§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That a sum, not exceeding £650,000 (including a Supplementary sum of £500,000), be granted to His Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1919, for His Majesty's Foreign and other Secret Services."—[NOTE.—£350,000 has been voted on account.]
§ Mr. S. MacNEILLI beg to move, "That the Chairman do report Progress, and ask leave to sit again."
§ We have sat for several hours on these Votes. This is a Supplementary Vote for a sum of £5,000,000,000. [Laughter.] That shows how far advanced the evening is. Mr. Chamberlain chose to think in continents. I am bound to think, owing to the doings of the Government, in millions. This sum of half a million of money, in addition to the half-million for Secret Service, on which I wish to say a few words, should not be discussed at midnight, and one great reason why it should not be discussed now is that the Minister who is responsible for this Vote, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is not here. Will not the Government make 2151 a compromise? There are two other Orders which the Leader of the House said he would take to-night. Will he not accept the Motion to report Progress, and have this discussion to-morrow? Half a million of money even now is a very important thing, especially when we do not know how that is disposed of. I shall endeavour, please God, to-morrow to show some of the means by which it is disposed, but I would like to have the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs here. There may be an excuse for the right hon. Gentleman's absence, because it is his birthday, and may he have many others! In his very distinguished career he has never made an enemy, although he has given hard knocks and perhaps received some. I hope, under all the circumstances, the Leader of the House, who looks at things reasonably, will allow this Motion to be carried, and go on with the other Orders. I promise him I will not oppose them.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThere is a good deal to be said for this Motion at this late hour. Of course the Government have no desire to keep the House longer than is necessary to get through the business. The Motion is not unreasonable in these circumstances, and the hon. Member was good enough to say I am willing to look at these things in a reasonable way, which is gratifying as coming from him. But if the Motion itself be not unreasonable, I cannot say I was impressed with the argument brought forward by the hon. Gentleman. He gave as a proof of the undesirability of continuing the business his own vagueness as to the figures. Although it is a good rule generally to judge one by yourself; it is not always safe to do it in a case like this, and to assume that everyone is as hazy as legards the figures as the hon. Member is, even at this time of night. But the Government will be willing to report Progress, because I think we shall, in one way or the other, get through the business. If so, I would like the House to take two Orders on the Paper with regard to which, I think, there is no difference of opinion—the Lords Amendments to the Parliament and Local Elections Bill and the Financial Resolution for Scottish Education. If those be agreed to, I will accept this Motion.
§ Question, "That the Chairman do report Progress, and ask leave to sit again," put, and agreed to.
2152§ Resolutions to be reported upon Tuesday next; Committee also report Progress; to sit again upon Monday next.