mittee. As the matter stands the case | Secondly, I do not look forward to the is a serious one, for I speak on the 28th possibility, or, I may say, the propriety, of June. But it must be borne in mind of our endeavouring to carry through that the 28th of June in the present the House after the Land Bill any year corresponds with the 28th of July measure which is likely to be a subin any other year, because the House ject of prolonged and general controof Commons met one month earlier in versy; I think hon. Gentlemen may disthe present year than usual. And not miss that idea from their minds. There only so, but I do not believe it would are questions which do not stand quite be easy to find in the records of Parlia- in that category, and with respect to ment that in any other year the time which we should like to see the progress before Easter was a time of such close we have made with the Land Bill by application by the House. It is only the beginning of next week before we fair and natural that there should be a give a positive engagement. There is desire to know what are the views and another way in which I can indicate the intentions of the Government beyond disposition of the Government, and that the passing of the Land Bill during the is to refer to what we hope and contempresent year. I am assuming that there plate as to the termination of the Seswill be a disposition to afford additional sion; because if we are really speaking facilities to promote the progress of the on the 28th of July in an ordinary year, Land Bill as the consequence of ap- the Government would be expected to proaching exhaustion on the part of the give definite and distinct information on House. [Mr. WARTON: No, no!] I this subject. My only difficulty now is did not say approaching exhaustion on that we are entirely dependent on the the part of the hon. and learned Mem- Land Bill; everything I say must, and ber, for his capacities of endurance will, I hope, be understood to be suband some other faculties he possesses ject to the conviction we entertain of are really inexhaustible. My sentence our paramount obligation not to spare would have ended to this effect-It ourselves nor to spare the House in is, perhaps, a sign of the approach- begging it to make every exertion for ing exhaustion of the House, which the passing of this measure. But subshould not be overlooked, that on Tues-ject to that consideration, we shall do day evenings, when it is left entirely to its own spontaneous action, limited as are the opportunities of private Members, it has not shown a disposition to rally its energies for the purpose of doing Business on those occasions. So far as the Government are concerned, under ordinary circumstances, it would be a most fair demand to ask of us what other measures we propose to proceed with, in addition to the Land Bill. At the present time I cannot give a positive answer to that question in detail, and for the reason that as yet we do not feel able to form a definite expectation as to the progress in Committee of the Land Bill, and, until we are able to do so, we cannot well say what else besides the Land Bill we can do. I do not refer now to any minor measures; the House would not probably raise any questions about them; but I refer to measures of importance, such as those mentioned in the Queen's Speech. Two, or, perhaps, three, things I may venture to say. First of all, the catalogue of anything we attempt beyond the Land Bill will be a short one. Mr. Gladstone

our very best to procure the Prorogation of the House early in August-I hope not later than the close of the first week in August-and shall not ask the House to sit longer to deal with some particular Bill. There is no Legislative Assembly in the world that makes such free and large sacrifice of the time, convenience, and health of its Members as the House of Commons; and this year the House has been called upon to make those sacrifices even in an unusual degree. We, therefore, feel it to be our duty to the House to see that no obstacle, apart from the Land Bill, so far as we can judge from the materials now before us, shall be interposed so as to interfere with the prospect I now hold out. In the course of a short time I trust to be in a position to enter more into detail; but I hope that what I have now stated may suffice generally to indicate the intentions of the Government so far as they are elements in determining the length of the Session. With regard to the question of the Transvaal Debate, my hope is that we may be able to close the Committee on the Land Bill in time to

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That, on and after Wednesday next, the several stages of the Land Law (Ireland) Bill have precedence of all Orders of the Day and Notices of Motions, on all days when it is set down among the Orders, until the House shall otherwise determine."-(Mr. Gladstone.)

