§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI think the House is already familiar with all the reasons for the motion which I now move. They are substantially the same as those we offered to the House last week when a similar motion was before it, although they are now of greater urgency. On the present occasion I would remind the House exactly how our financial business stands so far as the principle is concerned. If my motion is agreed to there are only twelve days for effective Supply before Monday, the 25th inst. On that day we must introduce the Consolidated Fund Bill in order to comply with the law. In two days we obtained ten Supplementary Votes out of twenty-nine, not a very promising beginning. We have to take large Supplementary Estimates, and we have to take, both as regards the Army and the Navy, but perhaps especially as regards the Army, a most important discussion upon the Speaker leaving the chair; and my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for War proposes on Friday next to make his speech on the Army Estimates. I do not see how it is possible to get through this mass of work before the 25th unless the privileges which we ask for are granted. On the present occasion the House will see we ask for no privileges except as regards finance. We do not ask for privileges for legislative work 446 of any kind outside the necessities of the law, and we do not ask for Wednesdays, though, if the House insists upon discussing the Estimates at great length, I may be driven, much against my will, to ask for privileges as regards Wednesdays before the 25th.
I make this request with great reluctance. I have been attacked on both sides of the House by Gentlemen who seem to think I am an enemy of the privileges of unofficial Members. That is entirely untrue. I have always done my very best as Leader of the House to give private Members the fullest opportunity of criticising the Government, and I think my action in that respect will compare favourably with that of my predecessors. I take it it is a fact that at present we lose something materially by not having those opportunities on Tuesdays of general discussion upon subjects outside the business of Supply, or the Budget, or the business of legislation. And it is also perfectly true that when the House retains its privilege in this respect it usually shows its appreciation by a count out; but something might be done, though I make no promise, to secure a certain number of days, at all events, in the session on which abstract resolutions may be brought before the House. In the meantime, having regard to the necessities of the hour, if the House intends to comply with the law, it should take Tuesdays for financial business.
447 We have been told that this is a state of things for which the Government is responsible in not having called Parliament together earlier. That is a most unjustifiable statement on the part of lion. Members, seeing that the House had an autumn session. [A VOICE: A very short one.] Not a very long autumn session; but if these days which are now asked for had been added it would have made it abnormally long, and I saw no reason, and see no reason, why this House should be asked to meet earlier than it did. If the question had been put to them, and hon. Members had been allowed to vote according to their inclinations, as to whether the House should be called together on the 14th February or a week earlier. I wonder how the division would have gone. I am tolerably certain that the most officious of my critics would have said they were directly opposed to not giving the House a holiday. I am myself indifferent to the criticisms as to whether or not the House ought to have been called together earlier. As regards the present, we are bound to obey the law, and if the exhibition which we have had for the last two days continues we may have to ask not only for Tuesdays but for Wednesdays also. But I take no right to interfere with Tuesdays, except for Supply, and, therefore, if the House decides to dispose of Supply, the Tuesdays will be restored to private Members, and have no doubt, if the House is offered the plain choice of either discussing and passing the Estimates, or breaking the law, which they will choose. Under these circumstances I hope the resolution I now beg to move will be accepted.
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That, until Easter, Financial Business do have precedence on Tuesday whenever set down by the Government, and that the provisions of Standing Order No. 50 be extended to that day."—(Mr. Balfour.)
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI am one of those who, as the right hon. Gentleman rightly says and suggests, that the House should have met earlier, and whose suggestion he treated with no little ignominy and scorn, and upon that ground I cannot agree to this proposal. I quite admit that the right hon. Gentle- 448 man, having placed himself in the position in which he stands, can make out a strong case for taking Tuesday, Wednesday, and every other day in the week. But this is not the way to conduct important business of this House, above all the business of Supply, where everything that has to be done is to be done with a sort of Damocles' sword hanging over one's head. We are told that we have to pass these Votes, however large they may be, on a certain day, to do which we must curb our inclinations to discuss them in the manner in which we consider they ought to be discussed. This is not the first time the House of Commons has been asked to take a similar course, but I have never known an occasion such as this in which it was so obvious beforehand what the result would be. There is no novelty whatever in it—the only novelty is the unusual size of the Supplementary Estimates; we knew they would be excessive, but we never had the slightest idea that, at a time when we were to be asked to meet great demands for war expenditure, the Civil Service Estimates would exceed by a million the normal Estimates. In my humble judgment it was the Government's business to have foreseen that the present state of affairs would arise, and to have provided for it by calling Parliament together sooner. Being in this dilemma, the Government are reduced to taking these strong measures. But that does not make me regard the strong measures with the less dislike, and as a protest against them I shall certainly vote against the motion.
