lawrence, Wm. F. (Liverpool) | Strutt, Hon. Charles Hedley |
| Cruddas, William Donaldson | Lawson, John Grant (Yorks.) | Sullivan, Donal (Westmeath) |
| Cubitt, Hon. Henry | Lecky, Rt. Hon. William E. H. | Talbot, Lord E. (Chichester) |
| Curran, Thomas (Sligo, S.) | Lees, Sir Elliott (Birkenhead) | Talbot, Rt. Hn. J. G. (Ox. Univ. |
| Curzon, Viscount | Leigh-Bennett, Henry Currie | Tollemache, Henry James |
| Dalkeith, Earl of | Leighton, Stanley | Usborne, Thomas |
| Denny, Colonel | Lockwood, Lt.-Col. A. R. | Wanklyn, James Leslie |
| Dillon, John | Long, Col. Chas. W. (Evesham | Warr, Augustus Frederick |
| Disraeli, Conings by Ralph | Lopes, Henry Yarde Buller | Webster, Sir R. E. (Isle of Wight |
| Dorington, Sir John Edward | Loyd, Archie Kirkman | Welby, Lieut.-Col. A. C. E. |
| Doughty, George | Lucas-Shadwell, William | Wharton, Rt. Hon. John Lloyd |
| Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | Macaleese, Daniel | Whiteley, George (Stockport) |
| Doxford, William Theodore | Macdona, John Cumming | Williams, Joseph Powell-(Birm |
| Duncombe, Hon. Hubert V. | Maclver, David (Liverpool) | Willox, Sir John Archibald |
| Elliot, Hon. A. Ralph Douglas | Maclean, James Mackenzie | Wilson-Todd, Wm. H. (Yorks.) |
| Fardell, Sir T. George | Maclure, Sir John William | Wodchouse, Rt. Hn. E. R. (Bath |
| Fellowes, Hon. Ailwyn Edward | M' Arthur, Charles (Liverpool) | Wolff, Gustav Wilhelm |
| Field, Admiral (Eastbourne) | M' Killop, James | Wortley, Rt. Hon. C. B. Stuart- |
| Finch, George H. | Malcolm, Ian | Wyndham, George |
| Fisher, William Hayes | Maxwell, Rt. Hn. Sir Herb'rt E. | Wyndham-Quin, Major W. H. |
| Fison, Frederick William | Mellor, Rt. Hn J. W. (Yorks.) | Wyvill, Marmaduke D'Arcy |
| FitzGerald, Sir Robert Penrose | Melville, Beresford Valentine | Young, Commander (Berks,E.) |
| Flannery, Sir Fortescue | Meysey-Thompson, Sir H. M. | Younger, William |
| Fletcher, Sir Henry | Middlemore, J. Throgmorton | TELLERS FOR THE AYES— |
| Flower, Ernest | Milbank, Sir Powlett Chas. J. | Sir William Walrond and |
| Folkestone, Viscount | Milner, Sir Frederick George | Mr. Anstruther. |
§ understood that it was not for a single moment that he undervalued this great Christian landmark that he made these observations and challenged the motion.
§ Question put.
§ The House divided:— Ayes, 184; Noes, 68.—(Division List No. 131).
| NOES | ||
| Allan, William (Gateshead) | Fenwick, Charles | Nussey, 'Thomas Willans |
| Arnold-Forster, Hugh O. | Gourley, Sir Edward Temperley | Palmer, Sir Charles M. (Durham |
| Bainbridge, Emerson | Gurdon, Sir William Brampton | Paulton, James Mellor |
| Baker, Sir John | Harwood, George | Perks, Robert William |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn. J. B. (Clackm. | Hayne, Rt. Hon. Charles Seale- | Priestley, Briggs (Yorks.) |
| Bayley, Thomas (Derbyshire) | Hedderwick, Thomas C. H. | Richardson, J. (Durham, S. E.) |
| Billson, Alfred | Hemphill, Rt. Hn. Charles H. | Rickett, J. Compton |
| Birrell, Augustine | Holland, Wm. H. (York, W. R. | Robertson, Edmund (Dundee) |
| Brunner, Sir John Tomlinson | Jacoby, James Alfred | Samuel, J. (Stockton on Tees) |
| Burt, Thomas | Johnstone, Heywood (Sussex) | Shaw, Thomas (Hawick B.) |
| Caldwell, James | Joicey, Sir James | Smith, Samuel (Flint) |
| Cameron, Sir Charles (Glasgow | Jones, William (Carnarvonsh. | Spicer, Albert |
| Cameron, Robert (Durham) | Kinloch, Sir John George Smyth | Strachey, Edward |
| Causton, Richard Knight | Kitson, Sir James | Thomas, Alfred (Glamorgan, E. |
| Channing, Francis Allston | Lawson, Sir W. (Cumb'land) | Trevelyan, Charles Philips |
| Clarke, Dr. G. B. (Caithness-sh.) | Lea, Sir Thomas (Londonderry | Wallace, Robert (Edinburgh) |
| Colville, John | Leese, Sir Joseph F. Accrington | Wallace, Robert (Perth) |
| Crombie, John William | Leng, Sir John | Williams, John Carvell (Notts. |
| Cross, Alexander (Glasgow) | Leuty, Thomas Richmond | Wilson, Frederick W. (Norfolk) |
| Dalziel, James Henry | Lloyd-George, David | Wilson, John (Falkirk) |
| Dilke, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles | Lough, Thomas | |
| Douglas, Charles M. (Lanark) | Lyell, Sir Leonard | TELLERS FOR THE NOES— |
| Duckworth, James | M'Ghee, Richard | Mr. John Ellis and Mr. |
| Farquharson, Dr. Robert | Maden, John Henry | Oldroyd. |