§ MR. CHURCHILL (Oldham)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury a Question of which I regret I have not been able to give him private notice—whether his attention has been drawn to a Resolution standing on the Journals of the House which runs as follows:—"Resolved, nemine contradicente, That, in view of the declarations made by the Prime Minister, this House thinks it necessary to record its condemnation of his policy of fiscal retaliation;" what precedents can be cited in favour of a Government ignoring such a Resolution; if he proposes to ask the House to expunge that Resolution from its Journals, and, if so, when; or whether, if the Resolution stands, he considers retention of office consonant with his public duty or personal honour.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am sorry the hon. Gentleman did not take the ordinary course of giving me notice of his Question, because if he had done so I would have made myself acquainted with what appears to have taken place last night. At present my sole knowledge is derived from the Question the hon. Member has put to me.
§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)Will not the right hon. Gentleman say if he means to take any step in regard to the Resolution? If he was not here last night, surely he could have made himself acquainted with what occurred through the ordinary channels of information?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)I only wish to ask one short and simple Question. Is the right hon. Gentleman still Leader of the House of Commons?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am Leader of the House of Commons so long as the majority of that House gives me its confidence. If the right hon. Gentleman doubts whether that is the present fact, there are means at his disposal for testing it.
§ MR. BUCHANAN (Perthshire, E.)Where were your followers last night?
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered any one of the Questions I put to him; and, if I rightly understand him, he requires notice; and, if so, I will put down the Question for to-morrow.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have now read the Resolution. What is it the hon. Member asks?
§ MR. CHURCHILLI ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he proposes to ask the House of Commons to expunge the Resolution; what precedent he can cite in favour of the Government's ignoring a Resolution which specifically Condemns their official policy; and whether, while the Resolution stands, he considers his retention of office consonant with his public duty or his personal honour.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe last phrase is one that should be withdrawn.
§ MR. CHURCHILLIf it goes beyond the limit which Parliamentary language should allow, I willingly leave out the last phrase. I have no desire to go further than the extreme limits of Parliamentary language will allow.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI raise no objection to any language the hon. Gentleman may use. I rate it at its true value. I propose to take no action in the matter. I do not see that any action is required.