Before you leave the Chair, Sir, I must say a word or two on the conduct of Scotch Business, according to the Notice I have given. It appears to me that it is becoming more and more evident that Parliament is not in a position to cope with the whole of the legislation of these Three Kingdoms. Whatever may be the case with regard to Ireland, some kind of Home Rule really seems to be necessary for Scotland. I was told before I entered Parliament that there was a small Scotch Parliament that met in the Tea Room, or in some corner of the House; but even that little fragment of Home Rule has been taken from us, and now it has come to this—we are either to go without legislation, or we are to submit to the mild despotism of the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Lord Advocate for Scotland. My experience is that we must take what the Lord Advocate is pleased to give us, without discussion, or have nothing. We have heard something to-night of an enlightened despotism being fit for the island of Malta; but I say that despotism, whether enlightened or unenlightened, is not fit for Scotland, and this is a despotism which it appears to me is not fully enlightened. The feeling on this subject is growing very strong indeed in Scotland. If we are likely to have nothing from Parliament, it would be better for Government not to come as they have done to place several large measures before the House. As it is, the Government have succeeded in bringing a nest of hornets about their ears. London is at present full of deputations from Scotland—London is positively swarming with Scotchmen who have come up aggrieved, and justly aggrieved, by the proposals of Government. I see that the Home Secretary is beset everywhere. In passing through the House of Lords' Lobby recently I saw a large assemblage. I thought a fight was going on, but it turned out that the Home Secretary was beset with Scotch deputations. There is only one way of clearing them away, and that is by enabling Scotchmen to return peacefully to their homes, by giving a due share of the attention of this House to Scotch Business. I must remind the Government that in this island most successful rebellions have originated in Scotland, and if the Ministry, strong as they are, succeed in irritating the feelings of the people of Scotland, I think it likely they will fall from that strong high position they now hold. A Scotch Member recently inflicted a crushing defeat on the Ministry. They did not resign on that occasion. Her Majesty did not then see fit to send for the hon. Member for Linlithgow, but if this sort of thing goes on, my hon. Friend will have to be sent for before long. Let us look what is the actual state of affairs in regard to Scotch Business. Last year one important Bill was passed in absolute silence; and this year only one very infinitesimal Scotch Bill, because, I suppose, on the principle of de minimum, nobody cared to take any notice of it. Not only has no Bill of importance been passed, but, so far as I can see, there is no prospect of Government making any arrangement for discussing Scotch Bills. There is the Scotch Poor Law Bill, in regard to which I may say there is a strong feeling in Scotland. There is so much bad in that Bill, they would rather have no Bill, ["No!"] We would only have it like the Irishman's gun, when it was fitted with a new stock, a new lock, and a new barrel. It would certainly require considerable discussion before it can be made acceptable. It is a Bill which proposes to destroy local government. ["Order!"]

here intervened, reminding the hon. Gentleman that it was out of Order to discuss the principle of a Bill not before the House.

I bow to your decision, Sir; but perhaps I may name the Scotch Bills now pending respecting which we have had no proper discussion. The Poor Law Amendment Bill has been smuggled through two stages without discussion. The Roads Bill, which we are more anxious to see passed, has been waiting for the appointment of a day, and there is not the least chance of its being brought forward. I saw from the Minutes that the Roads Bill was read a second time last night, but that I am now told was a mistake. It either has been read a second time without discussion, or it is not likely to be read a second time at all, because there is no day on which it is likely to go on. The Sheriff Courts Bill is another important Bill, and so is the Agricultural Holdings Bill; and the Ecclesiastical Assessments Bill raises some difficult questions in regard to the incidence of local taxation. Then we have the everlasting Game Bills, Liquor Bills, and other smaller measures. What prospect is there of these being discussed? I say the Government have made no arrangement to lead us to hope that they will give us time to discuss them. We must take them in silence or not at all. I say we are greatly ill-used in this matter. Last Tuesday we were given to believe that one of the Scotch Bills would be brought forward. I thought it likely that the Government would have taken a Morning Sitting to-day, and devoted it to a Scotch Bill; but they have not even fixed next Tuesday for that purpose. I hope that now we have been so often told that the Government hope to dispose of Scotch Business, they will be able to tell us something definite, and to say whether they really are going to do anything or nothing; because if they are going to do nothing, it is time these deputations should be enabled to go home to attend to their own affairs, instead of dancing in attendance here in a hope which is not likely to be fulfilled. I trust we shall have definite information given to us.