make it convenient to have that debate | cussion of it while the House is still able immediately after the close of the Com- to give attention to it. Therefore, it is mittee and, therefore, before the Report. desirable we should support reasonable As we have been disappointed before we proposals for giving the opportunity of may be disappointed again; but if the full discussion. If the proposal had been debates in Committee should be pro- made on the same terms as the proposal longed beyond what we are led to ex- that was made earlier in the Session pect, I should feel myself bound, though with regard to the Protection of Life with great reluctance, to interrupt the and Property Bill and the Arms Bill, I proceedings in Committee before its close should have seen little cause to doubt for the purpose of fixing a day. I do the wisdom of the proposal. The former not like to name a day at the present proposal was that the several stages of time; I hope that I may speak with the Bill should have precedence of all more definiteness early next week. This Orders of the Day and Notices of Motion is all, I think, that I need say in recom- from day to day until the House should mending this Motion to the House. otherwise order, the effect being that the Bill was proceeded with to the exclusion of all other Business. Now, the Government ask us to do a very different thing. They ask us to say that certain stages of this particular Bill shall have precedence of all other Business on all days when it is put down on the Order Book. That puts the matter entirely in the hands of SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE: The the Government. They may put the Prime Minister, in recommending this Bill down on the Orders of the Day upon Motion to us, has given us some general all nights which are usually given to assurances which, so far as they go, are private Members, and they may put more or less satisfactory; and, in return other Government Business of any kind for those assurances, he asks us to give down on other nights. I do not suggest him a very specific concession of time; that they will do anything of the kind; and he promises that he will make the but it is necessary to ask what use they general assurances more specific when we intend to make of the concession. We have given him the power he asks us to cannot help seeing that there is very confer upon him. I must call attention much of other Business in arrear. to the particular character of this Motion. right hon. Gentleman said truly that, It is not such as is sometimes made having regard to the time at which the towards the close of a Session when the Session opened, the 28th of June was Government comes forward to ask that almost equivalent to the 28th of July. I the whole time should be given up for venture to say that on no 28th of July the remainder of the Session to Govern- in any ordinary year has the Business of ment Business. When that has been Supply been so far behind as it is now. done it has almost invariably been ac- There are 193 Votes to be got there; companied by a specific statement of the only 43 have been voted, and 150 remain. measures with which the Government Not one single Vote has been touched intended to proceed and of the time they in Classes III., IV., V., VI., and VII. of hoped to conclude the Session. The the Civil Service Estimates, nor in those House is now asked to give precedence, for the Revenue Departments, and only not to Government Business generally, a small number of Votes have been but to a particular Bill. No doubt, it is taken in the Army and Navy Estimates. a Bill of great importance; but we on We are, therefore, extremely behindthis side of the House cannot accept the hand with Supply, and we ought to have views of the Government with regard to some assurance that the Government will that Bill. We look upon the Bill as use the time which is to be put at their being by no means of that perfect cha- command, so far as it is not required racter which its promoters think; but for the Land Bill, for going on with we do look upon it as a Bill of great im- Supply rather than undertaking meaportance which requires careful consi-sures about which they have not defined deration; and we are glad to facilitate their position, whether they regard them arrangements for the full and fair dis- as necessary or not. Of course, there

The

are some which are of an indispensable any opinion with regard to the general character; it is not difficult to name details of it; but I say it is a subject them; and the Secretary to the Treasury which demands the careful attention of would in a quarter of an hour give a Parliament when it is dealt with. Then, list of the measures which are really in- the Bankruptcy Bill is one of great imdispensable. There are other measures portance. Do the Government think which may or may not be important or they will get it through in the present desirable, but which cannot be regarded Session? It would greatly facilitate as indispensable. We ought to be told matters for us all if we knew what what are the measures which the Go- their real programme was. Then there vernment consider as indispensable. We is the Ballot Act Continuance Bill. Of ought to have an assurance that the Go- course, a Continuance Act is a matter of vernment will not ask the House to sit necessity; but are we to have other probeyond some such time as that indicated visions imported? If so, they will refor any other purpose than that of getting quire a great deal of discussion. There through the Land Bill and the measures is another measure which, no doubt, which are now indicated, before the House would lead to prolonged controversyparts with its power. We ought to have that is, the Parliamentary Oaths Bill. an assurance, also, with regard to the We wish to know whether it is intended Transvaal debate. While we accept the to proceed with the Floods Bill or the assurance we have received that it shall Charitable Trusts Bill? There are several come on as early as possible, I should other measures as to which we should be glad if it could be made a little more like definite information before we take precise; and we ought to have a clear such a very strong and really unprece and distinct statement as to the mea- dented step as the Government ask us sures with which the Government intend to take. It is to give the Government to proceed. Let me remind the House power to take precedence of all other of the exceptional character of the Ses- Business when they choose by putting sion. Not only was it begun so early the Irish Land Bill on the Orders of the as the 6th of January, but the earlier Day, without any corresponding oblipart of the Session was taken up with gation on the part of the Government, the measures relating to Ireland. The and without any security with regard to debate on the Address lasted 11 nights. Supply. I hope before the Motion is The Government had all the time, from agreed to we may obtain a little more the 25th of January to the 11th of March, definite information. when we were subjected to exceptional Rules of Urgency, and when it was over an attempt was made to get Urgency for Supply; but we could not stand that, and we did what we could to facilitate Business without resorting to that dis-vernment to prove their sincerity with agreeable alternative. Since then we regard to the Land Bill by putting it have had nothing but the Irish Land down from day to day before giving Bill, and we have only got through four them the power they asked. The right clauses. Some of the remaining clauses hon. Gentleman who had just sat down contain principles which are of much said that he was far from regarding the consequence and details which are of Bill as being so perfect as the Govern the greatest perplexity, and which must ment and their Supporters considered; be debated by those who take an interest and he (Mr. Justin M Carthy) might in questions connected with property not think even so highly of it as the with considerable fulness and care. It right hon. Gentleman; but still, such as is not enough for the Prime Minister it was, he should wish, if it was to do now to say that the Government do not any manner of good to the Irish people, intend to press forward any measure to push it on and pass it as soon as poswhich may involve prolonged discussion. sible, and to clear Parliament of an enI should like to know what measures cumbrance. He had considerable symthey are able to say they think it neces-pathy with English and Scotch Members. sary to carry. We ought to know, for He thought it was somewhat trying for instance, what is to be done with the them to find that the whole time of the Corrupt Practices Bill. I do not express House was taken up, and every meaSir Stafford Northcote

