HC Deb 31 May 1905 vol 147 cc345-8
SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I beg to ask the Home Secretary whether he can hold out any prospect that the House will soon see the Prime Minister again in his place and what arrangements the Government contemplate for the Motion standing in the name of my right hon. friend the Member for Berwick.

MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS

I have seen the Prime Minister this morning, and I am in a position to offer the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Berwick Monday next for the vote of censure. My right hon. friend the Secretary for the Treasury promised on Monday last that the earliest possible day should be given. Monday is that earliest day, and I shall be ready to place that day at the disposal of the right hon. Gentleman. With regard to the first Question which the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition asked me, I have every reason to hope that my right hon. friend the First Lord of the Treasury will be in his place to-morrow.

SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

At the time when the Secretary for the Treasury spoke of fixing the earliest possible day, I remember I suggested that the convenience of the House should be consulted; and I am bound to say that, while I think any day this week would have been suitable, I do not think any day next week is likely to be convenient for the great majority of Members of the House. Therefore I would ask the right hon. Gentleman to reconsider the matter and make other arrangements.

MR. AKERS DOUGLAS

I have carefully considered the question with the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House, and I am afraid I can offer no other day than Monday next. I would point out to the right hon. Gentleman the objections to the postponement. The character of the Motion is exceptional. It is not an ordinary Motion; it is a direct vote of censure upon the Prime Minister, and ought to be dealt with as speedily as possible. [OPPOSITION cries of "To-morrow."] The right hon. Gentleman himself treated the matter as one of urgent public importance, because he moved the adjournment of the House on this question last week. Therefore, so far as I am concerned as representing the Prime Minister on this occasion, I am afraid I can hold out no hope of any day before the holidays except Monday next.

SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I greatly regret the tone in which the right hon. Gentleman has thought fit to deal with this matter, which ought to be a matter of amicable arrangement between the two sides of the House. The arrangements of hon. Members were made on the supposition that this Motion was to come on last Tuesday, and therefore many hon. Members have made arrangements to go out of town next week. There are other circumstances which have occurred which increase the tendency in that direction; but if the right hon. Gentleman wishes to have an early day why does he not select tomorrow? We are ready to go on with it tomorrow if the right hon. Gentleman will give us that day, and not select a day next week which will be notoriously inconvenient.

MR. AKEES-DOUGLAS

First of all let me apologise if in any way my manner gave the impression that I had answered the Question of the right hon. Gentleman in any discourteous spirit.

SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

There was no discourtesy. It was the words of the right hon. Gentleman.

MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS

It certainly was not my intention to be discourteous. I said I had every reason to hope that my right hon. friend would be present to-morrow; but I cannot guarantee his presence to-morrow, and therefore I cannot fix that day in the absence of my right hon. friend, who is the Minister challenged and who must reply to this question. So far as the day for the Motion is concerned I am afraid I cannot depart from the offer I have made.

SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

The right hon. Gentleman appears to forget that it is not our fault that it did not come off yesterday.

MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS

I am perfectly certain there is no person in the House or in the country who more deeply regrets that it did not come off yesterday than the Prime Minister himself.

SIR EDWARD GREY (Northumberland, Berwick)

I am not quite clear how the matter stands now with reference to the proposal of the Government as to a day for the Motion. Do I understand that the Home Secretary states that the Motion must be taken on Monday or not at all, and that the Government will not give any other day? Because the Leader of the Opposition has pointed out that that is an inconvenient day. More than one unforeseen cause has occurred to disturb the course of public business since my Motion was put on the Paper. Do I understand from the Home Secretary that the position of the Government is that they offer us Monday, but meet us with a point blank refusal as to any later day?

MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS

I have already pointed out that it is very desirable that the Motion should be dealt with before the vacation, because I do not think that a Motion challenging the bona fides of the Prime Minister ought to remain on the Paper for a long period. If the right hon. Gentleman would take the Motion off the Paper I daresay my right hon. friend would at a later period give the right hon. Gentleman another opportunity. At all events, Monday is the first day at our disposal; and whether the Motion should be postponed till after Whitsuntide is a question which the right hon. Gentleman should put to the Prime Minister.

SIR EDWARD GREY

I gather from he Home Secretary that the main difficulty of appointing another day, assuming it is impossible to take the Motion his week, is the matter of form of keeping the Motion on the Paper. I should be willing to remove the Motion provided should be regarded as at liberty to replace it when the Government can offer day which will suit the general convenience of the House.

MR. AKERS-DOUGLAS

I am as anxious for the general convenience as right hon. Gentlemen opposite; but all I an say now is that I can only offer Monday before the Whitsun holidays. If the right hon. Gentleman desires to take the course he has adumbrated perhaps he will put a further Question to-morrow or on the adjournment to-night.