§ (4.10.) MR. A. J. BALFOURI have to move, in accordance with the usual custom, the Motion standing in my name to the effect that to-morrow being Ash Wednesday the House shall meet at 2 o'clock. I have only to say that if the House assents to the proposed substitution of Fridays for Wednesdays this Motion will never again have to be made.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed "That this House do meet Tomorrow, at Two of the clock."—(Mr. A. J. Balfour.)
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL: (Donegal S.)said this was the first time the right hon. Gentleman had uttered one word in favour of his proposed new Rule substituting Wednesdays for Fridays, for he had told them that the substitution would prevent any further recurrence of that Chadband Motion to which he personally was delighted to give a parting kick. Now, he himself observed Ash Wednesday. He regarded it as a very sacred festival, but he did not like this Motion, because it was hypocritical. It was not framed in the interests of religion; it was framed in the interests of hypocrisy. Hon. Members who wished to go to church had ample opportunities of doing so, and could, if they chose, attend two or three services before noon. The public buinesss was suspended by Gentlemen who did not go to church, but who would spend the time thus snatched from Parliament in the Courts or on the Stock Exchange. Then they would come forward and cry "See what pious people we are," and persons who did not know them well would not think that they were hypocrites and Pharisees.
§ * MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is getting rather personal in his remarks. I hope he will keep to the Motion. He is not entitled to address hon. Members across the House as Pharisees and hypocrites.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLsaid it was not his intention to do anything of the kind. He was only trying to defend them from attacks which might be made upon them by ignorant persons. The First Lord of the Treasury appeared to have no sense of humour, or how could he ask the House to take away a fraction of its valuable time at the very period he was discussing new Rules of Procedure for facilitating business rules which, however, were evidently intended to enable them not to fast but to dine comfortably. Members of the House both prayed and fasted by proxy, for the Chaplain said the prayers for them in their absence. Now, he was a sincere member of the Anglican Church and probably knew more about its rites than many hon. Members who professed to be thoroughly versed in them. One of the chief observances on Ash Wednesday was a prayer for the con-
§ version of Jews, Turks, and Infidels. Now such a prayer, if its terms were realised abroad, might lead to serious international complications with the Ottoman Government, as the Turks might be grievously offended by the House adjourning for the purpose of converting them. Then again the Jews, and especially the naturalised German Jews with whom we had large contracts at present, might also be offended. In view of all these matters he would suggest, in all sincerity, that the right hon. Gentleman would consult the truest instincts of Christianity by not pressing a Motion, the object of which was to suggest to ignorant people that Members of the House were exceptionally pious people. He intended to go into the lobby as a protest against a system calculated to render this country, in the words of a well-known writer, "the Pharisee of the Nations."
