§ MR. BRYCEI desire, on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, to ask the First Lord what business he proposes to take on Thursday and Friday. Perhaps, he will also now tell us when the statement of the Secretary for War will be made.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)As regards the business for the week we propose to take Irish Estimates on Thursday—first the Vote for the Board of Agriculture, second the Vote for the Board of Works, and third the Vote for the Local Government Board. On Friday, I propose to put down as first and second Orders two Irish Bills which the Government are very specially desirous of dealing with—the Irish Land Bill and the Irish Labourers Bill. I cannot make any statement as to the date on which the Secretary for War will make his announcement to the House.
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)Has it been communicated to the right hon. Gentleman that it is the unanimous wish of the Irish Party that the Labourers Bill should be taken first, and will he, under those circumstances, see his way to put it first on the Paper?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI should be sorry to give a dogmatic refusal, and perhaps it may be made a matter of negotiation through the ordinary channels.