§ *THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir A ACLAND-HOOD (Somersetshire, Wellington) moved the adjournment of the House.
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."—(Sir A. Acland-Hood.)
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)I have, Sir, as may be expected, a very simple and obvious Question to address to the Prime Minister, and that is whether, in view of the defeat of the Government, he has any statement to make.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I think the House will probably anticipate my 1490 answer as easily as they have anticipated the Question put by the right hon. Gentleman. The Answer I have to make is that it is, of course, impossible for me on the present occasion to make any statement at all. [Cries of "Redistribution" from the IRISH Benches.]
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)I do not know whether the statement of the right hon. Gentleman means that he is adjourning until to-morrow or Monday his statement as to the course which the Government will adopt. I cannot conceive that his statement means that he intends to take no notice of this vote. He is the Loader of a Government which for nearly two years has had from every constituency to which they have appealed a declaration of want of confidence. And, Sir, he has taken up the position, to my mind the utterly unconstitutional position, that, no matter how the want of confidence in the Government may have been expressed by the constituencies, he would cling to his office so long as he was not defeated in this House. He has been defeated in this House; and, Sir, I say that if, disregarding the declarations of want of confidence in the country, he now elects to disregard the declaration of want of confidence in this House that he will be taking a course—[MINISTERIAL cries of "No, no," and "Monday"]—I repeat the declaration of the want of confidence in this House—taking place the day after his meeting at the Foreign Office, when he called his Party together and appealed to them to pave him from hostile divisions here—if he takes that course he will be taking a course not only out of record with the whole history of political Parties in this House, but a course which I say will be unworthy of a Leader of any political Party in this country. I ask the right hon. Gentleman before we separate to tell us what he means by saying that he cannot be expected at this moment to make any declaration. [MINISTERIAL cries of "Monday."] If the right hon. Gentleman will say that on Monday 1491 he will make his announcement, then I am satisfied; but if his announcement means that he is going to swallow this humiliation as he has swallowed every rebuff for the last two years for the sake of attempting for a few miserable months or days to keep his Government in office; then I take the liberty of saying, with all respect to the regular Opposition, that the duty will be thrown upon them of using every means to bring to an end a state things which is an outrage upon the constitution of this House.
§ MR. A. J. BALF0URI am not sure whether the brief reply to the right hon. Gentleman opposite is to be taken as a speech. [General cries of "No, no!"] The hon. Member who has just sat down appears to have greatly agitated himself about a matter which will be settled in due time, but need not be settled to-night. He has denounced me in stentorian voice for having suffered every species of humiliation. I am not conscious of these humiliations.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURTO discuss the administration for which we have been responsible would be out of place on this occasion, but I may remind the hon. Gentleman and the House that until this evening my colleagues on this bench and myself have received the unfailing support of the Party, and that Party constitutes the large majority of the House of Commons. The hon. Member has quoted words of mine, and in quoting them has unintentionally misquoted them. I have said, and I am quite prepared now to repeat the statement if necessary, that unless it is possible for me to carry on the business of the country in this House with the dignity—[OPPOSITION ironical laughter and cheers] 1492 —with the dignity which I think should attach to every Government—[OPPOSITION ironical laughter and cheers]—and which certainly is not going to be disturbed by such interruptions in a moment of self-forgetfulness like those to which I have been treated—unless my colleagues and I can carry on the business of the country with dignity we certainly shall not attempt to carry it on. We have been defeated to-night, as many previous Governments have been defeated, upon a Vote in Estimates. Whether it will be our duty to repropose that Vote to the House—[OPPOSITION cries of "Oh," and MINISTERIAL cries of "Order"]—and ask it to reverse the decision which it has come to—a course which has often and most properly been taken by Governments—is a matter upon which I certainly am not going to pronounce without further consideration. [OPPOSITION cries of "Oh."]
