§ MR. CATHCART WASON (Orkney and Shetland)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the trouble that is every day increasing in Scotland through the delay in passing 409 the measure for settling the Church difficulty, he will devote the first available day to the Committee stage.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am anxious to pass this Bill rapidly into law; and if it is passed, as I have no doubt it will be in the present session, I trust that all the good consequences which we hope will flow from it will be realised in time to prevent any serious inconvenience.
§ MR. CATHCART WASONasked whether, in view of his statement that he would be guided by Scottish opinion with reference to proceeding with the Church Bill on Friday, and that a great majority of Scottish Members were keenly anxious that the Committee stage of the Bill should be taken that day in order to put an end to ever-increasing strife, the Prime Minister would reconsider his decision as to business on that day.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have taken much trouble to arrange business, and, on the whole, I adhere to the course, the knowledge of which I took some trouble to diffuse among hon. Gentlemen last night. I was not in a position to make the statement at the close of business.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI think the right hon. Gentleman should take some steps to diffuse this information other than by the subterranean methods to which he alludes. As I am personally in favour of going on with the Churches Bill and not of wasting a day in entering upon a new stage of a Bill which has no chance of being passed this session, it cannot be said that I or those with whom I act have been consulted on this matter. If the right hon. Gentleman has in some subterranean way arrived at an opposite opinion the least he could do would be to state it to the House and not refer to it as if it were known generally among hon. Members.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe right hon. Gentleman is speaking under some misapprehension. As soon as I realised that I should be unable, owing to the divisions going on after one o'clock, to make the statement at the close of the House last night which I had promised, I communicated with the Opposition Whip and all 410 the hon. Members interested whom I could reach, and asked them to diffuse the information as widely as they could.
§ MR. CATHCART WASONHas not the right hon. Gentleman said he would be guided by Scottish opinion in this matter?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe, responsibility rests with me, and although the opinion of Scottish Members has to be taken into account, the idea that I should take a plebiscite never entered into my mind.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDIs the reason the right hon. Gentleman has come to that conclusion that it has been communicated to him that he cannot keep his men here on Friday?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNO, Sir.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDIs it, then, that the right hon. Gentleman is aware of that fact without it having to be communicated to him?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThat is an argumentative Question.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDNo, it is not.
§ MR. PIRIE (Aberdeen, N.)May I ask whether it is to be concluded that the right hon. Gentleman means to carry the Scotch Education Bill this session.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURHow can I answer that Question till I see what progress is made?
§ MR. PIRIEHas not the right hon. Gentleman absolute power to pass the measure if he chooses this session?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo.