§ MR. JOHN REDMONDI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been directed to the Motion on the Paper referring to the action of Mr. Speaker on the 20th of March last, and whether he will afford facilities for the discussion of that Motion.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir, I do not propose to afford any facilities for that Motion.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDArising out of that answer, may I be allowed to ask whether, in view of the fact that this notice of Motion has been given on the part of eighty Members, the right hon. Gentleman considers it desirable, from the point of view of order, or in the interest of the Chair itself, to leave it undiscussed on the Paper during the whole session?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not know that the matter rests entirely with MR. I understand that the eighty Members of whom the hon. Gentleman speaks have just drawn the first place in the ballot for notices of Motion. But so far as I am concerned, I am not prepared to give a day.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDOf course, if the right hon. Gentleman would leave private Members' days at their disposal. I should have no claim on the right hon. Gentleman. But I would ask him under these circumstances, whether, if we succeed in getting the first place on a private Members' day, he will undertake to leave that day at our disposal.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUROf course I cannot give any pledge on the subject. When the new Rules, or those portions of the new Rules which deal with the arrangement of business, have passed the House, there will be available a certain number of private Member days, even during the present session, with which the Government will have no title to interfere.