MR. JUSTIN M‘CARTHY said, there was a good deal of fairness and justice in the remarks of the Leader of the Opposition. It was only reasonable that hon. Members should expect the Go

sure that concerned them pushed aside, | pose the Land Bill did not pass through from Session to Session, by the work of Committee in the manner contemplated Irish legislation; but English and Scotch by the right hon. Gentleman, what Members would please to recollect that would become of all the prospects which that, at least, was no fault of the Irish were held out by the Prime Minister? Members. They had, over and over Before the House assented to the Moagain, urged upon the House the neces- tion, they ought to have something more sity of withdrawing from the Imperial definite from the Government. There Parliament this great mass of purely could be no doubt the Government were domestic Irish legislation. Then, he making most unusual, most extreme decould not allow this opportunity to pass mands on the forbearance and patience without reminding Her Majesty's Mi- of the House. This was not only a Monisters that two months of the best part tion for giving precedence to the Irish of the Session were absolutely wasted Land Bill; it was in reality a Motion in the most useless and wanton legisla- for giving precedence to whatever Busition that had been tried in that House ness of their own the Government might for many years. It was, again, no fault choose to put before that of private of the Irish Members that those two Members for the rest of the Session. months were thrown away on legislation He did not want to throw the least which had proved to be perfectly useless, doubt on the assurance of the right hon. if not, indeed, calamitous, instead of Gentleman, but the Motion went a great being employed in getting through the deal further than the statement. He Irish Land Bill, and thus getting rid should, therefore, move an Amendment of any possible necessity for Coercion. to bring the Motion into accord with Those two months had been wasted on the statement, and he hoped the Golegislation which had made the state vernment would accept the Amendment. of Ireland much worse than it was Considering the time of private Membefore. Under these circumstances, if bers the Government had already abthe Government proposed to take away sorbed this Session, it was a grave questhe last chance from private Members tion whether the private Members would during the Session, it should be for the not be within their rights in declining definite purpose of pushing forward this to give up more for the Irish Land Bill. Land Bill to the end. There were many Under ordinary circumstances, no doubt, important measures that had but little the House would refuse to do so withchance, he feared, of coming on. There out a struggle. But the circumstances was one very important measure with of the present time were not ordinary. regard to Ireland, and which had been He regretted deeply the desperate conmentioned in the Queen's Speech from dition to which Ireland had been brought the Throne. He meant the Bill for the since the present Government unhappily establishment of County Boards. He came into Office. Under the circumsupposed there was little chance of stances, they should be disposed to meet seeing that measure introduced this the Government as far as they could. Session. He would repeat, then, that if The right hon. Gentleman thought that the Government took so much time from in many parts of the House there was private Members, he thought it should a prevalent feeling of the paramount be for the sole purpose of bringing this importance of proceeding with the meaLand Bill to a conclusion. sure. That was not his own opinion; and outside he never recollected a measure of such importance being treated with so much apathy, which arose from doubt as to whether it would effect the permanent good that was hoped from it. Be that as it might, they were disposed to meet the Government with a fair compromise, and he therefore suggested an Amendment to carry out what was said by the right hon. Gentleman. He would move to omit from the Resolution the words "when it is down among the Orders." That would leave

MR. CHAPLIN said, that the right hon. Gentleman had dangled before them a bait which opened up a tempting prospect. The Land Bill was to be happily and speedily got through Committee; the catalogue of other measures was to be exceedingly short; no subject involving political controversy was to be brought before the House after the Land Bill; and the Session was to end the first week in August. This was charming, delightful; but, unfortunately, it was based on a series of assumptions. Sup