§ (4.13.) Question put.
§ The House divided:—Ayes, 218; Noes, 130. (Division List No. 22.)
1007| AYES. | ||
| Acland-Hood, Capt. Sir Alex F. | Cavendish, R. F. (N. Lancs.) | Fardell, Sir T. George |
| Agg-Gardner, James Tynte | Cavendish, V. C. W. (Derbyshire | Farrell, James Patrick |
| Agnew, Sir Andrew Noel | Cecil, Evelyn (Aston Manor | Fellowes, Hon. Ailwyn Edward |
| Anson, Sir William Reynell | Cecil, Lord Hugh (Greenwich) | Finch, George H. |
| Archdale, Edward Mervyn | Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. J. (Birm. | Finlay, Sir Robert Bannatyne |
| Arnold-Forster, Hugh O. | Chamberlain, J. Austen (Worc'r | Fisher, William Hayes |
| Arrol, Sir William | Chaplin, Rt. Hon. Henry | FitzGerald, Sir Robert Penrose- |
| Atkinson, Rt. Hon. John | Charrington, Spencer | Fitzroy, Hon. Edward Algernon |
| Austin, Sir John | Churchill, Winston Spencer | Flannery, Sir Fortescue |
| Bain, Colonel James Robert | Clancy, John Joseph | Fletcher, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry |
| Balcarres, Lord | Collings, Rt. Hon. Jesse | Flower, Ernest |
| Balfour, Rt. Hn. A. J. (Manch'r) | Colomb, Sir John Chas. Ready | Forster, Henry William |
| Balfour, Rt Hn. Gerald W. (L'ds | Colston, Chas. Edwd H. Athole | Galloway, William Johnson |
| Banbury, Frederick George | Corbett, A. Cameron (Glasgow) | Gardner, Ernest |
| Barry, Sir Francis T. (Windsor) | Cranborne, Viscount | Garfit, William |
| Bartley, George C. T | Cross, Herbt. Shepherd (Bolton) | Gibbs, Hon. Vicary (St. Albans) |
| Bathurst, Hon. Allen Benjamin | Dalkeith, Earl of | Gilhooly, James |
| Beach, Rt Hn Sir Michael Hicks | Dalrymple, Sir Charles | Godson, Sir Augustus Frederick |
| Bentinck, Lord Henry C. | Denny, Colonel | Gordon, Hn. J. E. (Elgin & Nairn |
| Bignold, Arthur | Dickson, Charles Scott | Gordon, J. (Londonderry S.) |
| Blundell, Colonel Henry | Digby, John K. D. Wingfield- | Gore, Hn. S. F. Ormsby- (Linc.) |
| Boulnois, Edmund | Dillon, John | Gorst, Rt. Hon. Sir John Eldon |
| Bowles, Capt. H. F (Middlesex) | Dimsdale, Sir Joseph Cockfield | Goulding, Edward Alfred |
| Brodrick, Rt. Hon. St. John | Disraeli, Coningsby Ralph | Green, Walford D. (Wednesb'y) |
| Brookfield, Colonel Montagu | Dixon-Hartland, Sir F. Dixon | Greene, Sir E W (B'y S. Edm'nds |
| Brymer, William Ernest | Dorington, Sir John Edward | Gretton, John |
| Bullard, Sir Harry | Doughty, George | Greville, Hon. Ronald |
| Burdett-Coutts, W. | Douglas, Rt. Hon. A. Akers- | Halsey, Thomas Frederick |
| Campbell, Rt Hn J. A. (Glasgow | Durning-Lawrence, Sir Edwin | Hamilton, Rt Hn Lord G. (Mid'x |
| Carew, James Laurence | Dyke, Rt. Hn. Sir William Hart | Hamilton, Marq. of (L'd'nderry |
| Carlile, William Walter | Elliot, Hon. A. Ralph Douglas | Hare, Thomas Leigh |
| Carson, Rt. Hon. Sir Edwd. H. | Esmonde, Sir Thomas | Haslam, Sir Alfred S. |
| Hatch, Ernest Frederick Geo. | Manners, Lord Cecil | Seely, Capt. J. E. B. (I. of Wight |
| Hayden, John Patrick | Maple, Sir John Blundell | Sharpe, William Edward T. |
| Hayter, Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur D. | Mellor, Rt. Hon. John William | Sheehan, Daniel Daniel |