It is only with the permission of the House that I am entitled to speak at the present moment. I have spoken before; but if the House will allow me, I have two or three words to say as to what the Government will do. I think the hon. Gentleman could not have been in his place last night, for it was then stated that we had fixed certain days for these Bills, with the intention then of naming some day when it would be practicable to bring them forward. It was our intention that the Bills the Government could bring forward should then have a day specially appointed for them, so that they should not be brought forward on a day when there was no opportunity of discussing them. As to the deputations, I am extremely glad to see them; and, more than that, the fact of their having been here has, I believe, greatly contributed to the solution of the Roads question. Having said that, I can only say further that I think it is likely that the Roads Bill and the Poor Law Amendment Bill will be arranged for this Session.

said, he was quite sure that no one could have been less satisfied with the manner in which Scotch Business had been conducted, not only that Session, but during the present Parliament, than the right hon. and learned Lord Advocate himself. The Bills that passed last Session were passed by the Clerk reading their titles at the Table. There was no opportunity for discussion, and they were told they must either take the Bills as a whole or reject them altogether. That was not the mode in which the Business of any section of this country should be treated. The right hon. Gentleman the Home Secretary and the Chancellor of the Exchequer received Scotch Members with great courtesy and attention, but more was wanted than these courtesies—the people of Scotland wanted that their circumstances and feelings should be considered. That had not been done. The only important measure that received any discussion was one the passing of which was not now regarded with pride, but rather with regret—that was the Bill for creating a new franchise for the election of ministers in the Church of Scotland. He felt, therefore, that they were justified in taking an opportunity of the present kind to say that they must receive not only the courtesy they had already received from the right hon. Gentlemen, but that the Business of Scotland should be treated with the respect paid to the legislation of every other portion of the Empire. He did not think it would be a satisfactory mode to substitute the Tea Room for the House; but he thought it was worthy of the consideration of the right hon. Gentleman that some means should be devised by which, without impeding general legislation affecting the Empire, the Business of Scotland should receive greater consideration than had yet been given to it.

said, he wished to say two or three words on this subject. In the earlier days of his Parliamentary experience, the Lord Advocate was good enough to assemble Scotch Members in a convenient place, and from them received not only information as to Bills brought before the House, but as to the support he would receive in conducting that Business to a satisfactory and rapid conclusion, and he ventured to say that it would be of great advantage to Parliament if that process were re-introduced. If the Lord Advocate would consult the Scotch Members upon Scotch Bills, and would accept not the votes of the majority, but would form his own opinion, and then introduce his measures into Parliament so shaped that he would have a reasonable prospect of carrying them through, as had been the former practice on Scotch measures, he would do good service.

objected to their proceeding at so late an hour with so important a matter. There had been a promise given that the details of the Estimates would not be taken after half-past 11.

said, that was what he certainly had promised, but they had been taken by surprise by a "Scotch invasion," which, however, had only lasted until three minutes beyond the hour he had fixed upon. If it was thought he should not go on, the time arranged only being exceeded by three minutes, of course he must agree to report Progress; but if the Committee was willing to go on he should be glad.

thought half-past 11 was too late. The Navy Estimates should be brought on at an earlier hour. Several of the Representatives of the Dockyards—Members who wished to take part in the discussion—were not present, and he should therefore move that Progress be reported.

said, some of them who represented Dockyard towns had sat there for hours waiting for these Votes to come on, and it was hard that, after what was called a "Scotch invasion," and the discussion of questions of no very great interest, those Members interested in the Navy Votes should be prevented discussing them.

