THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (THE MARQUESS OF CREWE)My Lords, I desire to read to the House a statement made in another place by the Prime Minister in these terms—
There are still material points of disagreement in the Cabinet, and if these points are not settled by agreement the result must be the break up of the Government. We all believe that such an event would be a national disaster of the most formidable kind, and it is in the hope that it may be averted by a few days more of deliberation that I shall propose that the House adjourn to-day until Tuesday next.
That was the statement made by the Prime Minister. I only desire to add, in order to give the House time to consider the situation before the Motion of the noble Viscount (Lord Milner) again comes on for discussion, that it is for the noble Viscount himself and for the House to decide whether it is expedient or not to proceed this afternoon with the debate on his Motion. His Majesty's Government have, of course, no claim to closure that debate. I simply desire to make it clear that, in the circumstances which I have described—the absence of agreement between the members of His Majesty's Government on various points closely connected with the subject of the noble Viscount's Motion—it is not possible for us to state our individual views, whether they involve agreement with or dissent from particular propositions or arguments advanced in the course of the debate, if it proceeds. There will, therefore, be no ground for misinterpreting the silence of any of us if the noble Viscount and the House decide to proceed with the discussion.