| Heaton, John Henniker | Meysey-Thompson, Sir H. M. | Simeon, Sir Barrington |
| Helder, Augustus | Mildmay, Francis Bingham | Smith, Abel H. (Hertford, East) |
| Hermon-Hodge, Robt. Trotter | Milner, Rt. Hon. Sir Fredk. G. | Smith, H. C. (North'mb. Ty'side |
| Hoare, Sir Samuel | Milvain, Thomas | Spencer, Sir E. (W. Bromwich) |
| Hope, J. F. (Sheffield, Brightside | Montagu, G. (Huntingdon) | Stanley, Hon. Arthur (Ormskirk |
| Hornby, Sir William Henry | More, Robt. Jasper (Shropshire | Stanley, Lord (Lancs.) |
| Horner, Frederick William | Morrison, James Archibald | Stewart, Sir Mark J. M'Taggart |
| Hoult, Joseph | Morton, Arthur H. A. (Deptford | Stock, James Henry |
| Hozier, Hon. Jas. Henry Cecil | Mowbray, Sir Robert Gray C. | Stone, Sir Benjamin |
| Hudson, George Bickersteth | Muntz, Philip A. | Stroyan, John |
| Jackson, Rt. Hon. Wm. Lawies | Murray, Rt Hn A. Graham (Bute | Sturt, Hon. Humphry Napier |
| Jeffreys, Arthur Frederick | Myers, William Henry | Talbot, Lord E. (Chichester) |
| Johnston, William (Belfast) | Nicol, Donald Ninian | Talbot, Rt Hn J. G. (Oxf'd Univ. |
| Johnstone, Heywood (Sussex) | O'Brien, Kendal (Tipperary Mid | Thorburn, Sir Walter |
| Kennaway, Rt. Hn. Sir John H. | O'Brien, Patrick (Kilkenny) | Thornton, Percy M. |
| Kennedy, Patrick James | Penn, John | Tomlinson, Wm. Edw. Murray |
| Kenyon, Hon. Geo. T. (Denbigh) | Percy, Earl | Tritton, Charles Ernest |
| Kenyon-Slaney, Col. W. (Salop. | Pilkington, Lieut.-Col. Richard | Tufnell, Lieut.-Col. Edward |
| Knowles, Lees | Platt-Higgins, Frederick | Valentia, Viscount |
| Law, Andrew Bonar | Plummer, Walter R. | Vincent, Col. Sir C. E. H. (S'field |
| Lawrence, Joseph (Monmouth) | Powell, Sir Francis Sharp | Walker, Col. William Hall |
| Lawrence, Wm. F. (Liverpool) | Power, Patrick Joseph | Warr, Augustus Frederick |
| Lawson, John Grant | Pretyman, Ernest George | Wason, John Cathcart (Orkney |
| Lee, Arthur H. (Hants, Fareh'm | Pryce-Jones, Lt.-Col. Edward | Welby, Lt.-Col. A C E (Taunton |
| Legge, Col. Hon. Heneage | Rankin, Sir James | Wharton, Rt. Hon. John Lloyd |
| Leveson-Gower, Fredk. N. S. | Rasch, Major Frederic Carne | Whiteley, H. (Ashton und. Lyne |
| Lockwood, Lt.-Col. A. R. | Reid, James (Greenock) | Whitmore, Charles Algernon |
| Loder, Gerald Walter Erskine | Remnant, James Farquharson | Williams, Colonel R. (Dorset) |
| Long, Col. Charles W. (Evesham | Renshaw, Charles Bine | Willoughby de Eresby, Lord |
| Long, Rt. Hn. Walter (Bristol, S. | Ridley, Hn. M. W. (Stalybridge | Wilson, John (Glasgow) |
| Lowther, Rt. Hon. James (Kent) | Ridley, S. Forde (Bethnal Green | Wilson-Todd, Wm. H. (Yorks) |
| Loyd, Archie Kirkman | Ritchie, Rt. Hn. Chas. Thomson | Wodehouse, Rt. Hn. E. R. (Bath) |
| Lucas, Col. Francis (Lowestoft) | Roberts, Samuel (Sheffield) | Wortley, Rt. Hon. C. B. Stuart- |
| Lucas, Reginald J. (Portsmouth | Ropner, Colonel Robert | Wylie, Alexander |
| Macdona, John Cumming | Round, James | Wyndham, Rt. Hon. George |
| MacIver, David (Liverpool) | Rutherford, John | |
| M'Calmont, Col. H. L. B. (Cambs | Sackville, Col. S. G. Stopford- | TELLERS FOR THE AYES—Sir William Walrond and |
| M'Calmont, Col. J. (Antrim, E.) | Samuel, Harry S. (Limehouse) | Mr. Anstruther |
| M'Iver, Sir Lewis (Edinb'gh W. | Saunderson, Rt. Hon. Col. Ed. J. | |
| NOES. | ||