said, they had not interposed in the discussion, wishing to save time, but he thought it must be admitted half-past 11 was a late hour to go into Committee. He therefore thought there was reason in the Motion of the hon. Member for Burnley; but, at the same time, he sympathized with the right hon. Gentleman.

felt obliged to the right hon. Gentleman for his friendly remarks; but he must feel that at that late period of the Session it was difficult to arrange the Business. He thought after the previous discussions on the Navy Estimates the Committee might be willing to continue them, but he could not object to the Motion. He would try to arrange that the Navy Estimates should come on upon a future day at an earlier hour. But his right hon. Friend the Secretary for War wished, before Progress was reported, to propose a Vote for the Army.

I hope the hon. Member opposite (Mr. Ramsay), who is anxious to promote Scotch Busi- ness, will see that he has taken up another day which they might have had for Scotch Business.

I may fairly say I did not know that the hon. Member for Kirkcaldy was about to mention this matter, and I was no party to any delay. I wish to say, however, that no Scotch business should have been treated in the way the hon. Member for Plymouth (Mr. Sampson Lloyd) has spoken in this House of our business. I do not see that Scottish business should be spoken of as a "Scotch invasion," or that such remarks should be made on Scotch affairs. I feel it necessary to make a protest against being treated in that fashion. It will not tend to allay the discontent already existing if we are told we must stand over until the dockyard constituencies' affairs are discussed.

said, he had no desire whatever to interfere with naval Business. He did not wish to do so, though he felt there was a risk of that result, and took counsel on the subject, and was led to believe that there was an objection to taking the Naval Votes at so late an hour. He understood the English Poor Law Bill could be taken any time before 12 o'clock, and hoped it would be taken.

said, it would be a mistake to suppose that the hon. Gentleman the Member for Kirkcaldy had taken counsel with him or any of his Friends sitting on the front bench.

thought the Home Secretary had gone out of his way to taunt the hon. Member for Falkirk as having taken up one of the nights which might have been available otherwise for Scotch Business, merely because he made some remarks about Scotch Business. No time had been lost in making those remarks, except the time the remarks took in being delivered. They were not going away. There were more than 24 Orders on the Paper, and he had no doubt the House would sit till 2 o'clock, using the whole of the time in other work.

feared that in consequence of the time which had been lost by English and Scotch Members it would be impossible that night to go on with the Poor Law Rating (Ireland) Bill.

said, he would withdraw his motion, in order that, as had been suggested, the Secretary for War might take a Vote.

said, that a more irregular Vote had never been presented. It was of that bad kind of Votes which carefully concealed the information by which you could verify the actual expenditure with the estimated outlay; and consequently no one knew whether the mode in which the money was spent was right or not. He hoped the Secretary of State for War would give a distinct account of the manner in which the money had been spent in the past, and state clearly the names, ranks, and corps and regiments of the various officers who received the money voted by Parliament as well as the sums paid to each.

also asked how the money was to be expended. There was no information in the Estimates.

remarked, that the Estimate was laid on the Table of the House three months ago. The money had been voted, and there would be no difficulty whatever in stating to the House what commissions had been purchased.

said, no information had been given respecting the particular commissions which had been bought. It was only right to those who advocated the abolition of purchase to have the information given in a clear way, so that they might be able to judge whether the recommendations they offered, and which the House followed in abolishing Purchase, were right. Already millions had been spent, and many more millions had yet to be spent, but no other accounts had been given except lump sums. But as the Treasury was charged with the duty of issuing instructions as to the accounts to be rendered, he hoped that the controlling Department would not fail to require the Commissioners of Purchase to submit to the Comptroller and Auditor General a detailed account of every item, and that that account, when audited with the vouchers, would be laid before Parliament, to enable Members and the country to form right views about the outlay of £10,000,000 or £12,000,000 for buying back the Army from the officers.

said, a Return giving the information required by the hon. Gentleman would be laid on the Table by his right hon. Friend.