§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. ASQUITH,) Fifeshire, E.Mr. Speaker, since the House rose on Friday, His Majesty the King has been pleased to accept from the Prime Minister the resignation of his office, and the Government is now without a head. This is not the occasion on which it would be possible or appropriate for me to attempt to do justice to the great qualities of our revered and trusted chief, or to enlarge on his long and splendid services to the State. For the moment I will not trust myself to do more than to say that in the annals of our country there is no man who, after long years spent in the thick of public contention, ever laid down the highest 959 office under the Crown more universally or more deservedly beloved. There is not, I believe, a single Member in any quarter of the House who has not come down here to-day feeling himself under the shadow of not merely a political, but a personal loss. In these conditions it is clearly impossible that the House can for a time proceed effectually with public business; and in the circumstances it must, I apprehend, take some little time before the necessary arrangements can be completed. That being so, it is my duty to move now two Resolutions. The first is: "That all Committees have leave to sit, notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, until the adjournment for the Easter Recess." The second Resolution is: "That this House do now adjourn until Tuesday, 14th April." I may, perhaps, add that it is necessary to sit on that day for the purposes of a Royal Commission and also possibly for other business of a formal character; and when that is transacted I should imagine that the House would then be asked to adjourn for the Easter Recess.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR (City of London)I do not imagine that by the forms of the House it is at all necessary that there should be a seconder for either of the two Motions which the Leader of the House has just made. But I rise to say 011 behalf of my friends and myself that, of course, we shall be glad to do any thing in our power to facilitate the course of public business, and to render easier the task which has fallen upon the Members of the Government in consequence of the event of which the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been good enough to give us information to-day. I do not propose to deal with the subject which is necessarily in the thoughts of every man I am addressing. If I did desire to deal with it, I could not add anything to the admirable words which have fallen from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I associate myself with those words to the fullest extent, and I desire to say on behalf of my friends and myself how deeply we regret the cause which has rendered it necessary for the Prime Minister to resign his high office and how deep is our sympathy with him on the present occasion.
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)I hope the House will not grudge me the opportunity of saying in one or two brief sentences how deeply my colleagues and I feel the loss of the right hon. Gentleman the Prime Minister. We have had long experience of the right hon. Gentleman; and during the many long years during which we have worked in connection with him in the cause of Ireland we have had again and again convincing proofs that he was a sincere friend of Irish liberty and Irish rights. The right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer spoke of this as not only a political loss, but a personal one. Those of us on these benches who have been brought into personal contact with the Prime Minister—and I am one of those who have been brought a good deal into personal contact with him—will certainly echo that sentiment. We all feel that in his disappearance, Ireland has suffered a loss second only to the loss she suffered when Mr. Gladstone retired from the post of Prime Minister of this country. Knowing the right hon. Gentleman's sentiments of friendliness to our cause and country, I am sure he will be pleased to hear the expression of our view and that we have always regarded him as the consistent, brave, and sincere friend of Ireland and her cause. I believe there is no Nationalist living in any part of the world who will not deeply deplore the fact that he has been taken away from the arena of public life. I am glad the House has allowed me the opportunity of saying these few words and of associating myself most heartily with what has fallen from the Chancellor of the Exchequer.