MR. HERBERT ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)felt bound to protest against the course which had been taken by the Government. The Government would, he thought, get through their financial business much more quickly and much more satisfactorily if they showed some disposition to meet the views of lion. Members, and allowed them to have, retained Tuesdays for discussing subjects in which they were interested. There was no reason why the Government should not get through their financial business without special procedure, and he was bound to protest against the motion.
§ MR. DALY (Monaghan, S.)expressed his great surprise at the proposals 449 before the House. He thought it was hardly worth the while of the right lion. Gentleman to make the suggestion that he would only interfere with Tuesdays in order to take financial business, because after that was disposed of hon. Gentlemen would no doubt find the Government Whips at
§ the doors persuading them not to come in to make a House. He hoped private Members would vote against the motion.
§ Question put.
§ The House divided:—Ayes, 237; Noes, 144. (Division List No. 33.)
451| AYES. | ||
| Acland-Hood, Capt. Sir Alex F. | Cubitt, Hon. Henry | Johnstone, Heywood (Sussex) |
| Agnew, Sir Andrew Noel | Cust, Henry John C. | Kenyon, Hon. Geo. T.(Denbigh |
| Aird, Sir John | Dalrymple, Sir Charles | Kenyon, James (Lanes., Bury) |
| Allhusen, Augustus H. Eden | Dewar, T. R. (T'rH'ml'ts, S. Geo. | Keswick, William |
| Allsopp, Hon. George | Dickson-Poynder, Sir John P. | Kimber, Henry |
| Anson, Sir William Reynell | Dimsdale, Sir Joseph C. | King, Sir Henry Seymour |
| Archdale, Edward Mervyn | Disraeli, Coningsby Ralph | Knowles, Lees |
| Arkwright, John Stanhope | Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | Lambton, Hon. Frederick Wm. |
| Ashmead-Bartlett, Sir Ellis | Duke, Henry Edward | Lawrence, William F. |
| Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John | Durning-Lawrence, Sir Edwin | Lawson, John Grant |
| Bagot, Capt. Josceline FitzRoy | Dyke, Rt. Hon. Sir Wm. H. | Lecky. Rt. Hn. William Edw H. |
| Bailey, James (Walworth) | Faber, George Denison | Legge, Col. Hon. Heneage |
| Bain, Colonel James Robert | Fardell, Sir T. George | Leveson-Gower, Frederiek N.S. |
| Baird, John Geo. Alexander | Fellowes, Hon. Ailwyn Edw. | Lockwood, Lt.-Col. A. R. |
| Balcarres, Lord | Fielden, Edward Brocklehurst | Loder, Gerald Walter Erskine |
| Balfour, Rt. Hon. A. J. (Manch'r | Finch, George H. | Long, Rt. Hn. W. (Bristol, S) |
| Balfour, Rt Hn Gerald W (Leeds | Finlay, Sir Robert Bannatyne | Lowe, Francis William |
| Balfour, Maj. K. R. (Christeh'ch | Firbank, Joseph Thomas | Lowther, C. (Cumb. Eskdale) |
| Banes, Maj. George Edward | Fisher, William Hayes | Loyd, Archie Kirkman |
| Bartley, George C. T. | FitzGerald, Sir Robert Penrose- | Lucas, Col. Francis (Lowestoft |
