§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR (City of London)asked what would be the course of business after Thursday.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid it had been his intention to take the Trades Disputes Bill on Friday, but as it had been already put down for Monday that was impossible. He therefore proposed on Friday to move the suspension of the Standing Orders relating to the sittings of the House, in order to ease the proceedings of the House for the rest of this portion of the session. It might be said that this was a little earlier than usual, to which he would reply that the session began later than usual, and that they proposed to close this portion of the session earlier than usual. He thought, therefore, that it was a not unreasonable request. After he had made this Motion on Friday he proposed to take the Agricultural Vote. On Thursday, the 19th instant, the Votes for the Local Government Board and the Board of Trade would be taken, and on Friday, the 20th, the Indian Budget. On Thursday, the 26th, Irish Estimates would be taken, and on Friday, the 27th, the remaining Navy Votes. The next Votes to be taken after that would be those of the Colonial Office and the Home Office.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURasked the right hon. Gentleman whether he had considered that neither as regarded the Education Bill nor Supply was there any advantage in suspending the 11 o'clock rule, since the first was provided for under the guillotine Resolution, while Supply was provided for by the Standing Orders. According to the Government's pledge, their time up to August 4th was to be given to the Education Bill and Supply, 898 and he should like to know what measure the Government proposed to further by the suspension of the 11 o'clock rule.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid the one fact affecting the position of next Friday was that the Committee stage of the financial Resolutions on which to found the Labourers' (Ireland) Bill, ought to be agreed to, in order to enable the Bill to proceed before the Standing Committee. They hoped to take that on Friday. Of course, the Government held themselves bound to proceed with all their Bills when most convenient to the House.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid the question would arise whether that statement was in accordance with the pledge that had been given. But had the right hon. Gentleman considered that he could not pass other Bills on Supply nights, and could only do so on Education nights? Was his view that, after closing the discussion on the Education Bill, they should at a late hour pass other legislation on the same nights?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid he understood that on Supply nights they could take other Bills if the eleven o'clock rule were suspended.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid that, if the right hon. Gentleman would look at the rule, he would see that that was not so.
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)said that, inasmuch as the formal Resolution in Ways and Means of the Labourers' Bill had been blocked night after night by the friends of the right hon. Gentleman, he hoped the Government would have no scruple whatever, in asking the House to sit later on Education and Supply nights to push on business.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid he had objected to the Labourers (Ireland) Bill being sent to a Committee upstairs, but,, since that point had been settled, he had no objection to the Resolution being taken. Was it simply that this Bill might be passed that the right hon. Gentleman proposed to suspend the eleven o'clock rule?
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDThe Resolution was blocked last night by the hon. 899 Member for Hammersmith, and the senior Member for Dublin University—also a follower of the right hon. Gentleman—refused to appeal to the hon. Member to withdraw his objection.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWell, I have no objection to the Resolution being passed. But is it proposed to suspend the rule for that only?
§ MR. CLAUDE HAY (Shoreditch, Hoxton)asked when the Treasury Vote would be taken.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid he could not name a day.