§ 2. £368,000, Miscellaneous Effective Services.
1002§ (11.32.) MR. CALDWELL (Lanarkshire, Mid)asked for an explanation of the new arrangements with regard to naval attachés.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERwas understood to say that a naval attaché had been added, and the salary was on the Vote. There was no other information he could give.
§ MR. CALDWELLsaid there had been a re-arrangement of duties, and some further explanation ought to be given.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERdid not know that there was anything interesting to add. There were two Naval Attachés for Europe, two for the American 1003 Continent, and one in Japan. The salaries were £800, with certain allowances.
§ * MR. CHARLES SPENCER (Northamptonshire, Mid)asked where the attachés were posted in Europe.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTEROne at Paris, and one at Berlin.
Vote agreed to.
Resolutions to be reported tomorrow; Committee to sit again tomorrow;
§ MR. DILLONasked, on a point of order, why Vote 12, which stood first on the Order Paper, had been passed over without a word of explanation.
§ * MR. SPEAKERI have no knowledge of what took place in Committee. The point should have been raised before the Chairman left, the Chair.
§ MR. DILLONThen may I ask the Minister in charge? Vote 12 was the first Order, but it was passed over, and the Ordnance Vote taken.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThat is true, and it was competent for us to pursue that course. That Vote was put down first in the expectation that it would come on at nine o'clock, and that we should have had three hours, or, at any rate, a considerable period of debate upon it. I know that my noble friend the Member for Woolwich wanted to make an important speech upon it, and I thought it more convenient to the House not to start it at 11.30.
§ MR. DILLONsaid that, with the indulgence of the House, he should like to put a question to the right hon. Gentleman the First Lord of the Treasury. He did not in the least quarrel with the action of the Government in the present instance, 1004 but he thought everyone would feel that full notice ought to be given at the commencement of the business if the Government did not intend to take the second order.
§ *(11.40.) MR. SPEAKERThat objection should have been taken when the Chairman was in the Chair, and we cannot have a debate on this question after the Chairman has left the Chair.
In reply to MR. CALDWELL, who objected that under the Order as to Supply no Report of Supply could now be taken,
§ * MR. SPEAKERpointed out that the Standing Order provided that "No business other than the business of Supply shall be taken before midnight, and no business in Committee, and proceedings on Report, of Supply, shall be taken after midnight," and that the words "business of Supply" included Report of Supply.