| Abraham, William (Cork, N.E. | Cullinan, J. | Joicey, Sir James |
| Allan, William (Gateshead) | Dalziel, James Henry | Jordan, Jeremiah |
| Asher, Alexander | Davies, M. Vaughan- (Cardigan | Joyce, Michael |
| Barlow, John Emmott | Delany, William | Kearley, Hudson E. |
| Barry, E. (Cork, S.) | Dewar, John A. (Inverness-sh.) | Kinloch, Sir John Geo. Smyth |
| Bayley, Thomas (Derbyshire) | Dilke, Rt. Hon. Sir Charles | Langley, Batty |
| Bell, Richard | Donelan, Capt. A. | Layland-Barratt, Francis |
| Blake, Edward | Doogan, P. C. | Leese, Sir Jos. F. (Accrington) |
| Boland, John | Duncan, J. Hastings | Lewis, John Herbert |
| Boyle, James | Emmott, Alfred | Lloyd-George, David |
| Brand, Hon. Arthur G. | Fenwick, Charles | Lough, Thomas |
| Brigg, John | Ffrench, Peter | Lundon, W. |
| Brown, George M. (Edinburgh) | Field, William | MacDonnell, Dr. Mark A. |
| Bryce, Rt. Hon. James | Fielden, Edward Brocklehurst | M'Fadden, Edward |
| Burke, E. Haviland- | Flynn, James Christopher | M'Hugh, Patrick A. |
| Buxton, Sydney Charles | Foster, Sir Walter (Derby Co.) | M'Kenna, Reginald |
| Caine, William Sproston | Fowler, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry | M'Killop, W. (Sligo, North) |
| Caldwell, James | Fuller, J. M. F. | Mappin, Sir Frederick Thorpe |
| Cameron, Robert | Goddard, Daniel Ford | Mooney, John J. |
| Campbell-Bannerman, Sir H. | Grant, Corrie | Morgan, J. Lloyd (Carmarthen) |
| Causton, Richard Knight | Gurdon, Sir W. Brampton | Moss, Samuel |
| Cawley, Frederick | Hammond, John | Murphy, John |
| Channing, Francis Allston | Harcourt, Rt. Hon. Sir William | Nannetti, Joseph P. |
| Cogan, Denis J. | Hayne, Rt. Hon. Charles Seale- | Nolan, Joseph (Louth, South) |
| Condon, Thomas Joseph | Holland, William Henry | Norman, Henry |
| Crean, Eugene | Hope, John Deans (Fife, West) | Norton, Capt. Cecil William |
| Crombie, John William | Humphreys-Owen, Arthur C. | O'Brien, James F. X. (Cork) |
| Cross, Alexander (Glasgow) | Jacoby, James Alfred | O'Brien, P. J. (Tipperary, N.) |
| O'Connor, James (Wicklow, W.) | Robertson, Edmund (Dundee) | Tomkinson, James |
| O'Connor, T. P. (Liverpool) | Robson, William Snowdon | Trevelyan, Charles Philips |
| O'Donnell, John (Mayo, S.) | Roche, John | Wason, Eugene (Clackmannan) |
| O'Donnell, T. (Kerry, W.) | Runciman, Walter | White, Luke (York, E. R.) |
| O'Dowd, John | Russell, T. W. | White, Patrick (Meath, North) |
| O'Malley, William | Scott, Chas. Prestwich (Leigh) | Whitley, J. H. (Halifax) |
| O'Mara, James | Shaw-Stewart, M. H. (Renfrew) | Whittaker, Thomas Palmer |
| O'Shaughnessy, P. J. | Sinclair, John (Forfarshire) | Williams, Osmond (Merioneth) |
| O'Shee, James John | Smith, James Parker (Lanarks.) | Wilson, Chas. Henry (Hull, W.) |
| Paulton, James Mellor | Soares, Ernest J. | Wilson, John (Falkirk) |
| Pease, J. A. (Saffron Walden) | Spencer, Rt Hn C. R. (Northants | Woodhouse, Sir J T (Huddersf'd |
| Pirie, Duncan V. | Sullivan, Donal | Yoxall, James Henry |
| Price, Robert John | Tennant, Harold John | |
| Reddy, M. | Thomas, Alfred (Glamorgan, E) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES— |
| Redmond, John E. (Waterford) | Thomas, David Alfred (Merthyr | Mr. MacNeill and Mr. Broadhurst |
| Reid, Sir R. Threshie (Dumfries) | Thomas, F. Freeman-(Hastings) | |
| Roberts, John H. (Denbighs.) | Thomas, J A (Glamorgan, Gower |