The hon. Gentleman was careful, I notice, in his speech not to suggest that the Government did not still continue to enjoy the support of a majority of this House—[OPPOSITION ironical laughter and MINISTERIAL cheers]—because he knows that by an accident—[OPPOSITION cries of "Oh, oh!." and interruption]—perhaps the House will allow me to finish my sentence—I admit an unfortunate one, they have been placed in a minority on a division. There will be an ample opportunity in a few hours to ascertain whether the Government does or does not enjoy the confidence of their supporters. [OPPOSITION cries of "With dignity."] But I entirely concede the point to the hon. Gentleman, if he desires it, that the mere fact, taken by itself that on a vote of censure the Government can command a majority is not necessarily sufficient. I have never pretended that it was; I do not pretend so now. But neither is it a conclusive reason why a Government which does enjoy the confidence of a majority of the House should not continue its services to the country because they have been defeated by one vote in Supply. [An 1493 HON. MEMBER on the MINISTERIAL Benches: In a small House.] Yes, Sir, but there would have been no difficulty in the Government to which the right hon. Gentleman refers, had they felt that they did enjoy the confidence of the House, in carrying on the effective constitutional procedure of having that vote reversed, and it is a matter of perfect notoriety, not denied by anybody that that has been done, if the right hon. Gentleman denies that—
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANIt is not for me either to deny it or to admit it; and you have no right to ask it.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWell, I think it is undesirable to put any Cabinet Minister into a position of having to affirm or to deny a point of that kind. It would have been better, perhaps, if that observation had not been made, for I quite recognise the obligations which impose a most proper silence upon right hon. Gentlemen opposite. I will, therefore, simply say that it was in the power of that Government to have challenged a reversal of that vote, but when we remember that their majorities had been going steadily down—[OPPOSITION ironical cheers, and cries of "Oh"]—and that they would probably not have obtained upon a vote of censure a quarter of the majority—I believe I am putting it much too high—that this Government has, it is natural enough that they should have decided not to reverse the vote, which they accordingly took as a conclusive reason why they should resign office. I am under no obligation to make any decision of the kind on the present occasion; the circumstances; 1494 seem to me to be wholly different. I shall require to consult with my colleagues before announcing any decision to the House. Nor shall I give the decision to the House tomorrow morning, it being a Friday sitting, when we meet at twelve o'clock; and as it is, of course, impossible to take the Naval Works Bill, as originally arranged, because we have not obtained the Report of the money Resolution to-night, I shall put down the Scottish Churches Bill for to-morrow, and shall make an announcement of the course we mean to pursue at the meeting i of the House on Monday.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDMr. Speaker; I do not know whether I should be in order to move an Amendment. [MINIS-TERIAL cries of "No."] Being a consistent supporter of order, I respectfully submit that any question of order must be settled by the Chair, and not by a disorderly crowd opposite. I was about to ask whether it would be in order for me to move an Amendment to the Motion—namely, that the House should adjourn till Monday. It seems to me that, pending the consideration of the matter by the right hon. Gentleman and his Cabinet, it would be a perfect farce for the House of Commons to meet to-morrow for public business, when we shall not know until Monday whether or not the public business is any longer to be carried on by the present Government.
§ *MR. SPEAKERIt is not possible after midnight to move an Amendment to the Question that the House do now adjourn.
§ MR. MCKENNA (Monmouthshire, N.)Could not the First Lord 1495 of the Treasury himself move the Motion that the House do adjourn until Monday? [OPPOSITION cheers and MINISTERIAL ironical laughter.]
§ MR. ASQUITH (Fifeshire, E.)I venture to suggest that it is obvious the House cannot meet for the discussion of business to-morrow. [OPPOSITION cheers and MINISTERIAL cries of "No."] And I submit to the right hon. Gentleman that he will consult the general convenience of the House if he will move an adjournment until Monday. [OPPOSITION cheers and MINISTERIAL cries of "No, no!"]
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe course suggested by the right hon. Gentleman is really an impracticable one. The Motion has been made and we cannot divide at this hour. [OPPOSITION cries of "Withdraw it."] But I further suggest that, as an announcement tomorrow will be quite impossible, and as the decision of the Government may, for anything I am at present in a position be say, be that we shall ask the House to reverse this vote and finish the business of the session—[OPPOSITION cries of "Dignity," "Oh!" and MINISTERIAL cheers]—I think it would be a pity not to spend to-morrow upon a subject upon which the whole House is agreed. I agree to ask it to deal with Party questions or matters upon which there was really a strong difference of opinion between the two sides of the House as such would not be a desirable course. On the Bill I am speaking of there may, of course, upon detail be some difference of opinion but there is no difference of opinion, dividing the two sides of the House, and I there 1496 fore think it would be a convenient course.
§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)Would it be in order for the right hon. Gentleman to withdraw the Motion for the adjournment and substitute a Motion for an adjournment until Monday?
§ *MR. SPEAKERHe would have to get the leave of the House to withdraw.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR May I, in reply to the right hon. Gentleman opposite, remind him that I think, if he will refer to the precedent already alluded to to-night, the precedent of the cordite Vote in Supply, he will find that other business was taken after that [OPPOSITION cries of "No!] before the final decision of the Government was arrived at?
§ MR. MCKENNAIs the right hon. Gentleman going to follow that decision?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANAs the right hon. Gentleman refers to a matter in which I played some part, I may confirm what the right hon. Gentle man says. The moment that vote occurred and the division was reported. I moved immediately to report Progress, and other business was proceeded with for part of the evening.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDThat day, but not the next day.
Question put, and agreed to.
§ Adjourned at twenty minutes before One o'clock.