§ Dr. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury when he intends to take the Second Reading of the Agricultural Holdings Bill.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI cannot name a day on which the Second Reading of this Bill will be taken, for the reason I have already indicated. I hope it may, however, be obtained by Easter.
§ MR. TENNANT (Berwickshire)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury when the Scottish Education Bill will be introduced into this House.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Bill to which this question refers has not yet been read a second time in the House of Lords, and it would, therefore, be premature to talk of fixing a day for its discussion here.
§ MR. BUCHANAN (Aberdeenshire, E.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can now state whether the Ecclesiastical Assessments (Scotland) Bill will be the first Order on Monday.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI think I have already expressed a hope that we may be able to take this Bill as the first order on Monday. I am unable, however, to forecast precisely the course which business will take during the present week.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDWill the Australian Commonwealth Bill be introduced by Easter, and when will it be printed and circulated?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am not at present in a position to make a statement as to whether the Bill will be introduced before Easter, nor when it will be printed and circulated.
§ MR. FLOWERI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can state when the Second Reading of the 454 Irish Tithe Rent-charge Bill will be taken.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWith regard to the Second Reading of the Irish Tithe Rent-charge Bill, I have already said that I will not take it before Easter, and not on the day after Easter, that day being inconvenient to hon. Gentlemen.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)Nor on Thursday, 26th April, may we take it?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, I could not take it on that day.
§ MR. FLOWERI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the importance of the subject, he will arrange that a discussion on the new Code of Regulations for day schools shall take place on some night not later than ten o'clock.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have nothing to add to what I said yesterday with regard to this. I must remind the House that the general arrangements I sketched out for next Thursday are necessarily dependent on our finishing the Committee stage of the Finance Bill to-day. We must take that de die in diem until it is finished, and I have no reason to doubt it will finish to-day.
§ MR. FLOWERIf not, will the right hon. Gentleman adjourn the debate early on Thursday?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am afraid I cannot. I have shown myself ready as far as possible to meet the views of hon. Members.
§ MR. COGHILL (Stoke-upon-Trent)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, as he has given a day for the discussion of the financial relations between England and Ireland, he will give the House an opportunity of considering the question of the representation of Ireland in the House of Commons.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI cannot give a day for this discussion. As to the day which had been granted for a debate on the financial relations of Ireland, I think my hon. friend has forgotten the circumstance that it was merely the substitution of one day for another day which the Irish Members had already obtained. I had no alternative to the course I took. 455 There is no parallel between the two cases.
§ MR. COGHILLIn view of the fact that this Parliament has not had an opportunity of discussing this subject, and as there is not much business before the House this session, will an opportunity be afforded to discuss the question?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWhen the business which is before the House has been concluded, I may be in a position to consider suggestions for filling up the remainder of the time of the House.