§ Questions relating to the Valuation Bill, the Colonial Conference, the East Ham Borough Council, the Consolidated Fund (No. 2) Bill, and the fiscal policy of the Government appeared on the Order Paper addressed to the First Lord of the Treasury. When these Questions were reached,
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY (Sir A. ACLAND-HOOD, Somersetshire, Wellington)requested hon. Members to postpone them.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)said he regretted to 99 gather from the right hon. Baronet that the First Lord of the Treasury was indisposed. In the absence of the latter, he asked the right hon. Baronet for information as to the course of business.
§ SIR A. ACLAND-HOODI was at Downing-street in the morning when the Prime Minister arrived from the country. I regret to have to inform the House that the right hon. Gentleman is suffering from a severe chill, and that, by the advice of his medical advisers, he is confined to his bed. I understand that there is no chance of his being in the House for the next two or three days. In these circumstances I think hon. Members will agree with me that it would not be convenient on Tuesday to proceed with the Motion of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Berwick, and we propose to take it on the earliest possible day next week. For Tuesday I propose to put down Supply—Report of Supply of May 8th—and either the Vote of the Local Government Board, on which, I understand, it is desired to raise the question of motor speeds, or the Vote of the Board of Trade, on which a number of hon. Members wish to raise the question of a Ministry of Commerce.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANBefore fixing a day for the Motion of my right hon. friend the Member for Berwick the Government will no doubt ascertain the general convenience in the matter, and especially the convenience of my right hon. friend.
§ SIR A. ACLAND-HOODCertainly every endeavour will be made to meet the wishes of the Opposition. On Wednesday it is proposed to take the Agricultural Rating Bill, and on Thursday Supply, whichever of the two Votes mentioned for Tuesday is not taken.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWho will act as Leader of the House in the absence of the Prime Minister?
§ MR. AKERS-DOUGLASIf it is necessary for me to discharge the duties of that office I will do so to the best of my ability, as I have done before. I did not hear that the Prime Minister was ill until I came to the House. My right 100 hon. friend then told me that he had seen the Prime Minister and had been charged with a special message to the House. I thought it right that my right hon. friend should deliver that message.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)Would it not be possible to take the Unemployed Bill this week. The session is wasting, and there seems little prospect of progress being made with the Bill.
§ MR. BUCHANAN (Perthshire, E.)There is, too, the Scottish Churches Disputes Bill.
§ SIR A. ACLAND-HOODI do not think Bills of such importance should be taken in the absence of the Prime-Minister.