| Bathurst, Hon. Allen Benjamin | Flannery, Sir Fortescue | Lucas, Reginald J. (Portsm'th) |
| Beach, Rt Hon Sir M. H. (Bristol) | Forster, Henry William | Lyttelton, Hon. Alfred |
| Beach. Rt. Hn. W.W.B. (Hants | Foster, Sir M. (London, Univ.) | Maconochie, A. W. |
| Beckett, Ernest William | Gibbs, Hr A.G. H. (CityofLond. | M'Arthur, Charles (Liverpool) |
| Bhownaggree, Sir M. M. | Gordon. Hn. J.E. (Elgin&Nairn | M'Calmont, Col. J.(Antrim, E.) |
| Bignold, Arthur | Gordon, Maj Evans-(T'rH'ml'ts | Majendie, James A. H. |
| Bigwood, James | Gorst, Rt. Hon. Sir John Eldon | Malcolm, Ian |
| Bill, Charles | Goschen, Hn. Geo. Joachim | Manners, Lord Cecil |
| Blundell, Colonel Henry | Goulding, Edward Alfred | Maple, Sir John Blundell |
| Bond, Edward | Graham, Henry Robert | Martin, Richard Biddulph |
| Boulnois, Edmund | Gray, Ernest (West Ham) | Maxwell, W.J. H. (Dumfriessh. |
| Bousfield, William Robert | Green, W. D. (Wednesbury) | Milton, Viscount |
| Bowles, Capt. H.F.(Middlesex) | Greene. Sir E. W (B'ry S. Edm'ds | Milward, Colonel Victor |
| Bowles. T. Gibson (King'sLynn) | Greene, W. Raymond-(Cambs.) | Molesworth, Sir Lewis |
| Brodriek, Rt. Hon. St. John | Grenfell, William Henry | Montagu, G. (Huntingdon) |
| Brookfield, Colonel Montagu | Guthrie, Walter Murray | Moon, Edward Robert Pacy |
| Brown, Alexander H. (Shropsh. | Hain. Edward | Moore, William (Antrim, N.) |
| Burdett-Coutts, W. | Halsey, Thomas Frederick | More, Robert J. (Shropshire) |
| Carlile, William Walter | Hambre, Charles Eric | Morgan, D. J. (Walthamstow |
| Cautley, Henry Strother | Hamilton, Rt Hn. Lord G (Mid'x | Morrell, George Herbert |
| Cavendish, B. F. (N. Lancs.) | Hamilton, Marq. of (L'donderry | Morris, Hon Martin Henry F. |
| Cavendish, V.C.W (Derbyshire | Harris, F. Leverton (Tynem'th | Morrison, James Archibald |
| Cecil, Evelyn (Aston Manor) | Hay, Hon. Claude George | Morton, Arthur H.A. (Deptford |
| Cecil, Lord Hugh (Greenwich) | Heath, Arthur H. (Hanley) | Mowbray, Sir Robert Gray C. |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. J. (Birm. | Heath, James (Stallbrds., N.W. | Murray, Rt. Hn. A. G. (Bute) |
| Chamberlain, J. Austen (Worc. | Heaton, John Henniker | Murray, Charles J. (Coventry) |
| Chapman, Edward | Helder, Augustus | Murray, Col. Wyndham (Bath) |
| Charrington, Spencer | Henderson, Alexander | Nicholson, William Graham |
| Churchill, Winston Spencer | Hoare, EdwBrodie(Hampstead | Orr-Ewing, Charles Lindsay |
| Clare, Octavius Leigh | Hogg, Lindsay | Palmer, Walter (Salisbury) |
| Cochrane, Hon. Thos. H. A. E | Hope, J. F. (Sheffield, Brightside | Parkes, Ebenezer |
| Cohen, Benjamin Louis | Horner, Frederick William | Pemberton, John S. G. |
| Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse | Houldsworth, Sir Wm. Henry | Penn, John |
| Colomb, Sir John Charles R. | Hoult, Joseph | Percy, Earl |
