§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR (City of London)I desire to ask the Prime Minister a Question arising out of a notice that appears for the first time on the Paper to-day. It is a notice "to call attention to the case of Mrs. Eva D'Angely, to the conduct of the Metropolitan Police, and to the decision of the Court in connection therewith." That is, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, what in the last Parliament was called "a blocking notice," and under that term came in for a great number of opprobrious epithets from the right hon. Gentleman and his friends. I understand that the Home Secretary has deferred answering Questions on this subject, which excites a great deal of interest, and this notice will prevent the question from being discussed on a Motion for the adjournment of the House, should that course be thought desirable. In these circumstances I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it would not be a convenient course to put down the Home Office Vote on Tuesday next for the purpose of discussing this single Question. That would be more satisfactory than a Motion for the adjournment; but if the Government refuse that better course, I hope they will see that the other course is not barred by the action of their friends.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI did not observe this notice of Motion, and I had no knowledge that it was on the Paper, or of the circumstances in which it was put down. As to the deferring of the Questions on the Paper until Monday, of that also I had no knowledge, except that the Home Secretary told me of it this morning and said that these who had put down the Questions had deferred them till Monday of their own accord. With regard to putting down the Home Office Vote on Monday, we had made other arrangements, and I do not know how far the negotiations have gone, or whether it is possible to make 1500 the alteration suggested by the right hon. Gentleman. But, if it is possible, it shall be fully considered. As to business, perhaps I may say that we had proposed to take on Monday the Finance Bill, but circumstances have arisen to make it more convenient to take that Bill on Wednesday. On Monday we shall take the Second Beading of the Plural Voters Bill; on Tuesday, subject to the suggested arrangement, Class I. of the Civil Service Estimates (Public Works), and on Thursday Irish Supply.
§ Mr. A. J. BALFOURThe right hon. Gentleman has met me in a fair spirit; but I hope it is understood that the right hon. Gentleman will endeavour as far as ho can to allow the ordinary course with regard to the adjournment to take place on Monday, or will make the arrangement I have suggested for Tuesday. The House will feel that one of these courses should be adopted. As to the Finance Bill, I suppose that the right hon. Gentleman does not expect to take the Second Reading in half a day. I never heard of the Second Reading of such a Bill being got through in less than a whole day.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe right hon. Gentleman is aware that ho himself and others proclaimed this to be an exceptionally humdrum and commonplace Budget, the common property of all parts of the House. I merely mention that as making a little distinction.
§ Mr. A. J. BALFOURI repudiate any share in that.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe right hon. Gentleman says with regard to the other matter that there are two courses—;either to put down the Home Office Vote on Tuesday, or that I should make arrangements for a Motion for the adjournment of the House on Monday. I never heard before of a Leader of the House and the head of the Government making arrangements for a Motion of adjournment directed against his own Government. I should have thought that the right hon. Gentleman would not so far forestall the future as to declare that there is to be a Motion for the adjournment before ho knows what Answer is to be given by the Home Secretary to the Questions on the Paper. 1501 Those Answers may be perfectly satisfactory to the right hon. Gentleman and his friends.
§ Mr. A. J. BALFOURI admit that possibility, and I hope it will occur; but unless the notice on the Paper is withdrawn, however unsatisfactory the Answer of the right hon. Gentleman may be, it will not be possible for any gentleman interested to move the adjournment, and that contingency I hope the right hon. Gentleman will remember.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThis incident of a Motion's being put down is a surprise to me; but I will look up the precedents. I am always anxious to follow the example of my predecessors as far as I can, and if I find such a course as the right hon. Gentleman suggests is justified by the action of my immediate predecessor I shall be glad to follow it.
§ Mr. A. J. BALFOURThe right hon. Gentleman is fully justified in what he has said, and I hope he will look up his own statements and appeals on similar occasions. I may say that never under any circumstances should I myself have refused to give an early date for the discussion of a subject in which I believed the House to be interested in connection with the action of a Minister of the Crown.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANPerhaps I may be allowed to repeat my statement that it all depends upon the Answers given, and if these Answers are entirely satisfactory, whore arises the necessity for our now taking the Home Office Vote?