| Compton, Lord Alwyne | Howard, J. (Midd., Tottenham | Pilkington, Richard |
| Cook, Frederick Lucas | Hozier, Hon. James Henry Cecil | Platt-Higgins, Frederick |
| Corbett, A. Cameron (Glasgow | Hudson, George Bickersteth | Plummer, Walter R. |
| Cox, Irwin Edw. Bainbridge | Hutton, John (Yorks, N. R.) | Powell, Sir Francis Sharp |
| Cranborne, Viscount | Jeffreys, Arthur Frederick | Pretyman, Ernest George |
| Cross, Alexander (Glasgow) | Johnston, William (Belfast) | Pryce-Jones, Lt.-Col. Edward |
| Purvis, Robert | Sharpe, William Edward T. | Warr, Augustus Frederick |
| Pym, C. Guy | Simeon, Sir Harrington | Wason, John Cathcart (Orkne |
| Quilter, Sir Cuthbert | Sinclair, Louis (Romford) | Webb, Colonel William Geo. |
| Bandies, John S. | Skewes-Cox, Thomas | Whiteley, H.(Ashton-under-L |
| Ratcliffe, R. F. | Smith, Abel H.(Hertford, East) | Williams, Colonel R. (Dorset |
| Reid, James (Greenock) | Smith, James Parker(Lanarks. | Willoughby de Eresby, Lord |
| Remnant, James Farquharson | Smith, Hon. W. E. D. (Strand) | Wills, Sir Frederick |
| Renshaw, Charles Bine | Spear, John Ward | Wilson, A. Stanley (York, E.R.) |
| Rentoul, James Alexander | Stanley, Lord (Lanes.) | Wilson, John (Falkirk) |
| Ridley, Hn. M. W. (Staly bridge | Stewart, Sir Mark J. M'Taggart | Wilson, John (Glasgow) |
| Ridley, Samuel F.(BethnalGrn | Stock, James Henry | Wilson, J. W. (Worcestersh. N. |
| Ritchie, Rt Hon. Chas. T. | Stone, Sir Benjamin | Wilson-Todd, Wm. H. (Yorks.) |
| Ropner, Colonel Robert | Stroyan, John | Wylie, Alexander |
| Round, James | Strutt, Hon. Charles Hedley | Wyndham, Rt. Hon. George |
| Royds, Clement Molyneux | Sturt, Hon. Humphry Napier | Young, Commander (Berks, E.) |
| Rutherford, John | Talbot, Lord E. (Chichester) | |
| Sackville, Col. S. G. Stopford- | Talbot, Rt Hn. JG. (Oxf'dUniv. | |
| Sadler. Col. Samuel Alexander | Thornton, Perey M. | TELLERS FOR THE AYES— |
| Samuel, Harry S.(Limehouse) | Tufnell, Col. Edward | Sir William Walrond and |
| Sandys, Lieut. -Col. Thos. Myles | Valentia, Viscount | Mr. Ansiruther, |
| Seton-Karr, Henry | Warde, Lieut.-Col. C. E. | |
| NOES. | ||
| Abraham, William (Cork, N.E. | Gilhooly, James | O'Connor, Jas. (Wicklow, W.) |
| Allan, William (Gateshead) | Gladstone, Rt. Hon. Herbt. J. | O'Connor, T. P. (Liverpool) |
| Allen, Charles P (Gloue., Stroud | Goddard, Daniel Ford | O'Donnell, John (Mayo, S.) |
| Ambrose, Robert | Grant, Corrie | O'Donnell, T. (Kerry, W.) |
| Asquith, Rt. Hn Herbert Henry | Gurdon, Sir W. Brampton | O'Dowd, John |
| Atherley-Jones, L. | Haldane, Richard Bunion | O'Kelly, Conor (Mayo, N.) |
| Barlow, John Emmott | Hammond, John | O'Kelly, James (Roscommon N. |
| Bayley, Thomas (Derbyshire) | Harmsworth, K. Leicester | O'Malley, William |
| Blake, Edward | Hayden, John Patrick | O'Mara, James |
| Boland, John | Hayne, Rt. Hn. Charles Seale- | O'Shaughnessy, P. J. |
| Boyle, James | Hayter, Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur D. | Partington, Oswald |
| Brown, George M.(Edinburgh) | Hemphill, Rt. Hn. Charles H. | Pickard, Benjamin |
| Bryce, Rt. Hon. James | Hobhonse, C, E.H.(Bristol, E.) | Power, Patrick Joseph |
| Burns, John | Hobhouse, Henry (Somerset, E. | Price. Robert John |
| Burt, Thomas | Holland, William Henry | Rea, Russell |
| Buxton, Sydney Charles | Horniman, Frederick John | Reckitt, Harold James |
| Caine, William Sproston | Hutton, Alfred E. (Morley) | Reddy, M. |
| Caldwell, James | Jones, David Brynmor (Swans'a | Redmond, JohnE.(Waterford) |
| Campbell, John (Armagh, S.) | Jones, William (Carnarvonsh'e | Russell. T. W. |
| Campbell-Bannerman, Sir H. | Jordon, Jeremiah | Schwann, Charles E. |
| Caustor, Richard Knight | Kearley, Hudson E. | Scott, Chas. Prestwich (Leigh |
| Channing, Francis Allston | Lambert, George | Shipman, Dr. John G. |
| Cogan, Denis J. | Layland- Barratt, Francis | Sinclair, Capt. J. (Forfarshire) |
| Coghill, Douglas Harry | Leese, Sir Joseph F. (Accrington | Soares, Ernest J. |
| Condon, Thomas Joseph | Leigh, Sir Joseph | Spencer, Rt Hn. C. R.(North'nts |
| Crean, Eugene | Leng, Sir John | Sullivan, Donal |
| Crombie, John William | Levy, Maurice | Taylor, Theodore Cooke |
| Cullinan, J. | Lloyd-George, David | Tennant, Harold John |
| Daly, James | Lough, Thomas | Thomas, A. (Carmarthen. E.) |
| Dalziel, James Henry | Lundon, W. | Thomas, A. (Glamorgan, E.) |
| Davies, Alfred (Carmarthen) | MacDonnell, Dr. Mark A. | Thom as, F. Freeman-(Hastings |
| Delany, William | M'Arthur, William (Cornwall) | Trevelyan, Charles Philips |
| Dillon, John | M'Dermott, Patrick | Tully, Jasper |
| Donelan, Captain A. | M'Govern. T. | Wallace, Robert |
| Doogan, P. C. | M'Hugh, Patrick A. | Walton, John L. (Leeds, S.) |
| Douglas. Charles M. (Lanark) | M'Kenna, Reginald | Warner, Thomas Courtenay T. |
| Duffy, William J. | M'Killop, W. (Sligo, North) | Wason, Eugene (Clackmannan |
| Dunn, Sir William | M'Laren, Charles Benjamin | White, George (Norfolk) |
| Ellis, John Edward | Markham, Arthur Basil | White, Luke (York, E.R.) |
| Emmott, Alfred | Mooncy, John J. | White, Patrick (Meath, North |
| Evans, Sir Francis H. (Maidst'n | Morley, Charles (Brecknocksh | Whiteley, George (York, AY. R. |
| Farquharson, Dr. Robert | Morton, Edw. J. C. (Devonport | Whitley, J. H.'(Halifax) |
| Fenwick, Charles | Murphy,, T. | Whittaker, Thomas Palmer |
| Field, William | Nannetti, Joseph P. | Wilson, Henry J.(York, W.R. |
| Flavin, Michael Joseph | Newnes, Sir George | Young, Samuel (Cavan, East) |
| Flynn, James Christopher | Nolan, Col. John P. (Galway, N. | Yoxall, James Henry |
| Foster, Sir Walter (Derby Co. | Nolan, Joseph (Louth, South) | TELLEES FOR THE NOES— |
| Filler, J. M. F. | O'Brien, James F. X. (Cork) | Mr. Herbert Roberts and |
| Furness, Sir Christopher | O'Brien, Kendal (Tipperary Mid | Mr. Soames. |